The NBA postseason is hither, and the 75th flavour in league history could deliver ane of its virtually broad-open chases to the title.

The Phoenix Suns ran away with the league's all-time regular-season record -- 8 games better than their closest challenger -- but tin Devin Booker and Chris Paul lead a 2nd straight run to the Finals? They'll have to fence with a host of Western Conference contenders, including Luka Doncic and the dangerous Dallas Mavericks, reigning MVP and current accolade favorite Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets and Ja Morant and the young but bold Memphis Grizzlies.

Oh, and the Golden State Warriors are back in the playoffs for the first fourth dimension since reaching the Finals in 2019.

In the Eastern Conference, the bracket was then tightly packed that the Nos. 1 through 10 seeds were separated by just 10 games. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, it'southward the closest for whatsoever conference since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976-77.

The Miami Estrus lead the style, but Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, equally well as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the surging Boston Celtics and Joel Embiid, James Harden and the revamped Philadelphia 76ers were on Miami'south heels throughout the 2d one-half.

And we didn't even mention the Brooklyn Nets, who, after an injury- and drama-filled season, are lurking every bit the East'southward seven seed.

Let'due south pause downwardly what yous demand to know nearly the xvi teams nevertheless playing for a title, including storylines, stats and stars you lot can't miss this postseason.

Note: 2022 NBA title odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

The Phoenix Suns are on a redemption tour

The Suns are trying to go the 15th squad in league history to lose in the NBA Finals and then win the championship the following season. The last team to practice so was the Warriors in 2016-17, who added Kevin Durant after their 73-win team fell short against the Cavaliers in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals.

Booker might be the most under-the-radar MVP candidate always

Devin Booker averaged 26.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and iv.8 assists on the league'south No. 1 squad. While Booker didn't cheque all three boxes, all 12 players in NBA history to average 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for the team with the best record in the league went on to win MVP that flavour. Booker appears to be a long shot for the award, and the snub could motivate him fifty-fifty further in the playoffs. "I'yard not too caught up in that," he told ESPN. "I'm defenseless up in playing the right way."

The Point God is fending off Father Time

Should Phoenix make it back to the Finals, Chris Paul will be just one of seven players age 37 or older to start a Finals game since the NBA officially started tracking starting lineups in 1970-71, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Karl Malone and David Robinson.

The Suns' pregame huddle is must-watch ridiculousness

JaVale McGee has been known to get down on all fours and bark similar a domestic dog. Cameron Payne and Mikal Bridges dance like they're a budding act on "America'southward Got Talent." It's a thing. And it'southward a whole lot of fun for NBA-best Phoenix.

-- Dave McMenamin

The Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant is about to hitting his biggest stage

Morant, who has chastised networks for not giving the Grizzlies enough national Boob tube time, loves the bright lights. And he has produced in pressure situations during his young NBA career. Memphis bowed out in five games to the Jazz in last year's first circular, simply Morant averaged 30.2 points in the series, including a franchise-record 47 in Game 2. He too had a pair of 35-indicate performances in play-in duels against Damian Lillard and Stephen Curry.

These Grizzlies are young -- and out to make history
The Grizzlies' boilerplate age, weighted past playing time, is 24.four years old. They're the youngest team to finish with a tiptop-two record since minutes became official in 1951-52, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Past that metric, the Grizzlies could go the youngest team e'er to make the NBA Finals, a distinction currently held by the 1976-77 Trail Blazers (24.99).

They constitute i of the biggest steals of the 2020 draft

Most NBA teams didn't think Desmond Bane had a lot of upside after playing all 4 seasons in college, a rarity these days for draft prospects. The Grizzlies noted that Bane got significantly improve each year at TCU and projected that evolution to go on. Bane, who played in summer league last year despite existence a second-team All-Rookie selection, has emerged every bit a master offensive pick and a major reason Memphis went twenty-5 when Morant wasn't bachelor.

One of their all-time young stars finally stayed healthy

Jaren Jackson Jr. staying healthy might have been the most encouraging development of a regular flavor in which the Grizzlies made clear that they'd be a long-term threat in the Westward. Jackson had his first iii years interrupted past knee problems, limiting him to just eleven games terminal flavour. He played all simply three games this flavor, condign a Defensive Actor of the Twelvemonth candidate and inspiring confidence he could be a franchise cornerstone.

