Season 3, Episode 26- Conquest

In this week's special edition episode of "Diehlman at Halftime," Larry and Chris unveil their entire 2025-26 playoff bracket (including the play-in tournament). We predict series winners and the number of games each series will go.

All music written by Larry Diehlman

Release date: Monday, April 13, 2026

Transcript

Overview of the NBA this Week

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Hey guys, and welcome to episode number 97 of Dielman at Halftime, the NBA podcast that tops all others. I'm your host, Larry Dielman, joined by my co-host Christy Pietro. If you're joining us for the first time, it's great to have you. And if you've been a regular listener, welcome back. We have a lot to cover today and not a lot of time to do it. We'll look at a general overview of the NBA this week and then discuss some important topics across the association. Let's get to our content for the week. The big story in the NBA came out of Milwaukee this week. Doc Rivers stepped down as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, and he finishes his Milwaukee tenure at 97 wins and 103 losses. Doc took over midway through the 2023-24 season after Adrian Griffin was fired just 43 games into his tenure. The Bucks missed the playoffs this season at 32 and 50 and 11th in the East. And remember, they have Giannis Andacumbo on their team. Doc was recently selected for the Basketball Hall of Fame. And Chris, do you think Doc's successor can convince Giannis to stick around Milwaukee? Is it time for the rebuild? I mean, we've seen the rumors flying this year with Giannis doesn't want to be here anymore and he didn't want to be benched at the end of the season because the the Bucks season was pretty much over. And the whole Adrian Griffin thing, you know, almost three years later, it's just so weird, honestly. The 43 games, you got to give that time. And then Doc Rivers, this could be it, too.

SPEAKER_03 2:02

Yeah, it feels like there's gonna be what I think is a mutual split between Giannis and the Bucks. Giannis wants to win. Um, he, you know, he really likes Milwaukee. He wants to be there, as he's stated many times, but this team, this core, is not going anywhere anytime soon. And for the Bucs, uh their side of things, I think it would be favorable for them to trade Giannis at a point in his career where you could still probably get a ton of assets for him. Like I said, I don't I don't see this core going anywhere. They do have, you know, some promising young pieces. Um, Ryan Rollins, Ujman Jang, who they who they got from Oklahoma City. He is he's looked solid in spurts. Um AJ Green's one of the best shooters in the league, but this is nowhere close to being a competitive team. So I think the Bucks should try and move Giannis to you know accelerate this rebuild. And if I were Giannis, I think I'd want out of Milwaukee. Again, he maybe only has maybe three good years left. I think that's a pretty conservative estimate. And if and if he wants to um win a second championship, I do not think that's gonna happen in Milwaukee. And I don't think he does either. And I don't think the Bucks even do. So I think we're headed toward towards a mutual split here. But uh as it pertains to Doc Rivers, uh, I think it's funny that Shams used the words stepping down because I think we all know how the Doc Rivers tenure was going to end. And uh it's it's funny how he was framed as as him stepping down because uh we all knew that his time there was very was very slim. And um, yeah, I'm excited to see uh what team waste their time hiring Doc Rivers as a part of their coaching staff next.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

Yeah, it could also be it for Doc Rivers. He did say he wanted to spend more time with his grandkids and to see them grow up. So I think he's done.

SPEAKER_03 3:59

I think he's done coaching.

Eastern Conference Play-in Tournament Predictions

SPEAKER_01 4:00

He honestly, you know, Doc Rivers has had a great career, but at the end of the day, he also can be considered one of the most overrated coaches because of that 0-8 title run with the Celtics, and then he also is the career leader in blown 3-1 playoff leads in NBA history. And I just think that a lot of fan bases have dealt with Doc Rivers and had that experience, and the Philadelphia fans, like we are, have definitely seen that. So Doc Rivers is out in Milwaukee. We'll see who can succeed him in Cream City and see if Giannis will be sticking around and if he has a say in the next head coach. We have come to the end of the 2025-26 regular season. Ten teams are done out of 20 playoff squads, sixteen will make it past the play in tournament. Only one can survive the gauntlet. This is our playoff bracket episode. Chris and I will unveil our entire playoff brackets, including the plan tournament, and see how close we can get with our predictions. This episode is entitled Conquest. So, who's looking scary enough for a title run? And please note all predictions were made before the plan tournament on Tuesday, April 14th, 2026. Alright, so we're gonna start in the plan tournament for our NBA bracket predictions, and we're going to start in the Eastern Conference first. If you need a refresher on the plan tournament, it goes like this. The seventh and eighth seeds in each conference are up for grabs, and the teams that are vying for that spot are the seven through ten seeds. So I'll use the east as an example. The seven and eight teams will play each other at the seven seed. Whoever wins that game gets the seven seed, no questions asked. The nine and ten seeds will play each other at the nine seeds home. The winner of that game goes to the second round of the play, and the loser is done for the year. The seven eight loser and nine-tent winner then play each other at the higher seeds venue. The winner of that gets the eight seed, the loser is done. So it's basically a tournament for those last four teams to get to playoff spots. Starting with the Eastern Conference play-in at the 7-8 slot, we have the Philadelphia 76ers hosting the Orlando Magic. Philadelphia's roster fluctuation this season has landed them in the play-in tournament. Orlando has not taken a step forward despite adding Desmond Bain. In Joel Embiid's absence, Tyrese Maxie and Paul George should be enough to lift the Sixers to the playoffs. My verdict is that the Sixers get the seventh seed and the Magic gets sent to the winner go home stage. Then for the 9-10 game in the Eastern Conference, we have the Charlotte Hornets hosting the Miami Heat. Well, hello there, Charlotte. Nice to see you here. Con Knipple has breathed life into this Hornets franchise this season. Unfortunately, Miami has experience. Back to the drawing board, Charlotte. My verdict is that the Hornets get eliminated and the Heat move on to the win or go home stage. And then for our do or die playing game in the East, we have the Orlando Magic hosting the Miami Heat, a Florida bowl to end the Eastern Conference playing tournament. The Heat's roster has not risen to the challenge like they did with Jimmy Butler. Palo Bancaro will look to make a statement in a win or go home playing game in his home arena. The Pistons await their arrival in the first round. My verdict, the Magic get the eighth seed and the Heat go home.

