The first round of the NBA Playoffs is nearly complete. Seven of the eight series have ended, with Game 7 between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers taking place on Sunday.
Here are some of the most disappointing players of the opening round, all playing for teams that have been eliminated. Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
The Most Disappointing Players of the NBA Playoffs First Round
Paul George – Los Angeles Clippers
Paul George was fairly productive in the two games that the Clippers won in the opening round. The 34-year-old totaled 55 points in the two wins on 19-39 shooting (11-22 from three-point range).
It was in the four losses where George was just far too inefficient. In those outings, the nine-time All-Star shot just 20-56 (35.8%) from the field and 7-27 (25.9%) from beyond the arc.
Rui Hachimura – Los Angeles Lakers
It was expected that Anthony Davis and LeBron James would do their typical damage in the Lakers opening series against the Denver Nuggets. If Los Angeles had any chance to topple the defending champs though, they would need the role players to step up.
Rui Hachimura was unable to do so. His scoring average dipped by nearly six points in the playoffs compared to the regular season (from 13.6 to 7.8). Hachimura didn’t look aggressive on the offensive end until Game 5. In the five-game series, he connected on just 41.7% of his shots inside of the arc.
Tobias Harris – Philadelphia 76ers
Tobias Harris has become the poster boy in recent seasons when talking about overpaid NBA players. The 31-year-old was in the last season of a five-year, $180 million deal. The majority of 76ers fans are ecstatic that his contract is finally off the books.
Only in one of Philadelphia’s six playoff games did Harris score more than 10 points. The lackluster series ended with a goose egg in the points column for Harris who just attempted two shots in Game 6.
Brandon Ingram – New Orleans Pelicans
With Zion Williamson out due to injury for the Pelicans opening-round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, it was assumed that Brandon Ingram would have to show up in a big way for New Orleans to have a shot. He didn’t, and the Pelicans got swept.
Guarded for much of the series by Luguentz Dort, Ingram made little impact in the Pelicans’ four losses. After averaging 20.8 points on 49.2% shooting in the regular season, those numbers dipped to 14.3 points on 34.5% from the field in the postseason.
Russell Westbrook – Los Angeles Clippers
Nobody is expecting a vintage MVP-like Russell Westbrook anymore. However, the 35-year-old still was a valuable member of the Clippers this season off the bench. He looked spry in the 10 games he played at the end of the regular season returning from a fractured hand.
During the opening round of the playoffs, Westbrook had a hard time finding the bottom of the net, especially after Game 1. In the opening game of the series, the 2016-17 MVP went 5-8 from the field. In Games 2-6, Westbrook made just eight of his 42 field goal attempts totaling just 25 points.
