#1 Seeds and Defense?
After a crazy day from Day 2 of the NBA Playoffs, I’m going to be focusing on a couple of topics including upsets and defense.
After a crazy day from Day 2 of the NBA Playoffs, I’m going to be focusing on a couple of topics including upsets and defense.
Upsets
Both the Bucks and Lakers lost last night, but why?
The Bucks lost convincingly to the Magic as they couldn’t play defense as all. The Lakers couldn’t put the ball in the hoop, and they lost as well. But why is this happening?
I think it’s because of the bubble. Both the Bucks and Lakers expected fans screaming and yelling support towards them. But instead its a quiet gym so it’s a relatively even playing field. But even then, both the Lakers and the Bucks are much better than their first round opponents. I think they got cocky a little bit.
The Bucks coasted through the seeding games in preparation for the playoffs. And they faced a Magic team without Aaron Gordon. But the Bucks didn’t play any defense as Nikola Vucevic shredded them to pieces with 35 points. Giannis was great, but didn’t have much help as Khris Middleton was very quiet.
The Lakers also coasted through the seeding games, but we saw concerning things with their offense. Anthony Davis was either giving you 40 a night or having 9 points. Lebron James was passive most nights and the Lakers could not hit any 3’s. And those same things happened against Portland. They could not defend Damian Lillard and 3-point line, and they weren’t hitting any free throws themselves. Anthony Davis scored almost everything at the free throw line, and Lebron James was passing the ball a lot.
So both heavily favored 1 seeds lost, should this be very concerning for both teams? I would say sort of, but at the same time not really. I expect the Bucks and Giannis in particular to come out swinging in Game 2. But the Lakers are very interesting.
The Blazers aren’t your typical 8th seed. They are very, very good. And their defense seems to be much better than most people expected. And the Lakers offense is bad. Lebron James can’t rely on his shooters as they aren’t making them. So the Lakers are in a lot of trouble. They will have to play much better in Game 2 otherwise they will lose again.
Defense
The Blazers ranked almost dead last in everything defensively in the bubble. People were saying the Lakers offense would be much better against the Blazers. Wrong. Portland really focused and clamped down. Carmelo Anthony and Gary Trent Jr. did an excellent job on Lebron James. Whiteside, Nurkic, and Gabriel were all great down low in guarding AD. Sure they fouled a lot, but they weren’t giving up anything easy.
As I said yesterday, don’t discount defenses who were bad during the seeding games during the playoffs. The Mavericks played solid defense against the Clippers a couple night ago, and they lost in a close game. But their defense looked much better. Same with Portland. The Blazers have so many veterans and dogs who can guard. Carmelo, Dame, CJ, Nurkic, and Whiteside are all experienced players. Gary Trent Jr. is a pest, and a great defender. The Blazers looked very good defensively and made things hard for the Lakers.
If the Blazers D-up like they did in Game 1, pair that with the Lakers inability to guard Portland, the Blazers have a real good shot at beating the Lakers in the first round.
What Are Your Opinions On This Topic? Leave A Comment Down Below!
My Playoffs Day 3 Report Will Be Posted Later Today, So Stay Tuned!
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