With another NBA regular season in the books, we can now look ahead to the NBA Playoffs.
Chicago and Indiana secured the final two spots in the Eastern Conference, with Miami just missing out after a late-season surge.
In the Western Conference, the LA Clippers confirmed home court advantage over the Utah Jazz.
Let’s have a look at the playoff series in the East and try and make sense of who will progress. You can read my Western Conference preview here.
Boston Celtics (1) versus Chicago Bulls (8)
It is an enormous credit to Boston coach Brad Stevens that his Celtics squad have claimed the number one seed in the East. He has moulded his young roster into a team that play great defence and great team basketball.
The issue for Boston is that they rely so heavily on their diminutive point guard Isaiah Thomas for scoring, especially in the fourth quarter. This is not a recipe for success in the playoffs as teams have more time to game plan and work out how to stop the Celtics’ most dangerous player.
The Bulls are just happy to be at the dance. After a tumultuous season punctuated by infighting among senior players it is a miracle that Chicago has a date with the playoffs at all. This is mostly down to the outstanding play of Jimmy Butler. It will be interesting to see if the return of Dwyane Wade will see the return of the poor chemistry which has blighted the Bulls season.
Key Matchup: Jimmy Butler versus Avery Bradley/Jay Crowder
Jimmy Butler is the best player in this series and how Boston deals with the threat he poses will be crucial. In Avery Bradley and Jay Crowder, the Celtics have two outstanding perimeter defenders who are at least capable of slowing Butler down.
Whoever is tasked with guarding Butler must limit his impact offensively while also providing enough of a threat to keep Butler engaged defensively. If Jimmy can take defensive possessions off he will be able to focus more of his energy on causing havoc at the offensive end of the floor. If this happens then Boston are in serious trouble.
Prediction:
This will be a tight series as Boston’s best player is unsuited to playoff basketball where as Chicago’s is made for it. However, I expect Boston’s superior depth and team basketball to prevail in seven games.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2) versus Indiana Pacers (7)
Cleveland have been absolutely terrible recently. Twice they have had loosing records in a month since the All-Star break. To put that in context, the last time LeBron James had a losing record in a month was in his first year in the league.
Everybody expects the Cavs to flick a switch and suddenly be the contenders they were at the start of the year. LeBron certainly will but it is whether Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and the rest of the Cavs ageing roster can find the same switch The King does come playoff time.
Indiana have had a disappointing season, again failing to surround their superstar Paul George with enough talent to make a serious run at the weakened Eastern Conference. The return of Lance Stephenson, and his feud with LeBron, add a hint of intrigue to a series which looks a mismatch on paper.
Key Matchup: LeBron James versus Paul George
It might not quite be the same match-up we saw in 2013 and 2014, when George’s Pacers gave LeBron’s Heat teams all they could handle in back-to-back tight contests. However, this is still an outstanding battle between two of the best small forwards in the league.
The winner of their personal battle might not decide the series as LeBron has a far more potent supporting cast. But it will still be fun to watch these two superstars go head to head.
Prediction: I am not convinced by Cleveland at all. They have been one of the worst defensive teams in the league since the break. However, they will have too much for Indiana and win in five.
Toronto Raptors (3) versus Milwaukee Bucks (6)
This is maybe the most intriguing match-up in the entire first round. Nobody quite knows what to expect in from either team. The Raptors have historically struggled in the playoffs with their leaders Kyle Lowry and DeMar Derozan going ice cold. It remains to be seen whether the addition of PJ Tucker and Serge Ibaka will ease the pressure on Toronto’s box office backcourt.
The Milwaukee Bucks are even more of an enigma. In Giannis Antetokounmpo they have one of the most exciting players in the league: a small forward with the length of a centre and the speed and court vision of a point guard.
Antetokounmpo is surrounded by a super athletic squad including Kris Middleton, rookie sensation Malcolm Brogdan and young Aussie Centre Thon Maker. What remains to be seen is how these young players adapt to the pressure of playoff basketball.
Key Matchup: DeMar DeRozan versus Tony Snell
DeRozan is Toronto’s most potent offensive weapon. A throwback guard with a deadly midrange game DeRozan is the Raptor’s primary scorer and when he is not shooting well the offence grinds to a halt. It seems likely that Snell will be given the assignment of defending DeRozan and if he can force Toronto’s All-Star into a shooting slump the Bucks might just have a chance.
At the other end of the floor DeRozan is a seriously suspect defender and Snell must make him pay whenever he can. Snell will get plenty of open looks as Antetokounmpo draws the defence and it is vital he knocks down these open shots.
Prediction: The Raptors got their playoff jitters out of the system last year and will have to much for this exciting, young Milwaukee team. Raptors in five.
Washington Wizards (4) versus Atlanta Hawks (5)
The Atlanta Hawks are the NBA’s most infuriating franchise. They swing violently between the sublime and the ridiculous. This is a team that within a week can loose to the hapless Nets and then win three straight against the Celtics and Cavaliers (twice).
There is undoubtedly talent in this roster and the addition of Dwight Howard will hopefully address the rebounding issues that have blighted their past two post-seasons.
The Wizards have been one of the most pleasant surprises this season. New head coach Scott Brooks has transformed what was an underperforming squad into a team nobody wants to face in the playoffs. John Wall and Bradley Beal have been the league’s best backcourt in the second half of the season and Otto Porter Jr is a sneaky candidate for Most Improved Player.
Key Matchup: Dwight Howard versus Marcin Gortat
Atlanta has been bullied by Cleveland in the playoffs in the last two seasons. Their inability to control the glass has long been an issue particularly in the playoffs when extra the possessions conceded are extremely damaging.
While Dwight Howard is not the player he was in Orlando he is still an excellent rebounder and rim protecter who should be able add an inside presence to Atlanta’s defence. His battle with Washington’s Polish centre Marcin Gortat will be crucial in deciding this series.
Prediction: This is a tough one to call as both teams have shown inconsistency this season. I’ll go for Washington in seven with John Wall playing a starring roll.
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