Post by New York Knicks on Jun 19, 2023 4:20:54 GMT -6
With the First Round of the playoffs in the books, its time to say good bye to the 8 teams that were eliminated. They fought hard, but not hard enough. So their season is over. But their vacation begins "One, Two, Three...Cancun."
Cleveland Cavaliers
W/L Record: 40-42
First Round: 4-0 loss vs New York
Season Recap: It was a successful season in Cleveland, which included the Cavs making their first ever playoff appearance. They finished #8 in the league in offense (105.3 PPG). Largely due to their young guard trio of Spencer Dinwidde, Sam Cassell, and D'Angelo Russell. Dinwiddie enjoyed his year 3 coming out party. He put up new career highs in points (19.2), assists (8.1), steals (1.6), and three pointers made (142). Cassell built on his all rookie 2nd team season from a year ago by taking a step forward with his production. He averaged 14.3 PPG and improved his efficiency from the field (46.7) and from three point land (41.1). The rookie Russell scored 9.4 PPG off the bench along with 3 assists. While the guards go off from the perimeter, LaMarcus Alridge dominates inside the painted area. He put up a 20/11 and 3.2 blocks. But outside of Alridge swatting shots, the Cavs don't play much defense. There's a reason why D is the last letter in Cleveland. Because its not one of their first priorities. Defense is optional. And they choose to almost never play it. The Cavs were dead last in the league in scoring defense (106.5). And in the playoffs they gave up over 124 points per game. They gotta improve on that for next season. They also need a starting small forward better than Donny Marshall (9.7 PPG 1.1 APG 41.1 FG 30.1 3PT). They have the #14 pick in the upcoming draft. So look for them to target wing players like Shandon Anderson and John Wallace so they can finally get Marshall out the lineup.
Philadelphia 76ers
W/L Record: 52-30
First Round: 4-2 loss vs Chicago
Season Recap: Unlike with the Cavs, this was a bit more disappointing. And you could feel that from the 76er fans, who are calling up their local radio stations and tearing into Mike Finley, Swen Nater, and GM Smooth. One crazed fan threatened to turn Smooth into a smoothie. You could understand their frustration. Last year the team was in the Eastern Conference Finals. This year they got knocked out the first round. Now that we're done digesting through the emotion, we could take a more logical look into their season. They did win 52 games (tied for 5th most in the ITP). They were #9 in the league in scoring defense with a SMOOTH 100 ppg on the dot allowed. Offensively they shared the ball beautifully with an Eastern Conference best 25.6 APG. Now they head into the off-season, where some major questions will be waiting for them. Michael Finley and Swen Nater are free agents. Will the 76ers be able to retain both of them? What about old reliable Foots Walker? Will they re-sign him? Or look for an upgrade at the point guard position? We'll see what the future holds for Philadelphia this off-season.
Brooklyn Nets
W/L Record: 43-39
First Round: 4-1 loss vs Toronto
Season Recap: Can't really fault them for losing in Round 1 vs Toronto. I'm surprised they even won a game against that juggernaut. Though they couldve fought a little harder than 125-76 in the final game of the series. Outside of Truck Robinson (26 points 12/18 FG) nobody else even showed up for Game 5. Trucks teammates combined for 50 points on 21/81 shooting (25.9 %). Precious Achiuwa went 3 for 21. His game was as ugly as Gollum. Bad timing for him as he's set to hit free agency, and his stock just plummeted. Dwight Jones is also in the final year of his contract. So could we some changes with the Nets? It's probably time. Their old school pound the ball inside offense is going out of style. This year they made the least three pointers in the East (0.7 per game). But they do have some good qualities. They take care of the basketball with only 9.3 TPG (Tied for 2nd best in the league). Point Guard Brian Winters has one of the best assist turnover ratios in the league (9.9 apg vs 1.6 tpg). Winters is also one of 6 double digit scorers on this team. 1-6 they got a pretty solid rotation. But after that we got guys like Nik Stauskas logging 29.7 minutes per games while producing 4.4 PPG 3.6 RPG 1.9 APG. That gotta be the worst statline I've ever seen from a guy getting nearly 30 minutes per game. So Mission #1 get rid of Sauce Castillo. #2 get some real shooting. And oh yeah #3 get a GM.
