The finals are a stage to test the quality of superstars, because of the cruelty of the finals

On June 13, in the history of the NBA, the Finals have always been the ultimate stage to test the quality of superstars. Every minute here is full of cruelty. The opponent's targeted defense, the fans' tsunami, the media's spotlight, and the temptation of the championship trophy together constitute the highest-level touchstone in the basketball world. A true superstar not only needs to win the whole world in the regular season, but also needs to stand up at the critical moments of the finals and lead the team to victory with unsolvable performance.

Reviewing the 2023-2024 season finals, the seven fierce battles between the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics are the most classic championship battle in recent years. Jokic averaged quasi-triple doubles with 32.1 points, 14.3 rebounds and 9.2 assists in the series. Faced with the Celtics' changing defensive strategies - from Horford's single defense to double-teams to regional joint defense, the Serbian center used his unparalleled basketball wisdom to crack the opponent's defense again and again. Especially in the tiebreak battle, Jokic scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, including the feat of 7 points in the last 1 minute and 12 seconds. He completely defeated the Celtics' defense with an accurate mid-range jump shot and a clever low-post single. This ability to remain calm and take over the game under the highest pressure is the essential difference between a superstar and an ordinary All-star.

And Celtics' Tatum experienced the pain of growth in this series. Although he averaged 28.5 points per game in the first six games, in the seventh game that decided life and death, facing Aaron Gordon's close defense and the Nuggets' assisted defense system, Tatum made only 7 of 23 shots and 2 of 9 three-pointers, and missed many shots at critical moments. This reminds people of LeBron James in the 2011 Finals, when he also lost himself on the most important stage. The growth path of superstars has never been smooth, and the failure of the finals often becomes a catalyst for their transformation. Just as Jordan practiced his back-to-back skills after losing the Eastern Conference Finals in 1990, and Kobe improved his offensive arsenal after losing the 2008 Finals, Tatum needs to learn from this defeat and improve his scoring efficiency under high pressure defense.

History is always surprisingly similar. In the sixth game of the 1998 Finals, when Jordan made the famous "last shot" at the Salt Lake City Delta Center Arena, he faced not only Byron Russell's defense, but also a double team that never stopped in the game. But the God of Basketball used his unsolved back-to-body singles and mid-range jump shot to complete a fatal blow at the last moment of the game. Similarly, in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals, LeBron James's chase block on Andre Iguodala at the last moment and Kyrie Irving's winning three-pointer against Stephen Curry are all eternal classics left by superstars on the finals stage. These moments are remembered by history because they happen in the highest pressure environment of basketball games, with opponents reaching the peak of the season, and the stars still able to complete nearly impossible tasks.

Data analysis shows that the average shooting percentage of the NBA Finals MVP in the past 20 years reached 47.3% at critical moments (within 5 points in the last 5 minutes of the game), far higher than the 42.1% in the same period in the regular season. This data fully demonstrates that a true superstar can improve his performance in the highest level of competition. Taking the 2021 Finals as an example, Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 61.8%. Especially in the sixth game, he scored 50 points, including 20 points in the fourth quarter, completely destroying the Suns' dream of winning the championship with violent dunks and precise free throws. This ability to score efficiently under targeted defense of the opponent is an important basis for judging whether a star meets the superstar standards.

The development of modern basketball has made the defensive strategy of the finals more complex and changeable. The team will use a large amount of video analysis to find out the weaknesses of opponent stars and target them. In the 2022 Finals, the Warriors' defense against Jason Tatum is a typical case. The Warriors found that Tatum had a weak finishing ability after breaking through with his left hand, so they forced him to break through to the left and set up assisted defense in the penalty area. This strategy has lowered Tatum's shooting percentage from 45.3% in the regular season to 36.7% in the finals. In contrast, Stephen Curry, when facing the Celtics' unlimited switchover, he still averaged 31.2 points per game, and his three-point shooting percentage remained at 43.7%. He used his historically unball running and super long three-pointers to prove his strength as a two-time MVP.

Psychological quality is also a hurdle that superstars must overcome in the finals. In the 2006 Finals, Dwyane Wade averaged 39.3 points in the last four games, leading the Heat to win four consecutive championships while trailing 0-2. Wade, who was only 24 years old at the time, faced the Mavericks' defense and won free throws with reckless breakthroughs (16.2 free throws per game in the series), showing a mature mentality that was inconsistent with his age. Similarly, behind Ray Allen's three-pointer that equalized the score in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals was his calmness and courage at critical moments throughout his career. These examples show that technology can be honed, but the big heart at critical moments is often an innate talent.

From a team perspective, the value of superstars in the finals is not only reflected in scoring, but also in how they make their teammates better. In the 2015 Finals, although the Cavaliers lost to the Warriors 2-4, LeBron James' comprehensive performance averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists per game almost brought the Cavaliers, who lacked Irving and Love, to Game 6 with his own strength. Not only does he have to take on the heavy responsibility of scoring on the offensive end, he also organizes the entire team to attack and guard the opponent's best players on the defensive end.. This all-round contribution cannot be fully reflected by the data, but it is a true portrayal of a superstar's influence on the game.