(The author of this article is B/R writer Greg Swartz, the views in this article do not represent the views of translators and platforms, the time in this article is in the United States time)
The specific playoffs for the 2022 NBA playoffs have been officially determined, and there will be many stars participating.
The first four games played are as follows:
East: Brooklyn Nets (7) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (8)
East: Atlanta Hawks (9) vs Charlotte Hornets (10)
West: Minnesota Timberwolves (7) vs Los Angeles Clippers (8)
West: New Orleans Pelicans (9) vs San Antonio Spurs (10)
The playoffs will be the chance for the eight teams to compete for the final four playoff spots.
The winner of Game Seven and Game Eight will enter the playoffs as the No. 7 seed, the loser will play one more game with the winner of the Ninth and Tenth Games, and the winning side will enter the playoffs as the No. 8 seed. The winners of the ninth and tenth matches are eliminated directly.
This year is the second season of the introduction of the play-offs, and the introduction of this rule has been a success to a large extent. This season, for example, the playoffs have allowed teams like the Pelicans and Spurs to hold on to their hopes of moving into the playoffs. You know, the two teams together need to win 12 more games to achieve a 50% win rate.
This season's play-offs will be attended by stars such as Kevin Durant, Lamello Ball, Trae Young, Carl Anthony Downs, Kyrie Irving, Paul George and Dalius Garland, so there should be no shortage of exciting games.
Here's a specific analysis and prediction of the playoffs, including which four teams will eventually make it to the playoffs.
East: Brooklyn Nets (7) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (8)
Winner: Entered the playoffs as the No. 7 seed against the Boston Celtics
Loser: Compete with the winner between the Eagles and Hornets for eighth place in the East
Regular season head-to-head record: Nets 3-1 Cavaliers
Key alignment: Kyrie Owen vs Darius Garland
While the Cavaliers will focus most of their defensive attention on Durant, the head-to-head confrontation between the two teams' point guards is also a major attraction.
As a key member of the team that reached the Finals for three consecutive years in 2015-17 and won the championship in 2016, Irving is now eligible to play in home games for the Nets. On the Cavaliers' side, Garland was named an All-Star for the first time this season with 21.7 points and 8.6 assists per game, and he also made Cavaliers fans no longer miss Irving.
They are both one of the most versatile point guards in the league. They can destroy the opponent's defense line, their breakthrough will bring a lot of defensive pressure to the opponent, and the pass can accurately find the empty shooter, so that the defender can not catch it.
Irving wanted to prove to Cavaliers fans who the best point guard on the court was, and Garland wanted to prove himself to be an elite-caliber court commander on his first playoff trip.
Factor X: Jarrett Allen's finger injury
Allen was also named an All-Star for the first time this season, but he has missed the past 18 games because of a fractured left middle finger. He didn't choose to have surgery because he hopes to come back to play the playoffs, but so far, there's no specific comeback timeline. In this regard, Cavaliers coach JB Bikstaff still has not made a clear statement, but said that Aaron's situation is constantly improving.
Before Allen's injury, the Cavaliers had a record of 37 wins and 27 losses, but in the 18 games since then, the Cavaliers have only won seven of them. And, due to Allen's absence, the Cavaliers' defensive efficiency plummeted from fourth in the league (106.5) to twenty-second in the league (117.3).
The Cavaliers may need Allen's return to win the game, but even if he returns in time, his performance may be a little rusty.
Prediction: Nets cavaliers with 115-106.
While Ben Simmons won't return until at least the first round of the playoffs, according to Shams, the Nets still have two of the league's best players — Durant and Irving. Considering that Allen is uncertain if he can make a comeback (the latest news is that Allen will miss the playoffs against the Nets), the Nets will enter the playoffs as the No. 7 seed, and the Cavaliers will only compete with the winner between the Hawks and Hornets for eighth place in the East.
East: Atlanta Hawks (9) vs Charlotte Hornets (10)
Winner: Compete with the loser between the Cavaliers and Nets for eighth place in the East
Loser: Direct elimination
Regular season fixture record: Hawks 2-2 Hornets
Key alignment: Trae Young vs Lamello Ball
Although the head-to-head confrontation between the two was an All-Star point guard battle, it was surprising that Young and Ball did not perform well in the regular season.
In those four games, Young averaged just 37.7 percent from the field. Bauer, on the other hand, played only three of them, shooting just 35.3 percent from the field. As the offensive core of their respective teams, they need to play better in the play-offs to help their teams win.
