1 Thing Every NBA Playoff Team Still Alive Is Regretting Right Now
As good as the 2023 NBA playoffs are going for some teams (hello, Miami Heat!), every franchise has at least one regret as we head towards the conference Finals.
From not doing enough at the trade deadline, to poor execution, not taking advantage of opponent weaknesses or a number of other misses, there's at least one thing every NBA team still alive wishes it would have done differently.
From minor slip ups to potential season ending gaffes, here's where all eight teams still standing have messed up.
Boston Celtics: Letting the 76ers Steal Game 1 Without Joel Embiid
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Heading into Game 1 of its second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, everything was looking up for Boston.
Not only did the No. 2-seeded Celtics get to host the first two games of the series (after going a sparkling 32-9 at home this season), but Philly was without MVP center Joel Embiid.
Embiid had tortured Boston this season, averaging 36.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 61.2 percent overall in four games against the Celtics. No Embiid meant Paul Reed starting at center, which was a huge break for the Celtics.
All Boston had to do was not let James Harden have a monster game. You know, like a 45-point-ish kind of game that made him look like a mid-to-late 2010s Harden who led the NBA in scoring three times and was the offensive focal point of some of the top offenses of the era.
Yes, that would be quite bad.
Of course, we know how the story has since unfolded. The 33-year-old Harden, fresh off a Las Vegas getaway, dropped 45 points on 17-of-30 from the field and 7-of-14 from three. Of the 112 regular-season and playoff games in which Harden has scored 40 points or more, the four free throws he attempted were tied for the fewest of his career.
While the Celtics rallied to win Games 2 and 3 with Embiid back in the lineup, a Game 4 loss in overtime means it's 2-2 heading back to Boston.
There's no shame in losing a game to Philly with a healthy Embiid.
To lose at home, with the other team missing its best player, however, could ultimately decide this series.
Denver Nuggets: The Trade Return for Bones Hyland
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There was no way of knowing in early February that the Nuggets would be facing a Phoenix Suns team with not just Devin Booker, but Kevin Durant as well, in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Had they known, getting a wing defender in return for Bones Hyland would have been the ideal scenario. While the trade that sent the 22-year-old guard to the Los Angeles Clippers in a four-team deal seemed disappointing at the time, the return only looks worse now.
Denver parted with Hyland and a 2024 second-round pick to get Thomas Bryant from the Los Angeles Lakers and used one of their open roster spots to sign Reggie Jackson following his buyout from the Charlotte Hornets. The two have combined for three total minutes in the first four games of the series, making no impact whatsoever.
Instead, the Nuggets could really use another body to try to slow down Booker and Durant, who rank second and third in the NBA in scoring this round, respectively.
The superstars are combining for 68.3 points per game, which accounts for a whopping 61.5 percent of the Suns' total points in the series.
With a handful of talented wing defenders moved at the trade deadline (Matisse Thybulle to the Portland Trail Blazers, Jalen McDaniels to the Philadelphia 76ers, Jae Crowder to the Milwaukee Bucks, Josh Richardson to the New Orleans Pelicans), the Nuggets would have been much better off trading Hyland for someone who can take a turn guarding Booker and Durant.
The Hyland trade was bad at the time. With Bryant out of the rotation and heading toward unrestricted free agency, it looks even worse.
Golden State Warriors: Handling of Jordan Poole's Role
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Jordan Poole was a critical piece to the Golden State Warriors' return to championship status a year ago. These playoffs have been far different, with the 23-year-old averaging just 10.5 points on 34.2 percent shooting overall and 27.8 percent from three.
His low point came in a Game 4 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, one in which Poole went scoreless for the first time in his postseason career, playing just 10 minutes and getting benched for the entire fourth quarter as L.A. outscored the Warriors 27-17.
"It just wasn't his night," head coach Steve Kerr said, per The Athletic's Tim Kawakami. "He didn't have it going. It's a game where you're going possession by possession, and we had other guys who were playing well. Moses [Moody] came in, did a great job. Donte [DiVincenzo] gave us good minutes. Gary [Payton II] obviously starting the game really gave us a lift. Just we went to other guys. That doesn't mean Jordan can't come in and play a big role in Game 5."
Poole didn't have much to say after the 104-101 defeat at Crypto.com Arena, but he hinted that his reduced role may have had something to do with his struggles.
"Work ethic doesn't change," Poole said. "Routine doesn't change. Maybe opportunity changes, but you can only control what you can control."
As bad as some of his shot attempts and playmaking choices have looked, does Poole have a point?
As much as the Warriors would love for him to be their go-to offensive force when players like Stephen Curry and Draymond Green need a rest, playing the three together has been the best path for success.
When Poole has shared the floor with Curry and Green this postseason, the Warriors have a net rating of plus-17.7 (99th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass). When Poole is giving free rein of the offense without the other two, Golden State's net rating plummets to minus-10.2 (9th percentile).
Yes, Poole hitting shots would help, but Kerr and company have to do a better job of managing his role and putting the best pieces around him.
Los Angeles Lakers: Not Playing Lonnie Walker IV Earlier
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With the Lakers trailing by seven heading into the fourth quarter of a crucial Game 4 against the Warriors, they desperately needed a hero to carry them to a 3-1 series lead.
Would it be four-time MVP LeBron James? No. Eight-time All-Star Anthony Davis? Nah.
It was the Lonnie Walker IV show instead.
