My predictions for the 2022-2023 NBA Playoffs, and who I would pick for postseason awards and All-NBA.
This years playoffs could be one of the best in a while. There are several teams that could contend to win it all from both conferences. I would not be surprised if the Bucks, Celtics, 76ers, Nuggets, Lakers, Suns, or Warriors were champions when this is all over. Here are my predictions for the madness that will unfold over the next 2 months:
Round 1
Milwaukee Bucks vs Miami Heat
The Bucks should win in a landslide. The Bucks are superior almost across the board at every position even if there are injuries, the Bucks will win this series. The only thing that you could possibly worry about if your the Bucks is the fact that Heat have done quite well in defending Giannis Antetokounmpo this year, only allowing 19.5 points per game to him specifically. The playoffs are different though, and the Bucks should be fine.
*Backups in Italic
Bucks Lineup:
G Jrue Holiday – 19.3 PPG – 5.1 RPG – 7.4 APG
G Grayson Allen – 10.4 PPG – 3.3 RPG – 2.3 APG
F Khris Middleton – 15.1 PPG – 4.2 RPG – 4.9 APG
F Giannis Antetokounmpo – 31.1 PPG – 11.8 RPG – 5.7 APG
C Brook Lopez – 15.9 PPG – 6.7 RPG – 1.3 APG
C/F Bobby Portis – 14.1 PPG – 9.6 RPG – 1.5 APG
Heat Lineup:
G Gabe Vincent – 9.4 PPG – 2.1 RPG – 2.5 APG
G Tyler Herro – 20.1 PPG – 5.4 RPG – 4.2 APG
F Max Strus – 11.5 PPG – 3.2 RPG – 2.1 APG
F Jimmy Butler – 22.9 PPG – 5.9 RPG – 5.3 APG
C Bam Adebayo – 20.4 PPG – 9.2 RPG – 3.2 APG
G Kyle Lowry – 11.2 PPG – 4.1 RPG – 5.1 APG
The Bucks will win this series 4-0
Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves
This series I think will end very similarly to the Bucks series. My only concern about the Nuggets is that they do not have terrific bench. The Nuggets can have trouble when Jokic is not on the court. Jokic will have to deal with 3 time DPOY Rudy Gobert.
Nuggets Line Up:
G: Jamal Murray – 20.0 PPG – 4.0 RPG – 6.2 APG
G: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – 10.8 PPG – 2.7 RPG – 2.4 APG
F: Michael Porter Jr. – 17.4 PPG – 5.5 RPG – 6.2 APG
F: Aaron Gordon – 16.3 PPG – 6.6 RPG – 3.0 APG
C: Nikola Jokic – 24.5 PPG – 11.8 RPG – 9.8 APG
G/F Bruce Brown – 11.5 PPG – 4.1 RPG – 3.4 APG
Timberwolves Line Up:
G: Mike Conley – 11.9 PPG – 2.7 RPG – 6.7 APG
G: Anthony Edwards – 24.6 PPG – 5.8 RPG – 4.4 APG
F: Kyle Anderson – 9.4 PPG – 5.3 RPG – 4.9 APG
F: Karl Anthony-Towns – 20.8 PPG – 8.1 RPG – 4.8 APG
C: Rudy Gobert – 13.4 PPG – 11.6 RPG – 1.2 APG
G: Jaylen Nowell – 10.8 PPG – 2.6 RPG – 2.0 APG
*I do not expect Jaden McDaniels or Naz Reid to play in this series.
The Nuggets will win the series 4-1
Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks
The Celtics are one of the best teams in the NBA and are a really good 3 point shooting team. Their bench is strong, they have championship experience, and a deep bench. The Hawks also have a deep bench, and showed just how strong their team can be when they’re executing their system to its fullest against the Heat in the Play-In. If I’m the Celtics, I know that they have no answer for our perimeter shooting, but the boards could be an issue, especially after seeing Clint Capela put up 21 rebounds against the Heat. If the Hawks shoot and rebound like they did against the Heat, and upset could be in store. Too bad for the Hawks, they have been consistently inconsistent the entire year. Their longest winning streak is 5 and they have had only 3 winning streaks of 3 or more all season. Because of their lack on consistency, the Celtics should win this series.
