The championship lost its suspense? The tradition is super lonely, the Mesozoic generation has withered, and the new generation is bursting out

With the Nuggets suffering a 35-point defeat in front of the Thunder and being eliminated with a big score of 3-4, the top four of the NBA playoffs this year has finally settled. The Timberwolves, Thunder, Knicks and Pacers, these four teams stood out and wrote a new chapter in the playoffs together. Among these semi-finals, only the Knicks have won the championship, but that is a glorious memory half a century ago, dating back to the distant 1973. The Pacers and the Timberwolves have shown strong strength last season and advanced to the stage of the division finals respectively. The last time the Thunder entered the Western Conference Finals, it was back to the ever-changing 2016 nine years ago, when Durant and Westbrook joined hands to write their youth chapter together. That year, the Warriors reached the top of history with a 73-win regular season record. The Cavaliers staged a miracle of 1-3 behind in the finals. Kobe and Duncan retired one after another, and Gordon and Lavine staged an unprecedented peak showdown in the dunk contest. It was in that year that the Thunder failed in front of the Warriors, and Durant then made a decision that shocked the league and joined the Golden State Warriors, and the legend of the Universe Warriors began.

However, on this year's playoff stage, with the Nuggets' sad departure, the figures of traditional superstars disappeared one by one. Westbrook, the last man who sticks to the old-school style, has not realized his dream of winning his career despite showing outstanding strength in the playoffs. Westbrook's performance in the playoffs was amazing, especially in the first round of the series against the Clippers, who stood up many times and became the mainstay of the team. In the G1 battle with the Clippers, Westbrook hit a tied three-pointer, dragged the game into overtime, and completed a fatal steal at the last moment of overtime, ending the suspense of the game. In the G4 game, Westbrook dreamed of returning to his peak, scoring 21 points with an efficient performance of 8 of 15. In the life-and-death battle in G7, Westbrook contributed 5 steals in a single game, showing his extraordinary defensive ability. However, in the second round of the series against the Thunder, Westbrook's condition showed a significant decline, with more mistakes and less efficiency. But considering that his current identity is just a basic salary player, such performance is not easy.

In this era, it is undoubtedly a moving miracle that old-school stars like Westbrook are still sweating on the court. Like them, Paul of the Spurs, George of the 76ers, and Harden of the Clippers. Among them, Paul has entered his twilight years of his career and has become a role player. At the age of 40, he is close to the brink of retirement, and his pursuit of honor and victory is no longer as hot as before. After joining the Spurs, he took it more as his mission to assist young stars and inherit the spark and spirit of basketball.

Now, the NBA playoffs stage has opened a new chapter, and the era of traditional superstars has come to an end. But in this passion and dream field, new legends and stories are still being staged. The ownership of the championship may have already begun to appear invisibly, but the real competition and competition have just begun. When formally exploring the prospects of this season's NBA championship, we have to face up to a reality: the road to winning the championship is becoming increasingly difficult for some former overlords. Paul George, in particular, has seen a significant decline in his performance this season compared to the past. After signing a generous contract, he seemed to be shifting more energy out of the court, which makes people speculate that the day when this contract expires may also be the end of his career. Although the 76ers team that George plays for seems glamorous, they are actually like paper tigers. The regular season ended with a bleak record of 24 wins and 58 losses, and even the threshold for the playoffs was not reached.

Harden's situation is also regrettable. This season was the best time for him to win the championship. The Clippers' all members were rarely healthy in history, and Leonard's rapid return injected strong momentum into the team. However, Harden's personal sluggish performance became a stumbling block for the Clippers to move forward. He played disaster-level data in the series, and the team eventually lost to the Nuggets in the tiebreak battle and was eliminated in the first round.

As for those James, Durant and Curry, who are known as the "Three Elites", although they are still the superstars with the most personal honors in the current NBA, their performance this year cannot hide the traces of time. Durant stopped in the regular season, James was eliminated in the first round, and Curry only left his footprint in the second round. Although they have not yet fallen from the altar and their strength as the core of the team still exists, their ability to lead the team to a deeper stage in the playoffs is no longer as brave as they were. This undoubtedly marks the NBA's entry into a new era.

With the deepening of the NBA playoffs, the semi-finals have been settled, and the collective absence of traditional super giants has made the title lose some suspense. So, among these four semifinals, who will eventually win the throne? On the surface, each team has the potential to win the championship, especially the two teams in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers and the Knicks, have shown amazing resilience. As the biggest dark horse of this season, the Pacers have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for two consecutive years despite being in the small ball market, lacking popularity and traffic, and no MVP-level stars. They performed two finals in the playoffs, and completed two 7-point reversals at critical moments. Their key ball ability is amazing. The Knicks, with the tenacious struggle of the starting five tigers, have come step by step to today, and eliminated the defending champion in the second round. During this period, they achieved a 20-point reversal in two consecutive games, showing amazing perseverance and determination.

However, in my opinion, the Timberwolves are the biggest favorite of the championship this season. So far in the playoffs, they have shown the most relaxed attitude, sweeping their opponents with a score of 4-1 in two consecutive rounds. This performance undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for their road to winning the championship. Therefore, we have reason to believe that the Timberwolves may be the ultimate winner of this season and hold up the coveted O'Brien Cup. Compared with the Thunder team's lineup configuration, their team structure is not at all inferior, showing balanced and powerful strength.

At the front line, they are full of talents, with an advantage in average height and physique, building an indestructible defensive barrier. Randall's performance in this year's playoffs was unsolvable. With his outstanding independent offensive ability, he became a sharp sword on the team's offensive end. It is particularly worth mentioning that Edwards, as one of the toughest stars on the playoff stage today, his expected performance may far surpass Alexander. His scoring methods are not limited to stable performance at the free throw line, but relying on his extraordinary athletic talent and precise three-point shooting ability, in the regular season, Edwards' three-point output has already outspoken the entire league and ranks first.

Although the Thunder showed strong dominance during the regular season, once they entered the Western Conference Finals stage, their chances of winning may not be optimistic when facing the Timberwolves, which are also strong. After all, the Timberwolves have such excellent lineup depth and player status, especially Edwards' strong rise, which undoubtedly adds more chances of winning to the team. Do you have the same view on this?