With the season-ending injury to
Derrick Rose and the absolutely atrocious basketball currently being
played in New York City, it seems a foregone conclusion that the
Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat are on a collision course for a Eastern
Conference Finals rematch. The following circumstances are the only
things that could prevent this highly anticipated series, arranged in
descending order of likelihood.
1. A major injury happens to one or
more player on the Pacers or Heat.
2. A major trade happens with one of
the Eastern Conference teams acquiring a superstar
3. Derrick Rose, after a visit to
Germany, returns with some child's knees as replacements
4. Bradley Beal is actually as good as
I picture him in my dreams/on our podcast
5. Michael Jordan convinces the league
to allow him out of retirement, and, after a visit to Germany, he
drops 35 PPG and leads the Bobcats to the Finals.
6. The Apocalypse happens, thus
preventing the Eastern Conference Finals from happening
7.The Nets or Knicks rebound and are
actually good
All sarcasm aside, it seems as if the
collective mentality about the playoffs in the Leastern Conference is
that they should be ignored until the conference finals. This makes
sense, as much of the basketball will not be playoff-quality, and the
Pacers and Heat are the two best teams in the conference by far. At
the very least, the national audience will probably ignore most
series that do not feature one of these two teams.
However, even if the Pacers and Heat
dominate the conference as much as is anticipated, it would be
foolish to ignore the benefits other teams can gain from playoff
victories long term.
It may seem like a narrative spun by
journalists that teams gain valuable experience by postseason runs
that end short of a title, but it is true. Of the last 10 NBA
champions, only 2 did not advance to the conference semifinals the
year before. One of these teams was the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks,
whose core group had been through several playoff runs, but were
upset as the 1 seed the year before Dirk Nowitzki led them to the
title. The other team was the 2007-08 Boston Celtics, who were a team
led by three veterans, two of whom were acquired just before the
season and had playoff experience of their own. In short, teams that
win championships have core players that have been through the
process before.
There are a few explanations for this,
but most boil down to the fact that the playoffs are very different
than the regular season. Playing a team in seven straight games leads
to adjustments on a level not seen in the regular season. Teams know
each others tendencies like never before. Rotations are handled
differently. There are no back-to-backs, and every game will be
against a competent team.
Also, no matter how conditioned players
are, a championship run requires more mental and physical durability
than any regular season. Players on a championship team play between
16 and 28 extra games, and the intensity of these games is unmatched
during the regular season. The best way to prepare for the rigors of
a postseason is to have been through it before.
With this in mind, there are a few
teams that would really benefit from making the playoffs and winning
a series.
Cleveland Cavaliers The
Cavaliers are currently 6 games under .500, and look like a wreck on
both sides of the ball. But if the Cavs can rebound and make good on
Dan Gilbert's guarantee of making the playoffs, the team would
undoubtedly gain valuable experience. Cleveland is a young team, and
most of its key players haven't experienced any postseason success.
And another trip to the lottery would mark a third straight year that
Kyrie Irving didn't make the playoffs to start his career.
Eventually, a superstar has to at least carry his team to the top
half of the league, and this year would be a good time for Irving to
do it in the lowly Eastern Conference.
Detroit Pistons The
Pistons are another team that hasn't seen the playoffs in a while. It
has been four years since the Pistons have played a postseason game
and this new-look team could use a playoff series to determine if it
can win as currently constructed. Teams will have time to adjust to
the Pistons ultra-big lineup in the playoffs, and it remains to be
seen if that offense can be successful. A trip to the playoffs can go
a long way in showing which direction this team needs to go in to
improve.
Charlotte Bobcats Don't
look now, but the Bobcats are currently in 8th
place in the standings. Although it is unlikely that the team retains
its spot, the Bobcats could start to change its reputation as the
league's laughingstock by making the playoffs and competing hard in
them. If the team did the unthinkable and somehow won a playoff
series or even just went to six or seven games in the first round,
the team would surely buy in even more to Steve Clifford's defensive
approach, and it might attract some fans. It's unlikely it'll ever be
a free agent hotspot, but maybe players would stop avoiding Charlotte
like its the plague.
Brooklyn Nets If
the Nets make the playoffs, Mikhail Prokhorov may decide to not
execute Jason Kidd. Kidd would probably still be exiled to Siberia,
but it's still a step up from the alternative.
Washington Wizards The
Wizards are a young and upcoming team, and, after a rough start, have
surged up to 5th
place in the conference. John Wall and Bradley Beal would benefit
from having defenses key on them for a series, and Washington
wouldn't lose face after a win-now move sending their protected
first-rounder to Phoenix. The worst thing that could happen to the
Wizards is to just miss the playoffs, and owe its pick to Phoenix
with nothing to show for their season. If Washington can continue its
hot play (the team has won 7 of 10), it could be in for a valuable
playoff run.
