With the conclusion of Wednesday night’s matchups, every team in this year’s NBA playoff field has completed the first two games of their respective series. Some, like the Oklahoma City Thunder’s dismantling of the Memphis Grizzlies, are going pretty much as expected. Others, like the New York Knicks’ clash against the Detroit Pistons, are proving more competitive than projections suggested. Above all, the promise of the crowded regular-season standings have delivered the anticipated result—entertaining and intense playoff basketball. 

The opening salvo of postseason play over the last five days has given the basketball world a glimpse at what these teams are like and where their identities lie. The differences may be slight from the regular season, but they are there; the crunches of postseason play tend to alter on-court play in ways big and small. Then there are the adjustments that come in-game and over the course of a series, tweaks made by the coaching staff to best take advantage of an opponent’s weakness. 

The playoffs change things, to put it simply. The postseason is a fresh book to open, digest and understand. With that in mind, here’s one thing we’ve learned about every NBA playoff team as the series all collectively shift to Game 3. 

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers

What we learned: Donovan Mitchell is still the most important Cavalier 

Just about every player on the Cavaliers enjoyed a fantastic season and chipped in to help get the team to 64 wins. Those vibes continued into Game 1’s blowout win over the Miami Heat. Game 2, however, served as a reminder that in the postseason gauntlet it often comes down to how your best players perform—and for the Cavs, that is still Mitchell. The star scorer had 30 points, six rebounds and six assists while shooting 7-of-10 from deep. More importantly, he steadied Cleveland when a big lead suddenly shrunk late in the game. The Heat cut the score to 101–99 with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, at which point Mitchell scored 10 of the Cavs’ next 12 points to put the win away and totaled 17 in the final frame. Cleveland’s strength in numbers means the team will have a shot to win just about every game, but when it’s crunch time, Mitchell is still the guy who has to deliver them the victory. 

Miami Heat

What we learned: It’s all about Tyler Herro

Herro had a career season in 2024–25, and in his first playoff series without Jimmy Butler on the roster, he has been both great and a big weak spot for the team. Offensively, Herro has been tremendous, manipulating a very good Cavaliers defense off the ball and making the right decisions every time on it. He came alive as a shotmaker in Game 2, shooting 14-of-24 from the floor as he dragged Miami back from the verge of another blowout. Unfortunately, he has been giving it all back defensively. Cleveland has been relentless in picking on Herro as a defender, putting him into pick-and-roll actions or isolation every single time down the floor; after Game 2, Darius Garland openly stated the team’s plan was to keep attacking Herro. Bam Adebayo is also key to what the Heat want to do, broadly speaking, but Herro’s strengths and weaknesses have defined the series so far. 

Boston Celtics

What we learned: Jaylen Brown’s knee is fine

Maybe “fine” is overstating the matter since you can still see him limping occasionally, but Brown answered all questions about how his balky knee would affect his playoff performances in Game 2. With the Celtics missing Jayson Tatum for the first time in his postseason career, Brown needed to step up big time, and he did. The All-Star put up 36 points and 10 rebounds with five assists on efficient shooting from the floor, playing above the rim in a manner rarely seen since he first got hurt. It’s unclear how much time Tatum will miss, but Boston’s title defense rests in part on Brown’s ability to be a reliable offensive option while setting the tone defensively. He proved capable when his team needed him to do so in Game 2, which should give the Celtics a lot of optimism going forward.

Orlando Magic

What we learned: Paolo Banchero is a certified bucket 

This isn’t so much something we learned as much as it is something we were reminded of. Banchero missed nearly half the season due to injury and the Magic were so far into the basement when he was healthy, not much attention was paid to the third-year forward. But man, Banchero is awesome when he’s cooking. His unnatural grace and touch for a player his size makes him borderline unstoppable on a possession-by-possession basis, as the Celtics are finding out. The 2022 No. 1 pick is averaging 34 points over the first two games of the series on 13 made field goals per game. Banchero is too quick for most big men, far too large for any guard and his pull-up jumper is silky smooth. All that adds up to multiple highlights of Banchero cooking excellent defenders like Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Brown. He alone is not enough to drive the Magic to victory against such an overwhelming opponent, but Banchero is making his case to be considered one of the game’s top scorers. 

