NBA Playoffs 2022 – 1st Round
Tis the season as we say here at Bob and Jim.ca as the first round of the NBA playoffs begin today! Let’s take a few moments and have a look at the match ups.
Eastern Conference
#1 Miami vs #8 Atlanta – Miami started slowly this season as both Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler traded time away from the court but they did enough to secure the first seed in the East. Miami has tough veterans, strong role players and are well coached. Atlanta struggled all season against high expectations after a deep playoff run last year but only managed to squeeze into the playoffs by beating the Hornets and then upsetting Cleveland in the play-in tournament. After watching the season, it’s difficult to imagine Atlanta could steal more than a game in this round but don’t sleep on Trae Young; he’s a proven playoff performer with the ability to elevate his teammates. Still, an upset here is highly unlikely.
#2 Boston vs #7 Brooklyn – Boston has been the little engine that could since the All-Star break winning more than any other NBA squad. Sporting the best defensive rating this year, the Celtics have been a force on both side of the ball. Brooklyn meanwhile was expected to finish at or very nearly at the top of the East and early in the season establish themselves at the top of the standings. However, events conspired which saw Kyrie Irving watching home games from his home and James Harden wanted out of town and inevitably, Brooklyn had to win their way into the playoffs through the play-in tournament. Now healthy, they pose a significant threat to win the East if they can come together and handle the Celtics.
#3 Milwaukee vs #6 Chicago – The Bucks never dominated this season as so many people thought they would after winning the championship last year but they managed to secure homecourt in the first round. Perhaps after focusing on the regular season for the past few years, the Bucks decided to enjoy the ride this year and focus on the playoffs. If so, Chicago might not get a single win in this first round. Starting out so strong, the Bulls really made believers out the association this year until injuries stared taking them down over the last third of the season. Healthy, the Bulls would make this an interesting series. In their current situation, they won’t offer must resistance to the Bucks.
#4 Philadelphia vs #5 Toronto – As is often the case, the 4 vs 5 match up offers the most interesting initial matchup in the East. The 76ers finally got rid of Ben Simmons and heralded the arrival of James Harden and while both he and Joel Embiid played well in the last third of the season, the 76ers did not live up to expectations. What if they can’t get by the upstart Raptors? An unlikely #5 opponent, the Raptors were not expected to make any noise in the East this year and for a while were not even in the play in picture. But the team buckled down and nearly matched the wins put up by the Celtics after the All Star game and ended up taking 3 of 4 games from the 76ers during the season. It seems playing with a chip on their shoulders is the way Toronto likes to play and that could be trouble for the 76ers.
Western Conference
#1 Phoenix vs #8 New Orleans – After losing 11 of their first 12 games this season and being known for the team that Zion Williamson isn’t playing for again this year, the Pelicans kept their heads up and made the play in tournament. It isn’t likely they’ll have anything else to cheer about this season as the Suns have been the dominant team in the NBA this season. Healthy again, it would be surprising if they lost a game to the Pelicans in the first round.
#2 Memphis vs #7 Minnesota – Thank goodness I didn’t finish this yesterday before the Twolves showed the Grizz how to play basketball in game one. Even Ja Morant, a likely MiP winner couldn’t reel them in. Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell are playing excellent basketball. Yesterday I would have said Memphis had nothing to worry about. Today, they should be very afraid.
#3 Golden State vs #6 Denver – The interesting case of the injured players. A really interesting match up featuring the likely MVP this year, Nicola Jokic, former MVP Steph Curry, a rehabilitating Klay Thompson, missing star Jamal Murray and wildcard Draymond Green. Jokic is capable of winning a couple of games on his own but I’m not sure the Nuggets have enough to get past a reconstituted Warriors team.
#4 Dallas vs #5 Utah – If only mercurial star Luka Doncic was healthy we might have a fine series here. But without Doncic, Dallas doesn’t have the horsepower to overcome a solid if not spectacular Jazz team with Rudy Gobert and Donavon Mitchell.
That’s all for now, enjoy the first round and let’s hope to see a few upsets!