NBA’s title race: Challengers, Pretenders and the chaos that will

Must give Hollywood credit in order not to save any costs when it came to the shiny new red carpet for its gala event on Sunday evening.

The academy could easily have saved a few dollars by borrowing the used that the NBA rolled out for Celtics in the playoffs last season.

Hi, no disrespect for the masters. They were clearly NBA’s best 2024, regardless of who dressed in Clown’s clothes in the other dressing room.

But is enough to say: If a collection of lightweights from the conference and the other’s fifth best team reappear this post season, one of the challengers of the year would take it.

Speaking of the potential banner-raisers, only six who should worry about cleaning out space in the ceiling beam remains. The Celtics competition in the east comes from Cavaliers and Bucks, while the Western representative under the brightest light of the NBA will be either Thunder, Nuggets or Lakers.

Everyone must try to avoid each other as long as possible during the season, which gives the last six weeks of the regular season at least a bit of importance.

Here’s why all sex will make some scoreboard …

Cavalies

You heard this first … Ok, for the 100th time: Cavs won’t beat Celtics in an playoffs in May.

Yes, we all saw the Donovan Mitchell show last week. Impressive, but lacked his shadow – Jrue Holiday, which looked at the sideline.

Do you remember Kyrie Irving’s performance in last year’s finals? Of course, you don’t. Holidays made him disappear in a screen that is certainly worth Jayson Tatum’s four MVP votes.

Mitchell must come up big against Celtics, and it will not happen if the holiday is healthy. So Cavs must pray for a matchup in Bucks-Celtics in round 2 and Hope Holiday tries to charge a fee at Giannis.

Celtics

Knicks were designed to beat Celtics. Epic Fail. If Boston is drawing New York in the second round of the playoffs … wondering if the academy rents out its rug.

Celtics visits New York in April. It would need them to leave holidays and Jaylen Brown behind while he encourages Tatum to shoot even more than usual.

If the difference between Knicks and Bucks in their fight for No 3 seed is a game at the end of the season, it would be wise for Celtics to have dictated the order.

I know what you think: Boston has swept three directly from Milwaukee this season, so why doesn’t it matter? Well, as the games have become gradually closer, and the addition of Kyle Kuzma forces tatum to have to protect someone, and it is a recipe for green disaster.

Puck

The bucks probably do not hear on the list, but at least they are exciting. Giannis guarantees it.

But provided Bucks ends fourth in the east, their chances of doing are a run through Indiana, Cleveland and Boston Packers-like. At least the basketball cousin has a playoff-tested quarterback.

A matchup with Bucks-Celtics would mean death for both, but that would do for good TV. The loser of that slug party would have a very deserved fishing trip. The winner … Yes, they hope better that Knicks is waiting.

THUNDER

You may be asking: Why not mention the first round in the east? It is enough to say: if they publish a total victory on seeds 5-8, and it is higher than 3 1/2, take under.

No such boat race in the west, and it is to the Thunder advantage. They are young; Nuggets, Pacers, Mavericks … Yes, almost everyone else is not.

It is an advantage in round 3, but not in round 1. So watch out, OKC.

Unfortunately, it is round 2 that the new children on the block need to worry about. Thunder cannot beat the Lakers and Nuggets – or Nuggets and Lakers – in consecutive series. Like Cavaliers with Celtics and Bucks, the top seed needs a Lakers nugget’s death match while they are moping on-the-hoped-grizzlies or rockets.

The nugs

I’m not sure someone beats Lukas Lakers, who puts the nuggets in an interesting place.

If the Lakers act on their way to No. 2 seed, the nuggers must ask themselves: we really want to replace our butt to end up in third place, just to draw LeBron & Co. In round 2?

Like Knicks with Celtics in the east, Denver chances to return to the final after last year’s hick increase significantly the longer they can avoid the Lakers. So if Nikola Jokic and all talents north of Dario Saric must be rested at least once a week from here to ensure a fourth place, that’s how it will have to be.

Nuggets can hit the thunderstorm. It’s as simple as this: In a classic solid object versus irresistible force showdown, Denver has more capable bodies (led by Russell Westbrook, Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson) to throw on OKC’s one -man group than Thunder must fight Denver big Galoot.

Lakare

I seriously doubt that Lakers really care about who is next time on their way to the championship. But remember that this team plays Jaxson Hayes in the middle, which means they can’t be too comfortable with seeing Nikola Jokic.

Or the alperen Sengun or Jaren Jackson Jr. Or Rudy Gobert or Domanta’s Sabonis or … You catch my operation. As you may have noticed on Lakers’ fine driving too late: nothing has become easy.

Surprisingly, given the addition of Luka no-D Doncic, the Lakers have been quite skilled at protecting the bow since the all-star break. This is bad news for Thunder, as most of LA’s top defenders are size sga.

That is why Thunder must root for Lakers-Timberwolves in the first round. Then Lakers-Nuggets in round 2.

If that happens, it is someone’s game … depending on how seed shakes out and how many teams follow the display advice offered here.

If not, everyone plays for second place.