Post by Miege22 on Apr 8, 2024 11:35:37 GMT -5
It is true that the game of basketball is undeniably a team sport. Games, series, and championships can only be won through the strength of the collective unit, with all parties pulling in the same direction. However, every so often there comes along a player so singular in nature, so breathtakingly dominant, that he changes the course of a series seemingly through his mere existence. We've seen these players go on dominant postseason runs before. Russell Westbrook rampaging his way to a title in 2016. LeBron James dominating all-comers in 2018. Joel Embiid putting on a two-way masterclass to lead the Knicks to a title in 2023. The difference this year... is that that player is just a rookie.
Victor Wembanyama came into the league with more hype than anyone since LeBron James, and he was joining a proud franchise that had fallen on hard times. Expectations were sky high, and yet he somehow surpassed them at every turn. Following a remarkable regular season, in which Wemby helped lead the Nets to the best single season turnaround in league history, he raised his game to another level in the postseason. The Nets opened the playoffs against the Washington Wizards, their division rival that had played them to the wire in two regular season match-ups. Wembanyama had his series cut short due to an ankle injury, but he'd already made his presence felt, averaging 21-12-5 while blocking 22 total shots and knocking down 12 threes in only four games. The rest of the Nets picked up the slack from there, with Kyrie Irving, Coby White, and Austin Reaves all turning in fantastic all-around performances. The Nets were buoyed by a significant minutes advantage, but that would wane in the next round.
Against their archrival Tampa Bay Bull Sharks, the Nets needed every last game to move into the Finals. Again, it was Wemby leading the charge, playing all seven games and putting up 21-11-4 while blocking 24 total shots. This time it was Wemby's fellow big men, Jalen Duren and Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the charge, as the Nets outlasted the Bull Sharks and made their way to their 6th NBA Finals. Waiting for them was a surprise contender from the West, one who'd finally gotten healthy and showed signs of dominance as they made a miraculous March run.
The Golden St. Warriors were left for dead roughly midway through the season. After a disappointing loss to the Portland Trailblazers dropped them to 3-4, the Warriors sprung into action. They moved Bradley Beal and Jaden McDaniels for Jaden Ivey, Obi Toppin, and Herb Jones. They signed Isaiah Hartenstein to fill in for Mitchell Robinson (and later added Marvin Bagley to fortify the big man spot). The increased depth stabilized their season, and it allowed the team to be a little more patient with other off-season acquisitions like Tre Jones, Khris Middleton, and Donte DiVincenzo. They responded by going 6-2 over their next 8 to put themselves in position to make the play-in, where they would hope to get healthy at just right the time. And they did just that, ripping through the 4th-seeded Seattle Supersonics to set up a rematch with the top team out West, the Portland Trailblazers.
It was nip and tuck the whole way, but the Warriors, without Devin Booker for most of the series, who was out with an ankle injury, managed to pull the upset, flipping steals on the final day. With Booker back in the fold, the Warriors overwhelmed the Utah Jazz, putting up numbers as a team that would have dominated anyone left playing. Devin Booker was sublime, averaging 25-6-7 on 50/93 shooting splits. After all, this was not the young shooting guard's first postseason run. He'd led this very Warriors team to a title two seasons ago, and another run like that would surely cement his place among the league's best. All that was left in his way was the precocious rookie from France and his uber-skilled sidekick.
It was anyone's ball game heading into the weekend, and the Nets were running on fumes. They'd lost Ausar Thompson, Kevin Huerter, and Vince Williams Jr. to season-ending injuries prior to the Finals. They would lose Malik Monk and Devin Vassell shortly into the Finals to injuries. Jalen Duren, Gary Trent Jr., and Jaren Jackson Jr. were all victims of real life tanking. Still, they stayed in it, and were rewarded when one of those tankers, Gary Trent Jr., played... and played well, putting up 51 points, 12 rebounds, while shooting 52% from the floor over his last two games. Scoot Henderson, the rookie that had had a ghastly shooting season, was pressed into duty and managed to shoot 50% in the games he played. However, it was Irving and Wemby that sealed the victory. Kyrie, a surprise returnee to Brooklyn after an acrimonious departure just a few years earlier, put up an incredible 48 points and 7 rebounds on the final day. For the Finals, he played every game and averaged 29-4-4, while shooting 53% from the floor and 90% from the line. As the series headed into the final games, Wembanyama slammed the door shut. 33 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists, 7 blocks, 55% shooting and 6/7 from the line locked up the title. All told, Wembanyama averaged 27-14-7. He blocked an absurd 28 shots. His 74 blocks total is a postseason record. He was the easy Finals MVP, and, while awards voting has not yet concluded, he may have just wrapped up the best rookie season in league history.
