I am writing this after Game 1 of the 2016-17 NBA Finals. The Warriors just crushed the Cavs by the score of 113-91. This was the series that everyone has been waiting for since LeBron made the block of his career in Game 7 last year and helped bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to Cleveland. With all of this hype for almost an entire calender year, Game 1 was a total dud. A total dud after one of the most forgetful NBA Playoffs in recent history. The Warriors could win every single game with the sweep of the Cavs and just like that a season will come to a close. And I, for one, will not miss it one bit.
Even with an interesting Finals, these NBA Playoffs will be looked at in the future as a very underwhelming one. And in my opinion, I do not see a good postseason coming any time soon. These “superteams’ have completely gotten rid of any competitiveness in the conferences. Having the best player on the court in basketball is different than having the best player on the field in any other sport. One player can dominate a basketball game and carry his team over and over and end up winning a series himself. Just look at Lebron, he has carried his team to 8 Finals, including the last 7 in a row. In other sports, it takes an entire team playing somewhat well and setting up their superstar player in a position where he can carry his team to a victory. Having the best scorer in hockey can leave you without a good Defense. A good Quarterback doesn’t can’t help a bad secondary. A great pitching staff doesn’t go very far if you can’t score any runs. But players like LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant can literally change the outcome of a game, day after day. And what is fun about the NBA now is that you don’t have to watch too many games to see these dominant players, they’re usually all on the court at the same time.
Lebron, Steph and KD are so good that it takes two or three good players on the opposite side to even out the skill level. But instead of having these two or three other skilled players playing against these guys, they are playing beside them. Kyrie and Kevin Love are both elite players at their position and the Warriors arguably have two other All-NBA level talents. The NBA blows and I really don’t care to watch any of the Finals games.
What I want to see is some more players being spread around the league. Obviously the Cavs and Warriors are following the league’s rules and still forming these teams, and I don’t blame them. The NBA is still a business and a winning team is a whole lot easier to market and sell than a bad team. But fuck that. Lets see Anthony Davis and Boogie Cousins get John Wall on board and let get another good team up in here. Get Jimmy Butler and Paul George on the Celtics and make them legitimate threats in the East. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan can make their way over the OKC with Russ and things just got a whole lot more interesting. Wait and see if Giannis and Thon Maker grow into two unstoppable forces and then sprinkle in some great veterans that can be assets off the bench, hell just send Gordan Hayward to Wisconsin and see what happens. So boom, I just added some other teams that can contend and test these top two superteams.
Now listen, I am not saying these teams would come in and beat the Warriors or the Cavs, but at least I would care to watch. Now lets sit back and see if the greatest player in our generation has anymore highlights up his sleeve.
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