MDWPP
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 10:59 am
Word count: Well over 3,000
It feels like it has been awhile since I’ve written one of these out (I haven’t looked back, so it could possibly be that I just missed one season but it feels longer), but this is an easy word count builder so, it is perfect for what I need right now! Mamba’s Dead Wrong Playoff Predictions are back and ready to be as wrong as ever! I think this season was a pretty fun one all around the league and there are some intriguing playoff matches because of it. Time to dive into them as thoroughly as 3,000 words will allow me to.
ALPHA CONFERENCE
ROUND ONE
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. Bye
Can’t ever be disappointed in a 72-win season. It was a true team effort this season, as the ball got passed around (Only one player eclipsed 20 points per game) and no one played above 34 minutes per game. 7 players got into double-digit scoring, and another hit 9. Defensively, the team performed very similarly to last season (Though the last team’s statistics were better) except I kept the pace at 10 for the entirety of this season. Coming into the season I had thought that my team would be better than last season’s team, but wouldn’t reach the same number of wins because the conference as a whole got better too. I won one more game than last season though and the main reason for that is the uptick in offensive production I received from Evan Mobley. Last season my ranks in scoring, efficiency and pace were: 6th (113.4), 9th (109.9) and 3rd (103.0). Very good numbers but not elite and my offense was my undoing against the Grizzlies and their defensive juggernaut. This season? 2nd in scoring (120.4), 3rd in efficiency (111.6) and 1st in pace (107.6) which are all significant jumps and hopefully leads to better success in the playoffs.
(2) Brooklyn Nets vs. (7) Minnesota Timberwolves
Season series: 5-0, Nets
Nets 110 – Wolves 102
Nets 109 – Wolves 101
Wolves 83 – Nets 105
Wolves 105 – Nets 110
Wolves 82 – Nets 102
As a typical 2 vs. 7 series is, this one was lopsided in a season series perspective. A clean sweep for the boys from Brooklyn. Looking closer however, I am surprised by how close 3 of the 5 games were. None are one possession games or anything, but the Wolves were within striking distance, especially in their two home games. For the Wolves, there weren’t a lot of consistencies to track. Different people took the scoring load, though obviously they are better when Huo and Durrenberger are carrying their weight. With the Nets, James Andrews was consistently good throughout the season series, which makes sense since he is the one player that the Wolves really wouldn’t have any answers for since they are missing any difference-makers in the front court. Minnesota also will struggle containing Bey, Alvarado, Caruso but at least they have high-end talent in those spots to compete. Ultimately, the Nets will have far too much firepower to overcome this gap but the Wolves could make a game or 2 look interesting.
NETS IN 4
(3) Indiana Pacers vs (6) Boston Celtics
Season series: 2-2
Pacers 118 – Celtics 119
103 Celtics – 104 Pacers
104 Pacers – 101 Celtics
101 Celtics – 86 Pacers
This series could end up being a classic 7-game, back and forth affair. The season series was 2-2 with the first three games being decided by one possession. The final game was a blowout but the Pacers sat Herb Jones to save him for the playoffs, knowing their seeding was set. The two key players in this series are obvious: Herb Jones vs. Antonio Blakeney. Many/most people around the league consider Blakeney to be the top player in the league and Herb is a superstar who might be a tad overlooked in the grand scheme of the league. They matched up against one another three times this season and it led to a 2-1 lead for the Pacers with Herb averaging 29.6 points per game against AB’s 25.3 points (With the 4th game added, a 31 point outburst, Blakeney’s scoring vs. Indiana went up to 26.7). It would seem that Jones thrived off of playing against Blakeney and took it as a personal challenge to best him when he could. Things that make predicting this series difficult are the fact that the first two games were 1-point wins going each direction, but the Celtics made a number of key moves to add depth after that … and in the 3rd game, with both teams at full-strength, the Pacers won by 3 in Boston, in a game where Blakeney seriously struggled. So, is that indicative of their matchup? Have the Celtics been able to build a more cohesive relationship since then? Can AB play to his superstar standards against this team over a full 7-game series? That last question is probably the true key to this series. The Pacers have an advantage in the front court and at Point Guard. If the Celtics are going to overcome those things they need their best player to be great. Not good. GREAT. Blakeney will need to take over every single game to put the Celtics in position to win.
