It’s time. The 2023 NBA playoffs are here. We will finally see which teams will rise to the occasion and win at the highest level.
This season has had an array of storylines, so many that you could publish a memoir. Trades, unexpected contenders, and load management have been the center of the NBA’s 76th season.
Introduced during the 2020 bubble, the NBA play-in has served as a nice prequel before playoff action. Eight teams in total ranging from seeds 7–10 in both conferences battling for four playoff spots.
When looking at the playoffs specifically, the western conference is wide open. No team has truly been able to separate themselves as the perennial favorite. The Phoenix Suns acquiring Kevin Durant on February 9th has given them higher odds to win the 2023 title, despite teams like the Denver Nuggets and the Memphis Grizzlies who have held both top seeds throughout the year.
(via ESPN)
In the Eastern conference the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and the Philadelphia 76ers have arguably been the best three teams in the league regardless of conference.
Last year in the Eastern Conference semifinals we saw the Celtics defeat the Khris Middleton-less Bucks in seven games. The Bucks won the 2021 NBA Finals and one could make the case that if they had Middleton last year they would’ve went to the finals again.
MVP favorite Joel Embiid and the 76ers have a good amount on the line. Not because of Embiid’s play which has been spectacular, but because of James Harden.
The 2018 NBA MVP led the league in assists this year at 10.7 per game showing his elite playmaking ability, but his regular season play has never been the question. It’s been the playoffs.
Will this be the year Harden shakes off his playoff woes? Last season Harden averaged 22 points and 10 assists per game, but in the postseason his numbers dipped averaging 18.6 points and 8 assists per game.
His performances go beyond the numbers though, as we’ve seen multiple playoff hiatuses from the 10-time all star. In game six of the 2017 Western Conference Semifinals, the Rockets had the opportunity to extend the series to seven games against the San Antonio Spurs. That opportunity faded quickly as Harden shot an abysmal 2–11 from the field finishing with only 10 points in 37 minutes played.
Harden is now playing with Joel Embiid, and he doesn’t have to carry the scoring load like he used to in Houston. He just has to be a great playmaker and score when needed. The 76ers have enough to win despite being the third wheel in the East, and if they come up short again there will be a huge amount of uncertainty surrounding the franchise.
The Golden State Warriors are in an interesting position. They are the defending champions, and when we look back at the Steph, Klay, and Draymond era, we’ll recognize their run as one of the best in NBA history.
They won an NBA record 73 games in 2016 and despite not winning the Finals that year, they have won four championships in eight seasons.
These playoffs have huge implications for them. Being the sixth seed this year, this is the lowest seed they have been since hiring Steve Kerr as their head coach in 2014.
The Warriors were terrible on the road in the regular season with an 11–30 record overall. Help is on the way though as forward Andrew Wiggins is returning during the playoffs after a seven week absence due to personal reasons.
Golden State will have to deal with some real competition to make it out the West, but it will be hard to bet against them. Their championship pedigree is real, and with the teams current roster in limbo after this season, they will be playing with everything on the line.
This postseason has the potential to be very special. The parity across the league makes these playoffs even more entertaining, and as NBA fans tune in this year, the journey seeing this years champion will be one that’s worthwhile.
(NBA.com)
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