EASTERN CONFERENCE
• Sixers-Wizards should be fun while it lasts. Though conventional wisdom would lead you to believe it’s a complete blowout for Philly, Washington’s “never-say-die” mentality should produce some close affairs down the stretch. However, Embiid’s dominance, along with a strong bench effort should make it a quick series.
SIXERS IN 5
• Heat-Bucks is the most difficult 1st round series to call on paper. Did Milwaukee make enough adjustments between last year & this postseason to defeat Miami this go round? Is Miami as “hungry” and capable of doing what they did a year ago? Matchups will be different, with Jrue Holiday & Bobby Portis factoring in heavily for the Bucks, while Trevor Ariza & Dewayne Dedmon figure to do the same for Miami.
The Jimmy Butler-Giannis Antetokounmpo matchup is always interesting: is this finally the superstar playoff run Giannis has been waiting for?
In the end, had to flip a coin - Miami somehow gets it done in 7.
HEAT IN 7
• If Boston had Jaylen Brown available, this series is a much different story. Brown’s legitimacy as a primary scorer & defender is just way too important to ignore. The only wild card may be a lack of “rhythm” from Brooklyn with players in & out of the lineup.
But that should really only last a game or two, if it happens at all. Expect huge performances outta Jayson Tatum, KD & Kyrie Irving in what should be a pretty quick series.
NETS IN 5
• Defense can take you really far…but a limited offense can kill your chances. I’m banking on Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks to play consistent enough defense to stop ATL’s high-powered offense w/ multiple ball-handlers (Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Andre Hunter, etc.) able to generate their own looks.
A steady diet of Julius Randle scoring, rebounding & facilitating while D. Rose makes plays off the bench, should continue. However, RJ Barrett must win individual battles v. both Bogdanovic & Hunter, while helping to limit Trae Young’s overall effectiveness.
New York eventually gets it done in 6 games.
KNICKS IN 6
WESTERN CONFERENCE
• The defending champion Lakers clock in at #7 after gaining a spot via the play-in tourney. The 51-win, upstart Suns start their playoff journey after a regular-season dominance not many saw coming. Regardless if they win this (extremely difficult) series or not, their season is justified and future looks bright.
Hate to trivialize it but this matchup obviously comes down to youth v. experience. Chris Paul’s leadership should alleviate some concerns but the rest of the cast (including All-Star Devin Booker) will see playoff lights for the first time.
Phoenix will keep it close all series long but in the end, LeBron, AD & co. should get the job done in 6.
LAKERS IN 6
• A rematch of last year’s 1st round series, Clippers-Mavs should produce more fireworks. The familiarity (& disdain) between the two makes for interesting theater, as well as the obvious DIFFERENT BREED matchup between Luka Doncic and Kawhi Leonard/Paul George.
At the end of the day, Dallas’s chances hinge upon Luka’s supporting cast to consistently produce stops & scores during crunch time. Over the past few seasons, we’ve seen Clippers-Mavs trend towards close meetings w/ late game execution making the difference.
LAC gets the nod here but it won’t be without trouble.
CLIPPERS IN 7
• Blazers-Nuggets will definitely go 7 games, unless Portland figures out a way to get it done sooner. Denver has the likely 2020-21 MVP (Nikola Jokic) on its side, however, so things could look a lot different in a week or so.
Jokic’s dominance, adaptability & consistent playmaking gives his team a chance to win every single night. There isn’t a single player on Portland (or wearing any other jersey) that’s proven able to shut or slow him down.
If he’s able to dictate the pace & flow more often than not, the Nuggets will advance. That said, I’m betting on Dame, CJ & Portland’s (potentially) dynamic offense to do just enough.
BLAZERS IN 7
• Jazz-Grizzlies has no business going that long but it probably will. With the league’s best record in 2020-21, there’s no question Utah’s a well-oiled machine running on all cylinders at this point. Even without Donovan Mitchell for the final stretch of the year, UTA got major contributions from a red-hot Bojan Bogdanovic & possible Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson. Their outside shooting & defensive prowess has a ready-made formula for a deep playoff run…at full strength.
And that’s where issues come into play for this series. The young, hungry Memphis Grizzlies are coming off a impressive back to back victories to win the play-in tourney & earn the 8th spot. Ja Morant has superstardom written all over him - his first playoff series should be a treat to watch. On top of that, Memphis is finally fully healthy and has underrated depth at nearly every position. If there are any issues regarding D. Mitchell’s injury (lineup changes, minutes restrictions, etc.), this series could last longer than expected & fall into upset territory.
In the end, all signs still point to Utah advancing, however long it takes.