NBA 6-Pack: Lakers vs. Clippers, Boston's resurgence and Brooklyn's concerns
And just like that, the NBA regular season will conclude in less than a month.
The 2020-21 NBA campaign consists of only 72 games – 10 fewer than the traditional NBA regular season – and with that, the season has seemed to fly by, with the playoffs set to begin May 22 after the regular season ends May 16.
The action is heating up.
As the postseason approaches, Chris Broussard is back to give his take on the top contenders out West, Kevin Durant's long-term health and if Boston and Milwaukee can inch past Philadelphia and Brooklyn.
1. With Anthony Davis slated to return from a two-month hiatus and LeBron James seemingly not far behind, do you still think the Lakers are the favorites to come out of the West, with the addition of Andre Drummond?
Broussard: I do still believe the Lakers are the favorite to come out of the West, assuming, of course, that everyone’s healthy. It won’t be easy, and the Clippers will challenge them. But a healthy Lakers squad should emerge. I’m watching for two things: First, what does Anthony Davis look like the rest of the regular season? Does he enter the playoffs as the superstar he played like last year and during the run to the title, or does he continue to play the subpar basketball (by his standards) that he was playing before his injury this season? His points per game (22.5), rebounds (8.4), free-throw attempts (5.7) and free-throw percentage (.715) were all eight-year lows. He’s got to be better for the Lakers to win the West.
And secondly, how do LeBron and AD mesh with Andre Drummond? LeBron and AD have not played a lot with a low-post force such as Drummond. I believe they’ll adapt and fit well because Drummond is very good in the pick-and-roll and is not just a guy who stations himself on the block. Still, it will be an adjustment to watch.
2. The Clippers are 7-1 since Rajon Rondo has suited up for them, with their only loss coming against Philadelphia in a game in which Kawhi Leonard didn't play. Are you sold that Rondo was the missing piece for the Clippers to get them to their first Western Conference finals and, potentially, the NBA Finals?
Broussard: Yes. "Playoff Rondo’’ is a thing! Real talk. He is that rare player who actually plays better when the stakes are at their highest. He has brought leadership from a player standpoint, which the Clippers sorely needed. And he has brought a playmaker at the end of games who can get guys the ball in the right place. He’ll also hit a big 3-pointer here and there during late moments of games.
Before Rondo, the Clippers struggled down the stretch of games because Kawhi and Paul George, while adequate ball handlers and passers, are not born playmakers. Thus, when the Clippers put the ball in their hands at the end of games, they degenerated into iso-ball. Rondo helps them avoid that.
3. Kevin Durant missed all of last season and has played in 24 of 57 games this season. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being extremely concerned, how worried are you about Durant’s health moving forward in his career?
Broussard: I’d say a 4. It’s true that KD has not played more than six straight games in 23 months. Unbelievable. So the Nets' health overall is somewhat of a concern entering the playoffs. A bigger concern for me, though, is their Big 3’s lack of playing time together. KD, James Harden and Kyrie Irving have played just seven games together. They might enter the postseason with 10 games played together. For a team with such little continuity to win the title would be wholly unprecedented.
The Nets are certainly the NBA’s most talented team, but how will they respond in the critical moments of a tough, knock-down, drag-out playoff series? Although I think they might be able to overcome that, it’s a concern for me.
4. How significant is Donovan Mitchell's ankle sprain for the Jazz? There was no structural damage, but an ankle sprain is an injury that notoriously lingers. Does this affect your outlook for the Jazz with the playoffs approaching?
Broussard: While Mitchell is the Jazz’s top scorer and best player (though some might argue Rudy Gobert), Utah is a balanced team that thrives on ball movement and great shooting. That should enable the Jazz to still play fairly well without Mitchell at full speed. Fact is, I have never considered Utah to be the team to beat in the West (even at full strength), and I still don’t consider them that (with or without Mitchell). They are right there with Denver and Phoenix, a notch below the Lakers and Clippers.
5. The Boston Celtics have been the victims of injuries, COVID-19 and inconsistency throughout this season, but they are now peaking, going 8-1 so far in April and winning six straight. Do you think the Celtics have a chance to play spoiler to one of the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference playoffs?
Broussard: Spoiler? Yes. A contender that could actually win the East? No. The Celtics are becoming what we thought they were: the fourth-best team in the East, behind Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Milwaukee. Would I be shocked if the Celtics upset Milwaukee in the playoffs? No. But they can’t beat Brooklyn and would be big underdogs against Philly.
6. For the first time since 2018, the Milwaukee Bucks will enter the playoffs without being the favorites to come out of the East, and they have arguably their best roster, with the additions of Jrue Holiday and PJ Tucker. Do you think the lack of pressure and expectations for the Bucks could work in their favor against teams such as the Nets and the Sixers this postseason?
Broussard: No. I’m not going to say Milwaukee has absolutely no chance to win the East because I give the Bucks a slim chance. But Brooklyn and Philly are better. The Bucks’ biggest problem remains that their best player can be bottled up in the playoffs. Although he has at times shown some improvement at the end of games, teams can still build a wall and keep him from the basket, and his jumper of course remains unreliable. I’d like to see him post-up more late in games, which might provide an answer to his struggles. With Giannis often able to be neutralized in crunch time, the Bucks wind up relying on Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez and others to score down the stretch. Although they will do it some of the time, they can’t do it consistently enough and well enough to win the East.
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