Month: June 2021

Posted on in NBA

2021 NBA Conference Finals: The Passing of Torches

By Saransh Sharma, Nikhil Pradeep, & Anish Dhondi

*NOTE: Western Conference Finals Predictions were made BEFORE Game 1 on Sunday, June 20th

Devin Booker, Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Trae Young. Those are the 4 superstars leading our current Conference Finals teams, and one of these young talents is going to get themselves their 1st ring. To see guys like Booker and Young be able to compete for a championship at such an early stage in their careers, and for guys like Paul George and Giannis, also young but with more experience under their belts, to go this far, is astonishing, and something many of us did not expect coming into this season. Put all the narratives about injuries, COVID, etc. aside, and let us appreciate the passing of torches. There is a chance for a new champion to be crowned after years of waiting (only the Bucks have won a championship of these 4 teams), and a glimpse into the future of the NBA.

Saransh’s Predictions

  • Western Conference Finals: #2 Phoenix Suns vs. #4 Los Angeles Clippers

The Phoenix Suns seemed like they were going to have a good season for the first time in Devin Booker’s career after last year’s 8-0 bubble run, and then they acquired Chris Paul to make themselves even more dangerous. While many believed they were too young to be contenders, they were a dark-horse contender. While people can debate all they want about the health of the Lakers and Nuggets, the Suns were not fully healthy either in these Playoffs, much like every other team.

The Clippers came into this season as major contenders and after going down 0-2 in both of their Playoff series so far and losing Kawhi Leonard due to a knee injury, there are concerns, but this team has persevered and they are in the Western Conference Finals for the 1st time in franchise history.

Both teams come into this series without a star player of theirs, but both teams also come in with one of their two star players, as the Suns have Devin Booker, and the Clippers have Paul George. Booker has been nothing short of superb, showing he is among the best-of-the-best as a scorer, and an underrated playmaker. George has bounced back and finally lived up to his ‘Playoff P’ moniker after years of disappointment in the Playoffs. Both teams are very deep and have made several adjustments to their rotations and gameplans to get to this stage, but at the end of the day, while the Suns can manage without CP3, the Clippers cannot manage without Kawhi, whose status is too uncertain right now. The Clippers will keep it close, but their incredible season will come to an end here. Suns in 6.

  • Eastern Conference Finals: #3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. #5 Atlanta Hawks

What is crazier than the deep run in these Playoffs by the Suns has to be that of the Atlanta Hawks. A team that many viewed as an improving yet non-Playoff team has now shocked the world as the 5-seed in the East. They have overcome two of the best teams in the East, and two of the best defenses in the East in the Knicks and 76ers. Trae Young has ascended himself into one of the best playmakers, scorers, and leaders in the NBA, and is surrounded by one of the deepest and most exciting supporting casts in the NBA.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee has been on a mission, getting revenge against Miami in the First Round, and then eliminating the title-favorite Nets in the Conference Semifinals in a thrilling 7-game series (yes, the Nets were injured, but they were still heavy favorites). Giannis Antetokounmpo has also silenced all of his doubters who said he could not be an elite Playoff performer and leader. 

This series comes down to coaching, star power, and depth. Milwaukee has Mike Budenholzer, who despite this deep Playoff run the Bucks are on, is a terrible coach who got bailed out by his star players coming out and performing. Atlanta has Nate McMillan, who despite his struggles in Indiana has proven that those struggles were not on him but more on that roster that he had to work with, as in Atlanta he is proving he can win and adjust. Advantage: Atlanta. 

As for the star power, Atlanta has just Trae Young, and as good as the Hawks’ supporting cast is, you never know from whom or when you will get big production. Milwaukee, however, has Giannis, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday, who all can perform at a high level and get big buckets. Advantage: Milwaukee.

