2015 Playoff Capsules

East

No. 1 Hawks vs. No. 8 Nets

Key matchup: Al Horford vs. Brook Lopez — Aside from a few minor free agent additions, Horford is the biggest difference between this Hawks team and the one that started last postseason off at the bottom of the bracket. Horford was a deserved All-Star this season, averaging 15 points and 7 rebounds a game while anchoring the Hawks’ top-10 defense. After being benched earlier in the season, Lopez has averaged 20 points per game on 53 percent shooting in the second half of the season as he returned to All-Star form following an injury-riddled 2013-14 campaign. What to expect in this series: The Nets looked like a train wreck for most of the season, but Lionel Hollins found some workable offensive combinations late in the year to help his team stumble into the postseason. On the other hand, the Hawks struggled down the stretch, perhaps due to the fact that they wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the conference in March. If the Hawks’ Paul Millsap is 100 percent, a series against the Nets’ defense is just what Atlanta needs. Prediction: Hawks in 5

No. 2 Cavaliers vs. No. 7 Celtics

Key matchup: Kyrie Irving vs. Marcus Smart/Avery Bradley — The star power is lopsided in this series, so the great head-to-head matchups are lacking. That said, Irving is about to get his first taste of postseason play, and few players put together more big-time performances this season. Facing off against him will be two of the best defensive point guards in the NBA. Bradley and Smart are Big 12 graduates that majored in defense, and they are fun to watch get after the top ball-handlers in the game. Smart has fared better than most rookies on that end of the floor, and his in-your-shirt style fits perfectly with the Celtic gravitas. What to expect in this series: This should be nothing more than a tune-up for the Cavs, who get to nurture both Irving and Kevin Love through their first playoff series. Boston has had a surprising and enjoyable season, and Brad Stevens has emerged as one of the best coaches in basketball, but the Celtics are a superstar away from being competitive against the top teams in the East. And who knows, maybe that superstar is playing against them in this series. Prediction: Cavs in 5

No. 3 Bulls vs. No. 6 Bucks

Key matchup: Pau Gasol vs. the Bucks frontline — After a couple of forgettable years to close out his Laker career, Gasol had a resurgent season in Chicago, averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds while leading the league in double-doubles. Gasol played better against the Bucks than against any other team this season, averaging 24 points and 13 rebounds on 54 percent shooting in their four matchups this season, including a career-high 46-point performance in January. Milwaukee has an elite team defense, but they’ve had no answer for Gasol. What to expect in this series: The Bucks were one of the biggest surprises in the league in the first half of the season, but they were a bottom-five offensive team after they swapped Brandon Knight for Michael Carter-Williams. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first appearance in the national spotlight will be must-watch TV and Khris Middleton will be looking to build on a strong regular season, but the Bulls should prevail. The story for Chicago will be Derrick Rose and how he looks in his return to the playoffs after tearing his ACL in the first round against Philadelphia in 2012. Rose played in the Bulls’ final five games, but he looked rusty, shooting 37 percent from the field. Whether or not Rose can shake off the rust against the Bucks will be critical should they match up with the Cavaliers in the second round. Prediction: Bulls in 6

No. 4 Raptors vs. No. 5 Wizards

Key matchup: Kyle Lowry vs. John Wall — These two All-Star starters began the season playing at an All-NBA-level, but they’ve both had a dip in production since the break, and as a result, so have their teams. Lowry has shot 37 percent since the All-Star break and the Raptors have actually been playing better with Lou Williams on the floor in his place. Wall, meanwhile, has seen his shooting percentage drop from 46 percent to 42 percent in the second half of the season, and he’s been turning the ball over four times a game. In spite of their struggles, these are two of the best defenders at the point guard position, and they have unique styles — grit and toughness for Lowry, athleticism and length for Wall — so watching them go head-to-head should be tremendous. What to expect in this series: Toronto and Washington have both collapsed in the second half of the season, but they’ve done so at opposite ends of the floor. The Wizards have been one of the worst offensive teams in the league since the All-Star break as their reliance on mid-range jumpers and Bradley Beal’s injuries submarined their efficiency. Meanwhile, the Raptors have been ceding points like crazy defensively, falling into the bottom 10 in defensive efficiency. In a battle of singularly skilled teams, let’s go with the one that can put points on the board. Washington’s strong defense may be able to slow Toronto down, but the Wizards’ offense isn’t competent enough to win a seven-game series. Prediction: Raptors in 6

