The Thunder beat the Celtics in an overhyped “Finals preview” Wednesday night time, and right here’s what we realized: Nothing.
Regardless of a late-game collapse that usually haunts them on the largest levels, the Celtics are an excellent group. They need to be thought-about a critical favourite to characterize the East within the Finals.
Once more.
And the Thunder, as these lastly being launched to them now need to be properly conscious, are also an excellent group. They need to be thought-about equally succesful because the Lakers and Nuggets to beat the Celtics within the Finals.
As a result of West is greatest.
We knew this properly earlier than Wednesday’s duel. It’s printed daily within the standings.
The purpose right here is … in the event you’re Mark Daigneault, with an 11-game lead and observing an opponent you would possibly see in video games that really matter later this spring, why on the planet would you present something?
So Jayson Tatum scores 30-some-odd factors. All the higher. Simply provides much more gasoline to his one-man “I’m unappreciated” marketing campaign and certain results in much more step-back 25-footers than normal beneath the brilliant lights of the Finals, the place the extra he shoots, the higher off the opposite group is.
And for that matter, why would Joe Mazzulla throw something apart from a vanilla protection at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Heck, let’s give Tatum a few photographs at him, simply to indicate individuals it’s a fable that the man can’t play protection.
Solely it isn’t a fable, and no means he’s standing inside 10 toes of SGA in a Finals sport … at the same time as Tatum is allegedly rim-protecting and the Thunder star is driving in for a layup.
Overlook what you heard repeatedly on TV: The sport was meaningless.
The Thunder will end first within the West, the Celtics will land second within the East, and nothing that occurred Wednesday will change that.
Or within the ultimate month of the common season, for that matter.
Identical goes for the MVP race. As a lot because the single-minded Tatum needed to indicate up SGA, it’s one other fable that that is something however a two-man race.
And the second isn’t Tatum.
Really, Nikola Jokic, whereas deserving of point out, wants binoculars to see SGA up forward in pursuit of the MVP.
Sure, regardless of one of many biggest offensive seasons of all time.
That’s as a result of MVP doesn’t stand for many excellent offensive participant. That’s Jokic.
The phrase “beneficial” is in there.
As in: beneficial on offense, beneficial on protection and beneficial when it comes to successful.
And SGA wins that on cut up determination.
Jokic is the Magic Johnson of the MVP chase. An absolute offensive magician. A ten-9 or possibly even 10-8 winner on factors over SGA on the scoring finish of the courtroom.
Sadly, Jokic is an excessive amount of like Magic.
The sport’s biggest entertainer is taken into account by many to be the perfect level guard of all time. Just one drawback:
He solely performed level guard on one finish of the courtroom.
Magic Johnson didn’t play level guard on protection. He couldn’t. Dangerous knees. Too tall and awkward to stay with faster guards, which all of them had been.
Magic was so dangerous on protection, even his faculty group performed a zone.
Magic Johnson was the worst defensive level guard of all time. You learn that proper: the worst of all time. He couldn’t guard Kevin Hart, not to mention Josh Hart. Extra his pace: Isaiah Hartenstein.
Assume the slowest guard you’ve ever seen. OK, Luka Doncic. He’d run circles round Magic.
It’s why Magic wasn’t assigned to test level guards. He bought matched up with the slowest non-center on the courtroom, which normally was the opposite group’s energy ahead.
He was respectable at that. Heck, he even guarded facilities at instances.
However on the scoring system, whereas he was a 10-6 winner over Jason Kidd on offense, Kidd gained the defensive finish 10-1. And that’s being type.
It’s why Kidd, Gary Payton and plenty of others had been larger level guards than Magic.
No disrespect to Magic. He wasn’t the one one whose greatness was within the eyes of the lesser-educated basketball followers. Shaq, Dominique Wilkins and Isiah Thomas have earned prime 20 all-time standing regardless of backside 20 defensive expertise.
Frankly, it tarnishes the record.
If you happen to pay equal consideration to each ends of the courtroom — a novel expertise — it’s clear SGA is a greater all-around participant than Jokic. SGA is healthier than Kidd offensively and comparable on protection. He wins the defensive finish over Jokic 10-4.
So then it comes right down to the winner facet, which is generally subjective.
There will be little doubt that Jokic has a greater supporting forged than SGA. Heck, the Thunder’s second-best participant, Chet Holmgren, missed half the season and Oklahoma Metropolis nonetheless leads the heavyweight convention in a runaway.
Greatest participant on the perfect group. It’s not do-all, end-all. But it surely beats being the perfect participant on the second-, third- or fourth-best group.
The place would the Thunder be with out SGA? In all probability proper the place the Nuggets could be with out Jokic. Which might be worse off? Does it actually matter? They’d each be the Sacramento Kings.
Right here’s the factor in regards to the Thunder: They’re 54-12, and their second-best participant for a lot of the season — some would say even now — has been Jalen Williams. I can identify you 15 far lesser groups the place he wouldn’t be the perfect supporting actor.
SGA drives the Ferrari and everybody else is within the again seat … in a automotive that’s going 200 mph whereas Jokic has his group rolling alongside at 150 and most different playoff-bound groups are hovering round 100.
That’s the MVP of successful. An ideal 10 on the referee’s card.
Even when SGA had been to get injured, or sit out the remainder of the common season to relaxation up for the playoffs, he’d be deserving of the {hardware}. He’s completed his lofty aim: get the Thunder the highest seed within the West. And he’s carried out it with a month to spare — which is wonderful.
Jokic, and Tatum for that matter, can rating any variety of factors, seize any variety of rebounds, dish off any variety of assists the remainder of the best way … and it doesn’t matter.
Similar to Wednesday’s “showdown.”
