NBA Round Two Playoff Predictions 2021
Can the Bucks take down the star-studded Nets? Will Trae Young step up in the postseason for the second straight series? Find out in our playoff predictions!
After a first round filled with game seven drama, a two seed “upsetting” a seven seeded L.A. team, and young stars such as Devin Booker making their mark on the league in primetime, we have finally reached round two of the playoffs. Here are Ansh Suchdeve and Connor Easterday’s playoff picks which include a dethroning of a number one seed (from consensus), and a group filled with superstars across the board reaching the conference finals.
Western Conference:
Utah Jazz (1) vs LA Clippers (4)
Utah has so many reliable options to score, facing off against two great defending stars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, but to me, the depth of both teams will determine the series. Can the Clippers supporting cast continue to shoot at an above-average rate, or will the Jazz’s plethora of scorers overpower them? This is a intriguing series in many ways, as the Clippers escaped their first round series against Dallas without establishing true chemistry among each other, as the team has not played together for an extended period of time at full strength (partially due to Leonard playing 52 games and Paul George playing in 54 games during the regular season). Meanwhile, the Jazz have cruised through the entirety of the season, without any injury-riddled stretches unlike LA. However, I fully believe Kawhi turns it up a notch, reminiscent of his 2019 run with Toronto, and the Clippers rally around their superstar with superb shooting to win this series in a gritty, tough seven games behind potentially a few high-scoring affairs coming from Donovan Mitchell to spark the Utah offense.
Ansh Suchdeve’s Prediction: Clippers in 7
Connor Easterday’s Prediction: Clippers in 7
(Photo by: Jennifer Stewart/USA Today Sports)
Phoenix Suns (2) vs Denver Nuggets (3)
Backcourt stars versus a stout frontcourt with the league’s eventual MVP. This Phoenix-Denver series should feature plenty of scoring with Nikola Jokic adding onto his monster regular season while on the other side, Devin Booker continues to make his case as one of the premier scoring guards in the league following his incredible game 6 performance which eliminated the defending champs. The Nuggets will certainly throw everything they have at the newly established duo in the Valley, but to me, it simply won’t be enough due to the lack of size and defensive ability from the Denver backcourt. With the absence of rising star Jamal Murray and respectable guard Will Barton, the Nuggets will likely turn to Facundo Campazzo to take command of the back court, who has served as a merely average guard that couldn’t stop Portland superstar Damian Lillard from having a historic playoff series in round one. And that serves as the ultimate red flag for the Nuggets in this series, as I believe Phoenix will heavily rely on their guards (in their favor) in Chris Paul to distribute the ball and Devin Booker to take over the scoring facet, while the wings in Jae Crowder and Mikal Bridges knock down shots against the fourth worst defensive rated team in the postseason in the Nuggets. It would take several impressive performances from Michael Porter Jr of the Nuggets for them to take control of the series, otherwise I have a difficult time picking against Phoenix.
Ansh Suchdeve’s Prediction: Suns in 6
Connor Easterday’s Prediction: Suns in 7
Eastern Conference:
Philadelphia 76ers (1) vs Atlanta Hawks (5)
With Joel Embiid potentially sidelined due to a cartilage tear in his knee, the alarms are going off in Philly. A team that once looked to be a finals contender is now facing an uphill battle in the second round. Meanwhile, the Hawks keep looking better and better. With coach Nate McMillan at the helm, Atlanta’s high-caliber offense has done more than enough to compensate for a lesser defense. Role players Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter are making their presence known, while Trae Young has been putting on a performance that is reminiscent of Steve Nash. The Sixers do, however, have an elite defensive backcourt in Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle to potentially one-up the Hawks’ offensive firepower. No matter who wins, this series will be about both teams trying to force the other to play to their style.
Ansh Suchdeve’s Prediction: 76ers in 6
Connor Easterday’s Prediction: Hawks in 6
Brooklyn Nets (2) vs Milwaukee Bucks (3)
This series is being treated as if it’s the NBA finals before the NBA finals, and it is well worthy of that acclaim. While the Nets were always supposed to be in this situation, the Bucks had some questions to answer in round one. Their defensive rotations were questionable all season and oftentimes it looked as if they were lacking depth and secondary playmakers. Well those concerns were thrown in the dumpster after their four-game sweep-up of the Miami Heat, the same team that squashed them in five games just last year. Brooklyn has more on-paper talent than any team in the league and would rival any team in NBA history in terms of offensive ability. However, there is a severe lack of experience as the big three of Durant, Irving, and Harden had only played eight games together going into these playoffs. Meanwhile, the Bucks’ defense looks to be a bludgeoning machine, however offensive consistency may prove to be their enemy. Either way, anything short of a game seven would be a disappointment here.
Ansh Suchdeve’s Prediction: Nets in 7
Connor Easterday’s Prediction: Bucks in 7