The Final Lap of the Race: NBA Playoffs

“Only one champion stands at the end of the year, so just making the playoffs isn’t enough.” -David Fizdale

NBA regular season is often referred to as a marathon. After 80 plus games, if you’re lucky enough to be in the top tier of the league, your team gets a horse in the final laps to the finish line- playoffs. It’s like the league is rewarding you for playing great basketball by giving you a chance to play more great basketball, on a bigger stage.

If you haven’t already, check out another playoffs preview by an awesome writer of our very own here, Miranda Wilhelm. She brilliantly sums up the regular season and the state of top teams going forward. Miranda discusses Golden State’s not so awesome season, notes the injury-ridden Boston Celtics, puts a heat check on a smoking hot Philly team, and ultimately predicts that the Houston Rockets will make it out of the West.

In early October, I wrote a season preview about the keys to success, physically and psychologically, for six teams specifically. Let’s revisit those concepts and see if the playoff teams from this article followed through in the regular season, or not. Some of the more interesting playoff teams will also need some new strategies to win in playoffs.

“In the playoffs, it’s a win or go home. You might not have a chance to look back at a game and say, ‘Man, we didn’t box out there’.” -Scottie Pippen

Philadelphia

Philly sports fans have had quite the year in sports. The concept predicted to be most pivotal for them this season was realizing that choices made in the smaller scheme of things always affect the bigger picture, and it seems the process worked! Through all the weird that was the Marvelle Fultz Saga, his teammates were still rooting for him. Joel Embiid continued to build his personal brand on social media and on the court, but also became a valuable athlete that Philadelphia fans have grown to love. He stayed healthy (aside from a freak accident towards the end), and helped rally his teammates when it mattered most.

Going into playoffs, minutes management for the 76ers will be important, especially between Fultz and Simmons. They’re a younger team, but they can certainly ride with the big dogs if they incorporate their veterans, like JJ Reddick who is playing some of his best basketball ever. Ben Simmons’ shot is also going to be interesting to watch. If all goes well, the city of Philadelphia might need to order more Crisco for those light poles.

Oklahoma City

The theory chosen for the Thunder when the year began was the social penetration theory, or the importance of growing deeper communication. Russell Westbrook seemed to switch his game up to accommodate OKC’s new big three, though some will argue about if he adjusted enough. He was able to average a triple double again, but his team didn’t really get better, almost falling out of the playoffs multiple times.

With Paul George having a bit of an off year with his shot and Carmelo Anthony struggling to find his place, this is a team that’s going to have to continue to work on communication throughout the playoffs. The Thunder have more than enough talent and we know Russ can flip the switch, but the rest of his teammates will need to find a way to tap into that extra gear.

Cleveland

The Cavaliers have had a dramatic, concerning, and volatile season as a team. Interestingly enough, in my October article, their prediction was that role definition and interdependence would make or break this team. Largely, they failed to do this. It seemed as though no Cavalier earlier this year knew what their job was or how they could help the team. Each man did his own thing and players seemed to talk to the media more than they did each other.

That old team was blown up, but the keys to success for the new Cavaliers won’t change. They’ve had a shorter time together, so communication will still be pivotal. LeBron is going to be LeBron, but it’s the other teammates who have some preparing to do. They’re going to need to figure out their individual strengths and weaknesses and where they can help each other to win games this playoff season. Particularly, staying focused will matter after a season of distractions. The new young guys cannot be phased by the big stage, and the older guys have to figure out how to access the same things that got the Cavs to a championship before.

Washington

This team wasn’t included this in my October preview but that was mostly a result of their recent history in the playoffs. The Wizards have an excruciatingly painful knack for showing just enough glimmers of hope to reel you in. John Wall dazzles with the iso plays at full throttle in playoffs, but it’s never enough. This has been a result of the bench being fairly nonexistent. This year, however, John Wall has been injured and that injury coincided with the magical reappearance of his teammates.

Consistency will be key for the Washington Wizards in playoffs. Guys like Otto Porter Jr. and Tomas Satoransky have to keep contributing as they have been, to allow Bradley Beal & John Wall more playmaking opportunities. If this Wizards team can’t find a way to win now when the top teams in the East have so many issues, then when can they win??

The more intriguing first round matchups that I will be keeping an eye on are the POR/NOP, TOR/WAS, & PHI/MIA.

“Playing in the playoffs is the best basketball in the world and if you can learn under that pressure, it gives you more confidence the next year.” -Tony Parker

Here is an overview of all of the first round matchup in the 2018 NBA Playoffs:

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