By Adam Kelly
After the 82-game NBA season, the playoffs are all set to start… and this season has been interesting. Teams that were expected to be in the playoffs aren’t and some teams have lower seeds than were expected. With that, the first-round match-ups seem pretty even. The new addition with the play-in gives the ninth and tenth-seeded teams a chance to earn themselves a playoff spot. To add to this gripping season, there are also interesting predictions. Usually, the predictions are emphasized on the top seeds, which they still are, but there has been a lot of talk about the Golden State Warriors. Many people still think they can win the whole thing despite them being a lower seed. The Warriors have dominated the NBA for the past seven to eight years, making an NBA finals appearance six times since 2015. They have the most playoff experience out of any team in this year’s playoffs.
The Eastern Conference will have some good matchups. Cleveland and New York turned their franchises in the right direction by making the playoffs. This series will have some great competition. Will the Milwaukee Bucks continue and repeat their success from 2021? Or will the Celtics return to the finals and get what they lost last year?
In the Western Conference, there will be great matchups as well. The Sacramento Kings will be in the playoffs after a 16-year drought but will have to face a postseason-experienced Warriors team. With Lebron and the Lakers showing a resurgence late in the season, this may result in being a threat. The Suns were showing signs of slowing down but with Kevin Durant joining them and returning to the West, they could run the table.
Here are the first round matchups:
Eastern Conference:
1 Milwaukee Bucks vs Miami Heat
2 Boston Celtics vs 7 Atlanta Hawks:
3 Philadelphia 76ers vs 6 Brooklyn Nets
4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs 5 New York Knicks
Western Conference:
1 Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves
2 Memphis Grizzlies vs 7 Los Angeles Lakers
3 Sacramento Kings vs 6 Golden State Warriors
4 Phoenix Suns vs 5 Los Angeles Clippers
NBA Playoffs Start Up was originally published in The Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
