It’s now or never for the reputations they want to build.
MILWAUKEE — One of the ongoing conceits of this NBA season is that nothing really matters. This season has been merely a prelude to a massive reorganization that will take place this summer when franchise-level players hit free agency at a moment when teams have cap space to burn. Add to that the Warriors mind-numbing run of perpetual dominance, and it’s about time for the sport to hit reset and start over from scratch.
Sure, we still pored over numbers, parsed rumors, and looked for answers hidden among the clues of the 82-game season. Yet, at times it felt more like an obligation than a necessity.
Better to wait for the postseason, specifically the second round of the playoffs, where we’ll find out who’s really legit and who’s been merely playing the part. Not to put too fine a point on it, but we’re about to find out if anything that happened during the regular season had any relevance whatsoever.
The alternative view is that the NBA regular season is merely a black hole that drains our energy and attention for no reason other than it can. It’s a diversion — an entertaining diversion most of the time — but one isn’t really supposed to look for a higher meaning in January back-to-backs.
The playoffs are different. The energy level is elevated and the focus is greater. The games are more intense and the adjustments are more pronounced. Yet, the playoffs have also tended to serve as a reflection of all that came before. Upsets are rare and chalk is inevitable.
The second round will test that theory. It will tell us whether anything that happened from October to early April carries weight, or if we’ve all just been hanging out in an existential wasteland of viral clips and newsworthy quotes.
We’ll see this dynamic play out in Oakland where the Warriors season-long ennui will be pitted against the Rockets’ determined quest to take the champs out before their run is allowed to die of natural causes. We’ll see it in Toronto where the Raptors and Sixers are both seeking validation for seasons that prompted more questions than answers.
We’ll see it in Portland where the Blazers suddenly have a clear path to the conference finals. Most of all we’ll see it in Milwaukee where the team that was supposed to run the East takes on the one that actually did.
For reasons that may never be properly articulated or understood, the C’s spent those regular-season months arguing and pointing fingers. They regressed when they should have grown, and too often shrank from the moment at hand.
For reasons that have been clearly defined, the Milwaukee Bucks used that time to kick the NBA’s collective ass. They coalesced early around a common identity centered on the dual thrust of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s MVP season along with coach Mike Budenholzer’s detailed schemes.
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Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty ImagesThe Bucks come into this series with the confidence of a team that’s weathered the trials of the regular season. The Celtics appear before us claiming to have changed their ways. On paper that leaves the Bucks with clear advantages across the board.
Milwaukee has compiled the kind of resume that wins championships. Combining a top-5 offense with the league’s toughest defense led by the league’s best two-way player, the Bucks were far and away the top regular-season team.
Giannis and the Bucks were even better in a four-game first round sweep against the overmatched Pistons, outscoring Detroit by a staggering 23.4 points per 100 possessions. They did exactly what they should have done against an inferior opponent and punctuated their performance with an emphatic final statement in the closeout game.
The Celtics, meanwhile, put together the kind of unfocused regular season that reveals its weaknesses against tougher competition. Especially on the road where they will begin a playoff series for the first time in three years. (That was also against a Budenholzer coached squad in what feels like several lifetimes ago.)
Still, the C’s enter this second-round matchup hot on the heels of their own first-round sweep against the Pacers. Their defense finally locked into place, albeit against an opponent who could be charitably called offensively-challenged. And while their offense worked in fits and spurts, they came through in the clutch with displaying an unforced balance that was noticeably lacking during those dog days of winter.
It’s a one versus four matchup in the second round of the playoffs, but it feels bigger than that. It feels like a test of the time-honored grind, and whether any of that is truly worth the effort.
“To be honest,” Kyrie Irving said the other day after a practice, “I really don’t care about the seeding. As long as we’re in there, it’s an even playing field. All the regular-season stats and all the hype around the regular season, everyone can have it. At this point it’s just about five versus five and who’s better at the end of the day.”
And maybe Kyrie has a point. What this series represents and what will determine its outcome are two different things. Or, as Brad Stevens likes to say whenever we get too philosophical, “It’s just basketball.”
For the Celtics to prevail they’ll need to play center Brook Lopez off the floor while making life as difficult as possible for Antetokounmpo. They’ll need to be mindful of Milwaukee’s shooters and overcome the Bucks’ home-court advantage by stealing a game or two on the road.
Kyrie may be the focal point, but Al Horford remains the key. How he deals with Giannis defensively and how he spaces the floor on the offensive end will determine whether the Celtics can execute their gameplan. Go big or go small? Those are options because of Horford’s versatility.
The Bucks will need to contain Irving and not let him live in the paint where his shot creation can swing outcomes. They’ll need to defend the 3-point line and be disciplined in their coverages. They’ll need to take care of their business at home, of course, and it would also be helpful if they could figure out a way to take one at the Garden.
Giannis is the alpha and omega of this series, but the C’s will need to remember that Khris Middleton nearly shot them out of the playoffs last season. Without Marcus Smart around (presumably) to body up the Buck guards, they’ll need to win their matchups. Eric Bledsoe, in particular, will have to be much better than he was last April when they met in the first round under far different circumstances.
