NBA Playoffs with Current Standings: Round 2 Predictions
Another week without the NBA means another week of imaginary playoff predictions. Last week, I broke down how I envisioned round 1 turning out for the NBA Playoffs were the standings to remain unchanged. This week, we will go through round 2 based on my previous choices. Hope you enjoy!
Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Utah Jazz (4)
The Lakers are gonna roll through this series too. I want to believe that it will be a good one, but the combination of Anthony Davis and Lebron James is simply unmatched here. Davis will likely be defended by Gobert, but since AD can knock down the 3-ball, Gobert will be forced out of the paint. I think Lebron will pretty much get anything he wants in this series. I really feel like it will be a sweep, but the Jazz may get a fluke win at home.
Prediction: Lakers in 5
Los Angeles Clippers (2) vs. Houston Rockets (6)
This will be the best series of round 2. Houston will have just been coming off of an upset series win over the Nuggets. This will make Harden, Westbrook and the boys hungrier than ever. Houston’s small-ball approach usually has them at a slight disadvantage, but I believe they match up well against the Clippers’ big men. Last week I mentioned that Harden and Westbrook need to prove they can get it done in the playoffs. They’ll surprise many critics in this series but still lose in a long-lasting, action-packed series. Nobody expects Houston to win here, so even just pushing the Clippers to be nervous will be a win for them.
Prediction: Clippers in 7
Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Indiana Pacers (5)
Indiana seems to never fail to make their playoff run exciting. Even last year when they were swept by the Celtics, they only lost each game by an average of 7 points. Unfortunately, I feel like we will see something very similar in this series. The Bucks will struggle to open up any huge leads against the Pacers, but more than likely still win every game. Giannis is truly on a mission and he wouldn’t allow a second-round speed bump to get in his way.
Prediction: Bucks in 4
Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Boston Celtics (3)
Aside from the Clippers-Rockets series, this is the one to pay attention to. The Raptors are the defending champs and possess homecourt for this series. The Celtics are young and hungry as hell with nonstop firepower. This is truthfully a toss-up for me, but I am going to go with the Celtics here (not because I am from Boston…maybe). In all seriousness however, I think the drive and hunger is what separates the teams here. Sure, the Raptors want to prove they can get it done without Kawhi Leonard, but if they lose they still get to go home and look at last season’s trophy. Kemba Walker is going to shine in this series with major contributions from Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Toronto doesn’t have a 1 on 1 defender for Kemba and because of this, I believe he will be the leading scorer in this series. All of this could easily happen and the Raptors still winning though because they really are THAT good.
Prediction: Celtics in 7
Thanks for taking the time to read what is essentially my fanfiction for the NBA. Next week we will dive into my predictions for the Conference Finals and see which two teams will battle it out for the NBA Championship.
Western Conference Finals: Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (2)
Eastern Conference Finals: Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Boston Celtics (3)
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-Brandon Black (Follow @bhblack02)