The 2022-23 NBA Regular Season grind is over and the Play-In Tournament has given us the final two playoff teams. All eight seeds are now set for the playoffs, with plenty of marquee names playing head-to-head. Each series looks to be very close, as we’ll find discuss in our previews & predictions:
#1 Denver Nuggets vs. #8 Minnesota Timberwolves
Denver comfortably cruised to the No. 1 seed throughout the second half of the NBA season, and that might be a problem for the Nuggets. The team slid in March, only going 7-7 and showing some serious defensive problems. Two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic (who will most likely finish 2nd in the vote this year) is a passing wizard and has improved his defensive effort, but is still a target for opposing teams to attack. This year, the Nuggets have Jamal Murray back, and basketball fans can hope to see the ‘bubble’ version of Murray emerge and lift Denver to the next level.
The Timberwolves survived the Play-In Tournament and secured the final spot, despite doing everything possible to tank that opportunity. In the span of a week, Rudy Gobert punched a teammate (suspended for one game), Jaden McDaniels punched a wall (out indefinitely) and the team blew a 15-point 2nd-half lead to the Lakers and missed out on claiming the No. 7 seed. Despite featuring The Stifle Tower, Karl-Anthony Towns (self-professed best-shooting big man ever), and Anthony Edwards, this team was not able to improve upon last season’s regular season success. It looks like they are doomed to the same postseason fate as well, another first-round exit.
Minnesota will give Denver fits with their ability to score, and will wear down The Joker, but Denver is too strong to lose this series. Expect the Nuggets to make better coaching decisions throughout and to attack KAT on the defensive end. And don’t sleep on the impact Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. will make on the final score.
Prediction: Denver in 6
#2 Memphis Grizzlies v #7 Los Angeles Lakers
No shortage of drama from either of these teams this season…
All-Star Ja Morant continued to break Twitter for all the right and wrong reasons. Ja continued to make weekly posters with his ferocious rim attacks, but also got suspended for his off-the-court troubles. Fortunately for the Grizzlies, they’ve played historically quite well without Morant in the lineup, as Desmond Bane (3pt sniper), Jaren Jackson Jr. (potential Defensive Player of the Year), and Dillon Brooks (super pest) are a solid young core.
The Lakers, of course, grabbed their share of the headlines throughout the year. At one point, the team was 2-10 and heading for the Wembanyana Sweepstakes. Injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, combined with the ill-fitting piece in Russell Westbrook, looked to have LA out of the postseason. But the team slowly turned their record around and were able to move Westbrook out of LA (well, technically no. He just moved across the hall to the Clippers). That, combined with some shrewd pickups in D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt, and the Lakers managed to finish the season with a winning record.
Can LeBron, in Year 20, go into Playoff mode and get past this young, fast and hungry Grizzlies team? Anthony Davis will need to shoulder the load with scoring and rebounding, and that is a tall task versus Jackson Jr.’s defensive capabilities. Do both veterans have enough left in the tank to pull the upset? Hard to bet against Lebron…he’s earned that.
Prediction: LA in 7
#3 Sacramento Kings v #6 Golden State Warriors
Is this a potential ‘changing of the guard’ series? The Sacramento Kings, who broke the longest stretch of playoff drought in the NBA, are also the most efficient offense in NBA history (119.4 rating / 100 possessions). They have two All-Stars in De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis and are too young to know any better and have any fear going into this series.
The Golden State Warriors are the defending champions, but they do not have the home-court advantage in the series and that could be detrimental. Their away record this year was abysmal for a veteran squad, going 11-30 in 41 games. In a best-of-seven affair, they’ll have to win at least one game on the road. They have more than enough veteran savvy to pull that off, but their abysmal defense this year could be exposed by the young and talented Sacramento squad.
The three seed is rarely the underdog, so you could consider this to be an upset. Light the Beam! four times, but expect this series to go to the distance.
Prediction: Kings in 7
#4 Phoenix Suns v #5 Los Angeles Clippers
This is the marquee matchup of the first round. Star power is dotted throughout both rosters.
The Phoenix Suns made the most relevant mid-season move, packing up future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant in a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. He alleviates scoring pressure from Devin Booker and Chris Paul, and in his limited action in the regular season, went 8-0 when he dressed for the Suns.
The LA Clippers are in win-now mode and need to make the most of their potentially limited time left with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the roster. Unfortunately, PG-13 may not be available this round as he is still nursing a knee injury. There is potential for him to come back in the later portion of the series, but the Clippers will have to fight to extend the series to that point. Luckily, they have one of the deepest rosters in the league, including their pickup of Russell Westbrook. Westbrook has played very well in his time there and looks to be rejuvenated since joining the squad.
Playoff Kawhi is capable of stealing two games on his own, but this Phoenix team looks to be peaking at a very good time. The Suns are set for a deep run through the Western Conference.
Prediction: Suns in 6
