2021 Playoff Predictions Contest

[dankok8]

Basically people predict the outcome of every matchup before the series begins. Guessing perfectly gives you the most points, guessing the correct team but not the right number of games gives less points, and guessing the wrong team gives negative points including the most negative points if you predicted a sweep for the wrong team.

For example let's say the Clippers-Mavericks series ends with the Clippers winning in 6 games. This is how the predictions would be scored:

Mavs in 4 -4
Mavs in 5 -3
Mavs in 6 -2
Mavs in 7 -1
Clippers in 7 +3
Clippers in 6 +4
Clippers in 5 +3
Clippers in 4 +2

In the second round scores are x2. In the conference finals scores are x4. In the finals scores are x8.

This is done so that the first round doesn't all but determine the winner of the contest. You shouldn't be able to guess all the 1st round matchups right but then bomb the conference finals and finals and still win. This way all the rounds are collectively worth the same amount and are equally important. Eight first round matchups are worth as much as four second round matchups as much as two conference finals matchups and as much as one finals matchup.

_____________________________

1st Round Matchups:

(1) Sixers vs. (8) Wizards/Pacers
(2) Nets vs. (7) Celtics
(3) Bucks vs. (6) Heat
(4) Knicks vs. (5) Hawks

(1) Jazz vs. (8) Warriors/Grizzlies
(2) Suns vs. (7) Lakers
(3) Nuggets vs. (6) Blazers
(4) Clippers vs. (5) Mavericks

_____________________________

I will keep an Excel spreadsheet to track the scores and post a public link so that everyone can see the picks and scores.

Deadline to submit picks for the first round is this Saturday May 22 at 1 PM one hour before tipoff of the Heat-Bucks game.

Since we don't know the 8th seeds yet please submit predictions for both possible (1)-(8) match-ups.

My Predictions:

76ers in 5 (over Wizards) in 5 (over Pacers)
Nets in 6
Bucks in 7
Knicks in 7

Jazz in 7 (over Warriors) in 5 (over Grizzlies)
Lakers in 5
Blazers in 6
Clippers in 6

[ArbitraryWater]

76ers in 6 (over Wizards) in 5 (over Pacers)
Nets in 5
Bucks in 6
Hawks in 6

Jazz in 7 (over Warriors) in 5 (over Grizzlies)
Lakers in 5
Blazers in 6
Clippers in 6

[dankok8]

BUMP

Come on guys. Make your predictions!

[Doomsday Dallas]

Come on guys. Make your predictions!


my official prediction is Mavs in 6, this is the only prediction that matters.

[NBAGOAT]

Sixers in 5(either)
Nets in 4
Bucks in 5
Hawks in 6

Jazz in 4(grizz), in 5(warriors)
Lakers in 6
Blazers in 6
Clips in 5

[hold this L]

Nets in 5
Bucks in 5

Sixers in 5 (either)
Hawks in 7

Warriors in 6 if they make, Jazz in 5 if Memphis makes it
Clippers in 6

Lakers in 5
Denver in 7

[hold this L]

I'm changing the Nets in 6. Maybe the lack of Nets playing together might slow them down just enough for Boston to take a few.

[Duderonomy]

Sixers-5
Nets-5
Hawks-6
Bucks-6

Jazz-6
Suns-6
Clippers-4
Blazers-7

Go boldly.

[2much_knowledge]

Sixers in 5
Nets in 4
Ny in 6
Bucks in 7

Jazz in 5
Lakers in 6
Clippers in 6
Denver in 5

[2much_knowledge]

Damn, the disrespect of Denver is real

[dankok8]

We have 6 contestants so far... Deadline to submit picks is tomorrow at 1 PM ET one hour before the first game tips off.

[MJistheGOAT]

Sixers in 5
Nets in 5
Bucks in 6
Knicks in 7

GSW in 6 or Jazz (vs Grizz) in 5
Lakers in 6
Nuggets in 6
Clippers in 6

[LBJ]

Sixers in 4
Nets in 4
Bucks in 6
Knicks in 7

Jazz in 4
Lakers in 5
Nuggets in 7
Clippers in 6

[dankok8]

Deadline for Round 1 in a little over 12 hours! 1 PM ET

[Airupthere]

Jazz 5
Clippers 6
Nuggets 7
Lakers 5

Sixers 5
Knicks 6
Bucks 7
Nets 4

[Gotterdammerung]

Jazz in 5
Lakers in 6
Nuggets in 7
Clippers in 6

Sixers in 6
Nets in 5
Bucks in 7
Knicks in 6

[Gotterdammerung]

Washington @ Philadelphia
If the Wizards force turnovers and convert them into easy points, they can stretch this series, and even pull off an upset. However, when healthy and in shape, Embiid is the best player in the game and the Wizards have no answer whatsoever.
Sixers in 6

Boston at Brooklyn
Even if the Celtics were at full strength, and Tatum drops 50 every game, they have absolutely no shot - unless Brooklyn suffers major injuries and breaks down mentally.
Nets in 5

Miami @ Milwaukee
Jimmy Butler is one of the best two-way players in the league, a true leader, and the Heat is well-coached. They have a shot at upsetting the Bucks. But the Bucks will win because they are more talented, have better chemistry, and balanced than they have been in the last two years. It will be a hard-fought series, with no quarter asked and none given.
Bucks in 7

Atlanta @ New York
Both teams lack playoff experience, but the Knicks have the home-court advantage, and that will be the tie-breaker. The Hawks are a high scoring team, but they have no answer for the best player of the series in Julius Randle. He can score either inside or from the perimeter.
Knicks in 6

[dankok8]

Ok so we have 10 people participating in the contest. I added everyone's predictions. Good luck!

