My Own Rotten Tomatoes with the 2018 NBA Playoffs (First Round)

HERE WE GO The 2018 NBA Playoffs now in full swing 

AS A BIG FAN OF the NBA, I get so hyped up as soon as the regular season ends, because that means the real season is about to start.

An NBA postseason is anything but a humdrum. This is where the conflict intensifies, where the games tighten up and all the shots are contested, and were, in some instances, legends are born. Where sixteen teams, from the eastern seaboard to the Pacific Northwest, all jockeying for position, outwitting each other, and even fighting for their NBA lives.

You’ll witness some domination, upsets, in-the-zone moments, along with some intense trash talking, and the finest plays from some of the finest coaches in the business.

Yet even before the playoffs could begin, the 2017-2018 NBA campaign has had its highs and lows: a gruesome injury to start the season and a do-or-die game to close it out, which makes it one of the most memorable to date, not to mention Thunder’s Westbrook averaging a triple double for the second straight year, no minor feat, to begin with.  

So it would be so much fun to predict the outcome of the playoffs (First Round), especially after an eventful regular season with a lot of twists and turns, of which the postseason could enliven it further.

But this is just my take based on the positioning of each team leading to the postseason. This is not grounded on analytics, where you could measure the outcome of the series through statistics or percentage or some point differential. I’m assessing it merely from the outside looking in, the intangibles that these teams have displayed during the course of the regular season, and as some sort of a pattern leading to the playoffs. Besides, there lies the anticipation and the drama that goes with winning a series in the postseason. 

So, without further ado, here are my rotten tomatoes for this year’s playoffs.

Eastern Conference

Toronto Raptors (1) – Washington Wizards (8)

OFF THE WALL John Wall's return gives the Wizards that much-needed boost against the East leading Raptors 

Yes, they have secured the top spot in the East, but the Raptors still have some issues to deal with. Let’s just hope nobody disappears come crunch time. If they lose in the quarterfinals to this year’s Wizards (which had its own ups and downs, notwithstanding), we might be seeing the last of Kyle Lowry in a Raptor uniform.

We know the analytics, of course, with them having the best bench in the league going into the playoffs, but it would be quite a risk for them to underestimate this Washington team, now that John Wall is back. DeRozan should be able to sink his threes in this series. But this is a tough one, and the Raptors (maybe to Stephen A. Smith’s surprise even) win it in 7.

Boston Celtics (2) – Milwaukee Bucks (7)

FILLING IN With Irving's injury, Rozier's role is now magnified tenfold in the playoffs 

Lucky for the Leprechaun, he still has Terry Rozier. Giannis might be long, athletic, and almost unstoppable at some point for the Bucks, but Rozier is everywhere for the Celtics, thanks in large part to the coaching whiz of Brad Stevens (my Coach of the Year bet).

Rozier will have to step up big time against a much improved Milwaukee backcourt. Since Irving’s injury, the Celtics has relied heavily on his tenacity and Jordan-like jump shots. The Bucks’ length might be bothersome during this stretch, but the ball and player movement that Stevens has devised this season to somehow offset the barrage of injuries that his team had, of which Rozier has benefited, will ultimately carry them to the semifinals. Celtics in 6. 

Philadelphia 76ers (3) – Miami Heat (6)

GOING BIG Sixers' Embid and Heat's Whiteside going at it (this time in 7 games) 

If this series is zeroed in on Joel Embid and Hassan Whiteside, it would be quite difficult to score inside the paint and the series would go the distance. Otherwise, no way Dragic or Wade or anybody on that Heat second unit could stop the trailing Ben Simmons on his way to Sixers lore.

Miami will have their hands full all playoff long, with Redick shooting threes like no tomorrow and a supporting cast that is nothing short of formidable, there can be no question anymore with The Process. But Spoelstra has his championship pedigree, and he’ll cook up something for the Heat. There’s too much Sixers on this one, nevertheless, even as Simmons brings home the ROY, and they have it in 5.

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) – Indiana Pacers (5)

DETHRONING THE KING The surging Pacers try to put to rest LeBron's dominance in the East 

Look, Indiana is one of the rising teams in the NBA, but LeBron James is LeBron James. How do you solve a problem like a 6’8”, 250 pound pass-first, invincible point–forward, who can dominate the game if he wants to, day in and day out? Even if you throw in a Kardashian on the paint, the Cavs would still looked strong and dominant, with James manning the perimeter.

Not to take anything away from the Pacers, though, now that Oladipo is taking the team to another level following the departure of Paul George, but as long as King James is on that Land, sometimes it would take a miracle to dethrone him. But make no mistake about it, the Pacers will put up a fight, and they still have Lance Stephenson. It is still a series by any stretch of the imagination, but the Cavs will stash it in 6.

Western Conference

Houston Rockets (1) – Minnesota Timberwolves (8)

UPHILL CLIMB After years of playoffs absence, the Wolves are back, but they have a problem in Houston 

This is a no-brainer. A seemingly bewildered Wolves facing a surging Rockets is a mismatch, to start with, unless Wiggins, Towns, and Butler steps up. But that is asking too much right now after what seemed to be a disappointing campaign at end of the regular season.

On the flip side, though, this is just a walk in the park for Houston. Harden is playing out of his mind, and is poised to secure his MVP nod this year. With Capela continuing to improve and the three point bombs being thrown at the Toyota Center with Harden as its lead, it would be an aberration if the best team in the league disintegrates this early. Rockets fly high in 4.

Golden State Warriors (2) – San Antonio Spurs (7)

GOING FOR THE KILL The Warrior look to repeat their winning ways all through the playoffs 

The Warriors might be limping in bunches heading into the postseason, but that is perfectly fine, because there’s too much drama going on in San Antonio that might find its undoing in this series. It doesn’t look inspiring even, despite efforts from Parker or Ginobili.

It would have been that competitive if Leonard is on the floor, and doing his usual stuff. Instead, we find ourselves relishing on a few runs here and there from this beleaguered group; even then, it wouldn’t be enough to rattle the defending champs sans Curry on a 7-game series. Durant and Thompson (and Swaggy P) raining threes outside would be too much for Popovich to handle. Warriors killed it in 5. 

Portland Trailblazers (3) – New Orleans Pelicans (6)

NOW IS THE TIME Lillard not wasting time leading the Blazers to the mountaintop  

If Anthony Davis could dance around Nurkic effectively down low the way Jokic did, which means Davis should at least record a triple double or two in a span of, say, four games, the Pelicans might have a chance in this series.

Nobody can match up, or for the most part contain, the intensity and scoring burst of this two-headed monster in Lillard and McCollum on any given day, unless you go deep and bury the Blazers in the paint, which had its hole lately. But this toss up is an intriguing one, if you consider some of the role players on each team, like an Evan Turner or a Rajon Rondo. The Blazers, however, will close it out in 6.

Oklahoma City Thunder (4) – Utah Jazz (5)

ALL THAT JAZZ It remains to be seen whether Utah can put pressure on OKC's recent streak

No disrespect to George, Anthony, Westbrook, and the rest of the OKC Thunder, but securing home court advantage in a first round match up against a solid Jazz squad might come in as leverage for them. If Utah wins at least a game before heading into Salt Lake City, we have an interesting series.

It remains to be seen, however, whether that blue-collar style of the Jazz can shake things up in Oklahoma, or that the Thunder’s Big 3 finds a way to win and put to rest their detractors for good. Gobert, on his part, bags the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) regardless of what happened in the series, but OKC stands aloof in 7 games.