2020-21 NBA Postseason: Predictions And Picks For The First Round Of The Eastern Conference Playoffs

2020-21 NBA Postseason: Predictions And Picks For The First Round Of The Eastern Conference Playoffs

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by | May 22, 2021 | Featured, NBA

With a condensed season, riddled with pandemic-related precautions and the league’s first ever Play-In Tournament coming to an exciting conclusion, the 2020-2021 NBA Playoffs are merely hours away from commencement. The stage is set once again and there are 16 teams prepared to battle their way to a shot at an NBA Championship. Now more than ever does it seem like a multitude of teams have a legitimate shot at raising this year’s Larry O’Brien trophy, but before any speculation can occur, we set our eyes on the first round match-ups and ponder on how the sets of series we have in store will play out.

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Philadelphia 76ers (#1) vs. Washington Wizards (#8)

Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, and the Washington Wizards are fresh off their victory against the Indiana Pacers to stamp their tickets to this year’s Playoffs. However, the Wizards will be instantly put to the test against their first round match-up, the Philadelphia 76ers. Going into this, the 76ers dominated the regular season series having won all three games, hoping to continue that very success against the Wizards. Perhaps even more interesting though is the underlying storyline surrounding this match-up, being the relationship, or lack thereof, between Russell Westbrook and Joel Embiid. This feud dates back all the way to Westbrook’s time in Oklahoma alongside Paul George, where things got heated between the two superstars with some lively exchanges on the court and some memorable off court interviews when asked about one another. Ultimately, the Washington Wizards have their work cut out for them. Based off the regular season, it seems that it’ll take quite the performance from both Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal in order for them to take any games off the likes of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, assuming both parties can remain healthy throughout the course of the series. However, it also doesn’t seem too farfetched for the Wizards to pick up some wins.

Prediction: 76ers in five.

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Brooklyn Nets (#2) vs. Boston Celtics (#7)

Also coming off a recent victory in the NBA Play-In’s, the Boston Celtics will be facing off against the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of this year’s Playoffs. After scoring 50 in his last outing against the Washington Wizards, it seems Jayson Tatum and crew will need to play at an equal level to keep up with some say is this year’s favorites to win it all in the star-studded line up that is the Brooklyn Nets. It is very much a possibility that the Celtics will be able to scrounge out some wins as long as Tatum and Walker can provide offensively in addition to the role players being able to hit shots and play defense. Unfortunately for them, however, it’s almost guaranteed that the Celtics are going to miss Jaylen Brown going into this match-up. As for the Nets, unless too many players either get shut down defensively, they’re surely to never fall short on the offensive side of the ball having as many options as they do. It goes without saying that anyone one player, or perhaps even more, will be able to shoulder the scoring load, whether it be Kevin Durant, James Harden, or Kyrie Irving. The biggest chink in the Nets’ armor is hoping that their players will be able to remain healthy throughout was is sure to be a gritty series.

Prediction: Nets in six.

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Milwaukee Bucks (#3) vs. Miami Heat (#6)

Despite only being a first round match-up, this series just may be the one to watch as we have a rematch of last year’s Semi-Final with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks facing off against last year’s Eastern Conference Champions in Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. Although having seeded 3rd this season, the Bucks seem more prepared in season’s past for the Playoffs with the addition of Jrue Holiday. In addition, with all the skepticism he’s been receiving to his Playoff performances thus far, Giannis truly has something to prove going into this year’s Playoffs. However, we would be remiss to count out Jimmy Butler and the Heat after the run they made last season making it all the way to NBA Finals. This rematch is bound to be proven as must-see with all the underlying storylines that accompany these two teams as of late. It does seem that with the addition of Jrue Holiday that the Bucks are a much more solid team on both ends of the floor, which truly makes things more interesting having already had two teams with high defensive capability.

Prediction: Bucks in seven.

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New York Knicks (#4) vs. Atlanta Hawks (#5)

The Knicks have rallied to make an incredible push, punching themselves a ticket to the Playoffs after being away since the 2012-2013 season. Unfortunately things don’t get any easier by any stretch of the imagination, as the begin their road to the Championship facing off against Trae Young and the Hawks. This particular match-up is actually quite interesting in the sense of New York’s physical and sweltering defense versus the offensive potential the Hawks have. There are a number of factors that can sway this series either way, such as both teams’ production off the bench in players like Derrick Rose and Lou Williams, respectively. Will the Knicks be able to keep up the pace the Hawks play at offensively and can the Hawks handle the Knicks’ top rated defense? This seems to be the one match-up that is the most up in the air amongst many. Despite both teams coming into the Playoffs with a lot momentum, it truly seems like the Knicks are the dark horse in the Eastern Conference.

