NBA First Round Playoff Predictions

 

NBA First Round Playoff Predictions

Western Conference

Minnesota Timberwolves Vs Denver Nuggets

I really have no idea how the Timberwolves were able to actually make the playoffs with how horribly they’ve played over the last couple of weeks, but here they are ready to get taken out by the top seed in the West! The Timberwolves have been a mess this season, which is sad because they have a lot of talent, but if you can’t put it all together then talent doesn’t really matter. The Nuggets may have been the best team out West this season, but for some reason I just don’t really believe in this team as a Championship contender. They should easily win this series, but I question whether or not they will go any further because they will have to rely too much on Jokic. The dude is great, but at some point someone else has to step it up and help him out. Maybe in this series he can find that someone and maybe give them some hope in the rest of postseason!

Nuggets in 4 games

Los Angeles Clippers Vs Phoenix Suns

Well, here’s some shocking news to report on this series…Paul George is out for the entire series with an injury! Never heard that one before, oh yeah, that’s right, that’s what this team is known for! The constant injuries to the stars and also, the team that never wins anything in the postseason! The Suns have not looked as dominating as they have the past couple of seasons, but with the addition of Kevin Durant I feel that will give them a boost for the postseason. He is a veteran who knows how to win in the clutch moments and with Booker out there it’s going to be difficult to guard both of these guys. Chris Paul can still dish the ball like he always has and Ayton has been dominant in the paint! This should be a good series, but I think the Suns have a lot more fire power on the offensive side of the ball and the Clippers won’t be able to keep up. Especially, with all of the airballs that Russell Westbrook throws up! I have the Suns winning this one and moving onto the next round!

Suns in 7 games

Golden State Warriors Vs Sacramento Kings

The Kings have been one of the biggest surprise teams this season! They’ve been one of the top teams out West from the start of the season and haven’t really had a down point in the season. They are on fire offensively, but on the defensive side of the ball there are a lot of questions. The Warriors have been the dynasty of this era and know how to win in the postseason. The Warriors have had their ups and downs throughout the season and really haven’t been able to put much together with this team, but they are still the defending champs and they have been here many times before. The Warriors experience is going to come into play in this series because the Kings are questionable to me. Yes, the Kings have had a fantastic season, but this team is young and is going up against a team that knows what it takes to win a series in the postseason against good teams. I believe the Kings will make this a good series and it should be a battle until the end, but I think the Warriors will be too much for the Kings to handle!

Warriors in 6 games

Los Angeles Lakers Vs Memphis Grizzlies

The Lakers are lucky they even made the playoffs this year because they have looked like an absolute dumpster fire for the majority of this season. They don’t play team ball at all, there isn’t any cohesion with the team, no one is ever on the same page, and they play some of the most sloppy basketball I have ever seen in my entire life! Needless to say, my hopes are not high at all for the Lakers in this one! The Grizzlies have had their ups and downs, with the Ja drama and battling through injuries, but they’ve still managed to play at a high level all season long. The Grizzlies play great on defense and can dominate the paint, while also lighting up the scoreboard. The Lakers just suck and I don’t believe they have a chance in hell at beating the Grizzlies in a seven game series. You need to be consistent throughout the ENTIRE season, not just the last two weeks of the season like the Lakers. No miracles will be made in this series. The Grizzlies should move on with no problems!

Grizzlies in 5 games 

Eastern Conference

Miami Heat Vs Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks have been the most dominant team throughout this entire season. Giannis is having an MVP season, the defense is great, they can score a lot of points, they have a good coach, and a deep bench. They pretty much are the entire package to make it to the NBA Finals! It also doesn’t hurt that they have been here before! The Heat have been so up and down all season long, everything about this team changes from game to game. They haven’t been reliable at this season and this is not a good formula to try and defeat the Bucks! I don’t believe the Heat really even have a chance in this matchup because the Bucks are a far superior to them and I don’t think this will be an interesting to series to watch. It should be wrapped up quick with a Bucks win!

Bucks in 4 games

New York Knicks Vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Both of these teams have been a huge surprise to me. They both have been contenders in the Eastern Conference for the majority of the season, so this should be a good matchup to watch! The Cavs have been one of the most fun teams to watch, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Donovan Mitchell has really taken over and turned this team into a legit contender with all the young talent around him! The Knicks have played great all around basketball, with some nice defense, domination in the paint, and can score at will. Jalen Brunson has been a star for the Knicks all season long and I feel like he has put them over the edge. Unfortunately, for the Knicks their other star, Julius Randle, is injured and his status is questionable for this one. That will make all the difference in this matchup because the Knicks are going to need his points if they want to keep up with the Cavs in a seven game series! All season long I’ve felt like the Cavs are going to make some noise during the postseason and it’s going to start with this matchup. I feel like the Cavs offense will be too much for the hobbled Knicks to handle and I believe the Cavs will move onto the next round!

Cavaliers in 6 games

Brooklyn Nets Vs Philadelphia 76ers

The Nets are lucky they even made the playoffs with all the ups and downs this team has had to go through! Unfortunately for them they are going up against one of the best teams in the league and they really have no shot at winning one game in this series let alone winning the entire series! Joel Embiid has had a fantastic season and has dominated the league and should be considered for MVP! James Harden has been on fire offensively and while he has been known to disappear during the playoffs, I don’t believe that will be the case in this series! The 76ers should easily dominate this one!

76ers in 4 games

Atlanta Hawks Vs Boston Celtics

The Hawks had so much promise coming into this season, it really looked like they could be a legit playoff contender, but instead the season has just been endless drama between Trae Young and the coaches. They fired their coach a couple months ago, but so far, you can tell it’s not working between the new coach and Trae Young. He is a great talent, but his crybabiness is growing annoying and is not going to get this team anywhere except for sitting at home on the couch! The Celtics have been one of the most solid teams from top to bottom and have pretty much dominated the Eastern Conference all season long! Tatum has been a constant force for the Celtics throughout the season. The Celtics have battled through injuries lately, but the key players are starting to get healthy at the right time for another playoff push! I don’t believe the Hawks have a chance at winning this one against the Celtics. The Hawks don’t play as a team on a consistent basis, whereas the Celtics play some of the best team ball in the league. I look for this to be a quick series with the Celtics easily moving onto the next round!

Boston in 5 games