From Boston’s dominance in the East, to a Western Conference stacked with super teams built for the post-season — there are no shortage of juicy storylines as the NBA Playoffs tip off this weekend.
Sportsnet’s NBA experts weigh in with predictions for the first round and make their picks for the NBA Finals, the eventual league champion and who will be named Finals MVP.
What do you think is the most intriguing storyline heading into the NBA Playoffs?
Michael Grange (Sportsnet’s Senior Basketball Insider): Can the Boston Celtics shake off their playoff woes — four conferences losses and a Finals loss in past eight seasons — to win a title and start what could be the NBA’s next dynasty? And conversely, will Denver beat them to it and win their second straight title, cementing Nikola Jokic’s legacy as a top-10 player of all time? Or will one of the West’s purpose-built ‘super teams’ — the Lakers, Suns, Mavs Clippers — breakthrough and knock them off?
William Lou (Host of The Raptors Show on SN 590 The FAN): Will we have another new champion? There have been six different winners since the Golden State Warriors repeated between 2017 and 2018. Denver has the best starting five and the best player, yet they are not the overwhelming favourites due to their lack of depth and the difficulty of the Western Conference.
Donnovan Bennett (Sportsnet writer + producer + host): Health. Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Zion Williamson and Anthony Davis are all All-NBA level talents who have huge question marks over their health heading into the post-season. How quickly can some of these players return from injury and/or how long can they last playing injured are questions hanging over almost every series.
Eric Smith (Raptors radio play-by-play): Who will come out of the West? It’s so deep. You can make a legit case for at least five teams, if not more, winning the conference.
Savanna Hamilton (Raptors sideline reporter on Sportsnet): Personally, I want to see just how good the Thunder really are now that they will be put to the only test that matters — the NBA Playoffs. This past season, SGA inserted himself into the MVP conversation with his sheer will to win. Chet Holmgren has also turned heads in his rookie season, so it’ll be interesting to see if he has another gear for the playoffs. Overall, this is a team that was built primarily by drafting and developing which is always a solid base to stand on.
Kellen Forrest (Associate Editor + NBA contributor on sportsnet.ca): Can the Boston Celtics finally get it done? The Celtics won 64 games this year, didn’t lose more than two games in a row all season, and everyone is healthy. It’s championship or bust in Beantown.
Vivek Jacob (NBA contributor on sportsnet.ca): The ‘Trust the Process’ Sixers have not been known for peaking at the right time but that’s why the front office hired Nick Nurse. With Joel Embiid’s timely return from injury, Tyrese Maxey playing the perfect Robin, and a strong veteran cast led by Kyle Lowry and Nicolas Batum, this may yet be the best East contender not named the Boston Celtics.
Kai Gammage (NBA contributor on sportsnet.ca): Which potential first-round upset will lead to a team blowing it up? With the Bucks already in a precarious situation without Giannis for the first game and maybe longer, could a Pacers upset throw the pairing between Lillard and Antetokounmpo into disarray? It’s also shaky footing in Cleveland with Donovan Mitchell, in Phoenix with the always-erratic Kevin Durant and in Los Angeles with the Clippers with Paul George and James Harden approaching free agency. Could a loss here lead to greater consequences down the road?
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Which first-round series are you most looking forward to + why?
Grange: The era of NBA parity means there should be some really good ones for a change. I will be tracking the OKC Thunder closely, for obvious reasons, and Knicks-Sixers should be fairly epic and offers plenty of local story lines, but I think the most riveting series will be Clippers-Mavericks. Tons of star power, lots of firepower and two franchise that are all in to win now.
Lou: Orlando and Cleveland are made for NBA TV, but don’t get hung up over a lack of star power. Orlando is the young team on the rise in the East and have stockpiled the best defensive team in the league to compensate for their decidedly average offence. Cleveland, on the other hand, is one of the most confusing teams having ridden out incredible highs and staggering lows, and has the huge question of fit and future with Donovan Mitchell who keeps being rumoured to be moving on. The fallout from this series is most likely to change the league.
