Western Conference Playoff Preview
(2)Golden State Warriors (58-24) Vs (7)San Antonio Spurs (47-35)
This matchup features the 2nd seed Warriors taking on the 7th seed Spurs. These teams met 4 times this season with the Warriors winning 3 of the 4 matchups. The Warriors were at full strength for the first two meetings and they ended in blowouts. In the third meeting Stephen Curry was injured just a few minutes into the game and the Warriors made a big 4th quarter comeback to squeak out a 3 point win. In the 4th and final regular season meeting Curry, Thompson, and Durant were all out which the Spurs capitalized on by posting a 14 point win.
The Warriors have been plagued by injuries of late. Curry has been out with a strained MCL since mid March and coach Steve Kerr said he would likely not return until the 2nd round of the playoffs at the earliest. Kevin Durant missed some time with a rib injury and Klay Thompson was out with a thumb injury. Both have since recovered and are available for the playoffs.
The Spurs have experienced injuries of their own and have been without Kawhi Leonard virtually all season. There was talk that he might return sometime late this season but that has not happened. Even without their best player, Gregg Popovich managed to coach the Spurs to a very respectable record and led them to the playoffs for an NBA record 21st consecutive year. LaMarcus Aldridge has taken on the leadership role averaging 23 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and they will need him to play big to have a shot in this series.
These two teams met in last years Western Conference Finals where the Warriors won 4-0. It was during the first game of that series that Kawhi Leonard went down with an injury while the Spurs were leading by 20+ points. After he exited the game it was all Warriors as they stormed back to take game 1 on their way to sweeping the Spurs. The Warriors when healthy are the best team in basketball but they could be vulnerable without Curry in the lineup. Even with that setback the Warriors are still the strong favorites to win this series. My prediction is that the Warriors win this series in 5 games.
(3)Portland Trail Blazers (49-33) Vs (6)New Orleans Pelicans (48-34)
This matchup features the 3rd seed TrailBlazers taking on the 6th seed Pelicans. These teams played 4 times this year and split the season series, each winning once at home and once on the road. It’s hard to gauge how this series might play out based on those results. In the first two matchups Anthony Davis played a total of only 5 minutes and they split those 2 games. In the third game won by the Pelicans both Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins played but Cousins is not available for the playoffs. In their final meeting in New Orleans the Trailblazers pulled out a 4 point win.
The Trailblazers managed to come away with the 3rd seed in the ultra competitive Western Conference. They are led by Damian Lillard who is averaging 27 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game and is worthy of MVP consideration. CJ McCollum is also an integral part of this team. He has also had a very good year averaging 21.4 points per game. The Blazers will have their work cut out for them in this series taking on Anthony Davis in the paint.
The Pelicans are led by Anthony Davis who is averaging 28 points and 11 rebounds. They have managed to overcome the season ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins when many thought that their playoff aspirations were over. Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo will be very important in this series as well. They will be the ones tasked with guarding Damian Lillard while also facilitating the offense. Rondo was out the last time these teams met and he could prove to be a difference maker on defense.
These teams are very evenly matched as indicated by their season records. I would not be surprised at all to see this series go to 7 games. I think the Pelicans have a legitimate shot at taking down the higher seed here. They perform just as well on the road as they do at home posting a 24-17 record both home and away. I’m going out on a limb here and predicting the Pelicans win this series in 7 games.
Eastern Conference Playoff Preview
(1)Toronto Raptors (59-23) Vs (8)Washington Wizards (43-39)
This matchup features the top seeded Raptors taking on the 8th seed Wizards. These teams split their 4 meetings this season with each team winning once on the others home floor. John Wall did not play in any of those matchups but he’s back for these playoffs and that should prove beneficial for the Wizards. The Raptors have home court advantage and the more talented and balanced team.
The Raptors are coming off their best regular season in franchise history and looking for their first Eastern Conference Championship. In their wins over the Wizards this year DeMar DeRozan led the way in scoring and their defense clamped down and held the Wizards offense in check keeping them under 100 points. That will be key to their success in this series as the Wizards will likely try to push the pace with John Wall available.
The Wizards are better than their record indicates as they were without John Wall for half the season due to injuries. They were in contention for home court advantage in the first round but slumped toward the end of the year. In their wins over the Raptors this year Bradley Beal was dominant scoring 38 points in their win in Toronto and he poured in 27 4th quarter points in their win in at home. If they expect to compete in this series they will need more performances like that out of him as well as strong performances from John Wall and their supporting cast.
In the history of 1 seeds vs 8 seeds, the 8 seeds have only prevailed 4 times in league history. It should be interesting to see how this series plays out with John Wall healthy but the Raptors definitely have the advantage here and are expected to prevail. My prediction is the Raptors win this series in 6 games.
(3)Philadelphia 76ers (52-30) Vs (6)Miami Heat (44-38)
This matchup features the 3rd seed 76ers taking on the 6th seed Heat. These teams split their 4 meetings this year each team winning the games on their own home floor. Philadelphia comes into this series as the hottest team in the league having won 16 straight games. Meanwhile the Heat have won the last 2 times they’ve faced the 76ers.
Philadelphia finally put together a solid season improving 24 games over last seasons 28 wins and earned their first trip to the playoffs in 6 years. Each game they’ve played against the Miami Heat has been a hard fought battle until the very end. Ben Simmons has led the way in their wins in what could best be described as a very balanced team scoring effort. A big question mark for them is whether Joel Embiid will be able to return to their lineup for the playoffs. He’s been out recovering from an orbital fracture. He leads the team in points and rebounds but they’ve continued winning without him. If they expect to challenge for the Eastern Conference Championship they will need him back at full strength.
The Heat come in led by Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragic, and Dwyane Wade. Goran Dragic has been nursing a knee injury but he is expected to play in this series. Dwyane Wade has played big vs the 76ers in the last 2 meetings. First, he scored 27 points and hit the game winning shot to give Miami a 1 point win. In the very next matchup with the 76ers he put up 16 points in a Miami win. They’re going to need his production off the bench to have any shot at winning this series.
The way Philadelphia has been playing it’s going to be hard for anyone to beat them. Miami will play them tough no doubt but I don’t think they’re going to be able to win this series. My prediction is the 76ers win the series in 6 games.
Cover photo credits: By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - DeMar DeRozan, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67022758
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