Only A True NBA Fan Can Get 100% On These Playoff Teams Quiz
- by Will Morgan
- – on
- in Sports
Hold onto your seat, everybody. It's playoff time! Is everybody excited? When a dude drives into the paint and gets slammed to the ground, is that a foul? No, that's playoff basketball! When the other dude stands over the guy and flexes, is that taunting? No, that's playoff basketball! When the ref still ends up calling a tech on the guy, is that playoff basketball? Well yeah, there are still rules, man. We were down to 16 active teams, all fighting for a chance at championship glory. By the time you read this, there will be even less teams left. The playoffs are where reputations are earned. They are where legend are made and were pretenders go to get exposed. This year is as wide open as it's been in the past several seasons, and who knows what another wild NBA offseason will bring. Every player knows that right now is the time to strike!
How well do you know what is currently going on in the NBA? I mean, sure you are taking this quiz. You think you know some. But this is playoff basketball. You need to be ready to lay it all out on the line. You got to dive for every loose ball and fight for every rebound here. This quiz is not about the regular season. We are going to find out just how much you really know about the teams and players that are still playing. How well do you know the NBA playoff teams?
Before this year, how many playoff games had Ricky Rubio played in?
The Spanish Stallion, Ricky Rubio! That is a terrible nickname. I gave it to him just now. Let's not use that ever again. The young charming Spaniard with the charming boyish looks had served his time in Minnesota for years and was finally traded to the Utah Jazz. For some reason, being so close to the great Salt Lake unleashed the never before seen Dark Rubio! Dark Rubio is a scruffy trouble maker that is making Westbrook lose sleep at night.
Before this year, how many playoff wins did Anthony Davis have?
Remember like four years ago, everybody had a hot take that Anthony Davis was going to surpass LeBron James as the unquestioned best player in the league within a few years and then everybody jus kind of forgot about it? Well, it is time to remember! Also, all of you Boston fans out there, please take note. Anthony Davis is not getting traded this off season. Why would that happen? Please stop that talk. You sound like Lakers fans when you talk like that.
Before this season, how long had it been since the Timberwolves made the playoffs?
The Minnesota Timberwolves are not a super old franchise. Granted, they aren't the babies of the league like the Raptors and the Grizz, but there isn't a ton of history. In spite of this, they have had their share of superstar players. They had one of the best power forwards of all time, Mr. Kevin Garnett. And honestly they should have won it all there. They had the era of Love. And now they are seeing what the KAT can do.
How many years has Victor Oladipo been in the league?
Okay, we all owe the Indiana Pacer management team a big apology for the trash we were all talking to them over the summer when they gave Paul George away. "They got nothing!" we all said. Well no, actually they got Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, two dudes that are currently taking to LeBron James and have the King and his Cavs fighting for their lives. What do the Thunder have? They have some solid defense and a lot of missed shots.
In LeBron's 15 year career, how many times has he missed the playoffs?
We all knew that this LeBron kid was going to be good when he entered the league. You need to have some kind of crazy confidence to call yourself King and Chosen One straight out of high school. But the really crazy thing is, when you look back on his career, he has actually exceeded the expectations we all had for him. Did any of us honestly believe we'd be having conversations about him versus Jordan? Of course not, but it's happening.
How many NBA Championships have the Celtics won?
This question is either a super easy gimme, or one that you have no idea about or even care about. If you are from Boston and you hear the words "How many championships..." you probably start screaming numbers before you even know the sport. Hey it's cool, we all forgive you. We know you can't help yourself, Boston buddy. But for everyone not from Boston that never has thought about or cared about the Celtics, they've won a lot of championships.
In what year did the Toronto Raptors come into existence?
Wow, remember the good old days of sometime between the mid 90s to the early 2000s? The NBA was soaring high. It had gone to new heights, led there by Jordan, but still unaware of how much higher and internationally popular it could go. The time had come, the NBA brass decided, for expansion. Canada was a natural fit. It was closest and easiest for the players to travel to. Teams were established in Toronto and Vancouver. The Toronto team is still around.
What city did the Houston Rockets originally play in?
The Houston Rockets did not start their basketball playing in the great city of Houston. Shocking, I know! They bought into the league in the late 60s in a completely different state than they are in now. Their uniforms were a bit different as well, they were freaking green. When it came time for the new franchise to select a foundational superstar in the draft, they struck gold and landed Elvin Hayes. This started a tradition of great big men in the Bayou city.
