NBA Semifinals Playoff Predictions

First Round Record (7-1)

NBA Semifinals Playoff Predictions

Western Conference

Houston Rockets Vs Golden State Warriors

This is the matchup everybody has been talking about all season long, but we’re going to get it earlier than expected! This was supposed to be the Western Conference Finals matchup, but the Rockets do what they do best and disappoint! I don’t believe that will change this round for them either. The Rockets have always choked with James Harden, hell he didn’t even play that well in the first round. Chris Paul is a great player, but it sucks for him because James Harden loves to completely disappear during the postseason. The Warriors are still the best team in the league and shouldn’t have much of a problem knocking the Rockets out. The Rockets don’t play any defense so have fun trying to stop Kevin Durant who was on fire in the first round! I don’t believe the Rockets have a chance in this matchup, even if James Harden is somehow able to get his playoff act together this series is going to be all Warriors!

Warriors over Rockets in 6 games

Portland Trail Blazers Vs Denver Nuggets

I told ya’ll Jokic was going to make sure we all knew what a force he is during the playoffs! In the first round he dominated the Spurs and I expect more of the same from him in this round against the Trail Blazers. I love what the Blazers have been doing this season as well and it’s nice to see Lillard have some postseason success as most people forget he even exists since he plays in Portland. This is going to be a fun matchup to watch because both teams have different strengths and weaknesses and it will be interesting to see which team is able to take advantage. The edge in this matchup is Nikola Jokic, he is a killer in the paint and it’s nice to see a dominant big guy in the paint for once because that has disappeared over the years. I don’t think the Trail Blazers have anybody who can post up against him in the paint and he can score from just about any spot on the floor. The Trail Blazers are a good team, but I think they are going to fall short in this series.

Nuggets over Trail Blazers in 6 games

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics Vs Milwaukee Bucks

FINALLY! A worthwhile matchup in the Eastern Conference this postseason! This is definitely going to be a great series to watch because both of these teams are playing very well right now. The Bucks have dominated from the start of the season and made their first round matchup look like an absolute breeze! The Celtics have had their ups and downs from day one, but in the first round of the playoffs they showed that they can be a very difficult team to play. They seemed to have finally meshed as a team and are peaking at the perfect time. Gordon Hayward looked like his old self in the first round and Kyrie looked like playoff Kyrie! Say what you want about him, but come playoff time this dude comes to play and he’s proven to be a clutch player this time of year when it matters the most. The edge in this matchup is the momentum that the Celtics are playing with and Kyrie’s playoff resume. Most people tend to write off playoff experience, but it can be the difference in a series. The Bucks have next to no playoff experience and have yet to have their backs against the wall this season. It should be interesting to see how they respond, but I think the Celtics are going to surprise and pull the upset against the Bucks!

Celtics over Bucks in 7 games

Philadelphia 76ers Vs Toronto Raptors

The 76ers are such a stupid team because they have a ton of talent, but for some reason just can’t seem to make it all work. They’re all mouth and no action for the most part! In the previous round they got put to the task by the Nets, and if the Nets were a half way decent team they would have won! The Raptors on the other hand have dominated all season and ran all over the Magic, as they should have in the previous round. Kawhi Leonard has not lost a step at all and has always been a leader in the postseason. He dominated the first round and I expect more of the same against the 76ers. The 6ers don’t play as a team. They don’t have a leader and no one has any interest in taking direction. When they lose they throw temper tantrums (which is so common for the pussified NBA players of today). I don’t believe the 76ers are going to be much competition for the Raptors. I actually expect this to be a pretty quick series because the Raptors are a complete team and with Kawhi leading the way there’s a good shot this team will be heading to the NBA Finals!

Raptors over 76ers in 5 games

NBA First Round Playoff Predictions

Western Conference

Los Angeles Clippers Vs Golden State Warriors

It’s Playoff time which means it’s time for the Warriors to start playing like the best team in the league. Don’t get me wrong, we know they play hard every game, but you know they elevate it to a whole other level once the postseason rolls around. It’s no secret they are still the best team in the league and this should be a nice little warm up for them in the first round against the Clippers. Congrats to the Clippers for having a much better regular season than anyone anticipated, but this is sure to be a quick and easy series for the Warriors.

Warriors over Clippers in 4 games

Utah Jazz Vs Houston Rockets

James Harden continues to score at an insane level and this season he had no choice but to take all of the shots because everybody else on his team has been battling through injuries. I’m sure he’s thrilled that he has most of his team healthy for the playoff run, most notably Chris Paul. The Jazz haven’t been that impressive this season. I expected them to be a much stronger team this year than from what they have shown because they have quite a few good players like Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, but this team hasn’t been consistent at all. This should be a quick series for Houston because I don’t believe the Jazz will be able to keep pace with the Rockets on the offensive side of the ball.

Rockets over Jazz in 5 games

Oklahoma City Thunder Vs Portland Trail Blazers

I kinda feel like this is going to be the only good matchup we see in the first round. The both of these teams matchup very well against each other. The Thunder are all offense and can score like crazy. The Blazers are known to dominate in the paint by owning the boards and grabbing any rebound in sight to dominate the time of possession. You really never know what you’re going to get from either team in any given game because neither team has played with any consistency. I believe the Thunder have the edge in this matchup because they have two of the best shooters in the game with Westbrook and Paul George, either player can take over a game and make the clutch shots when necessary. The Blazers should make this an interesting matchup, but the Thunder will move onto the next round.

Thunder over Trail Blazers in 6 games

San Antonio Spurs Vs Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets have been the biggest surprise in the NBA this season. I don’t think anybody had any idea that this team would be one of the best teams in the Western Conference, a bottom level playoff team maybe, but not one of the best teams in the league. The Spurs on the other hand have been fairly mediocre compared to what we’ve grown used to with them over the years. The Spurs don’t play with the same energy anymore and while I know they have lost a few of the core players over the years, they still have a good roster full of good players, but they just can’t seem to put it together. The Nuggets Nikola Jokic has really taken the league by storm this season and the way he plays reminds of Dirk Nowitzki. The casual NBA fan probably has no idea who is and what a good basketball player he is, but I have a feeling he’s going to give everyone a nice introduction this postseason.

Nuggets over Spurs in 6 games

Eastern Conference

Detroit Pistons Vs Milwaukee Bucks

This matchup is the perfect example as to why the Eastern Conference is a total dumpster fire! The Pistons have no business even stepping foot into the postseason, but because the East is weak as fuck, as always, here we are! The Bucks literally have one of the best players in the league playing at an MVP level with Giannis Antetokuonmpo and the rest of his team is following right behind him. The Bucks are legit. The Pistons suck! This series is over before it even began!

Bucks over Pistons in 4 games

Indiana Pacers Vs Boston Celtics

While the Celtics have not been as dominant as we expected them to be at the beginning of the season, there is no way in hell they won’t kick the shit out of the Pacers! Yet another horrible Eastern Conference snoozefest!

Celtics over Pacers in 4 games

Brooklyn Nets Vs Philadelphia 76ers

This is such an awful matchup that even if the 76ers sit Joel Embiid for the entire series it won’t be a big deal because the Nets don’t have a chance either way! If I were the 76ers I would let Embiid get some rest and get ready for the next round when they may actually face a good team!

76ers over Nets in 5 games

Orlando Magic Vs Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are so thrilled they don’t have to see LeBron in the postseason because now they actually have a chance to win the Eastern Conference. First up is the pathetic ass Orlando Magic, this will be a nice little warm up for the Raptors in the postseason. I’m expecting this to be an absolute ass kicking by the Raptors!

Raptors over Magic in 4 games