This article is part of a
two-part series preview for the upcoming 2023-2024 NBA
Playoffs.
With the 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs
starting, all eyes will be on all teams competing for the
championship as fans and players look on for a taste of postseason
action. As eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what
promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its
own set of unique challenges. In this article, we take a closer
look at the biggest question facing each Eastern Conference team
heading into the playoffs, from injuries and roster changes to key
matchups and strategic decisions.
Boston Celtics – Who’s stopping them?
The Boston Celtics have been the
best team in the regular season as evidenced by their 64-18 record.
They have also been one of the most dominant regular season teams
of all time, having the third-highest net rating in NBA history
(11.8) which would rank just behind the 1996 and 1997 Chicago
Bulls. If it were of any significance, those Bulls teams had 72-10
and 69-13 records and won it all in both years.
It’s all written on the wall –
the Celtics are in title or bust mode, which even just a conference
finals appearance would probably be marked as a disappointment.
Considering how dominant they have been throughout the season, a
Finals appearance would be the minimum achievement.
This team is built almost as
completely as they could ever be — offense, defense, bench, two
stars that lift each other’s game up, roster construction of
players that complement them, and even the fans that are some of
the most passionate in the league. These are things that are all
you could ask for in a championship team, and with that being said
– the pressure is on for Boston.
A big possible answer to that
question is whether the Celtics would be the only ones who’ll stop
themselves from achieving and realizing their full potential – and
there’s only one way to find out.
The playoffs are a different
story and looking at what we’ve seen over the years, the Celtics
have tendencies to underperform in the playoffs. With a new
supporting cast featuring 2021 champ Jrue Holiday and Kristaps
Porzingis, a question lingers on the team: will it be different
this time around?
They have had a history of
flaming out in the past, and whether or not that continues this
season remains to be seen. Time is the ultimate truth teller, and
these Celtics hope to exercise their playoff demons when the time
comes and their opportunities present themselves.
Will they be able to capitalize
on a dominant regular season and take on the task at hand once and
for all? They certainly hope with all the pieces they have now,
they have enough to close it out and take it all the way and finish
the job this time around to end the allegations against them once
and for all.
New York Knicks – How far will they go without Julius
Randle?
As we all know by now, health is
the biggest factor in the playoffs. You always want to be complete
and your best players to be healthy and ready to go when it matters
most.
Unfortunately, this will not be
the case for the New York Knicks this season, after losing all-star
Julius Randle to a season-ending surgery to his injury.
Randle has been the Knicks’ best
player for the past 3 seasons (before Brunson’s ascension to King
Knick this year). He brings that size and physicality along with
that sneaky speed at the 4. On offense, Randle is a secondary
creator and playmaker who can make plays for himself and his
teammates. His improving three-point shot is now a weapon for teams
not to sag off of him as much which could only help the Knicks in
the playoffs.
Simply put, Randle is a matchup
problem against traditional power forwards. Without him, the Knicks
would not be able to tap on another gear that would only be
possible with Randle out there on the floor.
Now, all eyes will be on Jalen
Brunson as he tries to carry New York all by himself. It will be
expected to see all possible defensive schemes thrown against him
to try and contain the all-NBA caliber player in this season that
he is.
Milwaukee Bucks – Can they hold the fort without
Giannis?
The hits just keep on coming for
the Bucks. After starting the season 30-13, they fired their head
coach Adrian Griffin, and replaced him with Doc Rivers. They’ve had
their fair share of struggles with Rivers, losing to lottery teams
like the Wizards, Grizzlies, and Raptors in one stretch, and
they’ve finished only a disappointing 19-20 the rest of the way to
end the season.
Just recently, they received
brutal news that superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss the
beginning of their series against the Indiana Pacers after injuring
his left calf with three games left in the regular season. The
upstart and young Pacers have been 4-1 against them during the year
and it will be a tough battle without one of the five best players
in the world playing. Will Damian Lillard and Co. step up to the
plate?
Cleveland Cavaliers – Is this the ‘last hurrah’ for
Donovan Mitchell as a Cavalier?
All eyes are on the Cavaliers’
playoff run this season to gain ground after a disappointing finish
last year. Can they keep soon-to-be free agent Donovan Mitchell
happy enough? Or will another disappointing playoff exit lead him
to bolt out of town to find another opportunity to win
elsewhere?
Much of this will be attributed
to the growth of their current core to gauge their improvements
from last season. Will Darius Garland have enough juice to handle
the scoring load outside of Mitchell as well as holding his own
defensively? Will Evan Mobley display or unlock another offensive
level in his game to be able to contribute on the offensive end to
complement his defensive capabilities? Will Jarett Allen beat the
allegations of lights were too bright in the playoffs in his second
time around and bounce back from what has been a bad series against
the Knicks last year? And is Max Strus the answer for the Cavs to
advance into the second round with his spacing and shooting at the
wing to give space for Mitchell to attack?
With his impending free agency,
Donovan Mitchell has a big decision to make during the offseason.
