How would shortened playoffs affect NBA teams?

Lakers, Rockets among teams shorted playoffs could affect most

Transcript

00:00 If the NBA season does resume and the playoffs are altered, which teams would benefit and

00:05 which teams would be hurt?

00:07 For more, I'm joined by our Ben Pickman.

00:09 Obviously, Ben, the Lakers are the team everybody likes to discuss here, and you can make the

00:13 argument that they could benefit because LeBron's had some time off, or that they'd be hurt

00:18 that he had to, you know, wind down after they were so hot when the season stopped.

00:23 Without a doubt.

00:24 I mean, when the season was put on hold, the Lakers were playing some of their best basketball

00:27 of the season, coming off victories of the Clippers and over the Bucs.

00:31 Now, a shortened postseason could do two things for the Lakers.

00:34 As you alluded, Robin, it could either be pretty detrimental, as they were playing their

00:38 best, they're probably the best team over a large sample size and over a five-game series

00:43 potentially.

00:44 Maybe a flukey loss actually does hurt the team.

00:47 And as we said, that shortened sample size could actually do them in.

00:51 Now what about a team that could be a wildcard that maybe people weren't necessarily putting

00:55 right up there with the Lakers, the Bucs, the Clippers, that could do damage?

00:59 I would go with the number six overall seed currently in the Western Conference, the Houston

01:04 Rockets.

01:05 Now the Rockets would really rely on this kind of short postseason schedule and benefit

01:09 from it potentially, because they have such a high reliance on three-point shooting.

01:14 And because they are so small limitedly.

01:16 You look at James Harden and Russell Westbrook and Robert Covington and the plethora of talent

01:20 on the perimeter, they could shoot themselves into a series and pull off some major upsets

01:25 based on pure acumen from the outside alone.

01:28 And I think banging bodies for a seven-game series against a team, a physical team like

01:32 the Lakers, the Clippers, like the Nuggets, could actually hurt them in the long run.

01:36 And maybe if you have less time to prepare, their style hits you a little harder, does

01:42 the Houston Rockets.

01:43 Ben, appreciate your time as always.

01:45 Thanks a lot for having me.

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