After losing game five in crushing fashion on Saturday night, Clippers head coach Ty Lue had this to say about coming back from yet another deficit this postseason, "We(Clippers) beat Utah and won four games in a row... So it's very doable."
The Clippers find themselves on the brink for only the second time this postseason with the last coming in the first round when the team was down 3-2 to the Dallas Mavericks and managed to win the last two, of course one of those coming in Dallas. That feat was overcome after being down 2-0 and the Clippers followed it with going down 2-0 two more times against Utah and now Phoenix, so the Clippers have been used to being in a hole all postseason, but has their luck and fight finally run out? Well, this series against Phoenix has been nothing short of competitive, with all three Clippers loses coming by a combined 11 points. Ironically, the Clippers have outscored the Suns in the series by a point yet they still find themselves in a 3-1 hole. Head coach Ty Lue has experience in this situation. In 2016, Lue led the Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat an iconic Golden State Warriors team, so talking to his team and saying it is very doable is due to his experience of having performed the feat before. It should be mentioned that teams down 3-1 in the Conference Finals have only come back to win seven percent of the time. The Clippers have also played 13 games in 25 days, so tired legs may be catching up to them, but they have the keys to make a comeback. For starters, Paul George has to be the best player on the floor in game five at the least to keep the Clippers alive. He has to score at will and distribute the basketball and get his role players involved. Following up with that, the Clippers were the most efficient three-point shooting squad during the season, but they haven't shown that same efficiency here in this series, but if they can start hitting from distance, and they've gotten good looks all series, they could keep their season alive, maybe with ease. The Suns have played well, but the Clippers have done a phenomenal job on the defensive end and should continue to do so. The Suns also haven't shot well from distance, so if the Clippers can get back to their averages shooting the basketball, the chances of themselves coming back from down 3-1 is much more attainable. Game five is in Phoenix, and that crowd will be rocking, but without a doubt Ty Lue will have his team prepared, but so will Monty Williams with the Suns. Expect another tightly contested game where the Clippers must fix their clutch woes to keep their best season in franchise history alive. Ty Lue has the chance to make history again, will he take it? Watch game five to find out.
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Back in 2012, the Philadelphia 76ers were bounced from the playoffs by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and what would happen next of course is history.
Sam Hinkie began what will forever be known as "The Process", which began an extensive rebuild for the 76ers that saw many players be drafted, ranging from Markelle Fultz, who is now in Orlando, to Nerlens Noel, who never panned out in Philadelphia and has bounced around the league as a professional. Throughout the time of the rebuild, two players were drafted to the 76ers, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, and the duo became mainstays in Wells Fargo Center, leading the Sixers back in contention, but after a game seven loss to Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks, the entire process may be coming to an end. The Sixers coasted in round one to no one's surprise against a lowly Washington Wizards squad, but then came the Hawks, an underdog that no one expected to win but stuck it out through seven games and moved on to the Eastern Conference Finals, something Embiid and Simmons have yet to accomplish in their time together. Simmons struggled in many different ways in the series, but most importantly, he scored zero points in the fourth quarter in the final four games of the series. With Simmons being viewed as the second star of the team to Embiid, it is clear that is a major problem. Earlier this year, James Harden for Simmons rumors swirled like a hurricane, but the 76ers didn't budge, holding on to their 24-year old "star" at all costs, and it paid off in the regular season as Doc Rivers led the squad to the top seed in the East. With the game seven loss, many questions swirl as to where Simmons will end up next season. If the Sixers choose to keep him, they must surround him with more shooting and help him regain much needed confidence in the offseason. If they trade him, which has been a talking point for about a calendar year now, they have to get a package that will benefit Embiid in the long run or they could be in danger of losing both players in the coming years. The major question here is what exactly can Simmons get the Sixers in a trade after a below average showing in the playoffs? Well, as mentioned before, Simmons is only 24 and has shown flashes of being a phenomenal player in the Association, but his lack of shooting and poor free throw shooting has held him back from his full potential ever since he came into the league, keeping in mind the league is very shooter-centric nowadays. Simmons may just need a change of scenery, and to say teams wouldn't be interested in Simmons as a potential addition to their team is just false seeing as he is still a relatively young player with enormous potential and room to grow. The 76ers have plenty of other questions as well. Is Doc Rivers the answer at head coach after yet another early exit in the playoffs? How do you surround Embiid with shooters with a lack of cap space? These questions of course will be answered before the 76ers take the floor in 2021-2022, but do not be surprised if the team looks very different then the team that was boo'd off the floor on Sunday night after failing to meet the expectations Hinkie had almost a decade ago. The Western Conference Finals is set in stone after Friday nights immaculate 25-point comeback from the LA Clippers in game six against Utah, largely in part to a career performance from Terance Mann.
