2015 NBA Playoffs Finally Living Up to the Hype with Frenzied 2nd Round
Remember that predictable first round of the NBA playoffs? Neither do we.
The start of second-round play has been jam-packed with unforeseen developments ranging from improbable buzzer-beaters to MVP hangovers and the emergence of stigmatized rotational also-rans.
ESPN Stats & Info provided the perfect nugget to sum up the craziness thus far:
That's a far departure from a quarterfinal display that was laced with inevitability. Outside of a seven-game showdown between the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs, Round 1 out West was merely a formality. Ditto for the East, which witnessed two sweeps and victories from the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks, even if they did come in less-than-spectacular fashion.
But now, parity's ruling the day.
With all four series taking unexpected turns and deviating off course, it's time to embrace the craziness that's gotten us here—especially with no sign of the madness slowing down.
Rose Goes Bank, Cleveland Goes Clank
How's this for a contrast: Three games into the Chicago Bulls' second-round series with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Derrick Rose is shooting 42.9 percent from three while LeBron James is hitting on 8.3 percent of his long-range looks.
Not only is that strange considering Rose and James knocked down 28 and 35.4 percent of their regular-season looks from distance, respectively, but it points to the polar opposite trajectories of the teams' offenses.
As if Rose's banked-in three at the buzzer of Game 3 wasn't strange enough, it's Chicago that's thriving with a stacked deck and Cleveland floundering due to injury troubles.
All of a sudden, Kyrie Irving is dealing with a right foot strain. And while it isn't expected to keep him out, the Cavaliers offense is already scrambling for answers as it struggles to space the floor sans Kevin Love.
"I kept it to myself. I kept it from the team and I understand what Coach Blatt was doing in terms of protecting me," Irving said, according to Northeast Ohio Media Group's Chris Haynes. "You guys were asking if I was struggling and he protected me, which I appreciate it, but for me, I kept it to myself. I just wanted to play through it."
Among all conference semifinal qualifiers, Cleveland's field-goal percentage of 41.7 ranks second worst, ahead of only the Atlanta Hawks.
Those were the quick-strike offenses that dominated in the regular season, but to this point, they've failed to replicate the formulas that got them this far.
Cleveland still has plenty of time to save its season, though. And unlike the first round of the playoffs, there's no air of inevitability swallowing up any of these series. With the favorites in early deficits, all eyes will be on front-runners as they seek to work out of uncharacteristic funks.
Austin Rivers? Austin Rivers!
You're not going to convince me that there's been a stranger second-round occurrence than Austin Rivers playing a key role in the Clippers' 124-99 Game 3 blowout of the Houston Rockets.
To recap, Rivers scored 15 of his 25 points in the final four minutes of the third quarter. The Staples Center crowd then proceeded to chant his name—unironically.
As a point of reference, Rivers scored more than 15 points three times with the Clippers all season, topping 25 points just once in a Feb. 21 win over the Sacramento Kings. In this series alone, Rivers has topped 15 points twice (he registered 17 in Game 1) and scored in double figures every time out.
After the Clips' bench ranked 22nd in scoring and last in average playing time during the regular season, Doc Rivers' reserves have come to play. In Game 3, Rivers, Jamal Crawford and Spencer Hawes recorded on/off splits of plus-16, plus-17 and plus-20, respectively, which were higher than the totals posted by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
"The supporting cast is just more important than ever," Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal wrote. "And if it plays like it did on Friday night, the Clippers are going to be a serious threat to take down the Rockets and then work their way past either the Golden State Warriors or Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals."
Welcome to bizarro world, where Rivers is a postseason X-factor.
Atlanta's Offense Disappears
Buzzer-beating heroics from Paul Pierce are one thing.
But it's another thing when the last-second stunner comes on the heels of a stunning 21-point comeback by Atlanta's B-team, which included a 17-0 run late in the fourth quarter.
Kyle Korver, Jeff Teague and Al Horford not getting the job done? Just turn to Dennis Schroder, Mike Scott and...Mike Muscala?
Sure, why not. This is the new postseason world order, after all.
What's scary for Atlanta beyond shaky production from its starters is a general inability to knock down open jumpers. While ball movement and relentless off-ball cutting allowed the Hawks to spin opponents in circles all season long, the same hasn't held true against the Wizards.
Out of nowhere, the Hawks' legs have died, and their jump shots have followed suit.
Nylon Calculus' Seth Partnow provides the evidence:
"Hawks 13 of 33 on uncontested shots tonight. (not a perfect measure of course: http://t.co/gjlEuQ8FLl)
— Seth Partnow (@SethPartnow) May 10, 2015"
It's not like Atlanta's struggling to find ideal looks, either. According to Bleacher Report's Dan Favale, the Hawks have attempted 127 uncontested shots against the Wizards, but they're converting them at a paltry 36.2 percent clip.
One would assume that if those shots continue to be available, some sort of equilibrium will be able to fix a slowly sinking Atlanta ship.
However, Round 2 is no time to hold out hope for course corrections. After all, it's where season-long trends have gone to die.
Speaking of which, kudos to Wizards head coach Randy Wittman for finally embracing the three. After attempting 16.8 per game during the regular season, Washington's jacking an even 25 triples in the second round and hitting on a semifinal-best 41.3 percent of them.
Without John Wall (hand, wrist), consider an influx of threes to be the Wizards' great equalizer.
Memphis' Old-School Style Isn't Extinct Just Yet
This playoff series was supposed to be a glorified celebration of the Golden State Warriors' greatness; a chance for Stephen Curry to validate his MVP nod on the game's biggest and brightest stage.
The Memphis Grizzlies entered the second round with an outdated offense and an injured starting point guard (Mike Conley). On paper, they didn't have nearly enough firepower to keep pace with the league's best, fastest and most explosive squad.
Or so it seemed.
The Grizzlies have dictated the terms of engagement over these last two outings. Their slow-it-down, grit-and-grind style has overwhelmed the Warriors and netted Memphis a 2-1 series lead. Curry, a superhuman during the regular season, has suddenly turned pedestrian (42 points on 40 shots, 17 three-point misses and 12 assists against seven turnovers his last two games).
Conley, who literally broke his face last round, has sliced and diced the Dubs' league-best defense out of the pick-and-roll, via Synergy Sports:
Memphis has bullied Golden State underneath, pushed the tempo when it's needed to and been the first road team to score a win inside Oracle Arena since January. The Grizzlies have even kept things close beyond the arc (10 threes to the Warriors' 12 in Games 2 and 3).
The Grizzlies have taken control of this series and could put the favorites on life support with a win in Monday's Game 4.
- Contributed by Zach Buckley
All stats current as of May 10 and courtesy of NBA.com unless noted otherwise.
Alec Nathan covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @AlecBNathan.
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