New York Knicks

What we learned: Karl-Anthony Towns is crucial 

The Knicks won Game 1 and dropped Game 2 to the Detroit Pistons. One of the primary differences between the two games? Towns’s offensive involvement. It was clear from the outset of the series that the Pistons don’t have a good answer for defending Towns, hammered home by his 13-point performance in the second half of Game 1 on 6-of-8 shooting. In Game 2? Towns went scoreless in the second half and didn’t even take a shot in the last 17 minutes of the defeat. With KAT involved, New York has a dangerous secondary scorer to play off the attention Jalen Brunson draws. When he’s not, the Knicks can lack firepower against a great Detroit defense. 

Detroit Pistons

What we learned: Cade Cunningham isn’t shying away from the spotlight 

Cunningham was the greenest No. 1 option in the league entering the playoffs and got to make his playoff debut under the famously bright lights of Madison Square Garden against a hard-defending Knicks team. It would seem he is unfazed. Cunningham hasn’t been perfect in his first playoff experience, shooting only 45.2% from the floor and 25% from beyond the arc as his turnover problem has carried over from the regular season. But he has embraced the physical nature of the playoffs and rose to the moment in Game 2, leading Detroit in securing in its first postseason win since 2008. In an already successful season for the Pistons, fans should take even more joy in Cunningham’s game translating to the playoffs. 

Indiana Pacers

What we learned: Andrew Nembhard is a playoff riser

Nembhard burst onto the scene last postseason as a killer postseason player, filling in admirably for the injured Tyrese Haliburton while giving the eventual champion Celtics everything they could handle in the Eastern Conference finals. He was rewarded with an extension that summer—but then struggled during the regular season, averaging only 10.0 points and 5.0 assists per game while hitting 45.8% of his shots from the floor. It was fair to wonder if Nembhard’s playoff run was an illusion. But after he scored 17 points on over 60% shooting in each of Indiana’s opening wins over the Bucks this postseason, including a dagger three to put Game 2 away, it seems Nembhard just waits until the lights are brightest to up his game. 

Milwaukee Bucks

What we learned: Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t enough 

Antetokounmpo has been excellent to kick off this year’s playoffs, averaging 35.0 points, 15.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. But the Bucks have lost both games, the first without Damian Lillard in a blowout; the second was much more narrow thanks to Lillard’s return. Antetokounmpo is still capable of reminding everybody why his nickname is the “Greek Freak,” but he can’t drag his team to postseason wins against these Pacers, who are uniquely suited to take advantage of Milwaukee’s weaknesses. If Lillard doesn’t quickly return to form or a surprise contributor like Kyle Kuzma has a few good games, the Bucks won’t be long for the playoffs. 

Western Conference

Oklahoma City Thunder 

What we learned: The Thunder can survive without their MVP playing like an MVP

The Thunder have absolutely annihilated the Grizzlies through the opening games of their first-round series, which isn’t really a surprise. OKC put forth a historic regular season and Memphis fired its head coach in March. What is surprising is that it all happened without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing his best. The MVP candidate averaged only 21 points per game in OKC’s two wins while shooting 33.3% from the floor—yet the Thunder’s average margin of victory has been 35 points. Things won’t go this well against a more talented opponent should SGA’s struggles continue, but Mark Daigneault’s squad has proven capable of holding it down if the superstar is struggling, a key trait for most championship contenders. 

Memphis Grizzlies

What we learned: The Grizzlies are incredibly overmatched

What else is there really to say after the Grizzlies entered the history books with one of the worst postseason blowouts of all time, losing by 51 points on Easter? Losing Brandon Clarke and Jaylen Wells to season-ending injuries before the playoffs started was always going to make life difficult, but those two would have been especially useful keeping things close against the Thunder. Without them, Memphis has no prayer of keeping up with OKC on either end of the court. The Grizzlies just have to hope they escape from this first-round death match with the Thunder with no injuries. 

