Hand Down, Man Down
NBA Playoffs….. and a little bit more
To those clued up, knowledgeable and briefed, you should be familiar with the commentator responsible for this article’s title. Akin to Martin Tyler’s “And it’s live”, Mark Jackson would make that reference when a player failed to put his hands up to defend when an opponent was taking a shot. These iconic phrases are the heartbeat of sports consumption as they remind the avid viewer of the full experience that comes with watching a game of football or basketball. It’s not just the crunching tackle or the beautiful fade-away shot that people tune in for, but to hear the commentary of people just as excited as you are. Don’t get me started on commentators (I’ll discuss them a bit further in a latter series so stay tuned!)
I say all this to say- the NBA playoffs are in season!
I must confess, I haven’t been as engaged with basketball this year compared to previous seasons. Unbeknownst to me is the specific reason for this, but this year has teetered along with many storylines emerging. To name a few, the:
1. Lakers experiment failed emphatically. The trio of LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis, who were pre-season favourites for the title by many, missed out on the play-in tournament, a mathematical improbability given that you’d have to be in the bottom 5 of your conference for this to happen, which was all the more embarrassing given the roster they had.
2. Rise of up and coming teams spearheaded by young stars. Most notably, the first-round matchup between Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves demonstrated this perfectly, with Ja Morant and Anthony Edwards leading their teams. The future is truly now, with other stars such as Giannis, Luke Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Devin Booker dominating these playoffs. Enjoy the few years we have left of KD, LeBron, Steph, Klay…. they won’t be here for much longer (but who am I to bet against them).
3. Supposed demise of the quintessential super-team? It’s a league of two’s, ones, and fours: one superstar leading good role players, 2 stars leading the same, or Golden State led by their death line-up. The three-star led teams of the ‘18 Warriors, ‘16 Cavaliers may be a thing of the past for now. The top two seeds in each conference succeeded because of their depth rather than their star power. Yes, they had great players, but it was more about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. This season should be decided by the teams which have many good cooks rather than a Michelin-starred chef, however basketball usually doesn’t work like that. With the remaining fixtures evenly matched, I pick the team with the best player to win each series barring the final.
4. Year of ‘unsung’ heroes. Is Giannis really an unsung hero? Can he still be seen as underrated? Perhaps he can when Ja Morant is voted as the most improved player this season. Marcus Smart secured defensive player of the year, DeMar DeRozan with an MVP-calibre year (albeit they fell away at the end).
Apologies I’m jumping steps, but we have to speak about the Brooklyn Nets and Kevin Durant (KD) more specifically. ‘Pick a card, any card’ the tricksters would say, but in this case pick any coach or player in the Nets organisation to blame for their failure. All shall be held responsible. But I focus on KD because he is their best player. He carried them for much of the season and it took its toll. The Boston Celtics did what seldom have been able to do, which was make him look toothless. His sniper ran out of bullets. However, I predict he will either win MVP next year or the regular season scoring title. Lest we forget the last time his proficiency was doubted during the 2019-2020 season as he recovered from his Achilles injury. History shows the wisdom in not counting him out; “I’m Kevin Durant. Y’all know who I am.”
Are you still here? Are you watching closely? I hope I haven’t lost you.
Now to the remainder of the playoffs. To those unacquainted with sporting terminology my reference of ‘seed’ is not to do with horticulture. Think of it as a ranking in descending order (1 being best based on the regular season and so forth).
1. East Conference Semi Finals:
a. Miami Heat (1st seed) vs Philadelphia 76ers (4th seed)
b. Boston Celtics (2nd seed) vs Milwaukee Bucks (3rd seed)
2. West Conference Semi Finals:
a. Phoenix Suns (1st seed) vs Dallas Mavericks (4th seed)
b. Memphis Grizzlies (2nd seed) vs Golden State Warriors (3rd seed)
Conference Finals predictions (these predictions were done 1 minute after Golden State defeated the Grizzlies in game 1):
1. Miami Heat (winning In 6 against the 6ers) vs Milwaukee Bucks (winning in 7 against the Celtics after a hard-fought series)
2. Phoenix Suns (winning in 6 against the Mavericks) vs Golden State Warriors (winning in 5 against the Grizzlies)
NBA Finals Prediction: Bucks (winning their 7 game series with Giannis getting a 40 point triple double) vs Golden State (beating the Suns in 6): Golden State to win in 7
As you can see, I’ve arrived at Golden State winning the championship after beating the Bucks in a game 7 at home. Working backwards, I believe the finals will be closely contested. Giannis will be very difficult to contain, but sharp shooting from Curry, Poole and Thompson will get them across the line. Watch out for how Green marshals their defence- his coverage of Giannis will be key. Steph to win Finals MVP. I’m not too high on the Suns. In the end I don’t think they have enough, CP3 won’t break his duck. Miami Heat have proven unstable at times, not to be trusted in the biggest moments. They will go as their leader Jimmy Butler goes, who will take them very far, but again the best player in the series will take over. Shoutout Victor Oladipo for his return. He could be the x-factor.
Sorry but Real Madrid! The Galacticos! Pep you must resign! The GOAT of bottle-jobs. This is two articles in 1- I’m reacting live as I watch Madrid-City 96 minutes in. How they do it I don’t know- Carlo Ancelotti looking like he’d much rather be in bed reading a book, sipping on some hot chocolate. FYI his book, ‘Quiet Leadership: Winning Hearts, Minds and Matches’ is a very good read which I’d strongly recommend, whether you’re a football fan or not. He’s a thinker, a communicator, a great leader. The only manager to have won the league championship in all 5 major countries. His substitutions throughout the UCL have been bold and timely. Taking off Benzema with the prospect of penalties looming, bringing on Rodrygo and Camavinga is what distinguishes him as one of the best. I care deeply about making substitutions at the right time- it makes the key difference in controlling momentum. The morale of Real, a team of winners indeed. Sterling you might have to join them, but I don’t think they need or want you anymore.
Back to the NBA. The 6ers and James Harden. James Harden and Joel Embiid. They could be a sneaky finals pick next season if Harden rediscovers his form. Next year I’m excited because a lot of stars have something to prove. KD, Kyrie, KAWHI, LeBron, Harden, Simmons, ZION, the list is endless! It would be wise to start watching the NBA now if you’ve never before.
Let’s get ready to rumble: Real Madrid vs Liverpool.