Binge Sports: 2015 NBA Playoffs-Round 1

Welcome back to the crazy week that has been Binge Sports. But hey, this is why we here at Binge Media do what we do. As I’m sure you’ve gathered by now (I wrote an entire column about it), this is my favorite time of the year in sports. The NCAA Tournament was incredible. Wrestlemania was very solid. We watched as Jordan Spieth make history at the Masters. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway. How about that first night of playoff hockey? If you’d still like to vote for Round 1, click HERE. I’ll get into all of that next week when Kupka and I break down the first few nights during the premiere of the Binge Sportscast. And speaking of playoffs (dynamite segue), the NBA version kicks off this Saturday and it took all 82 games to decide a few of the participants.

If you haven’t been watching, this really has been a crazy year in the NBA. We watched as new stars emerged. We saw a few surprises that I certainly didn’t see coming (Atlanta Hawks, anyone?). The injury train derailed a few of the game’s biggest names. Yet here we are. Sixteen teams are ready to make their run at a championship, and I honestly have to say that it’s really anybody’s ballgame this year. Sure, the Warriors may look like the favorite in the West, but if you don’t think that the Spurs will have something to say about that, just look at last year. The East still has the game’s best player, but will that be enough to get the Cavaliers all the way to the NBA Finals? But such is the beauty of playoff basketball. A lot of things can happen over the course of seven games, so without further delay, let’s get to the matchups, the schedules, the previews, and of course, your votes for the winner of each series. Let’s go ahead and start out in the East.

(8)BROOKLYN NETS v. (1)ATLANTA HAWKS

SCHEDULE

Game 1: @Atlanta-Sun. 4/19-5:30E/4:30C-TNT

Game 2: @Atlanta-Wed. 4/22-7:00E/6:00C-NBA TV

Game 3: @Brooklyn-Sat. 4/25-3:00E/2:00C-TNT

Game 4: @Brooklyn-Mon. 4/27-TBD

Game 5 (if necessary): @Atlanta-Wed. 4/29-TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): @Brooklyn-Fri. 5/1-TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): @Atlanta-Sun. 5/3-TBD

PREVIEW

Quick. Name the Atlanta Hawks starting five. I mean, without Googling it. Give up? Okay, I’ll fill you in. Al Horford, Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague, and DeMarre Carroll led the Hawks to a surprising 60-22 record. They play such a brand of team basketball that the entire starting lineup was named NBA Player of the Month in January. The networks didn’t show a ton of Atlanta basketball this season, but they really are fun to watch. They rely on each other to win, and if they get in trouble, they just throw it to Korver in the corner and let him shoot. Okay, not really, but that’s certainly one of many ways that the Hawks can beat you. Just ask the Nets, who snuck into these playoffs with a 38-44 record. They lost all four games against Atlanta in the regular season and really have no shot in this series. They only won twelve games against teams that were .500 or better. This series shouldn’t go more than five.

[yop_poll id=”220″]

(5)WASHINGTON WIZARDS v. (4)TORONTO RAPTORS

SCHEDULE

Game 1: @Toronto-Sat. 4/18-12:30E/11:30 a.m Central-ESPN

Game 2: @Toronto-Tue. 4/21-8:00E/7:00C-NBA TV

Game 3: @Washington-Fri. 4/24-8:00E/7:00C-ESPN2

Game 4: @Washington-Sun. 4/26-7:00E/6:00C-TNT

Game 5 (if necessary): @Toronto-Wed. 4/29-TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): @Washington-Fri. 5/1-TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): @Toronto-Sun. 5/3-TBD

PREVIEW

I’m looking for this to be a very exciting series. Washington comes in with a very exciting backcourt that features Bradley Beal and one of my favorite players to watch, John Wall, who’s really stepped up and become one of the premier guards in this league. He averaged 17.6 points per game this year, but also averaged ten assists per contest. The Wizards also have the veteran leadership and playoff experience of Paul Pierce to help, which they’ll need as the road team. Washington went 17-24 away from home, and they’re heading to Toronto to face a Raptors squad that put up 104 points per game. Led by DeMar DeRozan’s twenty per game and Kyle Lowry’s 17.8 points and 6.8 assists every night, the Raptors play an exciting brand of basketball. They won all three against the Wizards this season, but the last one went into overtime. I wouldn’t be surprised if this series went to seven.

