The first round of the NBA playoffs was...underwhelming, to say the least. Every single top seeded team won, and only one series went to a game 7. There were only a handful of tightly contested games, and entertainment was at a general minimum. Today, we will be taking a look back at these boring series that were hard to watch, and looking at what's next for both teams.
Raptors vs. Magic
In game 1, the Orlando Magic shocked the world by defeating Toronto on the road behind a DJ Augustin game winner. Many questions arose about whether the Raptors could win in the playoffs, and Toronto was getting a lot of heat from all around. Then, Kawhi Leonard stepped in and decided that he would not have his dignity shattered by a team who hadn't made the playoffs since Dwight Howard. Leonard and Pascal Siakam torched the Magic for the next four games, and the Raptors won in 5.
What's Next: Toronto has a date with the 76ers, and took game one last night. Orlando should take this season as a success, and try to retain their all-star center Nikola Vucevic this summer.
76ers vs. Nets
This series also featured a rather flukey game one. The Nets overpowered Philly and stole the opener. Then, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris caught fire amid a Joel Embiid injury, and they tore apart Brooklyn. Game four was a tightly contested one, but Mike Scott hit a three to ice it. On the bright side, we have a new rivalry, as Jared Dudley and Ben Simmons/Joel Embiid/Jimmy Butler were feuding almost the entire time, culminating in a game 4 ejection.
What's Next: Philly dropped game 1 to the aforementioned Raptors. Brooklyn is a premiere free agent destination this offseason, and should try to keep D'Angelo Russell and maybe pursue a mid-tier star like Kemba Walker or Tobias Harris.
Rockets vs. Jazz
Props to the Utah Jazz, who tried so hard to find a defensive strategy that could stop(limit) James Harden. The plan of a defender sticking by Harden's left hip, and forcing him to his right might have been effective a year or two ago, but not with Harden's revamped mid-range/floater game. The Jazz were continuously picked apart by Houston, and might have been better off with their normal defense that ranked #3 in the regular season. Almost every game was a blowout in favor of Houston except for one game that the Jazz took at home.
What's Next: Houston gets a rematch of last year's WCF with the Warriors, which might be the most exciting non-finals series in a while. Utah should try and sign a better point guard than Ricky Rubio(Kemba Walker, D'Angelo Russell) that will help them get over the Western Conference hump.
Nuggets vs. Spurs
While this series did go to a game 7, it in the worst possible way. All but two games were decided by double digits, and there weren't any back and forth games other than game 1. The two teams went back and forth for the whole series, as the series was either tied or separated by one game at all times. Additionally, the part of America that is to the East of the Mississippi could barely watch any of the games, as most of them were late at night.
What's Next: The inexperienced Nuggets are set to play the Portland Trailblazers next. San Antonio can look forward to getting back point guard Dejounte Murray from injury, and have a future back court set(Murray and Derrick White).
Warriors vs. Clippers
This one was the best of the bunch, mostly because of the Clippers. They came back from 31 points in game two to stun Golden State and never went away. Their scrappy, gritty style of play kept them in competition for six games, which is more than what was expected. Lou Williams proved he is not just a 6th man, but also a scoring machine. The Clippers game 5 win was very important, as it proved that they could clutch up and beat a great team, which is something free agents will want to see.
What's Next: Golden State will limp into a second round matchup with Houston. The Clippers have their sights set on potentially two max contract free agents as good as Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving.
Comments