Over the past few weeks, former players, analysts, and fans have been pouring out their predictions for the 2023 NBA playoffs. John Salley is the newest member to give his picks for the NBA finals. According to John, the Phoenix Suns and the Boston Celtics will reach the finals, with Phoenix winning the championship.
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The NBA playoffs have already had a lot of drama and upsets over the past two weeks. The Eastern Conference No-1 seed, Milwaukee Bucks, was stunned by Jimmy Butler in the first round. Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, No-3 seed Memphis Grizzlies were sent home by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Seven teams have booked their spots in the semi-finals of the playoffs. The final spot will be taken by the winner of Game Seven between the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. Arguably the most competitive series of this year’s playoffs will see the winner face the Lakers in the next round.
John Salley believes the Phoenix Suns can win it all
A former NBA player, John Salley, was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1986. He went on to represent multiple franchises in his 11-year career. A three-time champion, John gave an interview on VladTV and was asked to make his predictions. Here is what he said:
“I got the Phoenix Suns against Boston.” Salley said on VLADTV.
Phoenix Suns are facing off against the No.1 seed Denver Nuggets in the semi-finals and are currently trailing 1-0 in the series. The Kevin Durant-led team was thoroughly outplayed in their first matchup at Denver. They will look to bounce back in Game Two to level the home-court advantage.
Boston Celtics will be matched against the Philadelphia Sixers that might not have their superstar Joel Embiid take the court in Game One. Joel has been diagnosed with an LCL sprain in his right knee and is listed as doubtful for Game One.
Salley talks about today’s NBA
In the interview, Salley was asked about his views on today’s game and had some interesting perspectives to share with us. Known for his defense, John believed he would be like Shaq in today’s era. According to him, the guards are given too much free will to shoot and drive to the basket, which was not the case in the 1990s. Here is what he said:
“If I was playing with my game now, I would be as big as Shaq cause no one can hit you. You can’t hit anybody. As a matter of fact they don’t even try to hit anybody. You try not to hit anybody. When I see Ja Morant going to the basket, he is dynamic, but in my time he wouldn’t have been free to do that. It would have been one real foul that made him think about going to the lane. And, it’s not a flagrant.”
This has been a point of contention between the former players and the current players. The NBA has taken a conscious effort to eliminate the physicality in terms of hard fouls in today’s games. However, one could argue that the change resulted in the development of more skilled players than ever before.
