The NBA Playoffs are one of the best times of the year. The intensity gets kicked up a notch, the quality of each team is exposed on prime time, and we get to see the best basketball of the season. At the halfway point of most first round series, we can start to see the chess matches taking place between opposing head coaches. We can also see that some of our predictions are in for a wake-up call. Though it’s still early, let’s see what the biggest surprises have been so far in the playoffs.

Seeds? What Seeds?

So far, we’ve seen that the seeding in the playoffs really doesn’t matter. Aside from the fact that the Western Conference’s two through seven seeds were between a game or two apart, the games so far have been very matchup oriented. This in itself isn’t surprising, as basketball is the most matchup dependent sport, but how well the top and bottom seeds match up with one another has been. The eighth seeded Nets have played the top seeded Hawks close in both games, as have the Pelicans against the top seeded Warriors. Conversely, the four/five matchups in both conferences haven’t been close at all. The Wizards blew out Toronto twice in Toronto, while the Grizzlies blew out Portland at home. It’s surprising how the teams that were supposed to play close games and the teams that were supposed to get dominated have flipped that script.

Coasting from Coast to Coast

To that end, almost none of these games have actually been close at all. Save San Antonio’s improbable game two win in Los Angeles on Wednesday, every series would be 2-0. The Nets, Pelicans, and Mavericks are the only teams that looked like they were legitimately going to steal a game on the road. Only two games have even been within five points, and there have been almost no close calls or last minute heroics. The home teams held serve for the most part, with the exceptions of Toronto and Los Angeles. What’s really surprising is that after one of the closest, hardest fought regular seasons in recent memory, the playoffs have felt flat and underwhelming so far. Hopefully this changes, but so far most of these games haven’t felt close.

We The North…Surrender?

Last season, the Toronto Raptors had one of the toughest home courts in the NBA. The crowd was raucous, the energy was electric, and it seemed to spur the Raptors to victory on more than one occasion. Though they lost to the Nets, they still went to game seven and the support of the home crowd was palpable. This year? Completely different story. Toronto and Washington sleepwalked through most of game one, before Toronto mounted a comeback and eventually lost in overtime. Game two was where John Wall put on a show, scoring 26 points and dishing out 17 assists. I predicted that the backcourts would decide this series, and so far Wall has done everything required to steal both games in Toronto. It’s hard to see the Raptors coming back, and if they don’t, it’ll put a merciful end to a once proud home team.

Ron-d’oh!

It was no secret that the Rajon Rondo trade wasn’t a perfect fit, but no one could have anticipated just how badly it would spiral out of control. After playing decently well in game one, Rondo disappeared in game two. He looked out of it, disinterested, and discombobulated. He committed several mental mistakes, and ultimately was pulled after less than a minute in the second half. He did not return. After the game, Rick Carlisle said that Rondo was out “indefinitely” with a back injury, but it’s hard not to wonder if that is a cover up for Carlisle benching Rondo for good. In an interview on Thursday, Carlisle said he did not anticipate Rondo ever wearing a Mavericks jersey again. This is quite an unceremonious finish to a bad move that never seemed to work out.