From mid-January on, this series has seemed inevitable as the Bucks took control of the East and the C’s slid into uncomfortable mediocrity. It loomed as a necessary piece of the confounding puzzle that’s been the 2018-19 season. The reckoning is finally here.
Say What?!
”Said he’s been busting my ass for years. That wasn’t true, for one, and this was the moment of truth. This was the perfect platform and opportunity for him to prove it and you see what happened.”
Portland’s Damian Lillard after busting Russell Westbrook out of round one.
Reaction: We’ve spent so much time this season speculating about hypotheticals when all along it’s been the Season of Dame. Nobody’s realer than that dude.
“That’s a bad shot. I don’t care what anyone says. That’s a bad shot. But he made it. That story will be told but it was a bad shot and you have to live with it.”
Paul George, who was on the receiving end of Dame’s now legendary shot.
Reaction: Yes, for 99 percent of the league a pull up 37-footer at the buzzer is a copout. For Damian Lillard, it’s a shot he works on and a shot he takes in games. Tough beat for PG, but sometimes it’s better to just tip your cap and move on.
“For him to say that’s a bad shot, that’s just kind of being a poor sport. If anything, it was bad defense, because I had the ball in my hands with two seconds, and I wasn’t going to drive, so maybe he should’ve just bodied up.”
Reaction: You’re just not going to win a war of words with Lillard.
“I cannot come up with words to describe what we lost with the passing of John Havlicek. I can only assure you that everything you hear or read about what a genuinely good man he was is true. He was what we hope our heroes can be.”
Reaction: Down the hallway of the Garden between the locker rooms and the court is a mural depicting great moments in Celtic history. Whenever Gregg Popovich comes through town with the Spurs, he conducts his media interviews under Havlicek’s image. I can’t think of a more fitting tribute.
“We think we can win it all,”
Reaction: Well, sure. I do too, but the Sixers seem to enjoy putting their cart before the proverbial horse and first they have to deal with a Raptor team that’s peaking at exactly the right time. This series will tell us a lot about both franchises.
The List
Consumable NBA thoughts
Making the playoffs is great. Losing in the first round is agony. For the teams that didn’t make it past the opening series, the offseason brings a host of questions.
Oklahoma City
What a weird season for the Thunder. At one point it looked like their window was opening up for them. Now the Thunder appear to be a franchise stuck in neutral. With Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Steven Adams under contract for the next few seasons, they have a core good enough to compete, yet one wonders if the limitations of their lead guard place a ceiling on their ambitions. Sam Presti doesn’t panic, but a reexamination of everything from the coaching staff to the roster may be in order.
Utah
What are we going to do with the Jazz? They never seem to play up to their analytics as evidenced by the standings. Give them a two or three seed and they could be in line for a run to the conference final. Slot them opposite Houston, and a five-game series loss was inevitable. Given the presence of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the Jazz are in fine shape overall. It’s the oldest lament in the league, but the Jazz are just one player away …
Clippers
Just a fantastic season from the Clips who might have advanced if they hadn’t run into Golden State in the first round. This offseason looms large. Everyone in the league knows they’ll make a run at Kawhi Leonard and they might even be able to let Kawhi bring a friend if they can trade Danilo Gallinari. There’s a lot happening for the Clippers, but there’s comfort in knowing that Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell have another year left while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Landry Shamet are just beginning their rookie deals. It’ll be wild if they can crack the superteam code before the Lakers.
Brooklyn
Few teams had as much fun as the Nets this season. Now comes the hard part. D’Angelo Russell will be a restricted free agent this summer and while signing him to a long-term extension may seem like a no-brainer, the Nets have other ambitions. Restricted free agency is always risky, both for the player and the team. Wait too long to sign someone and you’re left having to match someone else’s deal. The Nets finally have flexibility and now is the time to make something of it.
Orlando
All hail Steve Clifford, the modern master of reclamation projects. Cliff took a Magic team that had been spinning its wheels and gave them direction and a defensive identity. The roster is still young enough to project internal development, but their offensive limitations were evident in a first-round loss against Toronto. Orlando needs playmakers, and lots of them. The hope (wish?) is that Markelle Fultz becomes a solid NBA player. They also need to re-sign Nikola Vucevic, who has earned a massive payday. Orlando has a window to improve beginning right now.
Indiana
A wonderful season that ended too soon. There’s no shame in the way the Pacers went out, even though a sweep was a cruel finish for a group that gave everything it had. Victor Oladipo will be back and Myles Turner has become a defensive force. That’s a solid foundation, but with a half-dozen free agents this summer including Thaddeus Young, Darren Collison, and Cory Joseph the Pacers run the risk of overpaying for a decent team with limited upside.
Detroit
The first order of business is making sure Blake Griffin is healthy. The second order of business is getting the man some help. That will be difficult since Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson have another year left on their respective contracts. Barring a trade, they’ll have to hope for internal development. On the plus side, they’re almost done paying off Josh Smith’s deal, so that’s something.