PLAYOFF TIME
Spring is in the air and so is a feeling of anticipation that can only mean one thing; The NBA Playoffs are here. While the play-in teams are battling it out for the 8th spot, everyone else sits poised and ready to go in their respective playoff bracket positions. Let's talk about it...
THE EAST
Joel Embiid's health will affect the trajectory of the Eastern Conference finals race massively. A healthy former MVP will mean that the Sixers can go through most teams without too much concern. Some have been 'trusting the process' for years, now - hopefully, Embiid's health combined with a solid supporting cast of Lowry, Harris and Oubre Jr, will mean that The Process is almost complete! The Heat, who they just beat in the play-in, might have been one of their toughest Eastern conference opponents, given their ability to perform in the playoffs. Beating them early is a good sign...
With that in mind, Jimmy Butler getting hurt completely changes the Heat's chances from here. Not getting to witness playoff-Jimmy (not to be confused with regular-season Jimmy) is a huge blow for the Heat and basketball fans alike. All is not lost, though, the Heat remain a well-coached team and opponents will still have the likes of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro to contend with. Don't underestimate the Heat.
The Bulls have a much more reasonable chance of securing the 8th seed slot now that Butler is benched, but will inevitably be met by the Celtics as soon as they advance. Unfortunately for them, it feels a little like the majority of teams matching up with the Celtics in the early matchups will be largely irrelevant. No disrespect!
I'm a Knicks fan so you could argue that this means I'm biased, but in reality, it just means that I'm realistic. Having built my hopes up, only to get burnt, I know better than to expect too much. With that said, Jalen Brunson seems pretty unstoppable coming into the post-season this year and the team has also been excelling despite Julius Randle's absence. My optimism says that the only team that could send them packing is Boston, but the reality is that the East has some hard-working, gritty teams who will have some answers for Jalen Brunson, I'm sure.
Speaking of gritty, I'd love to see a good old-fashioned Knicks-Pacers matchup this year, and we might have a good chance of seeing one, too. The Bucks aren't at full strength without Giannis, and it doesn't feel like it's Dame-time right now. The Pacers have already proved to be a strong team during competition, following their success back at the in-season tournament last year. We could well see a short-handed Bucks squad fall short to a confident young Pacer team early in this year's post-season. Gifting us with the Pacers-Knicks matchup that the basketball world longs to see!
Jimmy Butler getting hurt completely changes the Heat's chances from here. Not getting to witness playoff-Jimmy (not to be confused with regular-season Jimmy) is a huge blow for the Heat and basketball fans alike.
When it comes down to it, though, It'll be all eyes on Boston making a finals run. Sorry Cavs/Magic, I can't see whoever wins your matchup doing much against the Celtics. Given the depth of Boston's squad, combined with their hunger for a chip following their playoff experiences of recent years, I think it's going to take something drastic to prevent them from winning the East. Bear in mind, though, that the Knicks, Pacers and Sixers are all capable of pulling off something drastic when it comes to the crunch. Get your coffee and Red Bulls ready, because the Eastern Conference Finals will be must-watch TV, this year.
THE WEST
As always, the Wild West is hard to predict. That's a good thing. With so many solid teams and players who cause huge problems for their opponents - I do not doubt that multiple teams are watching tape right now, in an attempt to figure out how to stop the likes of Luka and Jokić.
With that in mind, although OKC is a young and extremely gifted squad (with the best record in the west, obviously), I just don't see them getting further than the Dallas Mavericks in the second round. The Mavs are a phenomenal squad with Dončić being virtually unstoppable, even when double or triple-teamed. Add Kyrie Irving's excellence and experience to the mix and your favourite team will get quietly torn apart. Casually. No disrespect to The Thunder, though, I'm confident that they'll be lifting a Larry O'Brien in the next 3-5 years. This year will be crucial to gaining valuable playoff experience for sure.
I haven't forgotten about the Clippers in this equation, however, taking into account Kawhi Leonard's lack of playing time this season due to injury, as well as their streaky, hot/cold performance throughout the year, I'd be very surprised if they made a deep playoffs run this time around. With that said, they are a well-coached team and if James Harden can stay healthy - anything can happen. Step-back 3. Splash.
I'm excited to see how the Suns and T-Wolves first-round matchup plays out. Devin Booker can match up against anyone and Bradley Beal is playing some of the best basketball of his veteran career. We all know that KD is one of the best in the league, too. It's worth mentioning, though, that Anthony Edwards has had a huge year and comes into this year's playoffs with everything to prove. Mike Conley also provides exceptional support, meaning that this matchup is not as predictable as it might first appear.
The Mavs are a phenomenal squad with Dončić being virtually unstoppable, even when double or triple-teamed. Add Kyrie Irving's excellence and experience to the mix and your favourite team will get quietly torn apart.
The West all comes down to the Mavs and Nuggets. The Nuggets are the current NBA champs and have one of the greatest players of all time in Nikola Jokić. Denver knows what it will take to win and is locked and loaded, ready to go. In recent years it's been very tough to clearly and confidently predict an NBA Champion, as mentioned, that's a good thing. With that said, I wouldn't want to bet against the Denver Nuggets claiming a back-to-back championship... but pay close attention to the Mavs and the Celtics!
Injuries have played a big part in this year's regular season, meaning that the seeded positions (particularly in the West) don't necessarily represent the strength of the squads in those spots.
Playoff lights shine brightest, let's see who packed their sunglasses.
Let's goooooo!!
