NBA Playoff Predictions
Can the Lakers repeat? Is the title the Nets to lose? What about the Clippers and 76ers? Can either of them win?
The NBA play-in tournament was interesting that is for sure. It started with the favored Hornets losing by 50 to the Pacers, to the Lakers barely beating the Warriors on a desperation 3 by LeBron, to the Wizards steamrolling the Pacers, to finally the Grizzlies shocking all of the experts and beating Stephen Curry and the Warriors in San Francisco. I was originally skeptical of the play-in tournament, but after seeing how exciting and interesting it was this year, I am now a firm believer in keeping it in place for future NBA seasons.
Either way, the whole field is set and there are some really good first-round series’ to watch for. Lakers vs. Suns will be a fantastic series. So will Bucks vs. Heat and Knicks vs. Hawks. After beating Golden State, I am interested to see how the Grizzlies will play against the #1 seeded Jazz. I do think the Jazz will win the series pretty easily, but the Grizzlies have already surprised some people and could do it again.
Western Conference First Round:
Utah Jazz vs. 8. Memphis Grizzlies
Like I said in the previous paragraph, this could be a very good series even if it is a 1. vs. 8. matchup. I think the Jazz, regardless of their spectacular regular season, are a relatively weak playoff team compared to the Lakers and Clippers. However, that won’t matter as much in this series since the Jazz have a little more star power than the Grizzlies. They have Donovan Mitchell back to go along with Rudy Gobert, Jordan Clarkson, Mike Conley, and Joe Ingles. They also have one of the best systems implemented in basketball thanks to coach Quinn Snyder.
The Grizzlies have some of the best depth in the league as any one of their nine rotational guys could come up big and take over for them. However, Ja Morant and Co. do not have any playoff experience and are way too young and inexperienced to beat the Jazz to begin with. Like I said though, the Grizzlies are well-coached and have a ton of depth, which could give the Jazz some issues, but not enough to beat them more than one or two games in this series.
Result: Jazz beat Grizzlies in 5 games
Phoenix Suns vs. 7. Los Angeles Lakers
I feel bad for Chris Paul and the Suns. They put on a great campaign as one of the NBA’s best teams during the regular season and they would probably beat every other Western Conference team besides the Lakers(or the Clippers). Unfortunately, the Suns have to face the Western Conference’s best team at full health. At least they made the playoffs, and Chris Paul turned this team from a 9 seed not making the playoffs to a 2 seed.
His impact on organizations’ success is incredible regardless of whether he ever wins a championship. He is a proven winner, but the Lakers have a healthy LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Andre Drummond, KCP, Alex Caruso, Talen-Horton Tucker, Ben McLemore, Wesley Matthews, and Marc Gasol. That’s all that needs to be said. Lakers in 6.
Result: Lakers beat Suns in 6
Denver Nuggets vs. 6. Portland Trailblazers
Nikola Jokic will win MVP this year(even though it should be Curry in my opinion). He has been fantastic leading this team to the #3 seed alongside rising star Michael Porter Jr. without Jamal Murray for the final stretch of the season. Hats off to the Nuggets for accomplishing this feat, but unfortunately the Trailblazers have Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, Norman Powell, and Jusuf Nurkic.
The Blazers dominated the Nuggets the other night and should be able to replicate that performance at least 4 out of 6 or 7 games. Portland wins this series pretty handily in 5 or 6 games because, without Jamal Murray, the Nuggets can’t do anything in the playoffs even with Jokic and Porter Jr.
Result: Trailblazers beat Nuggets in 6 games
Los Angeles Clippers vs. 5. Dallas Mavericks
After trading Seth Curry the Mavericks offense has not been the same since. Arguably one of the worst trades in the last couple of years, the Mavericks have suffered the consequences. Luka Doncic was way less efficient this season compared to last season. Kristaps Porzingis wasn’t brilliant and isn’t a good match with Doncic(which will have to be addressed in the offseason).
Josh Richardson can’t shoot three’s, is an isolation-type player and is not the best defender either, so I don’t know what was going through President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Donnie Nelson’s head when he moved Curry for Richardson. Either way, the Mavericks are not good enough to stop Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Serge Ibaka, Rajon Rondo, Marcus Morris, and Co. The Clippers may be the best team in the Western Conference, and Luka Doncic scoring 40 PPG with 10+ assists and 10+ rebounds is not even good enough to hang with the ultra-talented Clippers. Clippers in 5.