Bennett: Clippers vs. Mavericks.If you like offence, this is the series for you. Two rosters full of certified bucket-getters and two teams with top-six offences in the league. The Clippers have eliminated the Mavericks twice recently. Doncic lit up the Clippers both times and averages 34 against the team with the best pair of wing defenders in the league. You have two aggressive ownership groups who have gone all in to win and keep their stars happy. With new arena projects on the horizon, they also need to keep their fans happy. One of those teams will be sent home in the next two weeks. The stakes and the storylines make for a must-see series.
Smith: Tough to pick just one. There’s so much intrigue in the Nuggets vs. Lakers series, but it’s hard to go against Timberwolves vs. Suns. Both those teams have the talent to make a deep run but is one of them ready for prime time, while the other potentially slips again?
Hamilton: This is hard to choose! I’ll go with Clippers vs. Mavericks because I feel like that will be one of the toughest first-round battles. Clippers have more depth and overall experience while the Mavs have two powerful stars in Doncic and Irving.
Forrest: Lakers-Nuggets. LeBron James taking on the conference favourites in Round 1 is a hard storyline to beat. The Nuggets have had the Lakers’ number dating back to last year’s Conference Finals, but can a rested and motivated LeBron change that narrative?
Jacob: The Timberwolves, led by Anthony Edwards, want to show the world just how real this team is. Going up against Phoenix’s three-headed monster of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal is a serious first-round hurdle and should make for some great theatre.
Gammage: Timberwolves vs. Suns. To say the Suns have had the T-Wolves’ number in recent matchups would be an understatement, as the desert dwellers have dominated them to the tune of a 9-1 record over the last three seasons. Regardless of their success against them, the Timberwolves look primed to contend and this should be a big test, seeing if they can rid their kryptonite, against the much more experienced Suns squad.
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Jamal Murray or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Who will have the more impressive post-season + why?
Grange: Tough question!! I voted SGA for MVP; lifting the Thunder to the No.1 seed at this stage of their development is a staggering accomplishment. I think their first-round match-up should be favourable to them, but I have real concerns about their lack of size, plain and simple. For that reason, I have a hard time seeing OKC make it to the Finals or even Conference Finals. Conversely, I don’t see the Nuggets not making it to West finals at least, and if they do Murray will have to do his playoff thing, and we all know what that looks like. So, I say Murray, only because SGA won’t have enough runway.
Lou: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the better player, but Jamal Murray is the biggest swing piece of the entire championship chase. Murray is a mercurial player who is capable of both fading into the background, or taking over games involving MVPs, and has a rare poise and focus during crunch time. Denver will need him at his very best at all times, both alongside of Nikola Jokic to close games, and more importantly to carry the scant minutes while Jokic rests.
Bennett: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may not win the regular season MVP that he rightly deserves but don’t be surprised if he’s the NBA Finals MVP. Simply put: he’s been the best player on the best team in the West. Jamal Murray’s play in big moments takes the Nuggets to another level. But Gilgeous-Alexander’s unflappable game and demeanour in all situations makes the Thunder a tough out despite their youth and relative inexperience.
Smith: That’s difficult to answer because I still believe that Murray has more talent around him. Individually, with no slight to Murray, I’ll go with SGA in this post-season. He’s the head of the snake and he’d have my MVP right now if I had a vote.
Hamilton: Both Murray and SGA will have a significant impact in the post-season. However, by nature of their roles on their respective teams — SGA is the franchise player on his team while Murray plays the second-hand man to the MVP in Nikola Jokic — it’s safe to say SGA will likely stand out a bit more. Expect great performances from both as Denver will likely repeat as champions.
Forrest: Jamal Murray always saves his best stuff for when the lights are brightest, and don’t expect this year to be any different. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a long career of shining in the post-season ahead of him, but he and a young Thunder team might go through some growing pains this year.
