This season has been full of surprises for NBA fans. The Eastern Conference remains pretty wide open with teams like the Bulls and Cavs staying near the top of the standings two-thirds of the way through the regular season, while the Celtics and Raptors are finding their stride. The Warriors and Suns are dominating the Western Conference, but the Grizzlies, led by superstar Ja Morant, have cemented themselves as a threat for the crown.
The trade deadline just passed and some teams made significant changes, most notably the Sixers and Nets after their blockbuster trade. The Sixers received Harden and Millsap, while the Nets received Simmons, Curry, Drummond, and two first-round draft picks. Who will be the ultimate winner of this trade remains to be seen. As a Sixers fan I obviously hope the Sixers come out on top, but I’m a bit concerned about the fit between Harden and Embiid. If Harden willingly plays second-fiddle and players other than Embiid make shots, we should still be contenders. However, I think the Sixers are really going to miss Curry’s shot-making ability and Drummond’s consistency as the back-up big man. Green, Korkmaz, and Niang just don’t cut it in on the wing. But a line-up with Harden, Maxey, Thybulle, Harris, and Embiid can be championship-worthy. However, the Sixers bench depth just took a hit.
Looking ahead, here are my predictions for the eight teams from each conference who will make the playoffs after the play-in games and the teams that will meet in the Finals.
Eastern Conference:
- Bucks– Giannis is still a beast and Holiday and Middleton pack a punch
- Heat– No one will want to trade punches with Butler, PJ Tucker, Adebayo, and Lowry
- Sixers– Championship or bust?
- Bulls– Happy for Derozan and their assistant coach, Mo Cheeks, and Caruso 😉
- Nets– If they are fully healthy, potential favorites
- Celtics– The line-up of Smart, White, Tatum, Brown, and Williams sounds dangerous
- Raptors– Kudos to Nick Nurse for making this a fun small-ball team
- Cavs– If the Cavs avoid the play-in tournament, that would be a fantastic accomplishment that would screw over another team
The East fascinates me. The Hawks and Hornets are also dangerous and they could easily make it in from the play-in games. The seeding for the Eastern Conference will have huge implications for how things play out in the end. This cannot be understated as the difference between the Bucks playing the Nets/Sixers in the second round versus the Eastern Conference Finals is huge. As much as I like Derozan’s Bulls and the tough-guy identity of the Miami Heat, one has to think the winner of the East will be between the Bucks, Sixers, and Nets.
Western Conference:
- Suns– Just an amazing team of guys who are easy to cheer for most nights
- Warriors– They have been quiet lately, but are perhaps still the best team in the league when healthy
- Grizzlies– Morant will be MVP one day and this team will be hard to bounce from the playoffs
- Jazz– Still a great team, but they do not seem as dangerous as last season
- Mavericks– Doncic looks like first-team All NBA again, and go Jalen Brunson from NOVA!
- Nuggets– If they get Murray and Porter Jr. back before the playoffs, look out
- Lakers– I hope Lebron can find a way into the playoffs with this subpar Lakers team
- Timberwolves– This team has been low-key solid most of the year
As good as the Grizzlies have been, the odds of them taking down the Warriors or Suns in the second round remains low. As incredible as Luka Doncic, Jokic, or Lebron can be, expect to see Steph Curry and Devon Booker going shot for shot in the Western Conference Finals.
Finals:
Suns vs. Bucks REMATCH
But this time, the Suns come out on top 4-2 as Chris Paul wins his first NBA championship and MVP of the Finals.
I don’t think anyone would be too upset about this as the Suns are a feel-good team.
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