I remember sitting on my couch last February, staring at the confusing mess that was the 2021 NBA schedule. As a lifelong basketball fan who's followed the league since 2015, I've never seen anything quite like that season. The COVID-19 pandemic completely reshaped everything - from the shortened 72-game schedule to those weird back-to-back games that had coaches pulling their hair out. What really stood out to me was how teams had to adapt to these unusual circumstances, much like that incredible play Coach Tim Cone described from the Philippine team. He mentioned how they designed their final play specifically for RJ, wanting "to get the ball into RJ's hands and then put him in a pick and roll situation with Justin (Brownlee)." That kind of strategic adaptation became the norm throughout the 2021 NBA season.
The season officially tipped off on December 22, 2020 - yes, I know that's technically 2020, but bear with me - and ran through May 16, 2021 for the regular season. That's 72 games per team instead of the usual 82, which meant we got to see some fascinating basketball math in action. Teams were playing 3-4 games per week, and let me tell you, the fatigue was real. I noticed players struggling with those condensed schedules, especially veterans who weren't used to such quick turnarounds. The play-in tournament was introduced that year too, which added this exciting new layer to the postseason picture. Honestly, I was skeptical at first, but it turned out to be one of the best additions to the league in recent memory.
What fascinated me most was watching how coaches adjusted their strategies throughout this compressed timeline. They had to be smarter about resting players and more creative with their rotations. Remember how Coach Cone emphasized putting specific players in position to succeed? That's exactly what we saw across the NBA all season long. Teams were running more deliberate offensive sets, much like that pick and roll between RJ and Justin Brownlee. The playoffs started on May 22, 2021, and ran through July 20th when the Milwaukee Bucks eventually won it all. I'll admit I was rooting for the Suns - Devin Booker had been absolutely sensational that postseason - but Giannis and his crew were just unstoppable.
Looking back, the 2021 season taught me that basketball is as much about adaptation as it is about talent. The teams that succeeded weren't necessarily the most talented on paper, but rather those who could adjust to the unusual schedule and make smart decisions in crucial moments. That final play Coach Cone described, coming out of a timeout with 11 seconds left and the game tied at 92? That's the kind of moment that defined the entire 2021 NBA season - teams constantly having to make quick adjustments and trust their key players in pressure situations. It wasn't the prettiest season we've ever seen, but it might have been one of the most strategically interesting in recent memory.
