PLAYOFF PREVIEW

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS:

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Way Too Early Edition

The playoffs are approaching fast and the seeding is pretty much a lock. The play-in tournament is going to be lit, but I'm going through the different story lines and narratives to talk myself into who will win the finals.

As of today - here are the standings:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Philadelphia 76ers

2. Brooklyn Nets

3. Milwaukee Bucks

4. New York Knicks

5. Atlanta Hawks

6. Miami Heat

7. Boston Celtics

8. Charlotte Hornets

9. Washington Wizards

10. Indiana Pacers

BUBBLE: Chicago Bulls

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Utah Jazz

2. Phoenix Suns

3. LA Clippers

4. Denver Nuggets

5. Dallas Mavericks

6. Portland Trailblazers

7. LA Lakers

8. Golden State Warriors

9. Memphis Grizzlies

10. San Antonio Spurs

BUBBLE: New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings

PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT:

This is going to be a great play-in tournament for the fans. Teams like the Lakers and Celtics are likely absolutely dreading it, but if you look at the story lines and the stars involved in these match-up, you can't help but be excited. This is basically the new Wild Card series.

In the Eastern Conference, there is a little bit of drama, with the fractured Pacers quickly sliding down and the Bulls on a 3-game win streak and clawing their way out of this. The Bulls are also in this weird spot, as their pick is only top-4 protected, so they are not losing well enough keep their pick or winning enough to feel confident they can reach the tournament. Realistically, should the Bulls make it, I don't see them doing very well against this hot Wizards team.

The play-in tournament has a little bit a drama, but until we see the Celtics play the Wizards, it should be pretty straight forward. The Pacers are likely not going to last long, and with Charlotte unlikely to have Bridges or Hayward for the tournament, I think we sort of see how this is going to play out.

In the Western Conference there is a lot of intrigue, and people are dying to watch the Warriors square off against the Lakers. There are a lot of eyes on if the Pelicans or Kings will sneak-in, but with Zion out indefinitely and the Kings prone to go on long losing streaks, I don't think there are enough games to effect the standings.

The Tournament structure is pretty straight forward - the 7/8 face off - winner advances and the loser plays the winner of the 9/10 game. The 7/8 winner becomes the 7-seed, and the 8-seed is the remaining winner.

Prediction - Boston (7-seed), Wizards (8-seed), Lakers (7-seed), Warriors (8-seed) - I don't foresee any major surprises. The 7-seed game is basically Boston's to lose and I think the Wizards are too hot right now to lose to Pacers/Bulls and Hornets. Beal's health might be a factor, but I think Russell Westbrook's historic run will continue. The Warriors very well could upset the Lakers if LeBron is not healthy, but I think ultimately the Lakers pull it out. The Warriors should be able to beat Grizzlies or Spurs quite handedly.

ROUND 1:

76ERS VS WIZARDS - This should be an interesting match-up. Two of the best perimeter defenders versus two of the most dynamic offensive guards in the East. The 76ers are a prolific two-way team and the Wizards have no answer for Embiid down low. With the 76ers having two Defensive Player of the Year candidates, a potential MVP candidate (at least All-NBA), and a ton of balance, I see them as the clear favorite in this matchup. 76ERS in 5.

NETS VS CELTICS - Brooklyn is dominant, but not unbeatable. They are desperately reliant on their big 3, their center position is a mess, and honestly, that match-up quite well against the Celtics. Both teams have the same strengths and same weaknesses, yet I'd say the stars in Brooklyn get the edge due to experience. Durant is arguably the most dominant playoff weapon in this entire tournament, Kyrie is quietly having an MVP-caliber season, and this team also has James Harden. The Celtics stars have seen major strides in their development, but they have the unfortunate task of matching up against the Championship favorites. NETS in 5.

BUCKS VS HEAT - Another excellent series, I think the Bucks pull it out this time. This is one of those series' that COULD go the distance, but probably won't. Butler has been incredibly consistent and Bam has looked really good, but I don't know if their role players will rise up to the occasion like they did last year. Herro was somewhat of a disappointment developmental-wise, we don't really know how much impact Oladipo will have, and the additions of Ariza and Bjelica don't really move the needle much. The Bucks added one of the best two-way guards in Jrue Holiday and Giannis continues to play at an incredibly high level. BUCKS in 6.

KNICKS VS HAWKS - I want this series to be good, but I don't think it will. On paper, the Hawks should wind up with the victory, but I'll be rooting for the Knicks. The storyline of Randle and the redemption of Derrick Rose just appeal to me more than the Hawks, who sort of stitched together a bunch of role players to accelerate their timeline. If Hunter returns healthy, he's a major X-Factor, yet even without him, I think the Hawks sneak out the series. This is one of the series' that I hope I'm wrong. HAWKS in 7.

JAZZ VS WARRIORS - Donovan Mitchell or not, I think that the Jazz win this match-up. Bojan and Clarkson have stepped up well to provide enough offensive punch and they now have Mike Conley full healthy heading into this playoffs. Warriors will likely have just had to play two tough match-up before even entering this series, so I don't know if Curry and lift this team up enough to win anything more than a game or two. Anything can happen in this playoffs, but I don't think the Warriors are the Cinderella team to make it to the finals. JAZZ in 5.