PACERS IN 7
(4) Sacramento Kings vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks
Season series: 2-2
Kings 89 – Bucks 120
Kings 107 – Bucks 116
Bucks 82 – Kings 120
Bucks 106 – Kings 108
Remarkable how similar these two teams were in this season series. It isn’t only that they matched wins, but it is also the way they both won. In each of their first home games, both teams scored 120 points exactly while holding the opposition in the 80s. In the other game it was much closer, the Bucks even losing by one possession, but still a home win. No road wins in this series. The players of the game? All in the front court (Wembanyama and Ware for Milwaukee, Romero both times for the Kings). Both teams also ended the season with the exact same points differential (3.4). Since I don’t know (or anticipate) either of these teams diverting from their regular season gameplans, they could simply trade home wins all the way to game 7. If either team actually gets into game planning, things could shift. If there are upsets, it generally is in the 4/5 matchups so, while there aren’t any concrete reasons for me to go this route, I will say that Wembanyama puts the team on his back and Manley finds himself some more room to work and the Bucks find a way to grab one road game.
BUCKS IN 6
OMEGA CONFERENCE
ROUND ONE
(1) Golden State Warriors vs. Bye
After one hell of a dogfight with the Nuggets to win the Folse Hope division by one game, the Warriors completed one hell of a season-to-season turnaround. Mostly due to terrible injury luck, Jon’s Warriors only won 23 games last season and I am sure came into this one a bit leery about what the ceiling could be. A strong start to the season gave the team hope and some shrewd trades off the back of that hope turned the Warriors into legitimate contenders. After awful injury luck, this season the Warriors had ZERO important players miss time due to injury which is key to the 39-win flip. Former Los Angeles Laker Dong Bone was the scoring leader on the team and he must have loved being able to be on a roster where he could simply sit back and focus on one side of the floor since he has strong defensive pieces sprinkled throughout the rest of the roster. Fabian Hub is a star who can wear many different hats. In fact, it is a roster constructed with pieces that can play multiple positions, possibly making them a difficult matchup for everyone in the league since you can’t pinpoint exactly where his players might line up at any time. Grabbing Larry Canfield was a great move to shore up defense, size and a hole in the front court and should pay big dividends during the tournament. They also have one of the few elite pass-first playmakers in the league in Markus Ridenhour who finally looks comfortable in the Warriors offensive flow. His nearly 17 points per game is a huge bonus (and slightly a career high).
(2) Orlando Magic vs. (7) Chicago Bulls
Season series: 3-2, Bulls
Bulls 102 – Magic 97
Bulls 99 – Magic 107
Magic 94 – Bulls 108
Magic 106 – Bulls 108
Magic 105 – Bulls 93
This does not feel typical for a 2 vs. 7 matchup, unlike the Alpha side of things. In this case the 7 seed finished the season with an edge over the 2. Even if we decide to take out the first game, the first game of the season to boot (when RoboGM was running things) you still have a surprising even series between two teams who were very far apart in wins and the standings. I do not remember if Nick took the Magic over in time for the 2nd meeting (a Magic win) though I am tempted to say that he did not since Dirks was playing Small Forward in that game just like he was in the beginning of the season. Nick was definitely in-charge by their 3rd matchup (a Bulls home win) because Dirks was at his natural position and Patrick Williams had been traded from Chicago to Orlando by that time. Most surprising by this time? Lyman Bradley had 2 player of the game awards at this point and he would grab a 3rd one after this as well (though Schiff was out with injury in that Bulls 2-point victory). Schiff was back in full effect in the final matchup and dominated Bradley to grab an important win. I am guessing that Josh will have a few tricks up his sleeve to give himself a shot in this series. If Lyman Bradley can repeat his regular season performance against the Magic, things could potentially be interesting, especially if Ayo elevates his game as well. This season series feels a bit like fool’s gold though and I don’t anticipate it carrying over too well. I think Schiff and Dirks will wear the Bulls out in the end.
MAGIC IN 5
(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Detroit Pistons
Season series: 3-2, Nuggets
Nuggets 117 – Pistons 102
Nuggets 120 – Pistons 118
Pistons 110 – Nuggets 105
Nuggets 105 – Pistons 106
Pistons 105 – Nuggets 107
THE LOVERS QUARREL!
