The NBA Playoffs aren’t all moonlight and roses. Seeing Derrick Rose return to form and the Memphis Grizzlies give the Golden State Warriors a run for their money is thrilling, sure, but those peaks also come with valleys. It’s just the nature of the game.
For every banked in buzzer beater that sends fans into a frenzy, there’s Rajon Rondo quitting on his team and yet another Cavalier succumbing an injury — moments we can’t help but shake our heads furiously over.
With that in mind, the Hardwood Paroxysm crew wipes away their tears to look back on the most disappointing moments in the 2015 playoffs.
LaMarcus Aldridge, You Broke My Heart
by Ian Levy (@HickoryHigh) — Hardwood Paroxysm
I know…Wesley Matthews. And I know…Arron Afflalo. But the Portland Trail Blazers season was not supposed to end this way.
The Memphis Grizzlies finished them off in five games. Memphis is good and there is no shame in losing a playoff series to them. It was the way in which Portland lost and, in particular, the flaccidness of LaMarcus Aldridge that was disappointing. The focal point of the Trail Blazers offense shot 33.0 percent in the series and, aesthetically, bore a striking resemblance to a slowly deflating balloon.
Aldridge is usually described as a finesse or skilled big-man. Each adjective can be pejorative or celebratory (often interchangeably with Aldridge), but they don’t do his abilities justice. He is capable of playing tough defense, he hits the glass hard and he has a legitimately threatening post game. He is strong and he can play strong. And yet he withered against the Grizzlies front line. Not because of a lack of effort or because he gave up, he was just rendered utterly ineffective at this moment in time.
The championship hopes of the Trail Blazers were irreparably damaged when Matthews was injured. But that alone didn’t doom them to such a soft exit. In Aldridge and Damian Lillard, the Trail Blazers still had a duo as good as any in the league. They might not have been winning a title, but they had plenty of talent to go down swinging, to end their season in a blaze of glory, taking a few playoff wins with them. They got a game and no satisfaction. Aldridge was hiking with wet socks. He was a burrito, still frozen in the center. Trying to watch a TV show while someone carries on a phone conversation in the same room. He was the last episode of Lost and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
LaMarcus Aldridge, you broke my heart.
Next: Quitting will follow you forever, Rajon Rondo
Quitting will follow you forever, Rajon Rondo
by Kirk Henderson (@KirkSeriousFace) — Hardwood Paroxysm
No matter how many different or digestible ways sports data is presented, it will never overcome a fan’s desire to believe. Dallas Mavericks fans had years of information about Rajon Rondo, but were willing to give him a chance to rediscover his pre-ACL injury form. His 50 game sample had mixed results, trending towards the negative but fans were still willing to give him a chance to redeem their faith in the playoffs.
The simple truth is Rajon Rondo has not been a very good or effective basketball player since returning from his ACL surgery. But countless articles and constant social media discussions will not dissuade some fans who witnessed the near transcendent play from Rondo in 2010. A 29 point, 18 rebound, 13 assist game has a way of sticking with you. Watching a player battle through a dislocated elbow is hard to forget. The legend that grew from a few Rondo peak performances will follow him as he continues his professional career.
But so will quitting on the 2014-15 Dallas Mavericks. Following a pedestrian first round game one against the Houston Rockets, Rajon Rondo had an epic collapse in Game 2 that may have been intentional. A first half eight second backcourt violation paired with passes to no one led to just eight first half minutes. He resumed his role with the starting line up in the second half, but committed two personal fouls on James Harden and picked up a technical in just 94 seconds. The fouls were lazy and the technical was petulant. The span allowed Houston to build momentum they would not relinquish
In only 10 minutes, Rondo had made his statement for all the world to see: he was not interested in playing basketball for the Dallas Mavericks. After building up a reputation of a mercurial genius with a penchant for big game heroics, Rondo displayed a startling lack of foresight. Quitting in a public fashion, even once, does not leave your reputation. “Playoff Rondo” may have always been a myth. Seeing the myth come crashing down in an act of self destruction was a painful reminder that faith is often not rewarded in sports.
Next: I’m Not Mad, Damian Lillard, I’m Disappointed
I’m Not Mad, Damian Lillard, I’m Disappointed.
by Drew Corrigan (@Dcorrigan50) — Hardwood Paroxysm
I’m sad about Damian Lillard, very sad. I can’t tell you one time these playoffs that I tweeted the infamous “TRILLARD” after Lillard did something ridiculous. Writing about a hobbled Mike Conley making Lillard faceplant in the first-round was a sad day. The Blazers had so many injuries, but the fact remains that Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge were supposed to produce more than a gentleman’s sweep against the Grizzlies.