Now, the depth. As said previously, you never know from whom or when you will get big production from the supporting cast, but the supporting cast consistently shows up, and it is everyone, from John Collins and Clint Capela in the paint to Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, and Kevin Huerter on the perimeter, not just one guy. That depth is something Milwaukee cannot match. Advantage: Atlanta.

Despite the heavy star power advantage, Trae Young proved that even when he has bad shooting nights, he is tough to stop with his playmaking, and with Atlanta having even heavier advantages in coaching and depth, I have them continuing their Cinderella run. Hawks in 7.

Nikhil’s Predictions

  • Western Conference Finals: #2 Phoenix Suns vs. #4 Los Angeles Clippers

The Phoenix Suns have looked dominant over the last few weeks, pretty much dismantling the Denver Nuggets in 4 games, and having their way on offense. The team has risen to pretty much any task expected of them, and even some that most experts around the league didn’t expect either. Devin Booker has solidified himself as a bonafide All-NBA player, and someone that has outgrown his stardom in Phoenix and is now performing brilliantly at the national level. Chris Paul has asserted his veteran savvy from day one within the Suns organization, and it can be easily stated that his contributions at point guard are one of the driving reasons why this team has propelled itself forward so well. Couple this with solid surrounding cast performances from Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder, and Mikal Bridges, and you have an insanely robust team, one that in all honesty, is completely shattering my previous predictions and is very hard to bet against at this point in the season.



On the other side of this matchup, we have the bruised and battered Los Angeles Clippers, who have had to WORK their way to the franchise’s first-ever conference final appearance. Having had to struggle to win in seven games against both the Dallas Mavericks and the Utah Jazz, this team has taken a beating just to be where they are, and there is no question that it will take a toll on them continuing onwards, especially given the potentially season-ending injury to their best player Kawhi Leonard. Immense pressure and hopes now rely on the shoulders of Paul George, who needs to regain the All-Star performances of his Pacers past to continue in these wild playoffs. But what is arguably more important is the play of the surrounding cast, which on paper looks better than that of the Suns. The Clippers need big performances from Reggie Jackson, Rajon Rondo, Pat Beverley, and desperately need the shooting of Marcus Morris and Nic Batum, otherwise, their season will end in the usual disappointment that fans are used to.

Given the momentum the Suns carry into this matchup, it’s hard to bet against them. Both teams carry injuries to their respective star players, however, Chris Paul is expected back soon due to the nature of his outage (Covid protocols). Kawhi Leonard looks to be out for a longer duration, and thus leaves the Clippers much more vulnerable in my eyes. The emergence of a very solid supporting cast around Devin Booker in Phoenix is enough for me to give them the edge in this series, and in all honesty, I don’t see the Clippers being able to overcome the loss of their workhorse to put up a decent fight. Suns in 6.

  • Eastern Conference Finals: #3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. #5 Atlanta Hawks

Now, this is by far the most unexpected matchup anyone could have expected in the Eastern Conference. Sure, the Bucks are good and have the pieces to win, but the Hawks are a complete surprise and one that is by all means welcome. Looking at both teams’ path to the conference finals up until this point, we see that both have defied some sort of odds just to be here, however it must be noted that Atlanta’s upsets carry a lot more weight and meaning given their comparatively lesser expectations and roster. Milwaukee, having just knocked off the presumed favorite Brooklyn Nets, are all in on Giannis Antetokounmpo and seem to have finally put it together and make a deep playoff push. The acquisition of PJ Tucker proved huge in their series against the Nets, and although Kevin Durant still put up otherworldly numbers, the fact that the Bucks won the series still serves as a testament to his quality of play. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton have proved to be a very solid backcourt pairing, and although they underperformed most of Game 7 against Brooklyn, they showed up when it mattered and allowed some pressure to be taken off Giannis. Some argument will be made about the Nets’ injury woes and lack of bench production, but in the end, a win is a win, and it is no easy feat to pull that off against a blazing-hot Kevin Durant.

