WIth the Regular Season and Play-In Tournament concluded, let’s look at some matchups that could end in an upset.
(1) Miami Heat vs (8) Atlanta Hawks
This first matchup between the two teams has a very good chance of being closer than the NBA world would expect. With two extremely strong Play-In games, beating the Charlotte Hornets in game 1, and upsetting the Cleveland Cavaliers big time in game 2, Trae Young and his Hawks have looked very intimidating. Even though Clint Capela may have suffered a season ending injury in the victory against the Cavs, the Hawks’ depth is one of the best in the league.
Along with solid coaching, Trae Young can never be doubted, after showing time and time again, that he can lead a team very far. The Hawks two veterans, Gallinari and Lou Williams match very well with the fairly young team. If Clint Capela is back to contain Adebayo to the best of his abilities, and someone can step up to defend Jimmy Butler, this series is winnable for the 8 seed Atlanta Hawks.
(2) Boston Celtics vs (7) Brooklyn Nets
Heading into the playoffs, this is undoubtedly one of the most favored upsets for many reasons. Although Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have looked unstoppable, the experience of this older Nets team will be looking to take the Celtics seriously, and expose any weakness of them. While the first few games may be rocky guarding Jayson Tatum, if the rumors are true, and Ben Simmons is able to make a return, the Nets will be in even better shape to upset the Celtics. Especially with Robert Williams III out for a little while, the loss of Ben Simmons can be balanced out a bit more for the Nets.
The matchup of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, vs Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown will be one of the best matchups we will see in the first round. Jaylen Brown is a very explosive, two way player. Jayson Tatum is a score first, amazing forward that is hard to stop once he gets going. Kyrie Irving for the Nets is one of the, if not the most unstoppable guard in the NBA, with his speed, footwork, and craftiness. The same goes for the Lengthy forward in Kevin Durant. The man is unstoppable, and we will definitely see a true fight between him and Tatum.
(4) Mavericks vs (5) Jazz
Although it is not a wild upset, and only one seed between the two, it is still worth talking about. The Utah Jazz are no where near the 52-20 team we saw last year, but they still have some very strong components on the team. A dominant big in Rudy Gobert, one of the most talented guards in the game, Donovan Mitchell, solid shooters in Clarkson and Bogdonavic, and one out of many lock up defenders in Royce O’neal. Lastly, an amazing veteran point guard, Mike Conley, who is an offensive nightmare for many teams.
With Luka Doncic out with a calf strain for at least game 1, there will possibly be a ton of momentum built up before he returns, and at that point, it will be tough to stop the Jazz when the Mavs don’t have Luka at full health or any strong big.
Brief Reasons for why Other Upsets Weren’t Picked
(4) Philadelphia 76ers vs (5) Toronto Raptors
Even with a very strong duo in Fred Vanvleet, and a soon-to-be All-NBA Team player, Pascal Siakam the Raptors are not nearly deep enough to contain Embiid or Harden. The Raptors have had a long-lasting problem of not being able to contain other teams’ centers or even getting a strong one of their own. Embiid is going to have a very easy matchup, and there won’t be a ton of competition between these two teams.
(3) Milwaukee Bucks vs (6) Chicago Bulls
The big three of Demar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Zach Lavine have been successful, but not successful enough to get out of the way of the Bucks’ path. This Bucks team just has too much depth, a DPOY and 2 time MVP, an elite catch and shooter in Khris Middleton, and outstanding two way point guard in Jrue Holiday, this team will not be stopped for quite awhile.
(3) Golden State Warriors vs (6) Denver Nuggets
This series will be close, but the Nuggets haven’t been healthy this whole year, and you cannot count on two star players coming back from serious injuries to play at an elite All-star level, those two being Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets have held up fairly well with a heavily injured roster, but it would be tough to take them over the Backcourt of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry.
(2) Memphis Grizzlies vs (7) Minnesota Timberwolves
This is going to be one of the most interesting matchups after what we’ve seen from the Timberwolves the past few days. They have looked absolutely stellar, and there is no sign of that stopping. But running into the Grizzlies is extremely unlucky, with Ja Morant playing the way he has, along with the team with the most depth in the entire league. Saying the Timberwolves can win this series is definitely not impossible, but it would be pretty tough to have the 2 seed Grizzlies lose in the first round.
(1) Phoenix Suns Vs (8)New Orleans Pelicans
Although the Pelicans played two great Play-In Tournament games, there won’t be much competition against arguably the best NBA team in the world. Zion out of the lineup, no one is being contained on the Suns. Not much to say, the Suns will be sure to wrap this one up quick.
