Welcome back folks to our second installment of Playoff Predictions! Before we jump into what we think about our upcoming/ongoing series, let’s look back at what happened last round:
Philadelphia 76ers in 4 over Brooklyn Nets (Our pick: Philly in 5)
Phoenix Suns in 5 over Los Angeles Clippers (Our pick: Clippers in 7)
New York Knicks in 5 over Cleveland Cavaliers (Our pick: Cavs in 7)
Miami Heat in 5 over Milwaukee Bucks (Our pick: Bucks in 6)
Boston Celtics in 6 over Atlanta Hawks (Our pick: Celtics in 5)
Denver Nuggets in 5 over Minnesota Timberwolves (Our pick: Nuggets in 5)
Los Angeles Lakers in 6 over Memphis Grizzlies (Our pick: Lakers in 4)
Golden State Warriors in 7 over Sacramento Kings (Our pick: Kings in 7)
Celtics Hope to Take Advantage Early Over Philly
Perhaps one of the better series we could ask for has already been shadowed in uncertainty after the recent announcement that the Philadelphia 76ers could be without the services of their All-NBA and MVP Candidate Joel Embiid for some time, and certainly for Game 1. This announcement is no doubt a heartbreaker for the 76ers and their fans as the team was primed to make a run to the NBA Finals on the backs of Joel Embiid and James Harden, and everyone will certainly be wishing for his speedy and complete recovery.
With this in mind, the gameplan for both teams has changed drastically. For Boston, they can save energy and personnel by not requiring doubles to be sent Joel’s way, and can focus more on locking down the perimeter shooters like Harden and company. Offensively, Embiid’s absence opens up the paint considerably, and with Embiid not in to play 40+ min, there will assuredly be more and more opportunities at the rim for the Celtics. Philly will have to rely on their excellent guard play to take on the brunt of the offense while Embiid sits, but will it be enough?
With the series in serious jeopardy and no timetable for Embiid to return, we’ll have to assume that Philly will be without his services at this time. With that being said, we believe the Embiid-less 76ers will lose to the Boston Celtics in this series, and we have the Celtics in 6.
Image from USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire
Nuggets Depth Key in Battle Against Top-Heavy Suns
A classic matchup of firepower vs. versatile personnel, it will be a spectacle to see how the opposing offense/defenses manage to contest each other. The Phoenix Suns are entering this series hoping to overpower Denver early, as their depth lacks compared to the Nuggets and prevents sustained scoring. Denver, on the other hand, will be an extremely difficult team to beat in a best-of-7 series with their MVP-Frontrunner Nikola Jokic orchestrating the offense, and with their defensive depth being formidable enough to take on anyone in the long haul as well.
We should expect to see quick offensive sets from Phoenix that complements their immaculate shooting off the break and in transition behind Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Future Hall-of-Fame point guard Chris Paul will be looked to to help ignite the offense throughout the series and will certainly have his work cut out for him against Denver guard Jamal Murray. For Phoenix’s bench, the goal is to simply hold on to any lead they may acquire, and to help put defensive pressure on the dazzling Denver offense.
The Nuggets are able to play the game at any speed, and can match any tempo. While they can play at high speed, we find Denver’s ace to be their ability to slow the game down when needed and play a grit-and-grind brand of basketball against the league’s best offensive stars. Expect Jokic and Murray to handle the ball in most sets, and for shooters like Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to feast on perimeter opportunities when they arise. Defensively, increased pressure on Phoenix’s big three is guaranteed.
The Nuggets just seem to have more positives in their corner. Can Phoenix hope to strike quickly and effectively enough to stop the well-oiled machine in Denver? Can Denver’s depth keep Phoenix at bay enough to control the tempo and the series? Fans should all be keeping their eyes on this series, as the chance of masterful runs and excitement will be at an all-time-high. With that said, we have the Denver Nuggets in 6.
Knicks and Heat Resurgence Fuels Historic Rivalry Matchup
Grit. Grind. Hustle. Heart.
The expectations of this series could be summarized simply in those 4 words. After stunning their respective opponents in 5 games through stifling defense and incredible hot streaks, the Knicks and Heat will take on each other to see who can dig deeper. The Heat come into the series as a much more experienced playoff team, but the Knicks’ depth will be the difference maker in this series.
Contain Jimmy Butler, win the series. At least, that is what the Knicks will hope to try and do, and after all, #1 seed Milwaukee was unable to do so. Butler, who put up a jaw-dropping 56 points in game 4 against the Bucks, will be the toughest matchup going forward for New York, but with a wide array of defenders at all positions, containment is at least possible. What has fueled Miami outside of Butler has been their red-hot shooting from the perimeter from the likes of Strus, Robinson, and Vincent, and we can expect a large chunk of this battle to be fought at the arc. Down low, we will also be able to see the battle between Bam Adebayo and Mitchell Robinson on the glass, with New York hoping to eliminate many of the second chance opportunities that Miami saw against the Bucks.
This will be a battle for the ages if we see the same level of output from the previous series. With Butler in question after suffering an ankle injury, we can’t say for certain if we’ll get him at 100%, or if we’ll even miss him for entire contests. Assuming Butler is in-and-out of the lineup, we’ll have to push this series to 7 games. And with that said, we have the New York Knicks continuing their run to orange and blue skies. Knicks in 7.
LeBron x Curry: Some Things Never Get Old
An old rivalry between two of the greats is back, and the league is better for it. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are underdogs once again to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and their battle will see which California franchise will be battling in the Western Conference Finals.
Coming off of a close series with the Sacramento Kings with a historic 50-point Game 7, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors have shown the NBA their championship DNA and chemistry once again. Despite their troubles on the road this year and some rough offensive nights from their supporting cast (including a combined 9-35 shooting from Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson), the Warriors’ starters impressed with a combined +/- of +130 on the night. This level of output should not surprise anyone at this point, as the Warriors under Steve Kerr have never lost in the playoffs to a Western Conference opponent. This will be one of their greatest strengths as they take on the newly-assembled Lakers, who had defeated Golden State in each of their matchups in the regular season. As the playoffs are a completely different game, we’ll see how the Warriors’ gameplan shifts.
For Los Angeles, they enter this game after defeating the upstart Memphis Grizzlies in 6 games in what was a powerful statement by the Lakers. They have the depth and defensive versatility to match up with the Warriors, especially after recent additions such as Rui Hachimura and Jared Vanderbilt. What could easily be the difference maker in this game will be the impact of Anthony Davis as he battles down low with Golden State center Kevon Looney, who had hauled in 20+ rebounds twice in his previous series. As long as the Lakers can prevent second-chance opportunities that Golden State has thrived on and put pressure on the perimeter, the Lakers should find themselves with an upper-hand. In this rematch, we’re taking King James and the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games.
Spencer Wood 