NBA is searching for ways to start back up. That’s not going to be easy because of the Coronavirus pandemic. So here is my 1-16 NBA tournament with simulated results.
The new decade has gotten off to a rough start. Coronavirus has halted the sports world–and just about everything else.
Fans across the globe miss the NBA, and as days go by without games, it’s starting to feel like the league won’t return anytime soon.
But, hold on a minute! That doesn’t mean that our imagination has to stop about a new playoff format. Imagine 16 of the best teams in the NBA, regardless of conference, all in one gym. Imagine if it was a single-elimination tournament. So let’s play out this dream tournament?
To determine who wins each game, I used NBAgamesim.com, which is pretty awesome.
Playoff Format Layout
I know I said that all 16 teams would meet in one gym. Well, I’ve decided that there will be four locations. The locations will depend on the top four seeds.
Playoff Seeds
- Milwaukee Bucks (53-12)
- Los Angeles Lakers (49-14)
- Toronto Raptors (46-18)
- Los Angeles Clippers (44-20)
- Boston Celtics (43-21)
- Denver Nuggets (43-22)
- Utah Jazz (41-23)
- Miami Heat (41-24)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (40-24)
- Houston Rockets (40-24)
- Dallas Mavericks (40-27)
- Indiana Pacers (39-26)
- Philadelphia 76ers (39-26)
- Memphis Grizzlies (32-33)
- Brooklyn Nets (30-34)
- Orlando Magic (30-35)
Region #1, Arena – Fiserv Forum
- Milwaukee Bucks VS 16. Orlando Magic
To kick off the new age of an NBA tournament, the Bucks and the Magic will square off in a single-elimination game. Who wins? Well, the Bucks have the reigning MVP. And before the virus, Giannis Antetokounmpo was on his way to another piece of hardware. But the Bucks aren’t just made up of Antetokounmpo. The Bucks were the best in the league for many reasons. For one, the Bucks led the league in scoring and in rebounding. Being at the top of the league in those two statistics will lead a team to be the best in the NBA.
Now on the other side, the Orlando Magic is an exciting team. But they are still young and unsure of their identity. The nucleus of Aaron Gordon, Markelle Fultz, and all of their centers have shown flashes of improvement, but they haven’t been consistent.
Who wins? After a close and tight game throughout, the Bucks would come out with a 122-112 victory.
This matchup is between two of the biggest surprises in the NBA. The Heat and the Thunder were not supposed to be this good. But these two teams made moves in the off-season and during the regular season. For the Heat, they added Jimmy Butler and drafted two talented rookies, Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn. And for the Thunder, well, they traded Russell Westbrook and Paul George. Many people counted them out once those trades were made. But what they got in return made the difference and has proved doubters wrong.
The difference has been veteran Chris Paul and second-year standout, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Both players have benefited from having one another, and it will be more of the same in this matchup. The Heat have the advantage inside the paint, and they have decent shooting, too. The Thunder has excellent guard play–three point guards in the game the majority of the time. That would be the deciding factor in this matchup.
The Oklahoma City Thunder pull it out with a score of 115 to 108. Jimmy Butler and the rest of his talented cast ended up coming up short.
Second Round
- Milwaukee Bucks Vs. 9. Oklahoma City Thunder
During the regular season, the Bucks beat the Thunder in both of their matchups. In the first game, the Bucks defeated the Thunder 121-119 in Oklahoma. In the second meeting, the Bucks destroyed the Thunder. The final score was 133-86. And in this matchup, well, the simulator got it right. The Bucks win 138 to 109. Milwaukee is moving on to the third round.
Region #2, Arena – Chase Center (San Francisco)
The Clippers had a shot at winning the title this season, and (for sure )–with the addition of Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard, and all-star Paul George–it seemed like they were written into the Western Conference Finals.
During the regular season, though, the Clippers had their fair share of problems–from Kawhi not playing as many games to Paul George being sidelined for the beginning of the season. But the Clippers’ bench saved them.
For the Sixers, it’s a story about having too much talent, too many bigs, and not enough shooting. All I hear are excuses. Still, though, the Sixers had a chance of making a run at the title. In the end, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are the keys to this team, and when the two aren’t clicking, the team doesn’t win consistently.
