The NBA Playoffs are back and I could not be more bored by the thought of it. Maybe it’s because the 16x NBA Champion Lakers aren’t competitive anymore or maybe it’s because I haven’t seen an offensive rebound in the NBA since 2004. I don’t know what it is, but watching teams who are barely over .500 play in the playoffs just doesn’t rev my engine. Not only is the NBA soft, it’s just flat out not entertaining to watch anymore. Such a lack of hustle and effort is shown night after night which leaves me asking myself why I’m even watching.
20, 26, 28, 32, 32, those aren’t winning lottery numbers. Those numbers are the point differentials in the first games of the first round. Five playoff teams lost by 20 or more and two lost by more than 30 in their first games of the playoffs. How is that entertaining? How is that playoff basketball? To answer both of those questions, it isn’t. I was going to do a first round preview of the NBA Playoffs but there is no point. I will save everyone some time by telling you that the Cavaliers will play either the Spurs or the Warriors in the finals, but most likely the Warriors. OKC and the Clippers will be tough second round matchups for the eventual Western Conference Finals teams but last time I checked the Thunder only plays with two players and the Lakers will win another championship before the Clippers so you can rule LAC out. The Cavs looked very average against a so-so Pistons team but who else in the east will beat them? The Celtics? The Cavs definitely won’t be able to matchup with Isaiah Thomas and Kelly Olynyk, oh no. (read that in a very sarcastic tone). It’s not even that the Cavs are great, they just aren’t as bad as everyone else in the Eastern Conference therefore, they will be in the finals.
All of this is just frustrating to me. The NBA used to be cool. Aggressive defense and trash talk is what I loved to see. Unfortunately we live in a world where everyone is sensitive over everything and it has carried over to the NBA. No more trash talk, no more physical play, no more rivalries. And this is to anyone who disagrees with me, can you honestly tell me that you are excited to watch an aging Dwyane Wade and the Heat play Jeremy Lin and the Charlotte Bobcats Hornets? There isn’t one interesting first round matchup and the NBA is the only league where it’s like that. MLB, NHL, and NFL consistently have interesting matchups throughout their playoffs, unfortunately the NBA can’t say the same. Not even close. Obviously there will be blowouts here and there but for 5 teams to lose their first game by 20 or more is absurd. The playoffs need to be more entertaining, Chris Paul should be a Laker, and overall the NBA just needs to figure it out.
