Happy Playoffs day! It feels good to say that.
By now, all of the teams inside the bubble have finished up their final regular-season games inside the Lake Buena Vista Bubble on the Disney Springs campus. That means one thing, and one thing only: the Playoffs picture is ready to determine itself a winner in both conferences, and they’re awaiting play to formulate a winner of each Finals berth.
It feels refreshing to have some parity for a change in an East so easily dominated by one major faction for just about half a decade (Miami, Cleveland, etc.) and as it stands, the Eastern Conference is realistically split between four to six teams that have a viable and legitimate chance to head to the Finals outright.
But surprisingly, what we all prophesized before the season opener was wrong, in regards to the maximum number of competitive squads that would be deemed a threat in a conference that’s been described as inferior when compared to the West. At the top of the food chain lie the Milwaukee Bucks for a second-straight year, thanks to the help of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the sportsbook’s favorite to reclaim the MVP in consecutive seasons.
But not too far behind them are our defending champion Toronto Raptors, who have a better record without Kawhi Leonard this year than what they did last year with him suiting up in Raptor red. Next to them, are the not-too-distant Boston Celtics who, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, are a top-3 offensive and defensive team in all of basketball.
And the dark horse of the East, Miami is slotted at fourth with much more dangerous intentions of a measly second-round exit. An (almost) healthy Pacers squad, as well as an Al Horford and Joel Embiid-led 76ers team, round out an arduous path for any and all Eastern Conference factions looking to stamp their tickets to what could be far and away the most interesting and difficult NBA Finals ever won, to date.
So what better way to prepare our readers than a brief team breakdown of each Eastern Conference team looking to clash in the playoffs this year as well as a first-round matchup breakdown, with the postseason officially tipping off on Monday, August 17? I can’t think of a better one, so let’s get into it.
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Eastern Team Breakdowns, From Seeds 1 Through 8
1. Milwaukee Bucks (56-17, 1st in East) – Quite simply, it’s Giannis’ Bucks’ Eastern Conference to lose. They have all they need on paper, no injuries, or opt-outs to report on their player activation list. This big, lanky, sharpshooting Goliath that stands atop the East and the entire NBA with the league’s best record, Milwaukee is undoubtedly the East’s most balanced team with the greatest of probabilities of anyone in the conference to get to the Finals.
Nary has there been so many accolades and seasonal milestones achieved in a shorter time frame than Mike Budenholzer’s Bucks during their historic 2019-20 regular season. MVPs, Coach of the Year awards, two straight years of 50+ wins, the second-highest average scoring margin of any team in NBA history during their 56-win season, the finishing the season as the most offensively and defensively-efficient team in the league, have all been a part of this championship effort a whole half-decade in the making.
MVP frontrunner Antetokounmpo (29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game) isn’t dubbed the Greek Freak without reason. The 6’8 wing is a gifted and virtually unguardable slasher both in the halfcourt and in transition, and he is averaging more points, rebounds, and assists than he did last year when he won his first MVP. He’s had help to get to the top of the rankings again, most notably from the other double-digit scorer and Giannis’ accomplice Khris Middleton (20.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game). Middleton is the team’s second All-Star and is the team’s go-to scorer that is known for searching for his own shot when Antetokounmpo can’t break down the defense by himself.
With the help of the Lopez Twins (Brook and Robin, if you didn’t know) who specialize in posting up and stretching the floor with their three-ball, overpowering point guard Eric Bledsoe, 3 and D man Wesley Mathews, and a wide array of scorers that get theirs from behind the perimeter, Milwaukee wants to exorcise the demons of their Conference Finals loss last year, with much more potential for things to be done differently this time.
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2. Toronto Raptors (53-19, 2nd in East) – No Kawhi Leonard, no problem. At least, in Nick Nurse’s eyes. With the second seed in the East, these resilient Raptors have proven themselves to be no easy out as a team that plays such a unified brand of ball night-in and night-out.