2023-2024 was truly an historic season, loaded with twists and turns, and remarkable drama. The playoffs were no different, and now, a look back with the 2024 One Shining Moment...
Victor Wembanyama came into the league with more hype than anyone since LeBron James, and he was joining a proud franchise that had fallen on hard times. Expectations were sky high, and yet he somehow surpassed them at every turn. Following a remarkable regular season, in which Wemby helped lead the Nets to the best single season turnaround in league history, he raised his game to another level in the postseason. The Nets opened the playoffs against the Washington Wizards, their division rival that had played them to the wire in two regular season match-ups. Wembanyama had his series cut short due to an ankle injury, but he'd already made his presence felt, averaging 21-12-5 while blocking 22 total shots and knocking down 12 threes in only four games. The rest of the Nets picked up the slack from there, with Kyrie Irving, Coby White, and Austin Reaves all turning in fantastic all-around performances. The Nets were buoyed by a significant minutes advantage, but that would wane in the next round.
Against their archrival Tampa Bay Bull Sharks, the Nets needed every last game to move into the Finals. Again, it was Wemby leading the charge, playing all seven games and putting up 21-11-4 while blocking 24 total shots. This time it was Wemby's fellow big men, Jalen Duren and Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the charge, as the Nets outlasted the Bull Sharks and made their way to their 6th NBA Finals. Waiting for them was a surprise contender from the West, one who'd finally gotten healthy and showed signs of dominance as they made a miraculous March run.
The Golden St. Warriors were left for dead roughly midway through the season. After a disappointing loss to the Portland Trailblazers dropped them to 3-4, the Warriors sprung into action. They moved Bradley Beal and Jaden McDaniels for Jaden Ivey, Obi Toppin, and Herb Jones. They signed Isaiah Hartenstein to fill in for Mitchell Robinson (and later added Marvin Bagley to fortify the big man spot). The increased depth stabilized their season, and it allowed the team to be a little more patient with other off-season acquisitions like Tre Jones, Khris Middleton, and Donte DiVincenzo. They responded by going 6-2 over their next 8 to put themselves in position to make the play-in, where they would hope to get healthy at just right the time. And they did just that, ripping through the 4th-seeded Seattle Supersonics to set up a rematch with the top team out West, the Portland Trailblazers.
It was nip and tuck the whole way, but the Warriors, without Devin Booker for most of the series, who was out with an ankle injury, managed to pull the upset, flipping steals on the final day. With Booker back in the fold, the Warriors overwhelmed the Utah Jazz, putting up numbers as a team that would have dominated anyone left playing. Devin Booker was sublime, averaging 25-6-7 on 50/93 shooting splits. After all, this was not the young shooting guard's first postseason run. He'd led this very Warriors team to a title two seasons ago, and another run like that would surely cement his place among the league's best. All that was left in his way was the precocious rookie from France and his uber-skilled sidekick.
It was anyone's ball game heading into the weekend, and the Nets were running on fumes. They'd lost Ausar Thompson, Kevin Huerter, and Vince Williams Jr. to season-ending injuries prior to the Finals. They would lose Malik Monk and Devin Vassell shortly into the Finals to injuries. Jalen Duren, Gary Trent Jr., and Jaren Jackson Jr. were all victims of real life tanking. Still, they stayed in it, and were rewarded when one of those tankers, Gary Trent Jr., played... and played well, putting up 51 points, 12 rebounds, while shooting 52% from the floor over his last two games. Scoot Henderson, the rookie that had had a ghastly shooting season, was pressed into duty and managed to shoot 50% in the games he played. However, it was Irving and Wemby that sealed the victory. Kyrie, a surprise returnee to Brooklyn after an acrimonious departure just a few years earlier, put up an incredible 48 points and 7 rebounds on the final day. For the Finals, he played every game and averaged 29-4-4, while shooting 53% from the floor and 90% from the line. As the series headed into the final games, Wembanyama slammed the door shut. 33 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists, 7 blocks, 55% shooting and 6/7 from the line locked up the title. All told, Wembanyama averaged 27-14-7. He blocked an absurd 28 shots. His 74 blocks total is a postseason record. He was the easy Finals MVP, and, while awards voting has not yet concluded, he may have just wrapped up the best rookie season in league history.
2023-2024 was truly an historic season, loaded with twists and turns, and remarkable drama. The playoffs were no different, and now, a look back with the 2024 One Shining Moment...