Chris Mannix’s NBA Notes: Disaster in Detroit, Joel Embiid Needs to Do Less

News, notes and observations while wondering what kind of changes the Pistons will make this offseason …

A Detroit disaster

Only six times in NBA history has a No. 8 seed upset a No. 1 in a first-round series. Barring a miraculous comeback by the Pistons, there will be a seventh, after Detroit fell into a 3–1 hole following a 94–88 loss to Orlando in Game 4 on Monday.

Give Orlando credit: It took 83 games but this is the team we thought they could be. After back-to-back seasons in the top three in defensive efficiency, the Magic fell to the middle of the pack in this one. In the playoffs, they have rediscovered that defensive stinginess. Fully healthy—at least before Franz Wagner went out of Game 4 with a right calf strain—Orlando has looked like the contender many projected it to be before the season.

But the Pistons … yuck. All of the fears about Detroit have been realized in this round. Scoring around Cade Cunningham has disappeared. Jalen Duren, who averaged 19.5 points during the regular season, is averaging 9.8 in this series. Duncan Robinson is shooting 33.3% from the floor. With the Magic loading up on Cunningham, his turnovers have skyrocketed (24 in the last three games) and his efficiency numbers have cratered. In Game 4 the Pistons committed 20 turnovers and gave up 16 offensive rebounds.

“We’ve yet to put a full game together, even a full half together of what we can look like,” said Duren. “Everything was self-inflicted, top to bottom. We just have to be better, and we will.”

Can they? This was always the concern with Detroit, which lacks the kind of perimeter weapons of most would-be title contenders. The Pistons took a conservative approach to the trade deadline, swapping out Jaden Ivey for Kevin Huerter, who has played sparingly in this series. That’s ratcheted up the pressure on Cunningham, who has struggled to score as efficiently as he did in the regular season. Another loss and that season is over.

Welcome to the playoffs, Jamal Cain

Who would have guessed the best dunk of the playoffs would come from an ex-two-way player on his fourth team in as many seasons? Cain’s one-handed slam over Duren on Monday quickly went viral. Not as viral—but arguably more important—was the 24 solid minutes Cain gave Orlando off the bench. He was 4 of 8 from the floor, collected nine rebounds and played solid defense on Cunningham. If Wagner’s injury lingers, Cain will play an important role in the rest of this series.

Are we still talking about unwritten rules in the NBA?

Jaden McDaniels’s late-game layup in Minnesota’s Game 3 win over Denver struck a nerve with the Nuggets, particularly Nikola Jokić, who sprinted after McDaniels to confront him. Huh? This idea that teams with leads should take shot clock violations or dribble out the clock has always been goofy. Here’s a thought—if you want to stop someone from scoring, stop them from scoring. Don’t act outraged when a guy doesn’t pass on an open layup.

No suspensions necessary

Speaking of that Game 3 kerfuffle, there were some who expected suspensions after seeing so many players leave the bench area. Not so. A few years ago the league redefined its rules on leaving the bench. Per the rule book, “In determining whether to impose discipline on a player for leaving the bench area in connection with an altercation during a game, the NBA will take into account the following factors, as well as any other relevant facts and circumstances: (i) the distance the player traveled from his team’s bench, and (ii) the extent to which he entered the immediate proximity of the altercation.” Clearly, none of the actions by anyone in that altercation rose to the level of a suspension-worthy offense.

Joel Embiid’s role

76ers center Joel Embiid reacts against the Celtics. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Embiid was back in the 76ers’ lineup on Sunday after missing the last three weeks due to an appendectomy. Now Philadelphia has to figure out what to do with him. With Embiid out, Philly’s offense ran through Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, who led the Sixers to a Game 2 win in Boston. In Game 4, Embiid put up 21 shots, two fewer than Maxey and Edgecombe combined. Down 3–1, there’s likely nothing saving the 76ers. But if they want to have a shot at extending this series, they need more Maxey and Edgecombe and less Embiid.

Evan Mobley’s struggles

Last week, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson described Evan Mobley with a familiar phrase: Ceiling raiser. The Cavs have a pair of All-Star guards in Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, but it’s Mobley who pushes them to another level. He did that in the first two games of this series against Toronto, racking up 42 points on 17-of-22 shooting. The last two … not so much. In Cleveland’s back-to-back losses, Mobley scored 23 points on 8-of-24 shooting. The Cavs have had a few problems the last two games—Mitchell’s shooting, Harden’s turnovers, etc.—but for Cleveland to advance to the second round (and beyond) Mobley has to get back to his early series play.

Did the play-in doom Kon Knueppel?

Hornets guard Kon Knueppel shoots against Magic guard Anthony Black. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

That’s the question I had when it was announced that Cooper Flagg had won Rookie of the Year. Flagg earned the award by the second narrowest margin (26 points) since voting went to this format in 2002–03. Flagg certainly deserved it—he’s the first rookie since Michael Jordan to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals—and any re-draft would still have Flagg at the top. Still, Knueppel put up comparable numbers in more meaningful games. Earlier this month, ESPN’s straw poll of likely voters had Knueppel winning in a landslide.

So what happened? It’s impossible not to think Knueppel’s play-in clunker against Miami didn’t have an impact. Knueppel shot 2 of 12 in that game, including 0 for 6 from beyond the three-point line. Late in the game, when Charlotte needed a three, Knueppel, the NBA’s leader in three-pointers made, was on the bench. Usually, ballots are submitted before any postseason games. But because of grievances filed by Luka Dončić, Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards, voters didn’t get their ballots until after the first round of play-in games. And while media members are not supposed to consider anything beyond the 82-game regular season, you have to believe Knueppel’s performance in that game tipped a few votes.

Pat Riley’s reign continues

Miami Heat president Pat Riley struck a defiant tone at his annual end-of-season news conference on Monday. Amid reports that Riley had ceded personnel power to Nick Arison, the Heat CEO and the son of the team owner, Micky Arison, Riley insisted he had no intention of walking away.

“What is it that makes me want to do it? I love competition,” Riley said. “I mean, I love this franchise, period. I love what we’ve built here over 30 years. You know, one day it will happen. Don’t think that I haven’t thought about it. I’m aging up, O.K.? I’m at 81 years old now. That’s aging up. I think Micky and Nick will decide whether or not I age out. But I love what I’m doing.”

Still, the now very public ascension of Nick Arison is an interesting twist. Despite Riley’s insistence that he never operated autonomously, for most of his reign he was the final say on all basketball decisions. Players, coaches, everyone who has come through the Heat organization speak of it as Riley’s to run. Heat culture, and all that. Granted, Riley can’t run the team forever. But it will be worth watching if the internal dynamics of Miami change moving forward.

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