Playoff Preview: Separating the Real From the Fake

04/15/2022 Playoff Preview: Separating the Real From the Fake

By: Matthew Cahill

A look at the top Contenders and Biggest Pretenders Ahead of the 2022 Playoffs 

After the conclusion of tonight’s Play-In Tournament, the NBA Playoff bracket will officially be set, and the journey to crown the next champion will begin. With the league having more parity than ever in recent years, it appears that there are more contenders than usual. While I think that there are a few different teams that have a real shot at winning the championship, there are also some others that aren’t quite as good as billed.

 

Phoenix Suns: Contender

This should be the most obvious one of all. The Suns have been the best team in basketball all season long, and are rightfully the odds-on favorite to win the NBA Finals. Chris Paul continues to age like fine wine, as he led the league in assists for the fifth time in his career this season. On top of that, Devin Booker’s playmaking and defense have improved enough to likely land him a spot on an All-NBA Team. Throw that in with the consistent contributions from role players like DeAndre Ayton, Cameron Johnson and Mikal Bridges, it’s going to be Phoenix’s championship to lose.

 

Philadelphia 76ers: Pretender

The 76ers went all in on a championship by trading for James Harden this past February. Unfortunately for them, they still don’t have what it takes to get over the hump. After a hot start with his new team, Harden has cooled down considerably to close out the season, averaging just 20.3 PPG and shooting under 40% from the field since March. Combine his shooting struggles with a roster that was essentially gutted of its depth to acquire the Beard, it doesn’t seem like Embiid will have enough help to get past other top teams in the East.

 

Milwaukee Bucks: Contender

After hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy for the first time in 2021, Giannis is poised to make a run at securing his second championship for the Bucks. Fatigue from a short offseason and Brook Lopez’s back injury led to a bit of an underwhelming regular season for Milwuakee. But their roster is healthy just in time for the postseason, all while the Greek Freak is as dominant as ever. As long as this team remains healthy, the Bucks remain the true team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

 

Memphis Grizzlies: Pretender

Although the Memphis Grizzlies shocked the basketball world this season by winning 56 games and finishing second in the West, they still aren’t quite ready to be considered a true contender. While they have a bonafide superstar in Ja Morant and a great young supporting cast, no team in recent memory has won a championship with such a small amount of experience. They got a brief taste of the postseason last year after sneaking in as an 8 seed through the Play-In, where the Jazz defeated them in 5 games. It’s going to take much more than that one series to properly prepare them to make a run at a championship.

 

Boston Celtics: Contender 

What a rollercoaster ride it’s been for the Celtics this year. After starting the season 18-21, they’ve had one of the greatest in-season turnarounds in NBA history, going 33-10 to finish as the 2 seed in the East. The biggest change that has made them so dangerous is their defense, as it has been by far the best in the league since the turn of the calendar year. Unfortunately, their defensive anchor, Robert Williams, is sidelined for a couple more weeks nursing a torn meniscus while they’re matching up against possibly the toughest 7 seed in NBA history, the KD and Kyrie-led Brooklyn Nets. If Boston can survive round 1 and Williams looks like his old self when he returns, there’s a good chance they end the season raising banner 18.

 

Additional Storylines

ESPN: Minnesota Timberwolves’ Patrick Beverley fined $30K for ‘egregious use of profanity’

CBS: Ben Simmons could reportedly debut in Game 4 Against Celtics 

 

Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images