Not all 50-win seasons in the NBA are equal.
Optics shape perception.
The Los Angeles Clippers were an underappreciated and undervalued 50-32 win squad – a fantastic starting five of James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Kris Dunn, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac, and coached by the tremendous Ty Lue.
The 50-32 Denver Nuggets dealt with chaos – friction between the coach (Michael Malone) and general manager (Calvin Booth) that resulted in both getting fired with three games remaining in the regular season.
The New York Knicks’ 51-31 season seemed underwhelming with the additions of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, and colored by the 60-win seasons by Boston and Cleveland and the idea that the Knicks were never close to those two teams, losing all four games to the Celtics and all four games to the Cavaliers this season.