Indiana Basketball alumni are making moves in the NBA Playoffs
Another two days have gone by and our four Hoosiers have seen plenty of action. Juwan Morgan and the Jazz have tied the Denver Nuggets in their series at 1-1. Romeo Langford saw a notable increase in his minutes in a blowout against the 76ers. OG Anunoby and the Raptors are rolling past the Nets. Victor Oladipo is back but his team just can’t quite get the job done.
With all these different Hoosiers in action, it can be time-consuming to look at how each one did. So I decided to compile a list of how each player has done game by game and will update it every few days. Here is how everyone did in their second playoff games of 2020.
Juwan Morgan
Morgan started once again for the Jazz and gave them some quality minutes. He didn’t reach the same level of play he had in game one but still gave a good effort nonetheless. The forward finished with five points and two rebounds in 14 minutes
with a plus/minus rating of +2. Most importantly, the Jazz won the game in a series that looks to be a candidate to go seven games.
Morgan’s role in the starting lineup is likely over now that Mike Conley is back in the bubble and ready to play. Whether or not he will continue to get minutes off the bench remains to be seen. Regardless of what happens for Morgan in the remainder of the playoffs, he can go into 2021 knowing he belongs in the NBA.
Final Stats: 5 points, 2 rebounds, +2 +/- — UTA 124, DEN 105
OG Anunoby
The Raptors struggled a little bit against a depleted Nets team but ended up getting the job done. Anunoby finished with six points and grabbed five rebounds and was (as always) a menace on the defensive end, recording two steals and two blocks.
The Nets are a shadow of themselves, as Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, Spencer Dinwiddie, Deandre Jordan, Taurean Prince, (gasp) and Wilson Chandler are all absent from the bubble. The Raptors may have had a tight game, but Anunoby and company are bound to close the series out in four or five games. This former Hoosier’s most exciting playoff basketball is ahead of him.
Final Stats: 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks — TOR 104, BRK 99.
Romeo Langford
The Celtics are gelling at the right time and the 76ers are crumbling. Boston is taking advantage of a team without one of its All-Pro players and that is about to go through a major overhaul.
With Gordan Hayward’s ankle injury, there is a hole in the wing rotation that Romeo Langford filled for 23 minutes. Langford was able to play rather comfortably as his team dominated the game pretty much from the opening tip. He scored six points and hit one three, although he did happen to make the NBA.com Top-Ten list for being on the wrong end of a highlight block.
Most importantly, Langford had a plus/minus of +26. He has a long way to go before he becomes a solid NBA player — he looks lost at times and just oozes inexperience. Still, he got his first meaningful playoff minutes and did okay.
Final Stats: 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, +26 +/- — BOS 128, PHI 101
Victor Oladipo
Oladipo came back after only playing nine minutes in his opening game against the Heat. He performed well, leading his team in scoring with 22 po
ints. He also got to the free-throw line for eight foul shots and knocked down all of them. On the flip side, he turned the ball over six times and was part of a bad team performance.
Oladipo played pretty decently, but the Pacers just don’t look capable of matching the Miami Heat. They struggle to score the ball and can’t defend the phenomenal shooters on Miami’s roster. Oladipo needs to pick his team up and carry them, otherwise, it could be a very short series.