The One Thing That Could Derail Every NBA Contender: Here's What Could Sink Them
The NBA playoffs are just two weeks away, and every contender in the league has a fatal flaw waiting to be exposed. The Detroit Pistons just clinched their playoff berth in the East. Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs are making his first playoff push. The Oklahoma City Thunder, sitting just ahead of San Antonio in the West, are chasing back-to-back championships. But here's the thing: despite how dominant these teams have looked down the stretch, each one has a kryptonite that could absolutely wreck their June dreams.
The Pistons' Three-Point Problem
Detroit's weakness is obvious if you know where to look: three-point shooting. The Pistons are 29th in attempts and 28th in makes from deep. Yeah, you read that right. In a league where the three is the great equalizer, Detroit is operating with one hand tied behind their back. Even with Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. spreading the floor last season, they were in the bottom third in the league from beyond the arc. They've built their entire identity on defense creating offense and Cade Cunningham's brilliance in the half court, but that's not going to cut it when the playoffs slow everything down.
The scary part? The Celtics and Knicks, the other East contenders, are both top 10 in three-point makes. And both teams have top-five defenses built around giving up exactly what Detroit can't make: open threes. The Celtics and Knicks lead all playoff teams in opponent three-point attempt rate at 45% of shots. If Detroit can't punish that, they're looking at a brutal series.
Boston's Fast-Break Vulnerability
The Celtics, meanwhile, have their own problem. They rank last in fast-break points per game at just 11.4. The good news? Fast-break scoring is usually not a playoff issue since the game slows down come May and June. Jayson Tatum's return has been encouraging overall, with his play coming in fits and starts since coming back from his Achilles tear less than a year ago. Boston's banking on him to eventually solve their offensive issues.
The playoffs are two weeks away. The contenders are set. But don't sleep on the weaknesses. They're coming for someone.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.