At the start of any sports season, there’s always hope of having a special year that can lead to a title. Some teams have reason to believe, while others are counting on delusional faith. Such is life in the NBA, and in the case of a few clubs, the hope that’s lost in the shuffle of a underwhelming beginning are rekindled by a trade to acquire said superstar player. Whether it’s a decision to stand pat, or go all-in, the expectations to win (and win big) is the driving force behind them. It’s understood there’s only one that will call themselves champions at the end, and I’m confident these three teams won’t be at the top of the mountain when it’s all over.
Let’s start with the Phoenix Suns. Yes, I know the Suns have forward Kevin Durant, who they received via trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Pairing Durant with the trio of Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton looks scary for opposing defenses in the Western Conference. There’s no doubt Phoenix will score points, but they are left with no depth behind the four stars, and the defense is even more of a mess than it was before the Durant trade. In other words, many fans and media members alike were quick to anoint the Suns as the favorite to be in the NBA Finals after KD was added, which was expected given the environment that favors everything offense. What’s being ignored is it takes more than scoring (because every team can score), and the lack of defense and depth will come back to haunt them in the playoffs. Exactly where is a question, but I can say with confidence an early exit will happen before Phoenix gets too far into a run.
Speaking of no defense, that explains the Dallas Mavericks to a tee. Things looked so promising for the Mavericks coming into the season. Last year, they made it to the conference finals before going out to the Golden State Warriors. Things haven’t gone as well as they thought, and much like the Suns, Dallas became desperate, reaching out to the Nets to acquire guard Kyrie Irving. The move severely depleted the team’s depth, but the chance to pair Irving with Luka Doncic was too much for the Mavs to pass on. Going back to the defensive end, Dallas was already bad in that department, and bringing Irving to the squad is far from the improvement needed to become complete. The results are as of Sunday night, not only are the Mavericks going down in spectacular fashion, they’re in danger of missing the playoffs altogether, and if that happens, expect more changes with the roster (and maybe the front office).
For the third team destined to fall short of expectations, look no further than the Philadelphia 76ers. This choice was actually more difficult than the Suns and Mavericks, partly because the 76ers are in the Eastern Conference. As tough as that East is, it’s probably not as rugged as the West. Having said that, Philly has a few things that tell me I have to see it to believe they make it past the conference semifinals. I know they have center Joel Embiid, who is a favorite to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, but there is a question about Embiid’s durability for a long playoff run. They also have guard James Harden, who notoriously disappears at the crucial moments. Finally, Doc Rivers is the team’s coach, and that’s no longer a good thing like it might have been before. The combination equals more playoff disappointment, most likely going out to either the Milwaukee Bucks or Boston Celtics.
Keep in mind this is merely my opinion on how I feel about the upcoming playoffs, and if I’m proven wrong, I’ll be all too happy (okay…maybe not) to admit as much. Because of the splash moves the Suns and Mavericks made, they became trendy picks, and people have been waiting on the 76ers to breakthrough for at least a few seasons. The problem is sizzle and style doesn’t equal substance, which is the main ingredient for championship teams. None of these three clubs are complete, and it will be exposed before too long. If you’re a fan of Phoenix, Dallas or Philadelphia, I would love to hear why I’m crazy for thinking this way. I just believe crazy isn’t the word to describe my feelings.
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