The final game of the NBA2023-24 regular season has come to an end, and the dust has finally settled on the Western Conference play-off circle that has been disturbed for so long. The Phoenix Suns followed in the footsteps of the Dallas Mavericks and caught the last train to the playoffs at the last moment, so that two of the four major teams of the Lakers and Warriors went ashore early, and the remaining Lakers and Warriors also avoided the fate of the first round of the play-offs, and the Purple and Gold, who finished eighth in the regular season, wore a repechage armor to challenge the Pelicans, while the Warriors and the Kings, known as the "Warriors Second Team", fell in love and killed each other again.
In all fairness, isn't this the most desirable playoff game that fans love to watch and the league wants? The Lakers won the final game with the Pelicans to finish eighth in the West, and the Purple and Gold are also undoubtedly competitive in the playoffs. From the perspective of the Warriors, it is indeed difficult to win two games in a row, but in the playoffs last season, they have completed the defeat of the Kings by the weak and the strong, and now Monk and Huerter are injured, and they don't take advantage of your illness to kill you? If you can enter the second round, then even if you are halfway through, what is there to keep?
Not only fans think so, in fact, many ESPN experts and team management are also optimistic that the Lakers and Warriors can join hands to qualify and stand on the stage of the playoffs, this is the so-called strong team's heritage, after all, the Lakers have James and Davis, the big and small king combination, and the aftermath of winning the championship in 2020 is still shining; There is no greater expectation than danger and opportunity.
From the perspective of the alliance, whether it was an unintentional move or a deliberate act in the previous closing stage, in short, such a matchup arrangement is simply perfect. As mentioned earlier, the Mavericks and the Suns have secured two seats, and the Mavericks are still playing against the old enemy of the Clippers, and the topic is already full. And the prospects for the Lakers and Warriors to qualify are also relatively clear - taking 10,000 steps back, it is really necessary to let the henchmen and referees "bring the task to the court", and today's matchup is also the most operable.
I believe that Xiao Hua, the helmsman, has been so happy that the snot bubbles have come out, and the biggest winner is naturally the league itself, with topics, traffic, and tickets! The stage has been set up, and then it depends on whether the Lakers and the Warriors themselves can compete or not, and the most happy result is naturally that the Lakers will advance in the first round, and the Warriors will pass two levels in a row to advance. Of course, from the perspective of the league, if you really can't "have both", if the play-offs can be staged in advance, it can be regarded as the final carnival around the two teams!
In addition, it is also worth noting that because the Nuggets were used to paddling in the regular season, the Nuggets suffered a shock in the game against the Spurs, which led to the Thunder being elevated to the first place in the West, and the defending champion was relegated to second place. In a sense, if given a choice, I believe that most "underdog" teams would rather face the Oklahoma City Youth Janissaries directly than against the Nuggets led by Jokic, who have started playoff mode. So, ultimately, from a playoff standpoint perspective, the eighth place in the West may still be more attractive than the seventh place in the West. I don't know if this will have an impact on the final result of the play-offs.
In your opinion, can the Lakers and Warriors break through?