Injuries have absolutely marred the NBA playoffs, there’s no getting around that. But that doesn’t mean this season should have an asterisk, nor is there any one thing to blame. It just sucks.
A title is supposed to crown the best team, not the last one standing. And with Giannis Antetokounmpo going down, he joins the likes of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid, Chris Paul, Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell on the list of players who have been limited or taken out by injuries this postseason. That’s an Olympic team (and doesn’t even include guys who didn’t play at all because they were hurt before the playoffs started).