Why the NBA is more exciting now

Are you not entertained

 This past week, my Sixers were blown out at home by Boston, then won a tight game in Milwaukee. Reasons why include, but are not limited to:

> They took Boston lightly

> They made adjustments to the starting lineup

> They have lost their home court advantage

> They miss their depth guys

> James Harden isn't playing yet

> Joel Embiid is/was hiding a wrist injury

Or, and I'm really going out on a limb here... 

Boston made a lot of three pointers, and it just kind of snowballed. Milwaukee didn't.

Now, does this make Boston the new power in the East? Probably not. They spit the bit the next night. Does this mean that Milwaukee is flawed and can't repeat? Probably not. Khris Middleton isn't a very bad basketball player, but you would not know that from watching the game last night. If he shoots normally, the Bucks probably win.

Does this make Philly prone to outstanding defense? Well, um, no... they won this game last night with Matisse Thybulle riding the pine, so if you want to tell the story that they made Middleton miss... nope. That's not how the Association is now. Very bad defensive players are better than good ones in the past because they are more physically fit, and it just does not matter. Guys either make shots or miss them.

Which means that on some level, it's a lot harder to predict who will win, which is part and parcel of why there is a half dozen teams with a very legitimate chance of winning the title this year... and part of why people love the NCAA tournament more than they love the NBA playoffs.

If the best team always wins, it's not exciting. If the best team never wins, it's pointless. If it seems more or less random and unpredictable... you're going to watch. 

Expect the NBA playoffs to have *fantastic* ratings this year...