What lessons have we learned from the 2017 NBA playoffs?

By the end of Tuesday, all eight NBA teams still alive will have a second round game under their belts. That makes this a good time to reflect what’s happened in the NBA playoffs so far.

FLANNERY: We’re through the first two weeks of the NBA playoffs, and while the games get more meaningful from here on out, they are never as hectic as the first round. The first round is a singular entity within the larger playoff ecosystem and has a pace all its own. It’s more random and charmingly weird.

I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted by the end of the first round. It makes me feel like the playoffs truly start in the second round because that’s when normalcy and the scheduling snap into place.

But before we get there, let’s revisit what we’ve learned.

Let’s start with the Most Valuable Player race that is still raging. We had every narrative and every argument come to life during the first round and there still is no consensus.

You and I both had Russell Westbrook. I felt bad about shortchanging James Harden, who really didn’t do anything to lose his hold on the top spot, and I wasn’t at all surprised by the 4-1 series outcome. Is it wrong that I still back Russ?

ZILLER: Not at all. Nothing about the series made it clear Harden is more valuable than Westbrook right now. The Thunder continued to revolve around Westbrook in every way; the Rockets continued to be better than the Thunder because of Harden’s excellence and a superior supporting cast. That series was essentially a microcosm of each team’s season (though the Thunder obviously had a good deal of success in the regular season).

Kawhi Leonard, however, certainly gave his MVP voters great cover by completely dominating on both ends in a surprisingly competitive Spurs-Grizzlies series. (Let’s ignore Game 1 of Rockets-Spurs for now.) I thought LaMarcus Aldridge would play a bigger role, but he struggled to make an impact. San Antonio revolves around Kawhi, and boy is he amazing. LeBron was also phenomenal in the Cavaliers’ sweep. We started the playoffs with four amazing contenders for MVP, and we’re still there even though one has been eliminated.

What was your biggest surprise of the first round? The Grizzlies’ ability to stick with San Antonio for six games threw me off, as did the Bucks’ friskiness against Toronto.

FLANNERY: I expected the Bucks to be frisky and the Raptors do love to make things hard on themselves. As I said earlier in the series, if anyone can get blown out like they did in Game 3 and come back and a win a series, it’s the Raps. God love them. So that didn’t surprise me, although it did satisfy my appetite for sluggo basketball. I’ve had enough now, thanks.

The Grizz were more surprising to me, but that’s probably my fault. I wasn’t fully in tune with how good this version of the Grizzlies has become and how they’d give the Spurs problems. A lot of that stemmed from trying to keep Mike Conley in check and that will be a recurring theme for as long as San Antonio is in the playoffs.

I’ve moved from “undecided” to “on board with” keeping the Grizz mostly intact, by the way. Your piece changed my mind.

I am far less certain about the futures for Indiana and Chicago. The Pacers kind of have trade Paul George now, don’t they? And the Jimmy Butler saga feels like it needs resolution.

ZILLER: Yes, Indiana needs to trade Paul George. Without Larry Bird or a reasonably short path to contention, he’s too huge a flight risk to leave in free agency in one year. Once we find out if PG-13 makes All-NBA — I think he won’t — the Pacers need to offer the biggest extension they can. If George demurs, trade him and build around the return and Myles Turner.

Butler’s a tougher decision because he’s under contract an additional year. I think you keep Jimmy going into 2017-18 and weigh how the season goes before potentially shopping him at the deadline and making a decision next summer based on where the team is. I’m not convinced Butler’s value will decrease closer to his free agency — you listen now, but there’s no real rush for the Bulls in my estimation.

Where are you at on those guys and the Hawks’ future?

FLANNERY: Bleak. If I have to choose any of their futures, I’ll take Indiana because of Turner, but I like Milwaukee’s much better and Miami is now dangerous. Teams come up, teams go down. It’s the fundamental nature of the league.