The Phoenix Suns meanwhile have not played in a week, with game one being on Sunday in the desert, after sweeping the MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the second round, so clearly the Suns have the rest advantage over the Clippers here. For the Clippers, history has already been made as the franchise has never made the Western Conference in its 51 year history. For the Suns, their last conference finals appearance last came in 2009 against the Kobe Bryant led Lakers, with this 2021 season ending their drought of missing the playoffs since that 4-2 series loss. To add to the history of this series, the Suns have only made it to the NBA Finals twice in their history, first in 1975 and again in 1993, losing to the Celtics and Bulls respectively. The Clippers of course have never appeared in the NBA Finals. So if you're doing the math at home, the Suns and Clippers have been around for a combined 104 seasons and have only made the NBA Finals twice, both from Phoenix, so the idea of getting the Finals and ending two of the longest championship droughts in sports adds to the intrigue of this series. Of course the outlook of this series is much different after the injury to Kawhi Leonard and the COVID protocol dilemma with Chris Paul, meaning Paul George and Devin Booker will take center stage in this series of two solid offensive teams, with the Clippers ranking third and the Suns ranking seventh in offensive rating during the season. It gets even better when looking at both sides of the basketball, as the Clippers rank second and the Suns ranked third in combined net rating, so this series is about as even as it gets it terms of star power and overall team performance. How this series goes will be determined of course, with the returns of Chris Paul and potentially Kawhi Leonard making noticeable impacts for both teams, but the play of role players will likely determine the direction of this series, with players like Cameron Payne, Reggie Jackson, Jae Crowder, Marcus Morris, Deandre Ayton and Nicholas Batum making impacts all postseason, just to name a few. Game one is Sunday, and these two cinderella squads will go toe-to-toe for the right to represent the West in the Finals, ending a long-awaited drought for both teams. The Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks have had a series of highs and lows, but ultimately, the series will culminate in a game seven on Saturday night.
Before game three, the Bucks stood no chance to a superior Nets team, then the Bucks proceeded to win two-straight, followed by a game five that saw one of the best performances of Kevin Durant's career. Game six had a familiar feeling to game five, except star Giannis Antetokounmpo attacked the paint rather than settling for threes, leading the Bucks to a blowout win with a ton of help from Khris Middleton. So game seven is Saturday. The storylines have pretty much written themselves, but with a loss on either side, what are the effects of being sent home in the second round. Well, for the Nets, a ton of this comes down to health. Kyrie Irving has already been announced to be out for game seven while James Harden doesn't look 100 percent. With a first-year head coach in Steve Nash and three superstars, it is clear if this team was fully healthy that they more than likely would win the NBA Finals. So there would be no major changes besides building a strong roster around the team to run it back in 2022 if they do indeed lose game seven on Saturday. For the Bucks, it is much more complicated. Under the Mike Budenholzer regime, the Bucks have made it as far as the conference finals, but we all remember the Kawhi Leonard Raptors winning four straight games after being down 2-0 to the Bucks, largely in part to Leonard shutting down Giannis and Budenholzer not making adequate adjustments. The same would happen in the bubble as the Bucks were bounced in five games to the Miami Heat, largely due to Budenholzer not making adjustments and being outmatched in the coaching department. A game seven loss for Milwaukee would likely result in his firing, and for most, including myself, it wouldn't be all that surprising, especially with the quality options available on the coaching market and a change being needed if the Bucks fall short once again. The Bucks and Mavericks of course would be the two most popular jobs due to Luka Doncic and Giannis being on their respective teams, but I would also expect the Bucks to make some roster moves as well to bolster around it's two stars, but Saturday will lay the blueprint as to what direction the Nets or Bucks take going into the offseason. Durant vs Giannis. Saturday is going to be storybook. The 2021 NBA playoffs have been storytelling in a variety of ways.
