Bill Simmons

That's when this team, we're within four and now we have our closer and we can actually crack down and get defense.

But I think one of the problems for them is that the rest of the league is just better.

Two years ago, they didn't have as much talent as they do this year.

But two years ago, the league wasn't as good.

Now you're looking at even in the first round, you're playing.

Let's say you play Toronto in the first round.

Toronto is going to be almost a 51 team.

Atlanta has been, what, 20-2 in the last 22?

These are teams that are playing well.

This isn't like rollovers.

No, completely agree.

At the same time, the team that I really don't want to play out there is Charlotte just because that is, and I don't think there's anybody in the East.

Do you want to play Charlotte?

Like there's something about them where they don't know any better and they will just erupt from three and next thing you know, they will steal a game from you.

That's a team I don't want to play because of the way they play as well.

I watched them pretty carefully, the three games that they lost at home or they won the first one, they lost the next two.

But it's interesting.

The reason you don't want to play them is also the reason you do want to play them because with four minutes left, all of a sudden it's like, all right, LaMelo, what do you got?

And he's like, watch this.

I'm going to shoot a 38 footer, but then it'll go in.