Let’s look out West. Safe to say we both think the Blazers will be a factor next year with Jusuf Nurkic and a few roster-clarifying moves? I’m really interested in what Sam Presti has up his sleeve now. The Thunder can’t maintain the status quo and they know that.

And the Clippers ... this is gonna get ugly.

ZILLER: I think we need to see what exactly Neil Olshey does to clarify the roster before I’m on board with Portland to be better than what they’ve been, which is a team winning 45 or so games. They still don’t have perimeter defense, and one month per season of strong play doesn’t instill a great deal of confidence in Jusuf Nurkic in me. Evan Turner seems like a difficult contract to move, no?

I’m extremely interested to see what both Olshey and Presti do to gain an edge. The Thunder so badly need shooting, but Blake Griffin might be available. Do you chase that?

If I can briefly bring in a team outside the playoff picture, it’s a critical summer for Denver, too: they know Nikola Jokic is their centerpiece now, and they can build around that. The Nuggets chased Dwyane Wade last summer, and I wonder if they’ll be looking to vets again.

Where are you at on the Clippers? I’m usually on Team Run It Back, but that payroll with the repeater tax is simply outrageous. The West isn’t getting easier.

FLANNERY: I think the Clippers’ time is done. It just can’t keep going on like this with the same ending year after year after year.

I’m going to assume that Chris Paul comes back, but beyond that I really don’t know. J.J. Redick can have his pick of situations and so can Griffin. And what of Doc Rivers? There seems to be some uncertainty there.

They could all come back, of course, but it seems unlikely that everyone signs up for another year or two of this. Just don’t ask me what they would do instead of Option Run It Back, because I don’t have any useful suggestions at the moment.

Sure, I’d look into Blake if I was OKC. The list of NBA superstars who grew up in Oklahoma starts and ends with Griffin, and so might the list of stars who would seriously investigate the Thunder’s situation this summer. Presti is resourceful and I’m sure he has several viable plans under construction. I highly doubt any of them are labeled, ‘Blake or Bust.’ If you are a roster management nerd, then what Olshey and Presti do this summer is fascinating.

Ah yes, Denver. It’s always a critical time for Denver. They finally have a centerpiece player in Jokic, and I am quite fond of much of their young talent. They really need to figure out that point guard situation, though. And the veteran logjam. I’d like the Nuggets to be good again. That was a great basketball market back in the day and I think it can be again with the right combinations.

Let’s spin this forward. What second round series has your attention? I’m all in on the East right now.

ZILLER: Spurs vs. Rockets should be educational. Houston brought the beatdown to San Antonio in Game 1, but series are long and full of twists. The Spurs will have something to say. We’ll see if the Rockets can hold up. Cavaliers vs. Raptors could get interesting too, assuming Monday’s game was more about Toronto’s typical Game 1 malaise. (I know better than to doubt LeBron. Man, what a rookie mistake not picking Cleveland to make it back to the finals.) It’s pretty clear that Wizards-Celtics will be a series of barn burners.

The good thing about the second round is that none of these teams would really be plunged into crisis with defeat. I mean, the losers may make some real changes (especially in the face of blowouts). But there are no referenda of the teams’ very existence as we saw with the C’s, Clippers, Raptors, Hawks, and Pacers in the first round. Now, it’s just basketball.

FLANNERY: True, but I do think the Raptors (and the Celtics to some extent) are still on the clock. If the Raps get dusted by Cleveland in five games, can they really afford to pay everyone? On paper, I liked their chances, but then Game 1 happened and I’m reminded of just how hard it will be to take down Cleveland. Just give me one game where the Cavs need to play up to their potential to win. That’s not too much to ask, is it?

I’d also like to talk myself into Utah giving Golden State a run, but I think the Dubs are peaking at the right time. You see anything so far that makes you think we’re not getting Round 3 of the Cavs-Warriors in the finals?

ZILLER: No. You?

FLANNERY: No.