Part 6/8:
A recurring theme during the discussion was the perception of competitiveness in playoff games. Hawk highlighted a historical context in which blowouts are not unique to the current playoffs. He noted that, regardless of the number of teams included, the gap between elite teams and mid-tier teams can sometimes be stark, resulting in games that don’t always provide thrilling conclusions.
He pointed to statistics illustrating that the expectation for nail-biting finishes shouldn’t overshadow the reality that many matchups are defined by skill disparities. Conversations shifted from disappointment in blowouts to the importance of acknowledging the true nature of team dynamics and performance over the course of the season.