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Balance: The NBA Playoffs Are Demonstrating the Power of Balanced Scoring Over One-Man Shows

Jonah Hall
5 min readJun 7, 2021

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There are now eight teams remaining in the NBA Playoffs. This year’s NBA scoring leaders: Steph Curry (32.0), Bradley Beal (31.3), and Damian Lillard (28.8) are all on well-deserved vacation, though they’d prefer to be playing in the Conference Semis. All three are incredible scorers, with Curry and Lillard showcasing mind-boggling range. They score out of necessity. Their teams depend on their virtuosity to win. The playoffs demand more out of offenses than mind-boggling range…teams must have balance, efficiency and multiple contributors.

Clippers Come Back to Beat Mavs — -Behind Better Defense and Balanced Attack

After going down 0–2 to Dallas, the Los Angeles Clippers were being rightfully questioned. Losing both games at home meant they’d have to win 4 of the next 5, with Games 3, 4, and 6 in Dallas. And they did. It helps to have the best two-way player in the NBA — Kawhi Leonard. It also helps to have the ball flying around the perimeter and the drive-and-kick tendencies of your top two stars — Kawhi and Paul George. The lack of urgency was striking. George’s post-game comments about not being concerned — -were concerning. It’s one thing to be confident. It’s another thing to be apathetic.

But…the Clippers trusted their system and their shooting (they led the NBA in three-point percentage this season) while the Mavericks trusted their star Luka…

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Jonah Hall
Jonah Hall

Written by Jonah Hall

Writing. Poetry. Personal Essays. On the NBA, MLB, media, journalism, culture, teaching and humor.

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