The NBA Playoffs are set to kick off on April 15, and there are some fascinating playoff matchups on the horizon
One matchup to keep your eye out for is the Warriors v Kings. The Kings had an exceptional season. The Warriors were not the best but still had enough wins to avoid the play-in-tournament and went straight to the playoffs.
These two teams are set to see each other for the first time in a seven-game series. The Warriors had the second-best offense in the league behind the Sacramento Kings. The downside of both teams is that they don’t defend the perimeter.
The King’s offense is almost similar to the Warriors in that they run the least amount of pick-and-rolls in the league and also rely on the three-point to score.
A big factor is experience. This is Sacramento’s first time in the postseason in 16 years.
The Warriors have so much experience in the postseason and the ability to make adjustments in games was key to their championship runs.
Despite the Warriors struggling to win on the road and Sacramento has one of the best offenses in history, according to analytics. I have Golden State eliminating Sacramento in six games.
The most anticipated playoff matchup that fans are looking forward to is between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Los Angeles defeated Minnesota to book their spot in the postseason despite starting their season 2-10.
We know what Laker’s star LeBron James can bring to the table, and the electrifying Grizzlies star Ja Morant is the reason Memphis had another remarkable season.
The deciding factor in this series is Laker forward Anthony Davis. Can he stay healthy? Can he be as dominant as he ended the season?
Grizzlies Forward Jaren Jackson Jr, who is nominated for Defensive Player of the Year, is going to be the primary defender on Davis and responsible to slow him down.
Los Angeles is going to have a hard time slowing down Ja Morant– his explosion from the three-point line to the rim is insane.
One thing to watch in this series is Grizzlies forward Dillion Brooks v LeBron James. Brooks brings intensity and lobes to get under the player’s skin. In their last meeting, Brooks held LeBron to 8-21 shooting.
Brooks stated after that meeting that “I need to play physical with him, continuously bump him all the time, and don’t let him take easy shots.”
This Memphis Grizzlies team is young and hungry to make a playoff run, and they have three-point snippers all over the court. However, their center Steven Adams is expected to miss the playoffs, and that’s a big hit for them on the defensive end.
The Lakers have constructed a good enough roster since the trade deadline back in February around LeBron and Davis, but they are going to be tested. Los Angeles added three points shooting and perimeter defense which has helped them a lot.
I personally have Los Angeles advancing to the next round in 7 games with big performances for Anthony Davis.
There are a lot of other anticipated playoff matchups, but playoff basketball has finally arrived and this is where the real season starts.