2015 NBA Playoffs: Winners And Losers Of The First Round

The first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs are completely behind us after last night’s epic Game 7 between the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs. We’ve seen some close battles, we’ve seen some blowouts and we’ve seen everything in between.

But now that we’re moving on to the second round, we’ve got eight teams advancing and eight teams heading home. In honor of all the honorable 16 teams that made it this far, it feels wrong to not acknowledge the teams that made it this far and put up a valiant fight.

We’re down to only eight teams that can win it all, but in the interest of clarifying absolutely everything possible, it’s time to take a look back at the first round and label the biggest winners and losers. So without further ado, here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs.

Next: Warriors vs. Pelicans

Winner: Steve Kerr

While the Coach of the Year was busy being tangled in a six-game series with the lowly Brooklyn Nets, Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors were taking care of business against a much tougher playoff opponent. Kerr’s team not only swept the New Orleans Pelicans, but they gutted out a couple of tough wins against a team that brought its best effort every night.

Mike Budenholzer deserved the COY award. I’m not here to argue that. But Kerr and the Dubs made a strong first round statement that someone else was probably a little more deserving.

Winner: Anthony Davis

I’m cheating on our first slide only because there weren’t any definitive losers in this series. The Pelicans gave a valiant effort, they just got beat by a force of nature. The jury’s still out on whether Monty Williams is the right coach for the job moving forward (SPOILER: he’s not), but at the very least, Pellies fans can rest easy knowing Anthony Davis is going to destroy everyone outside of New Orleans one day.

In his first playoff series, the Brow did not disappoint. He looked a little shaky through the first three quarters in Game 1, but he came to life in the fourth quarter with 20 of his 35 points. Considering this guy is only 22 years old, the league will belong to him soon enough.

Next: Hawks vs. Nets

Winner: DeMarrre Carroll

If you’re looking for the reason the Atlanta Hawks avoided losing an embarrassing first round series against the lowly Nets, look no further than DeMarre Carroll. Al Horford came to life in Game 5 and Kyle Korver finished Brooklyn off in Game 6, but the Junkyard Dog was undoubtedly Atlanta’s first round MVP, and it wasn’t close.

For the series, Carroll averaged 17.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from three-point range. He locked up Joe Johnson for pretty much the entire series, he was making the unnoticed hustle plays and his two-way play was consistent throughout the series to make up for wavering performances from the rest of the team.

Carroll scored at least 20 points in the last four games of the series. He may have been the only Hawks starter to not make the All-Star team, but in the first round, you wouldn’t have been able to tell by his play.

Loser: America

I really don’t want to bash on the Brooklyn Nets. I have no particular problem with the Brooklyn Nets. But in the interest of watching good basketball, watching the Brooklyn Nets for six games was some odd form of NBA torture for me and the rest of America.

Aside from that throwback Deron Williams performance in Game 4, did anyone particularly enjoy this series? Nets fans may have been happy to see their team actually play defense and push the series to six games, but for the rest of the world, was watching the Hawks play uninspired basketball fun?

Add in the fact that the only reason this 38-win team made the playoffs in the first place is because of these stupid conferences and it was hard to get excited about an underwhelming Barclays Center “cheering” their team on to a six-game series. So yeah, thanks for that, Hawks.

Next: Rockets vs. Mavericks

Winner: Josh Smith And Ex-Mavericks

One of the biggest reasons I was completely fine with what the Houston Rockets’ Twitter account sent this out after Game 5 was before the series, Mark Cuban called his opponent “trash.” You know, an opponent that had Jason Terry and Corey Brewer, two players who helped bring him a championship back in 2011.

So when it was the unlikeliest of heroes that decimated the imploding Dallas Mavericks, I was also fine with it. Josh Smith’s resurgence was good to see, but it was also hilarious, if only because everyone thought that midseason addition would backfire far sooner than anyone figured the Rajon Rondo acquisition would.

But there was just something special about watching Jason Terry and Corey Brewer put a shellacking on the Mavs in the first round after their former owner called them trash. I love owners like Cubes, because they’re good for basketball. But yeah, maybe don’t give your former players bulletin board material when your own team was trash ever since you made a bad trade.

Loser: Rajon Rondo and Mark Cuban

We’ve already covered why Cubes was a loser in this series, but it goes deeper than that. His attempt to give Dirk Nowitzki one last playoff run failed miserably. At the start of the season, the Mavs had the league’s most potent offense and it wasn’t close. But then Cuban tried to be the hero, went for the home run with the Rondo trade and struck out in the end.