Nurse’s response to the question of who could immediately step up and replace the 26.6 ppg., 7.3 rpg., and 3.3 apg. the two-time Finals MVP Leonard put up during Toronto’s first championship year (and more specifically, the 30.5 ppg., 9.1 rpg., and 3.9 apg.- averaged record performances he put up during that playoff run)?
More bodies, and the faith entrusted in first-time All-Star Pascal Siakam to get them back into the realm of title retention.
All of the headlines centered around Toronto centered to one point: they’re an incomplete, mid-tier team missing a go-to scorer who can take over games by isolating and collapsing defenses with their singular movement. Of course, that’s been the case for Toronto at times, but they’ve accomplished a multitude of things this year playing by committee, furthering the belief that no one man is superior to the next.
“Underdogs” were the title bestowed upon Canada’s defending champs even with fellow All-Star (and quite frankly, the — debatable — greatest Raptor of all-time) Kyle Lowry, and other proven vets like Fred VanVleet, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka accompanying Siakam. What really garnered Coach of the Year votes for Nick Nurse, who finished third in the award voting: Toronto’s rotational pieces.
Guys on the depth chart like Chris Boucher, rookie Terance Davis III, Norman Powell, and OG Anunoby have contributed greatly to a Raps team that’s pesky on the defensive end, finishing their regular season at 2nd in the NBA in total defensive efficiency. However, It’ll be up for the playoffs to show if Leonard’s presence will be missed come playoff time since we all know how hard it can be to get favorable looks for your stars, as Toronto is ranked 13th in the league for total offensive rating.
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3. Boston Celtics (48-24, 3rd in East) – For Boston, they can go ahead and scratch last year’s inability to turn title expectations into Banner #18. A lot went into Boston being trounced in five by Milwaukee last year, and it simply boiled down to a lack of fit when talking about the ongoing stagger and decline of Boston’s chemistry with former All-Star Kyrie Irving. A good relationship soured forced Boston’s hand in trade talks, as they let Kyrie walk in Free Agency. He’d end up in Brooklyn and, well, you know the rest of the story.
This year, the chemistry problems are quite definitely no more. The 2019-20 Boston Celtics are an exact antithesis to what they were a season ago. Their problems ranged from key wing scorers struggling to find their way in Brad Stevens’ system, the difficulty in mingling in the still-healing Gordon Hayward who was readjusting to NBA pace after that gruesome leg injury in 2017, and the jumps that both first-rounders Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had to make after such a successful 2017-18 campaign.
That quickly became retrospect for the Celtics. Getting Kemba Walker in the summer of 2019 was already a part of a tumultuous offseason, an offseason that also included the long-term signings of Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart as well as the trade of Marcus Morris to the Knicks.
But Boston’s year felt like a breath of fresh air, regardless if Boston came up short of their goal of consecutive seasons with 50 wins. Those ego clashes vanished, the ball didn’t stick with just the guard creating shots, Walker picked up right where he left off while previously in Charlotte, Hayward seemed like his old self, Brown proved that he was worth the money averaging 20.3 ppg., 6.4 rpg., and 2.1 apg. and Jayson Tatum may have ascended himself into nationwide, household-name superstardom in the matter of a year, becoming the only Celtic since Larry Bird to average 30+ ppg. in a single month a little before the All-Star break.
Third-year big Daniel Theis has been roaming the paint this year, sending shots back as well as being an efficient screen setter for both perimeter scorers and drivers, and Marcus Smart should expect to earn First-Team All-Defense honors after this year’s over.
Boston’s bench is questionable, considering they’re 13th in the league in total bench points, but no injuries and opt-outs have affected them during their bubble restart, in which they’ve gone 5-3. If they can carry their offensive firepower and length-endowed defense into the postseason, don’t be surprised if you happen to see these Celtics somewhere near the Conference Finals.
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4. Indiana Pacers (45-28, 5th in East) – A team that’s had one of the more complex situations entering the playoffs, Indiana has more optimism than ever, even with losing their lone All-Star Domantas Sabonis to plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The timetable for his return is still very much up in the air. As his replacement, Myles Turner will be looked at as the starting center/forward combination that’ll have to hold things down for Indiana in Sabonis’ inconclusive absence.
