New Round... New Foes
- PC
- May 1, 2023
- 4 min read
Dude…
The first round of the playoffs has officially ended, and boy was it a wild round one. There were multiple upsets including a #1 seed going down. We will break down the second-round matchup and tell you our experts (guys who sit, drink beer, and watch sports constantly) on who we think will advance to the conference finals. Don’t worry, we won’t take up your entire afternoon with our analysis. You got beer to drink and sports to watch, we’re here to help you out on what to watch for.
Now, the first game has been played in the series so I am a little late (my bad, I have a life too). However, the things I was going to say about the Suns were brought to light. The Suns have Kevin Durant. He’s one of the best shooters in the game. Devin Booker has been on fire this series and is proving to be one of the brightest players up in coming. Here’s the problem with Pheonix. That’s all they have. Sure, Chris Paul has a good game and Deandre Ayton doesn’t play like an NPC (Non-Playable Character for you old folks), the Suns are better than Denver. The Suns have no bench. None. You have these incredible stars but they can’t run for 48 minutes. That’s the Sun's Achilles heel. Denver has enough depth to make them win with their bench. Nikola “The Joker” Jokic is the star but has a better-supporting cast than KD. Jamal Murray is the up in coming guy that matches Booker, they have guys who go off in spurts like Micheal Porter Jr and Aaron Gordan. The difference between the Suns and the Nugs is their bench. The Nuggets get to rely on Bruce Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Christian Braun. The Suns have Cameron Payne, Damion Lee, and Bismack Biyombo. It doesn’t match up. It also shows in the stats as the Suns are LAST in bench points. The Suns just gave up too much. I think the Nuggets win in 6.
The rematch we never knew we wanted until it happened. If you have been under a rock for the last half decade, these guys faced in 3 finals which are known as the trilogy. Lebron and Steph battled and left us with 3 incredible series. Now, we get a fourth battle of two gladiators. Two foes who know each other like the back of their hands. Steph still has his sharp-shooting partner-in-crime, Klay Thompson, is still locked and loaded. We also can’t forget about the loud mouth Draymond Green. The Warriors have some deep weapons in Andrew Wiggins, who has actually played well this series, and Jordan Poole, who has not. That doesn’t mean Poole can’t find a rhythm. He can be lethal as long as hot girls are in the crowd. The Lakers come with stars of their own. The King leads Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell who are on and off. However, when they are on, it’s not looking good for their opponents. Austin Reeves has proven to be a valuable player and Rui Hachimura, who has been lighting it up from three. If one of these teams blows out the other, I will be shocked. I think this is going to go seven games and it’s going to come down to Steph vs Lebron. I think Steph will take him down and win in 7.
To even imagine seeing an 8 seed, especially against Milwaukee is nuts. However, I didn’t think Jimmy was like that. I should’ve known better and I apologize to South Beach. He’s a baller. Himmy Buckets, (Jimmy Butler for those not following), had some help from Bam Adebayo who somehow decided to wake up and play in the last two games of the series, and a major contribution from Duncan Robinson, Kyle Lowery, Gabe Vicent, and company beat the number one seed. Now, they face the Knicks who also upset their matchup. Jalen Brunson leads RJ Barrett, and Josh Hart to a win over the Cavs. They convincingly won in 5 and look to beat the red-hot Heat. This series is going to come down to two things. One, can Himmy Buckets continue to carry the Heat? He’s definitely proven he can, but can he continue for a long stinch? Two, will Julius Randle be healthy? He’s a big piece and this team isn’t the same without him. I think Himmy keeps his shooting the roof off. I’m not getting fooled twice. Heat in 6
Get your popcorn ready. This series is about to be back and forth. Boston hosts the 76ers in one of the all-time classic matchups in playoff history. Boston is led by the dynamic duo of Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown. The Celtics are loaded with Robert Williams, Marcus Smart, and the most underrated player, Derrick White. Their bench is filled with savvy vets such as Al Horford and Blake Griffen. The 76ers come with their own gunslingers in James Harden and Joel Embiid, (as long as he’s healthy). Tyrese Maxey rounds out the top three with Tobias Harris really stepping up for Philadelphia. This matchup relies on injuries again. If Embiid plays, I think it’s going to one hell of a series. If not, it’ll be light work for the Celtics and Boston will cruise to a win. I think Embiid will get better and make this series a must-watch. I think Boston will head to the Eastern Conference Finals and win in 7.
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