Trojans in the NBA: DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls are one game away from elimination

One more week into the NBA playoffs, the first round results for former Trojans’ teams are coming into shape.

Onyeka Okongwu and his Atlanta Hawks’ season ended with a loss to the Miami Heat in Game 5. De’Anthony Melton and his Memphis Grizzlies obtained a clutch win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to take a 3-2 series lead.

With two starting guards possibly absent for the Chicago Bulls’ next game, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević need to give their all to avoid elimination.

DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls (MIL 3:1 CHI)

After losing two more games in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks this week, the Chicago Bulls face potential elimination in each of their upcoming games, should the series continue.

Former Trojan DeMar DeRozan averaged 25 points on 46.7% shooting, 5.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and one steal over his last three games. Statistically, compared to DeRozan’s 27.9-point average from the regular season, his playoff averages are on par.

However, those three games were inconsistent for DeRozan.

In Game 2 on April 20, DeRozan contributed 41 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, two blocks and hit the winning shot over forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in the post at Fiserv Forum.

The difference between Games 1 and 2 is that DeRozan played simpler in the second game, utilizing the pick-and-roll.

Most of DeRozan’s 16 made shots were initiated by his pick-and-roll, which avoided many unnecessary physical contests and created space in the mid-range.

What’s more, nobody in the NBA wants to switch to former Defensive Player of the Year Antetokounmpo after pick-and-rolls, but DeRozan was 8-of-9 over Antetokounmpo in Game 2.

The Bucks adjusted rapidly in the following two games, double-teaming DeRozan when he dribbled deep in the paint and forcing him to attempt 3-pointers. DeRozan went 0-of-5 from behind the arc in Game 4.

The Bulls are facing a dilemma — they need more space on the court for their offense but are unable to change the rotation due to defensive considerations. At the end of the day, they may need a heroic performance from DeRozan to keep their hopes alive.

Nikola Vučević, Chicago Bulls (MIL 3:1 CHI)

Thirty-one-year-old Nikola Vučević also showcased excellence in Game 2, contributing 24 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and one steal. It was his best 3-point shooting night in the playoffs so far: 4-of-8 from behind the arc.

Vučević not only individually showed high efficiency on offense, but also facilitated the Bulls’ offense with plenty of indirect assists. The ball movement was smooth from the perimeter to the restricted areas and from the strong side to the weak side.

But the next two games were tough nights for Vučević. He only had one offensive rebound across the two outings, compared to 11 in the first two games.

The Bulls are not a good 3-point shooting team. If they can’t obtain second-chance opportunities through offensive rebounds, their offense will pause for a long time.

More bad news:

Guard Zach LaVine has entered the league’s COVID health and safety protocols, which means he will be sidelined for Wednesday night’s Game 5 in Milwaukee. Starting guard Alex Caruso will also miss the game as he is still in concussion protocol.

To win the elimination game, the Bulls need everyone to step up.

De’Anthony Melton, Memphis Grizzlies (MEM 3:2 MIN)

The Memphis Grizzlies took down the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-109 on Tuesday. The Grizzlies were down almost the entire game but ended the game with guard Ja Morant’s left-handed contested layup against forward Jarred Vanderbilt.

Winning Game 5 is huge for this young squad. Not only did the Grizzlies gain the mental edge over their opponent, but they also gained confidence and courage from such a big playoff comeback.

Guard De’Anthony Melton, however, lost himself in the last three games. He failed to score in 14 minutes off the bench, and he didn’t play in Game 5

Melton went 0-of-5 from 3-point range this week, which is unexpected given his 37.4% regular season 3-point shooting.

The No. 2 Grizzlies have been severely challenged by the No. 7 Timberwolves. Melton will need to find a way to help his team on both ends if the Grizzlies want to end the series Friday in Minnesota.

Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks (ATL 1:4 MIA)

The Atlanta Hawks were officially eliminated from the NBA playoffs with a 97-94 loss to the Miami Heat Tuesday night.

The Heat were a difficult first-round matchup for the Hawks, as they have multiple All-Defensive Team players in forwards Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and P. J. Tucker.

Guard Trae Young was completely shut down in the first round, posting more turnovers (30) than made shots (22) over five games. Young was the Hawks’ only ball handler, so when he was harshly limited on the court, the team quickly fell behind.

Forward Onyeka Okongwu averaged 5.2 points on 56.3% shooting and 5.4 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game in the first round.

Okongwu’s main offensive weapons are dunks and second-chance points. It’s understandable that he was directly affected when the team’s primary facilitator underperformed.

The 21-year-old Okongwu has to work on his defense and mid-range shooting in the offseason in order to help the Hawks stay competitive in the Eastern Conference.