It is around the time of year that many start to turn off the NBA until the playoffs. Even with the addition of the In-Season Tournament, it can still feel like such a drag to watch all these games that aren’t changing the standings much or affecting award candidates. So this article is here for those interested in skipping to what I believe will happen in the NBA Playoffs. Before I start, here are some ground rules. In order for these predictions to work, I will be assuming that all current teams in the top 10 of their conference will make the playoffs in their exact seeding order. I will also be assuming no major injuries or anomalies happen and that no major trades will be happening before the end of February. Let’s get this started.
Most people considered the Eastern Conference to be the weaker conference, so we will start with it first. The 7th seeded Milwaukee Bucks will knock down the 8th seeded Brooklyn Nets in the Play-ins. The Pacers vs. Bulls game is a harder one to decide, but the Pacers previous playoff experience should still give them an edge over the Bulls and Nets, allowing the Pacers to be the actual 8th seed for the playoffs. For the rest of the article, I will now be breaking it up series by series.
Eastern Conference First Round
Cavaliers vs. Pacers: This playoff series might be the easiest to determine in the entire postseason. The Cavaliers have currently only lost 3 games and should probably have won at least 60 games. The Pacers barely made the playoffs in this simulation and the combined star power of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland with the defense of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen should easily allow for a 4-0 sweep.
Celtics vs. Bucks: This series is the most important in the entire postseason. The Bucks were favored to be contenders last year after trading for star Damian Lillard and have underperformed since that trade and the hiring of Doc Rivers as head coach. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been on a tear, currently averaging 32 points per game, 11 rebounds per game, and 6 assist per game on 61% shooting from the field. His freak performances still may not be enough for the star studded Boston Celtics, who won the championship last year and have a starting lineup of five All-Star caliber players. Coaching wise, Joe Mazulla wins that battle as Doc Rivers has been unable to connect the full potential of Dame and Giannis, although their chemistry has been improving. This doesn’t compare to the chemistry of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown who have been playing together since 2017. Combined with their excellent coaching, skilled complimentary players, and deep bench lineup should allow them to win 4-2, showing how they can be challenged this year.
Magic vs. Heat: The battle between the Florida cities. While I am a massive Heat and Jimmy Butler fan, this series may be more clear cut then I am willing to admit. The 3rd seeded Orlando Magic have a budding superstar in Paolo Banchero, who put up great performances in his first playoff series last year. Now, Paolo has fully regained his equally talented teammate Franz Wagner. Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler has possibly grown too old and too battered to replicate the same playoff performances he had just two years ago. Bam Adebayo is still amazing defensively, but has stagnated offensively, which can be a crucial weakness in the playoffs. Their lack of shooting besides Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson hurts their offense even more, which will result in a 4-2 loss and the signs of a possible rebuild in the future.
Knicks vs. Hawks: The closely seeded New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks may seem like a close battle, but the answer is pretty clear. The Atlanta Hawks still lack a true big, even though previously the Hawks beat the Knicks in a similar position in 2021. Sadly for the Hawks, as long as the Knicks have a healthy Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, they should win 4-1.
Eastern Conference Semifinals
Cavaliers vs. Knicks: The Cavaliers will have another difficult competition on their way to the championship. The Knicks have a talented enough roster to rival them, with players like Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart. Even with this talent, the Knicks will struggle to defend Mobley and Allen in the paint. On the other hand, KAT’s perimeter presence as a big may threaten the Cavaliers and create good openings for Brunson and Bridges to break through the Cavaliers’ weak guard defense. In a tight and exciting seven game series, the Knicks will win because of a clutch buzzer beater on the Cavs home court, ending the series 4-3.
Celtics vs. Magic : In a reversal of the typical Celtics vs. Florida city team matchup, it is now the Orlando Magic battling the Celtics. Sadly, this will be the end of a great run by Paolo and Franz. Their inexperience and lack of assisting star power in comparison to the Celtics will lead to a 4-1 Celtics winning the series. The Magic will be able to take one game at home.
Eastern Conference Finals
Cavaliers vs. Celtics: This series is one that many NBA fans have been hoping for since the Cavaliers started playing out of their minds. While it could be an exciting series, we saw this exact series one year ago and Boston won 4-1. While the Cavaliers with their new head coach (Kenny Atkinson) could still make a great run, they lack the connective glue the Celtics have. All of the Celtics flow together perfectly and fit each other, whereas the Cavaliers still have problems with how their team can work at their best all at once. In conclusion, I am confident the Celtics will win 4-2 and lead on to the NBA Finals.
This article has been going on for a while, so I will be splitting the article into three parts for the Eastern Conference, Western Conference, and the NBA Finals. I hope you come back for my breakdown on how the Western Conference Playoffs will go!
