...it's so different from what we've been conditioned to believe about how pro sports is supposed to work for so many years, where free agency is supposed to play a limited role and the team's ownership of the players and control of player movement (via the draft and trades) should reign supreme. Watching the best players choose to leave their contending teams to pair up with their friends or go play in an environment that better suits their style of play and/or mental health can be disorienting. But I think it's actually a neat thing to watch play out and if the result is we get to watch this Golden State team play basketball at this level then it's a win-win. Plus, you get way better off-season drama now.

As for the on-court angle, I can't even pretend to get the argument. Modern NBA basketball is a thing of beauty, and the playoffs are the apex of that. It's about creating the highest expected value shots and they are so, so good at it. It's like every team is Villanova (except in slightly different ways).