The new NBA rivalries

The league has a rising class of stars on the big stage. But almost as important are the new and renewed rivalries in the spotlight. PLUS: NBA Draft lottery reaction.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

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Episode in the Retreat of the Ten Thousand; Jean-Adrien Guignet; 1842

As many have noted, the NBA playoffs now lack the biggest stars still active from the previous decade of basketball. Stephen Curry didn’t make the playoffs, while LeBron James and Kevin Durant were booted out in the first round. Russell Westbrook and James Harden, who each won an MVP in the 2010s, lost in the first round. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won the final two MVPs of the 2010s, did not appear for his team, who lost in the first round.

There are plenty of stars of the 2020s and beyond still cooking, led of course by Nikola Jokic. Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Brunson, Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell are all huge current stars or poised to be recognized as such soon. This has actually been an encouraging season and 1.5 rounds of playoff basketball in that conversation.

What’s been more interesting is the birth and rebirth of some great NBA rivalries.

Pacers vs. Knicks is a rivalry those of us of a certain age remember well. Reggie Miller’s choke taunt is etched into my brain forever, one of the seminal moments of ‘90s basketball culture. The NBA and its broadcast partners have done a good job highlighting the passion and history in these particular pairing; I don’t mind Reggie Miller calling games in the series because color analysts don’t impact the actual adjudication of the game. I can see why it would annoy Knicks fans to have to hear him while sitting in panic while watching these games. I think the nostalgia hit for the rest of us is worth it. (Sorry, New York.)

Wolves vs. Nuggets is becoming an instant rivalry. There’s plenty of weird recent history here: the bizarre end of the 2018 season, the Tim Connelly thing, the Chris Finch-Michael Malone connection, last year’s series. But the Jamal Murray heel turn, the shock of the Wolves peeling two in Denver to start the series, the gut punch of the Nuggets taking them back in Minnesota and everything that’s going to happen in the next 2-3 games, plus the fact that these teams are poised to be in conversation for years to come: this is a cool new rivalry we can rely on for entertainment.

Mavericks vs. Thunder is becoming a rivalry. We had the Shai vs. Luka MVP Second Place debate. There’s a semi-local angle. (A 4-hour drive counts as local in that part of the country.) You have crazy crowds, which leads to crazy crowd interactions. Lu Dort might not be allowed in the DFW metroplex after this series; Mavericks fans have totally turned on him for his physical defense on Luka. These teams are poised to remain relevant in the coming years, and are starting to appear to dislike each other. A rivalry is born.

There are other rivalries in the hopper — Warriors vs. Kings has been unglued for two years, Sixers vs. Knicks was violent and delightful, Bucks vs. Pacers is spicy when the stars are available, Warriors vs. Lakers is dramatic. Building up stars into household names is part of the NBA’s marketing job. Jokic is finally in commercials. Shai has the one. Edwards is going to be inescapable during and after the Olympics if people are doing their jobs. Luka remains stunningly less famous than he should be. Victor Wembanyama is poised to be the biggest star of this generation. But star-building is part of it. Building rivalries is another part of that, and it’s much, much harder to force because in the playoffs, at least, it’s left to fate. We’re on solid ground there based on this postseason, but the league will need some more history to build between the teams in the coming years.

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This Is So Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks won the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery despite having just the 10th best odds. In related news, this is widely considered the least star-heavy draft in several years, and there is nothing like a consensus No. 1 overall pick. This happens in 2023 and OOPS you lucked into a generational superstar. In 2024 … we’ll see!

In any case, it’s generally better to pick No. 1 than No. 10, so we’ll see what the Hawks do, especially since there is an enormous expectation that either Trae Young or Dejounte Murray will be traded in the summer. This expectation is based on the fact that the team had the 10th-best odds to win the lottery despite two All-Star guards on the roster.

The Hawks have picked No. 1 overall once since moving to Atlanta in 1968. That pick: regional legend David Thompson, who was also picked No. 1 by the Denver Nuggets of the ABA … and chose the Nuggets over the Hawks. Welp.

The Washington Wizards will pick second. The Houston Rockets will use the Brooklyn Nets’ pick to choose third. Thank you, James Harden trade.

The biggest losers in this lottery: