Finally, the Conference Finals matchups are set! Out in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics will have to deal with the Indiana Pacers in their search for an 18th banner. In the wild Western Conference, it will be the Dallas Mavericks on the hunt against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
There aren't too many predictions yet, but it looks like Charles Barkley already has a pick in the penultimate round of the NBA Playoffs. Is it the Luka Doncic-led squad or the rapid riser with Anthony Edwards as the centerpiece?
A fearless forecast for the NBA Playoffs
Charles Barkley was very quick to predict the Timberwolves would sweep the Denver Nuggets. Then, Nikola Jokic along with the video editing antics of Mike Malone shifted the tides of their NBA Playoffs matchup.
The defending champions won three-straight games before they got blown out in Game 6. Everything hung in the balance, and it wasn't a good time for Anthony Edwards to have a bad Game 7 outing.
Nonetheless, Charles Barkley's faith in Chris Finch's squad never faltered. This is why he is picking the Timberwolves to make it out of the Western Conference by June, via NBA on TNT.
“I think this is going to be a fabulous series. I like the Wolves,” Charles Barkley said.
In a moment of hilarity, the renowned analyst and former Most Valuable Player of the Year then went on to howl to the moon like a dog. Barkley also shared a fun moment with Edwards after Game 7:
There could be a lot of factors that contributed to Chuck's desire to have the Timberwolves win over the Mavericks. One of them may have to do with the completeness of the squad.
While Anthony Edwards was locked up by Christian Braun, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Jaden McDaniels all took over. This squad rarely relies on early heliocentrism, which could be their edge over Luka Doncic and Co. There were a lot of things to figure out such that both squads could make it this far.
Mavericks and Timberwolves' paths to the WCF
For the Timberwolves, it was learning to properly balance the frontcourt of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. It took them more than a year to do so, and they are now reaping the benefits. This greatly helped them in breezing past the Phoenix Suns despite having to deal with an insane offensive trio that had Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were the next ones who gave them problems in the NBA Playoffs. The Timberwolves had won two games, and the momentum was on their side, until it wasn't.
Mike Malone outclassed Chris Finch in the next three matchups. But a statement Game 6 win helped Edwards and Co. regain their momentum. Now they are four wins away from making it to the Finals of this year's NBA Playoffs.
The Mavericks, on the other hand, had to rush their team chemistry. Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington were just recently added into the rotations, but they have contributed well. At first, the wings from the Los Angeles Clippers system gave them a headache. But Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving then started to pop off, which gave them a big series win.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his youthful Oklahoma City Thunder squad were up next. It was a hard-fought series, but the all-around skillset along with the gravity of Doncic allowed the Mavericks to eventually get the edge.
Who do you have winning it all in the West?
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