Link to the

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

The games haven't started yet. Here are my preds though

Utah in 5
LA in 6
Portland in 7
Clippers in 5
Sixers in 5
Brooklyn in 5
Bucks in 7
Knicks in 6

[Gotterdammerung]

Memphis @ Utah
If the Jazz are not careful or bring appropriate energy, the Grizzlies will steal a few games. They have a rotation of bigs to offset the Mighty Gobot. And Ja Morant is a dynamic scorer and a playmaker, plus Dillon Brooks is a fast-emerging elite defender. Otherwise, the Jazz have the edge in talent and experience - they finished first in point differential, first in rebounding, second in defensive FG% and third in points allowed. As a deep, well-balanced team led by Mitchell & the inside defense of Gobert, surrounded by deadly marksmen in Conley, Ingles, etc., the Jazz will win easily.
Utah in 5

Los Angeles Lakers @ Phoenix
The Suns have the best point guard in the game, Paul, whose leadership and playmaking and timely scoring and aggression was exactly what the young Suns needed. But he is an undersized guard who often wears down and gets hurt in the playoffs. The Suns' regular season's success does not translate to the playoffs against bigger stronger and more physical teams that have all the experience. And that means the Lakers will win. LBJ seems at the end of his line because his body is finally breaking down. This might be his last playoff run.
Lakers in 6

Portland @ Denver
If the Blazers shoot lights out and run the Nuggets out of the gym, they can steal a few games. But the Nuggets have the best, most consistent and durable player in the league in Jokic. And no matter how good Damon Lillard is, he's another undersized guard that teams can switch on defense with players 6' 7" and bigger for trapping schemes.
Nuggets in 7

Dallas @ Los Angeles Clippers
Luka Doncic is great, but the Mavericks are not talented enough or deep enough to beat the Clippers four times in a 7 game series. George has a few playoff demons to exorcise, and Rajon Rondo is a great addition off the bench. Although the Clippers depend on Leonard to stay healthy long enough to play at high level for a month or two, they have enough for at least the first round.
Clippers in 6

[dankok8]

Ok so we have 11 people participating in the contest. I added everyone's predictions. Good luck!

Link to the spreadsheet (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kqzt-53nJaOPBNyl6RcDb8gB_8pycFeK/view?usp=sharing).

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Ok so we have 11 people participating in the contest. I added everyone's predictions. Good luck!

Link to the spreadsheet (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kqzt-53nJaOPBNyl6RcDb8gB_8pycFeK/view?usp=sharing).

Let the games begin :applause:

[Proctor]

Whoops, mods should sticky this one. Didn't see it before I made a duplicate.

[ArbitraryWater]

Its always funny to me how these predictions threads fizzle out


i made one or two of these threads in years past as well.


but no one gives a fck by the end

[dankok8]

Peeps should be active for later rounds because scoring is 2x for second round, 4x for conference finals and 8x for finals. This way the contest is still very much in the balance till the end.

[dankok8]

A lot of predictions could turn out wrong here but especially Clippers-Mavs which is looking bad for almost everyone.

[dankok8]

Alright guys put in your Round 2 predictions. Deadline is tomorrow at 6:30 PM (1 hour before Nets/Bucks tipoff).

(1) Sixers vs. (5) Hawks
(2) Nets vs. (3) Bucks

(1) Jazz vs. (4) Clippers/(5) Mavericks
(2) Suns vs. (3) Nuggets

I had a pretty terrible first round having picked the Knicks, Lakers, and Blazers. I will update the spreadsheet soon.

My predictions for Round 2:

Sixers in 5
Nets in 7

Jazz in 7 (either team)
Nuggets in 6

[dankok8]

Submit your Round 2 predictions. Deadline is today at 6:30 PM.

[Airupthere]

Sixers in 6
Nets in 5 (assuming Harden plays in the remainder of the series)

Jazz in 7
Suns in 6

[2much_knowledge]

Sixers in 5
Nets in 4
Ny in 6
Bucks in 7

Jazz in 5
Lakers in 6
Clippers in 6
Denver in 5

+ 4 points
+ 3 points
- 2 ?
+ 1

+ 4
- 1?
+ 3
+ 3

I think i scored it right. Whats my total then

[2much_knowledge]

Submit your Round 2 predictions. Deadline is today at 6:30 PM.

Damn im very late :/

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Damn OP. You should've bumped this thread like a madman :lol Never saw it on the front page so I forgot about it.