Welcome to an NBA postseason unlike any in league history.
The playoffs feel more unforeseeable than ever, however were going to attempt to make forecasts anyhow. Heres our finest guess at what will take place in the NBA playoffs.
Its too much to recommend we toss out the previous 72 video games (or in the Portland Trail Blazers case, 73), but it does seem like the unmatched situations of the 2020 NBA playoffs will produce more variation. If youre the sort of person who likes to grumble about the NBAs postseason too typically going chalk, the bubble playoffs might be for you.
House court advantage does not exist. The schedule is more demanding than ever even without travel, forcing teams to play every other day until they advance or get gotten rid of. Those summertime vacations with friends and family players cherish so much have been changed by the most intense work environment of their profession.
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2020 Western Conference playoff forecasts: preliminary
No. 4 Houston Rockets vs. No. 5 Oklahoma City Thunder: How healthy is Russell Westbrook? Thats the question that hangs over this series after reports he will miss out on a minimum of the start of this series with a stretched quad. The Thunder have actually been the greatest surprise of the season, and you know Chris Paul would like nothing more than getting vengeance on his previous team. Its appealing to choose OKC, but Im rolling with The Beard. Forecast: Rockets in six.
No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Utah Jazz: The Nuggets have actually stumbled into the postseason at 3-5 given that getting here in the bubble, but Denver appears to have found another star in Michael Porter Jr. Prediction: Nuggets in six.
No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard has caught fire inside the bubble. The Blazers have actually gone 7-2 considering that arriving in Disney and simply won the first play-in series in league history. Forecast: Lakers in five.
No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 7 Dallas Mavericks: The Mavericks had the finest offense in NBA history this season. Forecast: Clippers in six.
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2020 Eastern Conference playoff predictions: very first round
No. 4 Miami Heat vs. No. 5 Indiana Pacers: It feels like a quite huge achievement for this Pacers team to get the No. 5 seed while playing without Victor Oladipo for so much of the year. Forecast: Heat in 5.
No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic: Its a damn shame the Suns missed out on the playoffs however the Magic and Nets made it. Were at 20 straight years of Western Conference supremacy and it does not seem like its going to stop any time soon. Forecast: Bucks in 4.
No. 3 Boston Celtics vs. No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers: Philadelphia was my preseason choice in the East, however this year has actually been a catastrophe for them in every way. Forecast: Celtics in five.
No. 2 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 7 Brooklyn Nets: Brooklyn has actually been a pretty unbelievable story inside the bubble, going 5-3 at Disney despite a lineup decimated by opt-outs and injuries. It would be great to see Caris LeVert keep going off like he did vs. the Blazers in the routine season finale, but the Toronto defense is simply too good to allow it. Prediction: Raptors in four.
2020 Western Conference playoff predictions: 2nd round
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No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 4 Houston Rockets: If Westbrook is completely healthy, Houstons little ball attack feels like it could provide the Lakers trouble. The Rockets do an excellent task of protecting the rim without a standard. James Harden is dipping into an MVP level. Houston needs to be due for some great shooting luck in the playoffs eventually, right? Im tempted to pick the Rockets, however just cant there. Heres a perk prediction: this is the series where everybody starts wondering if Anthony Davis is truly the very best player on the Lakers. Prediction: Lakers 6.
No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 3 Denver Nuggets: It will be fascinating to see how the Clippers picked to matchup with Nikola Jokic. Forecast: Clippers in 5.
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2020 Eastern Conference playoff forecasts: 2nd round
No. 2 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 3 Boston Celtics: Another terrific matchup– with two top-five defenses, expect these video games to be harsh knockdown, drag out battles. Tatum and Jalen Brown have actually been so terrific all year, however I dont understand if theyre ready for the most significant stages quite yet. Kemba Walkers health likewise seems like a legitimate issue. Forecast: Raptors in six.
No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 4 Miami Heat: Theres a convincing case to be made that the Heat matchup with the Bucks much better than any other group. Miami can toss Bam Adebayo at Giannis and dot the border with knockdown shooters like Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro. This will have to be the series where Khris Middleton proves his remarkable regular season numbers can carry over to the playoffs. Heres guessing this is among the best series we get in the bubble. Prediction: Bucks in seven.
2020 Western Conference playoff predictions: finals
No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers: The series everybody wants to see. It feels like seven games wont suffice. Can we make this a best-of-13 rather? The Lakers are the only team in the league with a much better 1-2 punch than the Clippers, however its the rest of their lineup that gives me stop briefly. The Lakers just seem to have a couple of more holes that can be made use of regardless of how fantastic LeBron and AD are. Prediction: Clippers in seven.
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2020 Eastern Conference playoff predictions: finals
No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 2 Toronto Raptors: Torontos defense seems like the single most reliable unit in the league right now. The Raptors ended up with the No. 1 defense in the bubble and it wasnt particularly close. Stopping Giannis without the assistance of Kawhi Leonard will be the biggest challenge of Nick Nurses profession, however to this point the Toronto coach has revealed unbelievable creativity in fixing any issue his team deals with. I think the Bucks will lastly miss out on Malcolm Brogdon in this series. If Milwaukee falls short, it feels likeit will be more of an indictment on Bucks supporting cast– which has been unbelievable all season– than Giannis. Prediction: Raptors in seven.
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Los Angeles Clippers vs. Toronto Raptors: It defies logic that the Raptors have a much better gaining portion and an exceptional point differential this season without Kawhi Leonard than they had with him last season. This is the round where they will really miss him. The Clippers have had the very best combination of top-end skill and depth all season. They were my championship prediction back in October. Im sticking with them. Forecast: Clippers in six.
No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 7 Dallas Mavericks: The Mavericks had the finest offense in NBA history this season. No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic: Its a damn pity the Suns missed out on the playoffs but the Magic and Nets made it. No. 4 Miami Heat vs. No. 5 Indiana Pacers: It feels like a quite monumental accomplishment for this Pacers team to get the No. 5 seed while playing without Victor Oladipo for so much of the year. No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 3 Denver Nuggets: It will be intriguing to see how the Clippers chose to matchup with Nikola Jokic. No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers: The series everyone wants to see.