[yop_poll id=”221″]

(6)MILWAUKEE BUCKS v. (3)CHICAGO BULLS

SCHEDULE

Game 1: @Chicago-Sat. 4/18-7:00E/6:00C-ESPN

Game 2: @Chicago-Mon. 4/20-8:00E/7:00C-TNT

Game 3: @Milwaukee-Thu. 4/23-8:00E/7:00C-NBA TV

Game 4: @Milwaukee-Sat. 4/25-5:30E/4:30C-TNT

Game 5 (if necessary): @Chicago-Mon. 4/27-TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): @Milwaukee-Thu. 4/30-TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): @Chicago-Sat. 5/2-TBD

PREVIEW

The big story here is quite obvious. Derrick Rose returns to playoff basketball for the first time since 2012. After suffering yet another injury during the regular season, Chicago was left to ponder what to do without their star. But this time was different. The injury was not as bad as everyone initially thought, and Rose recently returned to the lineup, with the Bulls going 4-1 down the stretch when he played. Chicago fans now hope that injuries to Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson aren’t that severe, as both are listed as questionable for Game 1. But with Pau Gasol and Jimmy Butler having phenomenal seasons, the Bulls are a real threat in the East. That is, as long as they get real minutes from Derrick Rose. They should win this series against a very young Bucks team. It’s been a nice story in Milwaukee this season. Even after losing rookie sensation Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Michael Carter-Williams led the Bucks back to .500. They’ll continue to get better, especially after Parker returns next season. They may get a game or two, but I’m still going with the Bulls here.

[yop_poll id=”222″]

(7)BOSTON CELTICS v. (2)CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

SCHEDULE

Game 1: @Cleveland-Sun. 4/19-3:00E/2:00C-ABC

Game 2: @Cleveland-Tue. 4/21-7:00E/6:00C-TNT

Game 3: @Boston-Thu. 4/23-7:00E/6:00C-TNT

Game 4: @Boston-Sun. 4/26-1:00E/Noon Central-ABC

Game 5 (if necessary): @Cleveland-Tue. 4/28-TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): @Boston-Thu. 4/30-TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): @Cleveland-Sat. 5/2-TBD

PREVIEW

Well, let the show begin. Although they’re the second seed, the Cavs are pretty much considered the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference. Since right around the halfway point, Cleveland has been on a tear, especially at home. Since acquiring Timfey Mozgov, J.R. Smith, and Iman Shumpert, they’ve looked like a different unit. Sure, the Kevin Love experiment hasn’t gone exactly as planned, but that’s still a nice option to have. Kyrie Irving has become one of the game’s most exciting players, and oh yea, there’s still the matter of the best player on the planet. You might want to argue for someone else, but let’s be real. LeBron James is still the king of this league. Don’t get it twisted, I’m still a Kobe guy, but J.R. Smith is right. He could be the MVP every single year. He left Miami and they’re sitting at home. The Cavs hadn’t been in the playoffs since he left and now they’re back as a number two seed with 53 wins. And who do the Celtics have to guard him? Jae Crowder? Evan Turner? Marcus Smart? Look, it’s nice for the Celtics that they’re ahead of schedule in their rebuilding process. A series of trades that landed them Isaiah Thomas really helped Boston down the stretch. He adds an element of offensive excitement that they were missing. They’ll annoy Cleveland, but ultimately the Cavaliers will win this series. The possibility of Cavs v. Bulls in the second round is very intriguing.

[yop_poll id=”223″]

(8)NEW ORLEANS PELICANS v. (1)GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

SCHEDULE

Game 1: @Golden State-Sat. 4/18-3:30E/2:30C-ABC

Game 2: @Golden State-Mon. 4/20-10:30E/9:30C-TNT

Game 3: @New Orleans-Thu. 4/23-9:30E/8:30C-TNT

Game 4: @New Orleans-Sat. 4/25-8:00E/7:00C-ESPN

Game 5 (if necessary): @Golden State-Tue. 4/28-TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): @New Orleans-Fri. 5/1-TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): @Golden State-Sun. 5/3-TBD

PREVIEW

I know I’m supposed to be unbiased here, but I’m pulling for the Warriors. I’ve known backup point guard Shaun Livingston since he was eight years old (I even coached him in Little League and helped him with using his left hand as a kid). He’s one of the best players to ever come out of my hometown and I’ve watched him jump from team to team after dealing with being a Clipper when they were still the laughing stock of the league, as well as a gruesome injury that would have ended so many careers. But he fought back and is in the first year of a three-year contract with the Warriors and I couldn’t be happier for him. He really seems to fit in there and looks happy. He had a 21-point effort on national television when Curry didn’t have it going, so I wish him the best of luck moving forward.

As for the series, New Orleans makes their debut in the playoffs and the world finally gets a real look at Anthony Davis, who has the chance in the next few years to be the best player in the NBA. He’s already close now. He averaged 24.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks in the regular season. He is just a monster. And the Pelicans are balanced. They’ve got four guys that average more than thirteen points in Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Ryan Anderson, and Eric Gordon. They’re on the rise, but unfortunately for the Pelicans, they’re playing the 67-15 Golden State Warriors. Think about that. They won a very tough Western Conference by eleven games. They’re led by my pick for MVP, Stephen Curry, who averaged 24 points and 7.7 assists per game while shooting 49% from the floor and 44% from deep. Throw in Klay Thompson’s 21.7 points per game and the fact that Golden State led the league in scoring, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage, and they’re going to be extremely tough to beat.

