Hello NBA Fans,
Playoffs are underway. Sixteen teams have earned a spot to battle for the prestigious Larry O’Brien Trophy. This season has been full of surprises. At the beginning of the regular season there seemed to only be a handful of true contenders. However, after a long gruelling season, going into the playoffs we look to have what just may be the most parody we have seen in the NBA in a long time. Every first-round matchup has the potential for an upset.
Let’s take a closer look at the match ups in each conference and my predictions.
Eastern Conference
#1 Miami Heat Vs #8 Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta performed well in the play-ins by first defeating the Charlotte Hornets easily (132-103) in the (9 vs 10) game. Then, pulling off a six-point victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers (107-101) to qualify for the playoffs. Unfortunately, their big man Clint Capela was injured in the game and is a huge lost to Atlanta going into Round 1 of the Playoffs. They will be facing a healthy veteran squad led by former Raptor Kyle Lowry who looks to use his championship pedigree to help guide stars Jimmy Butler & Bam Adebayo to a long march in the playoffs. These three are surrounded by solid 3-point shooting and one of the best team defenses in the league. Couple that with a championship coach Erik Spoelstra gives Miami the big edge.
Prediction > Miami Heat in 5 games
#2 Boston Celtics Vs #7 Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets were heavy favourites coming into the season. Injuries, vaccination status and disgruntled players have taken over the headlines with this team. Although they traded for defensive guru Ben Simmons, he has yet to take the floor for game action. They are hoping he may be available later in this series. Andre Drummond has brought rebounding prowess and Seth Curry shooting expertise from the 3-point line to help provide support to their stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Boston has a young up and coming team. Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown are primed to take that next step in their career and hopefully help guide this team far into the playoffs. An injury to their young anchor to their defence Robert Williams late in the regular season will make it much tougher for this team. This series may just be the best first round match up in both conferences.
Prediction > Brooklyn Nets in 7 games
#3 Milwaukee Bucks Vs #6 Chicago Bulls Prediction > Milwaukee Bucks in 5 games
The defending champions Milwaukee have had it in cruise control all season long. They by far have been the most consistent team in the Eastern Conference. They have been gearing up for the playoffs. Chicago Bulls have made strides this season with the addition of another former Raptor Demar DeRozan who has been an amazing addition to this team. He had a twenty-game run earlier in the season where he was probably the best player in the league. Chicago cooled off falling in the standings down to sixth spot. Although Chicago has a solid “big three” in DeRozan, Vucevic and Lavine they do not have the championship DNA of the Bucks “big three” of Giannis, Middleton, and Holiday. The Bucks have been there done that and believe it or not Giannis Antetokounmpo has improved and looks hungry for another title.
#4 Philadelphia 76ers Vs #5 Toronto Raptors
Philadelphia made a big trade late in the season obtaining All-Star James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond, Seth Curry and two first round picks. This trade reunited Harden with his former GM from Houston Daryl Morey. On paper this was a great trade for both teams. Toronto Raptors have proven to be a thorn to the 76ers the past 3 years in both the playoffs and regular season. Coach Nick Nurse has always come up with exceptional game plans reducing Joel Embiid’s effectiveness. This prediction comes out a bit late and we now know that Toronto has experienced significant injuries to Scottie Barnes, Thadeus Young and Gart Trent Jr looks to be battling an illness which will most definitely influence the Raptors ability to pull off an upset in this series. However, I will be fair and stick to my original prediction.
Prediction > Toronto Raptors in 7 games
Western Conference
#1 Phoenix Suns Vs #8 New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans surprised a few teams in the play-ins defeating both the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angelos Clippers to qualify for the playoffs. However, all that hard work has earned them an opponent that is most definitely the strongest team in the Western Conference. Phoenix led by future hall of fame point guard Chris Paul and MVP candidate Devin Booker are looking to get back to the NBA Finals and avenge a lost to Milwaukee last year. New Orleans made a mid-season trade adding sharpshooter CJ McCollum however are still missing young phenom Zion Williamson to a foot injury. Phoenix is a powerhouse and when running on all cylinders is just too much for the Pelicans to handle.
Prediction > Phoenix Suns in 5 games
#2 Memphis Grizzles Vs #7 Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota beat the LA Clippers in what was one of the more entertaining games during the play-ins. Patrick Beverly got his revenge against his former team and milked it to the fullest. The Timberwolves look to ride that momentum against one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Memphis is a young team led by prolific highflyer Ja Morant who took a leap this season and was an MVP candidate early on prior to his injury. Even without Ja Morant the team continued to win in his absence. This series is shaping up to be another one that just seems like it will be a slugfest and primed to go the complete seven games.
Prediction > Memphis Grizzles in 7 games
#3 Golden State Warriors Vs #6 Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are led by the MVP favourite Nikola Jokic. Even with significant injuries to other top players on his team, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. Jokic has found a way to will his team into the playoffs with a chance. That chance I believe will soon come to an end. They have a match up with a healthy and deep Golden State Warriors team. GSW have nursed Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and now Steph Curry back to health for a playoff push. This team had championship pedigree and a coach Steve Kerr that has 3 titles under his belt. On top of all the vets this team has, they also have some athletic rookies in Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, who if needed can step in and be dynamic players to help with their championship run.
Prediction > Golden State Warriors in 6 games
#4 Dallas Mavericks Vs #5 Utah Jazz
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic injured himself in the last regular season game and looks to be out of the lineup for at least the first two games of the series. This is terrible news for Dallas and heavily tips matters favouring the Utah Jazz. Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, and Rudy Gobert have a lot to prove. They have consistently put up strong regular season results, only to struggle in the post season. Both teams healthy would have been a great series. With Luka out, it looks like the Jazz will easily pull off this series and move on to the second round.
Prediction > Utah Jazz in 5 games
Grab your beer and favourite snacks and get that remote ready to tune into all these exciting playoff series.
Which teams do you think will win their first-round matchups?
Let us know in the comments below.
