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The Battle For Second Place

In every sport, all teams strive to be in 1st place. So why does it seem like the NBA is a race just to finish in second place.

Let me explain. The NBA is a sport where being dominant reigns supreme and dynasties are praised. We saw the Celtics of the 60s and 80s, the Showtime Lakers, the Bad Boy Pistons, etc. The Miami Heat are the most dominant force in the league today but the problem is there are no teams in the league that can truly take the number 1 spot from them. The Miami Heat, led by LeBron James & Dwayne Wade have become an extremely polarizing figure in the NBA, completing their quest for a title and continue their supremacy in the following season by winning 27 straight games, 2nd best all time streak.

Not only are the Miami Heat in 1st place in the league, James might become the first unanimous MVP. So where does this leave the rest of the league? The 2nd best team in the league with wins is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Statistically, they’re the best team in the league in offensive and defensive efficiency, yet they’re considered 2nd level to the Heat. The New York Knicks have beaten the Heat 3 times in the season (once without their star Carmelo Anthony) and critics, analyst and commentators all have the Heat as the superior team. When it comes down to individual play, no one comes close to James. He’s posting career highs, breaking records and playing with confidence the masses have never seen before. If this was a LeBron James-less world, Kevin Durant would be a 3 time MVP with all the accolades that could shape him up to be a top ten great, but sadly KD has to settle with second place.

Durant has posted career highs while becoming the youngest player to ever reach the milestone of the coveted 50/40/90, a shooter’s dream. Improved defense, passing and becoming even more of a leader, Durant has shown great improvements from last year but sadly can’t eclipse the obstacle that is known as LeBron James. Durant has also been second place to James twice in the MVP department (3 soon enough).  It seems that 2nd place is the destiny for the league unless they unseat the Heat and James of their throne. So the question is, will there be a team in the league that can be better than the 2nd best? Only time can tell.

 

Lincoln is a co host for Keeping It Real Sports, a comic book/Nerd culture enthusiast who loves to integrate that culture with sports. When it comes to the NBA, Lincoln is your guy. Coming from a Caribbean background, he tends to watch Tennis & Soccer more than the average American sport. Lincoln is currently a coordinator for Complex Magazine and media coordinator for clothing brand Fdynamo1986.

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