The New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks, two teams with new head coaches, faced off in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Despite the Knicks being the higher seed and the widespread favorite to win the series, the Hawks handled the Knicks with ease, winning the series in five games. After an exciting and feisty playoff series, here are my thoughts on both teams going forward.

Atlanta Hawks

Can we appreciate Nate McMillan for a minute? After being fired by the Indiana Pacers, McMillan served as an assistant under Lloyd Pierce until the Hawks got off to a slow start and Pierce was fired. McMillan took a team that looked dead in the water and turned them into a true playoff contender. I never thought the Pacers’ lack of success was because of McMillan but instead because they lacked a true star. Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, and Myles Turner are all very good players, but none of them are good enough to lead a team on a deep playoff run. So the move to fire McMillan came as a surprise to me, and he proved to the world that Indiana’s front office made a mistake. Despite my love for both the Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau and the Suns’ Monty Williams, I think McMillan should be the clear favorite for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award. We saw how terrible this Hawks team was without McMillan. I’ll be shocked if Atlanta doesn’t retain McMillan as their head coach long-term, but if they don’t, expect him to quickly find a job elsewhere.

Despite how good they looked against the Knicks, do the Hawks actually have a chance against the #1 seed 76ers? If Joel Embiid remains out for most of the series, then I believe that the Hawks are the clear favorites. Ben Simmons proved in Game 4 that he can be a liability late in games, as his free throw shooting would even be bad for a center, much less a point guard. Without Embiid, who was an MVP candidate before dealing with injuries down the stretch, Philly just isn’t a great team. Despite Simmons’ defensive abilities, I don’t think he’ll be able to prevent Trae Young from scoring much, and even if he does, Young has been a more-than-capable facilitator, averaging 9.4(!) assists per game this season. Despite Dwight Howard’s improved play the past two seasons, there’s no way he can stop the frontcourt duo of John Collins and Clint Capela (who I thought was a steal of a trade acquisition last season). Obviously, this all changes if Embiid comes back, but unless he can suddenly recover from his meniscus tear, Atlanta has a great chance of advancing into the Eastern Conference Finals.

New York Knicks

Despite his terrible performance in the playoffs, let’s just appreciate Julius Randle’s turnaround this season. He went from a liability on the Knicks to a first-time All-Star under coach Tom Thibodeau. While Randle shouldn’t be a playoff team’s number one option, he certainly proved that he can be a great contributor to a winning team.

Now, it’s up to the rest of the Knicks’ roster and the front office to put a better team around Randle. R.J. Barrett showed marked improvement this season, but he still has a long way to go before becoming a great player. Both Barrett and Randle looked timid in the playoffs, and while this could be chalked up to a lack of playoff experience, that can’t be the excuse next year. Surprising breakout rookie Immanuel Quickley, who also had a good regular season, looked bad in the playoffs, averaging only 5.8 PPG on 30% shooting from the field. Obi Toppin didn’t see many minutes during the regular season, but that’s reasonable considering Thibs usually doesn’t play rookies much. He showed flashes this season but will need to carve out a much more defined role next season.

So, what do the Knicks do this offseason? Gone are the days of Knicks fans hoping to get the #1 pick in the draft lottery. Instead, the front office will have to somehow get a star on this team. With $67M in cap space, New York could easily sign one of this year’s premier free agents to a huge contract. New York also has all of their first-round picks, along with the Mavericks’ pick this year, which means they could easily pull off a trade if a star becomes available. Names like Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, and even Damian Lillard could be tossed around this offseason as teams look to rebuild and the Knicks have the cap space to simply take on stars’ salaries without having to send over other contracts.

Despite the Knicks’ disappointing playoff performance, the future is bright in the city of New York. For the first time in what feels like forever, the Knicks are a team on the rise. If they don’t mess up this offseason, they could be contenders for years to come.

Stats via Basketball Reference
Cap figures/salaries via Spotrac

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The NBA world was shocked when the Milwaukee Bucks swept the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Many had thought that this series would go to 6 or 7 games, with the Heat often being picked to beat Milwaukee. However, after an overtime victory in game one, the Bucks ran away with games two, three, and four. Here are my thoughts on both teams following a surprising playoff series.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks look like a completely different team than they were last year in the bubble. The additions of Jrue Holiday and Bobby Portis have paid dividends, and while P.J. Tucker hasn’t put up numbers this season (2.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG), his defensive presence is what makes him a valuable addition to this team. Jrue Holiday’s ability to create on offense keeps the offensive burden off of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, which further opens up an already potent offense.

My one concern with this team is that, while Giannis is a very talented player, he can’t have the ball in his hands to end the game, as teams can take advantage of the fact that he’s not a great free throw shooter (he shot 68.5% on his free throws this season). However, as Khris Middleton proved with his overtime heroics in Game 1, Giannis doesn’t have to carry the team at the end of games. As long as Middleton and Holiday can carry this team late in games, the Bucks will have a lot of playoff success this year.