Morant might pull off something like this:

-- Tim MacMahon

The Gold State Warriors' big iii shared the court for ... 11 minutes

When Klay Thompson returned to the Warriors' lineup in Jan, that was supposed to be the final slice to Gold State'south puzzle. That was wishful thinking. The day Thompson came back, Draymond Green went out for 2 months with a back injury. The mean solar day Dark-green came back, Stephen Back-scratch sprained his foot. The Warriors' big iii have played simply 11 minutes together this flavour. (Their projected typical starting lineup of them with Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney has played just 7 seconds.) In those xi minutes, the Warriors had offensive and defensive ratings of 92.3 and 85.two, respectively.

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1:11

Why Perk has concerns well-nigh the Warriors in the postseason

Kendrick Perkins states that the Warriors are missing key elements to take them all the mode in the playoffs.

Jordan Poole played more than 11 minutes -- and had a breakout season

When Thompson was working his mode dorsum from his injuries, Poole stepped in as the starting 2-guard and got off to a hot start at the beginning of the season. Now with Curry out, he has been plugged into Curry's spot and has excelled nevertheless once again. Poole dominated in March, averaging 25.iv points, 4.9 assists and iii.9 rebounds throughout 19 games, scoring 20 or more points in 17 consecutive games and leading the league in made 3s (67).

The Splash Brothers might accept a few cousins

Over the past 10 years, the Warriors and 3-pointers accept become synonymous. This season, they added even more shooting to the roster. The combination of Thompson, Poole and Curry will present a defensive puzzler for defenses, especially with Looney and Green as threats downwards low. And Nemanja Bjelica and Otto Porter Jr. have been reliable bigs who tin can spread the floor, while Wiggins has also provided some timely buckets. Fifty-fifty Gary Payton Ii can be counted on to knock downwards shots from deep. Gilded State is averaging 14.3 made 3s per game -- third in the NBA -- and the Warriors are ane of just iv teams to have four players (Curry, Thompson, Poole and Wiggins) making at least 2 3s per game and shooting 35% or better from long range.

Golden State's defense started strong merely slipped late

Through the first three months of the season, the Warriors' defense sabbatum atop the league with a 102.2 rating. Merely around February, it took a devastating tumble. It's non a coincidence that this happened around the same time Green was sidelined with a back injury. In the two months Green was out, Golden State's defensive rating plummeted to 110.4, still good plenty for eighth in the NBA. But now that Dark-green is back, the Warriors are looking to reassert their defensive mindset.

-- Kendra Andrews

The Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic hits another level in large games

Doncic had a long track record of performing when the stakes were high when he arrived in the NBA as a teenager. He had won multiple championships with Real Madrid, earning MVP of the EuroLeague's Final Four in his last act before making the leap to the NBA, and starred for Slovenia during its Cinderella run to a EuroBasket title. The Mavs have all the same to advance past the commencement circular with Doncic, but he has been a ascendant postseason force, averaging 33.five points, 8.8 rebounds and 9.five assists in two competitive series against the Clippers. Doncic volition miss Game 1 against the Jazz with a dogie strain.

The Mavs went from worst to first in one clutch stat

Dallas ranked dead final in clutch-fourth dimension efficiency -- minus-34.5 points per 100 possessions -- after a Feb. two overtime loss to Oklahoma Metropolis. The Mavs are an NBA-best plus-41.six in clutch cyberspace rating since. Two major factors in the Mavs' clutch metamorphosis: Doncic playing his fashion into shape and Spencer Dinwiddie's arrival at the trade borderline in the Kristaps Porzingis deal.

Their playoff defense will exist worth watching

A drastically improved defence keyed Dallas' climb to abode-courtroom reward in the get-go round. The Mavs went 20-7 during the first 2 months of 2022, holding teams to 105.7 points per 100 possessions during that bridge. The Mavs have continued winning despite slipping significantly on that end of the floor since, every bit the defensive rating spiked to 113.8 from March one on. "Nosotros have to get back to the details of our defense," Jason Kidd said. "That's what nosotros're congenital on."

