Editor’s Note: This series is a representation of the writer’s personal views and does not represent the publication as a whole. The continuation of the series can be found at the bottom of each piece.
Trudging on, the West playoffs are sure to excite more than the East. The parity found in regular season play this year was mostly in the West.
Let’s get wild.
Note: All team’s appearances in writing will be followed by a number in parentheses representing their seeding out of 10. All stats are courtesy of StatMuse, unless otherwise noted. All stats’ abbreviations can be found here. All stats are current as of April 9, 2023, the end of the NBA regular season.
West: Denver Nuggets (1) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (8)
Memphis Grizzlies (2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7)
Sacramento Kings (3) vs. Golden State Warriors (6)
Phoenix Suns (4) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (5)
Denver Nuggets (1) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (8)
Denver is a surprise team out of the west, finishing with the top record in the conference despite the loaded talent around them.The Nuggets are by no means a bad team — it just goes to show how much parity there is in the Western Conference this year.
Denver only winning 53 games this regular season as a one seed sounds weird — because it is. Denver’s win total is tied for the third lowest of all time for a one seed. Regardless, they are the superior team here, led by back-to-back MVP in center Nikola Jokić. Minnesota is young and exciting, but they are also very much the lesser team. The hot Wolves may steal a game or two, but Denver should make relatively quick work of them.
Verdict: Denver advances to the Western Conference Semifinals (WCSF) in five games.
Memphis Grizzlies (2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7)
Upset alert! Upset alert! As an avid Lakers disliker, I did not forecast this, but the more I watch LA play, the more I become a believer. This squad does not really have any holes. Guard D’Angelo Russell is a score or pass first guard who fits in exceptionally well with established hall-of-fame forwards James and Davis. This team is filled with ample veterans, like wings Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura, and rising stars such as guard Austin Reaves.
The Grizzlies themselves are hurting, losing center Steven Adams (who would have spent the series partially guarding Davis) and patiently waiting for another Ja Morant incident. The Lakers are more experienced and, frankly, are better than the Grizzlies overall.
Verdict: Los Angeles advances to the WCSF in six games.
Sacramento Kings (3) vs. Golden State Warriors (6)
Regional series like these just prove the Western Conference is far better at producing entertainment than the East.
But that’s an argument for another day.
Golden State matches up with the surprisingly higher seeded Sacramento Kings, who themselves have been a bit of a Cinderella story in 2022-23, clinching their first playoff berth since 2006. The Kings are young and inexperienced, while Golden State is full of veterans who are not afraid to remind you of their accomplishments. This series can go any amount of ways, but my money will typically be with the veterans in an even matchup. The Warriors’ experience paired with the Kings’ subpar defense should lead to a series full of close matchups and shootouts, but I have my bets on Golden State winning relatively easily.
Verdict: Golden State advances to the WCSF against Los Angeles in five games.
Phoenix Suns (4) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (5)
The Clippers’ luck does not get much worse than this. Another season of missed expectations leads them into a series where they do not have home-court advantage against what is likely the best team in the West. Given the injury (sprained knee) to Clippers guard Paul George, and him likely being out for the series and potentially playoffs, the Suns and their superteam, led by healthy forward Kevin Durant, should make quick work of the reeling Clippers.
Verdict: Phoenix advances to the WCSF against Denver in 5 games.
Second Round
West: Denver Nuggets (1) vs. Phoenix Suns (4)
Golden State Warriors (6) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7)
Denver Nuggets (1) vs. Phoenix Suns (4)
Denver’s (fraudulent) reign atop the West may be coming to an end at some point in late April. The Nuggets’ lack of big talent behind Jokić, guard Jamal Murray and forward Michael Porter Jr. will leak out noticeably. Phoenix’s big four of Durant, guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul, and center Deandre Ayton easily clears whatever the Nuggets can bring to a seven-game series. Watch for Phoenix to make quick work of the West’s number one seed.
Verdict: Phoenix advances to the Western Conference Finals (WCF) in five games.
Golden State Warriors (6) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7)
A six and seven seed in the conference semifinals? What?
How about two of the last three NBA champions matching up for a seven-game series with all of their core pieces healthy?
That’s more like it.
I like the Warriors a lot, I do. They have proven to succeed in postseason ball in the past; when rotations shrink, Golden State always seems to find a way to prevail. Unfortunately for Golden State though, the Lakers are simply better. They have two of the top three players in the matchup and will be rolling off of two series wins. In what should be a top series in this year’s bracket, anticipate the Lakers advancing to their second conference finals in four years.
Verdict: Los Angeles advances to the WCF against Phoenix in six games.
Conference Finals
West: Phoenix Suns (4) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7)
Just your average four vs. seven seed conference final matchup!
The Suns and Lakers would likely match up as one of the lowest combined seed series in NBA conference finals history. Ironically, these two squads carry arguably the two most talented rosters in the league and the top two players of this generation in James and Durant. This series should go the distance and be full of offensive fireworks. Neither squad carries too much defense or depth, but man, can their stars play. It feels like either squad can make the run to the finals, but the Suns barely have the edge with their big four, as opposed to the Lakers’ big two-and-a-half with Russell.
Verdict: Phoenix advances to the NBA Finals against Milwaukee in seven games.
NBA Finals
Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Phoenix Suns (4)
Anyone care for a rematch? Phoenix and Milwaukee both are overflowing with talent. I would argue that these are currently the two most talented squads in the league — the only difference is how their talent is dispersed. The Suns are carried by their core four of Durant, Booker, Paul and Ayton while the Bucks are anchored by their two stars in Antetokounmpo and Middleton, plus a team full of above average supporters. However, neither squad has any real holes.
When rotations shrink, it is the amount of stars which shine the brightest. Milwaukee has bolstered their stars exceptionally well, but the Suns are just too much to handle, assuming they stay healthy.
The Suns will get revenge for 2021 and win their first NBA Finals ever.
Verdict: Phoenix defeats Milwaukee and wins the NBA Finals in seven games.
Jacob Ramos is an Opinion Apprentice for the spring 2023 quarter. He can be reached at jacobtr@uci.edu.