Hadn’t we all become accustomed to Lillard’s bone-chilling clutch mechanics, especially in the playoffs? Lillard was supposed to be energized by the injuries, not have his wires cut short. The Blazers — and Lillard especially — looked defeated by the injuries and didn’t even want to try to test the Grizzlies. The man that shattered the NBA record for most three-pointers in his first two years shot 16 percent from deep on nearly six attempts per game. Sixteen percent. Listen, I could probably shoot at least 20 percent with some open looks. His field goal percentage of 40.6 percent is barely higher than the 40.2 minutes per game he played.
Like my mom echoed at me so much in high school: I’m not mad, I’m disappointed. You were supposed to show us that you can do this thing on your own. You’re supposed to be resilient. I wasn’t expecting you to go Black Mamba and carry the squad on your back, but at least show you have a back bone.
It’s just tha… I can’t finish. I don’t want to keep looking at his statistics page. There’s so much blood. Even Josh Smith would shake his head at Lillard’s playoff performance. Dammit Damian, this was supposed to be your chance to shine.
Next: Joakim Noah, missing in action
Joakim Noah, missing in action
by Kevin Yeung (@KevinHFY) — Hardwood Paroxysm
It feels almost crazy to think that Joakim Noah finished 4th in MVP voting last season, doesn’t it? A year later, look where we are: with Tom Thibodeau having to deny any plans of benching Noah after Game 2, and then not playing him a minute in the fourth quarter in Game 3 after he shot 1-for-8 through the first three quarters.
Noah has been rendered totally ineffective on the court, made into a weak link to be exploited by the Bulls’ opponents. The Cavaliers barely mind Noah at all, with his matchup (often Timofey Mozgov) playing rover on the court and stuffing drives from Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. Sometimes the Cavs go as far as defending Noah with a wing when they go small, something the Milwaukee Bucks also did during the first round.
The problem: Noah hasn’t been able to make anyone pay for going small. The Cavs are daring Noah to beat them, and he’s losing. In the playoffs, Noah is averaging just 5.9 points on a .405 field goal percentage and a .278 free throw percentage (granted, he’s barely getting to the line at all) – all postseason career-lows in the postseason. He’s blowing semi-open layups, shooting a lowly .420 from within three feet of the rim and has no range. When defenses help off him, Noah can’t even attack the open lane and finish a layup against a scrambling defense.
Because of that, Thibodeau has been the one to have to alter his rotation, going to the rangy Nikola Mirotic over Noah more often. It’s been a disappointing fall from grace for a player that was a flurry of rebounding, cutting and dishing activity from last season. Noah used to be unpredictable, liable to do anything at any time. More recently, his contributions have been a whole lot of nothing.
Next: #WeTheNorth Went South on the Toronto Raptors
#WeTheNorth Went South on the Toronto Raptors
by Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) — Hardwood Paroxysm
After winning a franchise-record 49 games this season, the Toronto Raptors appeared poised to build upon their 2013-14 campaign, during which they lost a heartbreaking first-round series to the dinosauric Brooklyn Nets in seven games. Instead, Paul Pierce once against haunted the NBA’s lone Canadian squad, as his Washington Wizards made mincemeat out of the Raptors in a first-round sweep.
Just about everyone associated with the organization deserves some modicum of blame for the postseason meltdown. Kyle Lowry shot an abysmal 31.6 percent overall and 21.7 percent from three-point range for the series, as John Wall thoroughly outclassed him on both ends of the court. DeMar DeRozan struggled against second-year Wizards forward Otto Porter, knocking down just 40.0 percent of his 20.0 field-goal attempts per game. Lou Williams, the 2014-15 Sixth Man of the Year, finished the series having shot just 4-of-21 from deep.
The Raptors didn’t have a single regular rotation member with a net rating above minus-8.5. Their much-maligned defense, which allowed 104.8 points per 100 possessions during the regular season, hemorrhaged a playoff-high 112.5 points per 100 against Washington. Their offense, which ranked third in the regular season, was the second worst during the playoffs, ahead of only the Milwaukee Bucks.
Toronto coach Dwane Casey can’t be absolved of responsibility for his team’s failure, either. When the Wizards trotted out Paul Pierce at the 4, it took him two games too long to adjust and move James Johnson into the rotation. By that point, the damage had largely been done, as Washington had stolen both games in Toronto and Pierce was in full-on troll mode.
In essence, the Raptors were the Baxter to Washington’s Ron Burgundy. They pooped in the refrigerator and ate a whole wheel of cheese. Following such an epic playoff meltdown, Toronto should be bracing itself for a turbulent offseason, even if Casey’s job appears safe. Few teams can survive a whooping that severe without wholesale roster changes.
Next: Why Couldn't Cleveland Stay Healthy?