Washington Wizards
W/L Record: 45-37
First Round: 4-1 loss vs Miami
Season Recap: The Wizards suffered a first round gentlemans sweep vs Miami (4-1). They are now 1-8 in their last 9 playoff games. A bitter ending to an up & down season. However, the good news is Jabari Parker balled out in the playoffs. In the very first game vs Miami he dropped 39 points. Against a pretty good defender as well in Okoro. The next game he came right back with 34 points. 2 of the best games of his entire career in back to back playoff games? Jabari might just have that clutch gene Skip Bayless was always talking about. He averaged 27.4 PPG in the first round, which was 3rd most in the playoffs. It was nice to see him finally get a nice volume of touches. He attempted 22 field goals per game. During the regular season that number was under 16. So does this mean Parker will be a more focal point in the offense? The current #1 guy is Eric Money. E Money Bags averaged 26.9 PPG and 8.1 APG (All League 3rd Team Selection). Spearheaded by Money and Parker this team could score some points (105.9 PPG - 7th best). But they give up alot of points as well (104.4 PPG allowed - 25th). They gotta improve on their defense. Especially their interior D. Because right now FATASS Nurkic and undersized Millsap aren't stopping anybody.
Dallas Mavericks
W/L Record: 38-44
First Round: 4-0 loss vs Minnesota
Season Recap: This is a common theme amongst these first round exit teams. Dallas doesn't play any defense. They gave up a Western Conference worst 105.7 points per during the regular season. Minnesota took advantage of that in the first round by shooting 48% or higher from the field in 3 of 4 games. Then again Minnesota was #1 in the league in field goal offense (47.6). While the Mavs were #25 in field goal defense (46.0). So this was obviously a major mismatch. Mavs didn't have much of a chance. But at least they fought with 2 of 4 games decided by two points or less. Guess you can call it a competitive sweep. And the Mavs were competitive all year long. Their free agent pickups contributed nicely for them. Travis Best in particular was probably the best bargain signing of the off-season. He averaged 21.0 PPG 4.2 RPG 5.0 while only making the mid-level exception (4.5 Million). The Mavs would be wise to bring him back. Hes one of their many upcoming free agents which include: Deni Avdija (16.9 PPG 3.7 APG), Jalen Smith (10.3 PPG 10.9 RPG), and Bob Lanier (8.2 PPG 5.6 RPG). Who's staying? Who's going?
Los Angeles Lakers
W/L Record: 46-36
First Round: 4-0 loss vs Utah
Season Recap: And I had them winning in Round 1. I feel like a dummy. I just believed in these Lakers. They made the whole world think they're gonna tank out the season after trading Bill Walton + Dr J. Yet they finished out the regular season winning 11 of their last 15 games. Including beating the first place Wolves TWICE. I thought they could carry this magic over into the playoffs. But the only magic was the way they disappeared in 4 games. Despite getting swept, there was one major bright spot: the play of Zach Lavine. Right before Dr J was traded, he left some wisdom behind with Lavine via a Mentor Camp. Ever since that moment we have seen an offensive eruption out of Lavine. To finish out the regular season he had games of 37 points vs Philly, 46 vs the Wizards, 32 vs the Wolves, and 34 vs the Celtics. Then in the playoffs he averaged over 25 PPG. Lavine is really emerging into a scoring machine. He, Wiggins, Towns, and Webber are all 21 years old or younger. And that's scary.
