The little guys are fun, but this series between the OKC Thunder and the Utah Jazz will be won in the trenches.
We live in a golden age of guard play. Playing in backcourts in just these West Playoffs, in no particular order (except that the first one is obviously the first-best) will be: Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Chris Paul, James Harden, Klay Thompson, Donovan Mitchell, Jrue Holiday, and (probably) Steph Curry. It’s really just an incredible amount of star-power.
These guys are special. They’re blurs of athleticism and masters of a particular set of skills. Due to the three-point revolution, they’ve become vastly important and efficient. Many people prefer these little fellas, flitting hither and thither, dancing around the perimeter like ballerinas and expanding the court with their shooting range while simultaneously shrinking it with their speed.
Many people think guards are more important, and that Russell Westbrook and Donovan Mitchell will decide the first-round matchup between the Thunder and Jazz.
As for me, oh give me a home where the buffalo roam and the wild things are. Give me the strong smell of paint that burns your nostrils and strong elbows that bruise your face. Give me a Frenchman with arms as long as the Rhine and a Giant Kiwi whose only weakness is his down under. Give me Playoff P and an Aussie sniper, Stay Me7o and a throwback, powerful Power Forward. Give me Adams vs Gobert. Give me the frontcourt.