On May 1, Beijing time, the NBA playoffs continued. The series of East-West semi-finals will officially begin tomorrow morning, with eight teams competing for four qualifying spots. Before the semifinals began, I took stock of the performance of players in the first round of the playoffs and selected 10 players to be selected for the first round of the Red-Black List. Let's take a look at who the players in the first round of the red and black list are.
Red List
Tatum, Celtic
Average: 29.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game
Tatum was eliminated by the Nets in the first round last year, and this year he led the team to a sweeping gesture of perfect revenge. He is the third highest in the league in points per game, and it can be said that he has achieved all-round crushing against Durant. Tatum, who is only 24 years old, proved his strength this year that he can take over the banner from his predecessors and become the top star of the league. Tatum will lead the team to the first title of his career.
Alphabet brother, bucks
Average: 28.6 points, 13.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game
Alphabet Brother still showed great dominance in the playoffs, ranking 4th in the league in points and 2nd in rebounds. In the last three games against the Bulls, he led the team to a complete victory over the opponent, and the three games combined to beat the opponent by 70 points. After Middleton's injury, Alphabet Brother will shoulder the burden of the Bucks alone and move towards the goal of winning the championship in a row.
Brunson, the Lone Ranger
Average: 27.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game
Who would have thought that the title of top scorer in the first round of the playoffs could fall on Brunson, the lone ranger's youngster. He averaged 27.8 points per game in the first round, ranking 6th in the league, beating superstars such as Durant and Embiid. He scored 20+ points in all six games in the first round, the first time in his career. In the first three games that Doncic missed, he led the team to a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. In his second game against the Jazz, he slashed 41 points, setting a new career high. Brunson's outstanding performance in the first round will secure a contract for him with an annual salary of 20 million to 25 million.
Paul, the sun
Average: 22.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 11.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game
Booker suffered an injury in the first game of the playoffs, and Paul needed to shoulder the full leadership responsibilities of the Suns. Aside from the 4 points contributed by G4, Paul's performance throughout the series was impeccable. Especially with the Pelicans' G6, Paul slashed 33 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists on 14 of 14 of the game, and only 18 of 18 of 18 in history is more exaggerated. At the age of 37, Paul remains the league's best point guard, worthy of the title of "St. Paul."
Jokic, Nuggets
Average: 31 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1 block per game
Although the Nuggets were eliminated 1-4, Jokic's performance is still worthy of recognition, and he is also the only player to be eliminated in the red list. Without Murray and Porter Jr., Jokic carried the team forward with its weight. In the last three games, the difference between the two sides was within five points, and Jokic helped the team to save the suspense of the game until the last moment. This summer, Jokic is expected to get a five-year, $254 million super contract, setting a new league record.
Black list
Trae Young, Eagles
Average: 15.4 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists per game
The Hawks managed to make it to the playoffs as ninth in the East, and Trae Young's performance will naturally attract the attention of fans. However, Trae Young's performance in the first round was a mess, with only 31.9% shooting. Shooting as low as 18.4 percent from three-point range and averaging 6.2 turnovers per game, it's completely devoid of the style of a starting All-Star guard. In the face of the Heat's strong defensive ability, Trae Young was powerless, and his performance was even worse than Oladipo, who was still in the game.
Durant, Nets
Average: 26.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game
In last year's playoffs, Durant conquered fans with his outstanding on-field performances and entered the first-man discussion in the league, even if he was eliminated by the Bucks in the game of seven. But in this year's playoffs, Durant has no first-man demeanor at all, and his performance at key moments is relatively sluggish. In the final moments of G1, Durant missed Tatum on the defensive end, allowing the opponent to achieve a dead end. In G3, Durant scored 16 points on just 11 shots, and he was completely uninhibited on the field and had no desire to win. Such a Durant has obviously disappointed the fans. Durant's on-field performance is not as active as his social media.
Mitchell, Sir
Average: 25.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game
From the data point of view alone, Mitchell's performance is still very remarkable. But Mitchell, after shooting 39.8 percent from the series, averaged only 1.7 three-pointers per game, shooting as little as 20.8 percent from three-point range and a net efficiency of -8.1 percent. The Jazz faced the Lone Ranger without Doncic in the first three games, but only got a 1-2 record, which was a big surprise. More importantly, the news of infighting with Mitchell and Gobert came out from within the Jazz, and Mitchell's reputation was urgent, and he may not be able to stay in the Jazz in the future.
Russell, Timberwolves
Average: 12 points, 2.5 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game
The Timberwolves took a 10+ lead three times in this series into the fourth quarter, and the Grizzlies all achieved a major comeback, and finally the Timberwolves were eliminated 2-4 by their opponents. Russell has to take on some responsibility for the team, and he earns $30.01 million a year, and his average performance per game does not match his annual salary. In the crucial G6, Russell contributed only 7 points and 4 assists, and was hidden in the team by head coach Snow in the final moments. If Russell could play a little more normal, the Timberwolves might be able to achieve Black Seven. Fans also called on the team to trade Russell after the series.
Simmons, Nets
Average per game: All figures are 0
Simmons is undoubtedly the most disappointing player of the season. At the beginning of the season, there was a complete feud between him and the 76ers, and the two sides had reached an irreconcilable level. In the end, he was traded to the Nets on the trade deadline and completed the swap with Harden. When everyone thought Simmons could make his season debut for the Nets, he had a recurring back injury and continued to be absent.
After the start of the playoffs, there was news that Simmons would return in G4 in hopes of saving the Nets from a 3-0 slump. But before G4 began, Simmons again canceled his comeback on the grounds of a recurring back injury, and the Nets were eventually swept out by the Celtics. Simmons was reluctant to even be on the sidelines and didn't watch the Nets' final game of the season. After the game, a reporter broke the news that Simmons was playing a game at home, and the fans were laughing at him. Simmons is undoubtedly the number one person on this year's first-round black list.
I don't know which player surprised you and which player disappointed you in the first round of the playoffs? Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section.
(Text/Yuwen Basketball)