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In the modern NBA a successful defense is typically one that switches. A lot. Like these defenses, the average fan's opinion also switches. A lot. After game one of this Golden State/Houston series people were shouting "Warriors in 4" or "Harden and CP3 can't compete in the playoffs". One game later and I'm seeing comments like, "Is Steph Curry done?" It's incredible how fast opinions and hot takes take shape from game to game as if no one is able to step back and think, "The series is tied, maybe these teams are well matched". That's just how it is, we love to make things black and white. We love to talk in absolutes if only to entirely go back on our statements after a single quarter of basketball. A turn style of shifting opinion, however, is not a bad thing. First of all, it creates the endless stream of content we all desire. Second, what better way to form your own views than to have all 700 possible takes thrown at you at once. And third, the drastic changes presented are fantastic representations of just how wildly a dominant performance or pathetic dud of a game can send our imaginations running. That's exactly what mine does, all day. Here are a few things I'm feeling about the league that might entirely flip at the tip of the ball.
The Warriors are better without Curry
Woah, ok this one is a little crazy. I mostly mean that the Steph Curry we are seeing right now isn't the same one who won the last 2 Warriors championships. He looks shaky and is lacking the confident swagger that we're used to. Giving the keys to Durant isn't my idea, it's already happening, but maybe sitting Curry for game 3 ignites the rest of the team and provides some evidently needed rest for the baby faced sharp shooter. Mad KD is a bad KD and the challenge of beating the beard always seems to bring out the best in the twitter master.
Kevin Love just isn't very good
YOU HEARD ME! I mean obviously Kevin Love is good at basketball but is he a 2nd option on a championship team? No sir. Is he a third option? Eh. I guess. All I know is I finally graduated from holding on to Minnesota K-Love. With the T-Wolves he was an absolute beast, he shit double doubles nightly but he's a different player now. Clearly offensively gifted, obviously defensively challenge, on a different team Kevin Love drops a tier and is no longer a star and you can take that to the bank. *Damn, I'm getting sassy*
The Celtics don't need Kyrie
This take falls under the spell of all of the Brad Stevens mysticism that is creeping into the mind of every NBA fan. We all saw Kyrie's decision to leave Lebron as stupid until he found success in Boston, but had he been shipped almost anywhere else we would still think him the fool. Don't get me wrong, all his fake deep quotes remind us that he really is a fool but on the court Kyrie just wouldn't have the same shine on a team like Orlando or Sacramento. I know what you're thinking: "Duh, those teams are trash." Good point. I just feel that, like Jae Crowder, Stevens makes everyone look good while they're a Celtic. Plus who knows how spritely he'll be after this knee injury, maybe Ainge can work his magic and swap flat earth bro for someone who doesn't watch Alex Jones with a tinfoil hat on. Maybe for someone with one big eyebrow.