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PLAYOFFS 2016

Written by Jarrett Adams

May 12, 2016

OK since my last podcast about the opening day of the NBA Playoffs, a lot has happened. Most of my predictions became true of round 1, except for the Blazers coming back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Clippers. I actually went to Game 2 of that series on my vacation to LA. (Which explains the long layover since my last piece). Other than that, Round 1 of both the East and West stayed true to the seeding going into the playoffs, but we also witnessed some great performances and some great matchups.

Heat vs. Hornets (Heat win in 7)

This was probably the most entertaining first round matchup as the NBA universe got to witness vintage D Wade in Game 6 facing elimination. In crunch time of Game 6, D Wade hit his first three pointer since December and also hit a tough fade away jumper over Courtney Lee to force Game 7. He single handedly carried the Heat in the 4th quarter this game and also passed the on looking Michael Jordan for most blocks by a guard in Playoff history. After the game D Wade said, “Games like this are the reason I still play basketball”.

This series was probably the coming out party for a guy like Kemba Walker (my choice for Most Improved Player) who has taken the next step in on the NBA ladder; but that’s depending on who you ask. Most people would agree Kemba is one of the most talented point guards in the NBA, but he has not accepted his role as the star of the Charlotte Hornets just yet. Walker formed a nice tandem with Jeremy Lin this series, as both players practically carried the Hornets for the first 6 games. Things changed for Kemba in Game 7, who had his worst game of the series. To make matters worse, his counterpart on the Heat Goran Dragic piled on his best performance after getting outplayed for the first 6 games.

Raptors vs. Pacers (Raptors win in 7)

So what to make of both these teams in this series? This matchup was ok to watch but then again, I’m a NBA fanatic. Pacers looked like they would run through the Raptors after a Game 1 win on the road. As I said on the NBA League Pass Podcast, the Pacers had the best player in this matchup with Paul George. My issue with the Pacers right now in a semi – rebuilding year was the talent they have around Paul George. George Hill – in retrospect, has been on the bad side of the Kawhi Leonard trade, Monta Ellis just might be the king of first round exits, Myles Turner has got some talent, but guys like CJ Miles, Jordan Hill, Ty Lawson, Rodney Stuckey and Solomon Hill leave a lot to be desired. On any given night they could be solid contributors, but leave you with the “Meh.” feeling about them overall. And I think this series was a huge testament to that, dropping Game 3 at home, losing game 5 after being up majority of that game, and a lackluster Game 7. Speaking of Game 7, it seemed like Paul George disappeared in crunch time. I think Paul George’s game 7 performance is what got Pacers head coach Frank Vogel fired. Maybe Vogel should have drew up more creative ways to put Paul George in positions to score; but at the same time Paul George as a superstar needs to command the ball more, especially in Game 7.

Warriors vs Rockets (Warriors in 5)

Spurs vs Grizzles (Spurs in 4)

Cavs vs Pistons (Cavs in 4)

Hawks vs Celtics (Hawks in 6)

Clippers vs Blazers (Blazers in 6)

Thunder vs Mavs (Thunder in 5)

NOTES FROM AFOREMENTIONED FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS

- Warriors only got a 20-minute contribution from MVP Steph Curry after he injured his ankle in Game 1. Everybody remembers when Curry first got into the league he had ankle issues, so seeing him return in Game 3 was good see, only for Curry to leave that game with a knee sprain (Curry returned in Game 4 of Round 2 against the Blazers, scoring 40, but more on that later). Without Curry, the NBA universe got see what the 73-9 Warriors looked like without the leagues’ leading scorer and current MVP. And against the Rockets, it didn’t look like the Warriors missed a step. I saw the same ball movement, the same defensive intensity, and a team that would have been a high seed playoff team without Curry. The Rockets simply had no answer for Draymond Green’s ability to affect the game in multiple ways, and Klay Thompson’s shooting and on ball defense. An unsung hero for this series was also Shaun Livingston (my choice for 6th Man of the Year) who stepped right in and played his game.