SPEAKER_03 7:47

Interesting, interesting. My 7-8 matchup, I also have the Sixers beating the Magic. This Orlando team is just totally dejected. They've looked it all year. There have been borderline offensive lack of effort moments from them throughout the season, and especially in their franchise alternately bad loss to the G-League Celtics in the last game of the regular season. Um, that that was a pitiful performance by the Magic. There wasn't a ton on the line. It's not like they were fighting for the fifth or sixth seed to secure a playoff spot. But I mean, you know, you're coming into the playoffs, you want that home game in the play-in. And, you know, just looking by the look of each team's lineups, I mean, this should have been a layup for the Magic. And they they totally blew it in the final moments of the game. They they want this season to end. That's what it looks like watching the Orlando Magic. They it looks like they hate their coach, um, particularly Apollo Banquero. He he he does not get along well by the looks of it with head coach Jamal Mosley. Um, you know, the team speaks on on how they're consistently just underprepared, which, you know, all in all is is a is a look on the head coach. Um, but the Sixers are also very shaky without Joel Embiid. I I could definitely see them dropping this one, but I'm gonna trust the more motivated team at home, the Philadelphia 76ers, to move on here into the seventh seed. In the 9-10 game, I have the Hornets beating the Heat. I think this is kind of a similar story to Sixers Magic. There's one team that's glaringly more motivated than the other. A win for Charlotte is a validation of what we believe is an upward trajectory for them as a franchise. They're at home, they're young, they're hungry, they want it more than the Heat. But I will say I was really close to taking Miami in this one. They've low-key had Charlotte's number all season. They're three and one against them this season. Their only loss to Charlotte was without Bam out of Bayo, and they also beat them once without Bam out of Bayo. But again, I'm I'm taking the team that has more to play for at home, the Charlotte Hornets, and they will move on here into the final play-in game for the eighth seed against this dejected Orlando Magic team. And, you know, based on how I've described these teams, you probably know where this is going. I think Orlando's even more done with this season than the Miami Heat were. Uh, Charlotte's 3-1 against the Magic this season. Their only loss to them was their first matchup in October in like the first week of the season. And who doesn't want to see the Charlotte Hornets back in the playoffs? I'm taking the Charlotte Hornets to beat three Orlando Magic on the road and slide in here to the eighth seed with a matchup against the Detroit Pistons.

Western Conference Play-in Tournament Predictions

SPEAKER_01 10:30

Alright, so we have some good matchups here in the Eastern Conference playing. Let's switch over to the Western Conference play-in, where we have the Phoenix Suns hosting the Portland Trailblazers in the 7-8 matchup. The Blazers bounced back from Chauncey Billups being tied to organized crime to making the play-in tournament. Meanwhile, Phoenix has been cooking with Jordan Ott leading the charge. Dylan Brooks' career year will continue in a big win over a young Portland squad. My verdict, the Suns get the seventh seed and a date with the San Antonio Spurs and the Blazers get sent down to the do-or-die game. Then we have the Clippers hosting the Warriors in the 9-10 slot. These two teams literally just played each other on Sunday. Kawhi Leonard can still do Kawhi Leonard things. The faster Golden State season ends, the faster they can focus on rebuilding this offseason. The unkno lineup ain't doing anything. My verdict, the Warriors get eliminated and the Clippers head to the second round of the playing. And finally, we have the Portland Trailblazers hosting the LA Clippers. Is winning this game worth it for either side? Someone's getting spanked by Oklahoma City. Regardless, Denny Ovdia versus Kawhi Leonard should be a fun battle, and Kawhi will show once again how lethal he is. My verdict, the Clippers are getting the eighth seed to face the Thunder, and the Portland Trailblazers are going home.