For starters, injuries, especially to All-Star caliber players have overshadowed what has been an absolutely phenomenal postseason, one that has seen a multitude of upsets, young stars taking center stage and some moves that have shook multiple front offices, and we still haven't reached the conference finals. On Wednesday, June 16, the NBA world was hit with a shockwave of events that changed the rest of the playoffs. Kawhi Leonard was announced to have had an ACL injury, Chris Paul entered COVID protocol and multiple head coaches were fired, oh, and Lamelo Ball was announced as the 2021 Rookie of the Year. Of these events, Leonard's absence from a Clippers team that had just tied its series against the Utah Jazz not even 36 hours before sent shockwaves through the organization, with the expectation that Paul George would have to step in and fill the role as the "main guy" for Ty Lue and the LA Clippers. Game five in Utah had a familiar feeling to Clippers fans, like myself, the main star goes down and everything else will go down with it, and at the beginning of the game, it seemed to be the case. The Jazz, led by Bojan Bogdanovic, made an absurd amount of three pointers in the first quarter and the first half as a whole, yet a Clippers team, led by Paul George's 22 first half points, only trailed by five. The rest is history, Paul George finished the game with 37 points and 16 rebounds, becoming the first player in Clippers history to score 35+ points, have 15+ rebounds and 5+ assists in a postseason game. For George, this was more than a game to him. For months, even years, George has been the main target of a superstar underperforming in the playoffs, being coined with the name "Pandemic P" after his lackluster performances in the bubble last season against Dallas and Denver. This game was George's chance to right wrongs and erase doubt. Could he be the main star for the Clippers in the absence of Leonard? Could he lead this team to a victory when it has no business winning against the best team in the NBA on the road? Well, George answered those questions emphatically, leading the Clippers to a 3-2 series lead in Utah, capped off by hugging team owner Steve Ballmer, who made a hefty trade with Oklahoma City to bring George to the Clippers alongside Leonard. Game five Wednesday night was the "silence the doubters" game for the Paul George. He showed up, brought back what felt like Indiana Pacers Paul George, and has now put the Clippers one win away from their first Western Conference Finals in team history. Can Paul George replicate his performance on Friday? Sure. But this game alone proved that no one can doubt the performance George had and that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the NBA. Hopefully you all enjoyed my Eastern Conference preview. If you haven't checked it out yet, you can find it here. Now for the Western Conference, where the Utah Jazz earned the right to be the conference's number one seed after a stellar regular season, but with the play-in tournament shaking out the way it did, the entire landscape of the playoffs for the West was turned on its head, with real possibilities of upsets in round one being a ton more real than a few months ago. With that said, the Western Conference has a ton of intriguing matchups and storylines, and here are my predictions on how I believe the playoffs will shape out in the West. Play-In Game One: 7 Lakers vs 8 Warriors Well Adam Silver, the luck of the draw played out well for you on this one. The idea of the Los Angeles Lakers going from NBA Finals Champions in 2020 to the play-in tournament in 2021 was never thought of before the season started, but with stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined for a good chunk of the year after a short offseason, it actually happened as the Lakers continued to slip and slipped into the play-in tournament. For the Warriors, expectations for star Steph Curry were high. Could he bring this team to the playoffs with not a ton of help and after his injury riddled 2020 campaign? Well, he did just that, leading the league in scoring and bringing Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and company to the eighth seed. The idea of Curry and James in a one-game standoff has NBA fans salivating right now. Curry is capable of dropping 50 points a night and James entire career is molded around bringing his best in the biggest moments in the playoffs, and both players will be at their best, and healthy, in this game that should see a ton of offense. Now obviously the Lakers have the advantage of having much better players around James than the Warriors around Curry. If Anthony Davis gets going against Green, who will likely be his primary matchup, the Lakers could coast to victory here. Now if Wiggins, Green and another supporting player for the Warriors bring their A-game, this game has the makings of an instant classic. This game will come down to the wire, but that favors the Lakers, seeing as they just have more options in the final two minutes. Steph's heroics fall short in this one, but the Lakers squeak by and advance to play the Phoenix Suns in round one. Prediction: Lakers, 115 - Warriors, 111 Play In Game Two: 9 Grizzlies vs 10 Spurs In what will be the appetizer to Lakers vs