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By Spencer Galloway - April 22, 2024
Orlando Magic @ Cleveland Cavaliers
Neither Team Will Break 100 Points In A Game
The Orlando Magic should be handwriting apologies to all of those who went on record to say that they were ready to win a playoff series (myself included). Maybe also an apology to ESPN, which I am stunned this game ever made it to the light of national TV. Winning the title for "biggest eyesore" this weekend, the absolute rock fight that took place between the Cavs and Magic was the result of some of the worst shooting performances of the season by either team. The Magic shot an abysmal 22% from three, however watching it live it somehow felt even worse. If shots don't begin to fall soon for Orlando, this series will be over before we have time to sing the viral Orlando Magic song, as teams that shot 22% or worse from three went 21-80 this season.
The Cavaliers may have won on Saturday, but they aren't escaping their deserved criticisms. Donovan Mitchell played well, scoring 30 points on 11-21 shooting and 3-8 from three. He only was able to muster up three assists to his four turnovers, but I am beyond willing to overlook that as there was not much falling for his teammates. Cleveland also only made eight of their three-point attempts, despite having more shooting talent than Orlando. I expect Strus and Garland to find their shot over the course of the series and allow themselves a little bit more breathing room. I would also expect, however, for Magic star Paolo Banchero to not have nine turnovers again in this series. Banchero was visibly a bit out of his element in his first postseason appearance, and he is capable of being the best player in this series. Here's to hoping that each team just had the yips and will come into game two ready to deliver for their NBATV audience.
Phoenix Suns @ Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards Is Ready To Make The Leap
Perhaps our most exciting first-round matchup more than lived up to the hype in their first face-off of the postseason. This series has something for everyone. Familiar stars in Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, the likely Defensive Player Of The Year in Rudy Gobert, and a breakout star and current Face Of The League frontrunner, Anthony Edwards. While we as fans should be grateful for all of the aforementioned, I am most excited for the latter. In what could be a breakout series for the 22-year-old Edwards, he wasted no time showing he was up to the task going against his favorite player, Kevin Durant. We got real, actual, warranted, shit-talking between two stars. Not between role players (Patrick Beverley) or fringe stars past their prime (sorry, Draymond) but rather between two guys who on Saturday appeared to be the best players on the floor. In case you missed it and need a recap, to put it short, it was awesome.
Ant had his fingerprints firmly pressed all over this game, recording 33 points, nine rebounds, and six assists while recording a remarkable 66.3 true shooting percentage. His ability to impact the game at both ends will be something I watch throughout this series, as he is going to be put to task with carrying this Wolves offense for long stretches. Karl Towns was limited to a meager nine shots in game one but was effective in providing 19 points in aid of Edwards. After those two, however, primary shot creation becomes a weakness for this Minnesota team. Phoenix meanwhile, is chock full of shot-makers, and if they can flex that muscle more later in this series, they will be better suited to win than they were in game one.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Denver Nuggets
The LeBron era is over in LA
These are overreactions, after all, aren't they? The Lakers have been here before, playing the Denver Nuggets to the best of their ability, and better than a lot of other Western teams could, and it still isn't enough. Getting an absolutely dominant performance out of Anthony Davis and LeBron James and still coming up short has to make the sting for Lakers fans more intense with each and every missed D'Angelo Russell brick. An issue that has loomed large over the LeBron-Davis era in LA is that they have never had a definitive third guy. In 2020, it took a wind-the-clock-back playoff from Rajon Rondo to elevate the Lakers to title contention. Since then, it has been largely unclear who that player could be for LA. Is it Austin Reaves, who since signing a $54M contract extension last offseason has done little to impress upon his breakout season? Is it D'Angelo Russell, who for the first 3 months of the season was number-one on everyone's "Most Likely To Be Traded" power ranking?
If it is supposed to be one of them, someone better let them know, and fast. This series will escape the Lakers quickly if they let it, as Denver has absolutely zero identity issues and looked sharp down the stretch of their game one victory. If the Lakers do not see improved production from "the other guys", including Russell who was 6-20 from the field (maybe start by not letting DLo shoot more than LeBron James) and Reaves who took a very humble nine shots and looked largely out of the mix for much of this game, Denver will continue to make quick work of LA's two-headed monster. If that happens, I would begin to feel a little uneasy about what this offseason could look like for the Lakers. LeBron's self-imposed clock is running out, and there's a whole new wrinkle to factor in with Bronny James set to enter the NBA Draft this summer. My Unhappy Superstar(s) Meter is beginning to ping, just a little.
Dallas Mavericks @ Los Angeles Clippers
Luka Doncic Must Change His Playstyle
Let's clear one thing up before I dissect one of the more talented players in this league's game. Luka Doncic is an incredible offensive talent and one of the most impressive shot-makers and playmakers in the NBA and is going to be remembered well beyond his years. Okay, obligatory flowers are given, we can now get real. Only once in the history of the NBA has a player with a usage rate of 35% or higher made an NBA Finals. It was Allen Iverson in the 2000-01 season, and for those who may not remember, AI's Sixers squad lost in five. That's it, that's the history of the heliocentric, hyper-ball-dominant offensive players in regards to making a Finals. The game has changed a lot over the years, but until we see it, I will not buy that this will work for a team through four playoff rounds. The closest a player of this style has come to winning it all was James Harden, and if he didn't run into the greatest team ever assembled year after year, he may have at least one championship to show for it. That's just it though, isn't it? Golden State was a much better team, with scoring options aplenty, who remained actively involved in the offense throughout the duration of the game.
I will not pretend that the Mavs are as talented or deep as the Celtics or the Nuggets but this is a team that after the trade deadline was one of the more impressive teams in the entire league. Yet, outside of Doncic and Irving, who combined for 64 points, only one other Mav scored in double digits. It was P.J. Washington with 11 points, no other Mav had more than 6 in this game. I hate to be the "get off my lawn" type who shouts that better teams surpass better individual talent, but it is just the truth of this league. Fans who watch strictly through the box score will say Doncic had a great game, and to a certain extent, I would agree. He posted a 33-point, 13 rebound, 6-assist stat line and made some tough shots in the process. This is nothing new for Luka, but it felt largely empty as the Clippers grabbed ahold of this game early and never let go. If Dallas continues to depend on isolation scoring from their backcourt as their sole recipe for winning, they can begin planning for summer vacations now. Until they can incorporate the other key figures of this offense, they will be far too predictable for a well-coached Clippers team with bodies aplenty to throw at Luka and Kyrie.