SPEAKER_03 11:59

You know, Larry, in last week's episode where we discussed our award picks for the season, wasn't a whole lot of variance between our picks, and I was really hoping we'd see some come our playoff prediction episode. And that's what we're seeing because I'm taking the Trailblazers to beat the Phoenix Suns in the 8-7 play-in game in the Western Conference. Portland's rolling right now. The Suns are not. This is a bad matchup for the Suns. I can see Denny Avdia and Donovan Klingon kind of feasting in the paint here. The Suns have been pretty bad down there lately. They've been kind of pigeonholed into starting the rookie center, Kaman Malulak, who is, you know, not quite ready to go yet. It was a bit of a project coming out of Duke. They're kind of small and undermanned there. And, you know, that's a good matchup for this big physical trailblazers team. They've also been dealing with a lot of injuries. They're going to be missing Dylan Brooks in this one as well. You know, meanwhile, Portland's kind of hitting their health stride here. Scoot Henderson and Drew Holiday have been back for some time now and playing well, especially Drew Holiday. They are so much better with Drew Holiday on the court. Tumani Kamara's gonna box Devin Booker, and Portland will take the seventh seed in my bracket. In the 9-10 game, this one's a no-brainer to me. The Clippers are the better basketball team than the Golden State Warriors. The Clippers have, you know, genuinely been a great team since their horrendous start. Um I'm I'm sure uh some of you may know after their 6-21 start, uh, head coach Ty Lu made a bold prediction saying they'd finish the season 35-20 and make the play-in tournament. And I remember thinking when he said that, there might not be a less possible thing to happen in the NBA this year. But then Bayamatta Bayo dropped 83 points, and Ty Lu's Clippers accomplished his goal with three games to spare. This is one of the best Kawhi Leonards we've ever seen, honestly. He's having an amazing season. And, you know, the Warriors are kind of just rotting. It's sad to see. They're wasting some really good uh late career curry years where he's clearly still a great player. But yeah, they they have to blow it up. Again, you know, the they're the Clippers nor the Warriors have much to fight for here, but I just think the Clippers are a much better team at this point, and I think they should breeze by the Warriors in this one. And for the eight seed in the West, uh the LA Clippers versus the Phoenix Suns. I really like this Clippers team, man. And and I honestly really do like this Suns team too, but the Clippers are healthier and they've been playing better lately. I trust Kawhi in a big game more than I trust a labored Devin Booker kind of playing off and on through injuries. So give me the LA Clippers to sneak into the playoffs as the eighth seed um for a date against the Oklahoma City Thunder. All in all, um what? Okay, we both had Philadelphia as the seventh seed in the East, but then you had Orlando, and you had you had Miami beating Charlotte.

SPEAKER_02 14:55

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 14:55

And then you had Orlando beating Miami for your eighth seed. I have Charlotte in my eighth seed. And then in the West, the Suns are your seventh seed. And who'd you have winning between Clippers and Portland?

SPEAKER_02 15:07

Clippers over Warriors. Clippers, right? Clippers over Warriors.

SPEAKER_03 15:10

Yeah, but yeah, but who'd you have winning?

SPEAKER_02 15:12

Oh, Clippers, Clippers.

SPEAKER_03 15:14

Okay. All right, so we have we have the we have the same eighth seed in the west, the same seventh seed in the east, but some differences in those other playoff spots. So, you know, I'm I'm glad we're all we're off to a good start here. We're seeing some variants finally. Um, so this is good. Let's so let's let's take it over to the the Eastern Conference quarterfinals here. Let's hear your one seed Pistons versus eight-seed magic prediction. Hmm, I wonder where this is going.

Eastern Conference First Round Predictions

SPEAKER_01 15:48

All right, now for the first round of the NBA playoffs. As usual, we'll start in the Eastern Conference. We have the Detroit Pistons hosting the Orlando Magic in my bracket. The Pistons hit a road bump recently with Cade Cunningham's collapsed lung. He's back, so Detroit is now at full strength. Orlando's depth won't be enough as the Pistons cruise to the conference semifinals. This series really should not be that close. The Pistons have been on a tear, and as Chris was pointing out in the last section, the Magic just seemed like they want to be finished with this season, and Jamal Mosley probably wants to head to Cancun. So I have the Pistons in five. Then we have the Celtics hosting the 76ers. Death, Taxes, and Sixer Celtics in a playoff series. A tale as old as time. Jason Tatum's return has provided the Jalen Brown led Celtics more firepower. Joel Embiid's appendicitis essentially ended Philadelphia's season, but Boston was going to win this series anyway because of course they did. Even with James Harden on this team a couple years ago, it still fumbled in the worst possible time. So the Celtics, in my opinion, my verdict, Celtics and five. Then we have the New York Knicks hosting the Atlanta Hawks in the 3-6 slot. Knicks fans still say F Trey Young, despite the fact that he hit a playoff game winner on them back like four years ago. Jalen Brunson's crew against the New Look Hawks will be a great entertainment on the national stage. Jalen Johnson will use this loss as growth for next year. My verdict, Knicks in six. The Hawks have been doing great. Jalen Johnson is him, and CJ McCollum has been doing great as a facilitator, probably in the short term. Obviously, with his age, CJ McCollum is not going to be a long-term starter or a piece, but I think the Knicks they're more top-heavy with that lineup, and the Hawks will probably steal a game or two, but they will not be stealing the series. And finally, in the Eastern Conference first round, we have the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the Toronto Raptors. What a surprise the Raptors have been this season. Cleveland flipping Darius Garland for James Harden was beneficial in the short term. The Cavs' top five offense will be tested against the Raptors' top ten defense. The Donovan Mitchell and Harding combo will be too much for Toronto. My verdict, Cavaliers in six.