Warriors, the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs do battle in a win-or-go home scenario in the 9 vs 10 play-in game. The Grizzlies fought well down the stretch of the regular season, but Curry knocked them down to the nine seed after going ballistic late in the fourth quarter on Sunday and the Grizzlies weirdly may prefer taking on the Spurs first, but don't test your luck. The Grizzlies did win the season series, but coach Gregg Popovich is one of the best adjusters in the modern NBA, as proven by his track record, and in one game, Popovich can be scary to play against and he knows his team, led by Demar Derozan, Dejounte Murray and a solid array of role players. Derozan did struggle against the Grizzlies this season though, scoring only 14 and 5 points in two of the three matchups, but I think he goes back to the first meeting where he dropped 28 points along with nine rebounds and nine assists and tries to keep San Antonio's season alive. Let's be real here though, the Grizzlies in my opinion are just the better team. Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr have yet to make the postseason in their young careers and will be driven by that in this one as I see both having very solid games against the Spurs and paving the way to a hard fought and physical contest. Derozan and Morant will lead the way in scoring, but the Grizzlies will ultimately outmatch the Spurs and come away with victory here. Prediction: Grizzlies, 109 - Spurs, 102 Play In Game Three: 8 Warriors vs 9 Grizzlies In this scenario, we get a rematch of the season finale between these two sqauds, with the up-and-coming Morant taking on Curry once again, but this time with the season on the line and a chance to face top-ranked Utah in round one. The Warriors would enter this game of the heels of an emotional loss to the Lakers, looking to make the playoffs and give Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz a run for their money. The Grizzlies on the other hand would be looking for revenge from the season finale against Golden State, so this also has the makings of an exciting matchup against two very different teams with the same mindset, keeping your season alive. I think that the result stays the same as the regular season finale though. Curry Looked amazing against the Grizzlies this season despite his only matchup against them coming in the season finale where he dropped 46 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists against Memphis and I fully expect him to have that same kind of fire and turnout in a rematch and allow the Warriors to make the playoffs and deny doubters of how good this team could be. Prediction: Warriors, 115 - Grizzlies, 101 Round One: 1 Jazz vs 8 Warriors The Jazz of course earned the number one seed in the Western Conference and played very impressive basketball en route to that achievement, taking a noticeable step up from what was a tough ending to the season last year against Denver. In this scenario, the Jazz draw the Warriors, and of course Curry can carry the Warriors by himself to a win or two, but the Jazz are the better team in this matchup in pretty much every matchup outside of Curry. Donovan Mitchell should be healthy for this series and I do not see any of the Warriors bigs having any success against Rudy Gobert, who made a real case for defensive player of the year this season. Jordan Clarkson added to the success off the bench with a real chance of winning Sixth Man of the Year, but the Jazz are so deep and have way too many bodies defensively to throw at the Warriors offense. The Jazz lose one game from Curry heroics but outmatch a lesser Warriors team in five games to advance to round two. Prediction: Jazz in 5 over Warriors Round One: 2 Suns vs 7 Lakers For most, this matchup has been considered the Phoenix Suns worst nightmare, and I don't exactly disagree. The Los Angeles Lakers enter the playoffs as the seventh seed and I predict them to beat the Warriors in the play-in and shift their focus to the Suns, and this has the potential of a seven-game slugfest between the defending Champions and an up-and-coming Suns team. Chris Paul does amazing things. This Suns team has needed a point guard for years and opted to go with the veteran and it paid dividends for star guard Devin Booker. Booker has seen a ton of great shots due to Paul's playmaking and has had some great moments, but its safe to say Deandre Ayton has improved even more. Ayton's PPG may have dropped, but his efficiency skyrocketed, and seeing Ayton and Anthony Davis going at it in the playoffs could be a potential treat for NBA fans. The X-factor in this series will be the Lakers health. LeBron James, Davis and others all came back for the season finale, but could the play-in affect this team more than some think with the lack of rest? It's very possible, but the Lakers at full strength, or remotely near it, are arguably better than the Suns. The Suns are an exciting team no doubt, but the Lakers are the defending champs for a reason and I would expect this potential series to be a slugfest, but the Lakers win in Phoenix is a pivotal game seven to move on to the second round as a seven seed. Prediction: Lakers in 7 over Suns Round One: 3 Nuggets vs 6 Blazers This matchup was played on the season finale and the Blazers rocked the Nuggets, but