The NBA season has been on hold for about a month now due to COVID-19. Before the season was put on suspension, a lot of NBA teams like the Lakers, Raptors, and Celtics were starting to show signs of potential of making a deep run in the playoffs. We aren’t sure if the season will continue right off the bat to finish the regular season, skip to the playoffs, or cancel the entire season. If the season was to resume, and if we ended up skipping right to the playoffs, I am going to predict the predictions for each team in the playoffs, so with no further a do, here goes nothing.
Western Conference First Round
8. Memphis Grizzles vs 1. Los Angeles Lakers
My prediction: Lakers over the Grizzles 4-0
The Memphis Grizzles and the LA Lakers are both in the playoffs for the first time in a while. Ja Morant has had an excellent rookie year, but he is not going to take down a playoff experienced Lebron James and Anthony Davis. The Grizzles are going to show up a fight, but this will be a clean sweep for the Lakers.
5. Oklahoma City Thunder vs 4. Utah Jazz
My prediction: Jazz over Thunder 4-2
We can all admit that we did not expect thee Oklahoma City Thunder to do this well after trading away Paul George and Russell Westbrook. As cool as we would love to see a veteran Chris Paul lead this team to a playoff series win, I don’t think that will happen. The Jazz has had a rough season this year with team chemistry, but I think they will get their act together and be the better team in the series. The Thunder will take a game or two, but Utah will take them down led by Donovan Mitchell.
7. Dallas Mavericks vs 2. Los Angeles Clippers
My prediction: Clippers over Mavericks 4-2
Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis are making their playoff debuts, but against one of the deepest teams in the NBA led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The Mavericks I think will play well in this series, showing their signs of potential. But I think that the Clippers are too much for the Mavericks and is why I think they will take. the Mavericks down in six games.
6. Houston Rockets vs 3. Denver Nuggets
My prediction: Rockets over Nuggets 4-3
The Houston Rockets season has been very interesting as they traded away their big man Clint Capella and played a lot of small ball. The Denver Nuggets are a good team led by Nikola Jokic, but I just don’t see anyone on the Nuggets that will be able to stop a dominant a dynamic duo in James Harden and Russell Westbrook, ESPECIALLY in a game seven. This series will go back and forth, but the Rockets I think will pull off the upset on the road in Denver for game seven.
Eastern Conference First Round
8. Orlando Magic vs 1. Milwaukee Bucks
My prediction: Bucks over Magic 4-0
No one on the Magic is going to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo, Plain and simple. The Magic have absolutely no chance to take down Milwaukee, they have no weapons, a record not even over .500, and no true playoff experience. The Bucks will dominate and send the Magic home early in four games.
5. Indiana Pacers vs 4. Miami Heat
My prediction: Heat over Pacers 4-3
The TJ Warren and Jimmy Butler beef has been very entertaining to watch, which will make a fun series. I think there could be a lot of fights in this series, but the Heat will pull out the series in seven. Jimmy Butler has even anxious to lead this team all season, and with weapons like Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Goran Dragic, and others, they could be a little bit of an underdog in these playoffs.
7. Brooklyn Nets vs 2. Toronto Raptors
My prediction: Raptors over Nets 4-1
The Nets have been playing without their two stars in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant for most of the season. The Raptors are looking to repeat as NBA champions without their star Kawhi Leonard, who left for the Clippers this past off season. The Raptors have Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry to help lead the Raptors over the Nets this first round. If Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving come back from injuries, it could change the outcome of the series. But regardless if they return or not, I see the Raptors advancing to the second round of the playoffs.
6. Philadelphia 76ers vs 3. Boston Celtics
My prediction: Celtics over Sixers 4-3
The rivalry of the Sixers and Celtics in the playoffs will make this series a must watch. Joel Embiid could have a dominating series with not many Celtics bigs that can guard him. But I have to go with my gut and say the Celtics will pull this one out because of having home court advantage. Jayson Tatum has been showing stars of stardom, and I think the Celtics have a lot of scoring options, and I don’t see them losing a game seven in TD Garden. My prediction is this series victory for the Celtics will have Sixers head coach Brett Brown fired and center Al Horford traded away in the off season.
