I’d like to start this post off by saying that I hope everyone is safe, staying inside their homes, and washing their hands. The past few weeks have felt like months, with new updates regarding the Coronavirus coming in daily. This is an incredibly dire time not only for us as Americans, but for us as human beings. I urge everyone to listen to science and do whatever you can to flatten the curve. This is a pandemic that’s here to stay for quite some time, whether we like it or not.
As you know the Coronavirus has forced all large social gatherings to shut down, including the NBA. What this means for the league is still in question. When the league will return is still unknown (obviously), and what the league will return as is also uncertain. Will games pick up right where they left off, jump right into the post-season, or will they be somewhere in between of the two? As of right now there are no definite answers.
That means that all we, as fans, are left to do is speculate about NBA “what ifs”. I’ll take part in this trend by sharing some of the potential playoff matchups I’d like to see. With the regular season’s fate up in the air, we’re still not even sure what the opening round of the NBA playoffs would look like. This means that anyone still has the potential to play anyone. So, without further ado, here are some of the matchups that pique my interest.
Los Angeles Lakers v. Houston Rockets
This matchup is all about size. While the rest of the NBA moves towards smaller rosters with more three-point shooting and perimeter defense, the Lakers have zagged in the opposite direction. LA is home to Lebron James, Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee, and Dwight Howard. This makes them one of the biggest teams in the league. They’re able to house so many “bigs” because each of them is incredibly athletic, and two of them are top five players in the league. The Lakers defense is one of the best in the NBA thanks to their size and athleticism, but they do lag in terms of three-point shooting.
The Rockets are nearly the antithesis of the Lakers. They have taken “small ball” to new heights by not having a traditional center play any meaningful minutes. Their scheme is built to maximize the potential of their MVP duo in James Harden and Russell Westbrook. This means a lot of long-range shooting, and a mediocre defense. The Rockets rank 16th in defensive rating while the Lakers come in third place. The Rockets are second in the league in the percentage of points they score from three-point land, while the Lakers are 25th.
What the two teams have in common is that they both rank in top five in terms of offensive rating. This is likely because both teams have All-Star duos who can create for themselves and others. These numbers make it seem like the Lakers have the edge, and they just might. They have a better defensive rating and despite their lack of shooting, they still can put points on the board. What I find interesting though, is that Houston can heat up from outside at any moment, which can completely change the complexion of a game. This matchup would be a clash of styles and I think it’d be really fun to see which one wins out.
Milwaukee Bucks v. Miami Heat
The Milwaukee Bucks have thoroughly dominated the 2019-2020 NBA season so far. They have the best record in the league at 53-12. The Bucks have been so dominant that their average margin of victory is historic. This rampage has been led by one man, arguably the most dominant player the NBA has seen since Shaquille O’Neal. That man would be MVP favorite, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis is averaging 29.6 points, 5.8 assists, and 13.7 rebounds per game. He does this all while only playing an average of 30.9 minutes a game. The Bucks have blown teams out so bad that it’s not unusual to find Giannis on the bench during closing minutes, they don’t need him at that point, the game is already over.
The Bucks have a similar scheme offensively to that of the Houston Rockets. The same type of play that allows Russell Westbrook to feast in the paint is used by Milwaukee to allow Giannis to do the same. The Bucks surround Giannis with shooters who give him space to drive to the cup and kick out if necessary. Thus, it seems somewhat simple to stop Giannis, just clog the paint. However, Giannis is such an athletic freak, that this strategy must be executed almost to perfection for it to have a noticeable effect. The Miami Heat just might be the team capable of making the Greek Freak look normal.
The Heat’s starting lineup includes Bam Adebayo and Meyers Leonard, two big men who could both be considered centers in the modern NBA. These two are the key to clogging up the paint and forcing Giannis to score in other ways. Adebayo figures to play a more prominent role thanks to his incredible perimeter defense and athleticism that allow him to contain the Freak better than most. Add in the switchable wings the Heat have in Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder, and Andre Iguodala, and you have a recipe for defensive success.
Miami and Milwaukee have squared off twice this year, with Miami coming out on top in both contests. What’s even more notable is that Giannis was held to a meager 13 points in their most recent bout. If the Heat can stop Giannis, which they’ve shown they’re capable of, then they just might be able to upset the NBA’s top dog.
Los Angeles Clippers v. Denver Nuggets
The NBA playoffs mean more than the regular season, duh. I bring that point up because it’s the reason why lineups shrink during the extended period. Coaches just don’t want to give away valuable playoff minutes to players they don’t absolutely trust. This can be a huge disadvantage for teams that don’t have many of those kinds of players. The rigors of the post-season are exhausting, and deeper lineups can be extremely valuable in later rounds.
These two teams seem to be exceptions to the rule. Both the Clippers and Nuggets have rosters that could go at least nine deep come playoff time. The Nuggests felt so good about their depth that they traded two solid bench contributors in Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez. The Clippers on the other hand have spent all season collecting veteran players such as Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris.
If these two meet then they’ll surely need the extra bodies. As the 2nd and 3rd seeds, they’ll have to make it all the way to the conference finals in order to play each other. What makes this more interesting is that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have been on “load management” basically all season. Whether or not their bodies will hold up remains in question. However, even if one of them goes down, the Clippers have enough depth to cover. In the war of attrition that is the NBA season, these teams seem well equipped to make it through even the worst of times.
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