SPEAKER_03 18:23

Alright, we're starting to teeter closer back to our linear ways here. I'm getting nervous. We have some similar picks once again here. Um in my 1-8 matchup, Pistons Hornets, I'm taking the Pistons in five. Been buzzing all episode. I love my Hornets. I love this team. This team's awesome. I'm I'm so glad to see them stepping up as a franchise. I'm so happy to see Lomelo Ball getting the respect uh he's deserved for a long time. And Buzz City, baby. Yeah, becoming a part of a, you know, a city that cares and a city that deserves a rising team. And that's what the Hornets have been. And they're they're definitely on an upwards trajectory here. It's been awesome to see what they've done this season. But I think the Pistons are so legit. They've shown up in every big game this season. They're 3-0 versus Charlotte. I think the true mismatch in the series is in the paint. Um, as much as I like Musa Diabate and Ryan Clockbrenner, they cannot hold Jalen Duran and Isaiah Stewart. Charlotte could absolutely make these games frisky, no doubt. I mean, this is probably one of the best eight seeds we've seen in a while. Um, if the Hornets, you know, obviously do end up with the eight seed. They are a great team. They've been really good post-all-star break, but I think they draw a pretty bad matchup here. And I have the Pistons in five as we segue uh to Celtic Sixers in the 2-7 slot. I have Boston and five as well. The story of this series is the availability of Joel Embiid. Um, I think we could see Joel maybe rush himself back in time for game three or four in Philly, but I don't think it'll be enough at that point. Boston's rolling right now, they're finding their groove with Tatum back in the lineup. And I really just hate this Sixers team without Joel Embiid. It feels like they have no identity, that there's no consistency offensively or defensively, to be honest. And as much as I hate to say it, Maxi just still does not work for me as a first option. And especially against his Boston team. I I think Boston should handle them. Uh, I I th I think Philly could, you know, put up a few inspiring performances, but but I think they'll be in losses for the most part. Uh, so I've Boston uh getting through Philly pretty easily here. As we go to the 3-6 spot with the Knicks versus the Hawks, this is like a 50-50 series, in my opinion. Um, I'm super excited for this one. I think every game in this series is going to be really competitive, regardless of how they shake out and who comes out with the win. We expected the Knicks to be here, you know, 50 plus wins, top three seed, but they've had lapses where they've looked like a mediocre basketball team, whereas Atlanta has looked like an entirely new team post Trey Young. They're 15 and 5 in their last 20. CJ McCollum and Nikhil Alexander Walker, like you mentioned. You know, those two have provided the guard play the Hawks have needed for a long time. Even from when they had Trey Young, they needed this sort of guard play. They're getting it right now, those two guys are playing really great. Um, but I'm going to lean the team that's been here before. Um, I'm taking I'm taking the Knicks and six. Uh, Brunson's a lead in the postseason. And I think just because of how the Knicks are structured, you know, not only are they a pretty shallow team, but they're a combination of skills at the top that that are very reliant on certain actions and game planning decisions compared to other top teams. And, you know, it seems like they've been a team over the last couple of years that have saved stuff that works for the playoffs. It feels like they've played their best in the playoffs when it matters. Matters. You know, they only have their fast ball, and you know, they they they use it sparingly during the regular season, but but come postseason. Um, you know, they're going balls to the wall, doing what they do best. They've been great in the playoffs lately, just you know, obviously not too much to show for it. Um, but I think because of all that, we're gonna see the best version of this next team. And I have them narrowly escaping this reborn Hawks team. But this series is gonna be awesome. I think these are gonna, you know, produce a a ton of competitive games here. As we move on to the final series in the eastern quarterfinals, Cavaliers versus the Raptors. This is another kind of 50-50 series, in my opinion. Um, but I'm taking Cleveland and seven. I just trust Cleveland's offense more. The Raptors lack consistency with the ball in their hands, and we kind of see untrustworthy offenses get bottled up in the playoffs pretty regularly. Um, that's not exactly an attribute you want going into the playoffs, you know, with teams pulling out all the stops defensively. Whereas, you know, obviously I don't worry about that with Cleveland. The Raptors are 3-0 versus the Cavs this year, but no game was with Cleveland at full strength, which they're coming into the playoffs with. But Cleveland, you know, despite their big Ford, you know, has their lapses where they look pretty pedestrian. But again, I trust the guys with the ball in their hands more than I do Toronto's. Uh, Toronto's gonna bring it. I think they're gonna be the more physical team. I think they're absolutely gonna put up a fight in this series, but but I'm gonna have Cleveland just scrape by in this one. And despite a longer series length than Knicks Hawks, I think these games will be maybe a little less competitive. Um, I think we're gonna see a ton of close games in Knicks Hawks, but this series is giving me vibes of like back and forth 14-point wins either way, maybe maybe a handful of close games here. But again, I just trust the guys that have their ball. Oh whoa. I trust the guys, I trust the guys with the ball in their hands more on the Cleveland Cavaliers than I do on the Toronto Raptors. Sorry, Jamal Sheed, great player and everything. But but I just slightly prefer the experience of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell in this one. Uh so I'm going calves in seven.

SPEAKER_01 24:20

You sure you're not copying us, or you're you're copying me, or I'm copying you, or something. The only thing that was different was the series number for that one.

Western Conference First Round Predictions

SPEAKER_03 24:29

Listen, listen to all of our viewers out there. You know, me, me and Larry actually, fun fact, we don't communicate whatsoever up into the leading of these podcasts. Um, you know, no text sent out, you know. We just get this like vibe of when to join the Zoom meeting. Like it's it's it's it's purely uh telepathic when we decide to do this thing. We have no no communication between us, but it just so happens that we know ball. So, you know, naturally we're gonna see some of these predictions align. But hey, you know, I'm I'm a fan just as much as you guys, and I want to see some variants. So let's get into the West quarterfinals and see if we can get some some different looks here.

SPEAKER_01 25:08

Alright, let's head over to the Western Conference first round. Up first on the docket, we have the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the LA Clippers in my matchup, and I believe your matchup as well. Plain and simple, the reigning champs are not losing in the first round. Do not cage yourself. There's a chance the Clippers steal one in the comfort of Intuit Dome, but Shea Gilgis Alexander will show LA how mistaken they were trading him for Paul George, probably the biggest heist in NBA history. Sam Preston. It didn't occur to me.

SPEAKER_03 25:40

This is a uh revenge series.

