The NBA is in full-swing. Basketball-heads are everywhere are receiving an excess of their caloric viewing consumption, with intriguing series progressing nightly. During the playoffs, like its NCAA counterpart, the silken gloves worn haughtily during the regular season are thrown aside, as the heightened stakes merited by contention for a championship catalyzes the latent temerity of each professional athlete. No lead is too comfortable, no shot too audacious, no dunk too hyperbolic. It’s basketball, in its most elevated form.
The 2024 NBA Playoffs, like any of its other iterations, features a number of interesting subplots. In this article, we’ll explore who to watch, what teams to particularly observe, and which teams are playing for what stakes. Below are 5 of the most compelling storylines to follow during the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Shae The Superstar?
In an astonishing sequence of events, the callow Oklahoma City Thunder flourished under the aegis of Shae Gilgeous-Alexander. After a relatively anondyne debut with the Los Angeles Clippers, Alexander was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the conclusion of the 2019 season. From there, he began to develop and flourish, earning an All-NBA selection in 2023 gaining traction for the MVP candidacy during this season.
With a surprisingly effective supporting cast, including Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, and others; the Thunder managed to capture the #1 seed in the extremely competitive Western Conference. Though they face an overmatched Pelicans squad in the first round, Shae will soon have ample space to display his prowess in the proceeding rounds, potentially capturing further interest in his prospects as a player.
The Second Coming
It’s too early to anoint Anthony Edwards as the next Michael Jordan. We’ve done if before, with players like LeBron James, who more resembled a mixture of Karl Malone and Magic Johnson; and Kobe Bryant, who performed a cheeky mimicry of Jordan that was nevertheless wanting. In the Timberwolves star, shooting guard Anthony Edwards, MJ’s skyscraping antics at last have a legitimate parallel.
Edwards leads a squad replete with depth, including a formidable frontcourt in the duo of Rudy Gobert and Karl Anthony-Towns; as well as an athletic and experienced backcourt consisting of Edwards himself, Michael Conley Jr., and Jaden McDaniels. One of the only teams to sweep their first-round opponent, the Timberwolves will remain a staunch and unrelenting antagonist to any team they face in the second round.
The Succession of “The King”
Lebron James has lorded over the NBA since being drafted with the first overall selection in 2003. It took him several years to leave an indelible mark in the playoffs, and several more before he could finally claim a league crown, but his presence has become inexplicably intertwined with the league’s flourishing after a dry spell post-Jordan.
Though his powers still appear formidable, Father Time comes for us all, even for the “Chosen One.” With Lebron’s epoch on the Lakers coming to an end, it only becomes sensible to begin asking who lays claim to his mantle for the ensuing decade or decades? There are a number of contenders, most of whom are still active in the playoff race. The 2024 Playoffs will provide further clarity on the composition of the post-Lebron era.
A Banner Back To Boston?
For years, the Boston Celtics, under the leadership of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, have been knocking on the door of a title. Since 2020, they have made the Eastern Conference Finals three times; and the NBA championship once. With Brown and Tatum beginning to reach their apex, along with the stellar supporting cast consisting of Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Derrick White; the Celtics seemed poised to once again contend for a championship, finishing the regular season with the NBA’s best overall record.
The Larry O’Brien trophy has most often sat in the dynastic halls of Los Angeles and Boston. With the Lakers wilting in the first round against the Nuggets, the NBA’s East Coast dynasty remains the lingering hope for fans wedded to the traditions formulated in in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Can Boston once again resurrect the success of yesteryear? Will they separate themselves further from their archrival, the Lakers, in terms of their respective title counts? We’ll find out soon enough.
The Joker Does “Stand-Up”
Nikola Jokic was ignominiously drafted in the second round, via the 41st pick, by the Denver Nuggets in the 2014 draft. It ended up being a perspicacious selection for the Nuggets, who Jokic would eventually lead to the 2023 NBA Championship, the franchise’s first in its history. Since being coronated, the “Joker” has sustained his dominance, leading the Nuggets to another staggering regular season record en route to earning a #2 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.
The question is not now whether Jokic is a generational talent, but whether or not he is the player of his generation. His ascension marks a notable shift in the preponderance of international NBA talent, what with current stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo having already established themselves as stars, and others like Victor Wembanyama emerging. Jokic is a perplexing player, hence his given nickname. Running down the court like a jalopy, moving in herky-jerky fashion; he nevertheless is capable of the most fantastical passes, and seems to have his nose eternally in counterpoise against the hoop.
Whether he is able to establish a mini-dynasty in Denver is to still left to much conjecture. If he is, however, he will elevate himself to a pantheon-level player, likely the best big man to have graced the professional hardwood since Tim Duncan.