What year did the SuperSonics become the Thunder?
For the most part, the NBA is the best run professional sports league in the United States. They have not had the ugly work stoppages, drug controversies, and general chaos that the NFL and major league baseball has had to deal with. I mean, they have definitely had those things, they just haven't been as bad as in those other leagues. One of the worst things the NBA did was the way they treated the loyal fans of Seattle and ripped away their beloved Sonics.
Who is the last player to have their number retired by the Golden State Warriors?
The Golden State Warriors are on a historic run as of late. The last few years, they have done all they could to establish themselves as one of the best basketball teams in the history of the NBA. This feat is even more impressive if you grew up watching basketball during the 80s and 90s because back then Golden State was pretty consistently not great. They had some frustrating years there. That make these teams all the more satisfying for their cocky fans.
What year did the Washington Bullets become the Wizards?
I think that we can all agree that it is a good move to change the team name to something other than the Washington Bullets. Sure, it sounds kind of cool. But bullets and that sort of thing may not be the type of imagery that teams want to invoke. But why on Earth did they decide to replace that mascot with the Wizards. Are there a lot of wizards in the D.C. area? Is Washington home to a bevy of Merlins?
How many seasons has Giannis Antetokounmpo been in the NBA?
There are two undeniable truths when it comes to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Number one, he is an amazing basketball player. And number two, broadcasters calling the games he is in have a very hard time pronouncing his name. Good this he has a cool nickname. They can usually get away with just saying Giannis, or the Greek Freak. One thing is for sure, they better agree on something to refer to him as because he is going to be going deep into the playoffs for years to come.
When was the last time the Pacers were in the NBA Finals?
Was anybody outside of Indiana really expecting the Pacers to do anything these playoffs? Just by the nature of where they play, they seem to always fly under the radar. Unless they are your favorite team for some reason, it just seems like one day towards the end of the season, you check the standings and go, "Whoa! The Pacers are good again!" Everyone was used to it in the Reggie Miller days. Then they had that run that the Malice at the Palace undid.
What year did the Jazz last reach the NBA Finals?
The Utah Jazz have had a lot of really good teams and a lot of really good players, but this team and Donovan Mitchell might be the first time the Jazz have actually been exciting. Jerry Sloan was on the sideline for one of these last home games against the Thunder and he was so excited that closed his mouth momentarily. And now that Dark Rubio is playing, all bets are off. Also, how did we not know Joe Ingles is the best basketball player in the world?
How did the Rocket score a majority of their points this season?
Daryl Morey has a vision for how he wants to see basketball played. So he went out and got a coach in Mike D'antoni who has a similar vision for how he wants to see basketball played. And they convinced their star player James Harden that he would excel in this system and now he has a distinct vision of how basketball should be played. And so on and so on. There are a lot of dunks, layups, fast breaks, and threes. That is Rockets basketball.
Who is the youngest coach in this year's playoffs?
The playoffs are a time where the young up and comers establish their legacies and create the narratives that will define their careers. It is where the old guard and the champions fend off the youngsters and add to their legends, strengthening their place in history among the greats. This is not just true of the players but the coaches as well. This year it is just about even. There are about half young coaches and half of the old.
Who is the oldest coach in this year's playoffs?
So, we've established that there are pretty much an even split among the coaches when it comes to the youngsters versus the oldsters. You would think that the old guard would have a little more job security, but that is not necessarily the case. While some young coaches are just a shot in the dark, others are instilling a system and are there for the long haul. Plenty of the old coaches are on the verge of being pushed out in favor of younger folks.
Which playoff team has the oldest average age?
Experience is invaluable in the playoffs. Invaluable means very valuable, right? I always forget if in just mean the same thing like inflammable. Am I still getting that wrong? Anyway, Experience counts for a lot, but at a certain point a team, even an experienced championship team, needs a little young blood and a youth injection to give them a little spark from time to time. There are some relatively ancient teams in these playoffs. Who is the most ancient?
Who was the highest paid player this year that is currently in the playoffs?
A person's salary is a weird thing. You hear these astronomical numbers that these dude's are making and you have this automatic knee-jerk reaction that they are way overpaid. But, honestly compared to how much these franchises are worth and the money they bring in to the networks and the ownership groups, the players are actually underpaid. Every single one of them. You see some and go "Yeah, he is money" and others are like "Wow! Who is giving that guy $19 million a year?"
What rookie in the playoffs is averaging the most points?