Nikola Jokic did not play most of the contest and made a real MVP case with his play this season. If the Nuggets had Jamal Murray, who was lost to a season-ending injury, this series swings in the Nuggets favor pretty heavily. With his absence being reality, it could be the time for Damian Lillard to completely take over this series. Now this series of course, like many past Blazers and Nuggets series, have been evenly matched(I'm saying any series the team has been in, not against each other), so expect this series to come down to not only Jokic and Lillard, but the play of the surrounding players, but I would side with CJ McCollum and Carmelo Anthony over Michael Porter Jr. and Paul Millsap or the other array of the players the Nuggets have. I think this series is close, but in close games, Lillard thrives. I think the Nuggets missing Murray means too much and the Blazers pull off the upset and defeat the Nuggets to move on against the Lakers. Prediction: Blazers in 6 over Nuggets Round One: 4 Clippers vs 5 Mavericks A rematch of round one a season ago, the LA Clippers and Dallas Mavericks meet again, with both teams looking slightly different and improved from last year. Kristaps Porzingis is expected to be fully healthy for this series as he missed most of the series last year, so seeing his impact this year could change things, but the Clippers acquired Serge Ibaka and Demarcus Cousins and I think both bigs can give Porzingis fits on the outside. Along with that, the Clippers struggled last year against Dallas due to spacing and ball movement despite winning in six games, but the acquisition of Rajon Rondo could make all the difference for the Clippers as we all know Rondo ramps it up in the postseason and can be a great playmaker for the Clippers stars. Head coach Ty Lue has already noted he wanted the team to be better prepared for playoff basketball, and of course Luka Doncic will likely be an unstoppable force, but the Clippers have a ton of bodies to throw at him and tire him down throughout the series. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will do their thing also, and although the Mavericks have improved, their defense hasn't, so I fully expect a ton of high scoring games in this series but will side with the better defensive squad in LA over a six game series. Prediction: Clippers in 6 over Mavericks Round Two: 1 Jazz vs 4 Clippers
This matchup is a three-point lovers dream as the Clippers take on the Jazz in this scenario. The Clippers had one of the most efficient three-point season in history while the Jazz make a high volume number of three pointers, so that alone could be the X-factor in this series between the two teams. Mitchell would likely see both Leonard and George guarding him in this series and would be a tough ask for him to completely carry the offensive load, but his supporting cast can and likely would help him here. Now, the Clippers matchup well against the Jazz. Unlike other teams, the Clippers have solid outside shooting and wing defenders and if they could stifle the Jazz on the perimeter, it could be trouble for the top seed. Gobert would also play a huge part in this series when Ivica Zubac is on the floor as the spacing would not be great for the Clippers, but with Serge Ibaka's defensive ability both inside and outside as well as an offensive arsenal that features both as well, Gobert could be doing suicides from the paint to the three point line trying to guard the pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop that Ty Lue enjoys running so much. The Clippers have yet to make a WCF in their time in the league, but that streak ends here. It won't be easy as they face the top team in the West, but they take advantage of their matchups against Utah and bounce the Jazz is a well-played seven game series between two of the West's best teams. Prediction: Clippers in 7 over Jazz *ran out of time here* So I ran out of time to finish this article before work and the play-in games, but the results below are the predictions for the rest of the bracket. Prediction: Lakers in 6 over Blazers Prediction: Clippers in 7 over Lakers After 72 games of what felt like one of the longest seasons in NBA history, the playoffs are upon us. COVID-19, injuries and big moves and moments have defined the 2021 NBA season, and when looking at the Eastern Conference, many believed the Nets to be a surefire lock to win the conference and advance to the Finals, but a flurry of worthy competitors stand in their path. The East set up very well despite a short offseason and the playoffs are set and here are my predictions for how the Eastern Conference playoffs could play out. Play-In Game: 7 Celtics vs 8 Wizards The play-in game was brought in last season and stays this year with a new format which favors the seven and eight seeds as they have two chances to make the playoffs rather than one. For the East, the Boston Celtics fell to seven after numerous problems throughout the season and star guard Jaylen Brown falling to injury for the season. Despite this, the Celtics have two chances for the playoffs but must go through the Washington Wizards, a team that looked out of it at times but went on a crazy stretch to end the season and won on the last day over the Charlotte Hornets to clinch the eight seed. This matchup