SUNS VS LAKERS - The talking heads are going to give you all the reasons why the Suns are going to win this series. They have depth, they have CP3 in an MVP-style year, they have one of the most dynamic guards in the league in Booker... you're still going up against LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The regular season means nothing in the playoffs, and LeBron James enters a whole other level in the games that matter. He seems fired up just having to play in the tournament, so I think if he can return back to early-season form and AD continues to play like he has, this should be quick series. I think the Suns only muster a couple of games, despite probably being a favorite going into the series. LAKERS in 6.

CLIPPERS VS TRAILBLAZERS - This year's Trailblazers don't really give me the upset-style vibe. The trade deadline came and passed and they only got marginally better at the wing. The Clippers have not been playing dominant lately, but they have played well and are returning to health. Between the excellent coaching, the depth, and the star power, I think the Clippers win this series. Lillard probably has Dame time in a couple of games, but I think with Nurkic not himself and Covington being sort of a bust, Clippers have the clear edge. CLIPPERS in 6.

NUGGETS VS MAVERICKS - This series could end up being one of the most watched series' in the first round. You have two MVP candidates, both of whom are International players, squaring off on an interesting match-up. Had Murray been healthy, I'd probably give the edge to the Nuggets, but I think the Mavericks make it out of this match-up. Doncic has lead this Mavs team to an unbelievable stretch over the last few weeks and they should in theory get better once Kleber and KP come back into action. Even if KP is used as a decoy, it will help ease some of the double/triple teams that Luka gets regularly.  This series will likely go the distance. MAVS in 7.

CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS:

76ERS VS HAWKS - Being candid, this is a warm-up round for the Nets. Spoiler alert, it's going to be 76ers vs Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals. While Capela will fight admirably, Trae will do his best impersonation of a Splash Brother, and Bogdan/Danilo will try to fight through the defensive gauntlet, I just don't have confidence in them at all. The Knicks would likely not do much better, so the 1-seed is more important than many thought. 76ERS in 4.

NETS VS BUCKS - The Nets get the edge here. The Bucks will have a tough series against Miami, while the Nets get a moderate challenge against Boston. If you look at the head to head match-ups, the Nets look better across the board. Barring some significant health issues, I don't really see a path where the Bucks can pull out a best-of-7 series against the Nets. Much like the first round, Harden's availability is somewhat of the X-Factor. NETS in 6.

JAZZ VS MAVS - This will be a fun series, especially if both teams are full healthy. The Jazz have no real answer for Luka, but I expect the Jazz to out-hustle the Mavs. The Mavs will have a few games where they'll get hot from outside, Luka will do Luka things, and KP will be involved. KP's poor post defense will be too much for the Mavs, however, but I think this will be a nice advertisement for a team with cap space this summer. JAZZ in 6.

LAKERS VS CLIPPERS - Probably the watched series, I expect the Lakers to take care of business. The wing combo for the Clippers will get their points, but I think the Lakers' addition of Drummond, the growth of Kuzma, and the hustle of Horton-Tucker and Caruso are going to outmatch the Lakers. The Clippers are no slump and it's possible that playoff Rondo and playoff P come as advertised, but I still think the Lakers are favorite. LAKERS in 6.

CONFERENCE FINALS:

76ERS VS NETS - As a fan, I want to say the 76ers are going to pull out this series, but I think barring injuries, this is the Nets' series to lose. There is just no answer to KD and all the 76ers can really do is just try to slow the Nets down. A fully healthy Harden would also mean that guys like Blake Griffin can be an energy boost off the bench, and with guys like Bruce Brown, they are not a slouch defensively. The 76ers will need to run as much offense through Embiid as possible, as he would need to go God-mode to win this series. NETS in 6.

JAZZ VS LAKERS - This should be an interesting match-up. Jazz has an obvious advantage as far as depth, but the LeBron and AD will be a tough duo to stop. The Stifle Tower will have his work cut out for him as the Lakers could go with AD at the 5 and have Drummond come off the bench. The Lakers will be putting the pressure on Gobert, with their 3-headed monster of AD-Drummond-Harrell. KCP will do his best to lock down Mitchell, and it's possible they try to run LeBron at the point for this series. The Lakers will tinker with the roster and figure it out. LAKERS in 7.

NBA FINALS:

NETS VS LAKERS - This very well could be LeBron's last title shot. His high ankle sprain could be the first of many injuries that start to slow him down over the next couple of years. He got a short rest due to the bubble, and even with load management, he will be pushing his body to the limit in these NBA Finals. The Lakers will need to play large ball lineups to constantly put pressure on the Nets' unorthodox rotation of Green, Griffin, and Claxton at the 5. The Lakers will need to be assertive at the perimeter and not let the Nets get hot. For the Nets, the game plan is simple, outscore the Lakers. They will work their way into the paint to draw shooters open. Harris and Shamet need to do their best to get open amongst the chaos and hit their shots when the big 3 gets double/triple teamed. This is going to be a heavyweight match and I expect to see haymakers galore. LAKERS in 7.

- Adam Safianow - NBA Analyst - Upsyde Sports [Copyright 2021]