It’s hard to remember an NBA playoff landscape as wide-open as this one, which means making predictions is even more difficult than usual. The 64-win Phoenix Suns are the favorite to come out of the Western Conference, but there are several teams like the blue-blood Golden State Warriors and upstart Memphis Grizzlies ready to ruin their journey.
For the first time in years, the Eastern Conference has multiple teams that appear to be capable of winning a title, from the top-seeded Miami Heat to the second-half juggernaut Boston Celtics to the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks. And then there’s the Brooklyn Nets, once the favorite to win the title, with one of the most proficient offensive duos in the NBA in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
The Dallas Mavericks were a sneaky pick to make the NBA Finals, but now they might not even make it out of the first round thanks to a calf injury to Luka Doncic that will keep him out for at least Game 1 of their opening series against the Utah Jazz.
Despite the uncertainty, our CBS Sports NBA experts have predicted every series of the playoffs, including the eventual champion. Be sure to take your screenshots now so you can have the ammunition to either praise us or ridicule us in a couple of months.
