Risking divine retribution to ask: is this a year we get a classic finals?

[dhellers]

Over the last several years, how many truely competitive finals have their been?

2023 : The Heat were no match for Denver, especially given Denver's non-difficult path to the finals
2022 : The Celts were a beaten up mess when they got to GSW, especially given GSW's non-difficult path to the finals
2021 : Pretty good .... what with Giannis overcoming injuries to dominate a good-not-great Phoenix.
2020 : The bubble Lakers. Need one say more?
2019 : Raptors, against a GSW riddled with injuries
2018 : GSW swept, with Lebron giving up. A Cavs team that could have lost to young Celtics if Shane Larkin or Daniel Theis were uninjured!
2017 : GSW 16-1 in the post season. Did it matter who GSW played
2016 : Cavs finally winning, against a GSW dynasty team.

So 2021 and 2016?

Risking the wrath of the fates: 2024 might be one of the best of recent years.

 

[lovegtm]

2022: very competitive, and was extremely close to the Cs being up 3-1. The idea that they were doomed to lose is mostly hindsight.
2019: very competitive, just one injury too many for GSW, but a lot of engaging strategic decisions throughout

Honestly, I think only the "Heat made the Finals as a crappy team" and "GSW had a super-super team" Finals have been meh. Everything else has been quite good.

 

[bosockboy]

2022: very competitive, and was extremely close to the Cs being up 3-1. The idea that they were doomed to lose is mostly hindsight.
2019: very competitive, just one injury too many for GSW, but a lot of engaging strategic decisions throughout

Honestly, I think only the "Heat made the Finals as a crappy team" and "GSW had a super-super team" Finals have been meh. Everything else has been quite good.

Yep the Celts blew 2022. It was on their racket.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

How exactly are you defining competitive?

The 2022 series went 6 games with the Celtics have a 2-1 lead at a point. Is it only a 7 game series with each game coming down to the final shot?

 

[Eric Fernsten's Disco Mustache]

It was on their racket

I kinda like that I don't know if this is a reference to tennis or a con job

 

[dhellers]

How exactly are you defining competitive?

The 2022 series went 6 games with the Celtics have a 2-1 lead at a point. Is it only a 7 game series with each game coming down to the final shot?

In my viewing, once GSW adapted to the ferocious EC style, they took care of business (since the Celts were to beat to do much else well). So at the end not a lot of drama.