Not only was Rondo hurting the team, but he was hurting the team so badly both parties agreed to fake a back injury just so they wouldn’t have to deal with the distraction of explaining how toxic that relationship had become in the middle of a playoff series. That’s really, really, REALLY bad.

It’s bad for Cuban and the Mavs, and it’s unfortunate for Dirk Nowitzki, whose best days are clearly behind him. But it’s even worse for Rondo since he’ll be a free agent this summer. How much money will his poor shooting and reputation as a locker room cancer cost him this summer? My guess would be quite a lot.

Next: Cavaliers vs. Celtics

Winner: Brad Stevens

Like the Pelicans, the Boston Celtics got swept in the first round. Also like the Pelicans, the Boston Celtics shouldn’t feel bad about that in any way, shape or form; they competed in every game, but were simply overmatched. The biggest takeaway from the series from Boston’s point of view is that this team has a very bright future.

Think about it. If Brad Stevens has his team competing with the likes of Evan Turner, Kelly Olynyk, rookie Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Jared Sullinger, just imagine what he’ll be able to do once he gets a couple of star players. If it weren’t for Brad Stevens’ phenomenal transition to the NBA, would the Oklahoma City Thunder have pulled the trigger on Billy Donovan so fast? It’s an honest question.

Loser: Kevin Love, Kelly Olynyk and J.R. Smith

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were beautiful to watch in the first round. It was similarly inspiring to see the Celtics fighting so hard despite being outgunned at every position. However, it wasn’t inspiring to see all the ACTUAL fighting that took place in the series.

First, Kelly Olynyk dislocated Kevin Love’s shoulder fighting for a loose ball. I don’t think it was a dirty play, but it was clumsy as all hell and you can be guaranteed Olynyk’s perception changed for the worse league-wide. Then J.R. Smith retaliated with a knockout punch on Jae Crowder, a 100 percent dirty play that seems to be a recurring trend every time J.R. makes the playoffs.

That annual act of buffoonery will cost the Cavs two games without him, which is more of a problem since Love is out for the rest of the playoffs. Here’s hoping Crowder’s knee is OK and that this kind of dirty play doesn’t extend past the first round.

Next: Clippers vs. Spurs

Winner: Chris Paul‘s Playoff Legacy

Remember that time when it was OK to criticize Chris Paul because he had never been to the conference finals before? Well, I don’t care if last night’s Game 7 victory was only in the first round, it mattered. Probably more than anything that could happen from here, to be perfectly honest.

CP3 still needs to win one more series to make it to the conference finals. But last night’s Game 7 performance was one for the record books. He played through the pain of a strained hamstring to the tune of 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including the clutchest go-ahead basket you could imagine over Tim Duncan.

CP3’s playoff legacy was unfair as it was, but in the biggest game of his career, he came up big despite playing on a bum hamstring. I don’t care what was wrong with the Spurs on the other end; that was the biggest game of his career and he delivered. Even if his Clippers get swept in the next round, can we agree that these stupid narratives about his playoff ineptitude are badly misguided?

Loser: Spurs Fans

Look, I live with a San Antonio Spurs fan. I know better than most the pain of losing in the first round after bringing home a championship in 2014. But guess what, Spurs fans? You got beat by a better team.

From here, the future is a series of question marks. Kawhi Leonard is about to make bank on his new contract extension, but where do Duncan, Ginobili and Danny Green fit in? Will they accept lesser deals so the Spurs have a hope of signing LaMarcus Aldridge? It remains to be seen.

The Spurs have nothing to be ashamed of. They lost to a superior team in the first round and they have five championships to their name. But it’s still worth wondering whether this was the last game we’ve ever seen Tim Duncan play. There’s not shame in five championships in 18 years, but you have to feel for Spurs fans hoping this would be the year that San Antonio finally repeats.

Next: Bulls vs. Bucks

Winner: The Bulls’ Backcourt

Derrick Rose: Let’s see here … 23 points and seven assists in the Game 1 win. A 15-9-7 in the Game 2 victory. An unbelievable performance in Game 3 that saw Rose finish with 34 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals in a double overtime victory. Rose wasn’t perfect in this series, but when he was at his best, the Bulls were a damn scary team.

Jimmy Butler: The funniest part about O.J. Mayo stepping to Jimmy Butler every chance he got was that O.J. Mayo was getting his ass HANDED to him by Jimmy Butler for the vast majority of this series. Aside from shooting 40.5 percent from downtown, Butler dropped 30 twice and carried the Bulls to victory a few times. Chicago finally has what they’ve been missing during the Derrick Rose era.