Seattle Sonics
W/L Record: 41-41
First Round: 4-2 loss vs Los Angeles Clippers
Season Recap: Despite being the #7 seed in the 2 vs 7 matchup, the Sonics took control of the series with a 2-1 lead. They had a chance to go up 3-1 at home. Unfortunately they blew a 6 point 4th quarter lead and lost a tight 105-103 contest. Then they got pummeled in Game 5 @ LA. Then finally they lost another 2pt game (109-107) at home. This was a damn close series, which NOBODY saw coming. Giannis carried the Sonics on his back with 28.2 PPG. He was doing the samething throughout the regular season with 25.6 PPG (1st on team), 9.2 RPG (1st), 1.8 BPG (1st), and 4.0 APG (3rd). He's doing everything for this franchise. But he needs some freaking help. Other guys need to step up. When it mattered most Giannis showed up. 42 points 15 rebounds 5 blocks 4 assists in the Game 4 loss. In the deciding game 6 he dropped 32 and 9. While guys like ML Carr went 4 for 15 from the field. Isiah Stewart went 4 for 14. If I'm Giannis I'm pissed the hell off.
Memphis Grizzlies
W/L Record: 43-39
First Round: 4-2 loss vs Portland
Season Recap: Despite having the largest payroll in the league at nearly 108 million, the Memphis Grizzlies will not be advancing to the Second round of the playoffs. Memphis fell into an early 3-0 hole in the series. Which usually means its over. But Memphis didn't stop fighting. They won game 4 @ Home. Then went back to Portland where they pulled a 106-102 Game 5 Upset. Pistol Pete and Mickey Johnson combined for 57 points in that one. Then with a Game 6 at home, they had opportunity to force a Game 7. They had the lead going into halftime (59-57). Unfortunately their offense went limp in 2nd half, as they only scored 32 points. It was a respectable attempt at pulling off a 3-0 comeback. But now they gotta start planning for the future. Mickey Johnson, Bryant Reeves, Curtis Perry, and John Lucas are on the books for 83 million dollars next season. That's alot of money committed to four players. Will GM Redrum be able to find quality role players with his limited funds? Will he be able to re-sign Pistol Pete? Theres some uncertainty that the Grizz need to deal with. But one thing that is certain: Mickey Johnson is a monster. 28.4 PPG 11.2 RPG 2.9 APG. Hes been all league first team for 4 consecutive seasons. Would've been 5 if he didnt hurt and miss 20 games in 2000. He's one of the best players in this league.
Cleveland Cavaliers
W/L Record: 40-42
First Round: 4-0 loss vs New York
Season Recap: It was a successful season in Cleveland, which included the Cavs making their first ever playoff appearance. They finished #8 in the league in offense (105.3 PPG). Largely due to their young guard trio of Spencer Dinwidde, Sam Cassell, and D'Angelo Russell. Dinwiddie enjoyed his year 3 coming out party. He put up new career highs in points (19.2), assists (8.1), steals (1.6), and three pointers made (142). Cassell built on his all rookie 2nd team season from a year ago by taking a step forward with his production. He averaged 14.3 PPG and improved his efficiency from the field (46.7) and from three point land (41.1). The rookie Russell scored 9.4 PPG off the bench along with 3 assists. While the guards go off from the perimeter, LaMarcus Alridge dominates inside the painted area. He put up a 20/11 and 3.2 blocks. But outside of Alridge swatting shots, the Cavs don't play much defense. There's a reason why D is the last letter in Cleveland. Because its not one of their first priorities. Defense is optional. And they choose to almost never play it. The Cavs were dead last in the league in scoring defense (106.5). And in the playoffs they gave up over 124 points per game. They gotta improve on that for next season. They also need a starting small forward better than Donny Marshall (9.7 PPG 1.1 APG 41.1 FG 30.1 3PT). They have the #14 pick in the upcoming draft. So look for them to target wing players like Shandon Anderson and John Wallace so they can finally get Marshall out the lineup.
