The NBA Playoffs are upon us, and are shaping up to me one of the most intriguing postseasons in recent memory.
1. The Warriors Take the Jazz to 7 Games in the First Round
Once the dust clears, I believe that the Lakers and Warriors will come out of the play-in tournament. If that were to happen, the Lakers would be the 7 seed, and the Warriors would be the 8 seed.
The Golden State Warriors would be matched up against the Utah Jazz, and I like the Warriors’ chances of pushing Utah to the brink.
The Warriors are coming into the playoffs steaming hot, winning 6 in a row, and 8 of the last 10 games.
Steph Curry is coming off of one of the best seasons of his career, as he averaged a career-best, 31.8 PPG. Curry clinched his second-career scoring title, and his first since the 2015-2016 season.
On top of that, the Warriors have beaten the Jazz in 2 of their 3 meetings this season.
I’m not calling for the upset, but look for a competitive series, filled with offensive fire-power.
2. The Knicks Win Their First Playoff Series Since 2013
The Knicks have failed to make the playoffs in the last seven seasons, but things certainly changed this season. The Knicks wrapped up the season with a 41-31 record, clinching the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference.
An incredible accomplishment for a team that was predicted to win 25-30 games this season. Many were down on the Knicks when they hired Tom Thibodeau. But, it turned out to be one of the best coaching hires in the last three years.
The Knicks will face off against the Atlanta Hawks in the first-round. They swept their regular season matchups against the Hawks, and I expect them to comfortably win in the first round.
The Knicks are heading in the right direction, for the first time in quite some time.
3. The Lakers Beat the Suns in the First Round
The Phoenix Suns have truly been one of the best stories in basketball this season. They finished 2nd in the Western Conference with a 51-21 record.
Coming into this season, the Suns had been without a playoff appearance since the 2009-2010 season, and have not had a winning record since the 2013-2014 season.
Chris Paul has truly proved to be worth his expensive contract, as he has helped take the Suns over the top. Devin Booker has continued to grow and progress, as one of the most exciting young players in the NBA.
But, despite the magical regular season that the Suns had, they’re likely looking at a first-round matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Even with LeBron James not being 100% healthy, I still can’t see him getting bounced out in the first-round.
As good as the Suns are, look for the Lakers to turn a corner. The Suns will be a scary team for years to come, but their championship aspirations will have to wait another season.
4. The Heat-Bucks Matchup will be the Best Series of the First-Round
The #5 seed Miami Heat were able to upset the #1 seed Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were completely out-classed by Jimmy Butler’s Heat.
Will this year have a similar result?
The Bucks haven’t played as well as I thought they would have, and the same goes for the Heat. But, this series will not be a 5-game series like last year. It’ll go 7 games, and will go down as the most competitive playoff series of the first-round.
Buckle up, this one is going 7.
5. The Clippers Come Out of the Western Conference
The Western Conference is truly unpredictable this season, as a case could be made for up to 6 different teams. But, the Clippers will emerge from the West, and will reach their first Finals appearance in franchise history.
After underachieving in the regular season, the Clippers will turn it up a gear, and Paul George will be the reason why.
Look for Paul George to be a big part of the Clippers success, and don’t be surprised if he hits a big shot in the process.
As the #4 seed, the Clippers are slated to take on a young Mavericks team, followed by a banged up Jazz team, before reaching the Western Conference Finals.
They have a favorable path, and it will be the difference.
6. The Nets Come Out of the Eastern Conference
Out of all the predictions listed, the one that I feel most confident in is this one. It’s impossible to deny that the Brooklyn Nets are the most talented team in the NBA. The only thing that really has limited this team has been injuries. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden have only played in 8 games together.
All three have dealt with injuries this season, but their health seems to be trending in the right direction.
If Durant, Irving, and Harden are healthy, nobody in the East stands a shot.
This team has unprecedented firepower, and it feels like they haven’t reached their potential.
Betting against the Nets coming out of the East is just flat-out stupid.
7. The Nets Beat the Clippers to Win the NBA Finals
If the Nets are healthy, nobody will come near them this postseason. Despite the Clippers above-average defense, they still won’t be able to stop this loaded roster.
I like the Nets to win this series in 6 games.
The Nets bring home their first title since the 1975-1976 season.