Jalen Brunson has something to testify

Brunson has positioned himself for a big payday -- significantly more than the four-year, $55 million extension the Mavs tin can offer earlier he becomes a free amanuensis -- but he still has a lot to prove in the playoffs. Brunson missed the chimera playoffs afterwards undergoing shoulder surgery and had a disappointing postseason debut last twelvemonth, when his playing time decreased over the course of the series. "Information technology sabbatum with me all summer," Brunson said at the start of training camp.

-- MacMahon

The Utah Jazz' Donovan Mitchell pours in the playoff points

Donovan Mitchell has established himself every bit one of the premier playoff scorers in NBA history. He ranks fifth all-fourth dimension in playoff points per game at 28.9 (minimum 25 games), behind merely Kevin Durant among agile players. But it's yet to event in a deep playoff run. Dominique Wilkins is the just other actor amidst the peak 20 in career playoff points per game to never announced in a conference finals.

Small ball isn't their thing ...

The hope was that the costless bureau signing of Rudy Gay -- or perhaps the trade for Mitchell'south babyhood buddy Eric Paschall -- would provide double-decker Quin Snyder the pick of playing minor-ball lineups. That hasn't happened. The Jazz's lineups without a traditional center have been terrible, getting outscored by sixteen.7 points per 100 possessions in 440 minutes this flavor, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Those groups have immune opponents to shoot 68.i% on dunks and layups, which would rank last in the league past a significant margin.

... And they have a habit of bravado big leads

Snyder took exception recently to the perception that the Jazz are peculiarly decumbent to bravado big leads. Only perception is indeed reality in this case. Utah has lost six games this season in which they held a double-digit atomic number 82 in the quaternary quarter, the nigh in the league. The Jazz have diddled second-half leads of 25 and 21 to the Clippers and Warriors, respectively, over the past few weeks. Information technology'south a painful subject area, of course, bringing dorsum haunting memories of the Jazz's emptying-game collapse against the Clippers last year.

The future of the franchise could be at stake

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How Nikola Jokic has overtaken Joel Embiid in the race for NBA MVP

Brian Windhorst breaks down how votes have shifted following the latest NBA MVP straw poll conducted by ESPN'south Tim Bontemps.

In that location has been widespread speculation throughout the league that annihilation merely a deep playoff run could lead to drastic changes for the Jazz. In other words, the end of the Mitchell-Rudy Gobert partnership could be on the horizon. "At the end of the day, we have an opportunity today," Gobert said on ESPN's NBA Today. "For us, the virtually of import thing to do is embrace that. When the season is over, the season is over. Information technology's the NBA; no one plays together for 20 years. We know how it works."

-- MacMahon

The Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic is even better than last flavour ... when he won MVP

Jokic has put up some historic numbers this flavour -- he became the showtime role player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds 500 assists in a flavour, and his 32.92 Histrion Efficiency Rating (PER) ready the league's all-time tape -- while carrying the entirety of the Nuggets crime with Jamal Murray (ACL) and Michael Porter Jr. (back) sidelined. Jokic hopes to have some help for the playoffs, but if he doesn't, the reigning MVP will look to continue the types of performances the league hasn't seen from a centre since Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain. Jokic averaged 29.eight points, 11.half dozen rebounds and five.0 assists last postseason, but he heads into these playoffs having posted massive numbers in March and April -- 31.6 points, xiii.7 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 62.three% shooting. He did and then while winning meaningful games down the stretch as Denver fought to stay out of the West play-in.

Reinforcements could exist on their manner

The one-yr anniversary of Murray tearing the ACL in his left genu is Tuesday. The 25-yr-old guard has been ramping up his activity, simply the Nuggets will be very cautious with a potential render. The same goes for Porter Jr., who has missed all simply nine games this season after undergoing lumbar spine surgery in early on December. If the Nuggets get one or both players back, no one volition desire to face up Jokic with another offensive weapon by his side.

Denver may accept constitute its spark off the demote

It'southward been no secret the Nuggets take struggled when Jokic rests -- Denver is xvi.4 points per 100 possessions meliorate with him on the courtroom -- and motorbus Michael Malone has tried to notice the right mix to keep the Nuggets afloat while their MVP gets a breather. He may have institute information technology in rookie Bones Hyland. The No. 26 overall option in 2021 averaged fourteen.3 points in March, including three 20-plus indicate performances, and the Nuggets will demand that kind of offensive dial off the demote.