One thing to note about this series is that the final game is the only game in which both teams were in their final forms. The first meeting between them was a 15-point victory for Denver (very early into the new season) but after that there were THREE one possession games and a 5-point win. The Nuggets had two road wins to start the series then the Pistons grabbed one of their own. The final two games were 1 and 2 point home wins by both teams. It was an incredibly tight series all around, regardless of the players involved. In the last game, perhaps the most crucial, it was a microcosm of the rest of the series. Back and forth all the way through, with big players making big plays. Dejuan Baker won the player of the game but it was a different player making the winning play. Baker grabbed a defensive rebound on one end, down by 1, and kicked up the pace. He found Charles Jarret driving to the hoop for a layup, but he whiffed. The ball batted around and ended up as an offensive rebound for Thurman James at the top of the key and behind the three point line.
Nothing but net with 00:00 left on the clock.
An important thing for Denver is that their scoring leader, Johnny Davis, gets to comeback from injury after missing the final month or so of the regular season so the Pistons will be getting them at full-strength. In a series this tight, that probably will matter, along with the home court advantage. Doug is a much more seasoned GM and could certainly gameplan himself to a big upset victory, but there are plenty of times when talent simply wins out regardless of what the GM does, and this might be one of those cases.
NUGGETS IN 6
… Then they can still make love, not war, afterwards.
(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Washington Wizards
Season series: 4-1, Hawks
Hawks 105 – Wizards 113
Wizards 102 – Hawks 107
Hawks 113 – Wizards 103
Hawks 111 – Wizards 110
Wizards 107 – Hawks 113
A competitive series throughout though a decisive 4-1 advantage for Atlanta. Honestly, I think I’ve given up trying to decipher what any Wizards team will do in any given season. A lot of words have been spent over the years stating how X does the most with less. The Hawks were probably the biggest surprise and most fun story of the season considering what that franchise has been through for a long time with an absentee GM at the helm. Unfortunately, I saw their losing of the top seed coming, but it didn’t help that they lost both their best player and their top defender and Center for the final stretch of the season. The good thing for the Hawks is that Phil Smith came back at the tail end of the regular season and will be good to go. The bad is that Diallo is still out for 20 days which means he isn’t coming back for this series. That injury is likely going to be key to the Wizards extending this series. I think it will still be difficult to win it, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they did.
HAWKS IN 7
ALPHA CONFERENCE
ROUND TWO
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks
Season series: 5-0, Lakers
Lakers 114 – Bucks 74
Bucks 132 – Lakers 135
Bucks 129 – Lakers 140
Bucks 108 – Lakers 134
Lakers 128 – Bucks 101
Besides one shootout in Los Angeles, this series was dominated by my Lakers, even when I started resting players in the final two games. To win these games, Wembanyama is going to need to be SPECIAL (which I believe I said about their previous series as well) and against the Lakers he simply has not been all season. He had some solid games but never exploded and no one else around him was ever able to pick up the slack. Even when I sat guys, I had other players step-up. Lyle Galloway won player of the game in both of the games Safi and Mobley either didn’t play or played limited minutes. If those kinds of results stick, then this one will end quickly.
LAKERS IN 4
(2) Brooklyn Nets vs (3) Indiana Pacers
Season series: 4-0, Nets
Nets 120 – Pacers 116
Pacers 109 – Nets 126
Pacers 101 – Nets 124
Nets 103 – Pacers 76
This was far more lopsided than I anticipated it would be when I started this. The first game was close but after that Ed’s Nets completely dominated this series. The Nets are a great team and so it shouldn’t catch me too off-guard but the Pacers are very good as well, so I just didn’t quite expect this kind of domination. In the final game, a complete blowout, Herb Jones was held to 2 points. TWO! I would guess that (barring injury shortening a game) he has never been held in check on that level before. The Nets are for real and I doubt it will be the Pacers that slow them down at this juncture.
NETS IN 5
OMEGA CONFERENCE
ROUND TWO
(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks
Season series: 3-2, Warriors
Hawks 95 – Warriors 102
Hawks 121 – Warriors 117
Warriors 116 – Hawks 117
Hawks 87 – Warriors 102
Warriors 130 – Hawks 128
If the Hawks do make it this far, they should be at full-strength again (barring new injuries in round one) which will make them much more competitive. There was only one true blowout in the regular season between these teams, a Warriors win at home thanks to a triple-double by Markus Ridenhour. Other than that, I think the Hawks competed hard and made the Warriors work for everything. Uncle Phil sure as hell came to play against the 1 seed Warriors as he averaged 26.6 points per game (strangely with 3 separate 26 point games). If the Hawks were to pull the upset, it’d definitely be because Phil went nuclear. However, I think the lineups the Hawks saw in the regular season might look drastically different than what they will see in the postseason. Jon is more seasoned, has better talent and probably wants to prove a little something these playoffs. Atlanta might be scrappy, but they aren’t better and won’t be here.
