Donovan Mitchells Superstar Showing
Theres little questioning Donovan Mitchells standing as one of the games top young gamers, though its been fair to question his ceiling after two straight playoff exits versus Harden and the Rockets. Mitchell has responded to any skepticism with a fury through the very first 2 games of the 2020 playoffs.
Mitchell dropped 57 points in a Game 1 loss on Monday, penalizing the rim with dunks that in fact should have comparisons to Dwyane Wade. His Game 2 efficiency may have in fact been more outstanding. Mitchell totally controlled the action with 30 points and 8 assists, making 10 of 14 shots and 6 of seven threes.
Jimmy Butlers Shooting
Jimmy Butler is a shade outside the true top crop of gamers in the NBA, oscillating between an overqualified 2nd banana and a middling top option. He shot simply 24.4% from three this year, and hes never struck 100 threes in a season. Groups feel comfortable going under screens versus Butler.
There have been no concerns about Butlers jumper in the 2020 playoffs. He scored an effective 28 points on 8-15 shooting in Game 1, and he struck both of his attempted threes (consisting of a dagger late). Duncan Robinson took the show in Game 2, however Butler as soon as again strike a set of triples on 3 attempts.
Clippers Defensive Woes
Los Angeles is led by 2 All-Defense wings, one of whom is maybe the finest protective gamer of his generation. And theres depth behind the 2 stars. The Mavericks have gotten actually whatever theyve wanted through 2 video games.
We might be looking at a 2– 0 Dallas lead had Kristaps Porzingis not been ejected from Game 1. The Clippers are having genuine issues consisting of the Mavericks size (shoutout Boban Marjanovic) and Luka Doncic knifed his way into the lane seemingly at will for much of the series first two games. Theres still definitely time for the Clippers to turn things around. They have the benefit to be the very best defense in basketball. Their energy and effort should see a substantial uptick to really compete for the Larry OBrien Trophy..
A quartet of favorites winning on Thursday may have dampened the mayhem of the NBA bubble to a degree, however the first two video games of each first-round series have actually included a deep slate of surprises. Both No. 1 seeds decreased in Game 1, the Clippers dropped Game 2 and the Thunder have actually looked honestly non-competitive. The next week of video games need to continue to deliver unforeseen outcomes.
What have been the biggest surprises through the very first four days of the postseason? Lets dive into the list listed below.
The Bubble Effect
Maybe we need to expect that for Damian Lillard and the Blazers, though the Magic, Mavericks and even the Nets came out with plenty of self-confidence and firepower in the first 2 games. We must still anticipate the Lakers, Clippers and Bucks to advance past round one, especially after LeBron and Co.s resounding win on Thursday night. We can essentially toss seeding out the window at this point.
Houstons Defensive Dominance
James Hardens defensive battles have actually been discussed to the point of parody, and honestly, the story doesnt quite match the metrics at this point in his profession. Not only are Harden and the Rockets holding their own defensively in round one versus Oklahoma City. Theyre downright controling.
Houston has clamped down on OKCs three-guard lineup in the first 2 games of the series. Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder combined for 35 points on 34 shots in a Game 1 loss on Tuesday. Pick-and-rolls develop no noticeable mismatch, and open shots from 3 are few and far between.
The Rockets offensive firepower is no secret. Their defensive performance has been a true surprise. This is a legitimate Finals competitor, specifically considering the early struggles for both Los Angeles groups.
A quartet of favorites winning on Thursday may have dampened the chaos of the NBA bubble to a degree, however the first 2 games of each first-round series have included a deep slate of surprises. Both No. 1 seeds went down in Game 1, the Clippers dropped Game 2 and the Thunder have looked frankly non-competitive. Possibly we must anticipate that for Damian Lillard and the Blazers, though the Magic, Mavericks and even the Nets came out with plenty of confidence and firepower in the first two video games. Houston has secured down on OKCs three-guard lineup in the very first two video games of the series. The Clippers are having legitimate problems containing the Mavericks size (shoutout Boban Marjanovic) and Luka Doncic knifed his way into the lane apparently at will for much of the series very first 2 video games.
