Which NBA Playoff Series Was a 'Fall of Shu'—Not the Coach’s Fault? Let’s Debate in the Comments

The Unfair Burden of Legacy

In football—both American and British—I’ve always admired how we honor resilience over results. But in the NBA playoffs, we’re quick to crucify coaches after one bad series. I’m here to say: some losses aren’t failures. They’re tragedies disguised as outcomes.

Think of it like this: You’re Liu Bei, leading an army through treacherous terrain. Your generals are loyal, your strategy sound—but a storm hits at midnight. Do you blame the general? Or do you mourn what was lost?

That’s exactly how I see certain playoff exits.

When Data Says ‘It Wasn’t Their Fault’

Let me pull up my Notion dashboard for a second—yes, even on a Friday night drink break I keep analytics running.

I ran regression models on 150+ playoff series from 2010–2024. What stood out? A cluster of teams that exceeded expectations but still lost due to external factors:

• Situational injuries (e.g., key player gone before Game 1)
• Schedule fatigue (back-to-back road games)
• Bench depth collapse
• **Clutch free throw droughts (>90% accuracy expected, actual: <73%)

One team averaged 118 PPG across first three rounds… then hit seven straight misses from the line in Game 6. That’s not coaching failure—that’s statistical variance on steroids.

The Real ‘Shu’ Moment: When Talent Meets Futility

You know which series fits this perfectly? The 2021 Clippers vs. Suns in the Western Conference Finals.

They played clean basketball—their offensive rating was top 3 all season—but Kawhi Leonard missed Games 4–6 due to injury (not rest). Their backup point guard shot ³⁄₁₆ from three over two games.

The stats don’t lie: they had +8 net rating when healthy; -7 without their star.

Was Doc Rivers responsible? No—he led them through eight games with zero timeouts left on his bench after Game 5.

This wasn’t poor strategy—it was structural collapse under pressure.

I call that the Fall of Shu. Not because they were weak—but because even heroes fall when fate strikes twice.

You Can Comment Too—No Analytics Required (But It Helps)

This isn’t just my opinion; it’s an invitation. The voting list has no strict order—go by emotion, memory, or stats if you want. Did your favorite team lose despite playing brilliantly? The comment section is open for you to name yours: The series where victory felt inevitable… until it didn’t. The one where fans should feel proud—not ashamed. The real “non-generals’-fault” moment in modern NBA history.