The Whiteboard: Adjustments for all the NBA’s Game 1 losers
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Game is 1 in the books for every matchup in the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
There were blowouts and nail-biters heroic performances and disappointing duds, predictable results and shocking upsets (including both 1-seeds). But now that every series has played it’s opening games, what should the Game 1 losers do differently in Game 2?
Here’s a look at some adjustments for the eight teams that lost their series opener.
Utah Jazz: Limit Denver’s 3-point shooting
It’s alarming Donovan Mitchell dropped 57 points — the third-highest scoring output in NBA playoff history — and the Jazz still lost Game 1 by 10 in overtime. It wasn’t just Mitchell though; Utah got what it needed out of Rudy Gobert (17 points), Joe Ingles (19 points) and even Jordan Clarkson (18 points) off the bench to capitalize on what’s been the bubble’s worst defense. It still wasn’t enough.
The reason? Aside from Jamal Murray taking over late, the driving force behind the Nuggets’ win was their 3-point shooting. They made a whopping 22 triples — double their regular-season average of 11 made 3s per game — on 41 attempts, which is a 57.1 percent conversion rate. Denver was a 35.9 percent 3-point shooting team in the regular season, so if the shorthanded Jazz want to make this a series, they’ve got to do a better job making the Nuggets uncomfortable from beyond the arc.
Brooklyn Nets: Hope Caris LeVert plays better
Even with the Nets going 5-3 in the bubble, this was always going to be one of the more lopsided first-round matchups. For Brooklyn to have any hope of contending with this stifling Raptors defense, it needs Caris LeVert to take over. Even with a whopping 15 assists in Game 1, his 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting won’t cut it on the scoring front.
True enough, giving up 134 points isn’t the Nets’ path to success either, but when they pulled back within nine points entering the fourth quarter, LeVert was unable to get into the kind of groove this team has relied upon throughout the bubble, being held scoreless in the final frame. After faring pretty well against Toronto during the regular season, LeVert has to bounce back with a big scoring night in Game 2 to make this series competitive.
Philadelphia 76ers: Feed the big fella
The unfortunate nature of the Philadelphia 76ers’ reality is that without Ben Simmons, even a 26-point, 16-rebound game from Joel Embiid isn’t enough. The Process has to dominate the proceedings to give the Sixers a chance against the Boston Celtics, even with Gordon Hayward out for four weeks.
The issue in Game 1 was it wasn’t a lack of motivation or ability on Embiid’s part; Daniel Theis is a good positional defender, but he might as well be Enes Kanter trying to stop Embiid in the post. No, the problem was Brett Brown’s offense marginalizing its best player, only going to him once inside the arc in 13 possessions in his final six-minute stint. He scored seven fourth-quarter points, but six of them came on free throws. That cannot happen again in Game 2.
Dallas Mavericks: Don’t let Kristaps Porzingis get ejected again
You remember that scene from Liar Liar, when Jim Carrey’s lawyer protagonist, Fletcher Reede, is told by his secretary that one of his clients is on the phone in need of legal advice after holding up an ATM at knifepoint? And remember how Reede, who cannot lie and use his typical legal jargon to sugarcoat about the situation, grabs the phone and screams at it from a distance, “STOP BREAKING THE LAW, A**HOLE!”?
It was hard not to think of that scene from a Mavs perspective when Kristaps Porzingis — after already receiving a technical foul earlier in the night — got involved in a Game 1 scuffle in the third quarter that earned him his second technical foul and subsequent ejection. Both techs were soft, but after receiving that first one, Porzingis needed to be mindful of his situation and avoid any kind of bad situation. Sticking up for teammate Luka Doncic was great and all, but that was a surprisingly winnable game against a title contender. By getting kicked out early, the Mavs lost their second-best player and ultimately let Doncic’s 42-point performance go to waste. So KP, please stop “breaking the law” on the confines of the court.
Milwaukee Bucks: Tweak that defensive approach
I covered this in depth on Tuesday, but here’s the SparkNotes version: The Bucks’ defense was the best in the NBA during the regular season by focusing on protecting the rim and allowing the most 3s in the league. Since entering the bubble, teams have adjusted, launching 3s at a much higher rate and making Mike Budenholzer’s squad pay for it.
Without Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba, the Orlando Magic deployed lineups with four or five shooters to spread Milwaukee’s defense as far as possible, and Budenholzer’s team had no response. The offensive rhythm will return eventually, but opponents have caught on to the shot the Bucks surrender more than anyone else. Budenholzer has to tweak his system if this team wants to contend for a title, because the Magic’s performance in Game 1 was just a peek at what’s coming next from teams like the Miami Heat or Toronto Raptors.
Indiana Pacers: Get more out of Myles Turner
Myles Turner was never going to outplay Bam Adebayo in this series, but the contrast between the two was more stark than dear old Ned in Game 1. Assuming Victor Oladipo can return from his eye injury for Game 2, what the Pacers need most is better minutes out of their starting center.
In the series opener, Turner tallied nine points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two assists, shooting 4-for-11 from the floor, 0-for-3 from deep and finishing as a game-worst minus-19. Bam, on the other hand, put up 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three blocks on 7-of-14 shooting, finishing as a game-best plus-23. Adebayo is the better center, but Turner has to put up some resistance in this matchup.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Hope the Rockets burn out
The Thunder aren’t going to be swept. This series won’t be as quick as Game 1’s blowout suggested, and if Luguentz Dort can return soon, OKC will have its best option for a “James Harden stopper” back.
However, a well-rested Houston Rockets team is dangerous, and Game 1 showed just how large the gap is when they’re hitting 3s. Chris Paul can play better in Game 2 (most of his production came in garbage time), and so can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (nine points, 2-for-8 shooting). But even if this series goes six or seven games, it’ll likely come down to Houston going cold from deep, as has been the case in the past. All OKC can do is hang on, make those shots as uncomfortable as possible and seize the moment if the Rockets flame out.
Los Angeles Lakers: Make more shots
I mean … it sounds simplistic, but what else can we say? The Portland Trail Blazers made more 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of Game 1 (six) than the Lakers made all night (five). Los Angeles went just 5-for-32 from deep on Tuesday, shooting an anemic 15.6 percent. That seems relevant in a game they lost by seven points, especially when the Blazers outscored the Lakers by 24 points from beyond the arc.
Anthony Davis was 0-for-5 and settled for too many long 2s, shooting 8-for-24 overall. LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma both went 1-for-5. Danny Green was 2-for-8, which somehow made him the Lakers’ best 3-point threat. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was atrocious, going 0-for-5 from deep and 0-for-9 from overall. The Lakers’ offense has been ghastly in the bubble, but failing to put up more than 93 points on this defense was appalling. The struggles on that side of the ball are real, but it honestly might just come down to guys making more shots … or Frank Vogel finding other guys who will.
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It’s too soon for the Bucks to panic about that Game 1 loss … provided they slightly alter their defensive approach.
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