First Round Preview: Intriguing Matchups
Paul George and Russell Westbrook might be the most fun matchup of this first round
Paul George and Russell Westbrook might be the most fun matchup of this first round
1. Miami vs. 8. Washington (Miami won season series 3-1)
PJ Dozier vs. Milos Teodosic
Miami is a very tough, deep team, and Washington is going to need a big series from Teodosic in order to have a puncher's chance in this series. He'll most likely be guarded by PJ Dozier, as Teodosic seems to thrive at SG and that's where Miami tends to put Dozier. Of course, Miami is a very versatile team capable of throwing out an endless array of lineups, and Washington has moved Milos between the guard spots endlessly, so there's a good chance these two never even matchup, or if they do, not even at SG. Either way, Milos will need to break out and show everyone that he's capable of being the #1 option that can lead Washington to a playoff series victory.
2. Boston vs. 7. Cleveland (Season series tied 2-2)
DeAaron Fox vs. Elfrid Payton
Cleveland's midseason acquisition will play a large role in their attempt to upset the Celtics in the first round. The Celtics don't necessarily rely on Fox, but he's their best player and taking him out of games can definitely help sputter the Boston offense. Payton is perhaps the best point guard defender in the league, and his ability to force turnovers will come in handy against a Celtics PG that has done a great job of not turning the ball over. Shutting down Fox won't guarantee Cleveland victory, but it will be a great first step.
3. Detroit vs. 6. Chicago (Chicago won season series 3-1)
Jamal Murray vs. Damian Lillard
Without Lauri Markkanen, the Bulls are going to have to find offense elsewhere on the court, and where better than asking their star guard to step up his production? Lillard will be facing off against Detroit's own electric scoring guard in Jamal Murray, and it will be interesting to see which of the two players will outshine the other. Murray has a lot of similarities to Lillard in his game, both are score-first guards with the capability of playing PG and with lackluster defense. Will Lillard show the young whippersnapper how it's done, or is Murray going to run circles around his older counterpart?
4. Atlanta vs. 5. Toronto (Season series tied 2-2)
Atlanta's offense vs. Toronto's defense
The Hawks had the fifth-highest scoring offense, and the Raptors allowed the second-fewest points per game. Atlanta was 3rd and 7th in FG% and 3PT%, respectively, and Toronto had the 7th-lowest FG% allowed and 4th-lowest 3PT% allowed. You can see where I'm going with this, the Hawks had an incredible offense and the Raptors were just as good defensively. Atlanta had 6 different players averaging more than 10 points per game, led by one of the most efficient wing scorers in the league in Dante Exum, who was 6th in TS% among players who had at least a 25% usage rate (behind Anthony Davis, Malik Monk, Skal Labissiere, Kevin Durant, and Lauri Markkanen). Toronto sports an entire roster of great defenders, both inside and out, and they'll be working hard to slow down this Atlanta offense that has been on fire lately.
1. Oklahoma City vs. 8. Golden State (Oklahoma City won season series 3-1)
Jordan McRae and DeMarre Carroll vs. James Harden and Kevin Durant
If Golden State is going to win this series against the defending champions, it's going to be because their two stars reach supernova. Durant has had some incredible playoff runs, but has lost many of them to injury, and we all remember James Harden single-handedly winning Houston a championship. Both of these players have faded into the background due to Golden State's lack of success, but they could put themselves back in the spotlight if they can have a massive series here. Luckily for OKC, they have two of the best wing defenders in the league in McRae and Carroll, both of whom sport STOP% north of 93%. These two will have their hands full this series, but if they can make Harden and Durant mortal, they can stop Golden State in their tracks.
2. Phoenix vs. 7. Denver (Phoenix won season series 3-1)
Zach Collins vs. Andre Drummond
Both the Suns and the Nuggets have high-powered offenses beginning with penetration and getting shots at the rim, which will put a lot of pressure on these defensive big men to do their job down low and lock up. The Suns obviously have two of the best interior scorers in their Isaiah twins, and while the Nuggets don't have anyone quite at that caliber offensively, they do have a handful of good interior scorers. Denver has an uphill battle to try and make this a competitive series, but protecting the rim without fouling is a good place to start, and the same goes for Phoenix.
3. Sacramento vs. 6. Dallas (Sacramento won season series 3-1)
Russell Westbrook vs. Paul George
This was a tough matchup to pick, as Sacramento is an incredibly deep team that can change their lineups on a whim, or win games with unlikely heroes, and thus isn't going to rely on winning any single matchup. However, this one is particularly interesting as Westbrook just came back from his devastating injury at the beginning of April, and has played 10 games this season getting ready for the postseason. He's likely to play SG, and will match up against one of the best two-way players in the game. Will Westbrook be able to attack the basket as well as he usually does? Will George be able to get his shots with Westbrook hounding him? This matchup may not swing the series, but damn if it won't be fun to watch.
4. Houston vs. 5. Portland (Portland won season series 3-1)
Malik Monk vs. the record for 3s in a playoff series
Admittedly, I don't know what this exact number is. But if anyone has a chance at setting this record, it would be Malik Monk, who will be completely unleashed since everyone on Houston's roster is injured for this series. Marcus Smart will probably be tasked with slowing Monk down, but Portland may also elect to have him save his energy for the offensive side of the ball. It's unfortunate that Houston is coming into the playoffs with two of their best players hurt, but that's how it goes sometimes. Good luck Malik!
2020, 2023, 2027