Result: Clippers beat Mavericks in 5
Eastern Conference First Round:
Philadelphia 76ers vs. 8. Washington Wizards
The Wizards will take this series 5 or 6 games, but they really need one more piece to pair with Westbrook and Beal to become serious contenders. Also who on the Wizards can stop Embiid? No one is the answer. Now let me ask you this. Who on the 76ers can stop Westbrook and Beal? Simmons, Harris, Thybulle, Green. Yea, that is what makes this a 5 or 6 game series.
Result: 76ers beat Wizards in 5
Brooklyn Nets vs. 7. Boston Celtics
This could be a 4 game series, but I will give Jayson Tatum some credit and call it a 5 game series. Seems like the Wizards threw that game against the Celtics because they looked like a whole other team against the Pacers who were coming off of a 50 point win against the Hornets. Either way, Tatum will put on a show every game and will have another 50 piece in one of those 5 games to give the Celtics at least one win. However, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant are all looking healthy so Boston has its work cut out for them.
Result: Nets beat Celtics in 5
Milwaukee Bucks vs 6. Miami Heat
This may be the best series of any of the first-round series. Miami torched the Bucks last season in the playoffs, stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo’s production, while also locking down the Bucks shooters. This won’t be the case in this playoff series though. Tyler Herro has been inconsistent, and really that is the key to the whole series. We know that Jimmy Butler will average close to a 25 point triple-double in this series. We know that Bam Adebayo will rebound, pass, score in the post, and play dominant defense.
However, besides Kendrick Nunn, no one on the bench is consistent. The Bucks' depth has been fantastic and the starting 5 has been dominant as well. The addition of Jrue Holiday truly made this Bucks team astronomically better and more equipped defensively and offensively to beat a team like Miami. Holiday may be the most underrated player in the NBA, and he is ready to prove his significance with Giannis and Middleton in this series. Donte DiVincenzo and Brook Lopez look poised for a big series as well. Bucks in 6.
Result: Bucks beat Heat in 6
New York Knicks vs. 5. Atlanta Hawks
This will be a very fun series with one of the top offenses in the league matching up against one of the top defenses in the league. Trae Young has been disrespected all year not even making the all-star team when he averaged over 26 PPG with over 9 APG. Let that sink in. When has someone who has averaged 26 PPG and over 9 APG not made the all-star team? Oh, and by the way, Young also lead this team to the 5 seed in the East. He is ready to continue to prove the doubters wrong, and he has the team to do so.
John Collins, Danilo Gallinari, and Clint Capela have all been fantastic. Unfortunately for the Hawks, the Knicks are hungry and ready to win their first playoff series in a long time behind Julius Randle’s brilliance. Randle averaged 24 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 6 APG and will undoubtedly finish in the top 5 of MVP voting and make the All-NBA second team at least. R.J. Barrett and Derrick Rose have also been fantastic all year and will continue to be fantastic in this series, which will push the Knicks over the edge. Knicks in 6.
Result: Knicks beat Hawks in 6 games
Western Conference Semis:
Portland Trailblazers vs. 7. Los Angeles Lakers
Portland doesn’t have the talent or the depth to stop the Lakers. Plain and simple. I would be surprised if Damian Lillard can lead this Blazers team to more than one win in this series. That’s how well the Lakers’ #1 defense matches up against Portland. Other than Jusuf Nurkic, no one on the team can hang with the Lakers bigs.
The Lakers also have elite on-ball perimeter defense, where Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Wesley Matthews, Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Dennis Schroder will be able to lock up Dame and C.J. every game. This is a dream matchup for the Lakers, who drew a tough Suns team in the first round but get some breathing room in this series. Lakers in 5 behind their #1 ranked defense and dominant performances from Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
Result: Lakers beat Trailblazers in 5 games
Utah Jazz vs. 4. Los Angeles Clippers
The Jazz are determined to make it past the conference semis this season and will try to ride on Donovan Mitchell’s back to the Western Conference finals. However, this is not the year they will do so. I have been saying since the beginning of the season that the Jazz need a third star to make it past the second round and I stand by that belief.
Utah is a very good team, but the Clippers have two superstars and depth, something the Jazz do not have. They only have one superstar if you consider Mitchell a superstar, which I don’t(even though he is close). Rajon Rondo and Marcus Morris will have a big-time series alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George of course. The Jazz will make it tough because they are hungry to get past the second round, but the Clippers have too much talent and that will push them over the edge in 7.