SPEAKER_01 25:42

Sam Presty with the biggest robbery since Luka Doncic going to the Lakers. My verdict, Thunder and five. This should be a quick one. The Clippers started off pretty crappy. They made their way back, and Kawhi Leonard should do wonders for them for a couple games, but I think the Thunder should handle them pretty well. And plus, it's the first round. You're not losing in the first round. Then we go to the 2-7 matchup. I have the San Antonio Spurs hosting the Phoenix Suns, and Chris had the Blazers in this one. So Victor Weminyama is playing in his first career playoff games, and his team was built for deep playoff runs we've seen with Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper and De'Aaron Fox and all them. Devin Booker and Dylan Brooks have postseason experience with Booker nearly winning a championship in 2021. This shouldn't be an ass whooping, but Wembenyama's presence gets the job done. My verdict, Spurs in six. Interesting. Then we have the 3-6 slot. We have the Denver Nuggets hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now this is a treat. This 2024 playoff rematch went to seven games in a high-flying thriller. Denver enters the 2026 playoffs with 12 straight wins. And this was including on Sunday when the game didn't matter and Jokic was not playing late into the fourth quarter. As Charles Barkley would say, Chris, Nicole Jokic and Anthony Edwards must see TV. Betting against Jokic is hella risky. My verdict, Nuggets go the distance in seven. And finally, we have the LA Lakers hosting the Houston Rockets in the 4-5 matchup. Losing Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves right before the playoffs is such a huge blow to the Lakers' chances. Probably the worst thing you could think of. LA has had issues even when both were on the court. We've seen the defensive issues, and JJ Redick has aired out his frustrations with his team. Kevin Durant and Al Peron Shangoon will send 41-year-old LeBron James and the Lakers JV team packing. And this is probably the only one that I say this. Rockets bring the broomsticks in four.

SPEAKER_03 27:58

Finally, it's about time we've seen a sweep. I mean, is that the first sweep of the episode so far? Yeah, you didn't have any. And I had uh I had Charlotte winning one, I had Philly winning a game, I had Hawks winning two, and Raptors winning three. Um so yeah, first sweep of the episode. And uh I'll follow it back up here with the second sweep of the episode. Man, those poor clippers. This is sad. You know, it's it's it's sad to see Kawhi go out like this. Uh pains me to say it, but but the Thunder are gonna smoke them. You know, just like Curry, it it just hurts to see Kawhi still playing so great.

SPEAKER_01 28:33

Um but I I told you, whoever was winning that eight playing game, what's the point?

SPEAKER_03 28:39

Well, you know, I at least we'll get to watch some playoff kawaii, so some some onk playoff kawaii for I don't know, maybe the last time. Who knows? Who knows? So, um, so so that's what they had to play for, Larry. The the the the fan, the viewer in us, you know. We're we're gonna get to see playoff kawaii going at it against the defending champs, but unfortunately all for not, I think. Uh we're watching a dynasty unfold in OKC. They're arguably better than last year. They've got the experience unlike last year, and they didn't even need it last year. The Clippers have no shot in this one. Thunder sweep for nothing. So two sweeps in a row here. How about three? The San Antonio Spurs are gonna sweep the Portland Trailblazers. Yeah, I can see that. Um, yeah, I I think I think the Spurs are are a top two team in the NBA, and when you consider their three and one versus the arguably best team in the NBA, um, you know, that that's even scarier to think about. Uh, they've been borderline unbeatable for about two months now. You know, I I I like Donovan Klingon's matchup against Wemby more than I like a lot of centers, but you know, that little pro is not is not gonna be nearly enough for Portland to have any semblance of a chance in this series. Uh Spurs will move on here easily. Sweep three sweeps in a row here. This one sure won't be. This is my favorite round one series. This is one of my favorite matchups in the NBA. Whenever Nuggets Wolves is on, I'm seated. This is absolutely gonna be a competitive series, but I'm taking Denver and six in this one just because they're playing so well lately. Uh they they kind of hit a rut around February, March where they looked human, but they've rebounded stronger from that than I thought anyone would have expected. They're coming into the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak. They're also three and one versus the Wolves this year. You know, like I said, Minnesota's gonna make these games competitive, no doubt. Anthony Edwards is one of the last dudes in the league you want to see in a close game, which I think many of these will be. And I I still I don't think this is the the Denver Nuggets of years past. Um they've had their lapses and Minnesota's a good playoff team, but I'm just gonna trust what I've seen recently here from Denver. I I could see this going to seven easily. I could see the Timberwolves pulling this one out. Um, but but I'm I'm gonna lean with Nicola Jokic, um, who I believe is one of, if not the greatest centers of all time. And and just um, you know, the recent play of the Nuggets has kind of inspired me to take them in this series and trust them heading into these playoffs. As we head into the final series of my Western quarterfinal bracket, Lakers Rockets, like you said and predicted, I could absolutely see this being a sweep. Um the Lakers playoffs were over, the second Luca was ruled out for the year. And then Austin Reeves was ruled out for the year. They're they're cooked. There's there's no other way to put it. And you know, this Houston team, I really don't think they're that good. Like, I'd probably take Minnesota in a series against these Rockets, but they kind of win the playoff lottery here and get matched up with LeBron and his daycare round one. They should make light work of this extremely care. Um that's that's what it is. I mean, it's it's it's either a bunch of young dudes, his literal son, or a bunch of undisciplined, lazy players. So so it really is his daycare. And and and you know, despite my lack of enthusiasm for this Houston Rockets team, that they should make light work of this extremely compromised Lakers team. And and and honestly, I think they should sweep in this one, but I'll take one legendary unk moment from LeBron late in a game to squeeze one out. But ultimately, I'm going Rockets and five as we bounce back to the east for the semifinals.

