The Eastern Conference, per usual, has been largely disappointing compared to the Western Conference. The Cavs, who typically dominate the conference, are currently in a funk that they haven’t seen the likes of since King James returned to Cleveland. The top seeds should advance to face one another in the second rounds and later, which is when a little fun should begin.
Boston (1) vs Miami (8)
Boston has been on fire since the All Star Break, thanks in large part to the King of the Fourth Isaiah Thomas who has been one of the best players in the league throughout the year. Thomas is only behind Harden and Westbrook in the PPG race. Honestly, the Heat have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA since their abysmal start to the season, and could very well put up a fight against Boston. Hasaan Whiteside, if he can play, would be a large mismatch for the Celtics, who have struggled to rebound in the regular season. That, coupled with the playoff experience of Erik Spoelstra and various other on the squad, could prove problematic for the young Celtics. Home court advantage, as well as overall talent pool, should be enough for the Celtics to pull off the series win. My prediction: the Celtics will get a fight from the Heat, but they will ultimately prevail 4-2.
Cleveland (2) vs Pacers (7)
The Pacers have two great players in Paul George and Myles Turner, but besides that they are largely devoid of talent. The Cavs on the other hand, when healthy, have talent throughout their roster. If Kevin Love can get back in the groove he was in at the beginning of the year before getting hurt, then this should be a quick series, even if Lebron takes it a bit easy. My prediction, the Cavs will sweep this series, as they often do in the first round. 4-0
Washington(3) vs Milwuakee(6)
The Wizards feature one of the best guard duos in the NBA, probably only behind the Warriors duo of Curry and Thompson in that regard. John Wall recently passed Russell Westbrook in Assists per game, and is only behind Harden in that category. Bradley Beal has been great as well, staying healthy and putting together his best season as a pro, scoring over 20ppg and being one of the most dangerous three point shooters in the league. The Bucks are missing Jabari Parker, who tore his ACL once again, but still have the Greek Freak, who has been great both offensively and defensively throughout the season. If the Bucks are going to have a chance to win this series, Giannis will need to have a Lebron-esque series. The Wizards will prove too much for the Bucks and win the series 4-1 behind the strong play of Wall and Beal, as well as a now solid bench led by guys like Bojan Bogdanovic.
Toronto(4) vs Atlanta(5)
Atlanta has been terrible lately, while Toronto has adapted to life without Kyle Lowery. The additions of Serge Ibaka and PJ Tucker have done wonders for the defensive minded Raptors, but the edition of Ibaka has also given them the ability to play ball unlike many other teams in the NBA. With Ibaka at the 5, the Raptors can spread out opponents because of his ability to shoot the 3, and against teams with a rim protector, it could clear up lanes to the basket for easy points. Atlanta traded their best three point shooter in Kyle Korver, but do have Tim Hardaway Jr. Hardaway has either been great or terrible in his Hawks tenure, as has Denis Schroeder. Dwight Howard, once again, has gone to a team and put up decent stats, but once again this did not equal more wins. Even worse, Paul Millsap is now out for the foreseeable future with knee inflammation, further depleting the talent on this largely talentless roster. The Raptors could very well sweep this series, and if the Cavs remain the 2 seed, might be able to avoid the defending champs until the Conference finals. Raptors win 4-0.