As the NBA regular has now come to an exciting end, we asked some of our NBA writers to give us their thoughts on what will happen in the postseason in our NBA Post-Season Round Table. Contributing to the round table discussion are NBA editor Bryce Warner (@brycewarner1), NBA editor Harrison Marcus (@HarMarcusLWOS), NBA contributor Matthew Cardenas (CardenasMaLWOS), NBA contributor Ryan Timmerman (@TheDudeMan3), NBA editor Matthieu Rident (@MatthieuRident), NBA contributor Joshua Egbert, and NBA contributor Kyle Ottenbreit (@CoachOTSuns).
1) Now that the West playoff match-ups have been set, who is your pick to win the Western Conference?
Bryce Warner, NBA Editor: If the San Antonio Spurs had been able to hold onto the number 2 seed, I would have picked them, but I think it might be too difficult to make it through the West without home court advantage in any series. I will reluctantly choose the Warriors here, but I always have trouble betting against the Spurs.
Harrison Marcus, NBA Editor: I’m going to go with the Spurs here. They’ve been the NBA’s hottest team over the past month, including dominant wins over teams like the Hawks, Warriors, Rockets, and Grizzlies. I can foresee an epic six or seven game series against Golden State in the Conference Finals, with the championship pedigree of San Antonio ultimately prevailing.
Matthew Cardenas, NBA contributor: Right now, the favorites have to be the Spurs. They are on an absolute roll right now. At full strength, no one in the West can beat them. And yes, that includes the Warriors. The Spurs have put more faith in Kawhi Leonard, and he has done very well. They will go as far as he takes them. I can not see anyone beating them in a seven game series right now.
Ryan Timmerman, NBA contributor: The Spurs. As we saw during last year’s Finals, when the Spurs offense is working, nobody can stop them. Their offensive system is to take whatever the defense gives them, and they routinely have five guys on the floor who can score from anywhere.
Matthieu Rident, NBA Editor: San Antonio or Golden State, without a doubt. I can’t see any other teams rivalling these two, and in the event of a conference finals between these two it would be very explosive. I predict a historic game 7 in Oracle Arena with Golden State winning the Conference thanks to a sensational performance from Steph Curry.
Joshua Egbert, NBA contributor: It’s got to be the Warriors, right? They’re wrapping up an historically excellent regular season, they have the best offense, and the best defense. The Spurs are looming in the WCF, but until someone knocks them off, I’ll take Golden State.
Kyle Ottenbreit, NBA contributor: Spurs. After years of betting against them, I will know to back the champs until they aren’t the champs anymore. With everyone healthy and Leonard looming as an MVP like presence they have a real chance to repeat.
2) Now that the East playoff match-ups have been set, who is your pick to win the Eastern Conference?
Warner: As much as I’ve enjoyed the Atlanta Hawks’ great season, which has been an amazing story, I can pick against LeBron James. The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA since the All-Star break, and James is just too good. In a seven game series, I think the top talent of James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love will win out against the overall team play of Atlanta.
Marcus: The Cavaliers will win the East. LeBron James will make his fifth NBA Finals appearance in a row and his third straight against the Spurs. Atlanta and Chicago are the only two teams in the East that can compete with Cleveland, but they won’t get the job done. The Hawks haven’t been nearly as dominant as they were a few months ago, and Derrick Rose isn’t remotely close to the MVP Derrick Rose of four years ago.
Cardenas: I’m a little iffy on this one. The Hawks have had a great season, but they are not getting any love from the fans and analysts when it comes to making a deep playoff run. They deserve to get a little more recognition. But I am going to have to go with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs have been rolling since acquiring Timofey Mozgov, JR Smith and Iman Shumpert. Even though Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving have no playoff experience, James will get them prepared for the spotlight.
Timmerman: I’m going to pick the Hawks. They have injury issues, but most teams do at this point in the season. They’re ball movement on offense is Spurs-esque, and they’re better defensively than people think. The Cavs won’t be able to guard all the Hawks shooters in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Rident: I fancy Toronto in this one. Let me explain: The semi-finals will no doubt be Toronto v Atlanta and Cleveland v Chicago. I think Toronto will create an upset against Atlanta, and I think they have the ability to beat both the Cavs and the Bulls in the final. Ambitious, I know, but you just watch…
Egbert: I want so badly to believe in Atlanta. 60 wins, even in the East, is no small thing. I just don’t see how anyone stops LeBron James & Kyrie Irving if they’re firing on all cylinders. One team to watch for though is Chicago. All that stands between the Bulls & the ECF is a reeling Washington team & the aforementioned Hawks. Bulls vs Cavs would be very interesting.
Ottenbreit: The Cavaliers. With Atlanta’s injury woes and Chicago’s lackadaisical play lately, it is hard to believe that anyone except LeBron James and friends will be in the NBA finals in June
3) Who would be your choice to win the NBA MVP award this season?
Warner: What Russell Westbrook did this season statistically was incredible and we may not see that again for some time, but his team didn’t make the playoffs, so I have to give Steph Curry the nod here. James Harden had a great season and LeBron James is the best player in the league, but the Warriors finished with a ten game lead over Houston. I think Curry nabs the award this year.
