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Michigan Basketball: Breaking down Wolverines in NBA playoffs

By Chris Peterson

Apr 10, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) shoots a free throw against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) shoots a free throw against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports /
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Breaking down all the former Michigan basketball players who will take part in the NBA playoffs starting on Saturday. 

When the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, it eliminated one former Michigan basketball player from the NBA Playoffs in Caris LeVert but ensured that another Chaundee Brown of the Atlanta Hawks would move on.

Now, the NBA playoff bracket is set and the first round starts on Saturday (1 PM ET) with a game that will be of interest to Michigan basketball fans as the fourth-seeded Dallas Mavericks will host the Utah Jazz.

The Mavs actually have two Wolverines on their roster but Tim Hardaway Jr. is out right now due to injury and may not return this season. Trey Burke is still on the Mavericks and while he may not see significant minutes, he averaged 5.1 points in 42 games this season.

We have talked about Jordan Poole’s incredible season before, but tonight, the player many believe will win the NBA’s Most Improved Award, will get his chance to shine in the NBA playoffs.

The third-seeded Warriors will be hosting the Denver Nuggets (8:30 PM ET) and the word is that Steph Curry will return after being out since March. Poole has thrived in his absence but even if he comes off the bench, Poole will be a huge factor for the Warriors going forward as they try to make another run at an NBA championship, now that they are healthy again.

Jordan Poole is the real deal

Poole averaged 30 minutes a game this season for Golden State and notched 50 starts. He also shot 44 percent from the field, 39 percent from 3-point range, and led the NBA in free throw percentage at 92 percent.

Another former Michigan basketball player known for his shooting prowess is Duncan Robinson, and he’ll be a key player for the top-seeded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference.

The Heat will host the eight-seeded Hawks, who defeated Charlotte and Cleveland on the road to earn their way into the postseason after finishing 10th in the East in the regular season.

Robinson averaged nearly 11 points per game this season and while his field-goal percentage dropped to 39 percent, he still made 37 percent of his triples. That series will open on Sunday, as will the Celtics (featuring Nik Stauskas) and the Nets.

Like Brown with the Hawks, Stauskas probably won’t play much, if at all for Boston. Burke won’t see a huge role for Dallas either most likely, so the guys carrying the banner for Michigan basketball this postseason are Poole and Robinson.

Next. Michigan basketball's ideal starting lineup. dark

And it will be exciting to see what they can do in the 2022 NBA playoffs.

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