[yop_poll id=”224″]

(4)PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS v. (5)MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

SCHEDULE

Game 1: @Memphis-Sun. 4/19-8:00E/7:00C-TNT

Game 2: @Memphis-Wed. 4/22-8:00E/7:00C-TNT

Game 3: @Portland-Sat. 4/25-10:30E/9:30C-ESPN

Game 4: @Portland-Mon. 4/27-10:30E/9:30C-TNT

Game 5 (if necessary): @Memphis-Wed. 4/29-TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): @Portland-Fri. 5/1-TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): @Memphis-Sun. 5/3-TBD

PREVIEW

The outdated playoff format comes to light here as Portland is the higher seed (they should be sixth), but Memphis at least gets the home-court advantage by having four more wins. The story of this series is injury. Both teams have them, so it will come down to who can fight through and advance. When Portland lost Wesley Matthews to a torn Achilles, they definitely struggled, going 10-12 down the stretch. Injuries are also a concern with Arron Afflalo, Nicolas Batum, Chris Kaman, and C.J. McCollum. But as they probably would have anyway, the Trailblazers will have to rely on Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, still battling through an injury of his own, to carry them. But this is the playoffs. This is when the big stars have to step up. On the other side of the ball, Memphis has their own problems to deal with. Mike Conley has a foot issue that kept him out of the last few games of the season and superstar center Marc Gasol is fighting through a sprained ankle. But I think he’s feeling okay. He put up 33 points and 18 rebounds in the season finale on Wednesday night. The offense runs through that frontcourt of Gasol and Zach Randolph. Between the two, you can usually count on 35 to 40 points and 20 to 25 rebounds. Their presence in the paint also frees up shots for Conley, Courtney Lee, and Jeff Green. If they can stay healthy, a second round matchup with the Warriors would be amazing.

[yop_poll id=”225″]

(6)SAN ANTONIO SPURS v. (3)LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

SCHEDULE

Game 1: @Los Angeles-Sun. 4/19-10:30E/9:30C-TNT

Game 2: @Los Angeles-Wed. 4/22-10:30E/9:30C-TNT

Game 3: @San Antonio-Fri. 4/24-9:30E/8:30C-ESPN

Game 4: @San Antonio-Sun. 4/26-3:30E/2:30C-ABC

Game 5 (if necessary): @Los Angeles-Tue. 4/28-TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): @San Antonio-Thu. 4/30-TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): @Los Angeles-Sat. 5/2-TBD

PREVIEW

This is the beauty of the Western Conference. This is a first-round matchup? Awesome. There’s not one series in the East that will be as good as this has the potential to be. These are two completely opposite teams. The defending champion Spurs are……well, the Spurs. You know the names like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli. But the transition has begun and this is becoming Kawhi Leonard’s team. He led San Antonio in scoring with 16.5 points per game, but what he does that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is immeasurable. He’s just the kind of guy you want on your team. He’s not flashy, but he gets the job done. The flash comes on the other end with the Clippers. The trio of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan have the Clips sitting in a nice position in the third spot. Chris Paul is still the definition of what you want a point guard to be, Blake Griffin is going to get you twenty, and Jordan changes the game in the paint. He grabs fifteen rebounds a night and that wingspan makes the opposition really think about coming down the lane. This has the potential to be a very, very good series.

[yop_poll id=”226″]

(7)DALLAS MAVERICKS v. (2)HOUSTON ROCKETS

SCHEDULE

Game 1: @Houston-Sat. 4/18-9:30E/8:30C-ESPN

Game 2: @Houston-Tue. 4/21-9:30E/8:30C-TNT

Game 3: @Dallas-Fri. 4/24-7:00E/6:00C-ESPN

Game 4: @Dallas-Sun. 4/26-9:30E/8:30C-TNT

Game 5 (if necessary): @Houston-Tue. 4/28-TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): @Dallas-Thu. 4/30-TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): @Houston-Sat. 5/2-TBD

PREVIEW

The battle in Texas is another good first round series. Houston comes in with an MVP candidate in James Harden, who put up 27.4 points per game and dished out seven assists per contest. The offense runs through him, but will that change with a “healthy” Dwight Howard? The big man only played in 41 games this season, putting up 15 and 10, but if Harden wants to get out of the first round for the first time in a Rockets uniform, he’s going to need some help. The Mavericks enter the playoffs for the fourteenth time with Dirk Nowitzki on their roster. The return of Tyson Chandler bolstered the defense, and the mid-year additions of Rajon Rondo and Amar’e Stoudemire make Dallas a dangerous seven seed. There’s a lot of star power in this series, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.

[yop_poll id=”227″]

You’d think that would be enough, but I’m not quite done. Stay tuned for an all-new Binge Sportscast, the NBA Playoffs version, coming very soon. Much like I’m going to do with the NHL Playoffs podcast, I’d like to get a few games in as I think it makes for more interesting conversation. But for now, let me know who you got in the first round. Leave comments below or follow me on Twitter and tweet @BingeSports and/or @THElukenorris. You’ll see…and hear from me again very soon. Enjoy.