NBA Playoff Bracket 2017: Full Review of Postseason Picture, Matchups and Odds
Anyone waiting for the NBA playoffs to weed out some superfluous squads will miss an intriguing first-round slate.
Even if it's all a prelude to the third Finals installment of Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers—and it may not be if Cleveland doesn't start playing defense—the seeds aligned perfectly for captivating early action.
MVP candidates Russell Westbrook and James Harden will collide. The Warriors and San Antonio Spurs will both start with Round 1 rematches from last year, and the Western Conference's No. 4 vs. 5 matchup contains two 51-win teams in danger of enduring a costly offseason exodus.
In the Eastern Conference, LeBron James will face a familiar foe in Paul George's Indiana Pacers. Even if an early upset isn't in order, a four-game rout appears equally unlikely.
With the postseason set to start Saturday, let's run down the first-round matchups and championship odds, courtesy of OddsShark.
| No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 Chicago Bulls | No. 1 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers |
| No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 7 Indiana Pacers | No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 7 Memphis Grizzlies |
| No. 3 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 6 Milwaukee Bucks | No. 3 Houston Rockets vs. No. 6 Oklahoma City Thunder |
| No. 4 Washington Wizards vs. No. 5 Atlanta Hawks | No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 Utah Jazz |
| Golden State Warriors | 5-8 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 333-100 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 6-1 |
| Houston Rockets | 16-1 |
| Boston Celtics | 16-1 |
| Toronto Raptors | 33-1 |
| Washington Wizards | 40-1 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 50-1 |
| Utah Jazz | 66-1 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 66-1 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 150-1 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 250-1 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 250-1 |
| Indiana Pacers | 250-1 |
| Chicago Bulls | 250-1 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 300-1 |
Top Round 1 Matchups
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers
Spending words on James' first-round matchup has historically proved a waste of time. The superstar hasn't lost a game in the postseason's preliminary round since the New York Knicks notched a 89-87 Game 4 upset in 2012. His Miami Heat won in five.
James has never lost a first-round series, and nobody has pushed him to seven games. Neither of those trends will change, but the Indiana Pacers can at least avoid a sweep while giving the vulnerable Cavs a valuable litmus test.
If their last encounter is any harbinger, James will face his biggest early challenge in years. On April 2, he needed all of his 41 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists to overcome George's 43 points, nine boards and nine assists in a 135-130 double-overtime victory.
Neither side struggled to score in their four season meetings, three of which Cleveland won. The Cavaliers registered 117.5 points per game to the Pacers' 113.5. Double overtime inflated those numbers, but defense wasn't a strength for either club.
The Cavs especially cratered down the stretch. According to NBA.com, their 111.1 defensive rating after the All-Star break ranked 0.1 point above the Los Angeles Lakers for 29th.
As noted by StatMuse's Justin Kubatko, subpar defenses rarely hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy:
They'll now have their hands full with George, who faced James' Heat in three straight postseasons from 2012-14. In the same spot last year, he carried the seven-seeded Pacers to a seven-game series against the Toronto Raptors with 27.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
Per Indianapolis Star's Nate Taylor, the star forward wanted to face the defending champions.
"It's going to be a fun matchup," George said. "I'm looking forward to it. If you ask me, it's who I've wanted to match up against.”
Viewers will nod in agreement anticipating the marquee showdown, which commences the postseason Saturday afternoon. More incredible playoff performances from George and a Myles Turner coming-out party will make this opening slate more contentious than the typical Round 1 affair featuring James.
Los Angeles Clippers at Utah Jazz
In terms of playing style, team markets and exposure, two NBA teams can't differ much more than the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz. Yet they enter the first round's most even matchup wielding identical 51-31 records with 29-12 and 22-19 home and away marks, respectively.
The Clippers inhabit Hollywood's spotlight with brand-name superstars and the league's fourth-highest offensive rating. The Jazz, meanwhile, rarely receive a national televised game. Playing throwback basketball with size over speed, they rate third in defensive rating.
Utah will make its first playoff appearance since 2012. Over that stretch, Los Angeles has fallen short of reaching the Western Conference Finals five times. Yet the Clippers, ravaged by injuries in last year's opening round and early this season, won their final seven games with a healthy Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
"When you have as many injuries as we did, the ups and downs of the season, the length of the season, you go through a lot of adversity," Griffin said, per the Associated Press' Beth Harris. "You always say that when we come out on the other side we are going to be better for it, and I truly believe that we are."
Pay no attention to any nonsense narratives of Paul's playoff shortcomings. The star point guard has averaged 21.0 points, 9.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds and a 48.3 field-goal percentage in eight postseason runs.
But let's not overlook Utah's unheralded stars. Gordon Hayward set personal bests in points (21.9) and rebounds (5.4) per game with a career-high 59.5 true-shooting percentage. Rudy Gobert shut down interior scoring with 2.6 blocks per game and an NBA-best 6.0 defensive win shares.
Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey laid out Gobert's case for Defensive Player of The Year. The center, however, was not impressed by his spectacular credentials:
Despite having a strong All-NBA First Team case, the Stifle Tower didn't even receive an All-Star nod. The casual NBA fan should appreciate the 24-year-old big man after watching him outshine Clippers counterpart DeAndre Jordan on the grand stage.
Paul, Griffin, Hayward and Jazz point guard George Hill could all play elsewhere next season, so this series proves pivotal to each franchise's future. It has the makings of a seven-game thriller only dampened by the winner facing a likely exit against Golden State.
Note: Advanced statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
