With the regular season over and stars ready to make their mark, it is time to make our predictions for the 2018 NBA Playoffs; let’s get right into it.
I will start with the Western Conference and the Houston Rockets vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Rockets have shown their dominance on the 3-point line all year with star shooters, such as James Harden, Eric Gordon, Gerald Green and many more.
In order for Minnesota to surpass Houston, Jimmy Butler will have to play great defensively and lock down Houston’s leading scorer, Harden, to give them a run for their money. Houston in six.
The next matchup is the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Utah Jazz. Both teams have to overcome obstacles in order to win this series. The main problem I see with the Thunder is Carmelo Anthony’s lack of shooting consistency.
On Utah’s side, there is candidate for Rookie of the Year, Donovan Mitchell, who will be new to the playoffs. If the nerves of his first playoff series do not get to him, I see him playing a huge role for Utah. Jazz in seven.
The third matchup I will watch is the Portland Trailblazers vs. the New Orleans Pelicans. I have so much respect for Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis and all the different ways he scores, but I do not see anyone stopping Blazers point guard Damian Lillard. Portland in six.
Last from the Western Conference is the Golden State Warriors vs. the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have not been great without Kawhi Leonard and were at the brink of missing the playoffs. Being from Texas, I have to have some love for the Spurs. However, they are still no match for the second-best player in the league, Kevin Durant, and the Warriors. With hopes that San Antonio will put up some resistance, Golden State in five.
Moving on to the Eastern Conference, I will start with the Toronto Raptors vs. the Washington Wizards. The Raptors have had a breakout regular season that showed they could put up a fight against any team. In recent years though, Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has “disappeared” in the playoffs and left DeMar DeRozan to carry the burden. If Lowry can perform, then the Raptors will be in good shape to move on in the bracket.
However, this may not be the case, as one of the league’s most athletic point guards, John Wall, will guard Lowry. Wall has an all-in mentality on both ends of the floor and will lead the Wizards to upset the No. 1 seed Raptors in six.
The second matchup in the Eastern Conference is the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the Indiana Pacers. Victor Oladipo, a candidate for Most Improved Player of the Year, will need to have the series of his life to dethrone King James and the Cavs.
As we all know, LeBron James is an unstoppable force in the playoffs. In his last games of the regular season, he has shown sparks of his playoff self. Cavaliers sweep the Pacers in four.
The third matchup in the East is the Philadelphia 76ers vs. the Miami Heat. I see this series as a complete mismatch; I do not believe Heat’s Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic can overtake leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, Ben Simmons, and potentially returning Joel Embiid. 76ers in five.
The last matchup is the most saddening of all for me, the Boston Celtics vs. the Milwaukee Bucks. Being a Kyrie Irving fan, I saw the Celtics making a deep playoff run. Yet, those hopes shut down after Irving underwent knee surgery and left his teammates without their leading scorer. Without Irving, I do not see the Celtics standing a chance against the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Bucks in five.
I strongly believe my predictions will be correct and look forward to seeing them play out.
