It’s playoff time baby! The first round of the playoffs aren’t always great, but this year we gave some incredible matchups and I’m incredibly excited to get into it. Let’s break it down.
EAST
1)Philadelphia 76ers v 8) Washington Wizards
After beating Indy in a 1-2-3 Cancun special the Wizards are just happy to be here. Philly is so much better than Washington that this should be an easy sweep. Beal is banged up and Westbrook has a long track record of losing in the first round. Joel Embiid is going to dominate every second he’s on the floor. That being said, Doc Rivers has a long track record of leading teams to a harder than expected first round win. Taking both of these things into account, 76ers in 5.
2)Brooklyn Nets v 7) Boston Celtics
Look, the Nets will win this series. It’s just a question of how many games it will take. I don’t think they have an answer for Jayson Tatum, but Boston has nothing for any of the Nets big three. I wonder if Steve Nash will try to manage Durant, Harden, and Kyrie’s minutes. They need to play together to build chemistry, but you don’t want to over tax them this early in the playoffs.This is not one of the exciting matchups in the first round. I’ll take the Nets in 5.
3)Milwaukee Bucks v 6) Miami Heat
This is a rematch of the Heat’s somewhat surprising 5 game series win from the bubble last season. The Bucks will be looking for revenge and everything they’ve done since that series has been to prepare for this rematch. They added Jrue Holiday and varied their defense this year to not lose this series again. For Miami it’s simple, when Jimmy Butler plays they’re awesome. It seems he’s good to go for the playoffs and that makes this the series to watch. If you believe that Giannis is the next super-duper star then the Bucks have to win this series. This is going to be a tight one. Bucks in 7.
4)New York Knicks v 5) Atlanta Hawks
No one would have predicted this preseason. Both of these teams have been rolling in the last few months, yet I don’t actually believe in either one. Julius Randle has been great and the Knicks defense is definitely the most reliable unit in this series. I don’t believe in Trae Young and the Knicks will be looking to exploit his pathetic defense. That being said the Hawks are the more talented team. This is an incredibly close series. Knicks in 7.
WEST
1)Utah Jazz v 8) Memphis Grizzlies
The Jazz are almost certainly going to win this series, but I am concerned. Both of their guards, Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley Jr, are banged up and they’re relatively thin to begin with. There’s a lot of pressure on this team to prove this season wasn’t a fluke. I do think Rudy Gobert will dominate this series on the defensive end. The Grizzlies are an exciting young team that is right on schedule. Unfortunately this is a bad matchup for them. Ja Morant is excellent, but his lack of shooting will allow Gobert to sit back on the pick’n’roll. Jazz in 5.
2)Phoenix Suns v 7) Los Angeles Lakers
I don’t know what to think about the Lakers. They looked like absolute poo poo in the first half against the Warriors, but their defense was great as ever. Lebron and Davis clearly aren’t 100%, but when it matters most they still are the two best players in the series. The Suns just haven’t been here before so it’s hard to know what to expect. This could be a legacy series for Chris Paul if he’s able to lead the Suns to a victory. If the Suns can recapture their early season defensive success then they can certainly win this series. But I’m not betting on it. Lakers in 6.
3)Denver Nuggets v 6) Portland Trailblazers
This should be a very fun, high scoring series. Jokic is the MVP and he historically steps up his game in the playoffs. Michael Porter Jr is an absolute matchup nightmare for Portland. They also have Aaron Gordon who can use his size and athleticism to bother Damian Lillard. Without Jamal Murray the Nuggets do lack an explosive scoring guard, but I like what it does for their defense. For Portland it’s just a matter of whether they can stand up defensively to Denver’s offense. I don’t believe that they will. Nuggets in 6.
4)Los Angeles Clippers v 5) Dallas Mavericks
The Clippers tanked hard to get into this matchup and I honestly think it’s going to work out for them. They matchup well with Dallas and have a lot of bodies to throw at Luka. Dallas has no answer for Kawhi or a Paul George who doesn’t know it’s the playoffs. Luka doesn’t look healthy to me and considering the rest of the roster is slightly bummy that really matters. Clippers in 5.