NBA Playoffs – Round 1 Biggest Surprises and Disappointments

Anthony Edwards has launched himself into superstardom. We already knew he was a great player, but the first round of this year’s playoffs was different. He took over games, scored wherever and whenever he wanted to, looking like a top 5 player in the league. He is averaging 33.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while shooting 53.2% FG, 43.6% 3PT, and 86.5% FT, leading the Timberwolves to a sweep over Kevin Durant and the Suns.

The Suns have a lot of talent on their roster with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. They were the favorite to win the series over the Timberwolves but was never able to figure out a way to put it together for even a single game. Their offense was stagnant and was getting beaten up by the Timberwolves’ intense defense, and they also couldn’t stop Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves offense, letting them get easy shots.

Brunson’s dominance may not be that surprising as he has been playing that way all year. However, he has led the league in points in the 1st round averaging 35.5 points to go along with 9 assists per game. He led the Knicks past the 76ers in 6 games and will face the Pacers in round 2.

Every year there are high expectations for the Lakers, but this year they lost to the Nuggets in 5 games in the 1st round. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are two of the best players in the league and had a decent supporting cast but only managed to win 1 game. Unfortunately, they were matched up with the reigning champs, but they really struggled shooting the ball and defending Jokic and Murray.

 

The young teams are taking over the league, as many people have said “it’s the changing of the guard”. The OKC Thunder are the youngest number 1 seed in NBA history and the youngest team ever to sweep a playoff series. The Timberwolves are led by Anthony Edwards who is only 22 years old, with McDaniels and Reid are 23 and 24 years old, respectfully. They also swept their opponent in round 1 against the Phoenix Suns. Even though the Orlando Magic lost to the Cavs, they showed up and played incredible defense and took the series to 7 games. These teams have arrived and will be at the top of the league for the next decade.

The playoffs were not kind to the veteran teams this year. The Lakers, Suns, Clippers, Bucks, 76ers and Heat all lost in the 1st round. Injuries were a factor for a couple of these teams with Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kawhi Leonard all missing time. As other teams keep improving year after year, it’s going to be even more difficult for these teams next year without making major roster adjustments.

 

The teams in the playoffs have really taken their defenses to a new level. The Thunder had the best defense in the first round, not allowing the Pelicans score more than 92 points in a game. The Magic and Cavs both displayed incredible defenses throughout their series, posting 2 of the top 4 defensive ratings in the playoffs. The Timberwolves were the best defense in the regular season and swept the star-studded Suns, and the Celtics’ dominance on both ends of the floor has continued into the playoffs. The Mavericks and Pelicans also deserve some recognition with great defensive performances as well. With the matchups getting tougher in every round, we’ll see if the defenses continue to dominate.

 

There were a lot of star players that missed time in the playoffs due to injuries. Giannis, Kawhi, Jimmy, and Zion all missed time and each of their teams lost in the first round. If they were fully healthy, a couple of those series could’ve had a different ending. Players are injured every year, but it seems to have impacted this year’s playoff more than usual.