Western Conference
Teams to watch
Phoenix Suns
Last year’s finalists have shown they are the real deal, backing up with a league-best 65-win season. They have a genuine superstar in Devin Booker, while veteran point guard Chris Paul has all the tricks to guide this team in the crunch matches.
Golden State Warriors
It will depend on Stephen Curry’s health, but the juggernaut of the late 2010s may have life in it yet. Curry and Klay Thompson know how to win at this end of the season, while players such as Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins have taken big strides this season.
Players to watch
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
Backed up his most valuable player season with an even more impressive year. An all-round centre capable of scoring, rebounding, passing and handling the ball.
Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
Another all-round monster, the 2.01m point guard is essentially unguardable at times. Can create for himself and others, while threatening both from the perimeter and at the hoop.
Eastern Conference
Teams to watch
Miami Heat
Top qualifier in the East and retaining the core of the well-balanced line-up that took it to the Finals in the bubble two years ago. Jimmy Butler leaves a team full of threats, while coach Erik Spoelstra has one of the best minds in the history of the game.
Milwaukee Bucks
The defending champions have to be worthy of a mention, and Giannis Antetokounmpo remains arguably the best player in the game.
Players to watch
Joel Embiid
(Philadelphia 76ers)
Dynamic, skillful and mobile, Embiid is an elite inside presence who, alongside Jokic, is a favourite for this season’s most valuable player award.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
(Milwaukee Bucks)
Long, athletic and practically impossible to stop getting to the hoop. Equally a problem on the defensive end, where his rim protection and ability in help makes him a weapon.
Prediction
It is hard to remember a playoffs more wide open than this. The past two years have been so heavily influenced by Covid-19 and injury, while for well over a decade before that, there were always obvious contenders.
Phoenix has to be a favourite in the West. It is a form team with stars and has been here before.
The East is a different matter. Miami and Milwaukee are logical picks, but really any team down to the seventh-placed Brooklyn Nets is capable.
Let’s go for the Heat, based off its depth and Spoelstra’s influence.
From there, I’ll go the Suns in six. But really, these playoffs are anyone’s.
[Editor’s note: Cheshire predicted the LA Lakers would win the title this season. But we won’t remind him of this too often.]