Man, remember last year when the rookie of the year race was not at all interesting because all of the rookies were just pretty serviceable and no one stood out as a generational defining, game changing superstar? This year is pretty much the opposite of that. We have two rookies wrecking shop in the playoffs, whose teams will only go as far they will take them. We have another rookie, while not a superstar, making solid contributions on a really good team.
What time zone has the least amount of playoff teams?
Time zones are the bane of the playoff's existence. Why must you torture us, farmers of America? I guess that is more to do with day light saving. Okay, you are off the hook this time, famers. This time. So, for those of you who never went to school or have suffered a massive head injury since attending elementary school, the continental United States is divided up into four time zones. When great games are in the Pacific time zone, people in the Eastern time zone are late to work the next day.
What's the last year the 76ers made the playoffs?
Man, those good old Philadelphia 76ers! They were the worst team in the league only a few short years ago. They are had a historic turn around. The city just celebrated a Super Bowl win. The team was the hottest team in the league going into the playoffs. And all of their immediate success basically rides on the shoulders of how well a pass first rookie is going to play. Ben Simmons and Embiid will put the city on their shoulders.
Who currently in the playoffs, is the youngest player ever to record a triple double?
The youngest player to ever record a triple double is one of those tricky records. As humans continue to evolve the game is going to of course continue to get more athletic and a lot faster. So it makes sense that younger and younger players are setting records. But they can only get so young because of the NBA's one and done college rule. That rule is bound to get tossed at some point because it is pretty unconstitutional. So the record is bound to fall.
What Heat player averages the most points per game?
The Miami Heat are a real interesting team. They are in a bit of a predicament as well. Where the heck are they going to go now? They have Dwyane Wade is basically on a retirement tour at this point, but is still good for an occasional amazing offensive night. Goran Dragic is their best player, some of the times and expects to be treated like it all of the times. Hassan Whiteside has vastly overestimated his importance to this particular system. Can they tinker, or is a full rebuild necessary?
Going into the playoffs, who had the lowest odds of being the Eastern Conference Champion?
Okay, this one is kind of a logic question. So unless you are just speeding through these, you should get this one right. If you are actually taking your time and are really reading these little blurbs, well first of all I am very proud of you, and second of all I am going to break it down here. Who do you think would have the lowest odds in the East? The teams are seeded one through eight. I'll give you a hint: It's the eight seed.
How many times in his career has Rajon Rondo made the playoffs?
Rajon Rondo is one of the greatest playoff basketball players of all time according to Rajon Rondo. Seriously, this guy has a very high opinion of himself. The thing is, he not entirely wrong. Of course he is nowhere near the best ever. But the dude is pretty freaking good. The Pelicans season seemed to be over when Boogie went down, but a weird thing happened. Mirotic went into the starting lineup and spread the floor, allowing Rondo and Jrue to drive and Davis room to work.
Before this year, what was the last year New Orleans won a playoff game?
Everyone with a pair of eyes can agree that Anthony Davis is an absolute monster. Well, I guess you don't need a pair of eyes. You could probably tell that with one eye. Is this Anthony Davis' first time in the playoffs? Do we have to go back to those old Chris Paul days to get to a New Orleans playoff birth? And if Davis has made the playoffs before in his career, did he notch any wins, or was he swept?
What player in this year's playoffs has played the most playoff games?
This question is a doozy. It is a lot closer than you probably think and at some point in the playoffs the answer will probably change. In order to get this stat, a dude has to have some crazy longevity, as well as be on some great teams. To play in this many post season games is basically the equivalent of playing in another couple of seasons during your career. The wear and tear adds up, but this is where it counts.
What was the last year the Spurs did not make the playoffs?
Oh those lovable, wacky, old Spurs. It seems like they have been around in the playoffs forever. The NBA is a wild place. Teams rise and fall. Superstars come and go. But the Spurs in the postseason are a constant. Believe it or not however, that was not always the case. Are you back? Did you pass out from shock after reading that sentence? Yeah, they had a bad season here and there. In fact, a really bad one got them Timmy Duncan.
What playoff team has the lowest payroll?
There's an old expression that goes, "You have to spend money to make money". Most of the time that is just an excuse for rich people to blow huge wads of cash. But here in the NBA, the expression is more along the lines of "You have to spend money to win". To a certain degree, that plays out as true. The big dogs have big payrolls. But there are some low salary teams out there that are making it work and have more than a good chance.