represent the publication as a whole. The continuation of the series can be found at the bottom of each piece.
As we enter the peak of spring, sports fans are once again blessed with the NBA playoffs. The 2022-23 season was filled with nearly unprecedented parity — no team achieved the 60 win mark for the first time since 2001. As a result, NBA fans could see a very competitive playoff tournament.
As March gives way to April, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament gives way to the NBA playoffs. Let the madness begin!
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.
First Round
East: Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Miami Heat (8)
Boston Celtics (2) vs. Atlanta Hawks (7)
Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6)
Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. New York Knicks (5)
Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Miami Heat (8)
Unfortunately for NBA fans looking for an early upset to begin the playoffs, the Bucks are not to be bet against. Milwaukee is back; the squad with the best record in the league is finally healthy again and ready for a deep playoff run.
The Heat match up well with the Bucks using lengthy shot blockers to counter forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and a versatile defender in guard Jimmy Butler to defend Bucks guard Khris Middleton. Unfortunately for Miami, it doesn’t really matter because Milwaukee is the clear top dog in the league right now and should prove it early and often in these playoffs.
Verdict: Milwaukee advances to the Eastern Conference Semifinals (ECSF) in five games.
Boston Celtics (2) vs. Atlanta Hawks (7)
Again, this is an easy pick. There is not too much to say about the Celtics that has not been said already. Led by potentially the most talented duo in the league, wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the perennial powerhouse actually underachieved a bit during the regular season, in my opinion. None of that matters now, however. Atlanta is simply not that good. Matched up with a clearly inferior Hawks squad, look for the Celtics to net the first sweep of this year’s playoffs.
Verdict: Boston advances to the ECSF in four games.
Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6)
James Harden revenge series, anyone? Oh, no one remembers he even played in Brooklyn?
Understandable.
The Sixers will have home-court advantage in a series they clearly should win. The Nets are not a bad team by any means, but they lack the alpha star power that Philadelphia very much has. Led by MVP front runner, center Joel Embiid, the Sixers should definitely clear the Nets. Unfortunately, in the playoffs, star power almost always trumps young talent spread out amongst many players. Watch out for an early-series Nets lead, however. This series going the distance would be great for the league.
Verdict: Philadelphia advances to the ECSF against Boston in seven games.
Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. New York Knicks (5)
The crown jewel of first round series in the NBA is typically the four and five seed matchup. This year in the East it is no different. Both of these upstart squads are the definition of hungry and unproven, with a clear alpha and strong supporting casts. New York is led by all-star forward Julius Randle, while Cleveland is led by a new arrival, guard Donovan Mitchell.
These series are extremely hard to predict, but they usually produce some of the best basketball possible. The Cavs match up a bit better against New York though, due to their sheer speed and skill at guard between Mitchell and young star point guard Darius Garland. Pick your poison with this series though — neither squad is a bad choice.
Verdict: Cleveland advances to the ECSF against Milwaukee in seven games.
Second Round
East: Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (4)
Boston Celtics (2) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (3)
Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (4)
The Bucks match up well with the Cavs. The Bucks match up well with the Celtics. The Bucks match up well with the Sixers.
You get the idea.
The Bucks should walk into and out of this series relatively quickly and unscathed. This team is simply a well-rounded juggernaut. Cleveland may stretch this series to six games, but even that feels like a stretch. The Cavaliers lack of playoff experience should rear its ugly head against the champion-caliber Bucks.
Verdict: Milwaukee advances to the Eastern Conference Finals (ECF) in five games.
Boston Celtics (2) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (3)
The Celtics and Sixers both have their own squads that feel unstoppable. Ultimately, the series will come down to the Celtics’ ability to stop Embiid in the post.
I believe in Celtics centers Robert Williams and Al Horford.
Celtics guard Brown should limit Sixers guard Harden, and the Sixers may have to rely on forward Tobias Harris far more than normal, who is a poor playoff performer himself (54.9% playoff TS). This series should still entertain, however. Potentially the most star-studded matchup of any East playoff series, get ready for seven games between two squads, full of ringless, hungry superstars.
Verdict: Boston advances to the ECF against Milwaukee in seven games.
Conference Finals
East: Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Boston Celtics (2)
Finally! In a series rematch from 2022, the Bucks and Celtics may finally match up fully revocered. The Celtics are a nice story; they defeated the adversity of losing their head coach in a scandal during the preseason and finished as a top two team in the East. The Celtics championship window is now and everyone in Boston knows it.
Unfortunately for the Celtics, Antetokounmpo will prove to be a difficult challenge to overcome.
Milwaukee, as established, is by far the most complete and challenging squad out of the East. Stacked from top to bottom, the 2021 champs are back. Bolstered in the paint by center Brook Lopez and swarming defensive wings such as Middleton, scoring should be hard to come by for Boston.
Milwaukee is ready for war.
Verdict: Milwaukee advances to the NBA Finals in six 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. Neither squad has any real holes, however.
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.