NBA Playoffs 2015: Updated Championship Bracket, Odds and Predictions
Sixteen teams entered this fight, and now, five—the Toronto Raptors, the Boston Celtics, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Dallas Mavericks and the Portland Trail Blazers—are already out.
But is every still-standing squad capable of winning it all?
Of course not.
We know who the real contenders are: the Golden State Warriors, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Houston Rockets and, if you’re feeling generous, throw the Chicago Bulls in there, too.
But who are the phonies?
Playoff Bracket
| Atlanta Hawks lead Brooklyn Nets | 3-2 |
| Washington Wizards def. Toronto Raptors | 4-0 |
| Chicago Bulls lead Milwaukee Bucks | 3-2 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers def. Boston Celtics | 4-0 |
| Golden State Warriors def. New Orleans Pelicans | 4-0 |
| Memphis Grizzlies def. Portland Trail Blazers | 4-1 |
| San Antonio Spurs lead Los Angeles Clippers | 3-2 |
| Houston Rockets def. Dallas Mavericks | 4-1 |
Championship Odds
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 11/5 |
| Golden State Warriors | 11/5 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 7/2 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 12/1 |
| Chicago Bulls | 12/1 |
| Houston Rockets | 16/1 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 18/1 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 28/1 |
| Washington Wizards | 75/1 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 200/1 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 250/1 |
Pretenders
Atlanta Hawks
Team basketball is a beautiful thing. The rock moves, everyone is involved, and a lot of points are scored...in the regular season, that is.
Playoff hoops are dominated by star players who earn those big paychecks in April, May and (hopefully) June. Teams like the Atlanta Hawks are magnificent until the bright lights of the postseason start burning and the biggest names come out to play.
When Deron Williams channeled his former self in Game 4, Atlanta had no answer. Former Hawk Joe Johnson got hot in the fourth quarter of Game 5, and Atlanta nearly blew that game, too.
The aging Brooklyn Nets aren’t even that good. Wait until Atlanta, should it advance after dropping two games, sees John Wall, Bradley Beal and Paul Pierce in the next round.
Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post provided some context after the Washington Wizards smacked around a Toronto Raptors team worlds better than the Nets:
It was a lot of fun watching the Hawks in the regular season. They won 19 straight games and captivated the basketball world with exquisite offense night in and night out.
But they’re not built to thrive in the playoffs. The Wizards will wash their hands with Atlanta in the second round.
Memphis Grizzlies
Let’s set things straight: At full strength, the Memphis Grizzlies are most definitely a contender capable of going all the way.
But they’re not at 100 percent. Mike Conley, already playing through a gruesome foot injury, got cracked in the head during Game 3 and had to undergo surgery to repair the facial fractures.
"He's going to be here," Marc Gasol said prior to Game 4, per Mike Tokito of The Oregonian. "We're talking like he's going to be out for a long time. He's fine. Of course it's unfortunate what happened, but he will be fine."
But will he be there? Conley showed up at Game 5 in Memphis, which his team won, but he didn’t look great.
Like, at all:
Look, we know Conley is a warrior and plays through injuries, but he isn’t cut out to suit up right now, and it doesn't look like he will be anytime soon.
The Grizzlies managed to get by Portland, but Damian Lillard (27) and C.J. McCollum (25.5) averaged north of 50 combined points in Conley’s absence.
Imagine what Steph Curry and Klay Thompson will do next round—75, 100, infinite points?
Nick Calathes and Beno Udrih simply aren’t cut out to stop the league’s best backcourt in the next round.
The Grizzlies will have an advantage on the inside with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, but without Conley, the Warriors will destroy them.
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