Prediction: Knicks in seven.

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Here at SneakerReporter, we alongside the rest of the world are excited for things to begin and see how our respective teams will stack up against the rest. Fortunately for us the time has come for the 2020-2021 NBA Playoffs to begin, with the first game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat to kick things off today, May 22nd, at 11a.m. PST/ 2pm ET on ESPN.

 

 

May 22, 2021 No Comments
SR – NBA Play-In Tournament Eastern Conference Preview

SR – NBA Play-In Tournament Eastern Conference Preview

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by | May 17, 2021 | Featured, NBA

The regular season has reached its conclusion and the stage is set for the 2021 NBA Playoffs. At least, almost set. Before things get into full swing, we’ll be witnessing the league’s Inaugural Play-In Tournament, outside of last year’s bubble. This year’s Eastern Conference match-ups will include some of the biggest names in the league, with their sights set on making it to the Playoffs. Our 7th and 8th seed match-up will include Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics versus Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook, and the Washington Wizards. Our 9th and 10th seed match-up has Damontis Sabonis and the Indiana Pacers facing off against LaMelo Ball and the young Charlotte Hornets.

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Boston Celtics (7th) vs. Washington Wizards (8th)

The Celtics and the Wizards find themselves with the opportunity to ensure the 7th seed with only one another standing in their path. During the regular season, the Celtics won the season series 2-1 over the Wizards. However, with star SG Jaylen Brown out of the picture with a recent wrist surgery for Boston, nothing is truly ensured going into this game.

The Celtics surely didn’t see themselves participating in the Play-In Tournament this season, after being 3rd seed and making a Eastern Conference Finals appearances only a season ago. This game will either help or hinder the Celtics’ chances on making another deep Playoff run where they can set the tone for themselves early or find themselves having play extra games just to even participate in the Playoffs. Hopefully for the Celtics they won’t miss Jaylen Brown’s impact too much now with their acquisitions prior to the trade deadline in Evan Fournier and Jabari Parker. As long as the remaining Celtic roster can remain healthy, they may just be able to make the deep Playoff push they were expecting to make.

The Wizards on the other hand didn’t share a similar story going into this season. After trading John Wall for Russell Westbrook, and not starting off the season particularly well, many wrote off the Wizards for a bottom tier team this season. However what many seem to forget is that the Wizards happen to have two of the most underrated, under-appreciated individuals who thrive in defying the odds. Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal slowly worked their way to changing the narrative of the Wizards organization putting themselves into the 8th seed position. However, a big question this season has always been Bradley Beal’s health. Beal has been dealing with a hamstring injury, and reports have stated that said hamstring will not be at 100% by the time of the Play-In.

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Indiana Pacers (9th) vs. Charlotte Hornets (10th)

Although the more difficult route, both the Pacers and the Hornets find themselves with the opportunity to play for the 8th seed. The Hornets had won the regular season series going to 2-1 against the Pacers. Now that LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges are now back in the line-up, they are in a strong position to make the 8th seed. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the Indiana Pacers, who currently have 7 players on their Injury List, although 4 players are a game time decision. However with names such as Jeremy Lamb, Myles Turner, and T.J. Warren out for the season, All-Star PF Damontis Sabonis and crew have a tall task just to make it to this year’s Playoffs.

Like the Celtics, the Pacers surely didn’t believe they would find themselves participating in this year’s Play-In Tournament after taking the 4th seed last year. The team is definitely hoping to make a deeper Playoff push after having an early First-Round exit to the Miami Heat in the bubble last year. Again it needs to be said that the Pacers are suffering from quite an extensive injury list which hopefully does not hinder their chances during such a crucial time too badly.

