The Chris Rawle Show

The Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks have constructed their rosters in very different ways, yet ended up in a similar place: hopeful championship contenders built upon star power. Through two games of their second round playoff series, Brooklyn has overwhelmed Milwaukee with the combination of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Is it possible for the Bucks to make adjustments moving forward, or is the Nets star power truly an unstoppable force?

The margin between winning and losing in the playoffs is razor thin. To be in that position, however, you need star power. Yesterday's Game 7 between DAL and LAC featured two superstars, Kawhi Leonard and Luka Doncic, at the peak of their powers. It was a historic series for both players and a reminder of an unshakable truth: supporting cast matters.

A loss is not always an indicator a player performed poorly. Three nights ago, Dame Lillard pieced together a historic 55-point, 12-assist performance against Denver in Game 5. The Blazers lost, and were eliminated from the playoffs last night in Game 6, as Dame's performance joins the long list of the lost performances of the playoffs.

The Utah Jazz defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 126-110 in Game 5, finishing off their first round series and advancing to the second round. Donovan Mitchell was superb in only 29 minutes, the catalyst behind a first quarter offensive explosion that buried Memphis in an avalanche of threes. What is his ceiling and what is the ceiling of the Utah Jazz? As Utah waits for their second round opponent, two major questions loom. What is the health of Mike Conley’s hamstring? And why has the defense struggled in their last two postseason series?

Zora Neale Hurston said, "There are years that ask questions and years that answer." This echoes the continual search by teams (like the Toronto Maple Leafs) and players (like Ben Simmons) to find a better version of themselves in the playoffs. What are the questions that have arisen? Are there answers?

The Utah Jazz defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 120-113 in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead. For the second straight game, Mike Conley made enormous crunch time plays, Donovan Mitchell provided quality scoring and creation, and the Jazz bombed away from 3. What are the Jazz learning about themselves through these baptism by fire moments of the playoffs?

The Utah Jazz defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 121-111 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead. The good: the guard combo of Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell, and Utah's 3-point shooting. The bad: Utah's defensive struggles through 3 games, especially when it comes to limiting the Grizzlies ability to score in the paint.

There is a razor thin margin between winning and losing in the playoffs. A large portion of this margin is injury luck. One of the most compelling series of the first round is Lakers-Suns, a matchup that has been affected by injuries to Lebron James and Chris Paul. Lebron is playing as a diminished version of himself and Paul infinitely more so. How do teams adjust when injuries strike?

The Utah Jazz defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 141-129 in Game 2, knotting their first round playoff series at 1-1. The storylines are endless. Donovan Mitchell returned from injury and provided Utah with an emotional boost. Mike Conley was superb. The Jazz drilled a boatload of 3-pointers. Ja Morant was INSANE. Rudy Gobert was significantly more impactful than Game 1. What to monitor moving into Saturday night's Game 3: the Jazz's 3-point shooting vs the Grizzlies ability to score in the paint.

The proving ground of the playoffs is where reputations are created and solidified. How do we judge individual success relative to a team's failings? Is it true that, in the words of Connor McDavid, "the regular season doesn't mean anything?" And why is it so hard to comprehend the razor thin margin between winning and losing in the playoffs?