Several Wolverines Gearing Up For NBA Playoffs
With the NBA regular season in the rearview, and the new play-in tournament set to begin tomorrow, several former Wolverines are gearing up for a postseason run.
Tim Hardaway Jr. & Trey Burke — Dallas Mavericks
Hardaway Jr. has become a reliable scorer, outside shooter and everyday starter for the young, up-and-coming Mavericks. Led by Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, the Mavs don't need Hardaway to be a volume shooter and he's accepted that role. He can get a bucket when the team needs him to as evidenced by his 16.6 points per game. He's also shooting 39.1% from distance and has turned himself into a serviceable defender with his 6-5, 205-pound frame.
Burke has bounced around the league a bit but he's settled into his role as a backup point guard for the Mavericks during his second stint in Dallas. He's playing a little under 15 minutes per game and is averaging 6.6 points per contest. Just like at Michigan, Burke can heat up in a hurry, which he does sometimes as evidenced by his 29-point outburst back in January against Orlando. The only player who outpaced him that day was Hardaway, with 36.
The No. 5 seed Mavericks will take on the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Duncan Robinson — Miami Heat
Robinson continues to surprise everyone as he's now an everyday starter and one of the premiere marksmen in the NBA. In fact, Robinson made 500 three-pointers faster than anyone in NBA history — it took him just 152 games to reach the mark — that was 35 games faster than the previous record holder, Luka Doncic.
This year, Robinson is playing a little over 31 minutes per game and is scoring 13.3 points per contest. He takes 8.5 threes per game and knocks them down at a 41% clip. He's not the best defender in the world but at 6-7, he's better than most people thought he could be.
The No. 6 seed Miami Heat will square off against the No. 3 seed Milwaukee Bucks. Many experts think the Heat could pull off the upset against the Bucks and Robinson is a big part of that.
Jordan Poole — Golden State Warriors
When Poole was drafted by the Warriors, it seemed like a nice pick. With snipers like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson shooting from all over the floor, Poole fit right in. He's been playing about 20 minutes per game since arriving in Golden State and has really become a go-to scorer for the Warriors off the bench. He's averaging 12 points per game this season and definitely isn't shy about shooting it. He's putting up 5.4 threes per contest and still has limitless range. Three nights ago, Poole started while a few normal starters sat out and scored a career-high 38 points in a win over New Orleans. He was never shy at Michigan and he's still not.
The No. 8 seed Golden State Warriors will take on the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers in one of the newly-implemented play-in games Wednesday night.
Caris LeVert — Indiana Pacers
LeVert has turned himself into one of the more versatile, complete young wings in the NBA. He started off the year with the Brooklyn Nets but was dealt in a massive four-team trade centered around James Harden. Now, LeVert is a starter and a major piece of a young, scrappy Indiana team. LeVert is averaging 20.2 points this year and also grabs nearly five rebounds per game and dishes out a little over five assists per game as well. Just like at Michigan, LeVert does a little bit of everything and really doesn't have a weakness.
The No. 9 seed Indiana Pacers will take on the No. 10 seed Charlotte Hornets, also in one of the play-in games. They will square off tomorrow night.
