Eastern Conference

#1 Miami over #8 Atlanta

Atlanta put away both the Hornets and the Cavaliers to clinch the final spot in the postseason, but their run ends against the top-seeded Heat. The Hawks had an impressive run last postseason, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, but they lack the depth and the overall talent to compete with Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, and the Heat. Miami should have no trouble putting away Trae Young and the Hawks. Miami sweeps.

#7 Brooklyn over #2 Celtics

The Celtics have been one of the hottest teams of the second half of the season following a slow start. They rank at the top in both offensive and defensive ratings and are led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Despite losing Kemba Walker, the Celtics thrived, finishing 2nd overall in the Eastern Conference. 

Brooklyn needed to defeat the Cavaliers in the play-in tournament to earn the 7th overall seed in the Eastern Conference. Behind the Lakers, there has not been a team that went through more turmoil this season than the Nets. Kyrie Irving was forced to miss playing home games up until earlier this month due to NY’s CoVid vaccine mandate, and Brooklyn was quick to trade disgruntled guard James Harden at the trade deadline. Harden struggled to develop chemistry with star forward Kevin Durant and the rest of the Brooklyn squad. In response, the Nets shipped him to the Sixers in exchange for Ben Simmons. Though he has yet to play this season, Simmons could be the X-factor if he is cleared to play for this series.

There is no doubting the Celtics’ chemistry and defensive edge over the Nets, but I’m taking Brooklyn to win the series. The Nets have been hot lately, and Irving has been on fire in particular. After losing in OT to the Bucks in Game 7 last year in the playoffs, Durant and co. are looking for a potential rematch and have the motivation factor on their side. Brooklyn wins in 6.

#3 Milwaukee over #6 Chicago

Chicago began the regular season on a tear but dropped significantly in the second half, going 8-15 since the All-Star break. Injuries have taken their toll on the Bulls’ squad, which is the leading cause for their fall from top seed to 6th-seed. Unfortunately, the Bulls will draw the defending champion Bucks in the First Round.

All you need to know about the Bucks this year is the tremendous play of Giannis. The Greek Freak is a favorite to win the MVP this season, along with Nikola Jovic and Joel Embiid. He is playing some of the best ball of his career and is in a prime position to lead Milwaukee back to the Finals this season.

The Bucks are fortunate in this matchup as they get to face a regressing Bulls team. DeMar DeRozen and Zach LaVine have impressive numbers this season, but injuries have decimated the roster. On the other hand, Milwaukee is back and has its sights set on defending its title. Giannis and Co. should be able to put the overmatched Bulls away early on and end this series within 5 games. Bucks win 4-1.

#5 Toronto over #4 Philadelphia 

The Raptors have been one of the hottest teams since the All-Star break. Before that, Toronto was a borderline playoff team, teetering between missing the playoffs altogether and clinching a berth in the play-in tournament. Thanks to standout play from Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet. Siakam is having a career year and has completely stepped it up for a team with its ups and downs since Kawhi Leonard left for Los Angeles.

Philadelphia began the season with its internal turmoil. Discontented point guard Ben Simmons was the center of attention following an offseason of unsuccessful trade rumors following his disappointing performance in the playoffs last season. In response, the Sixers traded the former No. 1 overall draft pick for former MVP James Harden at the trade deadline. Though Harden’s impact has been questionable since they acquired him, Joel Embiid’s impact this season is no doubt. The center has propelled himself to the top of the MVP race and is the reason for the Sixers’ success this season.

On paper, the Sixers are the elite team, but as we have seen in the past, Harden’s teams have struggled come playoffs. Both squads have superior coaching, with Nick Nurse of the Raptors and Doc Rivers of the Sixers. Rivers has been known to struggle come playoffs, as is evident going back to his days coaching Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and the Clippers. This series should go the distance, but in the end, I’ll take the team peaking at the right time. Give me the Raptors in 7.

Western Conference

#1 Phoenix over #8 New Orleans

The Pelicans turned their season around after the midseason acquisition of CJ McCollum from the Blazers, but unfortunately, their postseason run will be short-lived. While New Orleans has a bevy of young talent behind McCollum with Brandon Ingram, Jaxson Hayes, and Herbert Jones, it won’t be enough to compete with Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton. The defending Western Conference Champions should have no trouble getting past New Orleans. Take the sweep.

#2 Memphis over #7 Minnesota

The young Grizzlies squad roared to the 2nd seed in the Western Conference behind Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. Memphis were efficient on the offensive and defensive front. They finished the year second in points per game with 115.6, fourth in point differential, and led the league in rebounds and blocks per game. They are a consistent, all-around team that has developed excellent chemistry and built up their roster through the draft.

The T-Wolves also have chemistry behind Karl Anthony-Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Anthony Edwards. They were best in the league in points per game and were highly improved on defense with the offseason addition of Patrick Beverley to the lineup. They match up well with the Grizzlies since both teams can score at will, but Memphis still owns the overall edge on defense.

This should be an exciting series between two squads with talented young stars. Morant is explosive with the ball in his hands for the Grizzlies, and KAT can take over the game on both ends of the floor for the T-Wolves. However, the Grizzlies have more depth in the roster, proving to be the X-factor in this series. Take Memphis in 6. 

#3 Golden State over #6 Denver

Is the dynasty back? At times, it sure has seemed so this year once Klay Thompson returned after suffering a gruesome injury in the 2019 NBA Finals. Combined with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, and Andre Iguodala, this Warriors’ roster resembles the one that defeated LeBron James and the Cavaliers back in 2015. After losing to the same Cavaliers the following season, Golden State responded by signing All-Star forward Kevin Durant. Still, there’s no denying that at their best, it’s hard to find a better Big 3 in the current NBA than the Thompson-Curry-Green tandem.

A year ago, Denver lost their star guard Jamal Murray to a season-ending injury, crushing the Nuggets’ hope for a deep postseason run. As the 6th-seed in the Western Conference, the Nuggets will need MVP candidate Nikola Jokic to carry the team on his back if Denver has any shot of defeating Golden State in this series. Behind Jokic, who turned in a spectacular season averaging 27.1 points per game, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, the Nuggets lack that solid No. 2 star to compliment the Joker. Denver lacks depth on the bench after their starting 5, which could prove costly in this series.

In the end, the Warriors’ depth and their dangerous shooting will be too much for Denver. Jokic may be unstoppable at times, but he alone cannot take on Curry, Thompson, and company. If Murray was healthy and available, this would be a different series, but the Warriors also have Looney and Andrew Wiggins in their starting lineup to assist the Big 3. Take the Warriors to win the series 4-2.

#5 Utah over #4 Dallas

Mavericks fans held their breath in the regular-season finale when star Luka Doncic went down with an injury. Diagnosed with a left calf strain, it is uncertain if Doncic will be ready for the series. Whether or not he will be 100 percent is a whole different story. Already having lost Tim Hardaway Jr. for the season, the Mavericks will need a healthy Doncic if they want to advance to the next round of the playoffs. Since trading away the disgruntled Kristaps Porzingis, Luka has responded by playing some of the best ball of his career. He will need to continue that play to give the Mavericks a chance of putting away the pesky Jazz.

For Utah, it seems like the Jazz excel and surpass expectations in the regular season every season, then collapse once the playoffs begin. This may be the last year that we see Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic together if the Jazz fail to make a serious run. Another first-round loss and management will look to overhaul the roster entirely.

Both teams are in dire need of a first-round playoff win as both franchises have suffered disappointing postseasons as of later. However, the Jazz own the edge with the Mitchell-Gobert tandem while Luka is a one-man show. This series will go at least 6 or 7 games, but it will be the Jazz that advance.