I’d wait to see how the seeding plays out before speculation
TatumBrownSmart
Won’t be surprised if Miami passes the Knicks, Knicks are coming back down to earth
Such_Butterfly8382
Doesn’t matter. We’re a lock for the finals.
ojo_pipa
The only team I don’t want to face are the Harlem Globetrotters, bring the rest of them
BananaStandBaller
“We ain’t runnin from nobody” – JB
ghostnenem1
Suns – Clips would be really fun without injuries. Early finals vibe
Ilydrain
As long as the Lakers lose👍🕺 I’m good w whatever #18
The_Dok33
It won’t matter, we get Bucks in the conference Finals anyway.
theurbanmapper
My thought is that the one seed would be really nice
Zap-Bronson
Feels like keeping the 2 seed is going to be really important. I believe the Cs will be fine getting past MIA/ATL/BKN in 5 or 6, but I think a Heat series could be draining.
donorak7
Would be funny to sweep the nets again.
kbkb6969
Is play in just 1 game? Bo3?
ClockOk7333
1 seed would be ideal. I’d love to watch a Philly/Milwaukee series, but not if it means us already being out
SheenoW_
This is the first year in my time properly following NBA. That is clear whoever wins East is doing the whole thing. UK bookmakers still have Celtics favourites
18JBJT
Love the current first round seeding for us.
As a general NBA fan, I would love a Mavs/Suns and Warriors Grizzlies matchup. Also I like the Kings so I wanna see them beat the Lakers
Lopsided-Mobile2197
The heat will not beat Philadelphia i guarantee it in my Chuck voice
joebos617
the 4th-12th place teams in the western conference could all end up 41-41. that’s an all time tournament of mid.
Ok-Nature-3991
Bucks Celtics or sixers winning it all this year. Easy money
SteveTheBluesman
So Nets. Sixers, Bucks, some trash team from the West, Championship. Got it. LFG.
PepeSylvia11
The play-ins are so fucking stupid. We already had a play-in tournament: it’s called the regular season.
CarBallAlex
I’d be fine if the standings held like this. Getting Brooklyn or Atlanta as a first round matchup is a gentleman’s sweep.
Home court against Philadelphia where we seem to have their number, I personally don’t think Philadelphia is deep enough to provide enough defense in non-Embiid minutes and he plays a surprisingly low amount of 40+ minute games in the playoffs for a superstar. He played 2/10 last playoffs with one of those being an OT game. He did it once in the Hawks series. 0 times in 2020. He’s played 40 minutes in regulation 3 times this season. He just…doesn’t do it very often. That’s nearly an entire quarter worth of time with no Embiid on the floor. That’s a very big ask to have Melton, Harden, Korkmaz/McDaniels, Harris, Reed/Harrell defend us well enough during those 8-10 minutes for 4-7 games in a row. On top of that, even if Embiid and Harden give you 60, where are you getting the other points? In the 3 games we’ve played them this year, the others besides those 2 guys have scored 45, 45 and 55. 110 points is not enough when they’ve lost the majority of their games scoring less than that (we’ve held them under that twice), and we’ve scored 110 or more in 73% of our games (twice against PHI). I just don’t realistically see how PHI beats a fully healthy Celtics 4 times unless Embiid has an all-time series and they get enough out of Harris/Maxey consistently.
GreenGalaxy
cavs knicks is gonna be an awesome first round series
UtopianAverage
As much as Id love guaranteeing home court throughout and that wouldve been likely if not for the recent slumping being in a different side of the bracket than the Bucks, Cavs, etc isnt bad. (Granted the Heat always play us tough and wouldve been another team to avoid, still dont fear them nearly as much as Bucks or Cavs)
What I feel like we know is this:
When healthy and in a good flow this team can and will beat anyone.
Theyve barely been healthy all year, if at all, and still when not healthy in a good flow and Tatum/Brown are healthy they can be missing 1 or 2 major rotation players and still seemingly beat anyone.
This year it isnt that I fear them losing early, its that I want them to have enough gas for the ECF and assuming they make it again the Finals. If they lose early its either because of health or their recent slumping and issues leak into the postseason and/or resurface but I am overall not to worried about poor or sloppy play just energy and health and fatigue. I think the recent slumping was as much about their health or lack thereof catching up with them as it was about anything else, though championship teams losing interest during a long regular season grind does happen also.
Tldr: This team can beat anyone, hasnt been healthy all year, and still until recently dominates everyone it plays. If they can stay healthy and flip that switch and get a nicer easier path I like our chances.
buchiemane
Bruh we might get bounced by the heat lmfao if we keep losing to scrubs
chadforce1
Id rather play Atlanta than Brooklyn tbh, I can see Brooklyn upsetting us I 6 or 7
okpackerfan
The only team that terrifies me in the East, like could sweep the Celtics and leave them broken is Cleveland. I know Milwaukee is tough and that would be a grinder of a series, but something about the Cavs and the way they play against Boston scares me.
masteryoda7777
I would love to see Bucks vs Cavs in the 2nd round.
WooNoto
Heat not beating the 76ers. Stop it. I don’t care who the Celts play. Show up and get the job done.
