Western Conference semifinals preview: Is Edwards putting the old guard to bed?
With the Western Conference semifinals set in stone, the competition will only get fiercer. Kai Gammage previews both second-round series out West as some of the biggest stars in the league get set to square off.
And breathe out. How’s that for the most competitive Western Conference we’ve seen in years? You wanted high stakes in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, you got it.
Two seven-game series, brutal rock fights, superstars distinguishing themselves, storylines aplenty and enough action to serve as the post-season’s main course. But it was only a taste.
With the second round of the Western Conference set in stone following the conclusions of the Nuggets-Clippers and Rockets-Warriors series, the competition is set to become fiercer.
As the battles become tougher and the narratives get deeper, so too do the questions being asked of each team and each series.
Will the attrition of seven-game sets come back to bite the Nuggets and Warriors, or will the Timberwolves and Thunder need some time to get back into the swing of things after quick takedowns of the Lakers and Grizzlies?
Does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have to prove himself in the only possible series where he won’t be the best player on the court? Have the Timberwolves pushed themselves past dark-horse status? Is the Warriors’ playoff experience the deciding factor in the West?
There are a ton of questions to answer in the second round, ones that can only be confirmed by the play on the hardwood. Here’s what to watch for in the Thunder-Nuggets and Timberwolves-Warriors showdowns.
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4) Denver Nuggets
Season series: Series tied 2-2
Series schedule (all times ET):
Game 1: Monday, May 5 at 9:30 p.m.
Game 2: Wednesday, May 7 at 9:30 p.m.
Game 3: Friday, May 9 at 10 p.m.
Game 4: Sunday, May 11 at 3:30 p.m.
*Game 5: Tuesday, May 13 (TBD)
*Game 6 Thursday, May 15 (TBD)
*Game 7: Sunday, May 18 (TBD)
* if necessary
Burning Question: Which MVP favourite has more to prove in the juggernaut showdown?
Enough talk about today’s NBA being in a “weak-link era.” This series will be defined by the two best basketball players walking the Earth.
Though ballots for award voting have already been cast and the MVP race has already been decided — despite fans still sitting in the dark — the winner of the trophy will be remembered by how this series plays out.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic stand at the top of the basketball world for a reason, however.
The Canadian guard had an absurd two-way season, averaging a league-leading 32.7 points on 51.9-per-cent shooting from the field, 37.5 per cent from three-point range and 89.9 per cent from the free-throw line, while adding 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks.
He led the league in win shares (16.7) and defensive win shares (4.8) and came second in box plus-minus (11.5), offensive box plus-minus (8.9), value over replacement player (8.9) and player efficiency rating (30.7).
Couple that with the Thunder’s 68-14 record, miles ahead of the second-place Houston Rockets in a more-crowded-than-ever Western Conference, and it’s pretty hard to poke holes in his case.
At least that would be true if Jokic didn’t exist.
The three-time MVP somehow keeps finding ways to one-up himself and outmuscle players out of the award conversation the way he does on post-ups. With the clock winding down, face-guarded by two or three defenders, Jokic always seems to find a way to heave up an impossible shot that finds the bottom of the hoop, and his MVP case functions on similar levels of unguardability.
Jokic topped the chart in all those advanced stats that SGA finished second in. He averaged a season-long triple-double for the first time in his career with a career-high 29.6 points along with 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists, all while shooting a ridiculous 41.7 per cent from three-point range.
And though the Nuggets finished with a worse record at 50-32, they were only there because of Jokic and his massive +20.1 on-off offensive rating. When he’s on the floor, the Nuggets’ 127.1 offensive rating is far and away the best all-time, and when he’s off, they crawl to a measly 107.0, which would be second-worst this season.
Despite Jokic’s sheer statistical insanity, the Thunder should perceive themselves as the favourites heading into this series. Their one exploitable piece in a matchup against the big Serb was Chet Holmgren, as the lanky big wouldn’t be able to keep up banging bodies down low. But the acquisition of Isaiah Hartenstein was a clever move designed for matchups like these.
Couple that smart, matchup-proof team-building with the offensive capabilities of guys like Holmgren or Jalen Williams and the defensive versatility of their depth pieces, and the Thunder, on paper, have a significantly better team.
However, basketball is a sport routinely defined by the best player on the court. In most instances, that would be Jokic, but SGA isn’t most instances. There isn’t a better star-on-star duel than this.
(6) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (7) Golden State Warriors
Season series: Warriors lead 3-1
Series schedule (all times ET):
Game 1: Tuesday, May 6 at 9:30 p.m.
Game 2: Thursday, May 8 at 8:30 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday, May 10 at 8:30 p.m.
Game 4: Monday, May 12 at 10:00 p.m.
*Game 5: Wednesday, May 14 (TBD)
*Game 6: Sunday, May 18 (TBD)
*Game 7: Tuesday, May 20 at 8:30 p.m.
* if necessary
Burning Question: Is Anthony Edwards putting the old guard to bed?
From 2003 to 2007, Randy Orton ran through a gauntlet of wrestling superstars, rocking legends of the sport like Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Mick Foley, Ric Flair and the Undertaker. He took down the past by inserting himself into the present and establishing himself as the future.
With outright obliterations of Kevin Durant and LeBron James already under his belt, and an upcoming series against Steph Curry coming up — the final face of this era of basketball — Anthony Edwards is establishing himself as just that, a legend killer akin to Orton, announcing to the world that a new generation of hooper is here and ready to ascend to the throne.
Edwards has taken his game to another level this season. Fresh off trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks and with a new void to fill from beyond the three-point line, the 23-year-old upped his scoring numbers to 27.6 points per game while shooting an obscene 39.5 per cent from three on 10.3 attempts per game.
He’s the best in-game dunker, with a complete and utter disregard for whatever poor soul stands in his way. He has the most electric personality in the league, turning into a reporter’s dream every single time he touches the mic. He can light it up for 40 points on command and laugh in your face while doing it. He’s one of the best teammates in the league, always propping up the squad while still taking the time to credit himself. And more than anything else, he wants it.
There’s a fire and desire that pops off the screen when Edwards is on, and it should only get more pronounced with a matchup against the Warriors — a team he’s been itching to play in the post-season for a couple years.
However, the Warriors have buttered their bread the last couple years, taking advantage of inexperienced teams and stars, and though Edwards has some playoff scars, he could be the perfect prey for other type-A personality guys like Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.
The Warriors are fresh off a Game 7 win over the Houston Rockets, a young, hungry team that got a bit too big for their britches after earning the second seed in the West. Two years ago, they did the same with the upstart Sacramento Kings, and in 2022 en route to the fourth title in their dynasty, downed inexperienced teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks.
So while Edwards has taken pride in tearing down legends, the Warriors have been keen on keeping history intact, and have by far the most playoff experience under their belt — an intangible that makes itself well-known over the course of a seven-game set.
His star has only begun to rise, and he could very well be the player that comes to define the next 10 years of basketball. But first he’ll have to take down the team that has defined the past 10. You can bet he’s up for the challenge.
