ATLTimekeeper wrote:Childs wrote:2019nbachamps wrote:
Knicks made the final as an 8 seed in 99.
That was a lockout season I believe. Im guessing alot of players weren't in game shape. This seems way more impressive.
Plus best of 5 opening rounds led to more upsets. This is history. Could be the sign of an incoming era of parity. We don't know that yet, but more teams opting to compete is good for the health of the league. Only 6 teams won more than 50 games this year. Denver only won 53 games, so no matter what we're going to have the lowest winning champ since the suspect DWhistle finals in 2006.
I get what you guys are saying but I don’t think we see an incoming era of low seeds consistently doing what the Heat are doing for these reasons:
-the Heat aren’t a typical 8 seed. They finished 1st last year and went to game 7 of the ECF. They made the final in 2020
-they’re one of the best run teams in the NBA. Continuity at the GM/Coach level keeps the players in line
-they have a superstar capable of winning games on his own
There’s no question the NBA has more parity. I also expect greater parity when the new cap rules kick in in 24/25. However we aren’t gonna see crappy 8 seeds come out of nowhere and routinely make the final.
As you guys point out, it’s the first time it’s happened in the play-in era but we also need to recognize the Heat aren’t some crappy low seed like the Raptors, Bulls, Hawks.