Onomatopoeiac
People don’t watch the Heat clearly. They are not winning a playoff round, but they might make it difficult for somebody.
shamaynotshamet
I knew people from Boston were generally regarded as stupid…but I didn’t realize it was the type of stupid that thinks the Sixers are gonna lose to the heat in the first round
31 Comments
Any team, any where, any time!!
C’s gonna win, Banner 18!!!
I’d wait to see how the seeding plays out before speculation
Won’t be surprised if Miami passes the Knicks, Knicks are coming back down to earth
Doesn’t matter. We’re a lock for the finals.
The only team I don’t want to face are the Harlem Globetrotters, bring the rest of them
“We ain’t runnin from nobody” – JB
Suns – Clips would be really fun without injuries. Early finals vibe
As long as the Lakers lose👍🕺 I’m good w whatever #18
It won’t matter, we get Bucks in the conference Finals anyway.
My thought is that the one seed would be really nice
Feels like keeping the 2 seed is going to be really important. I believe the Cs will be fine getting past MIA/ATL/BKN in 5 or 6, but I think a Heat series could be draining.
Would be funny to sweep the nets again.
Is play in just 1 game? Bo3?
1 seed would be ideal. I’d love to watch a Philly/Milwaukee series, but not if it means us already being out
This is the first year in my time properly following NBA. That is clear whoever wins East is doing the whole thing. UK bookmakers still have Celtics favourites
Love the current first round seeding for us.
As a general NBA fan, I would love a Mavs/Suns and Warriors Grizzlies matchup. Also I like the Kings so I wanna see them beat the Lakers
The heat will not beat Philadelphia i guarantee it in my Chuck voice
the 4th-12th place teams in the western conference could all end up 41-41. that’s an all time tournament of mid.
Bucks Celtics or sixers winning it all this year. Easy money
So Nets. Sixers, Bucks, some trash team from the West, Championship. Got it. LFG.
The play-ins are so fucking stupid. We already had a play-in tournament: it’s called the regular season.
I’d be fine if the standings held like this. Getting Brooklyn or Atlanta as a first round matchup is a gentleman’s sweep.
Home court against Philadelphia where we seem to have their number, I personally don’t think Philadelphia is deep enough to provide enough defense in non-Embiid minutes and he plays a surprisingly low amount of 40+ minute games in the playoffs for a superstar. He played 2/10 last playoffs with one of those being an OT game. He did it once in the Hawks series. 0 times in 2020. He’s played 40 minutes in regulation 3 times this season. He just…doesn’t do it very often. That’s nearly an entire quarter worth of time with no Embiid on the floor. That’s a very big ask to have Melton, Harden, Korkmaz/McDaniels, Harris, Reed/Harrell defend us well enough during those 8-10 minutes for 4-7 games in a row. On top of that, even if Embiid and Harden give you 60, where are you getting the other points? In the 3 games we’ve played them this year, the others besides those 2 guys have scored 45, 45 and 55. 110 points is not enough when they’ve lost the majority of their games scoring less than that (we’ve held them under that twice), and we’ve scored 110 or more in 73% of our games (twice against PHI). I just don’t realistically see how PHI beats a fully healthy Celtics 4 times unless Embiid has an all-time series and they get enough out of Harris/Maxey consistently.
cavs knicks is gonna be an awesome first round series
As much as Id love guaranteeing home court throughout and that wouldve been likely if not for the recent slumping being in a different side of the bracket than the Bucks, Cavs, etc isnt bad. (Granted the Heat always play us tough and wouldve been another team to avoid, still dont fear them nearly as much as Bucks or Cavs)
What I feel like we know is this:
When healthy and in a good flow this team can and will beat anyone.
Theyve barely been healthy all year, if at all, and still when not healthy in a good flow and Tatum/Brown are healthy they can be missing 1 or 2 major rotation players and still seemingly beat anyone.
This year it isnt that I fear them losing early, its that I want them to have enough gas for the ECF and assuming they make it again the Finals. If they lose early its either because of health or their recent slumping and issues leak into the postseason and/or resurface but I am overall not to worried about poor or sloppy play just energy and health and fatigue. I think the recent slumping was as much about their health or lack thereof catching up with them as it was about anything else, though championship teams losing interest during a long regular season grind does happen also.
Tldr: This team can beat anyone, hasnt been healthy all year, and still until recently dominates everyone it plays. If they can stay healthy and flip that switch and get a nicer easier path I like our chances.
Bruh we might get bounced by the heat lmfao if we keep losing to scrubs
Id rather play Atlanta than Brooklyn tbh, I can see Brooklyn upsetting us I 6 or 7
The only team that terrifies me in the East, like could sweep the Celtics and leave them broken is Cleveland. I know Milwaukee is tough and that would be a grinder of a series, but something about the Cavs and the way they play against Boston scares me.
I would love to see Bucks vs Cavs in the 2nd round.
Heat not beating the 76ers. Stop it.
I don’t care who the Celts play. Show up and get the job done.
People don’t watch the Heat clearly. They are not winning a playoff round, but they might make it difficult for somebody.
I knew people from Boston were generally regarded as stupid…but I didn’t realize it was the type of stupid that thinks the Sixers are gonna lose to the heat in the first round