NBA Playoff 2017: Three Observations And Three Overreactions

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Apr 16, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) looks on against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

Overreaction: The Wizards Look Like the Best Team in the East

The Wizards have a backcourt that rivals only the Blazers as the best young backcourt in the league (non-Golden State division). John Wall would have been an MVP candidate in any other year where Westbrook and Harden weren’t doing extraterrestrial things, and Bradley Beal rightly earned his first NBA All-Star nod.

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On Sunday, against the 5th seed Atlanta Hawks, John Wall did his part to show why this young duo is so exciting, putting up 32 points, 14 assists, and a signature chase down block in their 114-107 win.

The Wiz showed their depth, with six players scoring in double figures, and a second-unit that has clearly defined roles. Their defense, led by big man Marcin Gortat, the shot-blocking of Markieff Morris, and the defensive wizardry of Wall (who might just be the best defensive point guard in the league), kept the Hawks at bay for most of a close game. But this was the Hawks. This is a team they should beat on paper because of the talent discrepancies between the two teams.

The Hawks have Paul Millsap, an OK Dwight Howard, Dennis Schroder, and Tim Hardaway, Jr., who all did their parts on Sunday, keeping the Hawks in the game, but this isn’t a lineup that too many teams fear.

For the Wizards to pose as a real threat out of the East, they’ll need to do a lot more. Wall was brilliant, but Bradley Beal can’t go 2-11 from three again, and he’s hovering just above 40 percent shooting from the field in the playoffs since last year.

Must Read: 2017 NBA Playoffs: What We Learned During The Opening Weekend

It’s also not realistic to expect Gortat to outplay Howard for the remainder of the series. It was a nice win, but one that was wholly expected. Let’s see them do something unexpected before we call them Eastern Conference threats.

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