Philadelphia 76ers
W/L Record: 52-30
First Round: 4-2 loss vs Chicago
Season Recap: Unlike with the Cavs, this was a bit more disappointing. And you could feel that from the 76er fans, who are calling up their local radio stations and tearing into Mike Finley, Swen Nater, and GM Smooth. One crazed fan threatened to turn Smooth into a smoothie. You could understand their frustration. Last year the team was in the Eastern Conference Finals. This year they got knocked out the first round. Now that we're done digesting through the emotion, we could take a more logical look into their season. They did win 52 games (tied for 5th most in the ITP). They were #9 in the league in scoring defense with a SMOOTH 100 ppg on the dot allowed. Offensively they shared the ball beautifully with an Eastern Conference best 25.6 APG. Now they head into the off-season, where some major questions will be waiting for them. Michael Finley and Swen Nater are free agents. Will the 76ers be able to retain both of them? What about old reliable Foots Walker? Will they re-sign him? Or look for an upgrade at the point guard position? We'll see what the future holds for Philadelphia this off-season.
Brooklyn Nets
W/L Record: 43-39
First Round: 4-1 loss vs Toronto
Season Recap: Can't really fault them for losing in Round 1 vs Toronto. I'm surprised they even won a game against that juggernaut. Though they couldve fought a little harder than 125-76 in the final game of the series. Outside of Truck Robinson (26 points 12/18 FG) nobody else even showed up for Game 5. Trucks teammates combined for 50 points on 21/81 shooting (25.9 %). Precious Achiuwa went 3 for 21. His game was as ugly as Gollum. Bad timing for him as he's set to hit free agency, and his stock just plummeted. Dwight Jones is also in the final year of his contract. So could we some changes with the Nets? It's probably time. Their old school pound the ball inside offense is going out of style. This year they made the least three pointers in the East (0.7 per game). But they do have some good qualities. They take care of the basketball with only 9.3 TPG (Tied for 2nd best in the league). Point Guard Brian Winters has one of the best assist turnover ratios in the league (9.9 apg vs 1.6 tpg). Winters is also one of 6 double digit scorers on this team. 1-6 they got a pretty solid rotation. But after that we got guys like Nik Stauskas logging 29.7 minutes per games while producing 4.4 PPG 3.6 RPG 1.9 APG. That gotta be the worst statline I've ever seen from a guy getting nearly 30 minutes per game. So Mission #1 get rid of Sauce Castillo. #2 get some real shooting. And oh yeah #3 get a GM.
Washington Wizards
W/L Record: 45-37
First Round: 4-1 loss vs Miami
Season Recap: The Wizards suffered a first round gentlemans sweep vs Miami (4-1). They are now 1-8 in their last 9 playoff games. A bitter ending to an up & down season. However, the good news is Jabari Parker balled out in the playoffs. In the very first game vs Miami he dropped 39 points. Against a pretty good defender as well in Okoro. The next game he came right back with 34 points. 2 of the best games of his entire career in back to back playoff games? Jabari might just have that clutch gene Skip Bayless was always talking about. He averaged 27.4 PPG in the first round, which was 3rd most in the playoffs. It was nice to see him finally get a nice volume of touches. He attempted 22 field goals per game. During the regular season that number was under 16. So does this mean Parker will be a more focal point in the offense? The current #1 guy is Eric Money. E Money Bags averaged 26.9 PPG and 8.1 APG (All League 3rd Team Selection). Spearheaded by Money and Parker this team could score some points (105.9 PPG - 7th best). But they give up alot of points as well (104.4 PPG allowed - 25th). They gotta improve on their defense. Especially their interior D. Because right now FATASS Nurkic and undersized Millsap aren't stopping anybody.
Dallas Mavericks
W/L Record: 38-44
First Round: 4-0 loss vs Minnesota
Season Recap: This is a common theme amongst these first round exit teams. Dallas doesn't play any defense. They gave up a Western Conference worst 105.7 points per during the regular season. Minnesota took advantage of that in the first round by shooting 48% or higher from the field in 3 of 4 games. Then again Minnesota was #1 in the league in field goal offense (47.6). While the Mavs were #25 in field goal defense (46.0). So this was obviously a major mismatch. Mavs didn't have much of a chance. But at least they fought with 2 of 4 games decided by two points or less. Guess you can call it a competitive sweep. And the Mavs were competitive all year long. Their free agent pickups contributed nicely for them. Travis Best in particular was probably the best bargain signing of the off-season. He averaged 21.0 PPG 4.2 RPG 5.0 while only making the mid-level exception (4.5 Million). The Mavs would be wise to bring him back. Hes one of their many upcoming free agents which include: Deni Avdija (16.9 PPG 3.7 APG), Jalen Smith (10.3 PPG 10.9 RPG), and Bob Lanier (8.2 PPG 5.6 RPG). Who's staying? Who's going?
