The playoffs are upon us! With only a couple of games separating us from the end of the regular season and the postseason, the pieces are starting to fall into place and the playoff picture is coming in a little more clearly. It has been a fascinating season from start to finish, and now the “second season” is set to begin.
What do we have to look forward to in the first round? Many of these teams have a history with their potential opponents, so let’s take a look at the best potential first-round playoff matchups and break down why they’d be so fascinating.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a forgotten team in the Eastern Conference, but let’s not forget that this team made consecutive Eastern Conference Finals just a few years ago. Last year was a lost season because of the injury to Paul George, but they were still one game away from sneaking into the postseason. Now, George is back to his usual self and the Pacers have found a way to overcome a massive roster overhaul this offseason.
They have also figured out how to play against Cleveland. Indiana matches up well with the Cavs, and though they only won their most recent matchup, their three losses were by a combined 13 points, one of which came in overtime. Indiana has a history against LeBron James, losing to him in both of those ECF series, but they still might have another shot at him in the first round.
Atlanta Hawks vs Charlotte Hornets
Last year, the Atlanta Hawks were a question mark that came together to have one of the best regular seasons in their history. This year’s version of those Atlanta Hawks…is the Charlotte Hornets. This offseason brought a variety of new players to Charlotte, most notably Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lin. Al Jefferson was injured, and many (present company included) didn’t think Charlotte was destined for anything good this year. Then, the team started to figure out how they could win, and started to do just that.
The roster won’t blow anyone away, but given how Kemba Walker has played this year, they’re capable of beating most teams in the East. The Hawks have struggled compared to last season, but could still end up being the third best team in the conference. Even with their struggles, Atlanta is a dangerous team that still knows how to win. It would be fascinating to see these teams face off, a year apart from writing the same storyline.
Golden State Warriors vs Utah Jazz
Many analysts and journalists alike believe that the Warriors won’t face a tough test until the second-round at the earliest. If Golden State ends up playing the Jazz in the first round, that assuredly won’t be the case. Despite Utah having lost all four of their matchups (to be fair, most teams have), the Jazz played the Warriors tough in both of their home games.
In their final matchup, Utah choked away a late lead and ended up losing in overtime. With Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert, the Jazz have pieces to play anyone tough. Of course, Utah has to make the playoffs first.
Golden State comparatively struggles against teams that defend well, and Utah has the second best scoring defense in the league. It might not matter, but I could potentially see the Jazz at least defending their home court and making the Warriors a little more uncomfortable than they have been this season. At the very least, it would be a fun series between two teams with vastly contrasting styles of play.
Los Angeles Clippers vs Portland Trail Blazers
The problem with picking Western Conference matchups that would be back-and-forth nail-biting series’ is that the conference has been extremely top-heavy this year. Even the Clippers, the conference’s fourth seed, are 24 games over .500. However, the Trail Blazers have overachieved this season and would pose an intriguing matchup in the first round. With Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum in a formidable backcourt, Chris Paul would have his hands full against Portland.
The Clippers are more dominant from top to bottom, but Portland’s supporting cast has done enough this year to beat all of their projections and make the playoffs in convincing fashion. To their credit, Portland has beaten Los Angeles this season, and can score with the best of them. Can they outlast the Clippers in a seven game series? That is quite a tall order, but after proving all the doubters wrong all season, picking against Portland would only seem to add more fuel to their fire.