The NBA playoffs are right around the corner and are just a month away. Here’s what to look forward to in the last month of the regular season, and what potential matchups that could happen in the playoffs.
The NBA playoffs have a Play In Tournament to determine the 7th and 8th seed and the top 6 seeds get an automatic spot. The 7th and 8th seed play each other for the seven spot and the loser of that game plays the winner of the 9/10 seed game. The winner of that gets the 8 seed in their conference.
Teams in this Play-In Tournament are trying to be in guaranteed playoff spots or just trying to stay in the Play-In Tournament. Right now in the East the 7-10 seed is the Miami Heat, then the Philadelphia 76ers, then the Chicago Bulls, then the Atlanta Hawks. In the West right now the 7-10 seed is the New Orleans Pelicans, then the Sacramento Kings, then the LA Lakers, then the Golden State Warriors.
The teams to clinch a playoff spot are the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets. The only team fighting for a play-in tournament spot is the Houston Rockets in the West. The teams fighting for clinching a playoff spot are the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers in the East, and the LA Clippers in the West.
With only a couple weeks left of the season I asked a couple New Hartford students on their predictions in this year’s NBA Playoffs.
What is your NBA Finals matchup this year?
Junior Jack Taylor: “Celtics and Clippers.”
Senior Jack Ruhmel: “Celtics and Nuggets.”
Me: Celtics and Nuggets.
Who will be in the Conference Finals this year?
“Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics and Cavaliers, Western Conference Finals: Clippers and Nuggets.”
— Junior Jack Taylor
“Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics and Knicks, Western Conference Finals: Thunder and Nuggets.”
— Senior Jack Ruhmel
My Eastern Conference Finals this year are Celtics and Bucks, and my Western Conference Finals are Clippers and Nuggets.
— Me
What underrated team can make a deep run in the playoffs?
Junior Jack Taylor: “Miami Heat is an underrated team that can make a deep run. Even though they’ve made two finals in the last four seasons, people still seem to be doubting them because of their regular season struggles. But fans need to remember: they have the experience, and they still have Jimmy Butler.”
Senior Jack Ruhmel: “An underrated team is the Dallas Mavericks since they are capable of beating anyone especially when they have Luka and Kyrie on the team.”
Me: My underrated team is the Phoenix Suns since they have two superstar players in Kevin Durant and Devin Booker who can make this team more efficient in the playoffs with a decent supporting cast and make a run in the playoffs.
What higher seed could get eliminated first?
“Oklahoma City Thunder is currently the number one seed in the West and I could see them getting knocked out as early as the first round. They are a very talented team, but they are also super young with very little playoff experience. With a stacked West play-in this year, I could see them getting knocked out by the 7 or 8 seed.”
— Junior Jack Taylor
“A higher seed that could get eliminated early is the Minnesota Timberwolves since they would play the LA Lakers or Phoenix Suns which are both powerhouse teams.”
— Senior Jack Ruhmel
My higher seed that could get eliminated first is the Minnesota Timberwolves since they would have to face the Mavericks, Suns, or Lakers that have two superstars that could create a problem for a Timberwolves team that doesn’t have that many superstar players.
— Me
