A Changing of the Guard: These Playoffs Are the NBA’s Passing of the Torch | Deadspin.com

When the Denver Nuggets had been eradicated in Game 7 towards the Oklahoma City Thunder, it marked the unofficial converting of the guard within the NBA.

The Boston Celtics misplaced Jayson Tatum for the season — and all of subsequent season — paving the way in which for the New York Knicks to make the Eastern Conference finals. The Indiana Pacers were given scorching on the proper time once more, simply discarding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 video games apiece.

The Minnesota Timberwolves took care of industrial towards LeBron James and Stephen Curry on their trail to the Western Conference finals.

Heading into the 2025 NBA playoffs, it without a doubt felt just like the “face of the league” label was once up for grabs. Now, one among Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards or Tyrese Haliburton can have a real crack at successful their first NBA name.

It felt like the celebs had been aligned for the Lakers to make the NBA Finals. The Luka Dončić industry got here out of nowhere within the 11th hour of the season, however it allowed Los Angeles to pair two top-five avid gamers within the league at the similar roster. It didn’t paintings.

Similarly, the Golden State Warriors sacrificed their long run to check out to proceed successful significant basketball video games within the Curry generation once they added Jimmy Butler to the combo from the Miami Heat. Also didn’t paintings.

The overachieving regular-season heroes just like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons additionally proved to be regular-season traders — merely no longer gifted sufficient to advance in extremely aggressive seven-game collection.

But that is wholesome for the league. At some level quickly, LeBron isn’t going to be enjoying anymore. Curry most probably isn’t too some distance in the back of him. We’ve noticed what has took place to Kevin Durant’s superteam makes an attempt lately.

The NBA will quickly be confronted with the similar downside it had when Michael Jordan was once formally executed. It wishes a brand new face of the league. It wishes a brand new Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Allen Iverson and Shaquille O’Neal.

Surely, we will be able to already forecast a few of the ones stars within the making. An NBA championship within the again pocket of Gilgeous-Alexander, Brunson, Edwards or Haliburton would without a doubt assist their case to take the torch when James, Curry and Durant are all long gone.

Even additional down the road, it’s worthwhile to see real looking paths for unicorn avid gamers like Victor Wembanyama and Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley to dominate this league.

While those NBA playoffs have had their justifiable share of blowouts, there’s a converting of the guard taking place proper earlier than our eyes. It’s a tender guy’s league. These 4 final groups end up it.