Additionally, the impending health of Victor Oladipo will tell the tale of whether this Pacers team is serious about a deep playoff run during this time in Florida, but if anything’s considered, he’s been ready to go for a while and could be another lethal weapon in Nate McMillan’s arsenal if he’s 100 percent healed up from his ruptured quad tendon suffered last January. Only averaging a little over 14 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this season, Victor Oladipo is one of the game’s most dynamic and explosive superstars that can break a game wide open if you let him get hot.
Assisted in that backcourt by Oladipo is the 2017 Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, acquired last offseason from the contending Milwaukee Bucks. It was a jackpot kind of investment for Indy in more ways than just on-court as he averaged 16.2 points, 7 assists, and 4.6 rebounds a game this season, a compliment to his transcendent leadership qualities as a leader.
But the talk of the team — better yet the whole bubble — has been the emergence of “Tony Bubble” himself, TJ Warren. If there was a Most Improved Player award in the Bubble like how there’s been an MVP, Sixth Man of the Year, and Rookie of the Year, Warren would be running uncontested in that award’s campaign.
The Pacers forward has been the pleasant surprise for Indiana in the bubble, making the All-Bubble First Team by averaging 31.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks in six games. Call it a streak of catching fire at the perfect opportunity, but to think he was averaging 19.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on the season when seeing him cook defenses left and right just draining tough off-balance jumpers and floaters has been elating. He missed the last two regular-season games due to the same plantar fasciitis impediment that Sabonis is being held out with but in his words, “I’m gonna be good, either way. I’m gonna be ready.”
The Pacers’ bench, who of the 9 players in this team’s rotation combine for 38 missed games in just the first half of the season, have shown that they’ve been productive this season averaging around 34 points per game. Sort-of. It’s not bad, but not superb, either. With the help of guys like JaKarrr Sampson, Goga Bitadze, and Edmond Sumner, Indiana’s starters have been supported well enough. As a team, the Pacers are sixth in total defensive rating, and they’re not the ones to easily let offenses do what they want in the halfcourt.
Despite an injury-filled 2019-20 campaign, Indiana’s season and chances for a longer trip in Orlando is heavily incumbent on the health of their most integral roster parts in Brogdon, Oladipo, and now Warren.
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5. Miami Heat (44-29, 4th in East) – Clawing up to Boston but not close enough to overtake them in the East is the Miami Heat, who return to the postseason for the first time since 2017-18. Led by new frontman Jimmy Butler, the term Heat Culture has been reified and supplanted as the leading philosophy for both the players and coaches of the organization. The organizing tactician Erik Spoelstra has done a phenomenal job in preparing these Heat for the opportunity to take pole position to get the NBA world’s attention, even more so in the bubble.
Both supplied with an abundant amount of high-energy, capable defenders who have the ability to guard some of the best players in the East with versatile guys deep on their roster, as well as selfless cutters that work to get shooters more open off-ball and absolute snipers behind the arc, the Heat certainly have what it takes to reach the Conference Finals.
Fun fact: the league’s best defender against Bucks star and MVP favorite Giannis Antetokounmpo? Bam Adebayo, who has held Antetokounmpo to under 34 percent shooting in every contest the two have played against each other. Adebayo, a second-year man out of Kentucky, is a bonafide favorite to win the Most Improved Player award with his 17 points,11 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. He leads his team in blocks at 1.4 blocks per game and is a sparkplug and boost to team morale when they need strength down low and hustle in the open floor.
Mixed with Butler’s defensive savvy, who as a guard/wing hybrid for this new-look Heat team, has given a dangerous Heat squad an identity as a pervasive threat to overthrow the top three squads in the East.
Oh, and did I mention Miami was stacked to the brim in outside shooters? The Heat have NINE players on the roster who are shooting above 30% from 3 point range this season, and that includes the likes of guards Goran Dragic (37 percent), Rookie Tyler Herro (39 percent), fellow rook Kendrick Nunn (36 percent), their unreal off-balance shooter Duncan Robinson (44.8 percent), and forwards Jae Crowder (36.8 percent) and Kelly Olynyk (41.2 percent).