After a bad start to the season with 17 wins and 25 losses, Young led his team to a 26-14 record in the following games, ranking third in the league in offensive efficiency (118.4) and fifth in the league in net wins per game (+4.7). John Collins has missed 23 of his last 27 games with a finger and foot injury and he is unlikely to play the play-offs, but the Hawks have shown they can also win with just an eight-man rotation.
Considering the Hornets haven't made the playoffs since 2016, Ball and most of his teammates have a chance to get a taste of the playoffs for the first time this season. But as one of the few veterans on the team with playoff experience, Gordon Hayward will miss the playoffs due to left sore foot pain and will be absent indefinitely.
Factor X: DeAndre Hunter
Although Young's shots were inaccurate in the regular season between the two teams, Hunter was well placed to fill the void.
In both games against the Hornets, Hunter averaged 20.5 points per game and shot 54.2 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three-point range. The Hawks need to rely on his flank defense, especially against the Hornets with Miles Bridges and Kelly Oubre, but when Young is in offensive trouble, the Hawks also need other players to hit those shots.
Especially with Collins likely to be sidelined, Hunter needs to perform well on both ends of the floor, as he did against the Hornets in the regular season this season.
Prediction: Eagle 123-114 Wasp.
The Hawks have been one of the hottest teams in the league over the past few months, and they have the advantage in playoff experience. They will eliminate the Wasp and then compete against the Knights.
West: Minnesota Timberwolves (7) vs Los Angeles Clippers (8)
Winner: Playoffs as Seed No. 7 against the Memphis Grizzlies
Loser: Compete with the winner between the Pelicans and Spurs for eighth place in the West
Regular season head-to-head record: Clippers 3-1 Timberwolves
Key alignment: Paul George vs Anthony Edwards
Edwards was 9 when George first led the Pacers to the playoffs in 2011. This empirical advantage could be an important factor, as George's playoff starts (108) are as good as Edwards' regular-season starts (127).
George returned from injury on March 29. In his five games since his return, George has averaged 22.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.8 steals per game, shooting 52.5 percent from three-point range. With Kawhi Leonard still in recovery from a torn ligament, the Clippers still have to rely on George to take on the offensive end.
Of course, that doesn't mean Edwards can't beat him.
In four regular-season games against the Clippers, the second-year guard averaged 23.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and four assists per game and shot 46.3 percent from the field. With Carl Anthony Downs underperforming in those four games (averaging 15.3 points per game and shooting 42.1 percent from the field), Edwards took on the team's offensive responsibilities.
While Norman Powell and Nicholas Batum will also be responsible for defending the second-year player, George may also be in direct opposition to Edwards.
Factor X: Tyrone-Lou
Although Leonard has missed the entire season and George has missed 50 games, Lou has kept the Clippers' winning percentage above 50 percent (51.2 percent), and he deserves credit. In addition, his previous coaching performance in the playoffs should not be overlooked.
During his tenure with the Cavaliers and Clippers, Lue's overall playoff record was 51-29. In his first year at the helm of the Cavaliers, he led the Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA Championship. Although he has not coached a particularly large number of playoff games, his playoff winning percentage has reached the sixth highest all-time, even higher than Popovich, Pat Riley and Cardinal Reed Auerbach.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch is leading the team to the playoffs for the first time, and Lue has proven himself to be a top manager even on the biggest stage. Since this set of matches was determined early, Lu had plenty of time to prepare.
Prediction: Clippers 108-99 Timberwolves.
The Clippers advanced to the playoffs, with the first round against the Grizzlies. The Timberwolves can only compete with the winner between the Pelicans and Spurs for eighth place in the West.
West: New Orleans Pelicans (9) vs San Antonio Spurs (10)
Winner: Compete with the loser between the Timberwolves and Clippers for eighth place in the West
Loser: Direct elimination
Regular season fixture record: Spurs 3-1 Pelicans
Key alignment: CJ McCollum vs Dezhangtai Murray
While they won't be aligned every round, the final outcome of this game is likely to depend on the performance of the two star defenders.
McCollum's addition saved the Pelicans' season, which once started with a 1-12 loss, and their average points difference (+4.4) since the trade deadline was seventh in the league. Since joining the Pelicans, McCollum has played three times with the Spurs, all of which are excellent, averaging 29.3 points, seven rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 51.5 percent from the field.
Even though the Spurs have the upper hand in the regular season record against the Pelicans, Murray's offense in these four games hasn't been so sharp. While he still gets close to averaging a triple-double (18.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 10 assists) per game, he shot only 40.3 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from three-point range. The Pelicans have enough big men to keep the basket, such as Herbert Jones, Larry Nance Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas, which makes Murray more dependent on mid-range and three-pointers. Murray has missed five games recently due to upper respiratory illness, but he should be able to play in the play-offs, but his form may be a problem.