Why Couldn’t Cleveland Stay Healthy?
By Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) — Upside & Motor
The moment Cleveland sealed the deal to bring Kevin Love to town, the stakes for their season jumped a few notches. This was no longer LeBron James shepherding a young flock, ushering them into the future with time and patience. With another All-NBA talent on board — and Kyrie Irving ready to break through — the Cavs were built to Win Now™.
LeBron is no longer tasked with being the face of an evil empire, as he was in the early stages of the Heat era, but his Cavs are destined to be a story simply due to his involvement. By virtue of his accomplishments, future results individually and within his team are judged against the shadows of former greats, rather than present-day peers.
That assumes that James has the supporting cast to earnestly challenge for titles. He’s past the days where he can single-handedly will a team to the Finals, and each passing day brings him closer to that becoming a necessity once again.
Love’s season in Cleveland was anything but storybook, but losing him to injury in the first round put a glass ceiling on this iteration of the Cavs. Just as it seemed the James-Irving-Love triumvirate was confident in their responsibilities, Kelly Olynyk came along and ruined everything. Whether you’ve been convinced by his play or not, Love’s ability to step out and hit threes opens up acres of real estate for Irving and James, to say nothing of the other ways he contributes to their success.
Irving is dealing with maladies of his own, having suffered injuries to his right foot and left knee. He may be green around the gills, but he’s proved to be capable of shouldering the scoring load and a formidable compliment to James. On nights when they both get it going, even the league’s best can do little more than throw up their hands.
Once they got it together, Cleveland was a joy to watch. There isn’t the same level of athletic, two-way devastation that became the Heat’s calling card, but the offensive brilliance was something to behold. Just before we had the chance to see them in a real playoff matchup — apologies to the Celtics — they had the rug pulled out from under them.
This year’s title favorite was always coming out of the West, but the Cavs at full capacity would have been a tough test for the other Finals representative. The field that’s left in the East is uninspiring, and we’re unlikely to get a championship round befitting this awesome season.
With all their guys healthy, Cleveland was on the shortlist of teams who could “get there”, reaching the rarified air reserved for contenders. That went up in smoke with the recent dings to key cogs, and it’s a real shame.
Beyond the joy of watching a competitive series, having historical implications surrounding the Finals gives them a little extra juice. A title in Year One of LeBron’s return was always a longshot, but you could dare to dream with three stars and a gelling supporting cast. Instead, Cleveland will (probably) literally and figuratively limp into the Finals, and we’ll all wait for their execution at the hands of the West champion.
Until next year, Cleveland. I guess you’ve heard that line before.
Next: Watching the Dirk Domination Come to an End
Watching the Dirk Domination Come to an End
By Dan Lewis (@minutemandan) – Hardwood Paroxysm
It wasn’t supposed to end this way, Dirk. You and Rick Carlisle were supposed to make sweet music together one last time, playing those notes across the hardwood, into the cameras, and straight into my living room.
I sat on the edge of my seat at the beginning of every game this series, proudly wearing my No. 41 Nowitzki shirzee (hardcore) hoping for something amazing to happen. I wanted to see the tongue-wagging, finger-raising performances from years’ past, where you lead your team to victory one fadeaway jumper at a time.
In the end, the Mavericks just couldn’t field a competitive enough roster around you, Dirk. Chandler Parsons hurt his knee, and he might be out all of next year recovering from surgery. Tyson Chandler gave ‘em hell, backtapping every loose ball he could get his fingers on for rebounds, yapping on defense, and roaring after dunks. Monta Ellis figured out how to play a sweet two-man game with you, and was a dynamic scorer.
But you guys were done in by what you hated the most. Just one year ago, Mark Cuban was mocking Daryl the Dork after the Rockets GM called and asked if Dirk was on the trade market. The Mavericks were, unlike the Rockets, a team with an identity, a culture, something tangible that people wanted to be a part of. But Ellis never really meshed with the team that way, and Rajon Rondo just was the worst. Watching him quit on the Mavericks in the playoffs was just the cherry on the top of the shit sundae that this season became.
Worst of all was watching you, Dirk, doing all you physically could and failing. It’s hard to play defense now, more than ever, and that lateral movement just isn’t always there. Father Time has taken what was once the NBA equivalent of Doryphoros and turned it into a Mega Bloks creation. For the first time, I realized that soon I won’t be able to watch you play anymore, and that makes me sad.
In conclusion, I guess I’m not really disappointed in you personally, Dirk. I’m just disappointed it had to end this way. Next year, let’s see if Donnie Nelson can scrap together a contender and we can take one more ride off into the history books. It’s the true Texian way to go out. Davy Crockett, grab your violin, it’s time for the last ride of Dirk Nowitzki.