NBA Playoffs Notes: Anthony Edwards Is Awesome, Philly’s Problems, Potential Suns Breakup, More

It’s been a fun first round of the NBA Playoffs thus far! The Timberwolves and Thunder have both looked like they’re more than ready for the spotlight. A few teams also appear to be destined for a breakup this offseason, and the Clippers and Mavericks first-round series is living up to the hype. Let’s get to all of that and more around the NBA.

Around the NBA Playoffs

Anthony Edwards has been the star of the NBA Playoffs
© Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

  • Anthony Edwards is awesome. Last night the Timberwolves completed their sweep of the Suns. In these four games, Edwards averaged 31 points per game to go along with 8.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per contest. He did it all for Minnesota, and he does it with a swagger and confidence that feels a whole lot like the old-school attitudes of Michael or Kobe. Before the playoffs, I’d have thought there was only a small chance Minnesota could get by Denver in the second round. While I still think Denver will be favored, Edwards’ first-round effort makes it seem a whole lot more possible. Anthony Edwards had an awesome season, and it feels like this NBA playoff is going to be his graduation to one of the game’s top superstars.
  • Let’s talk about the Timberwolves’ first-round opponent – the Phoenix Suns. Where exactly do they go from here? Their big three was a massive flop in year one, and the Bradley Beal fit ended up being as awkward as many thought it would be. Turns out that just not having a point guard isn’t a very sound strategy. So what now? Does Kevin Durant try and force his way out? Could Devin Booker be made available? Beal has essentially no trade value and carries a massive three-year deal paying $50+ million in each of the next three seasons. The Suns also don’t have a tradeable first-round pick until 2029. So what now? It feels almost certain that Frank Vogel will be let go, but is a new coach and minor tweaks enough to fix the Suns’ issues? I kind of think they make a coaching switch and run it back next year, but if KD moves I wouldn’t be at all surprised.
  • Staying in the West, the Clippers and Mavs series has been so much fun. Whoever wins will have a very tall task in the Thunder in Round 2, but so far this matchup has been the back-and-forth battle we hoped for. Kyrie and Luka have both been fantastic. Paul George was amazing in Game 4. James Harden looks like his old self. Kawhi Leonard’s health will be the biggest question mark going forward. He missed Game 1, played Games 2 & 3, then missed Game 4. The Clippers are 2-0 without him in the lineup and 0-2 with him. That’s not to say they’re a better team without him, but they might be a better team without him if he’s not 100 perecent healthy. Kawhi will be evaluated on a game-by-game basis, but I think it’s very possible we won’t see him again in this series.
  • Similarly to the Suns, it’s going to be interesting to see where Philly goes from here. It’s yet another early playoff exit for Joel Embiid and the Sixers. Not that Embiid hasn’t been good – he’s averaging 35 points per game in the playoffs – but the supporting cast isn’t there yet again. Tyrese Maxey has emerged as a very solid running mate with Embiid, and with Tobias Harris’ money (and a good chunk of their roster’s) coming off the books, how they go about this offseason will be interesting to watch. Outside of Maxey and Embiid, the Sixers have just two players scoring in double figures – Kyle Lowry and Kelly Oubre Jr. – so we will likely see a very new-look supporting cast in Philly next year.
  • The Bucks fell down 3-1 in their series with the Pacers yesterday, but it was actually a pretty valiant effort from a roster that was incredibly depleted. Giannis and Damian Lillard both sat and then Bobby Portis got ejected in the first quarter. Can they come back if they get healthy? If they don’t, what does the offseason look like? Could they move on from the Damian Lillard experiment after just one year? They’ve just been such a weird team all year. They’ve had flashes of being the best team in the East at times this season, but there’s just zero consistency. Maybe a full offseason with Doc Rivers in charge helps things, but how they approach the offseason will be one of the top stories in basketball.
  • Jan 29, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers talks with forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

  • Another Eastern Conference team with questions this offseason will be the Cavs. The Donovan Mitchell dilemma is one that seems to linger, and this summer it will probably come to a resolution one way or another. Obviously, you never want to move on from a star like Mitchell, but if he’s deadset on exploring free agency … don’t you have to move him? Especially if the Cavs come up short yet again in the playoffs with this group, it feels like a Donovan Mitchell trade could be very likely. Now, that series is nowhere near decided. The Cavs can still very much win it, but a date with the Celtics in Round 2 doesn’t seem all that promising.
  • One story for a non-playoff team worth monitoring popped up today. ESPN NBA Insider Brian Windhorst was on The Pat McAfee show today and said he predicts a star will join Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio. He also inferred that Trae Young might be a top candidate to be that star, but he didn’t go as far as to actually say that name. Anyway, it does feel like someone will want to go play with Wemby, and why wouldn’t they? He’s the future of the league, and Gregg Popovich is still in charge. San Antonio will be on the top of a lot of really good players’ lists this summer.
  • Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs in a game against the New York Knicks
    © Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

    written by

    Matt is from the Chicagoland area and has been working in Chicago sports since 2015 with stops at WGN Radio, the Chicago Blackhawks, Stadium, and NBC Sports Chicago prior to landing at Betsperts. Matt covers just about everything for Betsperts and Bleacher Nation but focuses on the NHL and college football.

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