- What’s going on with the Rockets? Right now a lot of speculation surrounding their coaching staff and roster heading into next season. Word of advice – do not give Dwight Howard max contract money if he opts out. Houston can be a destination for big named free agents, and that money can be used elsewhere. Dwight has been a shell of himself and with the NBA being more and more perimeter oriented, no reason to give max money to a guy to who can’t hit free throws and can no longer dominate inside.

- The Spurs absolutely dominated the Grizzles for an easy sweep. The Grizzles responded by firing their head coach Dave Joerger, who is now the new head coach of the Sacramento Kings.

- Cavs were quickly tested by the new look Pistons, back in the playoffs for the first time since 2009 with a young core consisting of Reggie Jackson, Andre Drummond, KCP, Stanley Johnson, and Tobias Harris. I actually gained respect for the Pistons as they fought hard against the experienced and battle tested Cleveland squad. The Cavs were clearly on their A-game with a newfound focus to get back and compete in the NBA Finals. New head coach Tyron Lue has the Cavs playing good team basketball and it seems like the Cavs have finally been able to incorporate Kevin Love’s talents into their system.[1] Watch out NBA – a healthy Cavs team with Kevin Love hitting threes and causing havoc on the glass is a scary site.

- Hawks and Celtics made for an interesting series that probably could have went to Game 7 had Isaiah Thomas been healthy. These two teams are what NBA fans call, “Treadmill teams” because they’re good enough to make the playoffs but not good enough to contend. I think a lack of star power in both teams combined doomed this series from being special. The Celtics were just rewarded with the no.3 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, so let’s see what happens! Hawks took care of business in six games.

- I was at Game 2 in Los Angeles for the Clippers vs. Blazers first round matchup hammered. I can barely tell you what happened that night, but I know for sure the Clippers won that game. I even got a free Clippers playoff tee for my troubles. That came in handy as I wound up needing a second tee shirt as a spare (I threw up all over on my Ralph Lauren during intermission). After Game 2 the series shifted to Portland, and things got really spooky for the Clippers. After bottling the Blazers backcourt duo with stifling defense in the first two games, Lillard and McCollum broke lose in Game 3. Things got worse for the Clippers as both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin suffered year ending injuries in Game 4. After CP3 and Blake went down, this series and year went out the window for the Clippers. Blazers handled the Clippers 4-2, winning 4 straight to close them out.

- The Thunder vs. Mavs series got a little chippy to say the least. Russell Westbrook had to tell a Mavs fan to “Shut the F*ck Up and Enjoy the Game” in front of his wife. KD was ejected that night as well. Mavs owner Mark Cuban threw a jab when he stated that Westbrook was not a superstar. In my opinion, I looked at Cuban’s actions as setting the tone for KD’s free agency this summer. What better way to do that then to cause a media uproar about the Thunder’s two stars. Almost as if Cuban knew that his comments would ultimately force the media to write the narrative putting Russ and KD against each other. Well played, Cuban. (Quick Sidebar, have you ever played a Shark Tank drinking game? When Mark Cuban gives a reasons as to why he is “out” as a potential investor, drink) Either way the Thunder took care of business finishing the Mavs in just five games.

Round 2 NBA Playoffs

Warriors vs Blazers (Warriors win in 5)

Cavs vs Hawks (Cavs in 4)

Raptors vs Heat (Raptors in 7)

Spurs vs Thunder (Thunder in 6)

Spurs vs. Thunder

This was a matchup for the ages. On end, KD and Westbrook were playing with everything on line with KD’s impending free agency coming up. On the other end, the Spurs new additions Lamarcus Aldridge and David West took a big risk to join the Spurs for the opportunity to win a championship this year. The Spurs were coming off their best regular season in franchise history, and probably their best roster from a talent standpoint. To add to anticipation of this series was the big three in Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan possibly on their last run as a big three in San Antonio. Although the Spurs had more depth than the Thunder, the Thunder were able to exploit the Spurs lack of elite athletes and youth by running and gunning their way to winning the series in six games. They simply had no answer for the physicality of Steven Adams and Russell Westbrook. Even role players like Roberson gave the Spurs issues with his length and hustle. The Thunder as the three seed survived and moved on to the Western Conference Finals.

[1] Funny thing is I wrote a piece around the Trade Deadline about how the Cavs should have dealt Kevin Love.

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