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2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, Day 11: Saying Goodbye To Westbrook, The Spurs' Next Great Point Guard And 'Ice-O Joe' Arrives

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:46 p.m. ET

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Apr 25, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley (2) talks to guard James Harden (13) while playing agains the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

On Day 11 of 2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, we say goodbye to Westbrook's unforgettable season, plot out the Spurs' next point guard and celebrate Iso-Joe.

The 2017 NBA Playoffs are creeping toward the conference semifinals, and even as we approach a seemingly inevitable Golden State Warriors-Cleveland Cavaliers Finals matchup everyone's expecting, would anyone be disappointed as long as the playoffs remain this engaging?

Though the Dubs and Cavs both emerged with first round playoff sweeps, and now the Thunder have been sent him in a gentleman's sweep, almost every game of the postseason — even the blowouts by the last two defending NBA champions — has been entertaining.

As we advance through the postseason, we'll be taking a look at what stood out from each day of playoff action. Here's what we took away from the Rockets sending an MVP candidate home, the Jazz taking a commanding 3-2 lead and the Spurs inching closer to eliminated the Grizzlies Tuesday night.

The Rockets Need To Reach Another Stratosphere

As many expected, the Houston Rockets made short work of the Thunder in their first round playoff series. They ended OKC's season in five games Tuesday night, outlasting a clearly tired Russell Westbrook at home to move on to the conference semifinals.

James Harden finished with a 34-8-4-3-2 stat line, Lou Williams dropped 22 points off the bench and Eric Gordon tried to murder Jerami Grant in a throwback dunk that made New Orleans Pelicans fans sick to their stomachs:

That being said, the Rockets had better hope they can reach another stratosphere in the next round if they want to live up to their dark horse status in the West. While it's comforting they were able to win this series so handily despite not being at their best, the upcoming challenge of San Antonio or Memphis won't allow for this kind of mediocrity.

Houston was only the NBA's 15th-most efficient three-point shooting team this year, but shooting 28.4 percent from deep ranks them dead last among playoff teams so far. That has to change.

Eric Gordon and Trevor Ariza have to find the long range stroke. James Harden has to be better than his .411/240/.904 shooting splits in this series, and his assists (7.0 per game) could do with an overhaul compared to his league-leading 11.2 dimes per game during the regular season.

Maybe we're nitpicking here, but for the Rockets to even reach the juggernaut Warriors, they're going to need to be better than what we saw in the first round.

Apr 19, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) handles the ball on the perimeter during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets in game two of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Saying Goodbye To Westbrook's Season

I'm 100 percent convinced no one will ever fully understand Russell Westbrook's 2016-17 season, regardless of how the MVP voting shakes out. It was historic, unbelievable, fun, overrated, infectious and flawed all at once.

Unfortunately, his five-game playoff sting did nothing to clear things up, since every accomplishment was once again met with some kind of BUT.

In Game 5, Russ didn't get enough help from his teammates…BUT he once again took over to a degree that made people thoroughly uncomfortable when his shots stopped falling. He had a 38-7-7 stat line heading into the fourth quarter, BUT in the final period, he went 2-for-11 from the floor and 0-for-5 from three-point range.

Westbrook finished with 47 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, BUT he shot just 5-for-18 from three-point range, tying an NBA playoff record for three-point attempts — an absurd accomplishment for a guy who shot just 34.3 percent from downtown this season and 26.5 percent in the playoffs.

You could go on and on. He averaged a triple-double BUT sometimes padded his stats. The Oklahoma City Thunder won 47 games in their first year without Kevin Durant BUT that's usually too few for an MVP and he didn't trust his teammates. He was one of the league's most clutch players all season, BUT he fell back into old habits in the fourth quarters that mattered the most.

Do we celebrate Russ being the first player in NBA history to reach 150 points, 50 rebounds and 50 assists through the first five games of a playoff series, or condemn him for dropping out of the postseason in five measly games against a fellow MVP frontrunner?

Do we accept that his teammates didn't give him anything to work with on offense, or acknowledge that without their defense, his would've looked a lot worse?

Do we praise his triple-double average for the playoffs or mourn his 14-of-49 shooting and -23 plus/minus in fourth quarters during the series?

Do we enjoy his 20-point third quarter and his +12 plus/minus for the game despite his teammates being -18 in six minutes without him, or do we bemoan how that third quarter completely sapped his energy for the fourth as his teammates terrible body language grew more and more apparent?

Russell Westbrook is a warrior, a competitor and by all rights, a leading MVP candidate. He's also not necessarily someone you'd want to play basketball with, unless by "play" you mean "stand around and marvel at his greatness."

We may never understand Russell Westbrook's 2016-17 season, and going home in the first round behind some big numbers certainly doesn't help. At the very least, we can all agree it was entertaining as hell and bid it a fond farewell, because we will miss it now that it's gone.

Next: The Spurs Are Close To Solving Their Point Guard Situation

Apr 25, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs point guard Patty Mills (8) reacts after being fouled while scoring during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

The Spurs Are Close To Solving Their Point Guard Situation

After playing Mike Conley pretty even in the first two games of the series, Tony Parker went missing in Game 3, and his 22 points in Game 4 couldn't prevent the overtime loss. Patty Mills was somewhat effective in a double-digit Game 3 loss, but was a non-factor in Game 4.

The point guard situation has long been a source of concern for San Antonio Spurs fans, because even the most loyal of supporters will admit TP is getting old and Mills might not be worth paying to re-sign in free agency this summer.

