J2's Playoff Preview Pt.1 (Round 1)

[Xist2Inspire]

#1 Pacers vs. #8 Wizards
H2H: Pacers 4-0
Given how the Pacers have utterly dominated DC during the regular season, the Wizards were already facing an uphill battle. But with Tyreke Evans' injury all but guaranteeing a 2-0 hole to start off the series, it's hard to see the Wiz putting up much of a fight, even with Tyreke's probable Game 3 return. Pauly's revenge tour will most likely start off with a sweep.
Pacers win 4-0

#2 Heat vs. #7 Raptors
H2H: Heat 3-1
While the Heat surged past the Hawks in the closing weeks of the regular season to become the first-ever Southeastern Division champs, the Raptors have been a slight disappointment this season, failing to give the upstart Knicks a run for their money in the Atlantic. Just like Indy/DC, an injury to a point guard - Kyle Lowry in this case - tips the scales heavily in favor of the higher seed. Bosh is strong enough to get the Raptors at least one win, but a series win without Lowry is pretty much out of the question.
Heat win 4-1

#3 Knicks vs. #6 Bulls
H2H: Knicks 2-1
Wow, another series with a major injury. Nikola Jokic is done for the entire playoffs, and while that just might eliminate the Knicks from title contention, it doesn't necessarily spell doom for them in the first round. Dwight Howard has never really seemed to have the ability to dominate, making the Jokic injury a bit of a moot point for Chicago. The two teams match up pretty well against each other everywhere else, but the Knicks ask less of their young guns than the Bulls, who will need a superstar performance from Oladipo in order to win this series. If not, then Gallinari alone won't be enough to push it to Game 7.
Knicks win 4-2

#4 Hawks vs. #5 Bucks
H2H: Even at 2-2
The biggest trade of the offseason is now easily the best and most intriguing Eastern 1st-round matchup (it's also injury-free). On paper, this is as even a matchup as you can probably get, but yhe Bucks' average defense will be the x-factor. With such bland defense, the only way for the Bucks to win is to dominate offensively, and you simply can't expect Gay and Irving to outscore Harden, Randle, Robinson, Middleton, and even Gasol for 4 games. That doesn't mean that the Bucks won't put up a fight, but it's usually not a good idea to bet against Wig, and this time's no different.
Hawks win 4-3

#1 Nuggets vs. #8 Jazz
H2H: Nuggets 3-1
One of the more surprising #1s we've had in a while, the Nuggets sport an extremely balanced and deep roster. Their opponents are no slouches either, and just might have the edge in pure starpower with Anderson, Collison, and the almighty Paul George. Unfortunately, that's it. The Jazz have nothing else. This means that the minute one of those three go off the floor, the Nuggets gain a huge advantage, and it's not like they couldn't match up with Jazz before. Depth beats talent in this case.
Nuggets win 4-2

#2 Clippers vs. #7 Spurs
H2H: Clippers 4-0
The Spurs got mauled by LA during the regular season, but playoff Eazy is an entirely different animal. Let's be honest, both of these teams are quite one-dimensional. But, thanks to Westbrook entering full beast mode this season, the Spurs have one more dimension than the LA Durants. If Eazy can find some way to get both Smith and Westbrook going, the one-two punch might be too much for Durant to handle alone. And though Hibbert and West are very solid players, relying on them to tip the scales...is iffy. If there's going to be an upset in the first round, this will be it.
Spurs win 4-3

#3 Pelicans vs. #6 Kings
H2H: Kings 3-1
Another depth vs. starpower matchup. Both teams defied expectations during the regular season, but only one of them can continue to impress in the playoffs. New Orleans not having Tobias Harris to start off the series theoretically gives Sacramento the edge, but then again, who's going to take advantage of that void? Plus, Ron Artest is still good enough defensively to stifle any scoring outburst at the 2 or 3. The post matchup is a bit harder to call, as Hawes, Vucevic, and Noel is more than a match for Monroe and Griffin. It'll be a tough series, but the Pelicans' top 5 (once Harris returns) are simply better than the Kings' top 5. Barring some unexpectedly strong performances from the likes of Barnes, Jackson, Gee, Vazquez, and Harris (preferably all at the same time), New Orleans should take this.
Pelicans win 4-2

#4 Timberwolves vs. #5 Suns
H2H: Suns 3-0
The injury bug rears its ugly head once again in these playoffs, and this one's a doozy. Last season's Finals MVP Stephen Curry's DOA for these playoffs, and the timing couldn't be any worse. Even though Kevin Love is just plain ridiculous, he's still one man, and a solid 1-5 can beat him. But with Curry gone...the T-Wolves no longer have a solid 1-5. Sure, they're better than the tattered corpses of all Phoenicians not named Love, but Curry's loss deprives them of the leader they need to really take it to the Suns. Unless Kemba has flashbacks to last season and Wiggins/OPJ prove that the future is now, Favors and Patterson are in for a very, very bad time...not like they weren't anyway, but now they don't have a squad capable of easing the pain with a win.
Suns win 4-1

[Inner_GI]

you can claim 5 points.