NBA Recap: Special Stage

Wassup y’all! Ya boy (it me, ya boy) is back with an NBA postseason recap. With eight different series going on, I won’t just simply give a quick breakdown of each of them as usually constructed by other publications and sports mediums. While that may be necessary and informative, that format is not as fun to write. And what are we doing if we are not trying to find good fun in all we do?

The playoffs feel like a special invitation. And it is, despite more teams being invited than not. In fact, the fact more than half the teams make the playoffs matters even less with the excitement of the Play-In games—which adds more teams post-regular season. Basketball is the one sport that has managed to stay closest to the purest form of its product while giving us more of the product in many different forms of ingestion. We get it by the can, bottle, jar, tablet, box and crate and we still can’t get enough. But the playoffs still give us that boost as close to the first time we became bewitched by the magic of hoop.

I play my fair share of video games. One of the types I play the most are the kinds of games like Sonic the Hedgehog and MegaMan, where I use my deductible reasoning and releases to solve whatever puzzle the level is posturing. Defeating enemies, executing frame-perfect movement and mastering the controls gives me a sense of pride in skill development. In short, the better I get along the way, the more I want to play to see how good I get. It also feels good to know to be among the best players of the game—or at least better than a lot of people because of time spent. “Get good (usually written as, ‘git gud’),” is a phrase often told to one’s when there is a noticeable gap in ability. Pride results in a gentle reminder of the difference that may feel like taunting to some.

While you may not agree with that expression of pride, that expression is rooted in something we all like to experience: positive exclusivity. We want to be acknowledged and made rarefied because we were better than our peers. The playoffs are the NBA’s version of unlocking another wing of the basketball season, giving the teams and fans of the teams esoteric happiness. To bring it back to video games, a lot of them have, “special stages,” meant to only be discovered through skill. Whether it be high score or objectives completed or unearthing a secret location with a keen eye, these bonus levels are a big part of why I play the games I play I like knowing some version of my ability granted me access only those at least as good as me can have. So as we enjoy this year’s NBA postseason, remember we are in a different part of the game. And that part of the game is meant to be enjoyed by those of us who are “better” fans. In the words of uber-talented musician Thundercat, “Life’s a special stage. Zone in on your goal. Play the game and play to win.”

Now, as I was writing this, basketball legend Candace Parker let the hoop world know she is retiring. And because she is worth much more than the brevity of a Till Take, I will pivot and give her as much of a bouquet I can.

I mean it when I say CP3 is a legend. Parker has been an icon for nearly two decades, changing and growing basketball with her skill and success. She is a winner on every level, with her charisma surely going to carry her in her second career of broadcasting.

After playing for another pillar of basketball in Pat Summit at the University of Tennessee, Parker was selected first overall in the Draft. She is still the only woman in the WNBA to work Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season, doing so for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008. She managed to win three titles at three different landmark points. Los Angeles is where Parker grew to be the superstar player on and off the court She then helped bring her hometown of Chicago a title in 2021. She ended her career with the team that has her nickname’s sake, the Aces, who are coming into this season as last year’s champions. Parker truly is an ace, the highest of value in the deck of basketball. We wish Candace Parker more life and success and thank her for she has done and continues to do to grow the game of basketball.

Time for some postseason Till Takes!

Speaking of the skill gap, I believe we can agree that the top three seeds of the Western Conference have demonstrated how much better they are than their opponents. One of the residual effects of being great is an increased margin of error. A great team’s opponents know that it will require their best possible performance to win. In some cases, that best performance just makes it competitive. On the other end, that great team can play less than their best and then flip that proverbial switch for a few minutes and win. Of course, tempting the fates of victory with lackluster play has caused plenty a great team to come up short. But that does not refute the notion that the better competitor has room for more flaws. It’s like having a lap headstart in a race, and teams like Oklahoma City, Denver and Minnesota are well ahead of their opponents in the race to the second round.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is battling through a tough injury to attempt to lead his team through the Eastern Conference playoffs. This includes a 50-point performance against the Knicks in Game 3 of their series. As much as it is commendable for him to do this, and as much as us around basketball appreciate his toughness, we will not celebrate him for this effort once he retires. This won’t go on his Hall of Fame list of accomplishments. We will simply wonder, “what if?” like other oft-injured superstars in basketball history. It is not his fault, and it’s not necessarily bad that we frame it that way. That longing for more is why we tune into sports in the first place.

Anthony Edwards is the new American young face of the NBA.

There are tough circumstances in Milwaukee and New Orleans. It’s unfortunate their stars are injured and thus their teams aren’t at full strength when it matters most.
The Clippers and Mavericks do not like each other, and that series is better for it.

That’s it for this NBA recap. Next time, we will be discussing the upcoming WNBA season!