With the NBA playoffs slightly over a week old, players such as Anthony Davis have been standouts. His Pelicans are the only team to earn a sweep in the first round.
With three of the eight series tied at 2-2 (Pacers-Cavaliers, Bucks-Celtics, and Raptors-Wizards), there are four teams trying to come back in their respective series (the Trail Blazers have already been eliminated).
Here are the most disappointing players on each team that is trailing (or eliminated) so far.
Lost 4-0
- Portland Trail Blazers - Damian Lillard
When the third seed in the Western Conference gets swept in the opening round, the blame can basically go across the board to everyone.
Lillard is the star on the team though, and he got thoroughly outplayed by Rajon Rondo. In the four games, he shot 35.2 percent from the field and 30 percent from deep. In Games 2 and 3, the 27-year-old combined for just six assists and 15 turnovers. Rondo meanwhile was a triple-double threat as he averaged 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 13.3 assists per game in the series.
Down 3-1
- Miami Heat - Hassan Whiteside
Whiteside made just one field goal in each of the first three games of the series. As a matter of fact, he had more than twice as many as turnovers (7) as field goals made (3) in the first three outings. A double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds in Game 4 doesn’t quite erase his first three duds.
- San Antonio Spurs - Pau Gasol
Gasol hasn’t been much of a factor at all for the Spurs as they trail 3-1 to the Warriors. He has only compiled 29 points and 18 rebounds in the four outings. This would have gone to Tony Parker after the first two games, but he has scored 25 points in the last two.
Down 2-1
- Oklahoma City Thunder - Russell Westbrook
Yes, Westbrook has actually averaged a triple-double through the first three games, but that doesn’t leave him without blame.
He is shooting just 36.1 percent from the field and has turned the ball over 16 times. He didn’t attempt a single shot in the fourth quarter in Game 3 after going 0-4 in the last 12 minutes of Game 2, both resulting in losses.
- Minnesota Timberwolves - Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns is the easy choice here for the Timberwolves as he has just 31 points in the first three games with a 32.3 field goal percentage. For a player who scored a franchise-high 56 points on March 28, his first two games were unacceptable on a team that needs his services to try to pull off a major upset over the Rockets.
