Guys on the Sideline Guest contributor: Ty J.
Ah the playoffs, a crazy time of the best basketball in America being played. However only 16 teams make it each season. Who will be the ones this year? Here are some very reasonable predictions.
Eastern Conference
1. Toronto Raptors
With the help of an offseason trade to acquire Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors will most likely reclaim the number one spot this year. However, they may receive competition from the Bucks, Pacers and Celtics to earn the number one overall spot in the east.
2. Milwaukee Bucks
With MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo (also known as the “Greek Freak”), the young and fresh Bucks will likely come in just a mere 5 games or less behind the Raptors and will take the number two spot.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
Yes indeed 76ers fans, your team will have a good chance to take the number 3 spot this season. Despite the Sixers struggling to have a balanced locker room and Ben Simmons being stuck on his third rookie season, Philly will be one of the top competitors to go to the finals.
4. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers will presumably go up one spot this year, finishing fourth. Without LeBron in the first round this year the playoffs have certainly expanded to a wider range of teams in the top spots, Indiana being one of them.
5. Boston Celtics
This may be a bit of a dip from where the Celtics ended up last season; however, maybe this is due to a lot more competition from other teams. But hey no other teams have playoff-mad “Scary
Terry” Terry Rozier and now have their number one player Kyrie Irving back.
6. Miami Heat
With this being the great Dwyane Wade’s last season, the Heat will quite possibly be a fierce competitor and a big threat to the number three seed.
7. Detroit Pistons
Last year the Pistons finished ninth behind the Washington Wizards who will not make the playoffs this year. With Blake Griffin playing the most clutch role he’s ever played on a team, the Pistons will most likely give the two-seed some competition in the first round.
8. Brooklyn Nets
Yes sports fans, no need to rub your eyes, you’re not dazed. The Nets have a pretty clear shot at the NBA playoffs this season with D'Angelo Russell leading the way with 18.3 points each game and with sophomore player Jarrett Allen dropping hammers on players all over the country.
Western Conference
The west this year certainly is wild, with 14 teams all in playoff contention. As of now, the number 14 seed is just 9 games behind the number 1 seed. Just to make it into the playoffs in the west is
a huge accomplishment for any team.
1. Golden State Warriors
Come on people let’s be real, the Warriors with their five all-star starting lineup are the best in the NBA. With the ability to one second be down by two points and the next up by nine, the Warriors will probably be number one once again.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
When you have a player who makes people wonder if he is ever happy (and plays best that way), and multiple outstanding shooters, you definitely have a recipe for an NBA playoff top-spot
competitor. Let’s just hope they don’t play the Jazz again so we don’t see any 5 week suspensions.
3. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets will most likely have a heat check sometime this season but will hang in there (unlike last season when they finished ninth) and get a high competitive spot.
4. Houston Rockets
With a dip from last season (placing first) James Harden probably won’t be able to do everything, giving the Rockets only a decent playoff spot. Maybe this is the season when people won’t
see the beard as a threat.
5. Utah Jazz
If the Jazz do claim the five spot, it will be the third straight season. They have a good chance at the second round of the playoffs and maybe Rubio and Donovan “Spida” Mitchell will get them to the long-awaited Western Conference finals.
6. Los Angeles Lakers
Wow we haven’t seen the Lakers in the playoffs for awhile. With the addition of LeBron James, Lance Stephenson, Javale McGee, and Rajon Rondo this offseason, L.A. will be feeling content in the six spot. Is getting to the finals a possibility for the Lakers? Probably not; however, you can never count out King James in the playoffs.
7. Portland Trail Blazers
After a strong run last year finishing third, the Blazers will probably be back down in the bottom half once again. However don’t count Portland out yet because Damian Lillard is as clutch as it gets.
8. San Antonio Spurs
This year could quite possibly continue the Spurs’ playoff streak and give the number one seed some competition. Sorry Sacramento, Dallas, and Los Angeles. Maybe next season.