In Game 5, those concerns fell by the wayside. Parker was outplayed by Conley, but still finished with a respectable 16 points and six assists on 6-of-12 shooting. Mills, meanwhile, dropped a playoff career-high 20 points off the bench on 7-of-10 shooting, with a +22 plus/minus.

But with matchups against James Harden, Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving looming on the potential road to championship No. 6, the disparity at one of the league's most important positions will only get larger. And as it does, one perfect summer union becomes more and more apparent.

Spoiler alert: It's Chris Paul. Chris Paul should totally sign with the Spurs this summer in free agency, and the Spurs should totally sign the crap out of Chris Paul.

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While his series with the Los Angeles Clippers takes a turn for the worse, behind yet another bout of Blake Griffin injuries, poor playoff luck and not enough help around CP3, this potential union makes more and more sense by the day.

CP3 would get his chance to prove how clutch he actually is with the right amount of help and experience around him. The Spurs would find their Parker replacement without having to worry about ponying up the dough for Mills, who should command quite a contract on the open market.

It feels cruel to write these words the night after Mills endeared himself to Spurs fans all over again, especially since TP is still only 34. But if you're a Spurs fan, the most important Game 6 of your week might involve rooting for the Utah Jazz.

Apr 25, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley (11) watches from the bench against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

How Much Grit Would A Grizzy Grind If A Grizzly Could Grind Grit?

Not many people expected this series to last longer than five games. Everyone thought the aging, shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies would serve as first round fodder for the mighty Spurs, especially since Kawhi Leonard was 8-0 in the playoffs against this team for his career.

And yet, crazy as it might sound, this has been a winnable playoff series for the Grizz. Other than that Game 1 smackdown, they were in every single game, even after falling down 0-2 in the series.

Game 5 was no different, even as the Grizzlies trailed by as many as 18 points. They cut the lead down to five before finally succumbing to Kawhi, Patty Mills and Manu Ginobili.

So far though, the home team has won every game of this series. Memphis held on for both of its home contests in Game 3 and Game 4. Mike Conley has largely outplayed his counterparts on the other team, as has Marc Gasol in the frontcrout.

Is it crazy to think the Grizzlies still have a shot in this series? Probably, but you can expect a lot of grit-n-grind in Game 6 either way.

April 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (6) moves the ball against Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Ice-O Joe

He goes by many names. Joe Jesus. Iso-Joe. Seven-Time All-Star. Hell, we can even throw Ice-O Joe into the mix now, because the man clearly has ice water running through his veins.

Whatever you want to call him, Joe Johnson is the reason the Utah Jazz are on the cusp of winning their first playoff series since 2010.

In Game 1, it was his 21 points and game-winning buzzer-beater that sunk the Clippers. In Game 4, he scored 11 consecutive points during one fourth quarter stretch en route to a 28-5-5 line. And in Game 5 Tuesday night, his dagger with less than 30 seconds left put the game out of reach and gave Utah a 3-2 series lead.

For the series, Ice-O Joe is averaging 21.0 points per game on .600/.583/1.000 shooting splits in Jazz wins, compared to 14.0 points per game on .429/.100/.750 splits in losses. Per NBA.com, he's a staggering 8-for-10 from the floor in clutch situations during these playoffs.

He's been unstoppable late in games and unguardable one-on-one. His production has directly translated to wins when his veteran poise kicks in. He's basically been what the Los Angeles Clippers hoped Paul Pierce would be.

Gordon Hayward is the star for the Utah Jazz, especially when he's not dealing with food poisoning. Rudy Gobert's return was the game-changer for the series. But at age 35, Ice-O Joe has been the constant, driving force behind a team that's poised to end the Lob City era.

April 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) reacts after he scores a basket against the Utah Jazz during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Say No To Bad CP3 Takes

It'd be hilarious how little time it takes for the Chris Paul hot takes to come flying off the handle if it weren't so infuriating.

Never mind that Blake Griffin is out injured. Never mind that Austin Rivers missed the first four games. Never mind that this series has been as dead even as you could ask for through five games. Some people would just rather ignore the evidence and label CP3 a choke artist.

Here are the facts, however. In these five playoff games, Paul is averaging 27.0 points, 10.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. He's a +15 in his 182 minutes on the floor, all while shooting 53.1 percent from the field, 44.0 percent from three-point range and 91.7 percent from the foul line. So much for not being aggressive enough on offense.

In the fourth quarter, CP3 is doing it all for the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging a playoff-leading 11.2 points on .559/.462/1.000 shooting splits with a +1.4 plus/minus. So much for being a choke artist.

And yet, all that matters is his team is once again down too early in the playoffs for people's tastes. Despite his gaudy numbers, the absence of Griffin and the return of Rudy Gobert for a 51-win Jazz team, all they can focus on is CP3's inability to reach a conference finals.

In Game 6, the burden will once again fall to Chris Paul to carry the Clippers, especially with so much at stake in free agency for Lob City. On the road against a very good Utah team, it's likely the "Clips gon' Clip" takes come to the forefront if they fail.

But before that moment arrives, someone needs to acknowledge that, like many of his failed playoff runs in the past, this one isn't Chris Paul's fault. Because when CP3 joins the Spurs to reach his first conference finals, and all of you hate how good San Antonio is, just remember these flawed takes are part of the reason why it happened in the first place.

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