Who are you most confident against facing in the Playoffs?

[NKY fan]

So here is my ranking:

Tier 1:
These teams we won't play against in the PO for a reason:
DET, ORL, CLE, WAS, CHI

Tier 2:
PHI, NYK
I just don't trust the 76rs. They are too dependent on health and Simmons showing up in the PO. Also Doc has been a choke artist lately

Tier 3:
ATL, CHA, IND, TOR
I am more scared of these teams than Philly... especially playoff Rondo and Hayward + Scary Terry

Tier 4:
MIL - they have their own issues but ours are not fixed yet.

Tier 5:
MIA, BRK - ECF is our ceiling as usual

I think it would make sense to aim for the 4/5 th seed if PHI is definitely winning the #1 seed. I hope we face a team from Tier 3 there but not Tiers 4 or 5.

Is this our best shot at reaching the ECF?
1st rd - TOR
2nd rd - PHI

[GreenCoffeeBean]

The Knicks are sneaky and not a great matchup for us.

76ers are really good. The added outside shooting and team defense  is really good.

[Tr1boy]

The Knicks are sneaky and not a great matchup for us.

76ers are really good. The added outside shooting and team defense  is really good.

Im not scared of the Knicks

I think they fizzle in the 2nd half

[footey]

Anyone but the Nets. I don't think we have an answer for them.  Even with Smart's return. 

[slamtheking]

none of the other teams in the East scare me.  the team that scares me is this one.  We haven't developed any consistency in playing at our best so far this season.  We fluctuate from being able to beat anyone to being able to get scorched by the worst teams.

[PhoSita]

I don't want to face Philly again just because I think they'd probably finally beat us, and I'm sick of dealing with that team and their fan base.

I would welcome a rematch with the Bucks or the Heat, even though they're tough.  I feel like I got all I wanted from the BOS - TOR matchup last season and I'm not eager to see another 7 games of that.

Indiana usually plays the Celts close but I think a playoff series would actually be fairly one sided in the Celts' favor, so I'm good with that.


As much as I would love to upset Brooklyn, I pray to whatever deities run this universe that the Celts don't play them, because losing to the least likable, least charismatic collection of stars playing on a grayscale court in front of a handful of disinterested Brooklyn hipsters while the most obnoxious people on Twitter post memes about the Celts getting trashed by Mr. Flat Earth sounds profoundly depressing to me.

[Somebody]

I don't want to face Philly again just because I think they'd probably finally beat us, and I'm sick of dealing with that team and their fan base.

I would welcome a rematch with the Bucks or the Heat, even though they're tough.  I feel like I got all I wanted from the BOS - TOR matchup last season and I'm not eager to see another 7 games of that.

Indiana usually plays the Celts close but I think a playoff series would actually be fairly one sided in the Celts' favor, so I'm good with that.


As much as I would love to upset Brooklyn, I pray to whatever deities run this universe that the Celts don't play them, because losing to the least likable, least charismatic collection of stars playing on a grayscale court in front of a handful of disinterested Brooklyn hipsters while the most obnoxious people on Twitter post memes about the Celts getting trashed by Mr. Flat Earth sounds profoundly depressing to me.

Pretty much this except that I'd swap Philadelphia and Milwaukee and would be eager to face the Raptors again. I think Milwaukee is going to stifle us - they have the perfect team to slow down our stars while we really don't have an answer to Giannis (people are underrating how they are this season btw - they have the best adjusted point differential in the East) while I feel that Philadelphia is still going to have issues on offence in the playoffs due to Embiid's subpar passing and vision that we can take advantage of.

I don't know why we would be afraid of Toronto - they clearly got worse this season with the departures of Gasol and Ibaka, we beat them decisively last season without Hayward (point differential was massively in our favour, the series being pushed to 7 games was a high-end outcome for the Raptors) and we'll do it again if we meet them in the playoffs this year.

[liam]

The Lakers!!!!

[Moranis]

I don't think Boston has an answer for Giannis or Embiid so I'd be most worried about the Bucks and Sixers.  I don't think Boston can beat Brooklyn either, but Boston does match up better with them.

[PhoSita]

Pretty much this except that I'd swap Philadelphia and Milwaukee and would be eager to face the Raptors again. I think Milwaukee is going to stifle us - they have the perfect team to slow down our stars while we really don't have an answer to Giannis (people are underrating how they are this season btw - they have the best adjusted point differential in the East) while I feel that Philadelphia is still going to have issues on offence in the playoffs due to Embiid's subpar passing and vision that we can take advantage of.

I don't know why we would be afraid of Toronto - they clearly got worse this season with the departures of Gasol and Ibaka, we beat them decisively last season without Hayward (point differential was massively in our favour, the series being pushed to 7 games was a high-end outcome for the Raptors) and we'll do it again if we meet them in the playoffs this year.

I'm not afraid of Toronto, I just don't think another series against them would be very interesting or fun to watch.

Similarly I'm not suggesting I think the Celts would have an easy time against the Bucks (or the Heat), I just think it would be more likely to be an enjoyable series to watch.

[Moranis]

If the playoffs started today, Boston would host Toronto (they beat the Knicks in their only matchup and thus have the tiebreaker).  Then would likely play Philly before likely meeting Milwaukee or Brooklyn.  I don't really like that path, though I do think Boston would at least have a shot at the conference finals again. 

[jambr380]

I just want to finish in the 4/5 slot and not 6 or lower. Of course I will take 4 over 5 because of home court advantage, but I'd rather not face any of the top 3 as the away team.