Old Rhode Island native (but no longer RI resident) here. I'm retired and have had a lot of fun watching these playoffs, even the clunkers. The two games in this series have been wildly entertaining. They've also caused me to reminisce about the games I've watched over 60+ years and think about how much the sport has changed in that time. The game itself has always been entertaining: talented athletes performing at the highest degree of skill. I absolutely loved playing myself (until I turned 50 and started getting hurt as soon as I walked on a court) and that's probably one reason I've enjoyed watching. It seems to me that the current generation of professional basketball players is faster, more talented, more athletic, and better conditioned than ever before. I also think they are, overall, physically larger. The things that these guys can do on a routine basis are just stunning. And I certainly don't mean to disrespect the WNBA, but the NBA is a much higher level of the sport. Think about it, those of you who are my age (you young pups are all spoiled. Now get off my lawn!). When I was in junior high and high school, Bob Cousy's occasional behind the back pass was a big deal. When somebody who wasn't as tall as Wilt dunked, that was a rarity to be celebrated. Jimmy Walker, back in his Providence College days, was the first player I saw gain an advantage one-on-one by performing a between-the-legs crossover dribble. These actions were often derided as showboating. Now they're normal, even for high school players. Guards who are 6'7", 6'8" or even taller are common. Seven-footers bring up the ball, make acrobatic passes and take (and make) threes. What has happened?
For one thing, the game has expanded explosively world-wide. More people are playing, trying different sorts of things (example: I first encountered the Euro-step when I was in the Army playing against a friend who was born in Italy. I called him for travelling. He explained to me why it was not). The skill level necessary to perform at the college level (let alone the NBA) has also increased dramatically.
The enormous increase in NBA salaries (enabled by the concurrent increase in the popularity of basketball) over the years has also accelerated the development of the sport. Players now have the leisure to develop their skills to the highest degree possible. The don't have to have other jobs to maintain a comfortable lifestyle.
The laws of physics, biophysics, and biochemistry remain the same, but are better and more widely known than ever, permitting these skilled athletes to receive specialized conditioning programs that help them become faster, jump higher, and play at a high level of effort for longer periods of time.
Coaching is better. Coaches are not necessarily any more intelligent than their predecessors, but they have far more technical tools at their disposal. Coaching staffs are also bigger. More people studying more things than ever before possible raises the overall level at which the sport can be taught to players. Players and coaches are human, and therefore flawed creatures, all subject to discernible tendencies and occasional brain-locks. Makes for endless thread entries full of howling gibberish and living rooms and dens with broken TV sets.
The league has also changed the rules of the sport, smartly, I think, overall, to adapt to the physical development of its players. I'm old enough to remember when what we now call "the paint" used to be known as "the key," and really did look like a keyhole. I think the most dramatic changes have been due to the addition of the three-point shot. I also regard this as a positive development. I think the league has nicely balanced the skills of the players and the constraints within which they operate (i.e., the rules of the game) to create a marvelously entertaining sport.
I love basketball, and yes, I am entertained. (I'm also long-winded, as you may have noticed). Every game has its "How the heck was he able to do that?" moment. Life is good (and will be better when the Cs hang #18).