WARRIORS IN 5
(2) Orlando Magic vs. (3) Denver Nuggets
Season series: 2-2
Nuggets 124 – Magic 108
Magic 119 – Nuggets 118
Nuggets 126 – Magic 129
Magic 109 – Nuggets 127
Both teams won at home and on the road. The Magic wins were razor thin margins while the Nuggets pounded the Magic when they won. If you are to believe Vin Diesel though, doesn’t matter if its an inch or a mile. Still, that bit of information would worry me a bit if I were the Magic, even with home court advantage. I believe this can/should be a long series with some back and forth action that keeps us guessing, probably with numerous different players grabbing the awards for them. There is a big part of me that wants to say that it goes 7 games, and it very well could. However, I do believe that the Nuggets have the superior roster and that should show itself by the end. Look for Montoya and Davis to take over down the stretch.
NUGGETS IN 6
ALPHA CONFERENCE
CONFERENCE FINALS
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Brooklyn Nets
Season series: 4-1, Lakers
Nets 109 – Lakers 120
Lakers 123 – Nets 106
Lakers 127 – Nets 121
Nets 112 – Lakers 132
Lakers 116 – Nets 118
The sequel to last season’s 7 game classic which saw the Lakers come back from down 3-1 to take it in the final game. Saddiq Bey, Doctor Andrews and the boys have no doubt been waiting for their opportunity at playoff revenge all season long. They had opportunities to assert themselves in the regular season as well but simply were unable to until the final game (Minus Safi and Mobley) where they grabbed a 2 point win in the overtime period. I know that doesn’t bode well for the Nets but I am not anticipating anything except another hard-fought game 7 type of series against this roster. The Nets are #2 in both offensive and defensive efficiency which is typically a great recipe for success, even against the best of teams. My team’s #3 in offense and #1 in defense is a difficult challenge, obviously, but Ed had built a collection of GREAT players that have proven that they can perform at the highest level in these big moments. It’s not going to be easy.
LAKERS IN 7
OMEGA CONFERENCE
CONFERENCE FINALS
(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (3) Denver Nuggets
Season series: 4-1, Warriors
Warriors 128 – Nuggets 126
Nuggets 99 – Warriors 119
Nuggets 107 – Warriors 121
Warriors 159 – Nuggets 165 (WHAT THE FILTH FLARN FILTH!?)
Warriors 140 – Nuggets 116
Another series that is far more lopsided than I would have guessed before I dove into it. The Nuggets are one of the strongest rosters in the league, but as we all have learned, matchups matter and the 1 seed Warriors are apparently an AWFUL matchup for Davis, Genaro and Baker. It will be interesting to see if Jon sees these results and decides to attack the Nuggets (who have not been known to adjust) the same way or does he get into his bag a little bit to see how other things might work. Before I saw these results I was tempted to go with the Nuggets here just so I could mess with my buddy Panda. Instead, I see Jon continuing his role and finding himself back into the Finals.
WARRIORS IN 6
FINALS
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (1) Golden State Warriors
Season series: 2-0, Lakers
Warriors 105 – Lakers 129
Lakers 116 – Warriors 109
This would be the second time that Jon and I would meet in a Finals if it were to go down this way, though back then he was the Lakers and I was the Boban-led Clippers. It was a clean sweep for me at that time … Will history repeat itself? I’d say, no, not quite. I have the better team. I’m guessing there is nobody who would deny that. However, I had the best roster last season too and got steamrolled in the finals. I don’t think Jon’s team presents the exact same kinds of challenges as those Grizzlies but they certainly do offer new ones. As I’ve already mentioned, there’s tremendous position flex on that team and I am sure that Jon would be looking for any and every way to try to exploit that when this series gets going. Ridenhour and Safi will have their hands full with each other and an underrated matchup would be Canfield against Alleman or Mobley (whoever I decide needs to play Center). Ultimately though? I think this Lakers roster is too good to have the same thing happen to them two seasons in a row. I’ve built this team for this moment and while my usual lack of confidence looks to some like reverse cursing, I genuinely don’t attempt to do that ha. I want to say it’s a good series, though sometimes blowouts happen in the Finals that make no damn sense.
I’m pulling for me.
I’m predicting me.