Celtics Line Up:
G Marcus Smart – 11.5 PPG – 3.1 RPG – 6.3 APG
G Derrick White – 12.4 PPG – 3.6 RPG – 3.9 APG
F Jaylen Brown – 26.6 PPG – 6.9 RPG – 3.5 APG
F Jayson Tatum – 30.1 PPG – 8.8 RPG – 4.6 APG
C Al Horford – 9.8 PPG – 6.2 RPG – 3.0 APG
G Malcolm Brogdon – 14.9 PPG – 4.2 RPG – 3.7 APG
Hawks Line Up:
G Trae Young – 26.2 PPG – 3.0 RPG – 10.2 APG
G Dejounte Murray – 20.5 PPG – 5.3 RPG – 6.1 APG
F De’Andre Hunter – 15.4 PPG – 4.2 RPG – 1.4 APG
F John Collins – 13.1 PPG – 6.5 RPG – 1.2 APG
C Clint Capela – 12.0 PPG – 11.0 RPG – 0.9 APG
G Bogdan Bogdanovic – 14.0 PPG – 3.1 RPG – 2.8 APG
The Celtics win the series 4-1
Memphis Grizzlies vs Los Angeles Lakers
This is the most interesting series in the 1st round. While the Grizzlies have been good all season, the Lakers are on fire right now and more healthy at the right time. Since trading for D’Angelo Russell and Jared Vanderbilt, the Lakers have been one of the top teams in the NBA in both offense and defense. Lebron is healthy. AD is healthy. Austin Reaves is having the best season of his career. Dennis Schroder, Rui Hachimura, and Malik Beasley have all been good contributors. The Grizzlies are going to be without their top two centers, which means the battle in the paint with Anthony Davis could be bad. The Grizzlies bright spot down low is Jaren Jackson Jr. He is probably going to win DPOY this year as he averages 3.0 blocks per game. He doesn’t let anybody score when he is around. The only problem is, he can’t guard both Anthony Davis and Lebron James. While Dillon Brooks is a capable defender in his own right, he doesn’t have the sheer size to guard Lebron. I like the Lakers to win the series this year, but perhaps if the Grizzlies had Steven Adams it would be a different story, but I am not confident in Xavier Tillman.
Grizzlies Line Up:
G Ja Morant – 26.2 PPG – 5.9 RPG – 8.1 APG
G Desmond Bane – 21.5 PPG – 5.0 RPG – 4.4 APG
F Dillon Brooks – 14.3 PPG – 3.3 RPG – 2.6 APG
F Jaren Jackson Jr. – 18.6 PPG – 6.8 RPG – 1.0 APG
C Xavier Tillman – 7.0 PPG – 5.0 RPG – 1.6 APG
G Tyus Jones – 10.3 PPG – 2.5 RPG – 5.2 APG
Lakers Line Up:
G D’Angelo Russell – 17.8 PPG – 3.0 RPG – 6.2 APG
G Austin Reaves – 13.0 PPG – 3.0 RPG – 3.4 APG
F LeBron James – 28.9 PPG – 8.3 RPG – 6.8 APG
F Jarred Vanderbilt – 7.9 PPG – 7.5 RPG – 2.4 APG
C Anthony Davis – 25.9 PPG – 12.5 RPG – 2.6 APG
G Dennis Schroder – 12.6 PPG – 2.5 RPG – 4.5 APG
The Lakers will win the series 4-1
Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets
The Nets are a weird team this year. They traded both of their superstars, but were still able to make the playoffs, almost exclusively starting players that they received a s a result of the trade. They have a very versatile lineup, with all of their players being at least 6’6. They can switch defensively as they please and not see much drop off. That is very valuable. Nic Claxton has been a top 10 center this year as well, and should be considered for the NBA All-Defensive team. One thing the Nets don’t have, is a superstar. While Mikal Bridges has been great since the trade, he hasn’t been as good as James Harden or Joel Embiid. If the Nets wasn’t to win this series, they need to stop Joel Embiid, and I don’t know if they can. Claxton should be better than most at guarding him, but when he isn’t on the court, the Nets will be screwed, as Nic Claxton is the only competent center on their roster. I expect the 76ers to win this series, but the Nets may surprise some people with some wins.
