Top Tips For The NBA Playoffs In 2022
As a sport, the NBA is as competitive as it comes. Every team wants to gain the championship and it takes a massive amount of determination and most importantly, teamwork to achieve the ultimate reward. This requires the team, coaches, and owners to be in sync with how the other teams are playing so they know how to combat their tactics. It is not easy to know definitively which team will become the ultimate winners but listed below are some ideas on how to determine which team could achieve the championship.
- Compare the west and east conferences during the regular season
The NBA is basically divided into two conferences which are in turn divided into three divisions. So there are some aspects here that need to be followed. When you are following the playoffs, it is important to know that each conference and division is striving to be the best to get to the finals. Each team does their best during the regular season to get seeded, so competitiveness is almost an understatement when it comes to these games. If you can discern the difference between both conferences, then you can take in the bigger picture of the tournament as a whole. Even better, if you can see how each division is playing on both sides as the season progresses then you can make some educated guesses as to who might make it through to the playoffs and perhaps possibly win in the finals.
- Follow your team’s progress over the years
Teams change over the years, with different players being drafted in and coaches being fired or replaced. The Chicago Bulls were a powerhouse for most of the 1990s but the general manager Jerry Krause decided to “rebuild” the Bulls and trade players like Scotty Pippen and Luc Longley and not renew Dennis Rodman’s contract in 1998. Along with that, coach Phil Jackson left as did Michael Jordan. These decisions led to the downfall of the Chicago Bulls and they have not had a title since. So the lesson here is to keep track of the team you follow over the years and see if there is a pattern or if valuable players are traded to another team that might be worth following instead as betting on the NBA playoffs relies on knowledge of the game.
- Don’t underestimate
There have been teams in the playoffs that have been considered the underdog but have risen up against all odds. Even if these teams did ultimately win the championship, it shows that you can never know which team can rise to the occasion. An example of this is the Houston Rockets, who in the 1995 playoffs, were sixth-seeded in the Western Conference but eventually won against Orlando Magic, who were first seeded in the Eastern Conference. Even back in the 1960s, the Boston Celtics had a good run winning the NBA finals up until 1966 and again in 1968 when everyone thought they were running out of steam. They finished the 1969 season fourth seed but eventually won against the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3. So the lesson here is to not underestimate a team that might seem unlikely to win because you never know what surprises they have in store.
The NBA playoffs are a big deal and if you dedicate yourself to following the league then you should have some inkling as to who the most likely contenders for 2022 will be.