There’s a version of the NBA playoffs that lives in highlight reels and mythology: one superstar bending an entire series to their will. It’s real — for stretches. A transcendent player can carry you through rounds, steal games, and tilt matchups. But zoom out across championship history and a pattern shows up pretty quickly: Almost every title team has a second scorer who can go get a bucket when the defense sells out on the star. Playoff defense is about removal. By June, e