As the second round of the NBA playoffs comes around, the playoff tension rises. This is where games can make or break a team’s season and is played on the biggest stage in the world.
Around this time of year, every fan has their own opinion. People pick and choose their winners and leave the other teams behind.
Nonnewaug freshman Zach Santopietro is very high on the Golden State Warriors this year. Despite having Stephen Curry, a key piece for them being out for at least one week due to a hamstring injury, Santopietro still has hopes.
“There is no doubt in my mind that the Warriors won’t go down without putting up a good fight,” said Santopietro. “They have the most depth in the league and have lots of veterans with good knowledge.”
This is just one of many different sides of the playoffs.
A fan favorite for last year and many years in the past has been the Boston Celtics, although this year they face some difficulty. The Celtics have gone 0-2 against the New York Knicks to start the semifinals, which is leaving some fans wondering what went wrong while others preach patience.
“I think people are getting too ahead of themselves,” said Greg Neumann, a freshman at Nonnewaug. “I think a lot of people don’t understand that a 2-0 lead isn’t the end of the world. Teams have come back from even worse and I don’t see how that can’t happen here.”
Neumann has a good point: The NBA playoffs is a time where the unexpected is expected. Just last year the No. 6-seeded Indiana Pacers made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, further than anyone could have pictured.
Although the Celtics seemed to be a favorite entering the playoffs, there are still teams poking around, looking to make a run when no one expects it.
Maxim Dmitriyev is very high on the Oklahoma City Thunder this year.
“I don’t get why no one talks about the Thunder,” he says. “They have the best starting five in the league and one of the best players in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.”
Hearing all these sides to the playoffs can really make a fan rethink their picks. Whether you have the No. 1 seed winning or the No. 7 seed advancing, there is always a chance for any team to succeed during the playoffs.