Los Angeles Lakers
W/L Record: 46-36
First Round: 4-0 loss vs Utah
Season Recap: And I had them winning in Round 1. I feel like a dummy. I just believed in these Lakers. They made the whole world think they're gonna tank out the season after trading Bill Walton + Dr J. Yet they finished out the regular season winning 11 of their last 15 games. Including beating the first place Wolves TWICE. I thought they could carry this magic over into the playoffs. But the only magic was the way they disappeared in 4 games. Despite getting swept, there was one major bright spot: the play of Zach Lavine. Right before Dr J was traded, he left some wisdom behind with Lavine via a Mentor Camp. Ever since that moment we have seen an offensive eruption out of Lavine. To finish out the regular season he had games of 37 points vs Philly, 46 vs the Wizards, 32 vs the Wolves, and 34 vs the Celtics. Then in the playoffs he averaged over 25 PPG. Lavine is really emerging into a scoring machine. He, Wiggins, Towns, and Webber are all 21 years old or younger. And that's scary.
Seattle Sonics
W/L Record: 41-41
First Round: 4-2 loss vs Los Angeles Clippers
Season Recap: Despite being the #7 seed in the 2 vs 7 matchup, the Sonics took control of the series with a 2-1 lead. They had a chance to go up 3-1 at home. Unfortunately they blew a 6 point 4th quarter lead and lost a tight 105-103 contest. Then they got pummeled in Game 5 @ LA. Then finally they lost another 2pt game (109-107) at home. This was a damn close series, which NOBODY saw coming. Giannis carried the Sonics on his back with 28.2 PPG. He was doing the samething throughout the regular season with 25.6 PPG (1st on team), 9.2 RPG (1st), 1.8 BPG (1st), and 4.0 APG (3rd). He's doing everything for this franchise. But he needs some freaking help. Other guys need to step up. When it mattered most Giannis showed up. 42 points 15 rebounds 5 blocks 4 assists in the Game 4 loss. In the deciding game 6 he dropped 32 and 9. While guys like ML Carr went 4 for 15 from the field. Isiah Stewart went 4 for 14. If I'm Giannis I'm pissed the hell off.
Memphis Grizzlies
W/L Record: 43-39
First Round: 4-2 loss vs Portland
Season Recap: Despite having the largest payroll in the league at nearly 108 million, the Memphis Grizzlies will not be advancing to the Second round of the playoffs. Memphis fell into an early 3-0 hole in the series. Which usually means its over. But Memphis didn't stop fighting. They won game 4 @ Home. Then went back to Portland where they pulled a 106-102 Game 5 Upset. Pistol Pete and Mickey Johnson combined for 57 points in that one. Then with a Game 6 at home, they had opportunity to force a Game 7. They had the lead going into halftime (59-57). Unfortunately their offense went limp in 2nd half, as they only scored 32 points. It was a respectable attempt at pulling off a 3-0 comeback. But now they gotta start planning for the future. Mickey Johnson, Bryant Reeves, Curtis Perry, and John Lucas are on the books for 83 million dollars next season. That's alot of money committed to four players. Will GM Redrum be able to find quality role players with his limited funds? Will he be able to re-sign Pistol Pete? Theres some uncertainty that the Grizz need to deal with. But one thing that is certain: Mickey Johnson is a monster. 28.4 PPG 11.2 RPG 2.9 APG. Hes been all league first team for 4 consecutive seasons. Would've been 5 if he didnt hurt and miss 20 games in 2000. He's one of the best players in this league.