Compare this to the Atlanta Hawks, and the differences are staggering. The Hawks looked the more dominant side against the New York Knicks, but their series win against the 76ers was more so to the lack of production from Philadelphia rather than the production of Atlanta. The media is one big wrecking ball aimed at Ben Simmons’ career as of late, and for good reason, he is one of the reasons (along with injuries) that the Sixers lost this series. Still, Trae Young is proving to be an up-and-coming superstar in this league, and his ability to make shots and create chances for his teammates is starting to become a genuine problem for offenses to figure out. The rest of the team shows up too, and most notably when Young has off-shooting nights. However, this team is too unproven and to be frank, too small to match up against the Bucks. Young is a liability on defense, but they more or less got away with it due to the horrible play of Simmons during the 76ers series. However, even when not directly matched up against Antetokounmpo defensively, the Bucks offense is so potent to where his defense is bound to cause problems. And when the Hawks are on offense, they will be met by a stagnant defense, one that is arguably better than the 76ers, and most notably something Trae Young can’t dribble out of. I see this matchup ending rather quickly, Bucks in 5.

Anish’s Predictions

  • Western Conference Finals: #2 Phoenix Suns vs. #4 Los Angeles Clippers

This series between the Suns and Clippers is an interesting one because there are some things to consider. Suns Guard Chris Paul is currently out on health and safety protocols, while Clippers Forward Kawhi Leonard is out with a knee injury. Both of these players are considered by many as the best players on their respective teams. Their health is crucial for whether or not their team can advance to the NBA Finals. Due to these main guys being out, I believe this series will come down to Booker vs. George on whoever performs better. I give the edge to Booker as he has been nothing short of spectacular in these playoffs. However, credit is due to Playoff P as he reclaimed his confidence in the playoffs following last year’s shutdown and has been putting up good numbers. Now, when it comes to the teams as a whole (not considering the All-Stars), the Suns have a better system in which their players work very well together. DeAndre Ayton has been a great big man in the playoffs so far, and the rest of their roster with Crowder and Bridges gives the Suns great support. 

The Clippers do have a good roster, but they are far less consistent. The emergence of the sophomore Terrance Mann who dropped 39 points in the Clippers’ Game 6 against Utah was a huge factor for them making it to the WCF. The Clippers have guys like Mann and Reggie Jackson who can get hot quickly but without these bursts of scoring the team can fall behind as the rest of the roster is too inconsistent scoring-wise. Terrance Mann and Reggie Jackson will not put up big numbers every night, so the Clippers are going to have to spread their scoring out better like the Suns. Assuming that CP3 and Kawhi will both come back for Game 3, my prediction is Suns in 6.

  • Eastern Conference Finals: #3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. #5 Atlanta Hawks

Now, this matchup is intriguing as both teams we see here dramatically upset their opponents. The Bucks drew the Nets out to Game 7 in an OT thrilling game where Kevin Durant’s big scoring night was not enough to defeat them. The Hawks also took the Sixers to Game 7, in which Trae Young did not even have a very efficient night, but Kevin Huerter dropped 27 points, and the Sixers fell to pieces as all fingers pointed to Ben Simmons unwillingness to be aggressive in crunch time. Now both these teams come off a Game 7 pulling off an upset, so momentum-wise, no one has the advantage. One crucial thing about this series that makes my decision is Jrue Holiday’s defense. 

