“It’s the playoffs, man. If you don’t get excited about the playoffs, you don’t even deserve to be playing basketball.” Those words were said by former NBA forward, Robert Horry. Horry earned the nickname “Big Shot Robb” because of his ability to make big shots and key plays in the playoffs. Horry was a major contributor to three franchises (Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs) winning seven different NBA championships. Horry has the most titles of any non-Celtic player of the 1950s or 60s. Yes, we wholeheartedly support Horry’s view because playoff basketball from April to June is one of the best theatres in sports. In this article, we will preview the Western Conference first-round series and make bold predictions on who will win each.
(8) New Orleans Pelicans vs (1) Oklahoma City Thunder- this will be an interesting series because the Thunder are the number one seed but have no playoff experience as a squad. Nonetheless, the Thunder earned their way to the top spot through outstanding play from their young-talented roster. The Pelicans’ biggest challenge will be to slow down MVP candidate Shai Gilgrous Alexander, who is crafty in scoring and making plays for his teammates. On the other end, Brandon Ingram will have the uphill task of matching SGA’s scoring without Zion Williamson, who got injured during their play-in game with the Lakers. The Pelicans are dangerous because they compiled a league-best 28-14 record away on the road. However, they won only one of 1 of the three head-to-head matchups in the regular season, and I think the Thunder will overpower their opponent in the absence of Zion and advance to the semi-final round. Thunder in five.
(7) Los Angeles Lakers vs (2) Denver Nuggets- this is a rematch of last year’s Western Conference finals when the Nuggets swept the Lakers en route to their first NBA title. The two teams have built anticipation for this series through comments from both sidelines in the offseason. The Lakers failed to respond to back up their words because they lost all three head-to-head matchups this season including failing to spoil the banner night in Denver. The matchup to watch in this series is Nikola Jokic vs Anthony Davis. Jokic is the best player in the league, but Davis has been inconsistent in the playoffs and needs to make this even contest on both sides of the floor. The series will be decided on the late-game execution of the teams, and the Nuggets seem to outpace their counterpart in close games backed by Jamal Murray. I think this series will be closer than last year, but the Nuggets will prevail because they are the better team. Nuggets in six.
(6) Phoenix Suns vs (3) Minnesota Timberwolves- the Suns are quietly one of the hottest teams in the league after completing a 10-4 record against one of the toughest schedules in NBA history to close a season. One of those wins was against the Timberwolves on the road in a game that Minnesota desperately needed to win for higher seeding. The storyline to watch in this series is the ability of Rudy Gobert to guard in the playoffs. Gobert is the likely Defensive Player of the Year, but every playoff opponent hunts his matchup on the perimeter. The trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal will test his ability to cover in isolation. A key for the Timberwolves will be whether Karl Anthony Towns will be healthy to contribute after missing 18 games to a meniscus tear. Although the Suns went 3-0 against the Timberwolves in the regular season, I still think Anthony Edwards will prove he is best player on the floor and put his team over the line. Timberwolves in seven.
(5) Dallas Mavericks vs (4) Los Angeles Clippers- this will be one of the best matchups in the first round because it will contain star talent. Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George have combined for 47 All-Star appearances, two MVPs, two Finals MVPs, and six scoring titles. It will be interesting to see how Clippers coach, Tyron Lue tries to slow down Doncic and Irving and the strategies he will deploy. The Clippers won 2 of the three head-to-head matchups this season, but they were played in November and December. The problem for the Clippers once again entering the postseason is the health of their superstars. Kawhi is dealing with an inflamed right knee, while Harden is dealing while Harden is managing a foot ailment. Like the Suns, the Mavericks are peaking at the right time by winning 16 of their last 18 games before the postseason. I am picking the Mavericks to win this series because of their momentum, while the Clippers have fallen off the pace in recent months. Mavericks in six.