Let's start off our recap of the playoff action by looking at the players who have to have bounce back Game 2's or else things could get bad for their squads after the Game 1's.
1. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
Reaves was exposed about as badly as you can be in Game 1 vs. the Timberwolves. Jaden McDaniels attacked him relentlessly, and the Wolves were able to seek him out on switches and tear him apart whenever they wanted. Offensively, he didn’t take anything back, shooting 5-of-13 from the field. He finished minus-25 in Game 1 and was the weakest link on the floor for LA.
2. Doc Rivers, Milwaukee Bucks
There has probably been a worse-coached game than Rivers’ Game 1 vs. the Pacers, but I can’t remember one. The lessons of the past three weeks of Bucks basketball were about how surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo with three shooters and one big was important, and about how getting multiple creators in Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. was important, and about how defense and 3-point advantage was the formula for them to take in to the postseason.
Rivers ignored literally all of that, and the result was a nightmare of a game that was out of reach before he got to the good bench lineups that helped them actually make it single digits late in the 4th.
Rivers gets the spot here instead of Kyle Kuzma because you should not reasonably expect better from Kuzma at this point. The trade of Khris Middleton for Kuzma will go down in Bucks infamy at this point, and stands as one of the worst returns for a franchise culture setter and future retired jersey player. It’s too late for Kuzma. But it’s not too late for Rivers to give Milwaukee and Giannis a chance by playing they lineups they need. Rivers has to be better in Game 2.
3. Jalen Green, Houston Rockets
Green played his first playoff game Sunday night, and finished 3-of-15 from the field. Green is not on the Rockets to defend; they have rows of good defenders. He’s not on Houston to set the offense and be a calming presence. He’s not on the Rockets to bend the defense and be a playmaker.
He’s a scorer. That’s the idea. He’s never been that efficient. But the hope was that maybe Green could be a guy who’s actually better when the lights get brighter. Instead, he was horrid and a huge reason that the Rockets simply could not put up a meaningful offensive fight.
There were other bad Rockets offensive players, several. But Fred VanVleet is near the end of his career. Dillon Brooks points are found money. Amen Thompson made huge impacts without getting buckets.
Green has to score. If he can’t, the Rockets need to move to Jabari Smith Jr. with Thompson and Şengün. Because that’s the only thing Green does, get buckets. If he can’t, what does he do here?
4. Every Memphis Grizzlies player, even the retired ones
Good God, fellas. ZBo is rolling over in his recliner. Just abysmal. The Thunder are better, the Thunder are way better, the Thunder are amazing. But the Grizzlies need to be better in Game 2 just from a pride perspective.
I will make an exception: Marvin Bagley III. He was good! He’s been good the last few years, I was excited to see him have a good game amid the absolute carnage the Thunder beset on Memphis.
5. Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Leonard was efficient, but he had seven turnovers when the Nuggets made him become a playmaker with blitzes. Leonard was also weirdly demure in this game, not really making his impact felt as much as he could have. He didn’t really force the issue and looked confused about how to really take over, while James Harden actually did the thing.
The Clippers will need a monster Leonard game, with better efficiency, to even up the series with Denver.
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NBA news roundup:
- The NBA announced its list of finalists for various awards on Sunday, and there were no real surprises, save maybe this: Lu Dort was not on the list of Defensive Player of the Year winner finalists.
- Did we really get through a full NBA playoff weekend without a major injury (knock on wood) or officiating controversy? Hallelujah! Get ready, because the bad stuff has to come knocking soon.
- Teams who win Game 1 of the first round have gone 132-44 (75 percent) in their series, via WhoWins.com.
5 matchup adjustments to look out for tonight
Up, up, and away: OG Anunoby’s defense on Cade Cunningham in Game 1 was incredible. His physicality bothered Cade on all his maneuvers, and it helped to blitz when he tried to put Jalen Brunson in actions to deny the switch. A good counter that the Pistons found once it was too late was to bring the screen higher, getting Cade a longer runway with spaced shooters and he simply got to the rim. Expect higher screens for Cade.
Sweet temptation: Ty Lue can’t resist small ball. Despite how good Ivica Zubac has been this season, and in Game 1, Lue still experimented with small ball lineups, including some against Nikola Jokić which Jokić destroyed. Lue won a title in 2016 by going small and continues to think it’s some sort of cheat code when most teams have counters for it now.
Michael Porter’s minutes juniored: MPJ just may not be playable in this series. He struggled to find shot opportunities with the Clippers staying home, and he couldn’t make hustle plays, either. Peyton Watson may have to play more in this series.
No twin towers: The Mitchell Robinson-Karl-Anthony Towns minutes were miserable for the Knicks vs. the Pistons. They just were not able to really contain or impose their physicality. This looks like a series where KAT at the five is good enough.
Math games: Neither the Clippers nor Nuggets take a lot of 3s. Whoever figures out that doing so can literally win this series will probably do so.