Under circumstances the NBA has never previously experienced, so much of the championship discussion pessimistically circles around what will keep team X from the title. Those concerns exist from a glass-half-empty view. They cloud all that’s good about the game, the aspects of your favorite team that breed hope for a deep postseason run.
Take the Boston Celtics for example. They’re by no means a popular pick to win the NBA championship, but their odds are better than most of the 22 teams heading to Orlando. A 43-21 record was good for third in the Eastern Conference as one of only three teams to rank inside the top-five in both offensive and defensive efficiency.