- There is at least one upset in the first round. – Anything can happen in the NBA playoffs, and I believe there will be at least one upset this year. The term “upset” means a lower seed beating a higher seed. It is very possible that, in the Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets series, the MVP favorite Russell Westbrook puts the Thunder on his back, and carries them into the 2nd round. Milwaukee could also pose a problem for Toronto, and while it will take a lot of this young Bucks team to make it to the 2nd round without Jabari Parker, it is very possible. No one on Toronto can match up with the Greak Freak Giannis Antetokounmpo. There will be many tough series for higher seeded teams though, like the Spurs going up against the tough Memphis Grizzlies, or the Clippers going up against the Jazz.
- At least 50 players will score over 50 points in a game. – We are in a scoring era of basketball. It has become a three point shooting league. Teams are scoring a lot more points than they did back in the 80’s. And this is why, in this NBA Playoffs, there will be a 50 point explosion from at least 5 players. Just to put it into perspective, there were a record 10 players this season who scored over 50 points. It is likely Westbrook has at least one 50 point game, along with Damian Lillard, who will not go down without a fight against the Warriors. Others, like Isaiah Thomas, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant or Paul George, all have the ability to score 50 in a game.
- James Harden outplays Russell Westbrook. – I think James Harden is on a mission to prove he is the real MVP, and I think he will show it against Russell Westbrook this series. After Russell Westbrook ended this regular season historically, Harden has to outplay him to get some MVP votes back. I believe Harden will be a nightmare on the floor for any player to guard, as he will average over 15 assists a game and over 30 points per game. While I do believe Westbrook won’t go down without fighting back and pulling a game or two for the Thunder, I still think Harden will carry the Rockets to the next round.
- The Cavaliers do not make the NBA Finals. – Ahhhhh, this Cavaliers team. So unpredictable. We are all asking the same question in our minds: Can they flip the switch? After a underachieving season, finishing as the 2nd seed, with only 51 wins, they certainly have not looked like a championship team. In their last 46 games, they are at .500 with a 23-23 record. That is not what you want to be doing going into the playoffs. And their 22nd ranked defensive rating is not helping their case either. Their roster has not been assembled well, with their many scorers, hence their 3rd ranked offensive rating, but a lot of bad defenders, in Irving, Love, Korver, Frye, and others. It is going to take an all-time performance from LeBron James to carry the Cavs all the way to the NBA Finals.
- Nobody puts up a fight against the Warriors. – This Warriors team is just too good. They have a 1rst ranked offense, AND a 2nd ranked defense. Its unbelievable, and they are riding into the playoffs off a 14-1 record in their last 15 games, exactly where they need to be. This has been without Kevin Durant a majority of the time, who has looked great coming back from his injury. It is hard to see any team put up a fight against them. They will most likely sweep the Blazers, and in the 2nd round, they will face the Jazz or Clippers. They have not lost to the Clippers all year, and the Jazz series will be tough with having to guard Rudy Gobert, but it will not go past 6 games. Then, it will most likely be Houston or San Antonio. The Rockets do not have a good enough defense to stop the Warriors. The toughest series for the Warriors will be San Antonio, but they have already beaten the Spurs without Kevin Durant. Then they will head to the Finals. Cleveland is the only hope of beating this team, but the Cavs have not looked great all year, and the 35 point loss on MLK day did not help. As of now, it does not look like anyone will beat the Warriors, and they will be crowned NBA Champions.
Hoops From The Stands 