From sweep to 0-2, the favorite to win the championship fell down, the core was overrated, and the championship became a joke

In the fierce NBA playoffs, plot reversals emerged one after another, and the first round witnessed two major accidents - both the Lakers and the Rockets were counterattacked. Due to its own strength, loose defense, weak offense, and lack of inside pillars, the Lakers have fully exposed their shortcomings in the face of the increase in playoff intensity. Only by relying on the lineup that is hoped for the offseason can we rekindle the hope of winning the championship. On the other hand, the Rockets are young and energetic but lack experience, have single offensive methods, weak outside shooting, and poor execution at critical moments. To join the championship ranks, it is urgent to introduce a super scorer with super shooting. Whether Durant considers the Rockets this summer is undoubtedly suspense.

entered the second round, and the game was in a daze. All the four-group showdowns were staged, and the favorites to win the championship were defeated one after another. Although the Warriors lost Curry, they still could defeat the Timberwolves with an overwhelming advantage; the Thunder were depressed at home; the Celtics, with a deep lineup and dominant historical confrontation, but were reversed by the Knicks 20 points; while the Cavaliers, as the Eastern Conference leader in the regular season, had won 16 consecutive victories, swept the Heat in the first round, setting a record of the largest net win in the single-round series in NBA history, but encountered the Dark Horse Pacers in the second round, and suffered a black goal opening and lost two home games in a row. Among them, G2 failed after leading the half-time, which made fans sigh. The root cause of the dilemma is the invasion of injuries. Core point guard Garland has missed four consecutive playoff games due to a toe injury, and his absence has a profound impact on the team. Facing the Pacers' series, the Cavaliers lagged behind 0-2 and the situation was grim. According to statistics, under the tiebreak system, only 28 teams in history can complete a reversal while falling behind 0-2, and the probability of a comeback is less than 10%, especially in losing two consecutive games at home, which is even worse. It is still time to overcome many difficulties and reverse the decline. But there is no doubt that injuries have become a big stumbling block on their way to the championship. In the first playoff game between the Cavaliers and the Pacers, Mobley and Hunter unfortunately suffered injuries. Both of them, together with Garland, are indispensable key figures in the Cavaliers. Garland's form has improved significantly this season, with his average score per game in the regular season jumping to more than 20 points, and his shooting percentage in all three events has increased by at least 3 percentage points compared with last season. Looking back, the Cavaliers were suppressed by the Celtics in the playoffs, which was largely attributed to Garland's sluggish performance at the time.

Now, Garland's condition has recovered and he has joined hands with Mitchell to form a double gun. The firepower is eye-catching. However, they were unable to make a appearance at a critical moment in the playoffs, which undoubtedly caused huge losses to the Cavaliers. As the mainstay of the Cavaliers' inside, Mobley has made great progress this season, showing outstanding dominance on both sides of the offense and defense, and won the honor of Defensive Player of the Season (DPOY). Although the Cavaliers are good at offense, their defensive efficiency is still among the top five in the league, and Mobley makes an indelible contribution to this. Just imagine, if Mobley was able to play in the second battle with the Pacers, perhaps the Cavaliers would not be reversed by their opponents in one minute by 7 points in the last moment.

In addition, as an important scoring point on the Cavaliers' bench, Hunter's appearance can effectively reduce the scoring pressure of main players such as Mitchell. However, even though Mitchell scored 48 points and 9 assists alone, the Cavaliers still failed to avoid defeat, and the absence of the core player undoubtedly had a huge impact on the team.

Speaking of Cavaliers leader Mitchell, he is undoubtedly a controversial star. Some people think he is underestimated, after all, he has never missed the playoffs since joining the league and has shown strong lower limit protection ability. After joining the Cavaliers, he significantly improved the team's record, bringing the Cavaliers, who were on the verge of rebuilding, back into the playoffs, and won the first place in the Eastern Conference in the regular season this season. During the playoffs, Mitchell also performed well. He maintained the highest score in a single game for active players - 57 points. This feat was born in the park season, and his highest score in a single game for the playoffs this year also reached 48 points.

However, some people also hold the opposite view, believing that Mitchell is overrated. As the core of the team, his regular season data is not outstanding, and it is difficult to demonstrate his absolute influence. Compared with top stars such as Tatum, Alexander, Antetokounmpo, Jokic, Mitchell's average of 24 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5 assists per game is indeed a bit mediocre. In addition, although Mitchell's lower limit guarantee ability is outstanding, it is obviously not easy for him to break through himself and achieve higher achievements. Despite being among the playoffs for many years, the team has never been able to break through the barriers of the division finals, and its best record has only ended in the second round. Although Mitchell showed extraordinary personal abilities on the field and scored high scores repeatedly, these dazzling scoring data often failed to translate into team victory, and ultimately could only be regrettably regarded as a feat of isolation. Compared with other top defenders, Mitchell still has room for improvement in leading the team forward and promoting teamwork. He relies more on personal singles than on inspiring the potential of the entire team through exquisite cooperation.

In addition, Mitchell is also slightly deficient in the display of leadership temperament. If you have a higher-level leader in the team, maybe you can avoid a dramatic reversal. At the critical moment of deciding the outcome, the lack of a stable mentality and rich experience became their weakness.

From the once-leading 4-0 to being chased to 0-2, this former favorite team of championships has suffered a heavy blow, and the leadership of its core players has also been questioned. Faced with such a situation, the dream of a championship seems to be drifting away.