NBA Playoffs 2015: Complete Predictions and Odds for Remainder of Postseason
The 2015 NBA playoffs have already answered a couple of questions as things gear up for the second round, but the biggest answers are still to come in telling which team has the edge for the championship.
The presumed-favorite Golden State Warriors had no trouble sweeping their way through the first round, but many other first-rate contenders have had their hands full in Round 1. The likes of the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks haven't even escaped the opening round yet, with the defending champs headed toward a Game 7 against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.
With that said, the field is nearly narrowed down to four teams from each conference, and a title picture is beginning to surface from a loaded group of contenders. Take a look below for championship odds for every team still in the mix, along with NBA Finals predictions.
Odds to Win 2015 NBA Finals
| Golden State Warriors | 8-5 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 3-1 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 17-4 |
| Chicago Bulls | 9-1 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 10-1 |
| Houston Rockets | 10-1 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 18-1 |
| Washington Wizards | 28-1 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 33-1 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 500-1 |
Odds courtesy of Odds Shark, updated as of May 1
Complete NBA Playoffs Predictions
| Golden State Warriors (1) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (5) | Warriors in 5 |
| Houston Rockets (2) vs. San Antonio Spurs* (6) | Rockets (over Spurs) in 6 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers (2) vs. Chicago Bulls (3) | Cavaliers in 6 |
| Atlanta Hawks* (1) vs. Washington Wizards (5) | Hawks in 7 |
| Golden State Warriors* vs. Houston Rockets* | Warriors in 6 |
| Atlanta Hawks* vs. Cleveland Cavaliers* | Cavaliers in 7 |
| Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | Warriors in 6 |
NBA Finals Prediction: Warriors vs. Cavaliers
A lot of carnage looks to be ahead in the NBA playoffs, but that shouldn't stop the cream from rising to the top.
The Western Conference that has long been dreaded for any NBA Finals hopeful is nearly down to four teams, and the defending champions may or may not be among them. The San Antonio Spurs head to Los Angeles for Game 7 after dropping a chance to eliminate the Clippers at home.
The big mystery surrounding the West seemed to be whether the Spurs could shake off an iffy regular season and rekindle their championship form. But Round 1 hasn't been a strong indication of that, and nobody benefits from that reality more than the Golden State Warriors.
The 67-15 Warriors exploded through the season and rode their stars through a meaningless last month to keep their shooters fresh. Unlike in San Antonio, the early returns are encouraging—they swept the New Orleans Pelicans, a feat that included a 20-point fourth quarter comeback in Game 3.
Even if the Spurs do make it through, the Houston Rockets await, locked and loaded with Dwight Howard, Josh Smith and Corey Brewer emerging to fill a championship-caliber rotation. Tim Duncan should be limited if Howard comes to play, and James Harden finally has the help around him to avoid being locked down by Kawhi Leonard.
Plus, Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey can't deny the intrigue of a Warriors-Rockets conference finals:
Harden has a newfound arsenal around him, but it's no match for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the Warriors' sharpshooting. The Rockets' defensive issues will surface against Golden State, which has more than enough grit and length on defense to limit both Harden and Houston's second options.
Out East, an injury has done little to change the Cleveland Cavaliers' place as Finals favorites.
Kevin Love went down for the season in Cleveland's first-round sweep of Boston, which figured to be a crushing blow after his strong start to the postseason. Along with a two-game suspension of J.R. Smith, the Cavs are behind the eightball heading into a tough second-round series against the Bulls, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post observed:
On paper, losing Love's floor-stretching and rebounding looks to doom the Cavs against the Bulls' loaded frontcourt of Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic. But Cleveland still has a decided edge where the game will be won—the backcourt.
Derrick Rose has shown flashes of his old self, but he's not near the level that Kyrie Irving is currently playing at. Add that to the likelihood that Jimmy Butler will be limited on defense by LeBron James and Iman Shumpert, and the Bulls' advantage suddenly doesn't seem so great. Cleveland's offense has been consistently dependable, while its counterpart has been far from it, as Hardwood Paroxysm noted:
On top of that, both Chicago and the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks were taken to six games in Round 1—with the Hawks still in a fight with the sub-.500 Brooklyn Nets. The Hawks look to be rediscovering the ball movement and unselfish play that got them here, but that will get them only so far once the superstar players and elite lineups come calling.
That sets up James to embark on his fifth straight trip to the NBA Finals, but once again, his teammates will be hit with a substantial final test. This one isn't an ageless team of experience and prestige but rather a stacked defensive unit with some of the only shooters capable of taking on the likes of Irving, Smith and James on the perimeter.
Golden State's incredible season has been no fluke, and the Warriors are about to prove it by ripping through the NBA playoffs.
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