This really was to be expected. The NBA playoffs just had two more victims as the Los Angeles Clippers and the Minnesota Timberwolves fell 4-1 to their, respective, opponents, yet their exits come under totally different circumstances.
It’s funny how two teams with totally different circumstances and mindset entering the playoffs can end up with the same result as the First Round closes.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Clippers have had their playoff dreams abruptly ended last night as the Timberwolves lost a narrow 112-109 battle in Denver as both Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out late, while the Clippers lost a 136-130 shootout in Phoenix as both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard missed out with injury.
Yet, even though both teams got taken out in five games, they had happened for radically different reasons.
Starting with the Timberwolves, they were outmatched by the 1st seeded Denver Nuggets the moment the refs threw the ball up for tip-off in Game 1.
Led by Nikola Jokic (26.2 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 9.0 APG, 1.2 SPG), Jamal Murray (27.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.0 SPG), Michael Porter Jr. (16.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.0 SPG), and Aaron Gordon (13.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.8 APG), the Nuggets essentially scored and rebounded at will over the Timberwolves as they won by 9+ points three times (Game 1: 29 PTS; Game 2: 9 PTS; Game 3: 9 PTS) and outrebounded Minnesota four of the five games (Game 1: +16 REB; Game 2: +1 REB; Game 3: +8 REB; Game 5: +7 REB).
Obviously, you not going to win a series if you get outrebounded 4/5 times and constantly loss by three or more possessions, yet that has to be expected when dealing with a 1st vs. 8th matchup.
In fact, in the 76-year history of the NBA, there has only been four 8th seeds to ever upset a 1st seed in the opening round of the playoffs (1994 Denver Nuggets over Seattle Supersonics, 1999 New York Knicks over Miami Heat, 2007 Golden State Warriors over Dallas Mavericks, and the 2011 Memphis Grizzlies over the San Antonio Spurs).
Simply put, the Timberwolves losing this series shouldn’t have been a shocker to anyone.
Yet, what should be a shocker is how the Timberwolves lost.
Despite having two of the best (or who are perceived to be the best) big men in the game in Rudy Gobert (15.0 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.0 BPG) and Karl-Anthony Towns (18.2 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.8 BPG), the Timberwolves were either outscored or tied in points scored in the paint in 4/5 games!
In the first three games, the Nuggets outscored the Timberwolves in the paint 48-36 (GM. 1), 56-44 (GM. 2), 60-52 (GM. 3), and the two teams tied 54-54 (GM. 4) in the sole game the Timberwolves actually won. That’s unacceptable for two players that not only are getting paid $205M/5 years (Gobert) and $158M/5 years (KAT), respectively, regardless of if they are facing off against the 2X reigning MVP in Jokic. He’s only ONE person!
And, as I mentioned, Gobert and KAT’s seeming lack of playoff awareness got the best of the once again as they both needlessly fouled out with less than 30 seconds remaining and the Nuggets had just a 5-point lead.
At least Anthony Edwards (31.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 2.0 BPG) balled out…
Anyways, as for the Clippers, I have to give massive props to the players who actually faced off against the Phoenix Suns as they were left out to dry by Kawhi Leonard.
I know a bunch of the “benchwarmers-turned-television-stars” have been decrying anyone who even suggests that Leonard abandoned his teammates (and I’ll get to them in another article as they’re obnoxiously annoying), but that’s just the fact of the matter considering what has been revealed after the Clippers loss.
Yet, before I get into that, let me just apologize to Russell Westbrook as I grossly undervalued what he can still bring to a contending NBA team.
Having just Norman Powell (21.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.2 APG) and Iviac Zubac (9.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 0.6 APG) as support with Leonard dipping the series after Game 2, Westbrook carried the badly depleted Clippers on his back and went off for 23.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.4 BPG, and impressively had a 1.9 AST/TO stat across the five games.
So, along with being one of the sole factors as to why the Clippers won Game 2 (he had the huge block on Devin Booker), he was also assisting twice as many baskets as he was turning the ball against the Suns. And, having seen him with the Lakers, you should know that’s a huge deal as he was a walking turnover machine in the opposite half of LA.
Still, expecting Westbrook, Powell, and Zubac to overcome a Suns starting lineup of Chris Paul (13.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 8.2 APG, 2.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG), Torey Craig (12.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.o APG), DeAndre Ayton (16.0 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 0.8 APG), Devin Booker (37.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.4 APG, 2.6 SPG, 1.0 BPG), and Kevin Durant (28.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG) is like trying to fly a pig to the moon. It’s just never going to happen.
However, if Kawhi Leonard was in this lineup, I think they might have been able to take this series to 6 or 7 games.
Leonard, who was diagnosed with a torn meniscus after Game 5 in the same knee he suffered his ACL tear, has to either retire or take a job as a supportive bench player. There’s no way a player, despite being one of the greatest in the league talent-wise, should be getting paid $40M+ over the next three seasons (which includes a $48M player option) and only be able to play half of the regular season and the playoffs.
It’s just not fair that Leonard’s teammates, who are on the team to support and compliment Leonard, have to scrap against the best teams in the league while he is constantly teasing long, productive runs withing the team by posting 30+ PPG, yet has to miss vital games when his debilitating injuries eventually get the better of him.
How else do you describe Leonard’s actions other than he’s stealing a living from more deserving/available players?
If he can’t play because he is suffering from severe knee injuries (which it sounds like he is), then he shouldn’t have played in the first two games as it gave LA false hope. And, if he can play at an extremely high level (he averaged 34.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 6.0 APG, 2.0 SPG in the two games he played) but his knee is hurting him, then he should toughen it out and help the Clippers win their first NBA title. You know, the reason why he’s getting paid generational levels of wealth.
I know the soft T.V. star role players will despise me for saying this, but what makes great players all-time legends is the desire to overcome everything to win. Kobe Bryant played on a torn Achillies late in the season, Kevin McHale played the 1987 NBA Finals on a broken foot, Willis Reed played the 1970 NBA Finals with a torn thigh muscle, Isiah Thomas played the 1988 NBA Finals with a sprained ankle and a broken finger, and Michael Jordan won the 1997 NBA Finals while battling the flu.
Perhaps saying that he’s “stealing a living” is a little too harsh, but I think he’s being a terrible teammate by continuously coming back and playing fantastic for a few games before eventually going down with a demoralizing, long-term injury.
Either retire as his knees seem to be completely shot or take the necessary amount of time to recover as he’s being nothing but a confidence and momentum killer right now.
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