We’re nearly halfway through the NBA playoffs, and quite a bit has happened so far.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors are both 8-0 after sweeping their first two series. The Clippers were sent home in the first round, and the Raptors are left pondering their future after another defeat at the hands of Cleveland.
Teams are rolling, some are struggling and underachieving, and intrigue is high.
Who has surprised, for better or worse? Here’s a look at ten eyebrow-raising aspects of the NBA playoffs so far.
1) Utah rolling over against Golden State
The Jazz looked dangerous enough to give Golden State a real serious challenge after they upended the Los Angeles Clippers in the playoff’s opening round. They’d brushed aside one of the better teams in the league in terms of pure talent. Sure, the Warriors are better than the Clippers, but it certainly seemed possible that Utah could take a game or two and push Golden State a lot harder than the Portland Trail Blazers had.
Not really.
The Warriors swept, and none of the games were decided by single digits. Utah is unquestionably talented, but they were smothered by Golden State’s length and skill, superior in every department. It was a rude awakening for a team on the rise, especially if they keep Gordon Hayward in the fold. But this year was not their year.
2) Toronto unable to take a game off Cleveland
A year ago, the same Toronto Raptors core took the eventual NBA champion Cavaliers to six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavs were indisputably favorites again in 2017, but a Raptors team facing a lot of questions about their future didn’t really turn up.
These two teams had the exact same regular season records at 51-31, but they didn’t look like they belonged on the same court for much of this series.
Sure, the Raptors can easily explain what the difference was, but the organization was looking for much more than another sweep. They even made a couple of additions during the season, like acquiring PJ Tucker and Serge Ibaka, with the Cavaliers in mind.
This series was not even competitive, and there are serious questions about whether this team, as constructed, can challenge for a title. Even GM Masai Ujiri says the team needs a culture change. Plus, now they have to find a way to retain free agent-to-be Kyle Lowry.
Of course, this leads us to…
3) The gap between Golden State, Cleveland, and everyone else may be even bigger than we thought
The Warriors and Cavaliers are now a combined 16-0 in the playoffs. That won’t last, obviously — the conference finals are looming, and even if they both manage to reach the NBA Finals unbeaten, neither of these teams are superior enough to the other to sweep. Still, the first two rounds of the playoffs have just demonstrated that the gap between these two teams and the rest of the league is more of a canyon.
Yes, the expectation was that Cleveland and Golden State were on a collision course for the NBA Finals again, but it wasn’t supposed to be this easy. Toronto could pose a challenge to Cleveland, and the Los Angeles Clippers could make the Warriors work. The Raptors got swept, the Clippers didn’t even get to the second round, and now both teams’ potential conference final foes are locked in slugfests against each other. It’s hard to see the Warriors and Cavaliers losing in a best-of-seven to anyone but each other.
4) The “Playoff Clippers” strike again
I know, I know, this shouldn’t be a surprise. The Clippers managing to botch the playoffs has become a tradition unlike any other. Still, this was rather astounding even by their standards. Most had them earmarked for a second-round loss against Golden State, but Los Angeles didn’t even get the opportunity to pull that off. Blake Griffin was injured in the postseason for the second year in a row, and they couldn’t overcome that.
The Clippers had so much on the line. Everyone in that locker room is surely aware of the fact that this may have been the last chance for this core to win anything, with Griffin and Chris Paul both poised to become free agents. Instead of responding to that pressure, the Clippers wilted, and this Doc Rivers quote seems to indicate that the team had a mentality problem, and has for quite a while.
5) Russell Westbrook was overwhelmed — quickly
Houston and Oklahoma City were supposed to put on one of the more entertaining series of the first round. James Harden vs. Russell Westbrook was filled with subplots, and the two MVP candidates were supposed to put on a show.
The players did put on a show — and the games were indeed close — but it was always Houston’s series to lose. It came down to a very simple issue: Harden’s supporting cast is a lot better than Westbrook’s.
Those who thought this was destined to be a six or seven-game series were left disappointed as Westbrook got no help while Harden was picked up repeatedly by everyone, the likes of Nene included.
While it’s too late to matter, the series would actually do more to bolster Westbrook’s MVP credentials; the fact that he managed to lead that group to 47 wins is really quite incredible.
