13 Rules: Random NBA Thoughts – NBA Playoffs Second Round

Make sure to listen and add the 13 Rules: NBA Random Thoughts podcast to your list! This week, the NBA End of Season, Steve shares his thoughts as the second round of the 2024-25 NBA Playoffs starts to take shape.

NBA Playoffs Second Round – Eastern Conference

• Karl-Anthony Towns is an enigma! One day he looks like the greatest offensive big in the game, as he did in game four against Detroit in the playoffs. But the next day he looks like a shrinking violet as he did in game 2 and 6 of that series.
• The New York Knicks have a shot against the Celtics. They need the good Towns to show up as well as a strong series from Mikal Bridges while Jalen Brunson continues his great offensive play. One problem the Knicks must solve is how to keep their worst defenders, Brunson and Towns from having to defend pick and rolls. Boston likes to hunt matchups and they will try to get Towns and Brunson in them. The Knicks can’t switch everything like Orlando did because of Towns and Brunson and because of any one of Boston’s players can go off
• The Detroit Pistons were a great example of a team’s sum of the parts playing better than the talent on the floor. After Cade Cunningham you have a group of role players accepting their roles and doing them well.
• The Orlando Magic have the two stars they need to compete and will have a good future if they stay healthy and Jalen Suggs returns. If the Magic can get a knock down shooter or two, look out! I know he’s happy in Detroit but Malik Beasley would be perfect for the Magic and he is a free agent

NBA Playoffs Second Round – Western Conference

• It’s funny how when the Los Angeles Lakers win a few games in a row during the regular season everyone believes they will be champions. the writers who wrote that the Lakers winning the title this year are either fans or looking for clicks on their stories. Let’s face it, the Lakers need a legitimate big man and that’s if LeBron James stays, which I believe he will, and he continues to play at the level he played at this year. As for this year, could it be the Lakers played harder than their opposition but when the playoffs began they couldn’t raise their level like other teams did?

NBA Playoffs Second Round – Random Thoughts

• The NBA has a problem with the physicality allowed in playoff games. The first round of the playoffs features number 1, 2 and 3 seeds playing teams usually not nearly as good. It was way more glaring this season in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The only hope for the lower seeded team is to play the higher seats physically and hope the referees let them play. These teams believe if the fouls called even out they can get away with being more physical. A foul is a foul, every time I hear an announcer say the refs are “letting them play” I think that was a foul that wasn’t called.
• Say goodbye to one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, Gregg Popovich. If you did a Mount Rushmore of coaches he would be on it along with Red Auerbach, Pat Riley and Phil Jackson. Each of those coaches did it differently. Popovich understood the players were people and his job was understand them and convince them to be content in their roles. He knew X’s and O’s met something but it was more about his players.