NBA First Round Playoff Predictions
- Rim Report
- Apr 20, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 23, 2024
The NBA season was full of surprises. The first round of the playoffs includes two conference finals rematches from last season. The Denver Nuggets will host the Los Angeles Lakers again, while the Boston Celtics will host the Miami Heat again. There should be some heated matchups in the NBA Playoffs. The Los Angeles Clippers will host a familiar matchup, the Dallas Mavericks. There are some new teams in the NBA Playoffs this year, including the Oklahoma City Thunder, who won the #1 seed in the Western Conference, and the Orlando Magic, who make their return to the NBA Playoffs. With that being said, the NBA Playoffs should get exciting and unpredictable.
Western Conference Playoffs:
The New Orleans Pelicans had an unlucky ending to their Play-In game against the Lakers. Zion Williamson was injured and taken out of the game late in the fourth quarter. Zion Williamson won't be re-evaluated for two weeks with a hamstring injury. The Pelicans took their second Play-In game against the Sacramento Kings, which was impressive without Zion Williamson. Although the Pelicans had an outstanding game, the Thunder means business this year. The Thunder won 57 games this season. Although the Pelicans may be able to take one game, it will be tough without their best player anymore. Zion Williamson was having an incredible match before he got injured. After Williamson ran back to the locker room, the Pelicans struggled. An MVP candidate, Shai Gilgeous Alexander, is leading the Thunder. With Zion being injured for what is likely the whole series, you can't imagine the Thunder losing. With that being said, the Thunder will win in 5 games.
As mentioned, the Denver Nuggets are in a Western Conference Finals rematch with the Los Angeles Lakers. Although the Lakers are known to fight with Lebron James and Anthony Davis, the Nuggets are just a difficult matchup for them. The Nuggets have one of the most vital homecourt advantages in the NBA. The Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals last season and the Lakers in the season series this season. This has proven how difficult it is for the Lakers to beat the Nuggets in a head-to-head matchup. The Lakers may be able to take a game or two against the Nuggets; however, the Denver Nuggets are the raining champions, with the MVP favorite in Nikola Jokic. They've proven how much of a matchup nightmare they are for the Lakers. That said, the Nuggets will win in 5 games against the Lakers. #3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs #6 Phoenix Suns | Suns in 7 The Minnesota Timberwolves specialize in defense, while the Phoenix Suns specialize in offense. The Wolves had a surprising season. They won 56 games and held the #3 seed in the Western Conference. Although the Suns were a lower seed, they're a better team than what their record says. The Suns struggled with various injuries this season. They formed a new trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. Although Bradley Beal isn't the same player he used to be, they still have two top-15 players on their roster. That is something the Timberwolves don't have. The number one pick leads the Timberwolves in 2021, Anthony Edwards. Edwards has had an impressive season on both ends of the floor. Although the Wolves have Edwards, the Suns have two top-15 players, and the Wolves don't. The Suns swept the Wolves in the season series. This will be a competitive, heated series; however, the Suns will come up on top in 7 games. #4 Los Angeles Clippers vs #5 Dallas Mavericks | Clippers in 7 Arguably the most competitive matchup of the first round, these two teams are a familiar matchup. The Dallas Mavericks came from a disappointing 2023 season; however, they had a huge turnaround this season, especially down the stretch. The Clippers added James Harden earlier in the season. At first, the Clippers were struggling but turned it around. Both of these teams have excellent depth. The Clippers came out on top against the Dallas Mavericks 2-1 in the season series. The series could go either way. Both these teams are led by talented players. The Mavericks have MVP candidate Luka Doncic, while the Clippers have two-time champion Kawhi Leonard. Both teams have great supporting players. This series comes down to depth and experience. Although both teams have both, the Clippers will win in 7 games. This should be a great series. Eastern Conference Playoffs:
With Jimmy Butler out indefinitely due to a sprained MCL suffered against the 76ers on Wednesday, the Heat's chances of even putting up much of a fight against the loaded Celtics are low. But that won't stop this series from being the slightest bit entertaining. As said earlier, the Heat and Celtics meet again in the postseason. This is their fourth time meeting in the last five years. The Heat's absence from Jimmy Butler in this series is a massive blow, so they will need other players to step up. The Celtics are expected to dominate this series and will. Their defensive prowess is one of the main reasons that they are in this position. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday are two of the best on-ball defenders in the NBA, and then they have Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis stands at 7'2" and is an exceptional shot blocker. Besides these guys, the Celtics are led by All-Star forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Celtics have a perfectly built team, which got them to 64 wins and first in the Eastern Conference. This series should not be competitive, so the Celtics will win in 5 games. #2 New York Knicks vs #7 Philadelphia 76ers | Knicks in 6
The Philadelphia 76ers have been on a nine-game winning streak since Joel Embiid returned from a meniscus injury earlier this month. They are coming off a fantastic comeback win against the Heat on Wednesday night. The 76ers look to continue their stellar play against the Knicks. Even though the 76ers are the #7 seed, they aren't. The only reason they are there is because of their fall down the standings when Embiid gets injured. With Embiid in the lineup, the 76ers are 31-8. It's important to note that one of those losses was a blowout of 128-92 against the Knicks. Like the 76ers, the Knicks finished the regular season on a five-game winning streak with wins against the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. Like the 76ers with Embiid, the Knicks have one of their X-factors to winning, and it's not Jalen Brunson. It's OG Anunoby. After acquiring Anunoby in a blockbuster mid-season trade, the Knicks are 20-3 with him in the lineup. Now to Jalen Brunson, he has led the Knicks to a 50-32 record, and many of those games came without OG Anunoby and Julius Randle, who is now out for the season. The Knicks won the season series against the 76ers 3-1 and look great coming into the postseason. With all this being said, the Knicks will win in 6 games. #3 Milwaukee Bucks vs #6 Indiana Pacers | Pacers in 7
With Giannis Antetokounmpo missing up to the first three games of the series, we can expect the Pacers to win at least two. Around the All-Star break, the Bucks fired their head coach after starting season 30-13. Since then, they have been below .500 and finished the season 49-33. They haven't looked like the same team that fans were seeing in the first half of the season. In the regular season, the Pacers won the season series 4-1 and have looked terrific all season. Being led by All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers look ready for the challenge. But because Giannis is out for the first few games, this challenge may be easier than expected. Although the Pacers are the inexperienced team in this series, they have one of the best offenses in the NBA. They like to get out and run, which might be the kryptonite. After Giannis returns, the Bucks should win a few games, but in the end, it's Pacers in 7 games. #4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs #5 Orlando Magic | Cavaliers in 7
This series is going to be highly competitive. Both teams are hungry: The Cavs want to finally get to the second round after losing last season to the Knicks, and the Magic are a young team that can cause havoc. Former number-one overall pick Paolo Banchero leads the Magic into this series. He is one of the best young players in the NBA, and he is the youngest player in NBA history to lead his team in points, rebounds, and assists. The Magic are way ahead of schedule. In the 2020-21 season, the Magic blew up their team and rebuilt. Since then, they have drafted great young players like Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, and Paolo Banchero. The Magic front office has built this team around their young guys and some veterans for leadership purposes. They have one of the best defenses in the NBA, so this will help them put up a good fight against the Cavs, but their offense will hold them back from winning. Donovan Mitchell will be the best player in this series, but the Cavs' defensive game will be the deciding factor. They have Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, who are both terrific defenders. This series won't end in Orlando's favor if they play with the physicality they usually play with. This is why the Cavs will win in 7 games.