Despite the Clippers having to play at the Chase Center in San Francisco, they will still have the home-court advantage. The Clippers’ bench is too much for the Sixers’ second unit. The Sixers’ health would come into play, which gives the advantage to the LA Clippers.
The simulator has the Clippers winning 115 to 91
- Boston Celtics VS 12. Indiana Pacers
When it comes to Boston and Indiana, it’s always a battle. This season, though, the Boston Celtics have shown that they are a top-tier club. The Pacers, on the other hand, ad injuries and played inconsistent basketball. The Pacers are a team that’ll play hard for the full 48, but the lack of star power and talent always gets the best of them.
Who will win this battle? Well, the Celtics have an emerging star in Jayson Tatum. The 21-year-old star has made significant strides this year, and it looks like he is just getting started.
The Pacers also have a star in their own right: Domantas Sabonis. He made his first all-star game this year, and he just happens to be the x-factor for the Pacers.
When it comes to this matchup, the Celtics’ defensive paralysis is too much. The simulator would predict the Celtics winning 115 to 106.
Second Round
- Los Angeles Clippers VS 5. Boston Celtics
In the two recent matchups, the two teams have split the season series with both games being decided in overtime. Both games were thrillers, too.
The Clippers and Celtics were both contenders this year, and both had the talent to make a run. In this game, though, only one team can advance, and that would be the LA Clippers. The second unit would come through once again. The Celtics talent is good, but it wouldn’t be good enough on that particular day. The Clippers would go on to win 114-96.
Region #3, Arena – Scotiabank Arena
- Toronto Raptors VS 14. Memphis Grizzlies
Do we smell an upset? This matchup, in particular, could indeed be an upset. The young Grizzlies could give the Toronto Raptors problems in the backcourt. Starting with their new star Ja Morant, Ja poses the threat of playing fast and downhill, and that could cause problems for Kyle Lowry, who is on the wrong side of 30. Morant could expose Lowry off the bounce, which would open up the floor for the entire Grizzlies’ offense.
But would that be enough to beat the savvy Raptors? I don’t think so. The defending champs were counted out, right from the start. But Nick Nurse had his team ready to prove everyone wrong. The Raptors did just that.
The emergence of their new star Pascal Siakam is a big reason. He leads the team in scoring, and the rest of the surrounding cast contributes to all other facets of the game.
The result would be the Raptors beating the Grizzlies. Toronto is the smarter team and would figure out a way to bottle up the young up and coming star Ja Morant. The Raptors would win 123 to 111.
- Denver Nuggets VS 11. Dallas Mavericks
This is ‘The Battle of the Euro boys.” The Nuggets have arguably the best big man in the league in Nikola Jokic, and for the Mavericks have a once-in-a-generation talent, Luka Doncic. There is no secret that both players are the engines that keep both teams going. But what about their supporting cast?
Both the Nuggets and Mavericks have solid benches and have great players that are paired alongside the two Euro stars. The question is: Which cast is better suited for a one-game playoff? For the Nuggets, Jokic is supported by Jamal Murray and Will Barton. The Mavericks pair Luka with Kristaps Porzingis and, I guess you could say, Tim Hardaway Jr.
To me, the matchup is a toss-up. What the Nuggets do well is rebound and play at a great pace. And the Mavs play unselfish basketball, which begins with Luka Doncic. In my opinion, the Mavericks would come out on top simply because Luka Doncic can take a game over whenever he wants. But who feeds him in the post? The simulator would have the Mavericks winning 123 to 93.
Second Round
- Toronto Raptors VS 11. Dallas Mavericks
Toronto versus Dallas for the right to move on to the third round. In a vacuum, the Raptors are the more experienced team, but what the Mavericks have is Luka Doncic. Do the Raptors have that guy on their team? No. So the simple fact that the Mavs have Luka and the Raptors don’t. I’m going to give the edge to the Mavericks, and the simulator would have the Mavericks winning 94 to 90.
Region #4 Arena – Staples Center
- Los Angeles Lakers VS 15. Brooklyn Nets
This game is LeBron James versus the hobbled Brooklyn Nets. The Lakers would win 118 to 92. There is no discussion to be had here. It would be a different story if Kevin Durant and Kyrie were healthy, but they are still recovering.