On the other side of this match-up, it is an exciting time to be a Hornets fan. After just barely being on the outside of last year’s bubble, they have the chance to make their first Playoff appearance since the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Similarly to the Wizards, the Hornets were not necessarily expected to be in the conversation of the Playoffs now that the Eastern Conference arguably got stronger this season. It will be interesting to see how the fairly young Hornets roster will stack up in post-season basketball. Regardless of how things may unfold for the Hornets, both Hornets fans and fans across the NBA can only hope that their games are announced by Hornets’ announcer in Eric Collins.

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The 2020-2021 NBA Postseason officially begins and 20 teams will now have the opportunity to compete for this year’s NBA Championship. The Play-In Tournament begins on May 18th at 6:30 ET with coverage provided by TNT.

 

 

May 17, 2021 No Comments
SR – NBA 2020-2021 Season Trade Deadline Preview

SR – NBA 2020-2021 Season Trade Deadline Preview

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by | Mar 20, 2021 | Featured, NBA

With the NBA 2020-2021 Season Trade Deadline approaching March 25th, there’s much to unpack about roster changes and what teams are going to look like on the back half of the season. There have already been several reports of players being moved to new organizations, most recently that come to mind would be Blake Griffin to the Brooklyn Nets and P.J. Tucker to the Milwaukee Bucks. Here we will be looking at 10 different players and trade headlines that have been in talks of speculation as the Deadline draws near.

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1. Victor Oladipo, SG Houston Rockets

With the acquisition of Oladipo during the season after James Harden’s great departure from Houston, the Rockets had high hopes for the team do well. Unfortunately that hasn’t been quite panned out, with an 11-29 record leaving them as second to last in the Western Conference. Oladipo in Houston also doesn’t seem like it will pan out either, with him denying his extension that was offered by the Houston front office.

Potential Destinations:

  • Miami Heat
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Philadelphia 76ers

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2. Lonzo Ball, PG New Orleans Pelicans

There has been a lot talk regarding Lonzo Ball and his status as a Pelican. Many media outlets chipped in the conversation, determining whether or not Ball should stay in New Orleans. Fellow teammates have also spoke out upon the subject, like star Forward Zion Williamson hoping for Lonzo to continue his career alongside him. Ball has been doing exceptional thus far as well, which both helps him make his claim to stay but also make him a target for other teams as one to potentially trade for.

Potential Destinations:

  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Charlotte Hornets

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3. LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C San Antonio Spurs

LaMarcus Aldridge seems to always been an under the radar player in the league, never not being able to provide for his team. So it was somewhat of a surprise when he and the San Antonio Spurs decided to part ways. Aldridge has always had a talent for scoring, which makes him a commodity to many teams. His ability to both play as a  stretch and a traditional big is exactly the kind of versatility that teams would be interested in having on their roster.

Potential Destinations:

  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Charlotte Hornets

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4. Lou Williams, SG Los Angeles Clippers

Lou Williams has been quite the household name in Los Angeles for the Clippers ever since he came many years ago. His pure ability to score could be useful to a whole lot of teams, and surely a trade could potentially be equally beneficial for the Clippers and whomever wants Lou Williams.

Potential Destinations:

  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Orlando Magic
  • Golden State Warriors

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5. John Collins, PF Atlanta Hawks

John Collins has made strides in his young career thus far. He’s become a versatile player on both ends of the floor, athletic, finishes well, has become a decent shooter, and could really guard 1-5, something a bunch of teams could use. Although the Hawks are currently holding a .500 record at 20-20, they could potentially be looking for additional pieces that could propel them up even further.

Potential Destinations:

  • Portland Trailblazers
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors

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6. Orlando Magic

Despite making a Playoff run last year in the NBA Bubble, the Magic have struggled to get wins this season, standing with a record of 14-27. The question bares whether or not they’re short a couple of pieces or the Magic front office need to blow up the team and look towards a rebuild. There really is no speculation on who would go where or what they need exactly, but one of the two outcomes seems more likely than naught.

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7. Boston Celtics

By no stretch of the imagination should the Boston Celtics ever even think about trading away their core pieces, but need to consider who exactly they surround their core with. With the their signing of Tristan Thompson over last year’s off-season, things haven’t quite panned out for the C’s. They’ve seem to be having a season they didn’t necessarily expect, with a record of 20-21, despite having incredible individual seasons from Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. The Celtics would more than likely benefit from a rebounding big, only averaging 43.3 a game, ranking 17th league wide.