Walker erupted for 15 points in the fourth quarter, nearly equaling the Warriors' 17. His performance was the best by a Lakers bench player in the fourth quarter of a playoff game since Kobe Bryant dropped 17 against the Utah Jazz in 1997, a year before Walker was born.
Tough jumper followed tough jumper, as the 24-year-old routinely went head-to-head with Stephen Curry, putting Golden State in what could be an insurmountable hole.
Kudos to head coach Darvin Ham for riding the hot hand and trusting his young wing, but there has to be some regret in not giving him a bigger role sooner.
Walker went from a regular starter to part-time rotation member after a trade deadline that pumped additional talent into the roster. In the first round against the Memphis Grizzlies, Walker totaled a little over 14 minutes across six games.
It's probably safe to say he'll be seeing more playing time moving forward.
A talented scorer from all three levels, Walker can step up and hit shots when Davis disappears for quarters or halves at a time or when James needs a breather. That is crucial for the Lakers, a team that suddenly looks like it could legitimately compete for this year's title.
Miami Heat: Not Getting a Kevin Love-Type Sooner
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Miami had a hole at power forward entering the season after P.J. Tucker signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
They did nothing to address this loss, playing undersized for months while lacking the size and floor-spacing that Tucker provided.
Thankfully for the Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers' botching of Kevin Love's final season under contract eventually led to a buyout, paving his way to sign in Miami. While the Cavs' coaching staff deemed him unplayable, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra made the 34-year-old his starting power forward, a move that's paid big dividends.
While his raw numbers are modest (8.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists in 21.7 minutes), with the 6'8", 251-pound Love at the 4 this postseason, the Heat have a net rating of plus-7.3 (86th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass) even with injuries to Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo.
His three-point shooting (37.3 percent) keeps the floor spaced for Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo to operate while his full-court passes have led to plenty of easy baskets. He's among the NBA's postseason leaders in charges drawn and box-outs, all while making smart, veteran plays as Miami is a playoff-best 7-2.
While questionable roster construction contributed to the Heat's disappointing 44-38 regular season, Love has been the type of power forward Miami craved all year.
Better now than never for a Heat team that sits just one win away from a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.
New York Knicks: Not Adding More Shooting at the Trade Deadline
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While the New York Knicks suffocated the Cleveland Cavaliers in Round 1 with their defense and rebounding, the Heat have now turned the tables on Jalen Brunson and company.
New York finds itself in a 3-1 hole, unable to get anything going offensively with Miami's tough, physical defense and shot contesting.
As good as the pickup of Josh Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers was at the February deadline, hindsight tells us the Knicks should have looked for additional shooting as well.
New York ranks dead last in three-point accuracy this round (28.2 percent), with only the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers making fewer than the Knicks' 10.0 shots from outside the arc.
What's more alarming is that only one player on the Knicks (RJ Barrett) is shooting at least 32 percent from three. If not for Barrett, the Knicks' team success rate would fall all the way to 25 percent.
A few extra three-point makes could easily have this series looking quite different, as the Knicks have lost two of their three games by eight points or fewer.
With their offseason seemingly near, adding more shooting to this core needs to be a priority.
Philadelphia 76ers: Bringing Back Joel Embiid for Game 2
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It was admirable, brave and courageous of Joel Embiid to return for Game 2 of the Sixers-Celtics series following an LCL sprain, especially on the road in a hostile environment.
It was also the wrong decision.
"What I have is supposed to be out four to six weeks or something like that," Embiid said after Game 2. "So I'm not going to be 100 percent for that whole time; I'm not going be fully healed for that whole time. I felt pretty good to play and I feel like I can help the team defensively and offensively. Obviously, offensively, I wasn't as aggressive."
Embiid didn't look physically ready to play, sporting a large brace on his knee while totaling just 15 points, three rebounds and no assists in a 121-87 loss.
While the Sixers were riding high off a surprising Game 1 win, simply splitting the first two contests in Boston was a victory in and of itself. Forcing Embiid back early to try to steal Game 2, especially with an injury that should have him sidelined until June, seemed greedy.
Embiid has since looked far better in Games 3 and 4, posting back-to-back 30-plus-point games. Had he sat out Game 2 and had a few extra days of rest, his knee likely would have been even better heading into the final stretch of the series.
Knocking off some rust was needed, sure, but playing Embiid in Game 2 made no impact on winning the game. The Sixers should have rested him instead.
Phoenix Suns: Not Having a Better Insurance Plan for Chris Paul
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While the Suns are 2-0 against the Denver Nuggets this series without Chris Paul and 0-2 with their starting point guard, Phoenix is still a far better team when the future Hall of Famer is on the floor.
A groin injury currently has Paul scheduled to miss Game 5 as well as the series shifts back to Denver. With some inconsistent bench performances thus far, the Suns need Paul back as soon as possible.
No one can predict an injury, but given Paul's age (38) and history, Phoenix should have had a better backup plan in place. Even a healthy Paul simply can't handle the same workload he could a decade or even a few seasons ago.
Cameron Payne isn't the answer. The 28-year-old shot just 29.7 percent overall in 13 playoff games a season ago and is following that up with a nearly identical 29.6 percent mark. Of the 120 players who have attempted 25 shots or more this postseason, Payne's field-goal percentage ranks 116th overall.
The Suns' best option is to simply use Devin Booker as the primary ball-handler, although this limits some of his off-ball usage and only increases his already heavy workload.
