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Howdy, folks. Welcome back to Layup Lines. It’s Sykes, once again, ushering you into the weekend with playoff basketball on tap.
I have a feeling the outcome of this postseason is going to finally flip the league on its head. The guard will shift. But the stars that we loved so much from the 2010s won’t be passing the torch — instead, the biggest names from the 2020s so far will have to snatch it. And they’ve got a great chance of doing it this postseason.
RELATED: The odds and best bets for the NBA play-in tournament
Think about the landscape of the NBA for a second.
The league’s inner circle of champions is still largely led by stars we watched dominate over the last decade. LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry. Those are the names that ruled the NBA for most of the 2010s.
One of those four players won titles every year from 2011 to 2020. Obviously, Giannis Antetkounmpo and the Bucks broke up the monotony in 2021, but then Curry and the Warriors came and snatched the title right back. We’re back where we started.
But with the way things are set up now, the stars of today have a chance to snatch the spotlight from the stars of yesterday — and not only can it happen, but it’s also expected to happen pretty early.
The East is spearheaded by new-age stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum on their respective teams. In the West, Nikola Jokic and Ja Morant have led their two teams to the top of the conference and should be considered favorites.
Meanwhile, only Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns maintain a homecourt advantage out of all the names mentioned above. Curry’s Warriors are the 6th best team in the West. LeBron’s Lakers are 7th. These aren’t teams that are regularly expected to win. It’d be a major upset if they did.
They’ll face major challenges in getting there. The Sacramento Kings are an incredible team with the best offense in the NBA by far. The Lakers seem good now, but the Grizzlies have been dominant for most of the year and are back on track again after losing Steven Adams
Of course, it can happen. The stars of yesteryear are — and have been — elite for a long time. They’ve done the impossible throughout their careers often enough to give anyone an “appropriate fear,” as Gregg Popovich has famously said for years.
But it’s time for the new guard to take over. It’ll be incredibly fun to see if they finally do.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
JJ Redick has become one of the quintessential voices in NBA media today and most of us didn’t even notice this rise happening.
Our Bryan Kalbrosky spoke to Redick about his journey from being one of the most hated college athletes ever to now being absolutely adored by fans and media everywhere for his balanced takes on the game. It’s been a wild path.
How’d he get here? By leaning into his obsession with basketball.
“The media stuff that has happened is funny. There are a lot of people who don’t like me in the media. But generally, it’s because I’ve said something about your team that you didn’t like or I said something about your favorite player you didn’t like. I mean this sincerely: Whether it is just voting in awards or an appearance on ESPN’s First Take, I don’t have an agenda! There is no agenda here! I try to be an impartial observer of the game. I love basketball so much and I’ve loved basketball for thirty years now. For thirty of my 38 years on Earth, basketball (and now my kids and my wife) has been number one in my life. You talk about that obsession? I’m more obsessed with basketball now than I’ve ever been and I’m retired. It’s all-consuming for me.”
Check out the full interview. It’s well worth your time.
One to Watch
(All odds via Tipico.)
Thunder (+180) @ Timberwolves (-5.5, -210), O/U 228.5, 9:30 PM ET
Was it just me or did the Oklahoma City Thunder look like the best team in the play-in tournament on Wednesday night? Shai Gilegous-Alexander was absolutely balling, Josh Giddey nearly had a 30-point triple-double, Jalen Williams filled every gap possible and Lu Dort was actually scoring.
Some of those things aren’t really replicable at all, which is why I don’t blame anyone for being squeamish about the Thunder here. But OKC is confident. That’s why I’m taking the Thunder to get that 8th spot in the West.
Shootaround
— Snoop Dogg thinks he and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have a lot in common.
—Bryan Kalbrosky watched an NBA game through a headset and he enjoyed it. Good on him. But you’ll never catch me in one of those joints. Nope.
— Everyone is unfairly blaming Zion Williamson for the Pelicans’ failed season. It’s not all on him.
— Prince Grimes’ interview with Jeremy Piven on playing Joe Lapchick is so fascinating. Also well worth your time.
Enjoy the weekend!