Will he stay and extend with this Cavaliers team who gave up assets
for him? The Cavaliers have made some strides from being a young
team with potential to a top 4-5 team in the East when they
acquired Donovan Mitchell two years ago from the Utah Jazz. Since
then, Mitchell has elevated their play and in turn, they got back
to their first playoffs without LeBron James on the
team.
However, rumors have been
swirling that Mitchell wants to achieve postseason success, whether
in this team or not. Some of these reportedly said that if the Cavs
do not make the Finals this season, he might find another home
elsewhere to chase that goal. Throughout his career, Mitchell has
been to the first round multiple times but has been in the second
round just twice. He has yet to make a conference finals
appearance, and this postseason with the Cavs will determine if he
falls short of that goal again.
Helping Mitchell this time
around are shooters that the Cavs lacked a year ago, with Max
Strus, Sam Merill, and Georges Niang now in the fold for the team.
Cleveland got exposed by New York in just five games last year and
it was basically because of their inability to space the floor
around Mitchell and point guard Darius Garland. Now with an
improved Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen all having a year
to work on their games for this stretch, the Cavs aim to make the
conference finals — before Mitchell’s impending big decision in
free agency.
Orlando Magic – How far can their youth and
inexperience take them in the playoffs?
Being the youngest playoff team
in the East’s playoff field, the Magic come in with no expectations
at hand. This young group has overachieved for the season having
the fourth-best defense despite them being the 4th youngest team in
the league. Making the playoffs has already been a huge
accomplishment, but winning a series would not be so bad and would
be a welcome sight for the team.
Nobody expected them to be in
the hunt for the top seeds in the East, but here they are in their
first playoff experience as a group as the fifth seed. This is only
year 2 and 3 for young stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and
they could only get better as years progress. This is only the
beginning for Orlando and they could be a difficult fixture in the
East for years to come.
Indiana Pacers – How big of an impact will Pascal
Siakam be in the postseason?
Right after the trade to bring
Siakam to Indiana, fans and basketball analysts alike mentioned how
the trade was a win for Indiana and that Siakam’s value would be
seen through in the playoffs. When the game slows down and teams
are more equipped and prepared for their defenses, teams would need
solid execution on their half-court offense.
This was where Siakam was
supposed to come in, and now that it’s here, will he be able to
step up and lead the Pacers to a series win? The 2019 champion with
the Raptors has played 41 games with Indiana this season after the
trade, and he has averaged 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.7
assists on 55/39/70 shooting splits and he has given the Pacers a
new dimension on offense. The Pacers who will go up against the
Bucks for their first-round playoff series, have gone 4-1 against
them – but it was all without Siakam. The question for them now is,
how will they maintain the level of success they had vs the Bucks
now that Siakam is in the rotation? Will Siakam end up being the
ceiling-raiser for the postseason for them? Or could he end up
disrupting the rhythm that the team had in the regular season vs
the Bucks?
Philadelphia – Is this finally the year they advance
with Nick Nurse at the helm?
The Sixers have had a lot of
heartbreak over the years, from not being able to make the
Conference Finals in Joel Embiid’s career to choking multiple times
in the playoffs, it’s just disaster after disaster when it matters
the most in the City of Brotherly Love.
However, they hope the outcome
is going to come out differently this year due to one factor: Nick
Nurse.
The 2019 champion coach has
given the Sixers a lot to hope for with a breath of fresh air
surrounding the team on offensive and defensive execution. This
year, with Embiid being better than ever (being even better than
last year’s MVP campaign) and with the help of Nurse’s diverse
offensive sets, the Sixers’ title chances have increased
significantly. Coach Nurse having the ability to make adjustments
on the fly and push the right buttons will be a major weapon for
the Sixers for their upcoming playoff run.
When healthy this year, Embiid
has had one of the most dominant regular seasons in NBA history,
averaging 34.7 points, 11 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. The Sixers
have a 31-8 record when he plays, which would equal the best
win-pace mark in the league. He now has a dynamic sidekick in
Tyrese Maxey who has been named an all-star this year, and general
manager Daryl Morey has surrounded them with capable role players
to complement their skill sets. Will Nurse be the final piece that
puts all of the Sixers together?
Miami Heat – Can they rediscover their old magic
against the Celtics, but this time without Jimmy
Butler?
At this point, people got to
understand and realize that playoff Jimmy is a real thing. The dude
just turns it up when it matters the most and the lights are at
their brightest, and has carried Miami every time in the
postseason.
However, this year figures out
to be an entirely different scenario with Butler being out with an
injury. According to reports, Butler could be sidelined for
multiple weeks due to an MCL sprain — devastating news for Miami
ahead of their upcoming playoff matchup vs Boston.
The Heat have faced the Celtics
three times over the past four seasons, and they have beaten them
twice. All those games and series featured a lot of Butler carrying
them to wins.
Without Butler though, things
have changed dramatically fast. Now, the question stands: will they
have enough to defeat their old nemesis (who’s become the most
dominant team in the league) sans their best player?