Western Conference Semi-Finals
5. Utah Jazz vs 1. Los Angeles Lakers
My prediction: Lakers over Jazz 4-1
The Lakers will be too much for the Jazz in this season. Utah has lots of weapons on their team, and if they play well together, they could make a run at the Lakers. But I don’t see Joe Ingles slowing down Lebron James, or Rudy Gobert slowing down Anthony Davis. The Lakers have the two best players in the series, so with that being said the Lakers will advance to Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2010, leaving the Jazz future uncertain.
6. Houston Rockets vs 2. Los Angeles Clippers
My prediction: Clippers over Rockets 4-1
The Los Angeles Clippers are way too deep of a team for the Rockets to handle. Lots of defensive weapons with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Patrick Beverly, and others will give James Harden and Russell Westbrook a tough going. The Rockets have no center and will be too tired to keep up with the Clippers. The Clippers will advance to the Western Conference Finals to face the home town rival, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Eastern Conference Semi Finals
4. Miami Heat vs 1. Milwaukee Bucks
My prediction: Bucks over Heat 4-1
The Miami Heat will put up a fight and will try their best to defend to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo. But it is going to be the other guys on the Bucks like Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, and Brook Lopez who will kill the Heat on offense. The Bucks are on a mission to reach the Finals, and they will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year in a row. Even though the Heat’s season came to an end, there is big hopes that the Heat will land a star in free agency in the summer.
3. Boston Celtics vs 2. Toronto Raptors
My prediction: Celtics over Raptors 4-2
I am not sure who will win this series. Both teams are looking for something to prove to the haters, which makes it tough to call. Even though I am a Celtics fans, regardless if I was or not, I think the Celtics will take them down in six. I think this is the series we really see Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum show off their talent, that will just be too much for the Raptors to handle. The Celtics will advance back to the Eastern Conference Finals for a rematch with the Milwaukee Bucks
Western Conference Finals
My prediction: Lakers over Clippers 4-3
This is a dream Western Conference Finals matchup series, THE BATTLE OF LA. Lebron James and Anthony Davis vs Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. This will be a seven game series, because the NBA will want this to go to seven games for views. I think the Clippers are the way better team than the Lakers, but the Lakers will win the series, because the NBA will make sure this will happen. The NBA wants this because A. more views, B. They love Lebron, and C. they want the story line “The Lakers win NBA title for Kobe”. As annoying they are going to do that, the Lakers will advance back to the NBA Finals.
Eastern Conference Finals
3. Boston Celtics vs 1. Milwaukee Bucks
My prediction: Bucks over Celtics 4-2
This could be a series filled with heart and passion, but I see the Bucks getting by the Celtics to advance to the NBA Finals. Celtics coach Brad Stevens is going to have a strong game plan to try and slow down Milwaukee, but the best player in the series is Giannis Antetokounmpo and he is going to be determined to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in his young career. The Celtics will give everything they have, but the Bucks are just going to be too much for them.
NBA Finals
1. Los Angeles Lakers vs 1. Milwaukee Bucks
My prediction: Bucks over Lakers 4-1
Finals MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo
This should realistically be the outcome of the series, But don’t be surprised if the NBA makes sure the Lakers win the series. Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to be an NBA champion, I think that we could see the scary side of him in this series. I don’t see the Lakers winning a game in Milwaukee, and the Bucks just have to get one game on the road. The Lakers will need too rely on Avery Bradley, Rajon Rondo, Kyle Kuzma, for help because the Bucks have a very deep roster. But I just don’t see any Lakers stepping up in this series besides Lebron and Davis. The Bucks will win their second championship for the second time in franchise history. If the Lakers lose this series, Anthony Davis could possibly be leaving the Lakers in the offseason.
We aren’t sure if the NBA season will resume or not, but if they do it will be curious to see how they will come back. Will they pick up where they left off? Will they skip to the playoffs? or will everything be called off? We will have to wait and see what happens.
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