SB Nation Reacts: A changing of the playoff guard

As the NBA playoffs continue to roll on, we have our latest SB Nation Reacts poll, and with a group of different teams still playing right now than has been in years past, we felt it a good time to ask our voters about the changing of the guard in this year’s postseason.

First, we asked our national readers is they felt this playoff represented an official changing of the guard. They were pretty sure on this one.

No Los Angeles Lakers left, no Houston Rockets at all, the Brooklyn Nets are title contenders. So are the Phoenix Suns. The Atlanta Hawks are still playing. Certainly feels like a changing of the guard to me.

Next we asked our national readers who they were rooting for this postseason. Here’s what they had to say:

I picked the Brooklyn Nets (who didn’t make the top five) for James Harden-related reasons, but the more I watch them, the more I realize that I really don’t like Kevin Durant. I’m not sure 100-percent exactly what it is. It may be the constant front running, it may be because even after last night’s clutch performance against the Milwaukee Bucks, I don’t really put him in the “Leader of Men” category. More of a mercenary for hire. Maybe that perception of mine changes as the playoffs continue.

Anyway, the Suns are a good story and I can see why they won this vote. They would be my second choice. But Utah Jazz? Come on, people.

Our final national question asked our readers about the early playoff ousting of LeBron James and if they thought it made things more interesting. This one’s pretty certain:

I couldn’t agree more. It appears viewers are ready to move on from the King James era pretty much across the league. He’ll turn 37 next season, so there’s probably only a few years left, and that might be good for the Association. Everything runs its course eventually.

With the Rockets done for the year, I don’t have a fan confidence rating, but that will start back up again soon.

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