8 Days Between Games? Could the NBA Finals be More Anticlimactic?

Wednesday, May 27 was the last time we saw NBA action.  The Finals don’t start until Thursday, June 4.  8 days between games.  I understand the Cavs swept the Hawks and the Warriors only dropped 1 game to the Rockets, but 8 days until game 1 of the next series?  Could these NBA Finals be more anticlimactic?

I just watched the Chicago Blackhawks win the West in Game 7 last night.  They play the Tampa Bay Lighting on Wednesday.  If my math is correct, that’s 4 days between the last NHL game and the next one.  I saw more NHL regular season games in person (2) than on TV this year, but I’ve been glued to the TV watching the Stanley Cup Playoff due to the competitiveness of each series and the sheer fact that there seems to be a game on almost every day, which is nice.  As for the NBA Playoffs, this 2 month “event” is so boringly drawn out that I, a (college) basketball fanatic am starting to lose interest.  The only must-see TV during the NBA Playoffs has been the draft lottery, during which I almost puked when the Knicks logo came up with the 4th pick.  Ugh.

I understand both the Warriors and the Cavs are banged up a bit and can use the rest.  I understand if each series went 6 or 7 games that there would be less time between the end of the Conference Finals and game 1 of the NBA Finals.  What I don’t understand is why the NBA doesn’t have some sort of scheduling exception when both series end in 5 games or less.  If Raymond Felton was on either of these teams he’d gain so much weight in 8 days that he would receive a DNP due to being morbidly obese for games 1 and 2.  If someone who actually enjoys watching basketball is losing interest, how does the NBA think the casual fan feels about this delay between games?

If there’s any saving grace for these NBA Finals it’s that the best team from each conference made it to the Championship.  I love watching the Warriors play, and the fact that LeBron has put the Cavs on his back and brought them to another NBA Finals is nothing short of amazing.  The Hawks may have had the best regular season record, but they were exposed in the Eastern Conference Finals like Kim Kardashian when she broke the internet.  Team play is overrated.  I’ll take the squad with a couple of studs and some role-players over the well-balanced team in basketball any day.

Just so this post isn’t all about me bitching about the long wait between NBA games, here’s my prediction:  LeBron lifts the Cleveland curse in 6 games as all the fair-weather fans who burned his jersey after The Decision collectively attempt to fellate him at the same time.  Kevin Love takes his ring and runs to LA to join forces with Kobe’s carcass and future ROY Jahlil Okafor.