Eastern Conference Semifinals Predictions

SPEAKER_01 32:28

Let's switch over to the conference semifinals, and we will start in the Eastern Conference down to our final eight teams. So I have the Detroit Pistons hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1-4 matchup. Now, unlike the NFL, where the NFL reseeds in every round, so that the top seed always gets the lowest seed remaining. The NBA always stays the same. So the 1-8 winner gets the 4-5, and the 2-7 winner gets 3-6, and they keep going. We have the Pistons and the Cavs here. Cleveland hasn't made a conference finals in the Donovan Mitchell era, which started back in 2022. The roster construction has been questionable. Chris and I have talked about it in episodes past where, you know, they had the two small guards in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, who is now gone. And Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen is questionable in the front court. They're good as separate players, but together it's kind of an awkward fit. Detroit is firing on all cylinders or Pistons. The Pistons have been elite this season, and they'll continue so here. My verdict, Pistons and five. Then we have the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks. Remember, this was supposed to be a pushover year for Boston during Jason Tatum's recovery. Oops. The Knicks starting five is stacked, but the Celtics thrive in playoff situations. And the home crowds at TD Garden and Madison Square Gardaman, absolute cinema. We should see some great basketball being played between the Celtics and the Knicks, a classic rivalry, but my verdict, I am going with Beantown, Celtics and six.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

Alright, so for my 1-4 matchup here, Pistons Cavaliers. Cleveland's been solid against Detroit this year. They're 2-2, keeping those losses very close. I don't think this is an ideal matchup for Detroit. Um, Cleveland has the size and talent down low to put up a fight against Jalen Dern and Isaiah Stewart. And Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are enough to kind of overwhelm any defense on any given night. But I'll say it again, I think these Pistons are legit. And I have them taken this series in six. Um, Cleveland has plenty of talent, but these Pistons are a stallboard of a team. They rise to the occasion, and Cleveland just has not been able to sustain any sort of success in the playoffs with this core. And I don't think James Harden really changes the math enough to see any substantial change from that. I think Cleveland does keep this, you know, a bit competitive, but but I have no doubt this Detroit team is going to break them for a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. And in my last uh semifinal matchup, the Boston Celtics versus the New York Knicks. Man, this is an impossible series to pick. And I I had the New York Knicks up until about an hour ago, but I'm taking Boston and seven in this one. I just trust Joe Missoula more than I trust Mike Brown. I trust Boston's depth on roster more than I trust New York's. Despite having a seemingly worse group of guys on paper, this is a really cohesive Celtics team where I feel like the fit has been more debated this year in New York than it has in Boston. I feel like there's been more friction in New York this year. And again, I Joe Mizzo is the guy I want to lean on in the playoffs over Mike Brown. No questions about it. And the Knicks are a great playoff team. They also were after the occasion, and they're hard to beat when they're on. But I just I just can't shake this feeling. I think Boston's gonna get their get back from the from the East semis last season, and I think they're gonna take this one in seven.

Western Conference Semifinals Predictions

SPEAKER_01 36:12

Seven games. This yeah, it definitely will be a great series. It should be. And hopefully the Celtics can bounce back from Jason Tatum. That's also where he ruptured his Achilles, so we'll see how that plays a part in that too. Let's go over to the Western Conference semi-finals. We start off in my bracket with the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Houston Rockets. The Thunder march on to meet the Rockets in the semifinals. Shea Gilgis Alexander has made a case for back-to-back MVPs. Oklahoma City should come away with this one, but don't expect it to be a runaway. We talked about with Kevin Durant and Alperon Shangun, how you know good of a combo that is. They're actually missing Fred Van Vliet, who's been out this entire year. And, you know, what what effect would he have on the point guard position? The Thunder just have so much depth. I'm going with the Thunder and six. And then to wrap up the Western Conference semifinals, we have the San Antonio Spurs hosting the Denver Nuggets. This could legitimately be the best series in the postseason. Victor Wembenyama versus Nicola Jokic. Hot damn. While Jokic is one of the toughest weapons to stop offensively in the game, Wembanyama's defense is filthy. And don't forget Jamal Murray and Stefan Castle at the point guard battle. This one is going the distance, and I am siding with the Serbian Nuggets in seven. Nuggets in seven.

SPEAKER_03 37:45

Wow, I love that. That's sick. I I can't I can't wait for that series. I have that series in my bracket. Um, but I'll start my predictions off here in the in the West semis with Thunder Rockets. You you said what about this series? Not ex not expect it to be a runaway. This is gonna be a runaway. Uh pull out the broomsticks. Thunder are sweeping the rockets.

SPEAKER_02 38:08

Broomsticks, holy cow.

SPEAKER_03 38:09

Broomsticks, broomsticks. This is gonna be a runaway. This Rockets team is just not good in the grand scheme of things, and in the grand scheme of the title picture. And I think Oklahoma City sweeps them. They're starting five. Houston's is one of the worst defensive lineups in the NBA, and they're just a clunky team offensively. They've turned into the Kevin Durant show, which is not really a bad thing inherently, but it's become this way because of their other co-stars in competency late in games. It's a shaky team, but you know who's not shaky? The Oklahoma City Thunder. We know who the Thunder are. The Thunder know who the Thunder are. I think we're gonna see a wide gap in the amount of answers these teams have for each other. Obviously, OKC, I think, will have more answers and better answers. And they're gonna go to the Western Conference final in my bracket, undefeated here. Back-to-back sweeps of the LA Clippers and the Houston Rockets. And in my Spurs Nugget series, I think this is the best series of the playoffs so far up to this point. Uh, these teams have been hyper competitive all regular season long. We've seen several elite games out of this matchup already. And it's Wemby versus Jokic. If this doesn't get you ready to run through a brick wall, you don't like basketball, you know, one of the best player matchups in the league, on top of it being one of the best team matchups in the league to watch. But I'm taking San Antonio at seven here. Um I lead San Antonio because I I think there's been less points in the season where they've kind of lost their footing. And that's happened with Denver. I think San Antonio is the deeper team. I think they have the better home court advantage. And honestly, I kind of see in this game seven like an all-time passing of the torch moment between Wemby and Jokic, but I have the Spurs squeezing this one out and making their way into the West Finals. Um, I I just I I love the Spurs team. Um, they're similar to last year's Oklahoma City in the way where they're kind of running the league right now as a really young team. And despite the inexperience, they feel more trustworthy than a lot of these teams with more experienced guys going into the playoffs. I trust the Spurs team. I trust the Thunder last year. I just feel really good about you know the San Antonio team, and they've been playing amazing lately. Again, like I said earlier, borderline unbeatable over the last you know, one, two months here. So I have them, you know, squeezing past the Nuggets here in seven. Uh Jokic is gonna is gonna pass the all-time center torch to Victor Reminyama in this one, and we're gonna get Thunder Spurs in the West Finals.