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8. Warriors’ Aggressive into the Deadline

There have numerous reports of the Warriors’ front office stating that they’ll be approaching the Deadline “aggressively”, which seems more apparent than ever while the Warriors sit just outside the Playoffs with a record of 22-20. Although the roster has begun gelling and coming together, with Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andrew Wiggins both coming into form, they may be a piece or two away from making quite the Playoff push on the back half of the season.

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9. Cleveland’s Bigs

James Harden’s departure from Houston shook up the league in more ways than people may realize. In Cleveland’s case, the Cavs acquired another big in Jarrett Allen, and with said acquisition it would seem that there may be quite a bit more bigs than needed. This leaves Drummond and McGee up for trade talks, which is also something that teams league wide are heavily interested in. It remains to be seen where exactly each of the bigs will land come March 25th, but surely teams are looking towards Cleveland to make some trades.

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10. Los Angeles’ Championship or Bust?

Last but not least, we have the Los Angeles teams. Both teams are doing just fine with their current rosters having been in the top of the rankings since the beginning stages of the season, but with injuries and other factors, surely the organizations have been exploring their options in bolstering their rosters come Playoff time. There clearly has been some apparent issues for both teams as we’ve seen throughout the course of the season thus far, and said issues can be addressed with this deadline. The Lakers went into the season more so taking strides towards small ball, acquiring more shooting than last year’s multitude big rotation. As for the Clippers, they too have been yearning for a reliable big, which originally was found in Serge Ibaka but due to injury has been away for some time now. It would come as a surprise of either team makes no changes to their roster before the deadline.

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Although there are many more potential trades that can occur before March 25th approaches, this was merely a small glimpse into how things may unfold. With further coverage of the NBA Trade Deadline and all things sports, sneakers, and lifestyle related, be sure to check in with SneakerReporter.

 

 

Mar 20, 2021 No Comments
SneakerReporter NBA 2020-2021 Season All-Star Weekend Events

SneakerReporter NBA 2020-2021 Season All-Star Weekend Events

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by | Mar 3, 2021 | Featured, NBA

The NBA All-Star Weekend is right on the horizon and fans can look forward to most of the events that they’ve come to enjoy all in one night. Unfortunately due to Health and Safety Protocols regarding the current COVID-19 Pandemic, the Celebrity game will not be taking place this year. Nevertheless, we’ll still be able to bare witness to the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Mountain Dew 3-Point Contest, and AT&T Slam Dunk Contest on alongside the Rising Stars and All-Star Game.

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  • Robert Covington, Portland Trailblazers
  • Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
  • Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns
  • Julius Randle, New York Knicks
  • Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers
  • Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic

For this year’s NBA Skills Challenge, we have a variety of players from both Conferences. All participating players are definitely versatile players, but the difference maker for this particular challenge is pace and efficiency. Who’ll be able to transition smoothly from one obstacle to the next with minimal complications? Some typically believe going into it that the Guards/Wings would have the advantage, but we’ve seen in years past that the Front Courts of the NBA can win. The Taco Bell Skills Challenge will begin at 6:30PM ET before the All-Star Game.

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  • Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns, 3PT%: 37%
  • Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics, 3PT%: 39%
  • Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors, 3PT%: 41%
  • Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls, 3PT%: 43%
  • Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz, 3PT%: 38%
  • Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 3PT%: 36%

Some of the biggest names in basketball will be participating in this year’s Mountain Dew 3-Point Contest, all prolific in hitting shots from deep. Celtics duo Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will represent Boston and the Eastern Conference alongside two-time Dunk Contest Champion and Chicago Bulls Guard Zach LaVine, who hopes to add 3-Point Champion to his list of accomplishments. For the Western Conference, former 3-Point Champion and Phoenix Suns’ Guard Devin Booker will be representing the Western Conference alongside the Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell and fellow former 3-Point Champion Stephen Curry. The Mountain Dew 3-Point Contest is to take place upon completion of the Taco Bell Skills Challenge before the All-Star Game.

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Last but certainly not least, we have the fan favorite AT&T Slam Dunk Contest. With this year the NBA has chosen only 3, compared to last year’s 4, young talents in:

  • Obi Toppin, New York Knicks
  • Anfernee Simons, Portland Trailblazers
  • Cassius Stanley, Indiana Pacers

Besides the obvious excitement that the Dunk Contest provides, another aspect about this year is that some fans may not know of the abilities that these participants possess in regards of getting up and throwing down. Fans will surely be in store for an electrifying competition. The AT&T Dunk Contest will take place at the Halftime break during the All-Star Game.