So far, Trae Young has been putting up 30 and 10 in these playoffs like it is nothing. First defeating the Wizards, no good perimeter defenders, then they defeated the Sixers, they ran through multiple rotations trying to guard him, including Ben Simmons, but it failed. Now all eyes go on Jrue Holiday to guard Trae Young. Jrue Holiday is an elite defender, and in the last possession of Game 7 against the Nets, he forced an airball by Kevin Durant, a much taller player. With Trae Young’s usage so high, being able to even slow him down a little will disrupt Atlanta’s offense and change the outcome of the game. I am not saying Trae Young will be clamped but I believe he will get his share of points and assists as usual, but the Milwaukee defense will throw him off. Giannis’ drives will be limited by Capela’s inside presence, so Middleton and Holiday offensively will have to be the X-Factors. This Bucks team has multiple good scorers, while this Hawks team is led by one bonafide scorer in Trae Young and a good roster as a whole around him. The Hawks dominate in the depth category so it comes down to the All-Stars in Giannis, Middleton, and Holiday to score when it matters. Trae Young’s pick and roll game will be hard to stop and he will get his points which is why I have this series going to 7. Had Jrue Holiday not been on this team, I would have Atlanta winning. However, with him guarding Trae Young, my prediction stands at another very close series in Bucks in 7.

Posted on in NBA

2021 NBA Western Conference Semifinals Preview

By Saransh Sharma, Anish Dhondi, & Nikhil Pradeep

The Utah Jazz breezed through Round 1 as the #1-seed in the Western Conference as expected, as they downed the very exciting and young Memphis Grizzlies team in 5 games. The Phoenix Suns pulled off a historic First Round victory over LeBron & the Los Angeles Lakers, albeit injuries and whatnot, have to give credit where credit is due. The Denver Nuggets overcame Damian Lillard’s insane series to beat Portland in 6 games. The Los Angeles Clippers, after falling 0-2 down and later having their backs against the walls down 2-3 going to Dallas, pulled off the series win in 7 games and overcame the transcendent brilliance from Luka Doncic. With no LeBron James to lead the way in his conference, and the first Finals set to come without him or Stephen Curry since 2010, the NBA is seeing a new opportunity in 2021, a glimpse of what the future without the NBA’s two best players currently, could look like. Here are our predictions for the Western Conference Semifinals:

Saransh’s Predictions

  • #1 Utah Jazz vs. #4 Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers finally look like the team we have been waiting for them to be. Since last season, this team has been very underwhelming compared to their high expectations, which, with players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on your roster, it makes sense. This season seemed to be even worse than last, as they were staring down a First Round exit twice, but through some adjustments from Head Coach Tyronn Lue and incredible play from Kawhi and PG, the Clippers prevailed in 7 games. 

Utah, on the other hand, shut doubters up after dominating the Grizzlies in the First Round, showing their variety as a team, whether it be with their elite 3-point shooting, their stifling defense, or their incredible depth. Donovan Mitchell has been getting foreshadowed throughout these Playoffs, as people are constantly talking about Trae Young, Luka Doncic, and Devin Booker being the rising superstars in the NBA, but Mitchell has to be in that conversation. Donovan Mitchell was exquisite against Memphis, and he will cause major problems for the Clippers and got consistent help from Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, and Rudy Gobert on both ends of the floor once he returned to action in Game 2. It was easy for the Clippers to beat the Mavericks due to Luka not having much help offensively despite his great playmaking, and yet they still struggled to finish off LAC in 7 games. Utah will be a whole different team compared to the Clippers, as Utah is the deepest team in the NBA this season. Jazz in 6.

  • #2 Phoenix Suns vs. #3 Denver Nuggets

It took 18 seasons, at 36 years of age, for LeBron James to be eliminated in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs. It took 10 Playoff appearances in the past 11 seasons for LeBron to be halted from making the NBA Finals. That is how gritty this Suns team is, and all credit to them. Devin Booker showed he is a superstar in this league and will continue to be for years to come, Chris Paul showed his value even while playing through injury (let us not take away too much from Booker, however. He is the biggest reason they got past the Lakers, not Paul, as many think), and the rest of this young core of players, along with Head Coach Monty Williams, showed why they are a force to be reckoned with. Denver, without Jamal Murray, and a rather limited rotation, got past Portland in 6 games, and Nikola Jokic showed that he is the best Center in the NBA. This Suns team now comes into this series being the favorites and with even higher expectations. This series seems to be in their favor on paper, but despite being shorthanded, 

