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Out of all the champions in NBA history, 87% have been the number 1 or the number 2 seed in their conference. 66 out of the 76 winners were top 2. This blew my mind, and as crazy as it sounds, the NBA champions are often the clear and obvious choice with very few surprises.
So the fact that nobody is afraid of the top 2 teams in the west which are the Denver Nuggets and especially the Sacramento Kings, and instead teams in the 5th, or 6th seed, or even in the play in right now see their chance at a championship run- makes this season, and the coming playoffs one of the wildest rides in NBA history.
And we’ve seen some insane things like this happen before. Let me show you.
We all remember Dirk’s heroic title run with the Mavs in 2011. Well that Mavericks team was 1 of only 8 teams that won it all as a 3rd seed.
And you know a few of the others. In fact Golden State did it just last season.
Giannis with Milwaukee is also in this group. And another one that you may remember is that Detroit Pistons team with Billups, Hamilton, Prince and the Wallace duo.
There are only 2 other champions that won as a lower seed. The Celtics in 1969 who were number 4, and the lowest seed to ever win it-
the 1995 Houston Rockets who went back to back as a 6th seed.
This is especially difficult to do. First, they would have to go against great teams, like Stockton and Malone’s Utah Jazz, then Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson and the Phoenix Suns, Pop’s Spurs led by David Robinson, and in the finals against Shaq and Penny Hardaway.
Not only that, but they didn’t have home court advantage in any of those series, since of course they were the lower seed in every round of the playoffs. This is almost impossible to accomplish.
The New York Knicks came incredibly close to it in 1999 when as the 8th seed, they made a sensational playoff run, upsetting the number 1 team in the east, the Miami Heat, and went all the way to the finals.
And based on everything that we’ve seen so far in the West, I feel like this year has the potential to bring us surprises similar to the ones from 95 and 99. Let me explain why. But first
We already know that the East runs through Milwaukee and Boston. Philly is lurking behind but we have 2 legitimate favorites there.
But the west…it’s chaos over there.
Literally nobody is trusting the clear number 1 seed the Nuggets. The Lakers are not even a lock to make the play in- let alone the playoffs and people are still picking them over Denver. Right now. This sounds ridiculous as I’m even saying it, but on the other hand, do you think a hypothetically healthy Lebron and AD with this new Lakers roster fear Jokic and Denver? Honestly I don’t think so.
Then, Kyrie and Luka as a potential 7 seed going up against the young and inexperienced Sacramento roster appearing in the playoffs for the first time in 16 years. Who you got?
You got the most dangerous 6 seed ever, probably in the Golden State Warriors. Do you know that Klay Thompson is officially back? Yes he had that awful start and we all said that he was done. Well, ever since the 25th of December, for the last 2 and a half months Thompson is averaging 25.5 points per game, on 46% from the field and 43.4% from downtown. That’s lights out. And if he’s just now gearing up, then how hot can he get in the playoffs.
So are you betting against the reigning champions, with the splash brothers in full rhythm? Didn’t think so.
Oh and btw, currently sitting at number 4 we got a superteam with 3 of the best midrange scorers in NBA history. With KD, Booker and CP3, the Suns are definitely not fearing any team in the west.
But this brings us to yet another variable. And that is player availability.
Starting off with Memphis, we don’t know if and when Ja Morant will return, and how this whole situation will impact him. This is taking away the main guy from the number 3 seed.
KD all of a sudden could miss the rest of the regular season with his ankle injury, and who knows if Kawhi Leonard will stay healthy enough. He always misses games.
These are all additional factors that could impact the title race and bring even more unexpected results.
With about 15 games remaining, not a single one of us has a basic idea of who will win the west. And that’s the perfect scenario for the 6,7 or even an 8 seeded team to get hot at the right time, make a run and do the unthinkable.
Let me know in the comments who’s your pick. Is it this guy? Get this t-shirt in the link in the description and Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
34 Comments
Join my private Sorare league to compete against me and have the chance at prizes in future Game Weeks, you'll also get 20 free Common Cards if you use the link to sign up: http://sorare.pxf.io/oejROb
Bro that shirt is. . . No
lebron is not coming back this season
The disrespect towards the Nuggets and Jokic is unbelievable. The idea that the Lakers are all of a sudden going to become healthy is a complete joke.
Bro great content. But your voice and manner of speech puts me to sleep. Work on your meta verbals (the way and how you say things) I think your retention would sky rocket.