West

No. 1 Warriors vs. No. 8 Pelicans

Key matchup: Anthony Davis vs. Draymond Green — A future MVP going up against the potential Defensive Player of the Year. This is one of the most interesting matchups in the first round, and Davis versus Warriors center Andrew Bogut isn’t that far down the list. Green’s an undersized bulldog that can defend any position effectively, but Davis may be one of the two players that Green simply isn’t constructed to defend. Davis put together one of the most impressive seasons of all-time, with his 30.8 Player Efficiency Rating putting him on a list with these guys: Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Davis is already an unguardable terror on the pick-and-roll and he’s a devastating defender that changes games with his presence. Oh, and he’s 22 years old. What to expect in this series: The lineup that the Pelicans used to take down the Spurs on Wednesday night — Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans, Ryan Anderson and Davis — only appeared in 15 games together this season due to various injuries. That five-man unit played 106 minutes together this season; for perspective, the Warriors starters played 813 minutes together, the third most for any lineup in the league. That’s the only hope for the Pelicans: That their best five-man group is finally coming together at the right time. It probably won’t matter, though, as the Warriors just completed one of the 10 most impressive regular seasons ever, winning 67 games while posting a point differential on par with the Wilt Lakers and the Jordan Bulls. “The Brow’s” first postseason appearance will be fun, but the Warriors are already well on their way to the conference finals. Prediction: Warriors in 5

No. 2 Rockets vs. No. 7 Mavericks

Key matchup: James Harden vs. Rajon Rondo — With a different teammate going down with an injury every other week, Harden put the Rockets on his back and carried them to 56 wins in a stacked Western Conference, finishing second in the race for the scoring title and making himself a top MVP candidate. His play this season completely validated Daryl Morey’s decision to trade for him before the 2012-13 season. Dallas, on the other hand, hasn’t had much success with their star acquisition, Rondo, joining the fray. Though the Mavs’ offense has plummeted since his arrival, Rondo has improved Dallas’ defense, and he’ll likely spend a lot of time defending Harden in this series. How the Mavs fare with Rondo on the floor will be key in this series, and if things start off poorly, don’t be surprised to see a lot of Devin Harris. What to expect in this series: This series will come down to Rick Carlisle and how he chooses to defend James Harden. Carlisle, who may be the league’s premier tactician alongside the Spurs’ Gregg Popovich, will have something up his sleeve for the MVP candidate, and if the Mavs can wear down Harden, who played 38 minutes a night this season while only missing one game, they’ll have a shot at an upset. Prediction: Mavericks in 6

No. 3 Clippers vs. No. 6 Spurs

Key matchup: Kawhi Leonard vs. Chris Paul — Leonard has been on a tear since the All-Star break, averaging 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals per game while shooting 52 percent from the field and 36 percent from deep. He’s also playing the best perimeter defense the league has seen since Scottie Pippen, and he’s had his hand in shutting down MVP candidates Stephen Curry and James Harden over the past few weeks. Paul may have been the league’s MVP if he submitted this season in any other year. He had the best shooting season of his career, shooting 49 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 90 percent from the line, while averaging 19 points, 10 assists, 5 boards and 2 steals. Paul’s ability to survive the swarm of elite defenders that the Spurs will throw at him — Leonard, Danny Green and Cory Joseph — will determine the Clippers’ fate. What to expect in this series: The Clippers closed the season on an impressive 14-1 run, making them the best team in the league during the final 15 games of the season. Their reward? The Spurs, a team that went 13-2 down the stretch. It’s a tough draw for the Clippers, who may face a major shake-up if they bow out in the first round again. With DeAndre Jordan set to enter free agency, this could be the Clippers’ last chance to make a run with this core. The Spurs have no such concerns about their future. Tim Duncan is playing stunning basketball for a 38-year-old, and San Antonio has the best point differential in the league since the All-Star break. The defending champs have to be concerned about the uncertain status of big man Tiago Splitter, who will be a key in this series, but the defending champions have been playing tremendous basketball of late, and look poised for another deep postseason run. Prediction: Spurs in 6

No. 4 Blazers vs. No. 5 Grizzlies

Key matchup: LaMarcus Aldridge vs. Zach Randolph — Aldridge has reached the point in his career where he can average 23 points and 10 boards a game and nobody bats an eye. Whether that’s because Aldridge is being taken for granted or simply pushed aside by a new crop of superstars, it’s important not to forget how potent a scorer Aldridge is. Randolph will provide an excellent contrast for Aldridge in this series. Whereas the Portland All-Star’s game is based on finesse and touch from the mid-range, Randolph is a bully on the block that has mastered awkward flip shots and loves battling on the boards to recoup his own misses. There likely will be cross-matching among the four starting bigs in this series, with Marc Gasol sliding over to check Aldridge and Robin Lopez having a go at Randolph, but the production of these two power forwards will be worth monitoring. What to expect in this series: It would have been a delight to see these two teams match up at full strength, but the Wesley Matthews injury has dampened Portland’s playoff hopes. Their defense has completely fallen apart since Matthews tore his Achilles in early March, and midseason acquisition Arron Afflalo hasn’t done enough to quell the effects of Matthews’ absence. The Grizzlies, who will have home-court advantage in this series despite being seeded lower, have struggled offensively since acquiring Jeff Green in January. Prediction: Grizzlies in 6