DeAndre Ayton, a big part of the Suns’ series win, struggled for the most part against Anthony Davis, and it does not get easier against Jokic. Not only will he have to guard Jokic in the post and on the perimeter, but he may need to have a larger scoring role to keep up with Jokic and the high-scoring Nuggets, and he has little to no chance at that. Denver presents the coaching advantage, as well as the scoring option advantages, and the CP3 injury and his erratic play at the moment have me favoring Denver. Worrying about Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Monte Morris, Austin Rivers, and Facu Campazzo all as consistent scoring options, and having to stop the selfless play and ball movement of this team is much different from what the Suns saw against the Lakers. For this young team, it could prove to be too much. Nuggets in 6. 

Anish’s Predictions

  • #1 Utah Jazz vs. #4 Los Angeles Clippers

After the Clippers barely slip away and make it past the Mavericks in Game 7 despite Luka’s heroics, they will now be facing the best regular-season team in the league. The Jazz beat the Grizzlies easily, and we did not expect anything less, but how they will stack up against a good team like the Clippers will be interesting. People underrate the Jazz despite having the best record in the league because they do not have any flashy, big-name superstars. This team is led by Donovan Mitchell offensively and Rudy Gobert defensively. But what makes this team dangerous is not their star power, but their ability for any given player to score 10+ points a night. This makes it harder for opposing defenses to defend because this team does not rely on one superstar. However, when it gets down to it, Donovan Mitchell can step up to take that role. The Jazz are a very well-constructed team with one of the best defenses intimidating offenses with Gobert right in the middle of it. Even with all this, the Clippers have Kawhi Leonard who will not go down without a fight. Kawhi will get his points but I think this series is defined by who performs better between Donovan Mitchell and Paul George. Based on the recent series’, I do not have full confidence in Paul George’s playoff performances and will trust Mitchell to perform better. The series will be close but I believe the Jazz will come up top because of their depth and defense in which the Clippers rely on a big performance from Kawhi to win. This game will stretch out to a Game 7 but the well-rested Jazz team will be able to come out on top while the Clippers run out of energy after fighting past the Mavericks just recently. Jazz in 7.

  • #2 Phoenix Suns vs. #3 Denver Nuggets

Phoenix has been fantastic in these playoffs led by Devin Booker and defeated the injury-ridden Lakers knocking LeBron out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in his career. This Suns team will be tough to beat and matchup up against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets will be good. For the Nuggets vs. Blazers series, the Nuggets won primarily because Portland had no one on the floor who could guard Jokic without getting into foul trouble, thanks to Jusuf Nurkic. I believe Jokic will still get his 30 points a night because he is the league’s MVP. However, the Suns will be able to contain him late game much better having Ayton and can even limit MPJ with Crowder’s defense. In the end, the Suns’ offense is just too hard to stop as Devin Booker has been cooking, and if the Nuggets try to completely trap him after the first couple of games as they did to Dame, the Suns have much better support to step up and take this series. Chris Paul looks healthy again and DeAndre Ayton has been the best big man in the Lakers series so this team can be scary even aside from Booker. The Nuggets will put up a fight and even without Jamal Murray the bench players have stepped up, but in the end, the Suns are the better team and have a good shot at going to the NBA Finals. Suns in 6.

