The NBA Playoffs are underway and given that I did predictions for the NBA Western Conference, my picks for the Eastern Conference should be a little bit easier.
The Raptors wrapped up their season becoming the number 1 seed in the East. They’ll play the spiraling Wizards, who thought they would clinch the South. Since Scott Brooks isn’t a good coach or no where close to being Steve Kerr, the Wizards will bow out early, but it will probably be a six game set since the Raptors are a sensitive team.
The Battle of Green will start in TD Gardens as the Boston Celtics will take on the Milwaukee Bucks. With Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward out for the season, the Celtics need players to step up, but only a certain amount of points can be scored for Milwaukee and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo will probably finish as a finalist of the NBA’s MVP award, something he deserves. I can’t see Boston containing the Bucks all series, but it will be a scrap. Bucks in 5
The old men Miami Heat will face off against the young and ripe Philadelphia 76ers. The last time the Sixers made the playoffs Derrick Rose was NBA MVP, Doug Collins was their coach and Jrue Holliday and Andre Iguodala were the top players. After being pathetic for most of this decade, the Sixers led by Joel Embiid are one of if not the hottest team in the NBA right now. The only thing that could slow them down would be a swing in momentum to the veteran Heat team they play, something Dwyane Wade is very familiar with in Coach Spoelstra. Still, Sixers have more talent and more energy, and may make this a five or six game series.
Last but not least, a divisional matchup between the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs aren’t as powerful as they would like, especially with a 10 man roster going in, but this is a team with LeBron James and a roster that fits his flow. The Pacers with Victor Oladipo, Myles Turner, Lance Stephenson and Trevor Booker will be a scrappy matchup, especially since this is the only divisional matchup in the first-round in the East. While I don’t see the Pacers winning this series, they should take this to six games and give the King and his team fits, and wear them out throughout the course of the postseason.
JD's Sportscorner 