2018 NBA playoffs live: Will opponents start daring Sixers rookie Markelle Fultz to shoot? - Washington Post

Markelle Fultz, right, has made an impact so far — just not as a shooter. (Chris Szagola/Associated Press)

The first round of the NBA playoffs continues today with Game 2 in the Miami-Philadelphia and San Antonio-Golden State series. Follow along here for the latest analysis and commentary from The Post's NBA reporter Tim Bontemps, and ask him questions in the comments section.

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Will opponents start daring Markelle Fultz to shoot?

It's really been remarkable that Markelle Fultz has been able to return after missing most of the season and immediately make an impact for Philadelphia.

But it will be interesting to see — either in this series or as the playoffs progress — whether teams begin to try to dare him into being more involved as a shooter.

Fultz's latest attempt — a step-back fadeaway in the baseline corner —resulted in an airball, and his shot still looks shaky. Could a team choose to employ the "Hack-A" strategy with him? Could they decide not to be within 10 feet of him when he has the ball?

Fultz isn't going to play many minutes, but moves like that could make it difficult for Sixers Coach Brett Brown to play him at all.

An uneven start for Goran Dragic in Game 2

One thing that had to happen in Game 2 for Miami: getting Goran Dragic more involved. The Heat's all-star point guard was all but invisible in Game 1, playing 31 ineffectual minutes that saw him score 15 points on 14 shots.

So it was a great sign for the Heat that Dragic came out aggressive in the opening minutes of Game 2, scoring six quick points. What was not so great of a sign? Him also picking up two fouls within the first five minutes of Monday night's game and heading straight to the bench.

As one of the few Miami players who can consistently break down a defense, that could prove to be a key moment in the game.

What will the Heat do with Hassan Whiteside?

There are two things to watch in the opening game of tonight's NBA playoff doubleheader between the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers: how much Hassan Whiteside plays, and how effective he is when he does.

Whiteside was dreadful in Game 1 on Saturday night, scoring two points on 1-for-4 shooting with two turnovers in 12 minutes. Most importantly, Whiteside was minus-16, with much of that coming in Philadelphia's game-changing run to start the third quarter that put the Sixers ahead for good.

[How seven teams can even their NBA playoff series. (Sorry, Spurs.)]

After the game, Whiteside said he had faith in the coaching staff, but there have been trust issues between him and Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra for some time now. The blame for those issues lies with Whiteside, who has proven to be as unreliable as everyone thought he might be when Miami signed him to a four-year max contract two years ago.

Now, the goal for the Heat has to be to limit Whiteside's minutes until Joel Embiid comes back in this series — because that is when Whiteside can have an impact. Embiid has already been ruled out of Game 2, however, so Whiteside's role should be limited Monday night. How limited, and what happens if Spoelstra makes it really limited bears watching — not just for this series, but also as a prelude to a potential move away from Whiteside this summer (if Miami can find a taker for him).

Monday's schedule (all times Eastern)