Who is your pick to advance to the NBA Finals out of the East? Share your thoughts below!
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10#2 Boston Celtics (-140)60.00%6#1 Cleveland Cavaliers (+225)20.00%2#3 New York Knicks (+1200)0%0#4 Indiana Pacers (+2800)10.00%1#5 Milwaukee Bucks (+6000)0%0#6 Detroit Pistons (+15000)10.00%1#7 Orlando Magic (+37000)0%0#8 Atlanta Hawks (+60000)0%0#10 Miami Heat (+60000)0%0#9 Chicago Bulls (+80000)0%0 -
Boston.
The Celtics quickly jumped out to a 25-3 lead over the Cavs when they last played on 2/28. They accomplished this by clearing out for whatever player was being defended by Darius Garland and (successfully) going 1 on 1 every half court possession. After they built their lead they didn't attack Garland like this once the rest of the game. The Cavs ended up coming back and winning.
IMO Joe Mazzulla intentionally changed strategy mid-game on 2/28 so that the Cavs wouldn't come up with a counter-strategy come playoff time. When/if they meet in the playoffs I expect Mazzulla and the Celtics to relentlessly attack Garland and score at will every time the Cavs starting PG is on the floor. If my theory is right, this makes Boston a big favorite to beat Cleveland in a series and good value to win the eastern conference.Comment -
Good stuff Ian. I agree that Boston is great exploiting mismatches. They always hunt for Garland. They also attack Mobley on ball, because he then can’t give help defense, which he is very good at. Also Porzingus has totally owned Mobley on both ends. The Cavs went down early in that game because they missed shots and Boston was hitting everything. As the game progressed the Cavs started making those shots and made the comeback. The Cavs are the one team that can outscore the Celtics. It all depends on which team is hitting their 3s. Garland and Mitchell and even Jerome have been struggling from 3 the last few weeks. That is troubling. But Mitchell has scored 30+ against the Celtics the last couple of years.
The playoffs are about matchups. I think the Cavs matchup well vs the Celtics but may not be as good versus the Pacers, maybe the tough, rough Pistons or Atlanta and Trae. Which is why I think the Celtics are the team to beat. They can matchup with any team and they have the experience. The Cavs have some matchup holes and lack the experience. And I’m a HUGE Cavs fan.Comment -
The Pacers could upset the Celtics or Cavs but no way will the Knicks. Boston and Cleveland have too much depth. The Knicks short rotation can’t keep up with either team. Plus the Knicks just can’t score enough points. The Pacers can score with either team. The Knicks have not won a single game versus the Cavs, Celtics, OKC or Rockets. They’ve lost every game to the top 4 teams in the league.Comment -
The 2 teams that stand out to me are the Hawks and the Pistons. They’ve lost every Hawks are a streaky team that can score and defend when locked in. Trae is very hard to defend when he’s on. He can score and set the table for others. They have long wings that can defend. The Hawks have playoff experience as well. +60000 feels like a steal to me.
The Pistons are recreating the Bad Boyz II. They are the new bullies on the block. Bickerstaff has reinvented this team and they have a bad attitude of disrespect for the league. They may not be ready yet but they’re close. No team wants to play them. +15000 has a lot of value.Comment -
Who is the comedian who voted for the pistons???Comment -
I think the Pistons have a great shot at winning the series. They went 3-1 vs them this season, winning the last 3 games pretty decisively. A lot depends on how healthy Brunson really is. I still don’t think he has his legs fully but he is such a beast. My issue with the Knicks is that they have such a short bench, they tire in the 2nd half. The schedule favors them as they get 3 days rest per game which is too long imo. I think this series is a coin flip and will go at least 6 maybe 7.Comment -
i bet knicks 4-0 +475Comment -
Bucks and Pacers are already off to the races!Comment