LAKERS IN 6
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It feels like it has been awhile since I’ve written one of these out (I haven’t looked back, so it could possibly be that I just missed one season but it feels longer), but this is an easy word count builder so, it is perfect for what I need right now! Mamba’s Dead Wrong Playoff Predictions are back and ready to be as wrong as ever! I think this season was a pretty fun one all around the league and there are some intriguing playoff matches because of it. Time to dive into them as thoroughly as 3,000 words will allow me to.
ALPHA CONFERENCE
ROUND ONE
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. Bye
Can’t ever be disappointed in a 72-win season. It was a true team effort this season, as the ball got passed around (Only one player eclipsed 20 points per game) and no one played above 34 minutes per game. 7 players got into double-digit scoring, and another hit 9. Defensively, the team performed very similarly to last season (Though the last team’s statistics were better) except I kept the pace at 10 for the entirety of this season. Coming into the season I had thought that my team would be better than last season’s team, but wouldn’t reach the same number of wins because the conference as a whole got better too. I won one more game than last season though and the main reason for that is the uptick in offensive production I received from Evan Mobley. Last season my ranks in scoring, efficiency and pace were: 6th (113.4), 9th (109.9) and 3rd (103.0). Very good numbers but not elite and my offense was my undoing against the Grizzlies and their defensive juggernaut. This season? 2nd in scoring (120.4), 3rd in efficiency (111.6) and 1st in pace (107.6) which are all significant jumps and hopefully leads to better success in the playoffs.
(2) Brooklyn Nets vs. (7) Minnesota Timberwolves
Season series: 5-0, Nets
Nets 110 – Wolves 102
Nets 109 – Wolves 101
Wolves 83 – Nets 105
Wolves 105 – Nets 110
Wolves 82 – Nets 102
As a typical 2 vs. 7 series is, this one was lopsided in a season series perspective. A clean sweep for the boys from Brooklyn. Looking closer however, I am surprised by how close 3 of the 5 games were. None are one possession games or anything, but the Wolves were within striking distance, especially in their two home games. For the Wolves, there weren’t a lot of consistencies to track. Different people took the scoring load, though obviously they are better when Huo and Durrenberger are carrying their weight. With the Nets, James Andrews was consistently good throughout the season series, which makes sense since he is the one player that the Wolves really wouldn’t have any answers for since they are missing any difference-makers in the front court. Minnesota also will struggle containing Bey, Alvarado, Caruso but at least they have high-end talent in those spots to compete. Ultimately, the Nets will have far too much firepower to overcome this gap but the Wolves could make a game or 2 look interesting.
NETS IN 4
(3) Indiana Pacers vs (6) Boston Celtics
Season series: 2-2
Pacers 118 – Celtics 119
103 Celtics – 104 Pacers
104 Pacers – 101 Celtics
101 Celtics – 86 Pacers
This series could end up being a classic 7-game, back and forth affair. The season series was 2-2 with the first three games being decided by one possession. The final game was a blowout but the Pacers sat Herb Jones to save him for the playoffs, knowing their seeding was set. The two key players in this series are obvious: Herb Jones vs. Antonio Blakeney. Many/most people around the league consider Blakeney to be the top player in the league and Herb is a superstar who might be a tad overlooked in the grand scheme of the league. They matched up against one another three times this season and it led to a 2-1 lead for the Pacers with Herb averaging 29.6 points per game against AB’s 25.3 points (With the 4th game added, a 31 point outburst, Blakeney’s scoring vs. Indiana went up to 26.7). It would seem that Jones thrived off of playing against Blakeney and took it as a personal challenge to best him when he could. Things that make predicting this series difficult are the fact that the first two games were 1-point wins going each direction, but the Celtics made a number of key moves to add depth after that … and in the 3rd game, with both teams at full-strength, the Pacers won by 3 in Boston, in a game where Blakeney seriously struggled. So, is that indicative of their matchup? Have the Celtics been able to build a more cohesive relationship since then? Can AB play to his superstar standards against this team over a full 7-game series? That last question is probably the true key to this series. The Pacers have an advantage in the front court and at Point Guard. If the Celtics are going to overcome those things they need their best player to be great. Not good. GREAT. Blakeney will need to take over every single game to put the Celtics in position to win.
