Pro Blue: Playoffs Round 1

With Miami’s play-in tournament win, the Michigan Wolverines basketball alumni playoff tally increased to four. However, only three are able to play, as Moussa Diabate is ineligible due to being a two-way player for the Clippers.

The remaining three have had mixed results so far, but it’s still very early in the playoffs.

Note: All stats are as of April 19.

Jordan Poole, G Golden State Warriors

The Warriors stunningly appear in trouble, having lost both of the first two games to Sacramento in addition to losing Draymond Green to a suspension for Game 3. Poole hasn’t been the primary cause of such struggles, but he certainly hasn’t been the solution either.

In Game 1, he scored 17 points in 22 minutes while shooting 4-for-10 from the field and 7-for-8 from the charity stripe. Poole then came into Game 2 listed as questionable due to an ankle injury. He was able to play through it but only put up four points on 1-for-7 shooting in just 16 minutes.

With Poole known for his offensive prowess and Gary Payton II known for defense, it would not be a surprise to see him take a bit of a backseat this series as the Warriors have struggled to defend Sacramento’s dynamic backcourt.

Caris LeVert, G Cleveland Cavaliers

LeVert missed the final two games of the regular season due to a knee injury, so there was a bit of speculation whether or not he’d be ready to go for the playoffs. He put that speculation to bed as he played in both games so far in the first round series against the Knicks.

In Game 1, LeVert scored three points in surprisingly just 18 minutes on the floor. He shot an ugly 1-for-7 from the field. Game 2 was an entirely different story; LeVert played a whopping 40 minutes and was the second-highest scorer of the night, scoring 24 points including four three-pointers. He also led the Cavaliers in minutes.

Duncan Robinson, F Miami Heat

Robinson didn’t play in the play-in tournament due to Erik Spoelstra’s decision. In Game 1 against the first-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, he played just six minutes. However, he did knock down one three-pointer at the end of the third quarter.

Robinson’s minutes have understandably been slashed this season. However, with Tyler Herro breaking his hand in Game 1, there may be an opportunity to fill the spot-up shooter role Miami sorely needs. He won’t be a starter by any means, but look for Robinson’s role to increase slightly as the series with Milwaukee moves on.