Previewing the Playoffs

The biggest and best part of the NBA season tips off tonight as the first round of the playoffs gets underway. The Top 16 teams this season have battled through regulation games and then the bubble to book a spot in the shootout, with the Portland Trail Blazers claiming the last spot with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies in a play-in game.

This year’s playoffs will be a new experience for everyone involved, with all the ties still taking place in the Orlando campus, but the Walt Disney World bubble will become the Happiest Place on Earth for one team.

Discussions on who will lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy have been going on since the NBA restarted, and a few of the team have been passionate about who they think will come out on top.

Max – Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are my team and have been since I started following basketball almost a decade ago. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the reigning MVP and must surely be given the title for a second straight season! The Bucks have the best record in the whole NBA and I can’t see anyone from the East stopping them. Brook Lopez is my favourite player and I can’t wait to see Splash Mountain open for business in the Finals against whichever of the LA teams meets us there.

Ben T – Philadelphia 76ers

I am less confident than I was pre-bubble. Losing Simmons is particularly hard, and Embiid doesn’t look like himself. However, the added competition of the playoffs will surely send a spark through him, especially considering what happened last year in that last second loss to Toronto. We still have plenty of firepower though, and I still trust the process.

Shay – LA Lakers

We have the King and we have AD. There’s not stopping them when they get rolling. Am I a little nervous about facing a red-hot Damian Lillard? Of course! But we should still have more than enough throughout the roster to be able to match his scoring. LeBron has led the league in assists and it won’t be long before he gets his first MVP award in LA, and shortly after that, a Finals MVP to go with it!

Maddie – Boston Celtics

I’m nowhere near as worried about Philly now that Simmons is out. Obviously, Embiid is still a threat, but in Jayson Tatum we have one of the best young scorers in the game, and he’s going to feast on Tobias Harris. We’re a defensive juggernaut, and without one of their primary attacking options, I’m looking forward to clearing the 76ers in the first round.

Imogen – Denver Nuggets

We’ve been evenly matched against Utah this season, but the big clash will be Jokic vs Gobert, and there’s no way Rudy can handle Jokic when Nikola is out on the perimeter. Yes, Gobert is one of the best defenders in the league, but that’s on the interior. Once we spread the court and drag him out of position, there’ll be a big hole to take advantage of behind him!

Tom – LA Clippers

We all saw last year what a different beast Playoff Kawhi is, and I can’t wait to see The Claw quickly dispose of the Mavericks. Yes, Luka Doncic is a future MVP, but right now there’s no way he goes up against Kawhi and Paul George and comes out on top. Anyway, if he looks like he’s got the better of them, we’ll just unleash Pat Beverley on him!