OAKLAND, Calif. — The NBA playoffs are the arena of superstars, if only because their games are the most likely to endure. Proper, focused gameplanning will probe for any point of weakness. What passes on a random Wednesday in March might crumble over seven games of merciless scrutiny. There is nowhere to hide—no corner of the court where a savvy opponent cannot find you, drag you into the light, and lay your limitations bare for all to see. To win is to survive.
Because of this, a competitive playoff series can whittle a team down, layer for layer, until only its sturdiest parts remain: those so skilled and immutable that little can be done to stop them.