NBA Playoff’s Roundtable

The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and after closely watching a couple of these series start, I wanted to share some initial thoughts on how these matchups might play out. So, here goes nothing. 

Miami Heat (0-2) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (2-0) 

Of course, we start with the local favorite, the Miami Heat, who suffered an unfortunate loss last night to the Cavs. Miami began the game well, but for about two and a half quarters, Cleveland toyed with the Heat’s defense. The Cavs are clearly more offensively gifted as a roster than Miami—it shows in both the box score and the eye test. They excel at making that extra pass, which often leads to an open three-point shooter or a cutter for a wide-open dunk. Cleveland has the best record in the NBA for a reason, and they prove it every night. Last night was a perfect example: the Heat clawed back to within two points thanks to crafty plays by Davion Mitchell and Tyler Herro—both played as well as they possibly could. But Donovan Mitchell wasn’t having any of it, pouring in 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and hitting all four of his threes to shut down any comeback hopes. 

The talent gap between these rosters is obvious. Unless Miami pulls o a miracle in the next two games at the Kaseya Center, they’ve got a lot to think about heading into next season. As for the Cavaliers, they’ve got a real shot to make a deep run—Indiana or Milwaukee awaits, and neither is as well-rounded as Cleveland. But hey, anything can happen… just like Miami possibly turning this around. (Wishful thinking.) 

Denver Nuggets (1-1) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (1-1) 

This series has easily been the closest and most entertaining of the bunch. A lot of NBA talking heads, like Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo, had the Clippers as the second-best team in the West heading into the playoffs. That’s largely because they finished the regular season as the hottest team in the league, going 18-3 with an eight-game win streak in that stretch. James Harden has been a revelation all year, earning an All-Star nod that was well deserved. But the big “shocker” lately has been Kawhi Leonard’s play—and more importantly, his availability. After missing the last four playoffs due to knee injuries, Kawhi has been nothing short of amazing. 

This regular season, Kawhi averaged 21 points, which is solid, but what’s been most spectacular is his effciency. He shot nearly 50% from the field and 41% from three. In the latest game of the series, he dropped 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting. He’s been incredible, and everyone around the league is talking about it—and for good reason.

On the other side, Denver has kept it close, but it’s fair to say they’re outmatched due to the lack of depth on this Nuggets roster. The only real shot they have is if Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are constantly running the pick-and-roll and somehow converting nearly every trip down the floor. Jokic is most certainly the best player in the NBA—no doubt about that—but this is a team game, and they seem a bit overmatched against the Clippers. 

I’m sure the series will stay close simply because Jokic is on the court and will find a way to steal a win or two. But to win the whole series? That might be too much—even for the Joker. Unfortunately for Denver, the Clippers win this one in six or seven games. James Harden and Kawhi Leonard are just too much—barring any sort of injury, of course. 

Golden State Warriors (1-1) vs. Houston Rockets (1-1) 

For the most part, it seemed like the Warriors had the upper hand on this Houston team, but last night something surreal—and quite concerning—happened for Golden State moving forward. Jimmy Butler suffered a pelvis injury while going up for a rebound late in the first quarter. Amen Thompson either tripped or was shoved forward just as Jimmy was coming down, causing Butler to land awkwardly on his pelvis. It was a bit of a freak injury, and it didn’t look good. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious and we can get Jimmy back on the court, because this Warriors team has looked pretty special ever since Butler joined. 

For the Rockets, it’s been all about finding ways to score. They’re formidable on the defensive end, especially when both Alperen Şengün and Steven Adams are out there. That frontcourt is a matchup nightmare for the Warriors, who don’t really have a big man they can rely on to battle on the glass against those two. Scoring is the tougher side of the equation for Houston, especially if Jalen Green is having an o night like in Game 1. But Game 2 was a different story—Jalen dropped 38 in a big win. 

Of course, having Jimmy Butler on the court would’ve made a huge difference in Game 2. Still, I didn’t expect the Rockets to drop both of the first two games—especially not with Ime Udoka coaching this group with such a high level of accountability. 

This series will be dictated by Jimmy Butler’s health—he’s the biggest game-changer the Warriors have not named Steph Curry. Either way, I think this one goes the distance. I’m taking Golden State in seven, even though I’m genuinely concerned about them lacking another elite playmaker if Jimmy can’t go.