The NBA Playoffs are finally here. And for the first time in a while, the Eastern Conference is significantly deeper than the Western Conference. There are many storylines going into the playoffs. Can the Toronto Raptors finally get out of the first round? Can the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers both make it to the Conference Finals and have the series that everyone wants to see? Three writers from the LWOS Basketball department gave their predictions on who they think will come out of the first round.
Eastern Conference First Round Preview and Predictions
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Detroit Pistons
Matthew Cardenas: If there really needs to be any drama in this playoff series, Reggie Jackson is calling this a David Vs. Goliath matchup. Unfortunately, his team is not going to have that much success. The Cavaliers have the advantage at each position except for center. Andre Drummond and Tristan Thompson are going to battle it out in the paint all series. It will be exciting watching the match-up between Jackson and Kyrie Irving. This will be a great learning experience for the Pistons going forward. In the end, the Cavaliers are the far superior team. They are not going to let the Pistons get in the way of anything. I’ll give the Pistons one game. Cavaliers in 5.
Adam Joseph: Cavaliers Off. Rating 108.1 (4th), Def. Rating 102.3 (10th)
Pistons: Off. Rating 103.3 (15th), Def. Rating 103.4 (13th)
It’s going to take a miracle for the Pistons to win this series, or horrible injury troubles for the Cavaliers. Their offense is simply too powerful, and the Pistons would need to get hot from the perimeter for at least four games to even stand a chance. The Cavaliers have the bigs to neutralize Andre Drummond, while Reggie Jackson’s skills can be nullified by Kryie Irving’s. Then of course, there’s LeBron James. Cavaliers in 5.
Daniel Scheer: Lebron James and the Cavs finally begin their quest searching for another finals berth, along with an NBA championship. They come into this series as huge favorites over the eighth seeded Pistons. The Pistons, however, will embrace this opportunity and do whatever they can to stop them. This match-up may be a lot closer than most people expect, as the Pistons took the season series from the Cavs three games to one. That said, the playoffs are a whole different animal than the regular season. With Cleveland having more playoff experience, Lebron carries his team to a hard fought first round series win. Cavaliers in 6.
(2) Toronto Raptors vs. (7) Indiana Pacers
Matthew Cardenas: I’m actually really looking forward to this series. The Raptors are known for not having that much success in the first round the past couple of years. The Pacers are back in the playoffs after missing out last season due to the pre-season injury to Paul George. He is back at full health and wants to remind everyone just how good he is. But, he has been inconsistent this season and he can’t have that happen in the playoffs. Monta Ellis really needs to step up for the Pacers if they want a legitimate shot of winning this series. The role players are going to key for each of these teams. In the end, the Raptors have the better overall team. But, the Pacers aren’t going to make it easy. Raptors in 6.
Adam Joseph: Raptors: Off. Rating 107.0 (5th), Def. Rating 102.7 (11th)
Pacers: Off. Rating 102.4 (24th), Def. Rating 100.2 (3rd)
Frank Vogel’s coaching will be a key for the Pacers, and Paul George will need to be at his very best to give the Pacers a serious chance. It could go the distance if things go right for Indiana, but their anemic offense could be their underdog. Toronto’s backcourt gives them a serious edge, as well as the return of DeMarre Carroll to negate George’s impact. Raptors in 6.
Daniel Scheer: Just like the Detroit Pistons, the Indiana Pacers come into this series as huge underdogs, and with good reason. In their last 11 meetings with the Toronto Raptors, they have won a measly three games, including a three to one season series loss in 2016. With DeMarre Caroll back in the lineup, and Demar Derozan along with Kyle Lowry tearing up the league this year, this first round match-up looks to be one of the easier victories for the team with home court advantage. Toronto wins a playoff series for the second time in their history. Raptors in 5.
(3) Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets
Matthew Cardenas: This might be the most exciting first round series in the Eastern Conference. These teams match up very well. The match-up between Kemba Walker and Goran Dragic will have a big impact on who wins this series. A big question for the Hornets is if they will be able to contain Hassan Whiteside in the paint. Both of these teams have very strong second units and can really make an impact. It’s very hard to give a prediction for this series. I’ll go with Heat in 7 simply because of the experience.
Adam Joseph: Heat: Off. Rating 104.2 (12th), Def. Rating 101.5 (7th)
Hornets: Off. Rating 105.1 (9th), Def. Rating 101.8 (9th)
Arguably one of the most exciting series of the first round, the Hornets have the potential on both ends to cause the Heat real trouble. The key for Charlotte is health, with Nicolas Batum swift return from an ankle injury imperative to their chances as a dark horse in the East. Hassan Whiteside is the talisman for Miami. If he doesn’t get rattled by his first big Playoff series, Miami should be able to take care of business. Heat in 7.
Daniel Scheer: Two years ago, these two teams met in the first round of the playoffs when Lebron led the Heat to a 4-0 sweep. This Heat team has a much different look this time to it, especially now that Chris Bosh announced he won’t be back for the rest of the season, no matter how far the Heat end up going. It was a much-improved season for both teams as they come into the 2015-2016 playoffs against one another after both teams failed to qualify for last year’s playoffs. These two teams come into this first round matchup with identical 48-34 records while both teams won two games in the season series. This matchup screams defense first for both teams all series long. These two teams had two of the top defenses all year, with Miami finishing seventh in defensive efficiency while Charlotte finished in ninth. Solving Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson will be no easy task for Miami, as they gave them fits in the season series. Ultimately, experience will take over in this series with the Heat coming out victorious. Heat in 7.
(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Boston Celtics
Matthew Cardenas: I’m also really looking forward to this match-up. The Celtics and Hawks are some of the hottest teams going into the playoffs. Both of these teams are athletic and this will be a fast-paced series. Both Atlanta and Boston struggle with not having a true closer on their team. The Celtics are not as talented as the Hawks, but their style of play is going to be a hassle for the Hawks. Can Isaiah Thomas lead the Celtics to a playoff series victory? Although both teams lack a true closer, the Hawks have more stars than the Celtics. That will put them over the top. The Celtics are still a very young team and need another year to develop. Hawks in 7.
Adam Joseph: Hawks Off. Rating 103.0 (18th), Def. Rating 98.8 (2nd)
Celtics: Off. Rating 103.9 (13th), Def. Rating 100.9 (4th)
The NBA TV series will be this one. The NBA’s best defense in 2016 (Atlanta’s) versus one of the best coaches, hardest playing outfits in the league (Boston). If Boston’s array of bigs can nullify the impact of the brilliant Al Horford and Paul Millsap, it’ll go a long way to helping them win this series. The Hawks took the season series 3-1, and might have too much power on both ends for the young Celtics. Hawks in 7.
Daniel Shceer: This match-up features two teams that went in opposite directions this year. Last year the Hawks finished with a team record 60 wins while coming first in the East. This year they came fourth in the East while finishing with 48 wins. A big downgrade. The Celtics finished last season as the seventh seed in the East while accumulating 40 wins. This year they come in as the fifth seed with 48 wins. With both teams having identical records of 48-34, this match-up looks to be a back and fourth affair, with the teams matching each other basket for basket. Home court looks to be the difference in this four-five matchup. Hawks in 7.