Mike Dunleavy: He got away with some cheap shots, sure, but Dunleavy came out in Game 6 with an ultimate Revenge Game. He dropped 20 points, went 5-for-7 from the field and nailed four of his six three-point attempts. He helped put Milwaukee away early, goaded the Greek Freek into an ejection and all in all, became Public Enemy No. 1 in the eyes of Bucks fans. All in a day’s work for Mike’s Hard Lemonade.

Loser: Game 6 Milwaukee Bucks

Technically speaking, the Bucks have nothing to be ashamed of. After finishing with the worst record in the NBA last season, they became the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs this year. That’s one hell of a one-year turnaround, and Milwaukee has a bright future under Jason Kidd.

That being said, the Game 6 Milwaukee Bucks have a lot to be ashamed of. Their fans did their part of making sure the Bucks had an actual home-court advantage. The stage was set for Milwaukee to improbably push the series to a Game 7 after falling into a 3-0 hole. The final result of Game 6? A 120-66 smack down in which Zaza Pachulia was the team’s leading scorer with eight points.

Losing by 54 points? That’s bad. But losing by 54 points in a game in which the building block of your franchise gets ejected? That’s even worse. To be fair, Mike Dunleavy had been throwing cheap shots all night. But Giannis Antetokounmpo will need to be better controlling his temper moving forward. Or, you know, not tackling people like he’s declaring for the NFL Draft:

Next: Trail Blazers vs. Grizzlies

Winner: Anyone Damian Lillard Was Guarding

Damian Lillard might be the most overrated star in the NBA. I hate to kick you when you’re down, Rip City, but it’s true. What other inconsistent scorer in this league gets more breathing room simply because he’ll have a night every now and then when he goes off? What other star has his piss-poor defense constantly overlooked simply because of “Lillard Time?”

Lillard’s greatest flaws were exposed in this year’s first round series against the Memphis Grizzlies. Mike Conley, Beno Udrih and Nick Calathes all took turns making Dame look like a turnstile on the defensive end, which looked even worse when you saw Lillard’s atrocious 40.6 field goal percentage (and 16.1 percent from downtown). I know Lillard is still young, but … come on.

Loser: The Portland Trail Blazers

Forget about the disappointing five-game loss to end the season in the first round; we all knew the Blazers were no longer contenders as soon as Wesley Matthews went down with his unfortunate Achilles injury. But after this season, Portland may be at a turning point with its current core.

For one thing, LaMarcus Aldridge is no longer a sure bet to return to Rip City. Matthews and Robin Lopez are both unrestricted free agents. Even with the development of C.J. McCollum and Meyers Leonard, LMA has very little reason to have faith that he can compete for a title with this current core anymore.

As always, Portland’s season was ruined by an injury to a key player. The only difference is this time, it may lead to the depressing departure of the face of the franchise. Blazers fans have gotten used to devastating injuries by now, but this one could lead to a whole new rebuilding plan.

Next: Raptors vs. Wizards

Winner: Paul Pierce

All hail the master troll and backer-upper of all advanced s**t talking, Paul Pierce. You want the truth, Toronto fans? YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH. Before the series, Pierce said the Toronto Raptors didn’t have “it.” He spent the next four games backing that up, providing dagger after dagger to sweep the most disappointing team of the 2015 NBA Playoffs.

Then, as if all those daggers weren’t enough, he took his trolling to social media, declaring himself the King of the North on Facebook. What’s sad is, after such a lackluster series from the Raptors, he wasn’t exactly wrong.

Then he took to Twitter to clown on Drake. All of this came a year after he provided a series-sealing block on the Raptors to secure a Game 7 victory for the Brooklyn Nets. Raptors fans, you have every reason to hate Paul Pierce. Just as long as you’re willing to admit he was right.

Loser: Masai Ujiri

The entire Toronto Raptors organization was a huge loser in these playoffs. There’s no getting around that. Coming off a first-round exit last season and a franchise-record 49 wins this season, this team was expecting more than another first-round exit, especially with home-court advantage.

Unfortunately, an injured Kyle Lowry and a slumping DeMar DeRozan couldn’t get it done. Nobody on the Raptors could defend, Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams disappeared and all in all, it was a completely uncompetitive series.

General manager Masai Ujiri was forced into a corner after the team started competing following the Rudy Gay trade in 2013. He had to roll with the current core and see what their ceiling was. In 2015, we saw what it was. Now the rebuilding has to truly begin before we can consider the Raptors Eastern contenders.

Next: LaMarcus Aldridge: Top 5 Free Agency Destinations

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers