Boston still finished the season second overall in offense (117.3 rating) and defense (110.6 rating), leading to an NBA-best plus-6.7 net rating. It's possible that we're underrating these Celtics after they fell to the No.
#Nba finals bracket series#
The Nets may be able to steal a game, but this series isn't going more than five. With no Ben Simmons (back), the Nets are extremely small, leading to some potential matchup nightmares.īrooklyn is a nice team, but Philly is a powerhouse loaded with playoff-tested veterans and the potential MVP. Expect Brooklyn to double early and often, leading to an open shooter somewhere on the floor for Philly. Nic Claxton (and a double)Ĭlaxton is a talented defender and rim protector, but his lean 215-pound frame is a bad match against the 7'0", 280-pound Embiid. This roster is loaded with snipers who will need to get hot fast for this series to have any kind of life. This is a terrible matchup for Brooklyn against Joel Embiid, who combined with James Harden put up 57.5 points, 16.0 rebounds and 9.0 assists against the Nets in the regular season.īrooklyn's only chance may be to let it fly from the outside, as its 13.5 threes per game ranked seventh in the NBA after the trade deadline. The remains of a roster that was detonated at the trade deadline slumped to a 13-15 record to finish the season and was thin up front even before sending Markieff Morris away in the Kyrie Irving trade. One has to feel for the Brooklyn Nets in this matchup.
Expect some monster performances from Mitchell against his hometown team as well. In a recent Knicks win over the Cavs in Cleveland, Brunson and Mitchell combined for a whopping 90 points, setting us up for some potential fireworks now.īoth players have better supporting casts around them from a year ago as well, as Brunson was leading a Mavs team with an injured Luka Dončić, while Mitchell didn't have someone as offensively talented as Darius Garland next to him.Įxpect both to average 30-plus points in the series, one that will go the distance.Ĭleveland was one of just six teams to win 30 or more games at home this season and don't even need a victory on the road to take the series. Jalen Brunsonīrunson got the best of Mitchell last season while a member of the Dallas Mavericks, a series that springboarded him to star status and a career-best season now (24.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 41.6 percent from three). 1-ranked defense ( 109.9 rating), one that may slip if Okoro is out, however. New York's offense (tied for third this season with a 117.0 rating) will be tested against Cleveland's No.
Even if both are limited, there's still plenty of star power to go around. There are some health concerns here to monitor as well, as Julius Randle (ankle) and Isaac Okoro (knee soreness) have status' up in the air right now. This should be one of the most entertaining first-round series, as Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson face off for the second consecutive year (albeit in new homes).ĭespite their modest seedings, these have been two of the better teams in the NBA, with Cleveland finishing second overall in net rating this year (plus-5.6) while New York wasn't far behind at seventh (plus-2.8).
While some of the first-round series in the East may be short-lived, the West is wide-open, especially with Leonard, Curry and James all playing on teams in the bottom half of the bracket.įor this exercise, we're going series by series all the way to the NBA Finals, looking at key matchups and picking winners along the way.Īt the end, a former champion will rise again as one of the game's biggest stars will only add to his legacy. The field consists of a variety of previous title winners (LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers, Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors, Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks) stars trying to win their first rings (Jayson Tatum's Boston Celtics, Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers, Nikola Jokić's Denver Nuggets) and former champs looking to win for the first time in a new location (Kevin Durant's Phoenix Suns, Kawhi Leonard's Los Angeles Clippers).
With all eight seeds now locked in for both conferences following the play-in tournament, the race to the 2023 title can begin. The best part of the NBA season is finally here.
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