Keep in mind: they also signed Andre Iguodala back in February during the trade deadline from Memphis, so the addition of championship experience is another ace in Spo’s deck of cards.
If they can find a way to execute inside the bubble during the playoffs…watch out.
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6. Philadelphia 76ers (43-30, 6th in East) – Once the quarantine began, and the season was abruptly halted, Philly saw the time off as an advantage for guys who were tending to lingering afflictions. Ben Simmons could nurture his ailing back problems with rest, Joel Embiid withstood some work to his cardio and conditioning, and as a whole Philadelphia looked like one of the bigger danger matchups for any team in the East.
But what started out as a blessing in disguise quickly turned into the worst of misfortunes for a Philly team so decimated by injuries, it’s unlikely they even make it out of the first round.
Just announced last week, All-Star Ben Simmons had a loose body removed from his left knee during arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss the rest of the season as he “subluxated” (a scholastic way of saying dislocated) his kneecap against the Washington Wizards.
There’s no sugarcoating it: losing Simmons is perhaps the biggest blow and last thing a sixth-seeded Sixers team needs right now. He’s arguably the most versatile defender on the floor for Philadelphia, accounting for both the responsibilities of locking down perimeter and post scorers. He’s No. 1 in the league in steals and is arguably the most efficient finisher at the cup and was the leading man for assists as the Sixers’ starting point forward with around eight dishes per game. His speed in the open court and the pressure he puts on defenses once he gets rolling downhill will be missed in quantities come playoff time.
So, it’s up to Joel Embiid to save the day, and though he’s faced a litany of criticism toward his ferocity and showing how much he wants to win when big games arrive on the schedule, he’ll surely have the chance to rewrite narratives this postseason as the Sixers’ most dangerous threat from both inside and outside the perimeter.
Embiid’s averages of 23 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 3 assists will have to be juiced up as head coach Brett Brown will now be tasked with not only coaching for his job, but manufacturing a makeshift offense that runs through Embiid entirely.
As for the rest of the Sixers’ starters, Al Horford will likely get the start at the four with usual staple Tobias Harris accompanying him at small forward. And for their backcourt, they’ll look to the guard combinations of Josh Richardson, Shake Milton, Raul Neto, Alec Burks, and Glenn Robinson III to provide a semblance of offense where they’ll need spacing the most.
It’ll be difficult for Philly’s team to get past the first round, but when Embiid is performing at full capacity, he can easily be the most unstoppable big man in the NBA. He’ll have to show that intent if the Sixers are to have any chance of clawing away a series. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Brooklyn Nets (35-37, 7th in East) – Injuries haven’t quite played such a significant role in diminishing a trial year for Brooklyn as they await the pairing of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving for next season as they’ve been the most affected team due to five season restart opt-outs, but for a solid campaign in 2019-20, the Nets have made the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
Even after letting Kenny Atkinson go, this Nets team was able to secure the seventh seed in the East, and even with the chips stacked against them in the first round, they will look to defend that seeding with, albeit, a new-look Nets team led by Caris LeVert. The former Michigan Wolverine was on a tear before the season was suspended, averaging 24.1 points per contest in the season’s last 16 games, and in the bubble, LeVert was the constant source of offense, averaging 25 points, 5 rebounds and 6.7 assists, with 1.5 steals per game to boot.
As a team, however, they may not appear as menacing with 2/3 of their initial roster not even in the bubble, but they’ve certainly competed in the bubble with the best of them all, winning five of their eight seeding games in respective fashion. Backed up by the consistent high scoring coming by way of their backcourt composed of Garrett Temple, the increasingly impressive Chris Chiozza, and Tyler Johnson. Interim head coach Jacque Vaughn has gotten a lot out of his rotation in which he can go six deep in, as productivity from guys like Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Rodions Kurucs, Dzanan Musa, and recently, Jeremiah Martin on the defensive end.