What the heck team is Mile High City? NBA gotta new team on da bloq
Nuggets to the finals easy
Having a 9 & 10 seed is laughable in any sports league. I'm sorry, but the play in is unbelievably dumb. For one, you're rewarding awful regular season play with losing teams having "life". Two, none of these play in teams ever stand a chance of getting out of the 1st round.
X – Doubt
The Nuggets disrespect is insane. How could the most productive starting 5 in the NBA with the soon to be 3 time MVP and some of the best roleplayers in the league not even register for most people?? Sleep on the Nuggets at your own peril.
Interesting stats up front. It looks like a developing clear path for the champs to me.
I Believe There Would Be A Lot Of Game 7 in Playoffs .
The Nuggets and the Bucks are for me.
The Nuggets had Murray and MPJ rusty, step slower because they were returning from the injuries and if you threw away begging of the season their W/L is impressive, their Defense is top 3 and n1 offense even with those games.
Bucks didn't have Middleton and since he was returned they are impressive.
I'm not Boston fan because they had impressive start and since December they are bad, really bad. Their start was impressive tho but they didn't return to that form.
Only two teams are actually unknown for me, it can go both ways and that's GSW and Suns, maybe Lakers because they brought in a lot of players but that's the part of the problem as well.
This is skewed for one simple reason: it isn’t factoring records post trade deadline. In essence all of these teams are new-lakers(rui,D’Angelo, Malik Beasley,Vanderbilt, bamba, suns(KD), mavs (Kyrie). So, this is why a team now could beat the 1 seed.
The Mavs and Kings’ defense are about equally as bad but the Kings have better offense, chemistry, and coaching. Kyrie will leave in the off-season and get his money from a team he actually wants to play for
King about to win it all
Nuggets
Lakers over Nuggets is such an incredible Long-Shot tbh. Yeah, AD is probably one of if not the best 1-on-1 Matchups on Jokic, but i think Denver has the Advantage on players 3-7/8. (LBJ > Any individual Nugget but Jokic, but MPJ/Murray/KCP/AG are too good for the rest of the Lakers imo. Also i just don't trust a Team thats been this inconsistent vs a Team that has lost 5 games at home all season and has a winning Road record (as one of only 2 West teams alongside the Kings)
I think West is between Nuggets and Suns if everyone is Healthy, maybe GSW because their Matchup with Denver is pretty good imo. But Denver also has the biggest chance of having a Healthy Roster that plays together.
are you Nanev, or Nanević
😄😄😄
People need to stop bringing up what players did in the past. I honestly don't know how people could get paid to talk about basketball then watch teams like the Lakers and Clippers and call them contenders
Bro really just said the nuggets aren’t that good when all the players have playoff experience, they are getting hotter & hotter. And all the starters avg 17+ don’t forget mr TD. This guy is such a clown
Suns would be dangerous but lack of depth will hurt them further down the track. No one is scared of Denver but they will probably make the conference finals. Lakers and Mavs are probably gonna be 7-8 seeds and will get washed out in the first round. Kings and Clippers both have the potential to go all the way. Memphis is going to suffer without Adams, Clarke (season) and Morant, if healthy would be my favourites to come out of the west. If the Clippers can get this new group working together by playoffs, they’re my lock to make the finals, but at this point, whoever wins the East (hopefully my Bucks) will win the Chip. No one else has come close to the level of Boston and Milwaukee this season. ECF will be the key matchup.
Why did you make this video only viewable in some countries? Or is that gonna be the way moving forward?
Man the nuggets downplay is wild.
Ja morant suspended for 1 year
Lakers have the most delusional fans in the world.
Lmao LeBron out and like 14 games left dude this is far fetched.. . What's up everybody my name is Stephen and this is heat check
znaci, kako kenjas mogao bi na espn-u da radis
Stop sleeping on the nuggets
If the lakers could suddenly be healthy and at 100% then I’d believe this
I wish for playoffs where everyone is healthy, so no excuses and a clear winner.
I know, it's fantasy.
Why do people stay thinking that the Lakers are always going to be in the playoffs? History doesn’t always repeat itself present day. Just cause they got 18 championships doesn’t mean they’ll win it every year. It’s time people quit assuming that the Lakers will win every year.
No one with average sanity picks the Lakers over Denver.
Picking lakers that barely make play in over nugget and kings are crazy takes.