Eastern Conference Finals Predictions

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Wow. Yeah, that'll definitely be probably the best playoff matchup. And we had it last year, too, where the Thunder and the Nuggets, you know, were in the semi. I don't know why we're getting all these good matchups in the second round. Like these should be finals or uh conference finals matchups, but we'll see what happens. Let's go over to the conference finals. We'll start in the Eastern Conference. We're down to our last four teams in our brackets. And I have the Detroit Pistons hosting the Boston Celtics. Cade Cunningham's first playoff series last year ended in the first round. Getting to the conference finals would be a huge leap forward, but unfortunately, that means running into the Boston Celtics juggernaut. The Celtics bench union has been excellent, especially in Jason Tatum's recovery time, but Detroit's strong shooting will propel them to the biggest stage the NBA has to offer. I'm going Pistons and six.

SPEAKER_03 41:54

In my East Finals, also Pistons Celtics. You said Pistons and six, right? It's Pistons and Six over here as well.

SPEAKER_01 42:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 42:03

Here's the proof of my Pistons faith. I have them going to the NBA finals. But this Eastern Conference Final, this is new territory for them against a team who's been here time and time again. But the Pistons are plenty good enough here to make a finals run, and I believe they will. They've shown up all season, every big game. They've brought it. They showed up last year against New York in the first round. They put up a dogfight, and they've improved tremendously since then. Um, I think they're the hungrier team in this series. And I believe Jalen Dern and Isaiah Stewart are gonna overwhelm whoever Boston throws at them down low. I'm sorry, Nemius Keda is not holding Jalen Duren over a best of seven series. That is not happening.

SPEAKER_01 42:44

There will be no Nemeuscada slander here.

Western Conference Finals Predictions

SPEAKER_03 42:47

Listen, dude, shout out Nemeuscada, dude. That's my that's my homeboy, but but dude, this is Jalen Duren. You know, welcome to the big leagues Nemius Cada. We're dealing with Jalen Duren now. Eastern Conference Finals. He is not holding Jalen Dern. And when Jalen Dern's out of the game, Isaiah Stewart's gonna be in there, being just as competitive. And and God, I know Joe Mizzula does not want to see both of them on the court at the same time, which they are pretty frequently. And you know, Boston's had their moments this year where they've looked a bit funky um offensively. They're not immune to these lapses, especially against a team and a defense as good as this one in Detroit, who they're just also one and three against this regular season. I am all in on this Detroit team, and they're gonna go back to the finals for the first time in 20 years in my bracket.

SPEAKER_01 43:37

And finally, we have the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets in my bracket. And Chris, I know has the Spurs. So I'll do OKC and Denver. This is a rematch of last year's conference semifinals where the Thunder snuck by the Nuggets in seven. Outside of the MVP candidates on display. Each team's depth will be critical in this matchup. It honestly should come down to home court advantage, and this series favors Oklahoma City. Offensive firepower will not be lacking here. Shea Gilders Alexander, Nicola Jokic. What a battle this will be. Thunder will go to the finals to try and defend their title in six.

NBA Finals Prediction

SPEAKER_03 44:23

I would love to be different than you, Larry. This hurts, man. It hurts talking ball with two ball knowers because you miss that that variance. You you miss that, you know, you know, that that that room for um debate. But you know, at the top of the mountain, we know how these playoffs are are playing out here. We we know how this is gonna go. And the Oklahoma City Thunder are gonna go back to the finals in my bracket as well, beating the San Antonio Spurs in seven games. If this were to happen, this would be the biggest, most anticipated playoff series in I don't even know how long, maybe ever. This has been the best rivalry in I don't even know how long. At least a few years, and you know, we're still in the infancy of this little rivalry here. Um, but these are the best two teams in the NBA, in my opinion, with arguably the two best players in the NBA, who are also two of the most competitive players in the NBA. You know, we have the defending champs, a blooming dynasty versus a surging, young, hungry contender, uh, with probably the freakiest dude we've seen in NBA history. I'm gonna call off work for the whole week if we if we get this in the Western Conference final. And this is another one of those series that's just impossible to pick. But I'm going with my gut here. The San Antonio Spurs had a great run this year, but the Thunder are gonna go back to the finals. Now the Spurs are 3-1 against the Thunder this season and have beaten them pretty handily in all of those wins. But dude, this is just this is just a vibes prediction. This is a narrative prediction. Shea needs his badass moment. He needs to take down the Goliath. And I feel like this is gonna be it for him. Uh, you know, the Spurs are young, they're hungry, they're dogs, they're they're an amazing basketball team, but they still just haven't been here before with the team of Oklahoma City's caliber in this spot. And I really don't even feel like that's a sound reason to pick against them. Um, because I really do trust them a lot for such a young team. But this is such a razor-tight series that I feel like the experience has to be talked about. The Spurs are also going to be gassed coming off of a seven-game Denver series in my bracket, uh, where OKC should get a nice week's worth of rest to catch up on sleep after sweeping Houston in my bracket. The Spurs will be back here again. Wemby will be back here again, no doubt. I think we're seeing maybe a second dynasty unfold in the West here with the San Antonio Spurs. But I'm getting a strong feeling this year that the Thunder are gonna hold their ground this year in seven games and go back to the finals. Alrighty, we've made it to the end of our respective brackets, the NBA finals. We both have the Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Detroit Pistons, the two respective one seeds in each conference. Man, this would be such a fun series if it ended up happening. You know, as I've said time and time again throughout the podcast, Detroit has been built for these big games, these big spots, these big matchups all season. They've shown up all season, and obviously Oklahoma City is maybe one of the greatest teams we've ever seen from a roster constructive standpoint. Um, and not only that, you know, the proof is in the pudding. They're the defending champs. They have the best player in the world, in my opinion. They have maybe the deepest roster in the NBA. So, man, this would be such a fun matchup, and it's going to be the finals matchup in both of our predictive brackets. So, Larry, let's hear who you have winning this year's NBA championship.

