The first round of the NBA playoffs began earlier this month, held in many arenas around the United States. Nikola Jokic leads his team, the Nuggets, in defending their 2023 Championship while Jayson Tatum leads his team, the Celtics, to the best record in the league, hoping to win his first ring. But will there be any upsets or surprises?
“I don’t see any team getting past the Nuggets,” sophomore David Tavares said. “They are just such a force and they have the best player in the league in Nikola Jokic. There’s just no scenario where a team beats the Nuggets in a seven game series.”
Jokic led his team to the second best record in the Western Conference going 57-25 during the regular season. Last year they cruised past each opponent leading to their first championship in franchise history. Jokic currently leads the MVP (most valuable player) race, in hopes of receiving a third MVP in his career.
“I got the Celtics. I mean, they had by far the best record in the NBA this past season and they have the most complete team,” sophomore Jack Landry said. “Also, the Eastern Conference is weak so it should be a cake walk for them to get to the finals.”
The Celtics won the Eastern Conference with a record of 64-18, the best of any team in the NBA. They ranked top five in both defense and offense during the regular season and have an MVP candidate in Jayson Tatum. Despite their impressive regular season stats, in previous years they have struggled getting the job done in the playoffs. Will this trend continue or will the Celtics win their 18th franchise championship?
“I think the Mavericks have a chance,” sophomore Collin Baker said. “Towards the end of the season, they really stepped up their game and proved they are a very competitive team.”
At the NBA trade deadline this past regular season, the Mavericks made trades to acquire PJ Washington from the Charlotte Hornets and Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards. These changes helped them to improve their record and move up to the 5th best record in the Western Conference. Only time will tell if they can compete with the super teams of the NBA.
“The Timberwolves are a great team too,” senior Patrick Daddino said. “They have the four time defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert and an emerging star in Anthony Edwards. I would put my money on them winning it all.”
Of the 16 teams in the playoffs, who do you have winning the 2024 NBA championship?
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