The National Basketball Association has a tradition of delivering its finest performances when the stakes are highest.
Basketball fans are hoping that pattern continues as the postseason approaches.
The current regular season has been plagued by numerous issues that have drawn criticism. Lopsided victories are occurring at unprecedented rates across the league. Several franchises have deliberately lost games to improve draft positioning, prompting the NBA to revise its lottery procedures. Multiple coaching positions appear uncertain, with Chicago’s management already undergoing a complete overhaul. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo recently suggested he and the Bucks require “couples therapy,” raising questions about his long-term commitment to the organization.
These concerns are certainly troubling.
However, these negative narratives may be obscuring the positive developments as the league approaches its most exciting period – the playoff tournament.
Current titleholder Oklahoma City is poised to secure the top Western Conference position once again, surpassing 60 victories while fending off Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio squad, which has emerged as a legitimate championship threat. Detroit has transformed from a struggling franchise to the Eastern Conference’s number one seed in just two years.
“Reflect on where we’ve been, reflect on the work that we’ve put in to get here, but understanding that this isn’t the finish,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “To grow the way this group has grown together, as quickly as it has, it is special. But we’ve got more food to eat.”
League-wide scoring has reached levels not seen in over fifty years. Stephen Curry has recovered from his injury and aims to create playoff momentum for Golden State. Both the Coach of the Year and MVP competitions feature compelling storylines. Wembanyama and Denver’s Nikola Jokic delivered a spectacular showdown recently, while Dallas newcomer Cooper Flagg battled Los Angeles Lakers veteran LeBron James, who praised emerging talents including Flagg, Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel, and Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe.
“League’s in good hands with those rooks,” said James, perhaps a passing-of-the-torch sort of sentiment from a 41-year-old who started his NBA career before anyone in that trio of rookie stars had even been born.
Statistics show that through Monday, 261 contests have been decided by 20-plus points, with 90 games featuring 30-point margins – both league records. These figures could easily support arguments that the overall product has declined.
Nevertheless, competitive games remain abundant.
As of Monday, 47 NBA matchups this season ended with one-point differences, while 176 were decided by three points or fewer. Historical averages over the past decade show 49 one-point contests and 177 single-possession games.
Some teams have clearly abandoned effort in certain situations. Deliberate losing strategies have definitely occurred. These factors have seemingly diminished the entertainment value.
The playoff tournament should eliminate these problems. While blowouts will still happen, strategic tanking will disappear.
Recent meaningful games demonstrate this potential – New York’s 108-105 victory over Atlanta on Monday (where Atlanta’s CJ McCollum nearly forced overtime with a last-second halfcourt shot), Houston’s 117-116 triumph over Golden State on Sunday, and Denver’s 136-134 overtime win against San Antonio on Saturday. These nail-biting finishes preview the playoff excitement ahead, contrasting sharply with Utah’s recent losses by 34 and 35 points within three days.
Denver coach David Adelman appears aware of criticism suggesting quality basketball is absent league-wide. He spontaneously addressed this perception following the Spurs game.
“I would say this, just kind of off topic, but I know, pessimistic world, sports, pessimism is everywhere,” Adelman said. “I would pay to watch these two teams play. This is very good basketball. They’re well coached. They have talented, fun players. They play together. Wembanyama, amazing talent. And then on our side, what we have … yeah, you can build off this for sure.”
San Antonio shared this perspective. Jokic performed brilliantly in Denver’s victory, while Wembanyama also excelled despite the loss and clearly viewed the experience as valuable playoff preparation.
“I think the timing of everything is great,” Wembanyama said after that loss. “There’s no better way that we would have learned. There’s no better outcome of this game to learn from for us.”
His focus has already shifted to the postseason. Many franchises are preparing for either the play-in tournament beginning April 14 or the main playoff bracket starting April 18.
Ideally, the tanking controversies and lopsided scores will quickly fade from memory. The quest for the Larry O’Brien Trophy is approaching.
“I think the league is so, so talented and there (are) so many matchups and so many good teams playing against each other,” Jokic said. “I think it’s great to be a fan of basketball right now.”