Marcus: Stephen Curry, who has been the best player on the best team all season long, should be the MVP. As dazzling as James Harden and Russell Westbrook have been, they haven’t led their respective team to a dominant 60+ win season like Curry has.
Cardenas: Even though I feel James Harden deserves it, the voters are going to give it to Stephen Curry. But, the idea of Co-MVP’s should be discussed. Both have done outstanding all season and deserve to be the MVP. But in today’s game, the MVP is usually given to the best player on the best team, which is Stephen Curry in this case.
Timmerman: James Harden. I think Steph Curry will probably win it, and I wouldn’t argue against somebody picking LeBron James, either. But very few teams have as specific of goals on offense as the Rockets (their GM, Daryl Morey, is a huge believer in the advanced metrics, and because of that, he wants his team to shoot mainly layups, free throws, and threes). Harden is the embodiment of what that franchise wants from the front office on down.
Rident: With all due respect to James Harden, for me it has to be given to Steph Curry. His team has utterly dominated the league and he has been the main reason for that. He has been a pleasure to watch night in night out, and it would be refreshing for a player like that to win the MVP trophy.
Egbert: I swear to God, I cannot understand how there is even a debate here. Yes, James Harden has been incredible, dragging a mediocre Houston team to 50+ wins. LeBron James has been great. Russell Westbrook has been the Eater of Worlds. But there is only one answer to this question & it’s not close. Steph Curry is the MVP.
Ottenbreit: While my heart says Curry, the answer has to be James Harden. The award is not for the best player on the best team, it is for the player most valuable to his team and without Harden the Rockets would be wallowing in the lottery instead of competing for the two seed.
4) Which team, from either conference, that is a 5 seed or worse has a chance to make a deep playoff run?
Warner: Since I very reluctantly went against San Antonio earlier, I have to choose them here as the one team that could potentially make some noise. It wouldn’t surprise me or anyone if the Spurs made it to the conference finals or even won the West, but they now have a tougher road ahead of them, playing from the six seed.
Marcus: I have the six-seeded Spurs winning the West, so that must mean they’re the most dangerous team, right? I think it’s safe to say that San Antonio is one of the best, if not the best, six seeds in NBA history.
Cardenas: It has to be the San Antonio Spurs. They are a 6 seed, but no one is viewing them as that. Nobody wants to play the Spurs in a seven game series. I don’t expect the Clippers to beat them in the first round. The Spurs lost to the Pelicans on the final day of the regular season, but they are still on an absolute roll right now. Don’t consider it an upset if the Spurs make it to the Finals.
Timmerman: I’m picking the Spurs to win it all, so I obviously think they’re a dangerous 6-seed, but they’re the reigning champs and aren’t catching anyone by surprise. Besides San Antonio, I’d say the Grizzlies. Their style of play works very well in the playoffs when games slow down, and defensive stops are at a premium. They can beat the Blazers and Warriors en route to the Western Conference Finals.
Rident: Spurs, obviously. And this could be more than just a run; Spurs could go all the way, and that wouldn’t be a surprise. Must be one of the first times where one of the big contenders is not in the top 4 seeds. Could be interesting.
Egbert: There just isn’t one in the East. I tried to talk myself into the Bucks, but then I laughed so hard. Out West the Memphis Grizzlies are built for the playoffs. Seven games of Z-Bo & Gasol beating you up, Conley, Carter, Green… yeah, I could see Memphis making the Western Conference Finals.
Ottenbreit: The San Antonio Spurs. What terrible luck for the Clippers. After battling all season for the three seed their reward is the defending champs who are red hot. Appears to be another chance for Chris Paul to flame out early in the playoffs.
5) When it’s all said and done in June, which team wins the NBA championship?
Warner: It’s a tough call here. I think the Cavaliers will cruise through the East, but I don’t see them knocking off whoever comes out of the West, even if they have to battle through three tough series on their way to the Finals. I’ve already said how I am nervous about the Spurs playing all their series on the road, and I think it will catch up to them and Golden State will outlast them and go on to beat LeBron James and the Cavs.
Marcus: The San Antonio Spurs will repeat as NBA champions. Gregg Popovich is a basketball wizard who will once again figure out how to solve LeBron James in the playoffs. The lack of playoff experience of the Cavaliers will also play a major role in San Antonio’s defeat of Cleveland.
Cardenas: Man, this is tough. My gut feeling tells me LeBron James is going to bring a championship to his hometown. With a mediocre Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers will not have to go through the wear and tear the West teams have to go through. Give me Spurs vs Cavs in the finals with James getting his revenge from 2007 and 2014.
Timmerman: Spurs. It’s crazy to think people were sticking a fork in the Tim Duncan Era four or five years ago. At this point, it seems like the Spurs are the Benjamin Button of the NBA and are aging backwards. Their game is just too polished for anyone to beat them.
Rident: The winner of the West, without a moment’s hesitation. It will either be Golden State or San Antonio, and as I’ve predicted above, I think it will be the Warriors. I hope so, too, because they really deserve it.
Egbert: It’s the Cavs v Warriors for the trophy. At the end of 7 games, in front of an absolutely berserk Oakland crowd, the Golden State Warriors hold up the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Ottenbreit: Cavs. James returns as a conquering hero and brings the championship to Cleveland they have so desperately desired.
Main Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