of course comes down to the three stars involved, Jayson Tatum, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal. Tatum has played well this season despite the Celtics woes, posting a career high in PPG, APG, RPG, 2PFG% and 3PMPG. It's safe to say Tatum is going to be at his best on Tuesday and can carry the Celtics in one game, but he will need help, and that help has to come from Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart, the latter likely guarding Westbrook or Beal the entire game. For Westbrook and Beal, they can carry the Wizards as well, which gives this game such intrigue, but if you had to ask me if I would take two stars in one game over one, I'm choosing the extra star and the Wizards here to then take on the two-seed Brooklyn Nets. Prediction: Wizards, 115 - Celtics, 113 Play In Game: 9 Pacers vs 10 Hornets For the second play-in game, all eyes will be on Lamelo Ball and how he handles the playoff atmosphere, especially in a one-game situation against the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers of course have All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis and other quality players in Malcolm Brogdon and Myles Turner, but the team never brought it all together this season, hence their seeding, and they especially struggled against the Hornets. In the three meetings between the teams, the Hornets led the series 2-1 and looked impressive in all three games against Indiana, and with Lamelo having help from Terry Rozier, who led the team in points, and the only major injury to the team coming in the form of Gordon Hayward, the Hornets come into this matchup much more healthy than the Pacers. The Pacers are likely without Turner, LeVert, Warren and Brogdon potentially in this matchup and I think Ball rises to the stage and allows the Hornets to live another day and face the Celtics in a one-and-done situation. Prediction: Hornets, 101 - Pacers, 95 Play In Game 3: Celtics vs Hornets If this scenario happens, the Celtics of course will host the matchup and the Hornets would have to win two-straight to get to the postseason while the Celtics get another chance. Tatum would come into this game with a chip on his shoulder, having to prove he can bring this Celtics team into the postseason after a loss to Washington. For the Hornets, Ball could cement himself as a budding star, winning two straight and getting the Hornets to the playoffs. The Celtics won the season series 2-1 and Tatum played well in those games, but he also had his right-hand man in Jaylen Brown in those matchups, but with a strong defensive guard like Marcus Smart likely on Ball in this matchup, I like the Celtics odds to bounce a young team purely based off of playoff experience. The Hornets can win this game if they can consistently shoot the ball well, but I think the Celtics are just the better team and hand the Hornets a tough loss and rip away their playoff hopes. Prediction: Celtics, 113 - Hornets, 101 Round One: 1 Sixers vs 8 Celtics Well, it almost always feels like the Sixers and Celtics meet each other in the playoffs and they do here. The Sixers looked dominant all season and paved their way to the number one seed, mainly led by Joel Embiid having a career season before his absence to injury that took him out of that conversation. The Celtics struggled a ton against the Sixers this season, losing every game by more than seven points and not stopping what has been a fun offense in Philadelphia this season. I believe Boston has a chance to take a game in this series, but the Sixers have the Celtics overmatched in most areas, mainly at the five where I believe Embiid will feast on the Celtics centers if the matchup does happen. Now, if the Celtics had Jaylen Brown in this matchup, I would say this series would be much more interesting, but the Celtics have not been able to be consistent this season and come in shorthanded, so I expect the Sixers to handle business as the number one seed and prove to the general NBA public that they were deserving of top seed in the conference. Prediction: Sixers in 5 over Celtics Round One: 2 Nets vs 7 Wizards Now this is something every fan of the NBA would love to see, Russell Westbrook vs. Kevin Durant in the form of Nets vs. Wizards. These two teams know how to score points, with the lowest points scored in the four matchups coming in at 106, a game that also saw the winning team post 113. This series in my mind would have the chance to break all kinds of scoring records for a series and of course getting a look at the Nets in the playoffs and how Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden would mesh in the playoff setting will be center stage. The Wizards can score with the Nets and make this series interesting, but of course the Nets are the better team on paper and performance but I wouldn't shy away from saying this Wizards team could extend this series to six of even seven games if Beal and Westbrook can get and stay hot. Although that's a possibility, I think the Nets are out to prove doubters wrong and handle the Wizards in round one to continue their pursuit for the Larry O'Brian Trophy. Prediction: Nets in 5 over the Wizards Round One: 3 Bucks vs 6 Heat The good ole "Hello, old friend." series happens here as the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat