Round two of the 2019 NBA playoffs tips off with seven teams confirmed and one more joining tonight. TI offers up schedules, odds, and keys for advancing.
Sadly the OKC Thunder have begun their offseason in earnest while seven of the eight teams have cemented their place in the 2019 NBA Playoffs second round. The last team to join those teams will be decided tonight as the San Antonio Spurs play the Denver Nuggets in a high stakes Game 7.
Oh, what could have been. Perhaps many of us were blinded by the glaring issues of the OKC Thunder (shooting, depth, lack of bench contributions, etc). Still, this was why I was so keen to play the Blazers. I always anticipated the Spurs-Nuggets to go seven and again I’ll own my over-optimistic projections for the OKC Thunder dispensing of the Jusuf Nurkic-less Blazers squad. I’ll leave with that choice, while I continue to wipe away my tears the rest of this postseason. 😭
Hindsight is 20-20 but I still believe a healthy Paul George, more ball movement, and better in game adjustments (read: double Damian Lillard or force the ball out of his hand, please) would’ve made a difference. If those things had occurred this could have netted a different result. Alternatively, it’s probably for the best because now those issues can’t be swept under the rug. Sam Presti has no choice but to address them this offseason regardless of the OKC Thunder salary cap situation.
But I digress —- moving on the Semi Finals begin tonight and three of the four series will have their first game in the books by the end of the weekend. (Updated to add Blazers-Nuggets series).
After calling for the OKC Thunder to upset the Blazers I’ll understand if you aren’t as confident in my picks. That said, I did say the Spurs-Nuggets would go seven and called every other series accurately. So my overall projections only took a hit with the Thunder (let’s call it a matter of the heart interfering with my mind). Nah – I own my mistake. I truly felt the OKC Thunder could take advantage of CJ McCollum being out for so many games and a missing Nurkic.
For those of you who are still invested in the postseason here’s the lineup for those series including the schedules, odds and main matchups, keys to advancing and my pick for which squads will move on to the Conference Finals.