S3 1982-83 Playoff Power Rankings

[BigDaddyd8720]

Playoff Power rankings:


Welcome in to another edition of the NPBSL Playoff Power Rankings! Another regular season is in the books and as we move on towards the playoffs, here are my opinions on each team as well as how I see the playoffs playing out. As always, these are completely correct and if you say anything else against these rankings then you are just silly and wrong. So buckle up and enjoy the ride!


12. Boston Celtics: No surprise here. Not only the worst record of all playoff teams, but also worst point differential, worst scoring offense, worst divisional record, and worst conference record of all the playoff teams. It doesn’t help their case that they were in the weaker conference too. Had the 76ers GM done anything then the Celtics probably wouldn’t be in here. But alas, we are in the playoffs and we all know anything can happen. They did play well at home so maybe we can see them steal a road game and then shock the world and come away with a series win. But this seems like 1 of 2 series in the first round that may end in a sweep.

11. Seattle Supersonics: Talk about turning a team around quickly. Going from 9 wins to 41 wins and a playoff berth while being in the toughest division this league has ever seen. But even though they made incredible strides to get where they are now, it’s more than likely round 1 is as far as they go. Great home record with a bad road record is not a recipe for winning a series as an underdog. They get the #1 offense and the Trailblazers in round 1 which is not ideal. But maybe their #3 defense can slow them down enough to come away with some victories. After all, they did finish the regular season series against the Trailblazers with a 2-3 record. Maybe they get lucky, maybe they don’t


10. Indiana Pacers: Adrian Dantley and Joe Barry Carroll. What more do we need to say? This team will always have a chance to win any series with those two. While they did take a step back this season, they added some pieces that could help them make another deep playoff run. But, as I said with last season’s power rankings, having to rely on two players to carry your team is very risky. Any team figures out how to stop at least one of them or if the injury bug hits either of them, then this team’s chances of winning the championship disappear.

9. New York Knicks: Here’s a team that looked like they were gonna throw in the towel early on in the season when they traded away Buck Williams (still salty about that). But they decided to give it another go and now look to get revenge on the Pacers for knocking them out last playoffs. Green, Griffith, and English are going to lead this team and they seem poised to make a deep run. A solid road record of 20-21 is going to give them a chance to steal one or two away games each series and then they just need to take care of business at home.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers: This team looked like they were going nowhere this season. At one point they were sitting at 15-16 and on the outside looking in. But they turned it around and finished the season 47-35. But even then, they still just seemed to quietly win games. We never got the sense that this was a dominant team but you always had to watch out when you played them. They don’t seem like they have a lot of depth on their team, only 4 players averaging double digit points. But yet, they still find ways to win games. This is an underdog I could see surprising some people this playoffs

7. Los Angeles Lakers: This is what I expected from the Lakers. Last season was very weird for them but they put it together this season and got back to the playoffs. Same as the Supersonics, being in the toughest division in the league made it difficult for them at times but they found a way to hit 47 wins. Of course that means they won a date with League MVP Magic Johnson but they did go 4-2 against the Suns this season so this could make for an exciting series. But they did play very poorly in division finishing with an 11-19 record so this could very well be a quick exit for the Lakers. But they do enter the playoffs on a 6 game winning streak so maybe they can ride that momentum a little bit longer to win a series or two.

6. Milwaukee Bucks: Talk about the quickest rebuild ever. Making it to the Finals last season, trading away every starter, and then winning the division and getting the first round bye this season. Pure Poetry. I’m not sure you could have written a better script for the Bucks. This team gets production from all over their roster. 6 players with 10+points per game, 3 players averaging 8+ rebounds per game. They are going to need all the help they can get though since they lost Phil Ford for a month. Having the first round bye helps but they will need to find a way to win round 2 without him and hope to get him back for the conference finals and finals if they can make it that far. Once he comes back though, this team will be a favorite (outside of the warriors) to win it all.

5. Phoenix Suns: When you have 3 time MVP Magic Johnson on your team, you always have a chance to win it all. At least they don’t have to face the Warriors in the first round again but they have their work cut out for them against the feisty Lakers. And even though they went 2-4 against the Lakers, the playoffs are a different beast. With an above .500 road record, the Suns look like they can steal one or two on the road as they try to get past the first round this season.

4. Kansas City Kings: Talk about dominating your division. It just seemed like the Kings won the division months ago. Boasting a 25-5 divisional record, this team just coasted to the playoffs and a first round bye. 2 players averaging over 30 points, with a third player averaging over 20 points. This team can flat out score and it’s going to take a lot to slow them down. If Gminksi and Hayes can slow down Parish and Malone, we could see the Kings win the West.

3. Washington Bullets: Trading for Buck Williams was the best thing this team could have done in the offseason. They were already a playoff contender and now they look like the favorite to win the East. 12 losses in the conference just shows how much better this team is than the rest of the East. I wouldn’t be surprised if they make light work of the rest of the east on their way to the Finals. Their #1 defense is going to make it really hard for teams to find opportunities to score. If the Bullets can keep up that intensity on defense, they may be hoisting up the trophy when it’s all said and done

2. Portland Trailblazers: #1 offense in the league is going to make this team fun to watch in the playoffs. Will teams be able to keep up? Will anybody be able to slow them down? They acquired Dan Roundfield midseason and he might have just been what this team needed. They did get the short end of the stick by being in the same division as the warriors or else their second best league record would have meant a first round bye. Still, this team is more than capable of competing with everybody and I’m curious to see if they make it all the way to the conference finals.

1. Golden State Warriors: #1 team in the league, 66 wins, #2 offense, #2 defense. This team looks like they already won the championship. But there is still plenty of basketball to be played. Even then, with the duo of Parish and Malone, it doesn’t seem like this team is slowing down anytime soon. Not to mention the other 5 players they have that are averaging 10+ points per game. Having the best road record is also a good sign that this team is built to make a run to the Finals. I’m not exactly sure where you look on this team to find a weakness. Sure you might be able to do something to stop them for one game, but to slow them down for an entire series is going to be a tough task. The clear favorite to win it all.

My Prediction:

Round 1

Eastern Conference
Cavaliers beat Celtics
Pacers beat Knicks

Western Conference:
Trailblazers beat Supersonics
Suns beat Lakers

Round 2

Eastern Conference
Bullets beat Pacers
Bucks beat Cavaliers

Western Conference:
Trailblazers beat Kings
Warriors beat Suns

Conference Finals
Bullets beat Bucks
Warriors beat Trailblazers

Finals
Warriors beat Bullets in 5 games

As always, let me know what you think in the comments. Did I get it right? Did I get it wrong? Or was it just perfect (we all know this is the correct answer)

[greepleairport]

1500+ words, +5pts
Well, results have already shown, you gotta play the games to find out! I definitely thought the Cavs and Pacers would advance, but clearly, what do we know??