Houston Rockets

What we learned: A hot Jalen Green changes everything 

The Rockets took advantage of Butler’s absence in Game 2 to even up the series, but even with Butler, Houston may have prevailed because Green was tremendous. In his second career playoff game, Green had 38 points on 13-of-25 shooting against a strong GSW defense. His shotmaking changed the entire flow of the game for the Rockets and made for a stark contrast to Game 1 where they managed only 85 points in a 10-point loss. It’s unrealistic to believe Green can do that consistently, since his career has come to be defined by weeks-long hot and cold streaks. But the outstanding performance served as a reminder that when he is hot, Houston becomes extremely dangerous and capable of beating anybody—an informative glimpse at what this Rockets team can be with a top scorer. 

Golden State Warriors 

What we learned: Surviving without Jimmy Butler would be difficult 

It doesn’t serve as news to anybody that Butler is key to the Warriors’ hopes for a deep playoff run this season, and they have proven capable of greatness with him in the lineup. But their showing after he exited Game 2 with a pelvis contusion in the first quarter gives little hope to the idea they may be able to make noise without him. Golden State struggled mightily without the forward’s playmaking, in particular. Steph Curry is an all-time great, but the Rockets’ entire scheme is dedicated to preventing him from even getting shots off, much less making them; Game 2 marked only the third time since the first game of the 2022 playoffs Curry was held to 15 field goal attempts or fewer in a postseason game. The Warriors are capable of defending the offensively challenged Rockets without Butler, but it will be difficult to win the series if he misses extended time. 

Los Angeles Lakers

What we learned: Defensive intensity must be high at all times

The Lakers put on a Jekyll-and-Hyde act in Games 1 and 2 against the Timberwolves. In Game 1 they were flat, low-energy and got run off the floor as Minnesota shot 51.2% from the floor while draining 21 three-point shots. In Game 2, the purple and gold were locked in, holding those same Wolves to 85 points on 38% shooting. The difference in intensity and energy was palpable. The defense played on a string, with a quasi-zone that managed to confuse even Anthony Edwards. The Lakers are going to get theirs offensively between LeBron James and Luka Doncic, but without a rim protector, the margin for error on that end is razor thin. If L.A. is to win playoff games, everybody has to be locked in from tip, or opposing offenses will rip them to shreds. 

Minnesota Timberwolves

What we learned: Anthony Edwards has another leap to take 

Edwards took a big leap as a scorer this season, averaging career-best numbers in points per game and three-point shooting accuracy. He has moved into an elite tier of scoring in the NBA—which means opposing defenses are going to try and force him into a playmaker role when the games matter the most. Edwards punished the Lakers for doing that in Game 1, dishing out nine assists while going +21 in his minutes on the floor despite a subpar shooting performance. He failed to do the same in Game 2, admitting he was confused by their defensive scheme after recording zero assists and two turnovers. It’s no coincidence his team lost that game while coasting to a win in the first. The 23-year-old superstar still has to make the leap from a good passer to a great one, even if he acknowledged in January he doesn’t want to. 

Denver Nuggets

What we learned: A third player has to step up 

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have lived up to their lofty playoff standards through the opening two games of their nail-biter series with the Los Angeles Clippers. Both are playing at least 44 minutes a night (with an overtime game included) and combine to account for 49.5 points, 16.0 rebounds and 17.5 assists per game. Put together, Jokic and Murray’s plus-minus comes out to +14.8 in two games that have been decided by a total of five points. Denver’s stars are delivering—but someone else has to step up to move onto the second round. Aaron Gordon put up 25 points in Game 1 to help with the win but no other Nugget totaled more than 15 points in Game 2’s defeat. Jokic and Murray are enough to battle L.A. to a draw; whether a teammate can rise to their level will determine whether they can earn the advantage. 

Los Angeles Clippers

What we learned: Kawhi Leonard is back

Leonard looked a lot like his old self as he ramped up to full speed in the last months of the regular season. Not much attention was paid to this development because, well, we’ve seen that movie before. But in the Clippers’ first win of the postseason, Leonard reminded us he will not be ignored, as well as how utterly terrifying he can be at full operating capacity. The dominant two-way wing had 39 points in Game 2 on 11-of-19 shooting while roaming defensively like a hungry lion stalking its prey. Leonard looked like the former MVP candidate who was the best player in the world during the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 championship run. That guy is apparently back in action—a frightening prospect for the Nuggets and the rest of the Western Conference playoff bracket should it hold.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as NBA Playoffs: One Thing We’ve Learned About Every Team in First Round.

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