PACERS IN 7
(4) Sacramento Kings vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks
Season series: 2-2
Kings 89 – Bucks 120
Kings 107 – Bucks 116
Bucks 82 – Kings 120
Bucks 106 – Kings 108
Remarkable how similar these two teams were in this season series. It isn’t only that they matched wins, but it is also the way they both won. In each of their first home games, both teams scored 120 points exactly while holding the opposition in the 80s. In the other game it was much closer, the Bucks even losing by one possession, but still a home win. No road wins in this series. The players of the game? All in the front court (Wembanyama and Ware for Milwaukee, Romero both times for the Kings). Both teams also ended the season with the exact same points differential (3.4). Since I don’t know (or anticipate) either of these teams diverting from their regular season gameplans, they could simply trade home wins all the way to game 7. If either team actually gets into game planning, things could shift. If there are upsets, it generally is in the 4/5 matchups so, while there aren’t any concrete reasons for me to go this route, I will say that Wembanyama puts the team on his back and Manley finds himself some more room to work and the Bucks find a way to grab one road game.
BUCKS IN 6
OMEGA CONFERENCE
ROUND ONE
(1) Golden State Warriors vs. Bye
After one hell of a dogfight with the Nuggets to win the Folse Hope division by one game, the Warriors completed one hell of a season-to-season turnaround. Mostly due to terrible injury luck, Jon’s Warriors only won 23 games last season and I am sure came into this one a bit leery about what the ceiling could be. A strong start to the season gave the team hope and some shrewd trades off the back of that hope turned the Warriors into legitimate contenders. After awful injury luck, this season the Warriors had ZERO important players miss time due to injury which is key to the 39-win flip. Former Los Angeles Laker Dong Bone was the scoring leader on the team and he must have loved being able to be on a roster where he could simply sit back and focus on one side of the floor since he has strong defensive pieces sprinkled throughout the rest of the roster. Fabian Hub is a star who can wear many different hats. In fact, it is a roster constructed with pieces that can play multiple positions, possibly making them a difficult matchup for everyone in the league since you can’t pinpoint exactly where his players might line up at any time. Grabbing Larry Canfield was a great move to shore up defense, size and a hole in the front court and should pay big dividends during the tournament. They also have one of the few elite pass-first playmakers in the league in Markus Ridenhour who finally looks comfortable in the Warriors offensive flow. His nearly 17 points per game is a huge bonus (and slightly a career high).
(2) Orlando Magic vs. (7) Chicago Bulls
Season series: 3-2, Bulls
Bulls 102 – Magic 97
Bulls 99 – Magic 107
Magic 94 – Bulls 108
Magic 106 – Bulls 108
Magic 105 – Bulls 93
This does not feel typical for a 2 vs. 7 matchup, unlike the Alpha side of things. In this case the 7 seed finished the season with an edge over the 2. Even if we decide to take out the first game, the first game of the season to boot (when RoboGM was running things) you still have a surprising even series between two teams who were very far apart in wins and the standings. I do not remember if Nick took the Magic over in time for the 2nd meeting (a Magic win) though I am tempted to say that he did not since Dirks was playing Small Forward in that game just like he was in the beginning of the season. Nick was definitely in-charge by their 3rd matchup (a Bulls home win) because Dirks was at his natural position and Patrick Williams had been traded from Chicago to Orlando by that time. Most surprising by this time? Lyman Bradley had 2 player of the game awards at this point and he would grab a 3rd one after this as well (though Schiff was out with injury in that Bulls 2-point victory). Schiff was back in full effect in the final matchup and dominated Bradley to grab an important win. I am guessing that Josh will have a few tricks up his sleeve to give himself a shot in this series. If Lyman Bradley can repeat his regular season performance against the Magic, things could potentially be interesting, especially if Ayo elevates his game as well. This season series feels a bit like fool’s gold though and I don’t anticipate it carrying over too well. I think Schiff and Dirks will wear the Bulls out in the end.
MAGIC IN 5
(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Detroit Pistons
Season series: 3-2, Nuggets
Nuggets 117 – Pistons 102
Nuggets 120 – Pistons 118
Pistons 110 – Nuggets 105
Nuggets 105 – Pistons 106
Pistons 105 – Nuggets 107
THE LOVERS QUARREL!