take each other on, this time in the first round rather than the Eastern Conference Semis. Of course the biggest storyline heading into the series is centered around the Bucks getting revenge on a pesky Heat team that bounced them from the playoffs a year ago when the Bucks were one of the best regular season teams we've seen in awhile. The Heat were a team many were high on heading into the year, but injuries, COVID-19 and a slow start placed the Heat even out of the playoffs at times, but now that health has almost left the room despite Victor Oladipo being sidelined for the playoffs with injury, this Heat team is much healthier and better than they were a few months ago. For the Bucks, I think Mike Budenholzer realized he needed to change his schemes throughout the season to better prepare this team for the playoffs and I thought he did a pretty solid job doing so. Last season of course the Heat defeated the Bucks in five games, but this has all the makings of a seven game slugfest between Jimmy Butler and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and I am siding with a revenge filled Giannis and the Bucks to get past a pesky Heat squad in a full seven games and advance to take on the Brooklyn Nets. Prediction: Bucks in 7 over Heat Round One: 4 Knicks vs 5 Hawks This series is another that is destined for seven games and more importantly, the New York Knicks are back in the postseason. The Knicks were the surprise of the NBA season and have the pleasure of meeting Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks in round one, a series that pits two teams that played three entertaining games this season that saw both Young and Randle have solid games in all of the matchups. For Randle, playing the Hawks has been fun as he's averaged 37.3 PPG and 12.3 RPG while shooting 58.1% in the three meetings against the Hawks. His counterpart Young has averaged 24.7 PPG and 12 APG while shooting 36.2% against the Knicks, so this matchup will hinge on which player can play better across the seven games. Most betting sights have the Knicks as the underdogs in this matchup, but I don't see them as one. This series is evenly matched with both teams having limited playoff experience, but with the Knicks currently riding a high and being more well rounded in my eyes than Atlanta, I would bet that Julius Randle and the Knicks get in done in game seven at the Garden and meet the Sixers in round two. Prediction: Knicks in 7 over Hawks Round Two: 1 Sixers vs 4 Knicks In this prediction, the Sixers handled the Celtics handily, while the Knicks had to play seven tough games against Atlanta, giving the Sixers a clear rest advantage here. In the season series between these teams, the Sixers won all three games, but two of those three wins came by one possession, the other by 20, but the Knicks have played the Sixers tough all season and won't back down to Embiid and Ben Simmons. As far as matchups are concerned, the Knicks don't fare well against what the Sixers will throw at them, but the physical tole the Knicks can put on the Sixers best players will be the decider in how long this series goes. Coach Tom Thibodeau has worthy experience and is one of the best in-game adjusters in basketball, but stopping Embiid will be a daunting task, and if the Knicks can't score with the Sixers, with I don't expect them to, this series will be trouble for New York. I think Simmons and Embiid take over this series pretty early and establish dominance in the paint against New York, but the Knicks fight back in what will be the most physical series in the playoffs and get to six games before losing to the Sixers in the Garden with a chance to take it to seven. Prediction: Sixers in 6 over Knicks Round Two: 2 Nets vs 3 Bucks I know I have said this a ton about some of the prior matchups, but this matchup has arguably the most star power about it that any series in the playoffs could have. The Nets of course have Irving, Durant and Harden while the Bucks have Giannis, Bledsoe and Middleton. All six of those players would play a factor in this series without a shadow of a doubt. Seeing Giannis vs Durant in a possible seven game series would have most NBA cramming to free their schedules to see the two go at it, myself included, and the Nets actually lost the season series to the Bucks this year in the three games they played. Giannis has been at his best against the Nets this year, averaging 39.7 PPG along with 10 RPG and 5 APG. Meanwhile, Durant has averaged 34.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG and 4.7 APG against the Bucks, so seeing as the two bring their best against each other, this matchup has all the makings of heading to Barclay's Center for a game seven. Now of course playoff basketball is determined by other players, and when looking at the supporting casts, it is clear the Nets have a better cast around Durant, which would be the deciding factor in a game-seven. Now, don't rule out the upset here, but I just don't see Bledsoe and Middleton being able to carry enough weight against Irving and Harden, but that game seven will be a tightly fought contest that will see Giannis exit the playoffs early again, creating a slew of storylines heading into the offseason for Milwaukee. Prediction: Nets in 7 over Milwaukee Eastern Conference Finals: 1 Sixers vs 2 Nets