-- Ohm Youngmisuk

The Minnesota Timberwolves might take the best-shooting big man ... e'er

Later on joining Dirk Nowitzki as the ii tallest three-betoken contest winners, the six-human foot-xi Karl-Anthony Towns declared himself "the greatest big man shooter of all time." No player taller than 6-foot-10 has matched Towns' 39.7% career accuracy with more than fifty 3-point attempts, per Stathead.com. Pro Basketball Talk noted he likewise matches Nowitzki on long 2s. Even so, Dirk's edges in foul shooting (88% to 83%) and book (1,982 career 3s) might give him the nod ... for now.

The Wolves' starting five is scary good

The Timberwolves' main starting five (Patrick Beverley and D'Angelo Russell at guard, Anthony Edwards and Jarred Vanderbilt at forrad and Towns at eye) is in lofty company as one of just seven lineups leaguewide to outscore opponents by at least 100 points while on the court, per NBA Advanced Stats. It volition be interesting to see whether coach Chris Finch leans more heavily on this group in the postseason and if that success carries over.

Love the play-in tournament? The Wolves did it before it was absurd

You tin can probably thank Minnesota, forth with the Nuggets, for helping demonstrate the viability of the play-in tournament. Back in 2018, the Timberwolves snapped a xiii-year playoff drought by beating the Nuggets on the season's final dark to claim the eighth seed in forepart of a national TV audience. Now, Minnesota is headed to the play-in to effort to get back in the playoffs for the first time since so.

Ant-Human is out at that place bending the laws of physics

Because Edwards, the No. 1 pick of the 2020 draft, has said he isn't interested in entering the dunk contest every bit an "in-game dunker," the postseason will be the best opportunity for a national audience to run into him take flight. But Edwards' best throwdown this season didn't count; he powered over Miami's Gabe Vincent in Nov but was called for a charge.

-- Kevin Pelton

The New Orleans Pelicans' stars have constitute their groove

After a 1-iv start, the Pelicans have won viii of ten games in which CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram have played together. Ingram has missed time with a hamstring injury, simply the two have discovered a chemistry on the court. The Pelicans have a 116.9 offensive rating with those two on the court, the 3rd-best rating on the team among 2-human lineups with at to the lowest degree 200 minutes. The merely two meliorate are McCollum with two other starters: Jonas Valanciunas (119.0) and Herb Jones (117.5).

Jose Alvarado is taking people's cookies

Accept your eyes off the brawl and the Pelicans rookie point guard could cause havoc in the backcourt. Alvarado has perfected the hide-in-the-corner-and-chase-you-down steal this flavour. In fact, according to 2nd Spectrum tracking, he leads the league with 19 backcourt steals despite playing simply 812 minutes.

The 3s aren't falling in The Big Easy

One of the reasons the Pelicans made the deadline deal for McCollum was to ameliorate their exterior shooting. This season, the Pelicans rank last in 3-pointers fabricated (859) and 27th in 3-signal pct (33.2%). The but other postseason squad in the league's bottom 10 in iii-point per centum is the Mavericks at 21st overall. After acquiring McCollum, New Orleans didn't meliorate much from behind the arc, rising to only 26th in three-point pct (34.1%) and dipping to 28th in made 3s (280) with the former Portland Trail Blazers sharpshooter on the roster.

-- Andrew Lopez

EASTERN Briefing

The Miami Rut and the curious instance of Jimmy Butler'south 3s

Heading into the concluding month of the season, Butler's splits from across the arc were ... not great:

  • October: 0.5 makes on 1.3 attempts per game

  • Nov: 0.3 makes on ii.0 attempts per game

  • Dec: 0.5 makes on 1.3 attempts per game

  • Jan: 0.5 makes on 2.4 attempts per game

  • Feb: 0.2 makes on 1.8 attempts per game

  • March: 0.six makes on 2.four attempts per game

So came April, and Butler, while noting his teammates have been telling him to shoot more from distance -- recorded 1.iii makes on 3.0 attempts per game. It's a tendency the Heat need to stick in the playoffs.