One thing to note about this series is that the final game is the only game in which both teams were in their final forms. The first meeting between them was a 15-point victory for Denver (very early into the new season) but after that there were THREE one possession games and a 5-point win. The Nuggets had two road wins to start the series then the Pistons grabbed one of their own. The final two games were 1 and 2 point home wins by both teams. It was an incredibly tight series all around, regardless of the players involved. In the last game, perhaps the most crucial, it was a microcosm of the rest of the series. Back and forth all the way through, with big players making big plays. Dejuan Baker won the player of the game but it was a different player making the winning play. Baker grabbed a defensive rebound on one end, down by 1, and kicked up the pace. He found Charles Jarret driving to the hoop for a layup, but he whiffed. The ball batted around and ended up as an offensive rebound for Thurman James at the top of the key and behind the three point line.
Nothing but net with 00:00 left on the clock.
An important thing for Denver is that their scoring leader, Johnny Davis, gets to comeback from injury after missing the final month or so of the regular season so the Pistons will be getting them at full-strength. In a series this tight, that probably will matter, along with the home court advantage. Doug is a much more seasoned GM and could certainly gameplan himself to a big upset victory, but there are plenty of times when talent simply wins out regardless of what the GM does, and this might be one of those cases.
NUGGETS IN 6
… Then they can still make love, not war, afterwards.
(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Washington Wizards
Season series: 4-1, Hawks
Hawks 105 – Wizards 113
Wizards 102 – Hawks 107
Hawks 113 – Wizards 103
Hawks 111 – Wizards 110
Wizards 107 – Hawks 113
A competitive series throughout though a decisive 4-1 advantage for Atlanta. Honestly, I think I’ve given up trying to decipher what any Wizards team will do in any given season. A lot of words have been spent over the years stating how X does the most with less. The Hawks were probably the biggest surprise and most fun story of the season considering what that franchise has been through for a long time with an absentee GM at the helm. Unfortunately, I saw their losing of the top seed coming, but it didn’t help that they lost both their best player and their top defender and Center for the final stretch of the season. The good thing for the Hawks is that Phil Smith came back at the tail end of the regular season and will be good to go. The bad is that Diallo is still out for 20 days which means he isn’t coming back for this series. That injury is likely going to be key to the Wizards extending this series. I think it will still be difficult to win it, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they did.
HAWKS IN 7
ALPHA CONFERENCE
ROUND TWO
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks
Season series: 5-0, Lakers
Lakers 114 – Bucks 74
Bucks 132 – Lakers 135
Bucks 129 – Lakers 140
Bucks 108 – Lakers 134
Lakers 128 – Bucks 101
Besides one shootout in Los Angeles, this series was dominated by my Lakers, even when I started resting players in the final two games. To win these games, Wembanyama is going to need to be SPECIAL (which I believe I said about their previous series as well) and against the Lakers he simply has not been all season. He had some solid games but never exploded and no one else around him was ever able to pick up the slack. Even when I sat guys, I had other players step-up. Lyle Galloway won player of the game in both of the games Safi and Mobley either didn’t play or played limited minutes. If those kinds of results stick, then this one will end quickly.
LAKERS IN 4
(2) Brooklyn Nets vs (3) Indiana Pacers
Season series: 4-0, Nets
Nets 120 – Pacers 116
Pacers 109 – Nets 126
Pacers 101 – Nets 124
Nets 103 – Pacers 76
This was far more lopsided than I anticipated it would be when I started this. The first game was close but after that Ed’s Nets completely dominated this series. The Nets are a great team and so it shouldn’t catch me too off-guard but the Pacers are very good as well, so I just didn’t quite expect this kind of domination. In the final game, a complete blowout, Herb Jones was held to 2 points. TWO! I would guess that (barring injury shortening a game) he has never been held in check on that level before. The Nets are for real and I doubt it will be the Pacers that slow them down at this juncture.
NETS IN 5
OMEGA CONFERENCE
ROUND TWO
(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks
Season series: 3-2, Warriors
Hawks 95 – Warriors 102
Hawks 121 – Warriors 117
Warriors 116 – Hawks 117
Hawks 87 – Warriors 102
Warriors 130 – Hawks 128
If the Hawks do make it this far, they should be at full-strength again (barring new injuries in round one) which will make them much more competitive. There was only one true blowout in the regular season between these teams, a Warriors win at home thanks to a triple-double by Markus Ridenhour. Other than that, I think the Hawks competed hard and made the Warriors work for everything. Uncle Phil sure as hell came to play against the 1 seed Warriors as he averaged 26.6 points per game (strangely with 3 separate 26 point games). If the Hawks were to pull the upset, it’d definitely be because Phil went nuclear. However, I think the lineups the Hawks saw in the regular season might look drastically different than what they will see in the postseason. Jon is more seasoned, has better talent and probably wants to prove a little something these playoffs. Atlanta might be scrappy, but they aren’t better and won’t be here.
