Chasing History: A New York Sweep<\/p>\n
The Knicks sweep the Sixers to advance to the East Finals, narrated by Jamal Crawford. <\/p>\n
The NBA Mailbag is open with NBA legend and NBC analyst Jamal Crawford here to answer your questions during the 2026 NBA Playoffs as he calls games on NBC\/Peacock.<\/p>\n
Have a question for Jamal? Submit it\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n What\u2019s the Knicks\u2019 X-Factor for them to win the championship?<\/strong> \u2013 from Moses in Defiance, OH<\/p>\n 3-point shooting. They\u2019re so explosive, especially when they\u2019re playing free and fast. Jalen Brunson is going to do what he does. He\u2019s so good and gives balance to their team, especially from 15 feet and in. When the game gets more physical, he almost becomes like a post player because he gets close to the basket. He can use his footwork and bumps to generate opportunities. But the way they shoot the ball when they play with pace is what makes them especially explosive.<\/p>\n I\u2019m a Pistons fan who\u2019s been having heart palpitations watching this playoff series. How would you generate offense without consistent outside shooting?<\/strong> \u2013 from Caiman in Las Vegas, NV<\/p>\n I would try to generate more offense off my defense. Get stops and stay in transition as much as possible. We know in the half-court, it\u2019s going to be a heavy dose of Cade. But the fast breaks are where they can bring other guys into the game, and that\u2019s hard for Cleveland to prepare for.<\/p>\n Are you surprised OKC started 8-0? Do you think they can be the first team to go 16-0?<\/strong> \u2013 from Tim in Denver, CO<\/p>\n I\u2019m not surprised they started 8-0. I think they\u2019re that good. If they were a boxer, they would have so many different styles. In boxing terms, you could say they shoot the jab, they\u2019re great defenders, they have a good chin, they\u2019re a knockout puncher, they\u2019re technical, they have everything that you want in a team. So, I\u2019m not surprised they\u2019re 8-0. But I do not think they\u2019ll go 16-0.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Chasing History: Thunder Stay Perfect<\/p>\n OKC improves to 8-0 and advances to the West Finals, narrated by Jamal Crawford. <\/p>\n If the Spurs beat the Timberwolves in this series and face OKC in the West Finals, who do you think will win that series and why?<\/strong> \u2013 from Cole in Leesburg, VA<\/p>\n That could be an epic series. My gut feeling tells me the Spurs, and the reason being, the way OKC gets you is they usually beat you because they have more defenders than you have playmakers. The Spurs actually have the right amount of playmakers to match OKC\u2019s top-notch defenders. And they have an alien with Wemby. So I think the Spurs would win that matchup. But it would be a great, great, great West Finals.<\/p>\n What are your thoughts on how Wemby has developed his game over the first two rounds?<\/strong> \u2013 from Andrew in Hartford, CT<\/p>\n It\u2019s incredible how fast his adjustments have been. Most times, you have to go into the playoffs a couple of times to make these kinds of adjustments. He\u2019s doing it in real time. So, it\u2019s scary to think about what his next adjustments could be, given how these developments have gone so far.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Victor Wembanyama tallies 27 points and 17 rebounds to power the Spurs to a Game 5 win.<\/p>\n Who are your favorite players to watch during these NBA playoffs?<\/strong> \u2013 from Cole in San Luis Obispo, CA<\/p>\n All the obvious guys \u2013 Anthony Edwards. Wemby, of course, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. SGA, Cade, LeBron.<\/p>\n For more under-the-radar guys, I\u2019ll go with Dylan Harper and Ajay Mitchell.<\/p>\n Jamal, you\u2019ve called \u201cLob City\u201d the best team never to win a championship. Looking at the current OKC Thunder and how they dominate today, how do you think your Clippers squad matches up against them? Who wins a 7-game series?<\/strong> \u2013 from Kristian in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria<\/p>\n Wow. That is a great question. First of all, I said the Clippers squad was the best team not to win. We\u2019re not comparing us to actual championship teams. So I have to give the nod to this current Thunder squad as they defend their title.<\/p>\n But the matchups would be amazing. SGA against CP3, who is one of his mentors<\/a> and taught Shai so much when they were together in OKC. And then you\u2019d get Blake against Chet and Jaylen Williams, and DeAndre Jordan against Hartenstein would have been great.<\/p>\n What has changed the game of basketball more: individual players\u2019 talent level or increased game analytics?<\/strong> \u2013 from Blakely in Lacey, WA<\/p>\n Increased game analytics. A lot of the ways teams are built or how teams want to play, especially in the regular season, are geared towards analytics. And everybody is trying to gain an edge from that. So while talent has risen a lot from top to bottom, the use of analytics has risen even more, which isn\u2019t a negative thing. It\u2019s just the reality of where the game is at right now.<\/p>\n Does your diet and nutrition plan change in the regular season vs. the playoffs?<\/strong> \u2013 from JM in the Philippines<\/p>\n Yes, it does. Not only does your diet and nutrition change in the playoffs, but you\u2019re looking for any advantage you can get. Whether it be more sleep, or not doing things you usually do during the regular season, like shopping at the grocery store. Usually, you would go grab things during the regular season, but in the playoffs, it\u2019s like, \u201cSorry, wife, you may have to go grab that and I\u2019ll stay off my feet.\u201d So every little thing is adjusted when you\u2019re trying to get those advantages during playoff time. You know it\u2019s the most important time of the year. In these games, every game is gold. So, yes. Not only does diet change, but some things you do in your daily life change as well.<\/p>\n How has the NBA Draft Combine<\/a> changed since you entered the league? Do you think you would\u2019ve been drafted higher if the combine had been similar to what it is today?<\/strong> \u2013 from James in Aurora, IL<\/p>\n