NBA Playoffs: Round 1 Preview
By Alex Strizak (Host of Moose's Mulligans)
It's time to kick off the NBA Playoffs! And with that let's take a look at the bracket and then each 1st Round matchup...
Western Conference
This opening matchup shows just how tough the west is... The T-Wolves are a very solid team led by the talented Karl Anthony-Towns. But this is obviously going to be a difficult test when you're going against the #1 seed who has a player combination like James Harden and Chris Paul. Look for a good battle between these teams, and Minnesota should be able to take at least one game from these guys with the talent they possess... But in a race to 4 wins, it's going to be difficult for them to outrun this Rockets team.
Prediction: Rockets win series 4-2
Boy, I didn't expect these two teams to be meeting in the first round. But The Wild Wild West strikes again... Obviously the Spurs have underperformed in my mind, and with Kawhi Leonard sitting out Game 1, the Spurs aren't giving me much to hope for either... The only thing the Spurs have going for them is Popovich's ability to make adjustments quickly, but I'd be surprised if this even got to Game 6...
Prediction: Warriors win series 4-1
Damian Lillard is pretty good. Anthony Davis is pretty good. This makes for a pretty good matchup. The regular season barely saw any separation between these two teams which means we could be in for one hell of a series! The Trailblazers do have a better ball handler in Damian Lillard which I think proves to be the deciding blow.
Prediction: Trailblazers win series 4-3
So that Russell Westbrook guy averaged a triple-double per game again. In back to back seasons. Wow... But the Utah Jazz are secretly one of the deepest teams in the NBA. They have a great player in Donovan Mitchell and a powerful center in Rudy Gobert. This series is going to come down to if Russell Westbrook can carry the team on his back... And if he can't, can Paul George step up and make up for it?... My heart says the Jazz, but my brain says the Thunder... SO LET'S GO WITH THE JAZZ! Make me proud!
Prediction: Jazz win series 4-3
Eastern Conference
This is kind of a tough draw for the Raptors... Because the Wizards are a better team than where they finished in the standings. But the Raptors will be led by DeRozan and Lowry who definitely want to finally make that playoff run they've been rumored to do for 3 or so years now... You know John Wall and Bradley Beal will have a hot shooting hand for at least one game this series. But don't sleep on Jonas Valanciunas' value in this series, as his offensive rebounds could make or break a game.
Prediction: Raptors win series 4-2
The Celtics are definitely going to miss Kyrie Irving. They also have been missing Gordon Hayward all season. But I think that Tatum and Horford with the supporting cast of Brown, Smart, and Morris will be enough to win some close games against the Greek Freak and his young Bucks... Remember, I usually pick the better head coach for good reason... This head coach pick is a no brainer for me. I trust Brad Stevens to find a way to win, just he's proven throughout his entire coaching career.
Prediction: Celtics win series 4-2
#3 Philadelphia 76ers vs. #6 Miami Heat
Well the 76ers lived up to my prophecy and then some!... Not only were they a Top 4 seed in the East to earn home court (Like I predicted), they actually finished with a better record than the Cleveland Cavaliers (Which I definitely did not predict). The bad news for Sixers fans? Joel Embiid is still battling injuries and looks like he'll miss Game 1 of the series. The good news for Sixers fans? They still look like a better team than the Heat... The only question mark with a team like this is when lack of playoff experience comes into the picture, especially late in a game versus Dwayne Wade and Hassan Whiteside... I'm going to continue to show faith and "Trust The Process" and pick the Sixers.
Prediction: 76ers win series 4-2
#4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #5 Indiana Pacers
I don't think people realize how tough this series will be for the Cavaliers. With Oladipo, Turner, and Young, the Pacers have a formidable lineup. Add in the veteran presence of Al Jefferson and this team is solid... The problem is they're playing against the best player in the world. And in a game where only 5 guys play at a time, and a team has the best player in the world as one of them for 40 minutes... You're going to be at a disadvantage.
Prediction: Cavaliers win series 4-2
As of 14 April 2018
-Alex Strizak
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