As the conference semifinals move into their final and most exciting stages, the season has already ended for many. Eight teams remain, which means eight have been eliminated. While we wait to see who moves on to the conference finals and whose season will end, we take a look at what each of the franchises eliminated in the first round needs to do during the summer.
The fact that they made the postseason is great, but for some of them, it opened more questions that need to be answered during the offseason.
Grizzlies Need to Grow Up/Wake Up
The shenanigans of Ja Morant over the last season or two, combined with the team underperforming and not getting closer to taking the next step, are killing this very talented roster.
With a franchise player like their starting point guard and incredible pieces like JJJ and Desmond Bane, they should not be struggling to make the playoffs and get bounced so easily each year. They are miles behind themselves from a few seasons back when they went deep in the playoffs, and considering they do not have to change anything to succeed, they just need to realize what they have and start acting like it.
Clippers Should Move On
It is all but official: the Clippers’ experiment with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden has failed. The worst thing is, it did not surprise anyone. It is what they do. Harden disappears when he is most needed, Leonard rests during the regular season, and then cannot string together more than a few great games.
Their supporting cast of Ivica Zubac, Kris Dunn, and Norman Powell was spectacular, but it is time to try something new over the summer. This is not it, and moving on should be the focus. If you are a fan of the Clippers and want something to pass the time and forget the awful display in the first round, the Aviator money game is the perfect thing for you.
Lakers Need Players
The big trade that swapped Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic shocked the world, but it did little to address the Lakers’ woes below the basket. It made them even more vulnerable as they also lack any sort of help from the bench.
Rim protection, pick and roll threat, lobs, and defense in general were all gone in one fell swoop when AD left and Luka came over. LeBron cannot do it alone at 40+ years of age, and Doncic needs time. Austin Reaves is the only positive besides the two stars, as the rest of the roster is expendable and not up to task. Lakeshow desperately needs consistent shooters off the bench and both a starting and a reserve center, which is what needs to happen during the summer.
Rockets Need Maturity and Identity
The Houston Rockets fell victim to a lack of experience and not having an identity in their first-round loss to the uber-experienced Golden State Warriors. They do not know who they want to be. Alperen Sengun can do what Jokic does, but they do not allow him.
Jalen Green has no kind of initiative and shows no effort, with only 1 good in the series. The team has a great combo of young talent with Thompson, Green, and Sengun, combined with veteran leadership of Van Vleet and Brooks, but they failed. They need to confirm that the 2nd seed in the West this year was not a fluke.
Heat Needs a Rebuild
It is simple with Miami: they need to build around Tyler Herro and start a soft or even a complete rebuild. Jimmy Butler is gone, Bam Adebayo underperforms, and the rest of the roster is not up to the task. When the coach (Erik Spoelstra) and general manager (Pat Riley) are your strongest assets, you know exactly what needs to be done.
Bucks Have Failed Giannis
The big question for the summer: Where will Giannis Antetokounmpo play next? Everyone agrees that another disappointing first-round exit was the last time the Greek Freak wore a Milwaukee jersey. Damian Lillard tore his achilles and will miss a year and a half, which at his age could be career-altering, even career-ending. The Bucks are going into a hard rebuild and should focus on getting as much as they can for Giannis.
Pistons Should Stick With It
Cade Cunningham, Malik Beasley, and the Pistons surprised everyone this year when they won 30 more games than last season. Over the last two seasons, they only managed 31 combined. JB Bickerstaff and the players did amazingly well, but not well enough for the postseason. With Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, and Jaden Ivy, Cade can lead them far, albeit if they remain healthy and make a step forward and not backward. A strong summer camp and focusing on developing more chemistry should be their main goals.
Magic Must Get Healthy
Orlando has an incredible talent pool and an amazing team that was at the top of the East before injuries started piling up. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner, and Jalen Suggs have all missed time, and their season got away from them. With a strong bench in place and a great combo of offense and defense, all they need is health to make a deep playoff run next season.