Factor X: Spurs' dribbling breakthrough
The Spurs have made 26th-highest total of three-point shots in the league this season, after all, three points have never been engraved in Popovich's offensive DNA. While the Spurs won three of their four regular-season encounters with the Pelicans, they shot just 29.5 percent from the outside.
The Pelicans, in turn, need to limit the Spurs' dribbling breakouts as much as possible, as the Spurs have averaged third in the league in breakthrough points (52.5 points) this season. McCollum's defense was not very good, so the task of defending Murray, Kelden Johnson and Joshua Primo fell mainly on Derwent Graham and Brandon Ingram.
Prediction: Pelicans 107-106 Spurs.
It's going to be a scorching game, McCollum is going to play well and Murray is still getting back in shape. The Pelicans will compete with the Timberwolves for eighth place in the West, while the Spurs are eliminated outright.
The next two races were a battle for eighth place in the East and West.
East: Cleveland Cavaliers (8) vs Atlanta Hawks (9)
Winner: Advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed against the Miami Heat
Loser: Eliminated
Regular season head-to-head record: Hawks 3-1 Cavaliers
Key alignment: Darius Garland vs Trae Young
Oddly enough, the Cavaliers' only win against the Hawks in the regular season this season was won in garland's absence due to injury, but the healthy Rubio performance was enough for the Cavaliers to win.
But now the Cavaliers don't have Plan B in their point guard positions, so Garland has to take responsibility on the offensive end to match Trae Young's fierce offensive firepower.
In the most recent March 31 game, the Hawks beat the Cavaliers 131-107, but evan Mobley and Allen were absent in this game, while Trae Young blasted 30 points and nine assists. Although Mobley has now returned, Allen's finger injury has made him still suspicious of this game. In three regular-season games against the Hawks this season, Allen averaged 15.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, shooting 71.4 percent from the field.
X-factor: Cavaliers' home field advantage and height
The Hawks have a home record of 27-14 this season, and looking at the East, only the Heat and Celtics have a better home record than the Hawks. But their away performances were not so terrible, only 16 wins and 25 losses.
The Cavaliers' home record is also not bad, reaching 25 wins and 16 losses. With their higher regular season rankings, they will have home-court advantage in this round.
Height is also important for the Cavaliers, and they hope Aaron will return in time. Garland and the three starting big men (Allen, Mobley and Laurie Markkanen) had an average winning difference of +12.2. For a team like the Hawks that lacks the best big man in the squad, Collins, the Height of the Cavaliers could be a big problem.
Prediction: Cavaliers 110: 106 Eagles.
This is a prediction made assuming Aaron will be able to return, as his presence can pose a challenge to Trae Young. But if Aaron still can't play, then it may be the Hawks who will advance.
West: Minnesota Timberwolves (7) vs New Orleans Pelicans (9)
Winner: Advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed against the McFinix Suns
Loser: Eliminated
Regular season fixture record: Timberwolves 2-2 Pelicans
Key alignment: Carl Antony Downs vs Jonas Valanciunas
While Towns has not fared well against the Clippers in the regular season this season, the three-time All-Star player has stood out in four games against the Pelicans.
In those four games, Towns averaged 27.8 points, nine rebounds, four assists, 1.5 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, shooting 48.1 percent from the field. While Valanciunas' offense is good, he's not a good space defender and the rim isn't very good, which means Downs has a chance to kill all sides inside and out.
That being said, in four games against the Timberwolves in the regular season this season, Valanciunas averaged 17 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and one block per game, but he didn't shoot a single three-pointer and shot just 44.7 percent from the field. Watching Downs and Valanciunas standing together in the paint is like Dwayne Johnson holding Jason Momma (the Aquaman actor), full of muscle collisions.
There are many outstanding outside players in this round of matches, such as Ingram, Edwards, McCollum and Russell, but downs and Valanciunas' inside line rivalry is also worth noting.
Although the Pelicans would give the star forward a few more days to return after the victory over the Spurs, the team still claimed that he would be out indefinitely.
Maybe it's a silly idea to expect to see Zion return to the field this season, but until the Pelicans' official announcement, it's possible for him to return. Once Zion makes a comeback, the Pelicans will be strengthened.
Prediction: Timberwolves 118-112 Pelicans.
The Pelicans shouldn't expect Zion to make a rushed comeback and save the team, and judging by the performances throughout the season, the Timberwolves are the better team. They will make it to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, and the Pelicans can only look ahead to a promising 2022-23 season.
By Greg Swartz
Compilation: Can't hold the basket at all