It's the most wonderful time of the year. The Play-In tournament is complete, the bottom-feeders are eliminated (including your Charlotte Hornets) and the best basketball players in the world are set to battle it out in a two month marathon for the right to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Our staff at Charlotte Hornets On SI have opened our scope to the league as whole and delivered our predictions for the NBA Finals on the first day of playoff action.
Matt Alquiza: Thunder over Celtics in 7
In order to be the champ you have to beat the champ, and I think it’s time for the Thunder to snatch the belt. SGA is in the midst of one of the best scorings seasons we’ve ever seen from a guard and his supporting cast is perfectly tailored to hoop in the modern NBA. Combine that with OKC’s raucous home-court advantage and they’ll end up with their first title in franchise history.
Schuyler Callihan: Cavaliers over Lakers in 6
I'm going with an unexpected matchup here. The Lakers haven't been great, but it's playoff time, and the duo of LeBron and Luka is going to be tough to take down over a seven-game series. Oklahoma City gives them a run for their money, but the lack of experience will come into play. In the East, I have the Cavs taking down the Celtics in a thrilling 7-game series and going on to win the title. Cleveland's front court is a handful and they have the depth to complement the starting unit.
Owen O'Connor: Celtics over Thunder in 6
The Celtics are hitting their stride at the best possible time this season. Despite their starting 5 playing less than 25 games together this season, they won 61 games. Jayson Tatum is playing the best basketball of his career, and is primed for what could be the best playoff run of his career. It’s hard to bet against the champions, and in the Celtics case I wouldn’t advise doing it.
Zachary Roberts: Celtics over Lakers in 5
The Celtics are still really good, and their deep playoff runs of the past few years will pay massive dividends in the East. Cleveland might be a little better, but Boston has the experience to gain a small edge and win. In the West, things are pretty wide open. The best team is still fairly inexperienced, and Denver, who would otherwise be a really good dark horse, is using an interim coach.
The Lakers have been pretty good since adding Luka Doncic, and there’s just not a lot that any team can do to slow down both he and LeBron James in a series. If 2023-24 Dallas can make a Finals with Doncic’s defense, this Lakers team absolutely can. But the Celtics know how to take down a Luka-led team, and they’ll do so with ease again.
Albert Böttcher: Clippers over Bucks in 6
Celtics vs Thunder is the most likely finals matchup, but since that potential series has already been discussed twice I'll go with a complete curve ball. Both the Clippers and Bucks have looked great for stretches during the regular season, while failing to really build any serious momentum for a title charge up to this point. If, and that's a big if, they can both remain healthy, I believe they have what it takes to come out of their respective conference. It's also completely possible that Damian Lillard doesn't return soon enough and Kawhi Leonard sustains another knee injury, eliminating both squads in the first round.
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