Nikhil’s Predictions

  • #1 Utah Jazz vs. #4 Los Angeles Clippers

I think it is time we give the Jazz the respect this team deserves. Now that LeBron James and the Lakers are out of the conversation, the entire Western Conference opens up hugely for any team to take the now vacant throne. The Utah Jazz have 3 All-Stars on their roster and a deep bench that allows them to stick with pretty much any team they want. And in their last series with the Grizzlies, they handily took care of business after an off-color performance in Game 1, the only game they conceded in the series. Donovan Mitchell has fully grown into his role as a leader on this team, Rudy Gobert is a defensive force, and Mike Conley provides veteran savvy. To top it all off, the team still has 6th Man of the Year nominee Joe Ingles and 6th Man of the Year winner Jordan Clarkson. Now, all that being said, it is NOT going to be easy. The Clippers are an established team that we know the limits and potentials of, and it is very clear that Kawhi Leanord is the key to their success. If he gets shut down or at the very least slowed down during each game in the series, there is immense room for failure, given the rest of the team’s inability to make up for lack of offensive production. You have to give credit to Utah for their counter-offensive proficiency. Paul George is the hit-or-miss factor in this series as well, and him being either All-Star PG13 or Playoff P impacts the Clippers’ chances in this series. It is also worth keeping in mind that the organization barely beat the Dallas Mavericks in 7 games to a team that only had Luka Doncic doing all of the scoring for them. When matched up against a much better all-around team, I do not see the Clippers breaking their streak of disappointing finishes to seasons, and I predict the Utah Jazz moving on. Jazz in 7.

  • #2 Phoenix Suns vs. #3 Denver Nuggets

This matchup is a rather odd one because there is no LeBron or Steph to catch the media’s eye. For Phoenix, it is clear that Devin Booker is the key piece to the puzzle, and stopping him slows down the entire Suns’ offense. But that is much easier said than done, as was proven in their 6-game series win versus the Los Angeles Lakers. Couple this with the mastermind that is Chris Paul, even with an apparent shoulder injury, and you get a team that has the pieces to contend. The issue lies outside of those two players. Deandre Ayton is a force near the basket at both ends, but he is not the Rudy Gobert-type of dominant the Suns may require. Jae Crowder is streaky and cannot be depended on for a bucket at crucial points in games. The rest of the supporting cast is young and unproven, but still, they do have the skills necessary to stick with it and stay in games as they did pretty much all season. On the flip side, Denver looks like a more complete team, even with the loss of Jamal Murray. Nikola Jokic has picked up the slack and added to his already crazy MVP case, and the rest of the team is stepping up. The mid-season addition of Aaron Gordon has proven very useful, as he provides spacing as well as energy to a now lacking Denver attack (again due to Jamal Murray’s injury). Michael Porter Jr. is very much living up to his draft hype, providing that spark whenever he is in the game. Monte Morris is putting up career numbers when they matter most, and Austin Rivers has proven to be a pivotal late-season signing as well. Denver looks like what Phoenix can be with a couple more free-agent signings and trades. The Suns are too unproven and young for me to pick them winning this series, and for that reason, I have the Nuggets in 6.

Posted on in NBA

2021 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals Preview

By Saransh Sharma & Anish Dhondi

The Milwaukee Bucks got their revenge over the Miami Heat in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs in an emphatic fashion, sweeping the defending Eastern Conference Champions. Brooklyn and Philadelphia, the Eastern Conference favorites, both defeated the Celtics and Wizards, respectively, in 5 games. Brooklyn takes on Milwaukee in what many seem to be the Bucks’ chance to prove they are a legit contender, and Philadelphia will see themselves against the upstart Atlanta Hawks, who ousted the Knicks in 5 games. Here is our preview and our predictions for who we expect to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals:

Saransh’s Predictions

  • #1 Philadelphia 76ers vs. #5 Atlanta Hawks

This entire series’ outcome depends on the health of Joel Embiid, who is currently day-to-day with a small meniscus tear, keyword being small. While Embiid will not need surgery, the 76ers have a rigorous treatment regimen in place for Embiid, making his return date unknown. This is something Atlanta can take advantage of, because Clint Capela and John Collins, the catalysts of this defense, can avoid foul trouble defensively. They can also do their thing offensively without having to worry about Joel Embiid causing problems in the paint. Trae Young will dominate and silence many Sixers fans the same way he did with Knicks fans, though he will be defended by Ben Simmons, one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. That said, the perimeter shooting from him, Bogdan Bogdanovic, DeAndre Hunter, and Kevin Huerter will have this Hawks’ offense soaring. The question is, without Embiid, without the pick-and-roll game being as effective, can the 76ers get enough paint production from Ben Simmons & Dwight Howard? Can Seth Curry, Danny Green, and the Philly shooters stay hot without Embiid? If Embiid does not come back before Game 3, Atlanta wins in 6. If he does, Philadelphia in 6. With the assumption that Embiid will not return in time, I am picking Atlanta.