Jacob: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Having crossed the finish line last season in pretty dominant fashion, anything less than going back-to-back will be considered a disappointment when it comes to Murray and the Nuggets. On the other hand, anything beyond a first-round series victory for the Thunder will be considered gravy.
Gammage: SGA. Despite not having played in a playoff series since the Bubble, the Thunder superstar has put down some of his best work when the lights are brightest at the FIBA World Cup. It’s hard to believe that he wouldn’t be craving that sort of spotlight again. With how he’s played this season, it’d be hard to see him not making a huge impact in the post-season.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Grange: Celtics in 4 … IF Butler is out)
Lou: Celtics in 5
Bennett: Celtics in 4
Smith: Celtics in 5
Hamilton: Celtics in 4
Forrest: Celtics in 5
Jacob: Celtics in 5
Gammage: Celtics in 4
Grange: Knicks in 7 … Anunoby will contribute to one more Embiid playoff nightmare.
Lou: Knicks in 7
Bennett: Knicks in 6
Smith: Sixers in 6
Hamilton: Knicks in 6
Forrest: Sixers in 7
Jacob: Sixers in 6
Gammage: Knicks in 6
Grange: Pacers in 6 … less if Giannis can’t play
Lou: Bucks in 7
Bennett: Pacers in 5
Smith: Bucks in 6
Hamilton: Pacers in 7
Forrest: Bucks in 6
Jacob: Pacers in 6
Gammage: Pacers in 6
Grange: Magic in 7
Lou: Magic in 6
Bennett: Magic in 7
Smith: Cavaliers in 6
Hamilton: Cavaliers in 6
Forrest: Magic in 7
Jacob: Cavaliers in 7
Gammage: Magic in 5
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Grange: Thunder in 5 … IF Zion is out
Lou: Thunder in 5
Bennett: Thunder in 4
Smith: Thunder in 5
Hamilton: Thunder in 6
Forrest: Thunder in 6
Jacob: Thunder in 5
Gammage: Thunder in 4
Grange: Nuggets in 6
Lou: Nuggets in 5
Bennett: Nuggets in 5
Smith: Nuggets in 6
Hamilton: Nuggets in 5
Forrest: Nuggets in 6
Jacob: Nuggets in 5
Gammage: Nuggets in 5
Grange: Suns in 6
Lou: Suns in 6
Bennett: Timberwolves in 7
Smith: Suns in 6
Hamilton: Suns in 7
Forrest: Timberwolves in 7
Jacob: Timberwolves in 7
Gammage: Suns in 7
Grange: Mavericks in 6 … but it’s a toss-up if Kawhi is healthy
Lou: Mavericks in 7
Bennett: Mavericks in 7
Smith: Clippers in 5
Hamilton: Clippers in 7
Forrest: Mavericks in 6
Jacob: Mavericks in 6
Gammage: Mavericks in 6
What are your predictions for the NBA Finals?
One player you expect to have a breakout in the NBA Playoffs?
Grange: Jalen Williams for OKC. If Thunder are going to live up to their No.1 seed, SGA is going to need someone to step up. Williams would be that someone.
Lou: Is it still considered a breakout if it already happened? Devin Booker averaged 34 points on 59 per cent shooting in last year’s playoffs, emerging as the leader of the Suns even ahead of Kevin Durant, while creating the majority of his own offence on an incredibly tough diet of pull-up jumpers and fearless drives. Booker’s play in the postseason — save for some truly unfortunate endings — is overwhelming.
Bennett: Jalen Williams of OKC.
Smith: I’m going to say Tyrese Maxey of the Sixers.
Hamilton: Not sure if it counts (and it’s probably biased) but OG Anunoby. I don’t think he’s gotten the credit he truly deserves in the playoffs in previous years and now all eyes are on him. He’ll shine even brighter than he ever has before.
Forrest: Jalen Williams of OKC.
Jacob: Jalen Williams of OKC.
Gammage: Jalen Williams of OKC.