They have the runaway Sixth Human being of the Yr favorite ...

Tyler Herro has had a terrific season off the bench, averaging 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and iv.0 assists per game. He is a central reason the Heat vaulted all the way dorsum to the top of the Due east this season. The 22-yr-old's ability to maintain that production in the postseason will be critical to the Heat's success -- specially given how poorly he shot in terminal season's East quarterfinals against the Bucks. Herro averaged just ix.3 points on 31.vi% shooting in Milwaukee's sweep.

... And they accept another surreptitious weapon off the bench

Max Strus had a breakout season in Miami -- averaging 10.6 points a game while shooting 41% from across the arc. The 26-year-erstwhile showed he could provide solid minutes when called upon and figures to encounter some important ones when the Heat need to stretch the floor. Strus, Herro and Duncan Robinson have the offensive power to create plenty of matchup issues.

-- Nick Friedell

The Boston Celtics take been a new team since late January

Prior to going to Washington on Jan. 23, Boston was a .500 team barely outscoring its opponents. Since then, the Celtics have clearly been the all-time team in the East, outscoring teams by more than xiv points per 100 possessions while rocketing up the standings from the bottom of the play-in tournament morass to claiming home-court reward in the beginning round and establishing themselves as legitimate championship contenders.

They lost their defensive anchor in March

Robert Williams Iii has been one of the NBA'southward most improved players this flavor and a linchpin of Boston's league-leading defense. Without him for at least the first round of the playoffs, the Celtics will be relying on the combination of Al Horford, Daniel Theis and Grant Williams to hold the fort until Robert Williams is prepare to return afterwards undergoing meniscus surgery on March thirty.

One of the best deadline additions had an up-and-down 2nd half

Derrick White'southward inflow in Boston at the trade borderline has played a big part in the team's resurgence, as he is both a quick decision-maker offensively and a stout defender. Merely as teams lock into their opponents more closely in the playoffs, White's 3-point shooting -- he hitting just xxx.6% from deep in a Celtics compatible -- will be a fundamental to watch alongside the playmaking of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brownish.

Marcus Smart could finish the DPOY domination by big men

Smart is one of the leading candidates for Defensive Player of the Yr and says his versatility is a big reason he should become the first bespeak guard to win the honour since Gary Payton in 1996. Co-ordinate to ESPN Stats & Information research and 2d Spectrum tracking, Smart has switched 422 times as the brawl-handler defender confronting on-ball screens this flavor, the third most in the NBA. The Celtics take immune 0.89 points per chance on these plays -- the league average is 0.95.

-- Tim Bontemps

The Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo just put up another MVP-worthy campaign ...

Antetokounmpo is a contender to win his third MVP after another ascendant season leading the defending champs. He's spent stretches this season as their master playmaker and spent more time at middle than ever earlier, all while challenging for the scoring title at 29.9 points per game (third in the NBA) and being a contender for the Defensive Player of the Year honor.

... And Antetokounmpo gets even ameliorate in crunch fourth dimension

When the game is on the line, Antetokounmpo has been at his best. He has scored 528 points in 526 fourth-quarter minutes, one of but five players in the play-past-play era (since 1996-97) to average at least 1 point per fourth-quarter minute. He too became the first player in the by 25 years to boilerplate at least eight points on 55% shooting in the fourth quarter during a single season.

Brook is back, and just in fourth dimension

The Bucks played nearly the entire season without starting middle Brook Lopez, who needed back surgery on Dec. ii and has appeared in but xi games this flavor. Just Lopez has come back exactly as the rim protector Milwaukee remembers, holding opponents to 12-for-40 shooting (xxx%) at the rim. Last season, Lopez ranked 2d in field goal percentage allowed at the rim, trailing just Warriors forrard Draymond Green.

Milwaukee's defense slipped, merely history is on its side

Defense has been the calling card in Milwaukee each year under double-decker Mike Budenholzer, simply for the first fourth dimension during his 4-year tenure, the Bucks finished outside the top x in defensive efficiency, dropping to 14th. En road to the championship terminal year, the Bucks' defence went from No. 9 during the regular season to No. 1 in the playoffs, then they will be counting on a similar step up to behave them through their repeat pursuit.

