The playoffs are only just underway, but after a wild opening weekend, a few interesting statistics have emerged. With each team having played their first game of the postseason, what can be learned, or ignored, by the numbers from the eight exciting game ones?
This is a classic battle of offense versus defense. The Utah Jazz play a tough brand of basketball and force the opponent to work hard for 48 minutes. The Houston Rockets have claimed the third seed in the Western Conference thanks to James Harden’s historic season as he looks to become a back-to-back MVP.
After mutually parting ways with interim head coach Larry Drew last week, the Cleveland Cavaliers will begin searching for his replacement. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cavaliers will interview Miami Heat assistant Juwan Howard for the position next week.
The Bucks and Pistons will top off game one of their playoff matchup Sunday night in Milwaukee. The path each team took to get here has been very different. The Bucks have dominated the Eastern Conference from the very start of the season. Whereas, Detroit lost 7 of the final 11 games, just barely making the cut, winning their final two games of the year. While both teams rely on their stars to help them win games, both teams will need steady contributions from others to help them through the playoffs.
The Golden State Warriors are 1st place in the Western Conference, as many of us expected them to be. The Los Angeles Clippers are 8th place, which many people did not expect.
For the first time since the 2007-2008 NBA postseason, NBA fans will get to see the Orlando Magic and the Toronto Raptors face off in the playoffs. In that series, the Magic, led by Coach Stan Van Gundy and franchise player Dwight Howard, would beat the Raptors 4-1 in that series. The Magic dominated the Raptors in their previous matchup but the second-seeded team from the North could prove their might in the first round.
After a turbulent campaign, the Boston Celtics will be desperate to change the narrative surrounding them in the postseason. They begin the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers, who will be attempting to grind out an unlikely series win without their most important player.
What a season it has been for both teams. The Nuggets came into the season off a heartbreaking Game 82 loss that kept them out of the playoffs last season. This year, they pushed all the way up to the second-best record in the Western Conference despite being one of the youngest teams in the league and leading the league in games lost due to injury, missing at least one starter for over 60 games this season. The San Antonio Spurs are right in the thick of it as usual, and they did it without having any of the trio of Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker or the “heir apparent” Kawhi Leonard. Despite not having the usual cast, the team has stuck to the same style of play that has kept them among the most consistently good teams in the league over the last 20 years. Here’s what to expect from each team going into the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs.
We made it. After a dramatic regular season that has included saliva-induced fights, stand-offs at team practices and half of the league included in possible trade packages for Anthony Davis, the real fun can begin. The playoffs are finally here, and the stakes are as high as ever.
In a couple of months from now, Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside could become a free agent if he opts out of the final year of the four-year contract he signed back in 2016. However, he’s unlikely to earn as much as his $27 million option for next season. While he hasn’t guaranteed he will opt out, Whiteside still plans on giving the decision some thought in the coming weeks.
Jacari McRae| April 10th, 2019 Here are my four takeaways from Tuesday’s 122-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
With just a few games left in the 2018-2019 NBA season, the Lakers are almost out of this hellish season.
The playoffs are only just underway, but after a wild opening weekend, a few interesting statistics have emerged. With each team having played their first game of the postseason, what can be learned, or ignored, by the numbers from the eight exciting game ones?
This is a classic battle of offense versus defense. The Utah Jazz play a tough brand of basketball and force the opponent to work hard for 48 minutes. The Houston Rockets have claimed the third seed in the Western Conference thanks to James Harden’s historic season as he looks to become a back-to-back MVP.
After mutually parting ways with interim head coach Larry Drew last week, the Cleveland Cavaliers will begin searching for his replacement. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cavaliers will interview Miami Heat assistant Juwan Howard for the position next week.
The Bucks and Pistons will top off game one of their playoff matchup Sunday night in Milwaukee. The path each team took to get here has been very different. The Bucks have dominated the Eastern Conference from the very start of the season. Whereas, Detroit lost 7 of the final 11 games, just barely making the cut, winning their final two games of the year. While both teams rely on their stars to help them win games, both teams will need steady contributions from others to help them through the playoffs.
The Golden State Warriors are 1st place in the Western Conference, as many of us expected them to be. The Los Angeles Clippers are 8th place, which many people did not expect.
For the first time since the 2007-2008 NBA postseason, NBA fans will get to see the Orlando Magic and the Toronto Raptors face off in the playoffs. In that series, the Magic, led by Coach Stan Van Gundy and franchise player Dwight Howard, would beat the Raptors 4-1 in that series. The Magic dominated the Raptors in their previous matchup but the second-seeded team from the North could prove their might in the first round.
After a turbulent campaign, the Boston Celtics will be desperate to change the narrative surrounding them in the postseason. They begin the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers, who will be attempting to grind out an unlikely series win without their most important player.
What a season it has been for both teams. The Nuggets came into the season off a heartbreaking Game 82 loss that kept them out of the playoffs last season. This year, they pushed all the way up to the second-best record in the Western Conference despite being one of the youngest teams in the league and leading the league in games lost due to injury, missing at least one starter for over 60 games this season. The San Antonio Spurs are right in the thick of it as usual, and they did it without having any of the trio of Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker or the “heir apparent” Kawhi Leonard. Despite not having the usual cast, the team has stuck to the same style of play that has kept them among the most consistently good teams in the league over the last 20 years. Here’s what to expect from each team going into the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs.
We made it. After a dramatic regular season that has included saliva-induced fights, stand-offs at team practices and half of the league included in possible trade packages for Anthony Davis, the real fun can begin. The playoffs are finally here, and the stakes are as high as ever.
In a couple of months from now, Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside could become a free agent if he opts out of the final year of the four-year contract he signed back in 2016. However, he’s unlikely to earn as much as his $27 million option for next season. While he hasn’t guaranteed he will opt out, Whiteside still plans on giving the decision some thought in the coming weeks.
Jacari McRae| April 10th, 2019 Here are my four takeaways from Tuesday’s 122-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
With just a few games left in the 2018-2019 NBA season, the Lakers are almost out of this hellish season. To say this season was
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