Everyone loves brackets, so let’s take a page out of the March Madness playbook and fill out an NBA playoff bracket. The NBA postseason is set to begin this week. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index projects the Philadelphia 76ers as the East 7 seed and the Portland Trail Blazers as the West 8 seed to advance out of the play-in tournament.
Eastern Conference First Round Preview
A potential first-round matchup sees the Detroit Pistons (1) against the Charlotte Hornets (8). Despite the gap in seeds, these teams have a similar profile. Since Jan. 1, Charlotte ranks second in the league in net rating, while Detroit is third.
The Hornets boast an elite offense, and the Pistons have a strong defense. Both teams are led by a host of players who were lottery picks, plus one key contributor who was previously on a two-way deal (Daniss Jenkins for Detroit, Moussa Diabate for Charlotte). The two teams also engaged in a brawl in February, leading to suspensions for Diabate, Miles Bridges, Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart.
The Pistons should advance because their superior size makes them a bad matchup for the scorching Hornets. Detroit was 3-0 against Charlotte in the regular season and outscored the Hornets 188-96 in the paint during those games.
The Boston Celtics (2) could face the Philadelphia 76ers (7). The season series was tied 2-2, but these teams have played just once since Nov. 11, and Jayson Tatum didn’t play in any matchup against Philadelphia this season.
The 76ers would be an intriguing upset pick if Joel Embiid were definitely available. He would present an imposing challenge for Boston’s untested front line. With the 76ers’ MVP centre potentially sidelined because of an emergency appendectomy, at the same time that Boston’s rotation is fully healthy, there’s no reason to expect Philadelphia to challenge the most complete team in the conference.
The New York Knicks (3) might play the Atlanta Hawks (6). New York and Atlanta staged an entertaining playoff preview last week, when both teams shortened their rotations in a 108-105 Knicks win. Hawks guard CJ McCollum’s would-be tying half-court heave came a fraction of a second too late.
That game demonstrated that Atlanta has a real chance for an upset in this series. The Hawks have a strong starting five and have been hot for months, and Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will make a spectacle out of trying to slow down Jalen Brunson. The Knicks’ superior depth, particularly in the frontcourt, will be the difference. X factor Mitchell Robinson averaged 10.5 rebounds (four offensive) and 2.0 blocks in 19.0 minutes per game against Atlanta this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Projected Play-In Tournament Teams
- East 7 seed: Philadelphia 76ers
- West 8 seed: Portland Trail Blazers
The goal is to whittle 16 teams down to one raising the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June.