Five Former Cards Reach 2022 NBA Playoffs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With both the regular season and the NBA Play-In Tournament now in the rear view mirror, the 2022 iteration of the NBA Playoffs have finally arrived. The quest for the sacred Larry O'Brien Trophy begins Saturday, Apr. 16, and five former Louisville Cardinals have a shot at it.
Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, Milwaukee Bucks small forward Jordan Nwora, Golden State Warriors shooting guard Damion Lee, Atlanta Hawks center Gorgui Dieng and Toronto Raptors shooting guard David Johnson will all be leading their respective teams through the playoffs for a shot at an NBA title.
Charlotte Hornets power forward/center Montrezl Harrell and shooting guard Terry Rozier both had made the Play-In Tournament, but were eliminated.
First to take the court will be Mitchell. The fifth-year player for the Utah Jazz is averaging 25.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and a career-best 5.3 assists per game. Also shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 35.4 percent on three-point attempts, he was named to his third NBA All-Star Team back in February.
Utah was able to clinch the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, and will be taking on Luka Doncic and the No. 4 Dallas Mavericks. Game one is scheduled for Saturday, Apr. 16 at 1:00 p.m. EST on ESPN
Next up will be Johnson. Unfortunately, it will be highly unlikely that sees any action in the postseason, as he has spent almost all of his rookie season in the G-League. He is signed to a two-way deal, so it is still possible that he could play. He saw just two games at the NBA level with no stats logged, but averaged 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game on 40.8 percent shooting in the G-League.
The No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, Toronto has a very strong starting five, but has a tall task out right out of the gates, matched up against potential MVP Joel Embiid and the No. 5 Philadelphia 76ers. Game one is scheduled for Saturday, Apr. 16 at 6:00 p.m. EST on ESPN.
Lee will help cap off the first night of NBA Playoffs action. While his overall role on the team has taken a hit since Steph Curry returned to the lineup, he has still been effective. A mainstay of their backcourt rotation, Lee is averaging 7.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
Led by Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Wiggins - who was named to his first NBA All-Star Team - the Warriors could be poised for a deep run as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. But they will have to face another MVP candidate in Nikola Jokic and the No. 6 Denver Nuggets first. Game one is scheduled for Saturday, Apr. 16 at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC.
Dieng will be in action on the second day of the NBA Playoffs, but he has not seen a lot of playign time as of late. After signing a one-year deal with Atlanta this past offseason, Dieng has seen his role diminish as the season has progressed, only playing in four of the Hawks' last 20 regular season games, and neither of their Play-In Tournament games. He is averaging 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game this season.
After taking down the Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers in the Play-In Tournament, the Hawks clinched the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference. While they are led by one of the top young players in the league in Trae Young, they'll have to face the No. 1 Miami Heat in the first round. Game one is scheduled for Sunday, Apr. 17 at 1:00 p.m. EST on TNT.
Finally, we have Nwora. He saw an increased role in his second year than his rookie campaign, playing in 62 games as opposed to 30 last year, as well as seeing his minutes increase from 9.1 to 19.1. He averaged 7.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 34.8 percent on threes and 40.3 percent from the field.
Led by former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks clinched the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, and will face DeMar Derozan and the No. 6 Chicago Bulls in the first round. Game one is scheduled for Sunday, Apr. 17 at 6:30 p.m. EST on TNT.
(Photo of Donovan Mitchell: Jeffrey Swinger - USA TODAY Sports)
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