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Total Loss: Losers also have a place on stage Israel today

2022-05-17T09:20:41.532Z


True, we were supposed to write about the winners, but when champion Milwaukee and finalist last season Phoenix were eliminated in the second round of Game 7 - that's a good enough reason to keep the spotlight on them, and tell the truth


It is important to say: one should write about the winners.

This is a rule that many times we do not pay enough attention to in the sports media (yes, ESPN, we look at you and your Lakers obsession).

But now, a moment after two big two-round series ended in Games 7 that we will remember for a long time, and a second before the regional finals series begin, we will intentionally deal with the losers for a moment.

Mostly, by the way, because those losers - the Milwaukee Bucks in the East and the Phoenix Suns in the West - were until the moment of relegation the "winners" themselves.

That is, last year's two finalists.

And that's a reason to keep these losers in the spotlight for one more moment.

The problem is, these two groups probably will not really like what these lights reveal.

Because, you may remember, one of the most stubborn and loud narratives throughout the 2021 playoffs was that "true, everyone has injuries. But those two teams reached the final thanks to too many rival injuries."

There were those who insisted that it was a final between two rivals who were not really worthy of the class.

Antocompo.

The Bucks still have something to offer in the future, Photo: IP

Milwaukee, which eventually went all the way to the championship last season, overtook the Brooklyn super-team in the second round largely thanks to injuries to Kyrie Irving and James Harden.

And yet, it only ended in seven games, in part because Kevin Durant stepped on the line in some dramatic "three" he scored.

And even in the Eastern Conference Finals against Atlanta, Terra Young was injured at the end of Game 3 and returned limited to Game 6 only.

And that's nothing compared to Phoenix, who went through the first round against the Lakers, in which LeBron James played injured and limited at a visible level, and with Anthony Davis barely able to tread on the field, and that's when he's available.

In the Western Conference Finals she met the Clippers, a second after she lost her best player, Kwai Leonard (who was injured in the second round against Utah and has not played since).

Unexpectedly but very logically, the historic regular season that Phoenix has given this season, and the way the Bucks have managed to get 51 wins even though Holiday and Middleton came after a busy summer with the team at the Olympics, even though they played almost the entire season without Brock Lopes, and while struggling Natural after a historic championship - all this helped to give renewed validity to the legitimacy of the Bucks and the Suns as last year's two finalists.

But then came the 2022 playoffs and both were eliminated in the second round.

And by whom were they dismissed?

Dallas and Boston, two teams that are very deep within the current season have found themselves in a negative balance!

The Mavericks were at 18:17 on December 31, and the Celtics at 24:23 on January 21.

There is no real way to paint these dismissals as anything other than failures.

True, Middleton did not play in the series against Boston, but it also lacked Robert Williams, its revolutionary defensive anchor.

And Phoenix?

It trailed something like 700:13 in the third quarter in one of the most embarrassing and disgraceful losses in league history.

The future is not so rosy anymore so


where do you go from here?

The four best players in the Bucks are also signed for next season (and beyond), and she still holds the Yannis.

Probably the best player in the world.

They will be fine and they will have another chance to confirm the validity of their championship from last year.

But Phoenix?

Suddenly the 90 million for 4 years they owe to Michael Bridges and another 90 for 3 years to Chris Paul, along with the fact that Eyton is not signed yet, paint everything in far less pink colors than could have been imagined just a week ago.

Doncic does not count Paul.

Dallas embarrassed Phoenix,

Not to mention what will be needed to recover from the embarrassing and humiliating defeat they experienced at two in the morning.

If it will be possible at all to get up from it.

So yes, the media has a responsibility to praise the winners.

Even if in real time there is a sense that they are not the most glorified conductors we have ever seen.

But if one year later these concerns are reinforced, then enough.

Sometimes you also have to just tell the truth.

Were we wrong?

Fixed!

If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us

Source: israelhayom

All sports articles on 2022-05-17

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