The playoffs are here. Or almost, since first we will have a few days of play in, that kind of preview that the NBA invented with the coronavirus pandemic and that is not only here to stay, but is being imitated in the Old Continent, as we have seen this season with the premiere of the format in the Euroleague. And the moment of truth arrives: that of the Celtics, who are looking for the promised ring and are prepared for it. That of the Nuggets, who do not want to be a champion in passing. And that of all that horde of applicants who have taken a step forward this year and do not want their hopes to be unfounded: here come the young and irreverent Thunder, some doubtful Wolves, the best Magic since the time of Dwight Howard or some Knicks who They want to recover the lost glory of Madison, which has finished second in the East and has not been to the Conference finals since 2000. Many candidates for a single winner. And two possible very interesting first round duels if they occur: Celtics-Heat and Nuggets-Lakers. The East and West finals last season. At the moment, nothing is assured. We will see.
Of course, the other side of sport always appears and these playoffs are not going to be an exception. Injuries are always there and have decided titles and series constantly, permanently. And they have affected all eras and stages of NBA history without exception. Nobody wants them and all teams seek the best physical preparation and manage breaks in the best possible way, but avoiding something that, ultimately, does not depend on oneself, is an exercise of unlikely effectiveness. In the end, facing the playoffs without fear of falling is the best way to ensure an incredible show and create eternal rivalries and performances to remember. The rest escapes the normal control of things.
This season, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest name affected by this. The Greek star, in a very complicated season for the Bucks, The Greek injured his left calf alone during the game that his team beat the Celtics and missed the last three games of the regular season. And now, it seems that he is not going to make it to the beginning of the playoffs, in a very complicated series against the Pacers who already surpassed them in the In-Season Tournament. The star’s status has improved, but remains in doubt. And the Milwaukee franchise has already announced that they will not have him at the beginning of the series, but that they hope he will rejoin throughout the series. A problem of what dimensions we will see a season after he was injured in the first round against the Heat in a tie in which the Bucks ended up falling despite recovering his star.
The Bucks, who have a record of 17-19 since Doc Rivers took over the team (compared to the Pacers’ 20-15 record in that stretch), will not have an easy time against the Pacers and a premature elimination could be a complication looking to the future. But they are not the only ones in this situation: the Clippers fear for the health of Kawhi Leonard, who has physical problems with his knee. And, although it seems that he is going to be available in a first round that promises a lot against the Mavericks of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, there is a lot of concern because of his injury history, something that he has managed to avoid this year until he surpasses a whopping 68 games, his best data since he left the Spurs. Something complicated in a player who, when healthy, is one of the best in the NBA, but who is always very prone to falling prey to eternal problems that always seem to threaten him.
More open fronts
Bucks and Clippers are not the only teams that have to worry about the health of their main players. Julius Randle of the Knicks will not be able to be in the finals. While, on the other side of the coin, it does seem that Karl-Anthony Towns will arrive on time, who played the last two regular season games after missing the previous 18. The Heat face the play in with Kevin Love in doubt and without Duncan Robinson, Josh Richardson and Terry Rozier. And Anthony Davis seems to have recovered from the collision with Larry Nance Jr. in the last game against the Pelicans and his back is getting better, coupled with the fact that the Lakers repeat against the same team and have not had to move from New Orleans . With all that and what we still don’t know, the franchises face the 2024 playoffs. Some with more doubts and others with less. But always with the intention of achieving the most and controlling as much as possible that which can never be controlled. The worst of all. The other side of sport.
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2024-04-17 12:14:38
#Injuries #change #Giannis #lead
