NBA playoff predictions: 1st round, conference finals, champions
With the 2024-25 NBA playoff set to kick off, theScore's basketball editors Joseph Casciaro, Joe Wolfond, Michael J. Chandler, Chicco Nacion, Donald Higney, Thomas Tittley, and Joseph Luca Casciaro make their picks for the first round, conference finals, NBA Final, and Finals MVP.
Not a lot to cover here. One team is a defensive juggernaut that also boasts a top-three offensive rating, the second-best net rating in NBA history, and the MVP favorite. The other took the long route to the playoffs and lost all four regular-season meetings by double-digits.
There's a scenario where Bay Area-born Amen Thompson puts Steph Curry and the injured thumb on his shooting hand in the torture chamber and the emerging Houston Rockets escape with a narrow series win. More than two-thirds of our editors aren't buying it.
These teams are built to beat each other. The Minnesota Timberwolves boast a frontcourt advantage, but JJ Redick could negate Rudy Gobert's presence with a small-ball lineup. "I love the fact that everybody want the Lakers to win," Anthony Edwards said. Well, apparently not everybody.
The Los Angeles Clippers enter the playoffs on a heater, with wins in 18 of their last 21. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are a hair better than .500 since the All-Star break, just pulled off an unprecedented double-banishment of their coach and GM, and are sweating playoff savant Jamal Murray's hamstring worry.
There are many things the Cleveland Cavaliers excelled at this year, not the least of which was a habit for beating the teams they should: Donovan Mitchell and Co. were 36-7 versus teams under .500. They also went 2-1 against the Heat.
Jaylen Brown's knee injury is a worry for Joe Mazzulla and Co., though it's doubtful that the reigning Finals MVP's condition will hinder the Celtics' chances against the No. 7 Orlando Magic. The copy-and-paste function came in handy on this one.
Despite the 5-2 edge in favor of the New York Knicks, the Detroit Pistons were 2-0 at Madison Square Garden this season. Cade Cunningham averaged 32.5 points on 56.3% shooting from three in those two games. Is it possible we're underselling the Pistons against a flawed Knicks side?
The Milwaukee Bucks reeled off eight straight wins to end the regular season on a high note, though a deeper look reveals that those eight opponents owned an average win percentage of .420. That, paired with Damian Lillard's potential first-round absence, explains the Pacers bias here.
The Lakers have three players who can manufacture easy buckets from half-chances, but will that be enough to evade the Thunder's historic defense? Seems unlikely, though Luka Doncic has had OKC's number in the past. LeBron James is also still LeBron James, even if he isn't that LeBron James.
Other than the sole Knicks inclusion here, based on the Celtics' health concerns and their at-times over-reliance on threes, among other factors, the consensus is Boston and Cleveland will battle for a place in the NBA Finals. Safe picks, but also probably the right ones.
Seven votes split among four teams, with just the Cavaliers earning a nod from the Eastern Conference, speaks to the depth and quality of the West this season. The editor who selected the Clippers to win the Larry O'Brien trophy must have some insider knowledge.
Regular-season MVP front-runner Shai-Gilgeous Alexander has earned more than 50% of this vote, and it's a good pick considering the Thunder are the bookmakers' favourites. Kawhi Leonard could join LeBron James as the only players to win the award with three different teams.