The events of the NBA 2021 All-Star Weekend in One Day comes this Sunday, March 7. Be sure to tune in, full coverage beginning at 5PM ET on TNT.

 

Mar 3, 2021 No Comments
SneakerReporter Presents – The Next Hot Hand: Immanuel Quickley

SneakerReporter Presents – The Next Hot Hand: Immanuel Quickley

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by | Feb 24, 2021 | Featured, NBA

We’re just approaching the All-Star Break into the NBA Season and there’s already been much to talk about, from Brooklyn’s Big 3 to how the health and safety protocols are impacting everyone league wide. With the new season as well as the New Year, we here at SneakerReporter present to you a new segment to the platform, The Next Hot Hand.

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Typically fans and media alike tend to focus in on the premier, quintessential names around the league like the LeBron James’ and the Kevin Durants’, and rightfully so. However with the league getting younger and younger as the season’s come and go, The Next Hot Hand we will be highlighting the league’s underdogs and up-and-coming talents with a breakdown provided with their basketball career history thus far and an overall look at these individuals as players. With that all out of the way, now we take a look into our first subject of discussion in The Next Hot Hand, New York Knicks’ Rookie Guard, Immanuel Quickley.

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Immanuel Quickley

Immanuel Quickley of Havre de Grace, Maryland has had a surprisingly quiet yet illustrious career leading up to the NBA, from scoring the bucket to win the BCL Championship as a sophomore in high school, which ultimately led him to receiving All-Metro Player of the Year recognition, to being a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school. After a year in Kentucky where he averaged 5.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists as a Freshman, he immediately flipped the switch going into his Sophomore season. Quickley ended the regular season with 16.1 points and 4.2 rebounds, named 2020’s SEC Player of the Year as well as named to First-team All-SEC. With an impressive season and all the confidence in the world, Quickley declares for the 2020 NBA Draft to get selected as the 25th pick to play in the Mecca of Basketball, as a New York Knick.

Quickley gained the love of Knicks fans and teammates rather, well, quickly. It didn’t take long for him to adjust to the league, having scored a season/career high 31 points against the Portland Trailblazers only 18 games into the season. Everyone league wide has taken notice of the young 21 year-old, being seen and talked about on a multitude of media outlets. Teammate and first time All-Star Julius Randle took to New Orleans Pelicans’ Guard and NBA Veteran JJ Redicks’ podcast, The Old Man and the Three, and when was asked about Quickley, said,

“Dude works extremely hard. He’ll get shots up after the game. He’ll be early to the gym, he’ll stay late. And I don’t care who you are as a player, if you got that type of attitude/mindset, you’re gonna have a long career. That’s what I like about Quick (Quickley), his mindset and approach to the game of basketball.”

–Julius Randle                  

It is clear to us all that the New York Knicks have found themselves the epitome of a gym rat, in the best meaning of the phrase possible. There has been testament after testament regarding Quickley’s work ethic and drive to be the best basketball player he can be, especially now that he has the facilities and training staff to do so. According to reports, Quickley never really had a go to trainer prior to his time in the league, and it is because of this he found himself reaching out to YouTuber, NBA Playmaker, renowned trainer and overall hooper in Devin Williams (IN THE LAB). Williams holds an online series called The Academy, where he takes players worldwide and shows them a high level of learning when it comes to the game of basketball. If you know Devin Williams at all you would know that he has an exceptional basketball mind, and surely Quickley picked up a thing or two from such experiences.

Quickley has proven thus far that he is not only capable but he is confident that he belongs in the league, which can be said for all players. But being able to just look a little bit deeper into these players’ stories we see the dedication and work it takes to get to where they are. It seems quite apparent that Quickley has the potential to be a franchise player in the NBA, and with his ability to play and his drive to get better, that may just be something in the foreseeable future. Ultimately, this is just a minor look into his efforts as an NBA player and the fact that he is only in his first year truly shows that the sky is the limit for Immanuel Quickley, SneakerReporter’s first Next Hot Hand.

Feb 24, 2021 No Comments