76ers Line Up:
G James Harden – 21.0 PPG – 6.1 RPG – 10.7 APG
G Tyrese Maxey – 20.3 PPG – 2.9 RPG – 3.5 APG
F Tobias Harris – 14.7 PPG – 5.7 RPG – 2.5 APG
F PJ Tucker – 3.5 PPG – 3.9 RPG – 0.8 APG
C Joel Embiid – 33.1 PPG – 10.2 RPG – 4.2 APG
G De’Anthony Melton – 10.1 PPG – 4.1 RPG – 2.6 APG
Nets Line Up:
G Spencer Dinwiddie – 17.3 PPG – 3.4 RPG – 6.5 APG
G Mikal Bridges – 20.1 PPG – 4.4 RPG – 3.3 APG
F Cameron Johnson – 15.5 PPG – 4.4 RPG – 1.9 APG
F Dorian Finney-Smith – 8.3 PPG – 4.8 RPG – 1.5 APG
C Nic Claxton – 12.6 PPG – 9.2 RPG – 1.9 APG
F Royce O’Neale – 8.8 PPG – 5.1 RPG – 3.7 APG
The 76ers will win the series 4-2
Sacramento Kings vs Golden State Warriors
The Kings are relevant this year for the first time in over a decade. Unfortunately for them, they have to play against the defending champs, who are all healthy now with the return of Andrew Wiggins. As much as I would love to see the Kings make it into the second round, the Warriors have too much firepower. Against the Kings this season, Steph Curry has averaged 33 points per game on 58% shooting, 50% from 3. They have no answer for Steph.
Kings Line Up:
G De’Aaron Fox – 25.0 PPG – 4.2 RPG – 6.1 APG
G Kevin Huerter – 15.2 PPG – 3.3 RPG – 2.9 APG
F Harrison Barnes – 15.0 PPG – 4.5 RPG – 1.6 APG
F Keegan Murray – 12.2 PPG – 4.6 RPG – 1.2 APG
C Domantas Sabonis – 19.1 PPG – 12.3 RPG – 7.3 APG
G Malik Monk – 13.5 PPG – 2.6 RPG – 3.9 APG
Warriors Line Up:
G Steph Curry – 29.4 PPG – 6.1 RPG – 6.3 APG
G Klay Thompson – 21.9 PPG – 4.1 RPG – 2.4 APG
F Donte DiVincenzo – 9.4 PPG – 4.5 RPG – 3.5 APG
F Andrew Wiggins – 17.1 PPG – 5.0 RPG – 2.3 APG
C Draymond Green – 8.5 PPG – 7.2 RPG – 6.8 APG
G Jordan Poole – 20.4 PPG – 2.7 RPG – 4.5 APG
The Warriors win the series 4-1
Cleveland Cavaliers vs New York Knicks
This should be a pretty even series. Both teams have quality starting line ups, but lack on their benches. The difference in this series is Donovan Mitchell. The Knicks don’t have that type of dynamic scorer on their roster. Donovan Mitchell shows up in the playoffs and is gonna cook all series.
Cavaliers Line Up:
G Darius Garland – 21.6 PPG – 2.7 RPG – 7.8 APG
G Donovan Mitchell – 28.3 PPG – 4.3 RPG – 4.4 APG
F Isaac Okoro – 6.4 PPG – 2.5 RPG – 1.1 APG
F Evan Mobley – 16.2 PPG – 9.0 RPG – 2.8 APG
C Jaret Allen – 14.3 PPG – 9.8 RPG – 1.7 APG
G Caris LeVert – 12.1 PPG – 3.8 RPG – 3.9 APG
Knicks Line Up:
G Jalen Brunson – 24.0 PPG – 3.5 RPG – 6.2 APG
G Quentin Grimes – 11.3 PPG – 3.2 RPG – 2.1 APG
F RJ Barrett – 19.6 PPG – 5.0 RPG – 2.8 APG
F Julius Randle – 25.1 PPG – 10.0 RPG – 4.1 APG
C Mitchell Robinson – 7.4 PPG – 9.4 RPG – 0.9 APG
G Immanuel Quickley – 14.9 PPG – 4.2 RPG – 3.4 APG
The Cavaliers win the series 4-2
Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Clippers
These two teams are some of the most star studded in the NBA. The Suns are undefeated in games that Kevin Durant has played in, and I am concerned about Paul George’s health. The Suns just have too much firepower. If Booker is having a bad game, they can use Durant, if Durant is having a bad game, they can move to Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. The Clippers don’t have that kind of depth.