-- Jamal Collier

The Philadelphia 76ers tin can't be stopped when Harden and Embiid share the court

Since pairing Harden and Embiid at the trade borderline, Philadelphia has seen the new superstar duo dominate. Philadelphia outscored teams by 15.9 points per 100 possessions with their ii All-Stars sharing the court, the second-best mark among NBA duos with at to the lowest degree 600 minutes playing together.

Tyrese Maxey might have won the Ben Simmons trade

While Simmons waited to be traded, Maxey entered his sophomore season having been handed the keys to Philadelphia's crime every bit its starting point guard. All he did was average 17.4 points per game and shoot 43.three% from iii-point range. That shooting improvement, coupled with Maxey'due south blinding speed, has made him a tremendous observe for the 76ers belatedly in the 2020 draft and a core piece of their time to come.

The Sixers tin't guard anyone in transition

Per ESPN Stats & Information research, since Harden arrived in Philadelphia at the merchandise borderline, 76ers opponents have shot 64.9% in transition, the worst field goal percentage allowed during that bridge. Before the deadline, information technology was 55.7%, practiced for 20th in the NBA. Make no mistake: Teams will be running on Philly.

They're also stuck in a backup middle carousel

After Andre Drummond was included in the Simmons trade to Brooklyn, 76ers passenger vehicle Doc Rivers has been mixing and matching his backup heart options, more often than not going with DeAndre Jordan -- though he notably went with Paul Millsap against Milwaukee late in the regular flavor. Both veterans have struggled, continuing an annual tendency in which Philadelphia plays poorly whenever Embiid hits the bench; the Sixers' internet rating drops almost 12 points per 100 possessions when he sits.

-- Bontemps

The Toronto Raptors have a bench -- they simply don't use it very often

At a fourth dimension when managing player wellness is more important than ever, Toronto's willingness to play its starters heavy minutes is a throwback. Each Raptors starter -- Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr. -- is inside the superlative 30 in the NBA in minutes per game, with VanVleet and Siakam at the summit of that list, both averaging 37.9. It will be interesting to encounter how Toronto'southward ceiling adjusts in the playoffs as other teams play their top players as much as the Raptors already are.

Barnes is the existent deal

If Barnes, the quaternary overall pick in 2021, doesn't win Rookie of the Year, it's only because this is a historically strong rookie class, with Cleveland's Evan Mobley and Detroit's Cade Cunningham as well making strong cases for the accolade. But Toronto unquestionably has a keeper in Barnes, a 6-foot-seven wing who is averaging fifteen.four points and seven.six rebounds and plays with an infectious energy. It'south rare for a rookie similar this to land on a playoff squad, just it will be fun to run into how Barnes plays on the large stage.

The Raptor ... uh ... finds a way

Devin Booker took issue with Toronto'due south trouble-making mascot in January for its antics during Booker's free throws late in what became a Phoenix win. What player could choice up that curtain of feuding with The Raptor in the playoffs?

-- Bontemps

The Chicago Bulls' DeMar DeRozan is the new king in the fourth

DeRozan has carried the Bulls to a few shut wins this season by being excellent in the clutch. This flavour, he has scored 157 points on 53.5% shooting in clutch fourth dimension -- defined every bit the last v minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime with the score within five points -- becoming merely the quaternary player in the by ten years to pull it off, joining Damian Lillard last season, LeBron James in 2017-18 and CJ McCollum in 2016-17.

They couldn't beat the East'southward all-time -- which seems problematic in, you lot know, the Due east playoffs

The Bulls started the flavour competing for ane of the top seeds in the E only savage back in the standings because they had very little success against the other playoff teams. Chicago finished the season ane-14 against the tiptop four teams in the conference, the second worst winning percentage by a playoff team against the tiptop iv in their conference since 1984. Only the 2019-xx Orlando Magic, who went 0-xiv, were worse.