Not a lot of the scoring averages will really jump out at you, but this Nets team plays hard, gritty, and with a lot of heart, even if there’s only LeVert to help facilitate the offense.
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8. Orlando Magic (33-40, 8th in East) – Another team that’s had their season deterred by injury, Orlando’s final eight games weren’t so much of a determinant that would affect their positioning in the final eighth spot in the East. But that didn’t stop them from still not only trying to remain competitive but stay hot and prepared for the first round of the playoffs.
The Magic may have lost Jonathan Isaac for the remainder of the year, and possibly beyond, from a torn ACL suffered in a double-digit blowout win over Sacramento. Not having their arguable best defender and a possible First-Team All-Defense member someday (pending his health) severely impacts whatever chance Orlando has during their postseason run.
Still, they’ll be backed up by the efforts of leading scorer and former All-Star Nikola Vucevic, who is averaging 19.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Their premier inside and outside scorer, who is adept at drawing double teams and making defenses pay when he’s not being trapped with his 47 percent field shooting. Additionally, his supporting cast of frontcourt companion Aaron Gordon, who is averaging 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game is a key part of Steve Clifford’s offense.
Shot creator Evan Fournier is still there in the frontcourt and is the team’s most efficient scorer from all three levels of the halfcourt. While averaging a little over 18 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, the Frenchman has been a big help in their spacing. Markelle Fultz is having a rebirth season as well averaging 12 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, and for a point guard’s coach in Clifford, it’s been a revelation of a year for the third-year man out of Washington who needed a change of scenery to open eyes and prove that he was worthy of being selected first overall back in 2017.
But aside from other integral pieces like Terrence Ross, DJ Augustin, Wesley Iwundu, and others, there may not be that much that’s all too menacing enough to come to the conclusion that these Magic can be competitive enough in the postseason.
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Eastern Conference Playoff Matchups: First Round
#1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. #8 Orlando Magic
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks attempt their first trip back to the NBA Finals since 1974, and their first-round matchup is against the eighth-seeded Magic, who will miss Jonathan Isaac for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. To be quite honest, it’ll be difficult for a Magic team missing such an important piece in Isaac on the defensive end, considering his length to both stop perimeter scorers from getting up shots as well as his adept ability to protect the rim, especially now since the Magic are going up against the most offensively efficient team in the NBA.
Milwaukee is looking to Antetokounmpo, the frontrunner for the MVP award this year, to carry the load offensively. Matched up against the presumptive tandem of Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon, Antetokounmpo will be asked to slash, finish at the cup, punish the Magic’s defense with an improving jumper when they sag off of him, and when doubled, look to the wings or to the top of the key where Khris Middleton will be, as Middleton is their go-to scorer when things break down.
Conversely, Orlando is banking on their bigs to cause trouble in the paint against Milwaukee, as well as their increasingly talented backcourt of Fultz, Augustin, Fournier, and company to make good looks for each other against Milwaukee’s length.
The MyBookie.ag sportsbook prediction has the Bucks as -140 favorites to win the series. Just like the regular season, where the Bucks didn’t lose a single game against the Magic, this will probably be a sweep. Without Isaac’s dynamic length for Milwaukee, it’ll be hard to imagine any different.
Prediction: Bucks Win Series 4-0.
#2 Toronto Raptors vs. #7 Brooklyn Nets
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As mentioned in the team breakdowns, Toronto is the second-most defensively efficient team in the East and top-3 overall in the bubble. Though they may find struggle scoring in the halfcourt, the defending champions will find some simplicity going at a shorthanded team with no true starters, considering the Nets’ roster was one of the most affected rosters in NBA due to their seven opt-outs.
Expect Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet to be matched up against the likes of guards Caris LeVert and Joe Harris, and in the frontcourt OG Anunoby, Marc Gasol and Pascal Siakam will handle the duties of scoring over Nets big men Jarrett Allen, as well as rotating bigs Rodions Kurucs and Dzanan Musa. Toronto is looking to capitalize on a weaker opponent in Brooklyn, possibly preparing for a trip back to the conference finals later in the postseason.
