NBA Playoffs: Picking 2nd Round Winners

With all eight first-round series concluded, eight teams remain alive in the NBA Playoffs. The first round saw several surprising upsets as well as spirited performances from teams that were given no chance. The intensity level was noticeably higher compared to the regular season, which bodes well for the rest of the postseason.

The 2nd round will feature heavy favorites looking to showcase their talent and gain momentum ahead of the decisive postseason showdowns to come. In the 1st round there were three upsets; surely there will be at least one upset alert or two in this round.

Regarding the picks I made for the 1st round, I went 4-4, with two exact predictions. I did not foresee any of the upsets that took place, and the one upset I did predict came close to materializing but fell just short.

My two finals picks remain very much intact though.

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs (4) Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers imposed their will on the hapless Rockets, who promptly crashed out of the playoffs in an inglorious fashion. LeBron had the greatest playoff series ever for a 40+ year old, the role players stepped up, and Lakers coach JJ Redick coached circles around his Houston counterpart. Needless to say, the series went about as well as it could have gone for LA.

The bad news is that the level of difficulty is about to change. The Thunder are next, and between them and the Houston Rockets, there is a night and day difference. The Thunder are notorious for thriving off turnovers, and the Lakers are very vulnerable in this area. The 4-0 Thunder sweep of the Lakers in the regular season showed just how bad a matchup this is for LA.

I believe this series will be closer than expected, due to the Lakers resilience and veteran leadership, and this series could create unexpected headaches for the Thunder if they are not careful, but ultimately the defending champs will end Lebron's playoff run and reach another West Final. LeBron will join Kobe, Tim Duncan, and Dirk Nowitzki as legends who played their final postseason game at OKC's Paycom Center.

Thunder in 5

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota rallied and delivered a galvanizing performance against Denver, knocking Jokic out and obliterating his best player in the world status. Even down three starters, the Timberwolves stepped up and got the job done in front of a passionate ear-deafening home crowd. This rivalry is now 2-1 in favor of the Timberwolves.

Their reward is the 2 seed Spurs. San Antonio dealt with some unexpected adversity, losing Wemby to concussion protocol and falling behind by a lot in several of their games. Wemby is now back, and the Spurs are fully healthy and ready to advance to their first West Final in almost ten years. The Timberwolves have playoff experience and a strong resilient character defined by the inspiring play of guys such as Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu. Rudy Gobert is playing like the best French center in the playoffs, and Anthony Edwards may be coming back.

Much like the Lakers, the Timberwolves are not to be underestimated and will be a worthy challenger, but the talent of the Spurs and Wembanyama will be too much to overcome. Minnesota will fall short of a third straight West Final.

Spurs in 6

Eastern Conference

(1) Detroit Pistons vs (4) Cleveland Cavaliers

Two teams who flirted with disaster and did their best to torture their fans will meet in this second round matchup. This might as well be the Fraud Bowl as far as neutral fans are concerned, since these two teams have been getting dismissed as pretenders all year long. Their 1st round struggles certainly did not help.

For me these two teams each are unfinished products, with strengths that allow them to compete at this level but flaws that ultimately make a championship unrealistic for both. The Pistons have the best defense in their conference and play with impressive physicality. They have a great playmaker and floor general in Cade Cunningham, but outside of him the offense is uneven and often goes stagnant. The Cavs have an explosive offense on paper, with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden offering elite playmaking from the perimeter. Yet they often struggle on defense, and you just can't help but think that these guys are soft. They have struggled with physicality in past postseasons, and their frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have not dominated in the way that they should.

This will be a riveting contrast in style. For a series that will likely be the lowest rated in viewership, there will be a lot of talent on the court. It will go seven, with Cunningham outplaying Harden and Mitchell. The more physical team will go through.

Pistons in 7

(3) New York Knicks vs (6) Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers pulled off a historic upset against their hated rivals from Boston, their first since 1983. This has Philadelphia sports fans believing in miracles, as their last championship just happened to come in the very same year. Coincidence?

An epic run to the championship? It would be so sweet for these long-suffering fans, but the fact is that Philly is a team with no bench and two starters who at any moment can get hurt. Embiid and Paul George were great against the Celtics, but surviving another round is too much to ask for them.

The Knicks have matched up well with this 76ers team. They beat them in the 1st round of the playoffs two years ago, and New York now has its best chance of returning to the finals since the turn of the millennium. The Knicks are rounding into form at just the right time, and will go to their second straight East Final.

Knicks in 6