Suns Line Up:
G Chris Paul – 13.9 PPG – 4.3 RPG – 8.9 APG
G Devin Booker – 27.8 PPG – 4.5 RPG – 5.5 APG
F Josh Okogie – 7.3 PPG – 3.5 RPG – 1.5 APG
F Kevin Durant – 29.1 PPG – 6.7 RPG – 5.0 APG
C Deandre Ayton – 18.0 PPG – 10.0 RPG – 1.7 APG
G Cameron Payne – 10.3 PPG – 2.2 RPG – 4.5 APG
Clippers Line Up:
G Russell Westbrook – 15.9 PPG – 5.8 RPG – 7.5 APG
G Paul George – 23.8 PPG – 6.1 RPG – 5.1 APG
F Kawhi Leonard – 23.8 PPG – 6.5 RPG – 3.9 APG
F Nicola Batum – 6.1 PPG – 3.8 RPG – 1.6 APG
C Ivica Zubac – 10.8 PPG – 9.9 RPG – 1.0 APG
G Eric Gordon – 12.4 PPG – 1.9 RPG – 2.7 APG
The Suns win the series 4-1
Conference Semifinals
Milwaukee Bucks vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Once again, the bucks outclass the Cavs at almost every position including the bench. The only way I see the Cavs winning this series is Donovan Mitchell going nutzo and averaging over 30 PPG, and Jaret Allen getting some boards. I don’t think they’ll do either and the Bucks should win handedly.
The Bucks win the series 4-1
Denver Nuggets vs Phoenix Suns
The Nuggets have been good all season. The Suns have been good since the KD trade. My problem with Nuggets is how they can do outside of Jokic. Jokic is gonna get his, but the Suns run laps around the rest of their roster. I like the Suns to win, and the Nuggets this offseason should consider grabbing another presence down low to pair with Jokic.
The Suns win the series 4-1
Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers
The Celtic once again will have trouble downlow with a dominant big in Joel Embiid. I don’t see anyone on this roster that can stop him. With that said, the 76ers don’t have much outside of Embiid, especially on defense. Tatum and Brown are gonna cook all series. I like the Celtics to win the series, but the Sixers have a very good shot.
The Celtics win the series 4-3
Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers
Both of these teams have title aspirations. Both teams can put up big numbers. Both teams have star power. However, only one of these teams has size. The Lakers. Anthony Davis and LeBron are going to bully the Warriors down low and get the win.
The Lakers win the series 4-2
Conference Finals
Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics
These two teams are probably the most deep in the NBA. Both have MVP candidates in Giannis and Tatum. What Boston doesn’t have, is the dominant paint presence that Giannis and Lopez bring for the Bucks. The Celtics have an advantage in 3pt shooting, but the Bucks can shoot too. I like the Bucks to win, but in the end it really is a 50/50 shot for both teams.
The Bucks win the series 4-3
Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers
These are two most star studded teams in the NBA. They have size and perimeter shooting. I like the Suns to win the series if only because I trust their role players to show up, more than I trust the Lakers. I trust Deandre Ayton, Cameron Payne, Terrance Ross, and TJ Warren, more than I trust D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Dennis Schroder.
The Suns win the series 4-2
Finals
Milwaukee Bucks vs Phoenix Suns
A rematch form 2020-2021, and I expect it to be a great series. The Bucks are deeper, but the Suns have more stars. The Bucks have more defense, but the Suns have more shooting. I think the Suns are going to win it all, but it is essential that they stay healthy through the playoffs because they do not have much depth.
The Suns win the series 4-2
Awards
MVP
- Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
- Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
- Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
Defensive Player of the Year
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks)
- Nic Claxton (Brooklyn Nets)
Sixth Man of the Year
- Malcolm Brogdon (Boston Celtics)
- Immanuel Quickley (New York Knicks)
- Onyeka Okongwu (Atlanta Hawks)
Most Improved Player
- Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
- Tyrese Halliburton (Indiana Pacers)
- Nic Claxton (Brooklyn Nets)
Rookie of the Year
- Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
- Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz)
- Keegan Murray (Sacramento Kings)
Coach of the Year
- Mike Brown (Sacramento Kings)
- Mark Daigneault (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Michael Malone (Denver Nuggets)
ALL NBA 1st Team
G Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
F Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
F Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
C Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
ALL NBA 2nd Team
G Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers)
G Damian Lillard (Portland Trailblazers)
F Julius Randle (New York Knicks)
F Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
C Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
ALL NBA 3rd Team
G De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings)
G Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)
F DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls)
F Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets)
C Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings)
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