WARRIORS IN 5
(2) Orlando Magic vs. (3) Denver Nuggets
Season series: 2-2
Nuggets 124 – Magic 108
Magic 119 – Nuggets 118
Nuggets 126 – Magic 129
Magic 109 – Nuggets 127
Both teams won at home and on the road. The Magic wins were razor thin margins while the Nuggets pounded the Magic when they won. If you are to believe Vin Diesel though, doesn’t matter if its an inch or a mile. Still, that bit of information would worry me a bit if I were the Magic, even with home court advantage. I believe this can/should be a long series with some back and forth action that keeps us guessing, probably with numerous different players grabbing the awards for them. There is a big part of me that wants to say that it goes 7 games, and it very well could. However, I do believe that the Nuggets have the superior roster and that should show itself by the end. Look for Montoya and Davis to take over down the stretch.
NUGGETS IN 6
ALPHA CONFERENCE
CONFERENCE FINALS
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Brooklyn Nets
Season series: 4-1, Lakers
Nets 109 – Lakers 120
Lakers 123 – Nets 106
Lakers 127 – Nets 121
Nets 112 – Lakers 132
Lakers 116 – Nets 118
The sequel to last season’s 7 game classic which saw the Lakers come back from down 3-1 to take it in the final game. Saddiq Bey, Doctor Andrews and the boys have no doubt been waiting for their opportunity at playoff revenge all season long. They had opportunities to assert themselves in the regular season as well but simply were unable to until the final game (Minus Safi and Mobley) where they grabbed a 2 point win in the overtime period. I know that doesn’t bode well for the Nets but I am not anticipating anything except another hard-fought game 7 type of series against this roster. The Nets are #2 in both offensive and defensive efficiency which is typically a great recipe for success, even against the best of teams. My team’s #3 in offense and #1 in defense is a difficult challenge, obviously, but Ed had built a collection of GREAT players that have proven that they can perform at the highest level in these big moments. It’s not going to be easy.
LAKERS IN 7
OMEGA CONFERENCE
CONFERENCE FINALS
(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (3) Denver Nuggets
Season series: 4-1, Warriors
Warriors 128 – Nuggets 126
Nuggets 99 – Warriors 119
Nuggets 107 – Warriors 121
Warriors 159 – Nuggets 165 (WHAT THE FILTH FLARN FILTH!?)
Warriors 140 – Nuggets 116
Another series that is far more lopsided than I would have guessed before I dove into it. The Nuggets are one of the strongest rosters in the league, but as we all have learned, matchups matter and the 1 seed Warriors are apparently an AWFUL matchup for Davis, Genaro and Baker. It will be interesting to see if Jon sees these results and decides to attack the Nuggets (who have not been known to adjust) the same way or does he get into his bag a little bit to see how other things might work. Before I saw these results I was tempted to go with the Nuggets here just so I could mess with my buddy Panda. Instead, I see Jon continuing his role and finding himself back into the Finals.
WARRIORS IN 6
FINALS
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (1) Golden State Warriors
Season series: 2-0, Lakers
Warriors 105 – Lakers 129
Lakers 116 – Warriors 109
This would be the second time that Jon and I would meet in a Finals if it were to go down this way, though back then he was the Lakers and I was the Boban-led Clippers. It was a clean sweep for me at that time … Will history repeat itself? I’d say, no, not quite. I have the better team. I’m guessing there is nobody who would deny that. However, I had the best roster last season too and got steamrolled in the finals. I don’t think Jon’s team presents the exact same kinds of challenges as those Grizzlies but they certainly do offer new ones. As I’ve already mentioned, there’s tremendous position flex on that team and I am sure that Jon would be looking for any and every way to try to exploit that when this series gets going. Ridenhour and Safi will have their hands full with each other and an underrated matchup would be Canfield against Alleman or Mobley (whoever I decide needs to play Center). Ultimately though? I think this Lakers roster is too good to have the same thing happen to them two seasons in a row. I’ve built this team for this moment and while my usual lack of confidence looks to some like reverse cursing, I genuinely don’t attempt to do that ha. I want to say it’s a good series, though sometimes blowouts happen in the Finals that make no damn sense.
I’m pulling for me.
I’m predicting me.
LAKERS IN 6
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