There's almost always a trickle-down effect from the trends of the NBA postseason to the subsequent NBA draft. Those trends and the reactions they produce can lead to draft-day mistakes, but it's imperative for NBA evaluators to discern what works in the playoffs, why it works and how it pertains to the next batch of prospects. The league is full of accomplished regular-season players that can run around and put up numbers, but teams are always in search of prospects who can shine in postseason play against more sophisticated game plans and an uptick in intensity.
So what has stood out about the first round of the playoffs, and what could it mean for a 2021 class awaiting a draft day that is now less than two months away?
