The 2017 NBA playoffs have not been all that competitive, and the dominance of the Golden State Warriors has a lot to do with that. When Kevin Durant was informed last week that fans have not been pleased about that, he told them to simply turn off their television sets.
On Monday, Durant backpedaled a bit from his “if you don’t like it, don’t watch” comments.
“I mean, life can be simple, man. If you don’t like the way the game is going, just turn it off. If you’re enjoying it, just keep it on. Life is simple,” Durant told Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. “I didn’t mean it to disrespect anybody, but if you felt disrespected, I’m sorry. But if you don’t enjoy the game, turn it off [and] turn something else on. If you do, enjoy the rest of it, man.”
The NBA certainly doesn’t want Durant encouraging fans to change the channel, but many of them have done just that. The Warriors have not lost a game yet this postseason, and the Cleveland Cavaliers have lost just one. Golden State advanced to the NBA Finals with a 129-115 win over the San Antonio Spurs Monday, and it would be a surprise if the Boston Celtics stole another game from the Cavs.
But there is good news. While much of the postseason has a been a snooze-fest, the payoff could be fantastic. A rematch between the Warriors and Cavs in the NBA Finals is as exciting as it gets — at least on paper. Add in the bulletin board material Warriors owner Joe Lacob provided this week and the series is even more interesting. The drama should be outstanding.