Well, not much parody here in terms of seeding from myself as the top two seeds in the conference advance to the ECF, but both in my predictions took noticeably different paths to get here. For the Sixers, beating the Celtics and Knicks wasn't a cake walk by any means, having to outscore Tatum and Randle while also playing two very physical sides but outmatching both in the paint. Meanwhile for the Nets, battling Westbrook and Beal along with Giannis and his supporting cast was no easy task as the latter took them seven games, so the war or attrition is in favor of Philadelphia here. The Sixers enter the series having took two of three games against the Nets in the regular season, but the group of Irving, Harden and Durant was hardly ever on the floor together this entire season and never played together as a trio against Philadelphia this season. Although that factors into this matchup, I would expect both squads at full strength heading into this series, meaning we get both teams at their best and all of the stars align for a fun ECF. Now most would say the Nets have the better team on paper, but chemistry factors a ton into playoff basketball and the Sixers have that advantage as well, but just how can Philadelphia contain the electric offense the Nets possess? Well, Embiid doesn't factor into it much besides containing the paint. Most of the defensive load will be on Simmons, Thybulle and Harris, who will likely be the trio guarding the stars the Nets have to throw at them. I think Simmons and Thybulle do well with their matchups, but Harris may struggle with his, and I think he will, and I also think that is the deciding factor here. The Nets have three players that can score 30 points any given game and if the Sixers can't contain all three, I just don't see a way they win this series. Now of course the Sixers have the star power to take this series deep and potentially win it, but I think as the series drags further, the odds favor the Nets and their options over the Sixers. The Nets win in 6 in this scenario, with the series being tied 2-2 but the Nets outmatching the Sixers in the final two games and getting to the Finals as everyone expected. Prediction: Nets in 6 over Sixers Agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know on Twitter @mvp_EtHaN and give me your thoughts on the Eastern Conference Playoffs! The 2020-2021 NBA season is very different in so many ways than any other season has been, but one situation in particular involving James Harden trying to force himself out of Houston is something that has become a trend in the NBA.
During the offseason, Harden made his intentions clear that he wanted out of Houston after a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the playoffs last season. The answer the Rockets had instead of trading Harden in the offseason like he wanted? Trading Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards for John Wall. To no one's surprise, Harden's play this season has looked abnormal. Over his past four contests, Harden has only hit 20 points once and hasn't made more than seven shots in a game. Meanwhile, the Rockets are 14th in the Western Conference at 3-6 and honestly don't look to be getting any better. What James Harden is doing is not taboo. NBA fans have seen cases of stars forcing themselves out of situations over the past decade. For example, Kawhi Leonard's injury in San Antonio led him to sit out most of the following season and ended with him being traded to the Toronto Raptors for Demar Derozan, leading the Raptors to their first NBA title in team history. Similarly, Anthony Davis was a staple of the New Orleans Pelicans franchise since he was drafted in 2012, but once it seemed the Pelicans were never bringing another star to play him and take the team to the next step, Davis grew frustrated, sat out games and forced his way to play with LeBron James in Los Angeles and, you guessed it, win a championship. Even James himself left Cleveland for similar reasons, albeit his contract had run out and he brought the city a title, but with Kyrie Irving being traded to Boston, James saw that chances at another title in Cleveland diminished, and in a league where title's define greatness, why would players like Harden, Leonard and Davis not force themselves out of a situation that shows no aspirations for a title for a strong chance at one, say with the Philadelphia 76ers or any of the other teams that may be in the market for Harden? As a Rockets fan, yes, you have every right to be upset that a top-five player in the league wants to depart, but NBA fans like seeing top players on the best stages, and for Harden, Houston is not the best stage for him to compete and with the situation playing out like it has, it never will be again. Harden will get his trade at some point, likely before the trade deadline, and the team that receives him, even though reports say some teams are hesitant to offer due to Houston's asking price, that team will immediately thrust itself into the title conversation. Enjoy Harden in a Houston uniform while he's in it, because he's yet another superstar unhappy in his situation that will be in a different uniform soon enough, which is exactly what he wants. |
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