James shot just 19.5 percent from three against the Grizzlies, including 15.2 percent over the last four games of the series. Green will likely split time between James and Anthony Davis in this series, forcing both into jumpers as much as possible. Perhaps no defender knows James and his tendencies better than Green, although stopping him is a different beast. Guys like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have been in every situation imaginable and come out on top.
This isn't just a matchup of some of the most talented players, but the smartest as well. Will Kevon Looney keep grabbing every single rebound like he did against the Sacramento Kings? Will Austin Reaves take over in the fourth quarter like he did in Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies? Players like Gary Payton II, Rui Hachimura and others can swing a close game as well. Yes, star power reigns supreme here, but a lot of these games may be decided by some of the role players.
NBA FINALS BRACKET SERIES
Eastern Time, this series may be the most watched second-round matchup ever. If the majority of these Lakers-Warriors games didn't begin at 10 p.m. After finishing first in net rating during the regular season ( plus-6.7), the Celtics look destined for a return to the East finals and beyond. Boston would be the favorites here even with a healthy Embiid. Harden opened Game 1 in grand fashion scoring 45 points, which could keep the Sixers alive long enough for a potential return of Embiid. This starts with Smart, who will be matched up with both Harden and Maxey at times, forcing the star guards into contested jumpers and keeping them out of the paint. That's bad news, considering the Celtics have some of the best perimeter defenders in basketball. With Embiid likely to miss time, more of the offensive burden falls on the guard combo of Harden and Tyrese Maxey. In the lone Sixers win, Embiid went for 52 of the team's 103 total points and Philly still only won by two. The bad news for Philly? These Celtics are still on another level and beat the 76ers three out of four times in the regular season. The Sixers have gone an impressive 13-5 without Embiid this season, including a Game 4 closeout win over the Brooklyn Nets in Round 1-and now a Game 1 victory in Round 2 over Boston. The all-world center is dealing with a sprained LCL ( or worse) in his right knee and still isn't doing more than shooting during practice. Of course, Joel Embiid's status will play a major role here. While we saw upsets on the other side of the East bracket, a Philly-Boston clash is exactly what we expected (and looked forward to) in Round 2. Expect the Knicks to outlast Miami and move on. New York is deeper, has more top-end talent and showed off its defensive chops against the Cavs. With all due respect to the Heat, this team nearly missed the postseason altogether. He outdueled Donovan Mitchell over the last three games of the opening round (22.0 points on 55.8 percent shooting) and needs to continue that hot play against Miami.
With Julius Randle battling more ankle issues, Barrett will need to step up his own scoring and playmaking. While the Knicks don't have to completely shut Butler down, they can't give up a 40- or 50-point performance like he had in the first round and expect to win. We know all eyes will be on Butler after he put up 37.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals on 59.7 percent shooting against Milwaukee, a superhero-esque performance and one of the best individual series we've seen in years. This is a rock-solid Heat team that's incredibly well-coached yet lacks the depth of a Knicks squad that suddenly looks like a real player in the East for years to come. Gabe Vincent and Kyle Lowry have been incredibly steady at point guard, but the duo is no match for Jalen Brunson and Immanuel Quickley's firepower in a seven-game series. Yes, Jimmy Butler has been the postseason's best player to this point, but Miami is still barely winning his minutes overall ( plus-1.4 net rating in 639 total possessions). On paper, it makes no sense how this Heat team keeps winning. One of these teams will make a surprising pivot, pivot, pivot into the Eastern Conference Finals. Knicks is giving us some serious '90s flashbacks.
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