The first round of the NBA playoffs is in the books and while the Eastern Conference’s side of the bracket didn’t provide much drama, the Western Conference proved to be quite exciting as the the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers were knocked out and we saw an instant classic of a seven-game playoff series between the Clippers and Mavericks.
With the second round just getting underway, looking at the eight teams remaining, it’s looking like a wide-open field for the Larry O’Brien Trophy now.
None of the teams remaining have won a championship since the league expanded the playoffs to 16 teams in 1984, with five of the remaining clubs (Clippers, Jazz, Nets, Nuggets, Suns) having never won a championship in their franchise’s history.
It’s fitting that in a season like no other, the NBA’s traditional royalty has been booted from the table early and now it looks like a new history for the league could be written.
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1. Brooklyn Nets
It was just one game, and they have some serious concerns about the status of James Harden and his troublesome hamstring issue, but the Nets were very impressive in their series-opener against the Bucks, and did so, essentially, without Harden.
Their offence looked as unstoppable as ever and lit up Milwaukee’s drop coverage and while it’s true the Bucks missed a lot of shots, you have to give some credit to Brooklyn staying at home with the Bucks shooters and making good enough contests to force some of that bad shooting.
2. Phoenix Suns
The Suns took care of business against the Lakers and even though Los Angeles wasn’t at full strength with Anthony Davis missing time and LeBron James clearly not at 100 per cent, full credit still goes to Phoenix for knocking off the champs as Devin Booker looks to have taken another legitimate step towards true superstardom.
3. Los Angeles Clippers
The NBA better look out because Skynet is online and the Terminator that is Kawhi Leonard looks to be back in his 2019 post-season form.
The Clippers were announced dead after they went down 2-0 to the Mavericks, then dead again when they were down 3-2, but Leonard simply wouldn’t allow his team to lose and, for as good as the Jazz are, if he’s playing like this, as we’ve seen before, there’s absolutely nothing anyone in the league can do to stop him from winning a championship.
4. Utah Jazz
The Jazz have their work cut out for them trying to slow down Leonard, but even though it hasn’t ever really been done before when he’s playing like this, it’s still possible, and the Jazz are a good enough overall team to stop the Clippers superstar’s pursuit.
Donovan Mitchell is a legitimate star, Rudy Gobert is likely the defensive player of the year and Jordan Clarkson won sixth man of the year so, on paper, the Jazz are a more talented, deeper team than the Clippers — even with names like Paul George, Nicolas Batum, Rajon Rondo and Reggie Jackson in Los Angeles’ fold.
Will it be enough to overcome the singular greatness of Leonard — who is far and away the best player in the series? That’s a question we’re eager to find out.
5. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks weren’t given much credit in their five-game dusting of the Knicks, with many pointing to New York’s inexperience as a factor as to why Atlanta was able to steamroll them.
Funny thing, though, the Hawks are also an inexperienced group but it hasn’t seemed to phase them and, as their Game 1 victory over the Sixers showed, maybe they’re actually just good?
Like in the Knicks series, Trae Young looks like he’s the best player in this series with Philly and it looks like there’s nothing the 76ers will be able to do to slow him down.
Like Steph Curry and Damian Lillard, Young is basically unguardable because he can pull up from anywhere on the floor and, with the way he’s playing right now, you have to be confident that it’s a shot that will go in.
As long as he keeps up this level of play, the Hawks will continue to not only have a chance against the 76ers, but will always be in position to win. too.
6. Denver Nuggets
Without Jamal Murray, the Nuggets will be in tough against a balanced and talented Suns squad.
Nikola Jokic was fabulous in the first round, but he can’t do it all by himself and will need others to find ways to generate offence for themselves, especially because the Suns will likely look at what the Blazers did to limit Jokic’s impact as a passer in that first-round series.
This is where Michael Porter Jr. will have to be huge for the Nuggets. He has legitimate star talent and at six-foot-10 with athleticism and a smooth stroke he can and should be able to get his shot off against just about anybody.
If the Nuggets are going to beat the Suns, Porter will have to more consistently realize the immense talent he has at his disposal.
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7. Milwaukee Bucks
As different as the Bucks looked against the Heat, they sure looked like their old selves in Game 1 versus the Nets.
Giannis Antetokoumpo was left on an island as he was great scoring 34 points on 16-of-24 shooting, but the rest of his teammates around him, with the exception of Brook Lopez, were completely stymied.
For Milwaukee’s sake, let’s hope the the dreadful 6-for-30 from three-point range the team shot in Game 1 was just a one-game anomaly and not a sign of things to come in its series with Brooklyn.
8. Philadelphia 76ers
So, Joel Embiid went for 39 points, Tobias Harris had 20, Ben Simmons had 17 and 10 assists and Seth Curry hit five triples for 21 points and the Sixers still dropped Game 1 to the Hawks?
Philly could be in some serious trouble.
Eliminated: Boston Celtics/Dallas Mavericks/Los Angeles Lakers/Memphis Grizzlies/New York Knicks/Portland Trail Blazers/Washington Wizards
In the aftermath of these teams’ eliminations there was a lot of movement announced and there’s a lot of unanswered questions that will surely make this coming off-season very interesting in the NBA. Here are a few we’re interested in:
• What impact will Brad Stevens’ move to the front office have on the Celtics?
• Is Lillard disgruntled enough to force a move out of Portland?
• Can James and Davis return healthy enough next season to keep this Lakers train moving?
• Will the Mavericks find a legitimate No. 2 for Doncic in the off-season?