Result: Clippers beat Jazz in 7 games
Eastern Conference Semis:
Philadelphia 76ers vs. 4. New York Knicks
This will surprisingly be a fantastic series because these two teams match up very well against each other. Both have elite defenses and a superstar who can take over the game whenever he wants to(Randle and Embiid). Both have hard-nosed point guards who play defense and create(Derrick Rose and Ben Simmons). However, the difference in this series is shooting, which the 76ers have more of. Seth Curry, Tobias Harris, and Danny Green will be able to shoot lights out, and the Knicks really have no answer for that even if they somehow do lockdown Embiid and Simmons. 76ers in 6.
Result: 76ers beat Knicks in 6 games
Brooklyn Nets vs. 3. Milwaukee Bucks
This will be a hell of a series. Milwaukee is better than they were last year and everyone on their team will be playing great going into this series. However, Brooklyn is just way too talented for anyone in the Eastern Conference, maybe even in both conferences. James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving all look dominant. Blake Griffin, Joe Harris, Nicolas Claxton, and DeAndre Jordan all look like solid role players as well. People keep arguing that Brooklyn will lose because they don’t play defense, but if you are putting up 140 points per contest then defense really doesn’t matter much. The Bucks will make this interesting, but the Nets are too talented to lose this series. Nets in 6.
Result: Nets beat Bucks in 6 games.
Conference Finals:
Los Angeles Clippers vs. 7. Los Angeles Lakers
This is the matchup everyone wanted last season, and unfortunately, it did not happen. However, this year it will happen which should excite basketball fans around the globe. The Clippers are better than last year. They lost Montrezl Harrell to the Lakers but gained Serge Ibaka, Rajon Rondo, and Luke Kennard among others. Kawhi and Paul George are playing great basketball and that should not change going into this series(regardless of playoff p). The Lakers will also have a tough time containing Rajon Rondo.
However, these games will come down to defense down the stretch and the Lakers will be able to use their depth and talent to win the majority of this series’ games. Kahwi will average 30 8 and 8 in this series, while Paul George will score 25 a game. However, it won’t be enough because LeBron and AD will each have a big series, while the shooters Wesley Matthews, Ben McLemore, Markieff Morris, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will finally get hot in this series. Lakers in 7.
Result: Lakers beat Clippers in 7 games
Philadelphia 76ers vs. 2. Brooklyn Nets
A great defense against the best offense of all time. One of the most anticipated matchups of the year, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons will be ready for this tall task of taking on the dangerous Nets. Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving will be dealing with injuries after the Bucks and Celtics make it tougher for them than expected.
Because of this, the 76ers will cruise to a 2-0 series lead where the media questions the Nets’ ceiling and whether or not they can make this a series. All of the big 3 will be healthy for a game 3 and the Nets will win the next 3 games by 5 or more points each. the 76ers will then be hungry to force a game 7 in Brooklyn and will do so behind a 50 point night by Joel Embiid. A game 7 in Philadelphia will get the 76ers too confident about their chances to where KD goes for 42 points 10 rebounds and 7 assists to lead the Nets to the finals. Nets in 7.
Result: Nets beat 76ers in 7 games
NBA Finals:
Brooklyn Nets vs. 7. Los Angeles Lakers
The finals matchup everyone wants to happen will, and it will not disappoint. LeBron and the Lakers will be looking to repeat against arguably a tougher matchup than the team that LeBron beat in 2016 that won 73 games. That’s how lethal this Nets offense is, and LeBron will have to be as excellent as he was in 2016 for the Lakers to win. In a 7 game series, all bets are off and anything can happen.
I expect the Lakers to win game one, the Nets to win game two and three, then the Lakers to win games four and five. As the Nets face elimination in game 6 in Los Angeles, they put on their best performance of the year defensively and win by 10 forcing a game 7 in Brooklyn. The most-watched NBA game in the history of the league will occur and LeBron will score 47 points with 6 assists and 7 rebounds.
Kevin Durant will only have 18 points, but James Harden will put up 40 on the Lakers and Kyrie will have 25. Anthony Davis will be open on the last possession to ice the game with a step-back jumper and the Lakers will be on top of the world again, while the Nets fall just short of what everyone expects them to do. Lakers barely in 7.
Result: Lakers beat Nets in 7 games.
NBA Champs: Lakers
Finals MVP: LeBron James