The Wagner brothers highlight the Michigan contingent headed to the postseason.
Nine former Michigan Wolverines made the NBA playoffs , though it helps that four of them play for the same team. Of those nine, several have been playing banged up and took an opportunity for some well-earned rest prior to the playoffs.
Here’s how each of the former Wolverines performed in NBA action this week.
Franz Wagner, F, Orlando Magic
19.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.7 APG in 72 games
Fortunately, Franz was able to return from his ankle sprain within the week and came back with a bang. On Friday night in Philadelphia he scored 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field in 35 minutes. He also hauled in six rebounds and dished out three assists. Then on Sunday, Wagner one-upped himself with a 25-point, five-rebound, three-assist, three-steal performance in a win over the Bucks.
Wagner’s Magic finished the regular season as the No. 5 seed in the East. They will face the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the First Round.
Tim Hardaway Jr., G, Dallas Mavericks
14.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.8 APG in 79 games
Hardaway scuffled a bit down the stretch for the Mavericks, though it should be noted that Dallas started resting its veterans during the last week of the season. Through four games this week, he averaged 7.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. Hardaway’s highlight of the week was a 15-point performance on 6-of-10 shooting in a win over Charlotte on Tuesday.
Hardaway’s Mavericks are the No. 5 seed in the West and will face the No. 4 seed Clippers in one of the best matchups of the First Round.
Duncan Robinson, F, Miami Heat
12.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.8 APG in 68 games
Sadly, Robinson missed the entirety of the last week of the season because of his back injury. He is listed as questionable for the first game of the Play-in Tournament.
Duncan’s Heat finished as the No. 8 seed in the East. They will play the No. 7-seed 76ers in the first game of the Play-in.
Jordan Poole, G, Washington Wizards
17.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.4 APG in 78 games
Poole scored 24 points along with six assists on Tuesday in Minnesota. Unfortunately, he missed the last two games of the regular season due to an illness.
The Wizards finished with the second-worst record in the NBA, only ahead of the Detroit Pistons . Jordan set career-highs in games started, minutes, and steals. His scoring dipped ever so slightly despite the increased minutes.
Caris LeVert, G, Cleveland Cavaliers
14.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.1 APG in 68 games
LeVert played in two contests this week. He scored 18 points in a win over Memphis on Wednesday and backed that up with 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists in a win over Indianapolis on Friday. He then sat out Cleveland’s regular season finale due to knee soreness, though it could have been an intentional rest day prior to the playoffs.
LeVert’s Cavaliers are the No. 4 seed in the East and will face off with the Wagner brothers, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, and the rest of the Orlando Magic in the First Round.
Moritz Wagner, C, Orlando Magic
10.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.2 APG in 80 games
Moe finished the regular season off strong with double-digit scoring performances in three of his final four performances. Through four games this week, Wagner was perfect from the free throw line and shot over 70 percent from the field. He averaged 11.5 points per game this week and will likely have increased usage in the playoffs as Wendell Carter is trying to play through back spasms.
Wagner appeared in an astounding 80 games this year, well over his previous high of 63. He set a career-high in field goal percentage at over 60 percent. This was good for eighth in the NBA.
Caleb Houstan, F, Orlando Magic
4.3 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.5 APG in 59 games
Houstan returned from injury this week but played in primarily mop-up duty. He was held scoreless off the bench twice on Tuesday and Wednesday before scoring five points in five minutes on Sunday.
On the season, Caleb took a small step forward over his rookie year though not a notable jump. He shot better than he did during his rookie season but was less effective as a passer and rebounder.
Moussa Diabate, F, Los Angeles Clippers
2.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 0.4 APG in 11 games
Diabate did not appear in NBA action this week, as he remained in the G League.
Moussa’s Clippers are the No. 4 seed in the West and will face off with Tim Hardaway Jr.’s No. 5-seeded Dallas Mavericks .
Jett Howard, G, Orlando Magic
1.6 PPG, 0.4 RPG, 0.3 APG in 18 games
Jett got into the game three times this week, but all in mop-up duty. He was held scoreless twice but knocked down a three-pointer on Wednesday in Milwaukee.
It was a disappointing year for the young guard as he rarely made meaningful appearances in the NBA despite being a lottery pick. I don’t expect Orlando to give up on him any time soon but it will be an important offseason for Howard.
Kobe Bufkin, G, Atlanta Hawks
4.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.6 APG in 17 games
Despite Atlanta flailing miserably down the stretch, Bufkin continued to solidify his place in the rotation. Kobe appeared in all four games this week and posted his second-highest scoring game of his career with 11 points on Wednesday against the Hornets.
Bufkin’s Hawks are the No. 10 seed in the East. They will play the No. 9 seed Chicago Bulls in the first game of the Play-in Tournament.
Isaiah Livers, F, Washington Wizards
5.0 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.1 APG in 23 games
Livers is now a free agent as Washington’s season concluded without him appearing since the trade. It was a disappointing year for Livers as his stats regressed in almost every category and he struggled with injury. Hopefully a team will be willing to take a chance on him heading into next year.
Zavier Simpson, G, Memphis Grizzlies
6.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.6 APG in 7 games
Simpson signed a second 10-day contract with the Grizzlies to extend his audition. He performed admirably with a 12-point performance against the Spurs as well as an eight-rebound game in Cleveland on Wednesday night. Memphis did not make the playoffs so Simpson’s season is done.
Statistically, he wasn’t as strong during this seven-game stretch as he was during his four game stint with Oklahoma City in 2021-2022, but it was still a solid showing for the veteran guard. Hopefully he is able to stick in the offseason.