The play-in games are completed, and the NBA Playoffs are set:
My initial thoughts:
- The East is down to three teams- 76ers, Nets and Bucks
- The West will be a brawl- I can make good arguments for five of the teams, and could even make a decent case for the other three. Whoever emerges from there will be battered and bruised
- As much rest as LeBron and Davis had during the season from injuries, I still think they are recovering from the shortened offseason of last year.
- The Smart move is the 76ers. But I also think the Bucks NEED a run more than any other team. Every other team either has players who have already won (Lakers, Nets with Durant and Kyrie) are young enough to believe they'll be back (76ers, Mavericks, Suns), or have an injury that could explain why they faltered (Nuggets, Jazz). If the Bucks don't have a deep playoff run... where do they go? More than any other franchise, they should be feeling the pressure.
And I think they'll succeed.
1st Round:
Eastern Conference:
76ers (1) over Wizards (8), 4-1
Nets (2) over Celtics (7) , 4-1
Bucks (3) over Heat (6) , 4-2
Knicks (4) over Hawks (5) , 4-3
Western Conference:
Jazz (1) over Grizzlies (8) , 4-1
Lakers (7) over Suns (2), 4-3
Nuggets (3) over Trail Blazers (6) , 4-0
Mavericks (5) over Clippers (4) , 4-3
2nd Round:
Eastern Conference:
76ers (1) over Knicks (4), 4-2
Bucks (3) over Nets (2), 4-3
Western Conference:
Jazz (1) over Mavericks (5) , 4-2
Nuggets (3) over Lakers (7) , 4-3
Conference Finals:
Eastern Conference:
Bucks (3) over 76ers (1) , 4-3
Western Conference:
Nuggets (3) over Jazz (1), 4-2
NBA Finals:
Bucks (3) over Nuggets (3), 4-2
Your 2021 NBA champions...