- Utah Jazz VS 10. Houston Rockets
Last but not least, we have a classic Western Conference rivalry. The Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets hate one another. Heck, the state of Utah wants nothing to do with Russell Westbrook. The two have a history that goes back to the 2018 playoffs.
When it comes to the basketball side of things, the Houston Rockets changed their whole offensive approach. When general manager Daryl Morey decided to trade Clint Capela to the Atlanta Hawks, Houston receives Robert Covington, which meant that Houston would play without a center. The team, fully committed to playing small ball, went 8-6 after the trade. But would that style of play hold up in the postseason? More specifically, would it work against the Utah Jazz?
When the two teams met during Houston’s new style of play, they would split a pair of wins. In the grand scheme of things, Utah has a complete team. They have Donovan Mitchell, who is only getting better day in and day out. They have a vet in Mike Conley, who will slow down the tempo of the game if needed. Utah also has two great three-point shooters in Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Ingles. And last but not least, the Jazz has the reigning defensive player of the year, Rudy Gobert.
I know I’m talking up the Jazz but, come on, they are complete and have all the advantages over the Rockets. The Rockets have arguably the best offensive player in the NBA in James Harden and one of the most athletic guards ever to suit up in Russell Westbrook. But the Jazz is just better when it comes to playing as a team, which is why I would see the Jazz winning this matchup. The simulator has the Jazz winning 110 to 90.
Second Round
- Los Angeles Lakers VS 7. Utah Jazz
These are two evenly matched teams. But we all know there are two significant differences on the Lakers side of the court–LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The dynamic duo isn’t something many teams can handle.
When the Lakers and Jazz met up this season, which was twice, Los Angeles took both meetings. And the Lakers would most likely win this final matchup. The simulator has the Lakers edging out the Jazz, 121 to 107.
The Final 4
Location – Seattle, Arena – Angel Of Winds Arena
- Milwaukee Bucks VS 4. Los Angeles Clippers
This is a much-anticipated matchup! Can you imagine the intensity? I mean, it’s a one-game playoff to play in the new NBA Final, at least potentially. When the Bucks and Clippers played one another, the Bucks got the best of the Clippers in not one game, but two. Giannis Antetoukounpo led the Bucks past the Kawhi-less Clippers in the first meeting, and he led them to victory against both Kawhi and Paul George in game two.
With that being said, The Clippers have one of the best coaches in the game, and he knows a thing or two about high-intensity playoff games. Doc Rivers and Kawhi are both world champions, and I just can’t see Leonard losing in a one-game playoff scenario. As good as Giannis is, it won’t be enough against the Klaw. The simulator has the Clippers pulling out the win with a score of 99 to 97.
- Los Angeles Lakers VS 11. Dallas Mavericks
Having LeBron and Luka facing off for a chance to play for a title in the next round is must-watch TV. These two have had tremendous battles this past season, posting monster numbers. But in the end, the Lakers won two of three matchups. But we all know how this game ends–with LeBron’s side winning. The Lakers would end up winning 113 to 107
The New NBA Final
(The Battle For LA)
Location – Los Angeles, Arena – Staples Center, Los Angeles Lakers VS 4. Los Angeles Clippers
If the NBA wants to have the most-watched NBA Finals ever, they should make the transition to having this 1-through-16 tournament. We won’t get matchups like these with East versus West.
In this Final, the battle for LA started in the summer of 2019–the battle for Kawhi Leonard. He eventually chose the Clippers, and wouldn’t it be fitting for the Lakers to have the last laugh?
All three matchups this season were dandies between the Clippers and Lakers. On opening night, the Clippers got the best of the new-look Lakers, 112 to 102. Then, as the season moved along, the two teams met up again on Christmas Day. That game showed that the Lakers’ bench could not handle the stellar play of Lou Williams and Montrez Harell. The Lakers also had a hard time with the lineup that Doc Rivers rolled out, which consisted of Pat Bev, Landry Shamet, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Montrez Harrell. The Lakers had no answer for it.
So who wins this final matchup between the two Los Angeles teams? Well, I see Kawhi and the Clippers coming out on top. The Clippers have more depth. I see Lou Williams getting hot and giving the Lakers second unit fits. Yes, LeBron and Anthony will have monster games, but, in the end, the Lakers’ bench will be their downfall. The Clippers win their first NBA Championship–the NBA simulator has the Clippers winning 114 to 100.
Congrats, LAC!
