5th and 6th Seeds
Toronto Raptors: Vaccine Mandates
The Raptors were unable to lock down home-court advantage, which is good news for everyone else. Their biggest X-Factor isn’t actually a player, but the vaccine mandates that Canada has in place.
Any unvaccinated player on an opposing team is ineligible to play in games in Toronto. For their first-round opponent, the Philadelphia 76ers, Matisse Thybulle will not be eligible to play. That is a huge loss as Thybulle is their best defensive player on the perimeter.
Utah Jazz: Rudy Gobert
This postseason is an important one for the future of the Jazz. If they suffer another early exit, they could look to blow things up this offseason. Just as it has been in years past, their X-Factor is Rudy Gobert.
How much of an impact can he have while the other team is using a traditional big man? He has to dominate those minutes because there may not be a team in the NBA less equipped to go small than Utah. It has been their Achilles heel for years. Can Gobert figure things out if he is playing against smaller opposing lineups?
Chicago Bulls: Coby White
The Bulls were one of the best teams throughout the regular season, but injuries eventually caught up to them. They sunk in the standings and are now the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, matched up with the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks.
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Someone is going to have to step up beyond Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic to make this a competitive series. Coby White is their X-Factor as his scoring will be critical to their success. Eligible for a rookie extension this offseason, White will be looking to cash in with a big performance in the postseason.
Denver Nuggets: Bones Hyland
The Nuggets go as Nikola Jokic goes. The potential back-to-back MVP has been excellent once again, as Denver is one of the best teams in the league when he is on the court. However, when he is off the court, they are among the worst.
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Normally, Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr. would land in this spot as the X-Factor, but both are injured and unlikely to play. Someone will have to step up when Jokic is on the bench and it could be rookie Bones Hyland. Hyland saw his playing time and role increase throughout the season and he thrived. The ball very well could be in his hands whenever Jokic isn’t on the floor.
