The Pelicans advance to the playoffs, the Thunder masters are like clouds and difficult to defend, can the miracle happen again?
The Pelicans defeated the Kings 105-98 in the play-in round to secure the 8th spot in the West and will face the Thunder, the No. 1 seed in the West, in the first round of the playoffs. While Zion Williamson is out injured, the Pelicans' tenacious win under Ingram is undoubtedly an exciting achievement. They will face a huge challenge against the Thunder in the first round.
The Thunder are strong, beating the Pelicans in all three games in the regular season. They have a deep roster with multiple All-Star players and are considered one of the favorites to win the championship. The Thunder's main lineup includes:
Guard: Shay Gilgeous-Alexander, who averages 25 points and 9 assists per game, is the league's top point guard, with excellent hands on the offensive end and good performance on the defensive end.
Shooting guard: Josh Kitt, who averages 20 points per game and is an important firepower for the Thunder's offense. He has excellent shooting ability, especially in the mid-range jumper.
Small forward: Luckey Dort, who averages 18 points and 7 rebounds per game, is the Thunder's "Swiss Army Knife". He can eat inside and outside, and he can play well on the defensive end.
Power forward: Al Horford, averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds per game, interior scoring and defense are the mainstays of the Thunder. His strength confrontation makes it difficult for opponents to defend.
Center: Steven Adams, averaging 15 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game, is the Thunder's last line of defense inside. His rebounding and defensive prowess is among the best in the league.
In addition to the main lineup, the Thunder's bench depth is also good. Dennis Schroder, Kenrich Williams, and others are all reliable substitutes. From the perspective of roster strength, the Thunder is indeed a big challenge for the Pelicans.
The playoffs tend to have some unexpected dark horses. Although the Pelicans are not as strong as the Thunder, if they play well, it is not completely impossible to create the "Black Eight Miracle". After all, in the regular season, they have defeated strong teams such as the Bulls and Nuggets. As long as Ingram can continue to be in excellent form, the interior combination of Valette Hernangomez and Jonas Valenciunas play well, and the outside is hot, the Pelicans have every chance to bring down the Thunder.
Former Warriors general manager Bob Myers was positive about the team's record of 73 wins that year. He believes that it will be difficult for a team to have a 73% season win rate in the future, and the 74-win record set by the Warriors will be even more difficult to replicate.
This is truly a remarkable achievement. The Warriors' 2015-16 roster was spectacular, consisting of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut, known as the "Dead Five." They are full of firepower on the offensive end and are quite good on the defensive end. They swept their opponents in the regular season and set a record of 73 wins and 9 losses.
This record also put the Warriors under a lot of pressure in the Finals. They relaxed a bit in the second half of the regular season, but they didn't perform as well as they should in the Grand Finals. They lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven major battles and lost the championship.
In this regard, Bob Myers does not see the 73 win as a defeat. "We have set a record that will last forever, and this is an extraordinary achievement," he said. We should be proud of that. ＂
Some fans have a different opinion on this. They believe that if the Warriors can win the championship that year, the 73-win record will be even more valuable. In retrospect, this record was a mere attempt and did not lead to an actual championship.
The Warriors' performance has gone down in NBA history. Their record of 73 wins will be difficult to replicate in the short term, which is a remarkable achievement in itself.
Back to the matchup between the Pelicans and the Thunder, although the Pelicans are not as strong as the Thunder, they are by no means completely out of chance. The NBA playoffs are often full of drama, and dark horses often put on a show that they didn't expect.
If the Pelicans can seize the opportunity at the critical moment and play well, it is entirely possible for them to repeat the "Black Eight Miracle". In the regular season, they have beaten strong teams such as the Bulls and Nuggets. As long as Ingram can continue to be in excellent form, the interior duo of Valette Hernangomez and Jonas Valenciunas play well, and the outside is hot, the Pelicans have a chance to bring down the Thunder.