NBA Playoffs: The Western Conference Blowout Phenomenon
Through the first weekend, and because of the numerous blowouts, we can honestly say that the NBA Playoffs have been lame thus far
Oh, what an exciting time for hoops fans; the most exciting time in professional basketball is under way as we’re through two days of playoff games. This should be a time of nail biting for fans of the top seeds as they pray their teams don’t exit far too son.
It should be a time of hope and wonder for supporters of the teams who just snuck in with a lower seed as those squads look for primetime upsets and surprising runs deep into the postseason.
Unfortunately though, the early goings of the 2016 playoffs, particularly in the Western Conference, have been a little light on the excitement and heavy-handed with the point differentials.
For starters, five out of the eight games played this weekend were decided by 20 points or more (all four Western Conference games ended this way). That means that by at least the end of the 3rd quarter in five separate contests you had absolutely no reason to continue watching because the outcome had been decided.
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The 26-point route of the Rockets was to be expected I suppose, as the 73-9 Warriors squad is leaps and bounds ahead of the dysfunctional Houston-based team in nearly every facet of the game.
Now, though, the undisputed MVP of the NBA, Stephen Curry, has been temporarily sidelined (or at least his status is “questionable”for game two). Yet there is still little doubt in the minds of anybody around the game, that if Chef Curry is kept off the floor for the remainder of the series it’ll still result in a sweep.
The Spurs were undoubtably the second best team in the NBA this season, so maybe it is to be expected that they can run over an injury-riddled Memphis Grizzlies squad. A 28-point smack down from a championship-or-bust team isn’t necessarily a surprise, still though the prospect of the games being at least a little close at the end (a la Game 1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the Detroit Pistons) is something that’d keep fans a little more enthused about the early rounds.
Those are the best two teams in the NBA. So maybe I shouldn’t dig too far in to the disparity in performance, right?
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we need Dwight Howard to actually be Dwight Howard
Wrong!
Even the perceived close matchups in the Western Conference have been mind-bogglingly one sided. The Oklahoma City Thunder ran roughshod over a Dallas Mavericks team who many thought might be able to sneak past them.
By halftime, OKC, was ahead of the Mavs by an astounding 26 points. What’s the point of continuing to watch the game when the outcome has been decided in 24 minutes, especially when the oh so exciting Julia Louis-Dreyfus is mocking Bernie Sanders on Saturday Night Live.
Well we still have the 4 vs 5 matchup for some excitement in the Western Conference…oh wait. That’s right, not even the exciting point guard show down between CP3 and Damian Lillard managed to stay close for long.
Chris Paul‘s Los Angeles Clippers appeared determined to run away with the series from the opening tip, refusing to allow the Dame led Portland Trail Blazers to join the list of teams who have bounced the regular season powerhouse in the early rounds of the playoffs.
Out East, the only game that fit the bill of blowout was between the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets. That result was truthfully only brought about by a shocking 31-point performance from Luol Deng. Who would’ve thunk it…a series featuring the always exciting Dwyane Wade, Kemba Walker, and Hassan Whiteside; yet the opening salvo was fired by Luol Deng!
It’s a long and tumultuous road to the NBA Finals, for both teams and their fans. One thing that certainly won’t help pass the time is watching games half way through and then shutting it off because the outcome is never in doubt for a moment.
We need excitement in the early goings to keep the fans invested. We need to see Damian Lillard steal a game or two. We need Dirk Nowitzki to have another miraculous playoff moment. We need Zach Randolph to wear down the Spurs interior. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we need Dwight Howard to actually be Dwight Howard.