  • #2 Brooklyn Nets vs. #3 Milwaukee Bucks

Brooklyn and Milwaukee meet in a matchup that many believe will determine who will be crowned the Eastern Conference Champions. Milwaukee did a great job defending Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo and clogging the paint while dominating on the outside on offense against Miami but have to flip that gameplan to beat this incredibly talented Nets team. Miami honed in on stopping Giannis offensively, and it worked, lowering his FG% to lower than usual (45% shooting), but Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and Bryn Forbes stepped up and were big-time, and Giannis as a playmaker was a huge reason why.

The way the Nets defense is structured, to expect Giannis to be stopped and slowed down like Miami did from a scoring perspective is low. The question will be, can Middleton, Holiday, & Co. step up offensively again. Giannis will need to carry the load as a playmaker again, but more so as a scorer. I do not believe that Milwaukee is the team with the best chance to beat Brooklyn, and while I hope I am proven wrong, I expect Brooklyn to win in 6.

Anish’s Predictions

  • #1 Philadelphia 76ers vs. #5 Atlanta Hawks

This series seems easy enough to predict, with Philadelphia on top assuming both teams are at full strength. However, for Joel Embiid’s Sixers, that might not be the case. Embiid exited the Wizards series in Game 4 and the Sixers lost their one game of the series. Embiid is a crucial factor to this team and it completely changes the prediction based on his availability. Even without Embiid, this Sixers squad is very talented with Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Seth Curry carrying the scoring load. Knowing how eager superstars are to return in the Playoffs, I do not see Embiid missing more than 2 Games. If Embiid misses 2 games, I believe the Sixers split the first 2 games at home without Embiid, and then defeat the Hawks in 6 once Embiid returns. 

The Hawks’ best player and scorer, Trae Young, will be guarded by Ben Simmons, a DPOY candidate who will limit his production. Limiting Trae Young will be the deciding factor, being he is the only Hawks All-Star. The Sixers have more depth and have guys like Tobias Harris and Seth Curry who can get hot and pick up the slack with Embiid being out. They finished off the Wizards without Embiid, so I believe the Sixers will still win this series if Embiid misses just 2 games. If he misses more, the Hawks might take it. Overall my prediction is Sixers in 6, but anything can happen.

  • #2 Brooklyn Nets vs. #3 Milwaukee Bucks

Now this series will give us the most excitement from the Eastern Conference. The Bucks’ defense is one of the best in these Playoffs, and Jrue Holiday is a big reason why. Jrue Holiday can lock down either Harden or Kyrie, but then the other is able to score, then they also have Kevin Durant which will be the task for Giannis, who is also a great defender. The Nets, on the other hand, are stacked with veteran superstars who can take turns scoring. This series will be intense and should go to Game 7. As unstoppable as the Nets are on offense, no defender can stop Giannis’ offense. Giannis overcame Bam Adebayo in the recent series against the Heat, so I do not see the Nets doing a better job of containing him. This matchup will be offense vs. offense as both of these teams are able to score in a variety of ways, including from the 3-point line. The Nets’ stellar shooting starts with the Big 3 and continues with 3-point contest winner Joe Harris. However, the Bucks can also get hot from 3 as the Bucks currently hold the record for most 3-pointers in a single game at 29 earlier this season. We know Jrue Holiday and Middleton can get hot from three, but Bryn Forbes has taken a significant step-up in proving he can be a threat off the bench. This will be a long, high-scoring series, but in the end, the Brooklyn Nets have way too much superstar power and will be able to close their games more effectively. Nets in 7.