With the first games of the 2020 playoffs underway, it is time to answer the question - Which players and coaches have the most to prove in the Bubble?
1 and 2. James Harden and Mike D'Antoni
As soon as James Harden landed in Houston in (2013), he has consistently been among the top performs in the regular season. Capped off by his MVP in 2018 and his absurd tally of (36) points per game last year, Harden has repeatedly proved why he is one of the best scorers in NBA history. Led by Harden, Houston has enjoyed regular season success, making the playoffs each of the (8) years prior to this. But Houston's story has been strikingly different come postseason time, especially for Harden. During his Rockets career, Harden has scored 28.2 ppg during the playoffs compared to his 29.6 ppg during the regular season. This of course, is not a huge difference, but the drop in his efficiency numbers are more severe - Harden’s true shooting of 61.1 in the regular season falls to 56.9 in the playoffs. The Rockets have only made the Conference Finals twice and never made the Finals, which considering the strength of their rosters over the years, is a disappointment. Because of this, Harden has been often labeled as a playoff choker.
Mike D’Antoni’s career arc has gone similarly. While in Phoenix from 2003-2008, D’Antoni’s Suns consistently were at the top of the regular season conference standings, but only reached and lost in the Conference Finals twice. D’Antoni achieved his regular season success by implementing his high octane 7 seconds or less offense, but he says his one regret about this offense was how he didn’t go all in on his extreme system. This year however, both Danton’s and Harden don’t have this excuse. The Rockets have completely bought into D’antoni’s offense by trading away Clint Capela and playing without a traditional center. Harden is on the wrong side of 30, and if the Rockets once again fail to make a deep playoff run, D’antoni and Harden will be quickly running out of time and excuses.
3. Anthony Davis
Like the aforementioned Rockets duo, Davis has experienced limited playoff success. In fact, Davis has experienced very little team success of any sort, reaching the playoffs only twice in his 7 seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, including 1 first round and 1 second round exit. However, it would be unfair to put any of the blame on Davis. Since entering the league in 2012, Davis has been one of the games biggest superstars, making 3 All-NBA first teams and 3 All defensive teams. And it’s not that Davis has not shown up in the playoffs either, as he has averaged 30.5 points and 12.7 rebounds to go along with 1.8 steals and 2.3 blocks in playoff games.
Instead, the Pelican’s lack of success can be attributed to the fact that Davis never had any real help. Davis’s best teammate with the Pelicans was Jrue Holiday, who while a solid NBA starter, is not the type of player who can be the second option on a true contender. In February 2017, the Pelicans finally looked ready to take that next step when they acquired All Star DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings to be the legitimate second option behind Davis. The next year, New Orleans were poised for a deep run with their talented frontcourt, until Cousins tore his achilles and simultaneously tore the Pelicans’ playoff hopes in February.
Now, more than three years later and in the bubble, the story is completely different. Playing for the Lakers and paired with LeBron James, Davis is now the second best player on his team. Their supporting cast is great and they are first in the western conference. Davis no longer has any excuses if his team is bounced early in the playoffs; this is his year to prove that he is more than a regular season stat machine.
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