Playoff Thoughts

NBA Finals 2022-23 Wrap Up: Ranking Jokic

by

The Nuggets impressive post season run really cements Nikola Jokic in the conversation as an all-time great.  Sure, Jokic was a Hall of Famer even before the 2022-23 season started but there is nothing like a title to get consensus from the guys in the back row.  Let’s delve into a few details of the title run, FAQ style… How impressive was Denver’s run? Denver went 16-4 and was clearly dominant this post season.  Only two other teams in the last two decades have won a title … [Read more...] about NBA Finals 2022-23 Wrap Up: Ranking Jokic

Playoff Quick Thoughts

by

So far, the playoffs have been as unpredictable as any, including the Bubble.  We had a sense that the regular season results would be less predictive than usual but seeing Milwaukee get surprisingly dispatched relatively easily by an eight seed Heat team was surprising to say the least.  Let’s run through some interesting questions from the playoffs so far FAQ-style. How bad was the Bucks’ loss? Any time a one seed loses to an eight seed, the one seed is not covered in … [Read more...] about Playoff Quick Thoughts

First Round Fallout Western Conference Edition

by Leave a Comment

We continue with part two of our fall out column…. -Utah Jazz:  The spanking by the Rockets obscured a pretty good season.  The Jazz were arguably the third or fourth best team in the West but had the bad luck of drawing Houston earlier than expected due to Houston’s early slump.  So, the Utah season ended with a 4-1 Rockets win, just like last season, albeit one round earlier.  In all, the Jazz have basically been the same team the last three seasons: great on defense and mediocre on … [Read more...] about First Round Fallout Western Conference Edition

First Round Fallout Eastern Conference Edition

by Leave a Comment

As the first round of the playoffs winds down, we turn to our annual fall out report for the losers.  Since half of the West is still playing, today, we’ll start with the East: -Indiana Pacers:  Before the Victor Oladipo injury, the Pacers were a legit threat to the top teams in the East.  Certainly not a great team but Indiana was good enough to possibly beat Boston or Philly.  Without Oladipo, they were just a .500ish team built around a few decent players.  On the plus side, the Pacers … [Read more...] about First Round Fallout Eastern Conference Edition

NBA Finals Quick Thoughts

by Leave a Comment

1. This Again?: Against all odds, we have Warriors and Cavs for a fourth straight year.  Somehow, the Cavs have been able eke their way back to another Finals because the: (a) the Raptors somehow fell apart, (b) the rest of the East isn’t that good, and (c) LeBron James is an otherworldy talent. From a talent perspective, this fourth matchup is markedly less interesting than the prior three.  The Warriors and Cavs have had their worse regular seasons in while this season: -2014-15: … [Read more...] about NBA Finals Quick Thoughts

NBA Playoff Predictions 2017-18

by Leave a Comment

For the first time in several years, the odds do not favor a Warriors-Cavs Finals.  In fact, the odds probably don’t even favor either team making the NBA Finals.  The Rockets appear to be a better (and healthier) team than Golden State, which has limped through this last month.  In the East, the familiar axiom that LeBron James is enough to overcome the East’s best regular season may no longer apply. The Warriors and Rockets are the class of the West by far and their Conference Finals … [Read more...] about NBA Playoff Predictions 2017-18

©2025 Hoops Analyst // Website by Webstuff