3. Upset In The Eastern Conference
Last year, we saw the Memphis Grizzlies advance into the postseason bracket, picking up two victories in the NBA Play-In Tournament to earn the 8th seed in the Western Conference. This season will feature another upset, this time in the Eastern Conference.
The Charlotte Hornets have a few similarities to the Grizzlies team from last season. While they aren’t nearly as good defensively, they have an electric point guard in LaMelo Ball leading the way that is more than capable of taking over a game.
In this style of win or go home, one monster performance can change the tide for a team. Ball will present two. In the first matchup, he will outduel the Atlanta Hawks and Trae Young, leading the Hornets to a victory on the road. They will then match up with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who will lose the 7 vs. 8 matchup to the Nets, and once again, Charlotte will pull off the victory.
Cleveland’s defense has cratered without Jarrett Allen manning the middle. Before his injury, the team was dominant defensively with a rating of 107.5 per 100 possessions.
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Since then, that number has skyrocketed to 118.7 per 100 possessions. Facing high-powered offenses no matter how the games shake out, the Cavaliers won’t be able to keep up without stellar defensive performances.
The Hornets will earn the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, matching up with the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