The Bucks are one of two teams (and the only team in the East) that I believe have a chance at beating the Nets. Jrue Holiday is an excellent defender who can take on either James Harden or Kyrie Irving, while Khris Middleton can guard the other. Meanwhile, Giannis has the height to take on Kevin Durant. While it’s impossible to neutralize any of the Nets’ star players, the Bucks have the best shot at limiting them defensively. Additionally, I don’t see anyone on Brooklyn’s roster who can effectively defend Giannis.

Brooklyn’s lack of big men was talked about all season, and while it hasn’t hurt them so far against the Celtics, Boston doesn’t exactly have a star big that can drop 30 on the Nets. Giannis, however, is arguably the league’s best power forward and will dominate in the paint if the Nets can’t come up with some sort of defensive scheme to stop him. Milwaukee’s size advantage (they also have Brook Lopez) could also give them a sizable advantage on the boards, which would be crucial as they try to keep the ball out of Brooklyn’s hands.

Miami Heat

The Heat also looked like a completely different team than they were in the bubble. That is, they looked awful in the series against the Bucks. After losing a close Game 1, they looked uninspired as they lost the rest of the series. They were so bad, they even broke the Charles Barkley sweep curse! This series showed us that while Jimmy Butler (who shot 29.7% from the field against the Bucks) is a very talented player, he shouldn’t be a team’s primary offensive player.

The Heat had a chance this season to add James Harden, who would’ve made this team a true contender, during the season, but they refused to include Tyler Herro in any trade packages. At the time, this didn’t seem completely unreasonable, as Herro was coming off of a finals run with the Heat, during which he looked like a future star. ESPN even ranked him as the 59th best player in basketball heading into the season. However, Miami should’ve been willing to invest in its current playoff window instead of keeping Herro for the future. Trading for Harden would’ve made the Heat the favorites coming out of the East.

So, were the Heat bubble frauds? Well, yes and no. The environment of the NBA bubble definitely helped the Heat get to the Finals. Home court advantage wasn’t as a big a factor for Miami as it was for other teams, such as the Bucks, who went 30-5 at home and 26-12 on the road last season. But the East also got significantly better this year. The 76ers had the best record in the East thanks to new coach Doc Rivers and a season from Joel Embiid that would have had him in the MVP discussion if it weren’t for injuries. The Nets brought back a healthy Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant before adding a top-10 player in James Harden. The Bucks, Knicks and Hawks improved thanks to new roster additions, player development, and, in the case of the latter two teams, new head coaches.

As this was happening, the Heat struggled with injuries and COVID protocols, which hurt their chances of getting one of the top 4 seeds in the East. But the decision to not trade for James Harden is going to haunt them as they face a key offseason. They need to add another star to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, but the free agent market is somewhat limited on stars, especially if Kawhi Leonard (player option) decides to stay in L.A. They’ll also have to re-sign or replace key players like Duncan Robinson, Trevor Ariza, Kendrick Nunn, and trade deadline acquisition Victor Oladipo, who missed the playoffs with a torn quadriceps tendon.

While the Heat don’t project to have much cap space, they can free up over 34 million dollars by declining the team options on Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala. However, they would then have only 5 players on their 2021-22 roster. Still, expect Miami to make some major changes during the offseason, as many of their moves in previous years were centered around keeping cap space available for this offseason, which was projected to be filled with stars but has since dwindled due to contract extensions.

Despite the lack of free agent stars, the Heat could easily pull off a trade for a star like Bradley Beal, Karl Anthony-Towns, or Russell Westbrook. Though the NBA is volatile, having one of the league’s best head coaches in Erik Spoelstra and a front office with a winning track record should keep Miami in the playoff discussion for years to come.

Stats via Basketball Reference

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This year, the Chicago Bulls missed out on the playoffs for the 4th straight time, which is the 3rd longest active playoff drought in the NBA (At least we aren’t the Kings). It’s been a long time since the Trio of Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, and Rajon Rondo gave fans hope with a 2-0 lead over the Celtics, only to lose the series 4-2. 

While the Bulls try to find their way back into the dance in the coming years, many former members of the team are taking the court in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. With so many moving pieces over the last decade, there are a lot of former Bulls dispersed across the league, and some are making a big impact on their current team’s success.

Key Members of Their Team

Jimmy Butler

Butler spent 6 seasons with the Chicago Bulls before being traded to the Timberwolves, subsequently moved to the 76ers, and eventually found a home in Free Agency in Miami. He led them to the NBA Finals last year in the bubble, where he fell short to Lebron James and the Lakers. Last year Butler would have had his own tier in this exploration, but he has underperformed so far against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Miami Heat are in a historically insurmountable 3-0 series deficit, and Jimmy Butler has averaged just 15.3 points on an abysmal 31% from the field. 

Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose had a very successful stint in Chicago, including an MVP and Eastern conference finals birth. Unfortunately, as we all know, Rose has dealt with constant injuries, but has finally found his way back to national prominence with his former coach Tom Thibodeau on the New York Knicks. Although he doesn’t have high-flying dunks or many flashy plays anymore, he has worked hard to acquire a consistent Jump Shot and displays rare flashes of his MVP self. With both Julius Randle and RJ Barret underperforming, Rose has taken a lead role averaging 24.3 points, 5 Rebounds, and 4.7 assists on a very efficient 51.7% from the field, 50% from 3, and is yet to miss from the free throw line. The Knicks are trailing the Hawks 2-1 in what seems like an evenly matched series.

Bobby Portis

Bobby Portis has made a solid career as a role player, and has played his role to the best of his ability for the Milwaukee Bucks. While he doesn’t put up huge numbers or get headlines written about him, he is a great floor spacer and enforcer for the Bucks, who have thus far exceeded expectations with a 3-0 lead over the Miami Heat. In the series, Bobby is averaging 10 points and 6 rebounds per game on 63% from the field and 50% from three.

Cameron Payne

I never expected to be including Payne on the top tier of this list, but he has proven himself as a very solid player on a contending team. With the banged up shoulder of Chris Paul, Payne has filled in and often kept Phoenix afloat against the Lakers. A couple of years ago, Payne seemed on his way out of the league, but after a good audition for the Suns in the Bubble, he earned a spot on the team and has made the most of it. In the first three games of the series, Payne is averaging 13 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals while hitting 47% of his threes as part of a 2-1 Series deficit to the Lakers.

Solid Role Players

Taj Gibson

While Gibson may not be putting up the same production and minutes as he was during his tenure with the bulls, he has played very solid and made some timely plays for the Knicks as part of the former Bulls’ trio in Rose, Gibson, and Coach Thibs. He has played solid defense against the Hawks bigs and secured nine crucial offensive rebounds over a three-game span, in which the Hawks lead Knicks 2-1.

Daniel Gafford

Daniel Gafford is a player many fans may want back after being moved at the trade deadline. He has handled backup center duties for the Wizards and continued his regular season success to the playoffs. He brings energy and athleticism off the bench, averaging 11.5 points and 6 rebounds on 90% (!!!) from the field. However, he has gotten in some foul trouble, and his fellow Wizards have been unable to keep up with the #1 seeded 76ers, recently falling to a 0-2 deficit.

Rajon Rondo

Rondo was a key member of the last Bulls’ playoff appearance, and has gained recognition as an elite playoff performer even in the twilight of his career. This year, he has entered the playoffs as a member of the Clippers, a year after winning the finals with the Lakers. Rondo has again had himself a solid start to the playoffs (7 points and 6.3 assists on 48.4% from the field and 41.7% from three), and is fighting to keep the Clippers alive against the Mavericks, currently trailing the series 2-1.

Tony Snell

This season, Snell became a part of the exclusive 50-50-100 shooting splits club (He’s the only member), and that shooting along with his consistent defense has kept him in the Hawks’ playoff rotation. His production is pretty minimal, but he has provided floor spacing and solid defense in 12.5 minutes per game for the Hawks thus far.

Robin Lopez

Lopez has displayed his patented Hook shot on the national stage, but along with the other Wizards centers has gotten in foul trouble and struggled to contain Joel Embiid. He has averaged 5 points in 11 minutes per game in the Wizard’s two losses to the 76ers.

Fringe Rotational Players

Jabari Parker, Shaquille Harrison, Kris Dunn, and Chandler Hutchison

Parker got picked up by the Celtics a few weeks before the playoffs, and has gotten some decent Playing Time with Jaylen Brown sidelined. He has added a nice scoring punch off the bench, but has been picked on by the Nets on the other end. With injuries to Jamal Murray and Monte Morris, Shaquille Harrison has gotten a chance to play a few minutes each game, providing energy and defensive tenacity off the bench. Dunn has yet to get minutes in this year’s playoffs, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets thrown in there at some point on the defensive end down the stretch of a game. Hutchison was traded alongside Daniel Gafford to the Wizards, and has slid to a fringe rotation member during the playoffs. The majority of his minutes were played in Garbage time in a game 2 blowout against the 76ers.

Benchwarmers/Injured

Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot (TLC), Max Strus, Luke Kornet, E’twaun Moore, Spencer Dinwiddie

TLC is buried behind a deep Brooklyn Nets roster, but has cheered them on from the sideline and may earn a Ring in the process. Max Strus has yet to play for the Heat, even in the midst of multiple Blowouts. Kornet was traded to Celtics as part of the move that landed the bulls Daniel Theis, Troy Brown jr, and Javonte Green; Kornet has just played a few Garbage time minutes and is on the outside looking in of a tight rotation. Moore has made a long career for himself as a three-and-d wing, and is now a member of the Phoenix Suns, where he has struggled to find minutes in their competitive series with the Lakers. Spencer Dinwiddie has been recovering from a partially torn ACL on December 27, but there may be a chance of Dinwiddie returning before the end of the Playoffs.

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