NBA - Title predictions

By: Will Aimette

(Photo Credit: CBSSports)

The NBA Playoffs are heating up, and after a crazy first round, teams look to advance to the conference finals. So here’s what I think is going to happen:

The 76ers become the first 7-seed ever to advance to the FinaLs

The 76ers are one of the strangest teams in the NBA. They’re so overlooked this year, and I think that’s all due to Joel Embiid’s injury. They started off as one of the top teams in the conference, then fell into play-in territory after his injury. They managed to win enough games without him to have a chance at beating the 3-seed Celtics, and they went on to do just that, coming back from a 1-3 deficit. But the success of the team doesn’t solely rely on Embiid. Although he struggled in games three and four, Rookie VJ Edgecombe had 30 points in game two and 23 in game seven, both of which were decisive games that the 76ers won. Game two was special since it proved the 76ers could win without Embiid, that they could fight just enough to have a chance when their all-pro center came back. I think Edgecombe is the x-factor for the rest of the playoffs. Every time he’s had a decent game, the ‘6ers won, and I think that’s because there’s simply too many players to guard. It starts with Tyrese Maxey, who dropped 21+ points in EVERY game in the series against the Celtics. Paul George served as a great role player and game controller, who seemed as hot as ever in game one against the Knicks. Role players Kelly Oubre, Quentin Grimes, and Andre Drummond did their part too. Now they have to go through the Knicks, who they split the regular season series with without Embiid. And we’re not recognizing how much of a difference he makes. Embiid is arguably the best big man of the 2020’s, he has one MVP and would have a whole lot more if he was consistently healthy. The main problem? He’s not completely healthy. He was ruled out for game two, but this will probably be the only game he misses this series. But the 76ers have managed to win without him, they somewhat managed it through the regular season and the first round. If they can even this series up or keep it within one by the time he gets back, they’re in just as good shape as anybody. I just can’t see Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns doing enough to stop the ‘6ers, even with OG Anunoby playing his very best. The 76ers seem to be the kryptonite for the Knicks, they just have too many weapons for an average-defending New York team. (Though I will say, their Game 6 victory against the Hawks and Game 1 vs. the ‘76ers looked scary). And truthfully, whoever wins this series will probably go to the finals. I wouldn’t worry too much about game one if I was the 76ers, they were tired and multiple players underperformed. This series will be a lot closer than most fans think. Aside from the Knicks, the Pistons looked so beatable in Round 1, and same with Cleveland. Both of those teams aren’t really battle tested, although the Pistons destroyed the Knicks in the regular season. But they’ll have a much tougher time with the 76ers, who are, in my opinion at least, a more talented team. The Cavs just feel destined to lose, I’m afraid it comes down to a simple lack of talent. So, the 76ers definitely have a path to the finals; one a seven seed has never seen.

WEMBY WILL LEAD THE SPURS TO THE FINALS IN HIS FIRST PLAYOFF RUN EVER

8,188. That’s the number of days Victor Wembanyama will have lived on June 3rd, the very first day of the NBA Finals. And I truly believe he’ll be playing that night. (Fun fact: That night also happens to be Wemby’s 23rd birthday) Why? Because after only a few years of rebuilding, this Spurs team might be the most talented team in the NBA right now. De’Aaron Fox is still a top ten point guard in the game, Dylan Harper is a generational young shooting guard, and Wembanyama is the greatest big man the NBA has seen so far, and will ever see in the future. There’s never been a big man with that much of a feel for the game. And when I mean a big man, I mean 7’ 4”. And that might be robbing him of a few inches. Although they suffered a tough loss in game one, Wemby had 15 rebounds and 12 blocks. He certainly used his height to his advantage, especially with a great defender like Rudy Gobert guarding him. But it’s not only their three star players, as their surrounding cast are great too. Julian Champagnie is a solid NBA starter, Stephon Castle is one of the most explosive players in the game, and the Spurs also have the sixth man of the year in Keldon Johnson. This team just has so much talent, it’s hard to pick against them. Yeah, you could criticize them for tanking, but the tank is over. The NBA is preventing it now, and the Spurs will lose half their team to contract issues a few years down the road anyway. The only obstacle I see is the Timberwolves, They’re a sneaky team that already beat Jokic and the Nuggets with Anthony Edwards out for more than half the series. The Wolves are arguably the deepest team in the playoffs, Jaden McDaniels is playing the best basketball of his career (on both sides of the ball), Ayo Dosemnu arose as an unlikely hero, Rudy Gobert is a great rebounder and defender (as mentioned earlier), and Julius Randle brings a veteran presence to the starting five. Not to mention the recent breakout of T.J. Shannon, Naz Reid, and guard Mike Conley (who’s in a close battle for oldest active player with Lebron). Divencenzo is out for the season, but at least their other star player is (somehow) back. After completely hyperextending his leg, Edwards dropped 18 points in 25 minutes. He’s insane. So the Wolves prevailed against the first of the best two big men in the game. Now they’re after the second. But I don’t think they’ll do it. Why? Because Wemby’s playing at another level. He alters every shot on defense, every play on offense. He’ll do too much for Minnesota to handle. After that, the Spurs will most likely play the Thunder. Even if the Lakers win, the Spurs will destroy the Lakers, considering Luka would still be out. The Thunder are a great team. Don’t get me wrong. But they just can’t seem to beat the Spurs. I don’t know if it’s because of the Wemby-Holmgren rivalry, but the Spurs have won four out of five games against the Thunder this season. So I really do think Wemby and these Spurs will play in the finals. It’ll certainly be fun to watch them try.

Winner Prediction: San antonio Spurs

Look, I could be completely wrong about this whole thing. My guess is only as good as anyone’s (well, maybe a bit better than some). But the Spurs might lose to the Wolves in four. Embiid might be hurt for good, and the ‘6ers could get swept too. All I know is that if these teams play in the finals, the Spurs aren’t losing. These teams played twice in the regular season, and the Spurs won by double digits twice (One win was by 13 w/ Embiid, the other by 40 w/o Embiid). It’s just that this is a matchup that’s heavily favored towards the Spurs. And it’s mostly because Embiid is the primary scorer of Philly, and he won’t be able to do half the things he normally would do against the DPOY. Maxey would be great, and I’m sure Edgecombe and George would step up too, but so would Harper, Fox, and Castle. The ‘76ers just wouldn’t be enough against this motivated Spurs team, as I think Wemby will capture his first NBA championship at just 23.

This article was made during Game 2 of the Knicks-76ers game on May 6th, 2026