SPEAKER_01 48:12

So we have the two number one seeds here, and because the Thunder have the best record in the league, they would be the host, despite the fact that we have two number one seeds. We have these two great teams to face each other for the Larry O'Brien trophy. Detroit has gone from laughing stock to underdog to elite. Oklahoma City is a dynasty in the making. The Pacers pushed them to seven games last June, but not this time. We were robbed of an all-time game seven with Tyrese Hallibur and went down despite a three for four star from beyond the arc. It is the Pistons' turn to take the Eastern Conference Finals slot in the finals. Shea Gilgit's Alexander will hoist another finals MVP via a gentleman's sweep. Thunder and five, baby. Here we go.

SPEAKER_03 49:05

Damn, a gentleman's sweep. See, this is where we differ. I think that's a bit disrespectful to this Pistons team, man. I am so in on this Pistons team. Maybe a little too far in on this Pistons team. I love this Pistons team so much. They're competitive as hell. They're strong as hell. They have such a unique identity that we don't see so often in the NBA these days. And, you know, I like them matched up against anyone in the NBA. I don't care who they are. I like, I like their odds. And as much as I hate to say it, I have the Thunder and Six in this one. You know, I I think the series is going to be competitive as hell. Detroit can bang with anybody. Even the defending champs.

SPEAKER_02 49:45

They can what with anybody?

SPEAKER_03 49:46

They can keep games close and in a competitive manner with anybody.

SPEAKER_02 49:52

Sure. Sure.

SPEAKER_03 49:53

You know, we're trying to keep this safe at work. Um, even the defending champs with the MVP teetering on a dynasty. I don't care. The Pistons are going to hang with them, but I just don't think they have enough. You know, as much as I love this Pistons team, and I think they're such a unique team in the way that they function and the way that they're structured. At the end of the day, this is a basketball team with Danis Jenkins as its second leading creator. I cannot in good faith pick this team to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in a seven-game series. It's just not gonna happen that way. The Thunder are just too much, and that that's all that needs to be said. They're too deep. They're so much more talented, and you know, I think if they can squeeze past San Antonio here, which I have them doing, they are going to be back-to-back champs. I have the Thunder in six winning the NBA championship.

SPEAKER_01 50:49

I just realized this is a matchup of two of our guests this season: Clemente Almond. Clemente Thunder and Eric and Eric Vincent of the Pistons. Sorry, Eric, we're giving Clemente the edge on this one.

SPEAKER_03 51:01

Uh I think Eric will be happy to know that we picked Detroit to make the finals.

Conclusion

SPEAKER_01 51:05

I know the talking cads at ESPN are probably flipping their lids at this one, not seeing the Lakers or the you know, the Celtics or the Knicks. And I was really, you know, okay. When I was making my prep this afternoon, I really was thinking gimme Boston over Detroit in the conference finals, but I'm like Thunder Thunder Celtics was my finals prediction last year, and I'm like, let me be different for once. So I think the last couple years, when I've made these brackets, I've been taking like the the teams that are gonna repeat, but you know, I think the Thunder just have a really good shot at doing that over the Detroit Pistons. Let the craziness begin. Well, that's all the time we have for today. If you haven't already, make sure to follow the podcast accounts Chris and me on social media. The three podcast accounts on Instagram, TikTok, and X or Twitter are under at Dialman at Half. My personal ex and Instagram are at LarryDialman. Chris's personal ex and Instagram are at Chris Dippy. All seven handles are in the description on BuzzSprout, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember, although you can find Dialman at Halftime on major podcasting platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and YouTube, the main podcast website is on Buzzsprout. The website URL is dealman at halftime.buzzsprout.com. Feel free to send a comment by using the send us a text button located in each episode's bio. With the exception of Apple Podcasts, the text option is available on Buzz Sprout and all of the major platforms. Your comment could end up in the fan mail section of the Buzz Sprout website. And don't forget to spread the word about Dealman at halftime. With today's episode being number 97, remember we are three weeks away from episode number 100 of the podcast. We'll have something special planned. So make sure you mark that on your calendars. It's going to be the first week in May. That'll be when that episode drops. We can't wait for that to come, and we hope that you guys are just as excited. See you next time, fellow hoops fans.