How would the playoffs have gone?
As days turn into weeks and weeks into months, it's becoming increasingly hard to see the NBA season returning and the playoffs taking place as usual.
Aside from potentially playing the entire playoffs in Las Vegas, an idea Chris Mannix reported Thursday that the NBA has considered, there doesn't seem to be a logical solution to get playoff action underway anytime soon.
With that being the case, Sports Illustrated's Michael Shapiro sat down to map out what he thinks would have happened had the NBA playoffs gone over without hitch.
Breaking from past tradition, Shapiro says the Raptors win Game 1 against the Nets en route to a sweep of Brooklyn.
"Brooklyn could potentially steal a game on a hot shooting night from Spencer Dinwiddie or Caris LeVert, but this isn’t a Raptors team that will enter the playoff sleepwalking," Shapiro wrote. "Nick Nurse will have Toronto ready to roll, denying Brooklyn of back-to-back seasons with a playoff victory."
With the extra time off, the Raptors turn their attention toward the Celtics-76ers series to see who they'd take on in the second round.
In Philadelphia, the series goes six games with Boston clinching the first round victory, setting up a Raptors-Celtics Eastern Conference Semifinals.
"It’s a bit of a tenuous bet to count out the Raptors, who play with an unmatched swagger and confidence after last year’s Finals run," Shapiro wrote. "But when push comes to shove, Boston has too many perimeter weapons compared to Toronto. Jayson Tatum has made a legitimate leap into All-NBA consideration. Jaylen Brown is playing at an All-Star level, and Kemba Walker is an overqualified complimentary piece. No disrespect to the champs, but Boston is a true threat for the Eastern Conference crown."
Unlike last year, when Kawhi Leonard hit The Shot in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semis, Boston takes Round 2 in seven, sending the Raptors home a little early.
With Toronto out of the way, Antetokounmpo and company get over the hump and head to the NBA Finals to take on the L.A. Lakers, who downed Leonard's Clippers in the Western Conference Finals.
In a battle of MVP frontrunners, Shaprio says the King is still the King as James' Lakers clinch the Larry O'Brien trophy in six games to bring Los Angeles its first title since Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol linked up in 2010.
Shapiro's predictions likely aren't what Toronto is hoping for, but at this point, Raptors fans might be OK with any playoff action, regardless of how deep the team goes.
