Sep 24, 20202 min read

NBA: Conference finals playoff predictions

#3 Celtics (48-24, 8-3) vs #5 Heat (44-29, 8-1): Boston comes into this series following a grueling 7-game series win over the Toronto Raptors. I think this series took a lot out of the Celtics so Brad Stevens will have to get his guys ready to go. Miami has played like favorites all postseason, despite the 5th seed next to their name, and that should continue as long as Jimmy Butler is leading the way. This conference finals will likely come down to who can score in the clutch. Both coaches are great at limiting possessions and both teams valuable the ball, so we'll have to see who can fight for a bucket late in the game. We have Boston as favorites, with a 63.6% chance to advance, but it's impossible to doubt the Heat after their 8-1 start.

Series Picks:

Ariun Paige: Celtics (7)

Blake Stoll: Heat (6)

Caleb Henderson: Celtics (5)

Charles Post: Celtics (7)

Chinedum Wejinya: Celtics (7)

Luke Gremban: Celtics (7)

Jibreel O'Bannon: Heat (7)

Max Heningburg: Celtics (7)

Raven Martín: Heat (6)

Tunde Aduroja: Celtics (7)

Tyler Taylor: Heat (7)

MVP Picks:

Ariun Paige: Jayson Tatum (Celtics)

Blake Stoll: Bam Adebayo (Heat)

Caleb Henderson: Jaylen Brown (Celtics)

Charles Post: Jayson Tatum (Celtics)

Chinedum Wejinya: Jayson Tatum (Celtics)

Luke Gremban: Kemba Walker (Celtics)

Jibreel O'Bannon: Bam Adebayo (Heat)

Max Heningburg: Jayson Tatum (Celtics)

Raven Martín: Jimmy Butler (Heat)

Tunde Aduroja: Jayson Tatum (Celtics)

Tyler Taylor: Jimmy Butler (Heat)

X-Factors:

1. Marcus Smart (4)

2. Jayson Tatum (3)

3. Goran Dragic (2)

4. Tyler Herro (1)

5. Brown/Walker (1)

#1 Lakers (52-19, 8-2) vs #3 Nuggets (46-27, 8-6): Los Angeles, like the rest of us, expected the Clippers to meet them in the conference finals. But after an(other) incredible comeback from being down 3-1, the Nuggets will be tasked with shutting down NBA MVP runner-up LeBron James and Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Anthony Davis. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have made great strides this postseason as superstar-level players, but it seems like their run is going to come to an end here. LA is 8-3 all-time against the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, with an average margin of victory of 15.0 points. We give James and the Lakers a 90.1% chance to move onto the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.

Series Picks:

Ariun Paige: Lakers (6)

Blake Stoll: Lakers (5)

Caleb Henderson: Lakers (5)

Charles Post: Lakers (5)

Chinedum Wejinya: Lakers (6)

Luke Gremban: Nuggets (7)

Jibreel O'Bannon: Lakers (6)

Max Heningburg: Lakers (5)

Raven Martín: Lakers (5)

Tunde Aduroja: Lakers (6)

Tyler Taylor: Lakers (4)