For now, they’ll have to stop second-team All-Bubble member Caris LeVert. A lot is riding on the shoulders of the starting guard and for a majority of the series, Brooklyn’s offense will be reliant on his production.
Still, as hard as this Brooklyn team plays, it might be too much of an order for them to claw away a game or two this series. The Nets have beaten the Raptors once this year and have lost three times against them. Sportsbook favorites have the Raptors sweeping the Nets at -110. But granted, the Raptors have never won the first game of a first-round playoff series since they are 4-15 all-time in the first games of the first round. History may not precede them this time, however.
Prediction: Raptors win series 4-0.
#3 Boston Celtics vs. #6 Philadelphia 76ers
Bill Streicher/CBS Sports
The questions remain: is Jayson Tatum ready to ascend to the title of superstar during Boston’s playoff run? Will Joel Embiid provide enough on both the offensive and defensive end for the Sixers to be deemed competitive? How will Al Horford contribute to the containment of the Celtics’ immensely talented roster choc-full o’ wings?
These questions and more may be answered rather swiftly rather than them be drawn out. Philly is missing their best on-ball defender Ben Simmons, who when on the court led the NBA in steals and was a pest to perimeter scorers as well as a shutdown post defender. Additionally, he was their starting point guard and mismatch when he spaced the floor with his 6’10 frame, and without him, moving the rock and scoring in transition will be quite the difficulty.
Philly can try their best to utilize as much of Brett Brown’s rotation as much as possible to contest Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Gordon Hayward, but their lack of offensive presence in their backcourt will ultimately be the deciding factor on whether or not they move on. Kemba Walker’s knee shouldn’t be much of a problem for Boston, and though Boston won only one game against the Sixers all year, that was when Simmons was on the court.
It’s still a relatively difficult out for Boston, but without Simmons facilitating an offense that allows outside shooters to get good looks as a result of Simmons’ proficiency in driving to the basket, it’s unlikely Philly makes any noise. Sportsbooks have Boston winning in 5, which seems appropriate.
Prediction: Boston Wins Series 4-1.
#4 Indiana Pacers vs. #5 Miami Heat
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Quite possibly the most entertaining matchup of the first round, Jimmy Butler and TJ Warren settle their differences in a seven-game series with a trip to play Milwaukee on the line. Looking at both rosters, you could say that Miami has a better advantage with their efficient shooters from deep, lanky perimeter scorers and defenders and collection of sturdy rim protectors. Indiana is banged up in their frontcourt missing Domantas Sabonis, and will likely be without him for this entire series.
You could possibly call this an upset since Miami is the lower-seeded team, but this may not be much of an upset. Though Miami hasn’t really been rolling in the bubble, having won only three of their eight contests, some of those games were without Butler who when in the game can be instant offense as well as a reliable defender who won’t be scared to lock up positions 1-4. Indiana has some real threats to this Heat team, however.
Even at 85 percent health, Victor Oladipo makes plays and punishes defenders if they give him a sliver of a lane to drive through, a mismatch on a guy who can’t guard him, or a wide-open jumper that he’ll capitalize on. Malcolm Brogdon will do the same, thus allowing enough space on the floor for TJ Warren to operate, as “Tony Buckets” has been unstoppable in the bubble.
Miami, on the other hand, has seen a rise in confidence and productivity from guys like rookies Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and Kendrick Nunn. They’ve been three of the nine guys that shoot over 36 percent from downtown this year, so if the Pacers are to stir up any semblance of good defensive possessions, they’ll have to do their best against Miami’s wings.
And of course, you can’t forget about Most Improved Player candidate Bam Adebayo matching up 1v1 against Myles Turner and the other bigs that Nate McMillan will roll out. It should be a good series, but Miami, who have won the season series 3-1, should be walking out of this series as the victors. Sportsbooks have Miami winning in either five or six games.
Prediction: Miami Wins Series 4-1.
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