No "Chi Slamma Jamma" in the postseason

One of the staples of the Bulls' surprising start were cross-court, fast-break lasers from Lonzo Brawl, often followed past an alley-oop douse from Zach LaVine. Ball finished third in transition assists per game on passes that traveled at to the lowest degree 40 feet, co-ordinate to Second Spectrum tracking, 1 of the more fun elements to a Chicago offense that has been lost subsequently his left knee injury. Ball won't return this flavour.

The Bulls had 2nd-half 3-signal woes -- on both sides of the ball

The absence of Brawl exacerbated 2 of the biggest issues hindering the squad in the second one-half -- their dip defensively and shooting woes from iii-bespeak range. Chicago survived taking the fewest three-pointers in the NBA this flavour because they ranked in the top five in 3-point per centum. However, after the All-Star break, they ranked 23rd in 3-signal percent while still taking the fewest attempts per game. Defensively, the Bulls have dropped from 10th in the league on January. 1 to 23rd.

-- Collier

The Brooklyn Nets' stars take overcome a porous defense

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are two of the well-nigh dynamic offensive players in recent NBA history. They can go their own shot seemingly whenever they desire and both players proceed to display their dominance, as evidenced by Durant's 55 points in an April 2 loss to the Hawks and Irving'south 60 points in a March 15 win over the Magic. But volition that offensive brilliance hold upwards? The Nets' defense has been sliding since a potent start to the season -- they come into the postseason ranked 20th with a 112.3 defensive rating.

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1:18

Trae Young on what sparked his second-one-half takeover

Trae Young discusses the Hawks' win over the Cavaliers and why he was able to become information technology going in the second half.

There could be a Ben Simmons sighting

Nets bus Steve Nash has been clear that he wouldn't have an upshot plugging Simmons into a playoff game fifty-fifty though the three-fourth dimension All-Star hadn't played all season. And while Simmons has been ruled out of the play-in tournament, the door is open for a potential debut later in the postseason. Sources told ESPN'southward Adrian Wojnarowski that Simmons' progress is fueling promise that he could debut one-time in the first round.

Bruce Dark-brown is Brooklyn'due south 6-foot-iv spark plug

The 25-year-quondam wing -- who has been known to blindside in the paint -- ramped upward his game in March, averaging xiv.seven points, v.5 rebounds and 3.vii assists. He too provides a defensive lift and has been open about how motivated he was to improve this summer after the way the Bucks defended him in the East semifinals last season.

The Nets got a 2nd-round steal last summer

Kessler Edwards played so well down the stretch that he earned a standard contract subsequently being on a two-way deal all season. Not only has the 2021 second-circular pick out of Pepperdine made a difference with his length and athleticism on the floor -- but he shot a robust 47.four% from beyond the arc during 12 games in March.

-- Friedell

The Atlanta Hawks are out to daze the NBA world over again

Last season, the Hawks stunned the league with their late-season turnaround and trip to the East finals. Could they surprise everyone again? To do so this time, they'll accept to win twice to make it out of the play-in tournament. But the Hawks accept been exceptional at home this flavor (third-most domicile wins in the East) and whatsoever team with Trae Young in the playoffs will have a gamble.

Trae set up a "Tiny" record

It went downwards to the final week of the season, but Young joined Nate "Tiny" Archibald in 1972-73 as the only players in NBA history to lead the league in total points and total assists. Young passed DeMar DeRozan for the atomic number 82 in points tardily and held off Chris Paul for the lead in assists. Overall, Immature averaged 28.iv points and 9.7 assists, finishing fourth in scoring and third in assists.

The Hawks' aristocracy iii-point shooting makes them a threat ...

Immature has a reputation for being an excellent loftier-volume 3-bespeak shooter -- he'due south 6th in the E with 8.0 attempts per game with a 38.two% clip -- but he's not Atlanta's only deep threat. The Hawks are second in the NBA in 3-point percentage (37.four%) and have 10 players with at least 100 three-point attempts -- the worst percentage among that group beingness Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot at 36.one%. That number is nevertheless meliorate than nineteen NBA teams this season.

... But their defense could send them dwelling early on

Atlanta ranks 26th this season in defensive rating (113.7 points allowed per 100 possessions) but they still own a positive cyberspace rating. Atlanta too is bottom x in the league in opponent field goal percentage (47.1%) and opponent 3-betoken percentage (36.4%).

-- Lopez