The teams and matchups we most wanna see for the NBA’s Play-in Tournament

1) No. 7 Heat vs. No. 8 Raptors

The last two Eastern Conference representatives duking it out for a spot in the playoffs. Need I say more? There are a few teams in the league who make the NBA more enjoyable when they’re playing well. The Raptors are one of those teams. Everyone likes dinosaurs; everyone likes Canada, and everyone appreciates the Raptors for making sure Golden State didn’t win a third straight NBA Finals back in 2019.

Kyle Lowry has been trying to get out of the Kawhi-shaped shadow that has been looming over him ever since the 2019 Finals. What better way to do that than to take down the reigning Eastern Conference Champs?

Down the final stretch of the season, no one in the Eastern Conference has seen a larger rise in MVP buzz than Russell Westbrook. He could sit out the rest of the regular season and still average a triple-double. What he’s been able to do year-in, year-out is nothing short of incredible. However, despite those outstanding individual numbers, his teams have never lived up to expectations once the playoffs roll around. If Westbrook really wants to boost his MVP case, he needs to step up when it matters most.

The Hornets have a pretty exciting player of their own, though. After Lonzo Ball was hyped up to be the next great point guard to put on a Lakers uniform, only to fall flat on his face and end up in New Orleans, LaMelo put the Ball family back on the map with his outstanding rookie campaign. Despite missing several games due to injury, LaMelo flashed signs of brilliance on numerous occasions. Just look at ESPN’s Instagram feed from a few months ago. You see all those LaMelo highlights. That should tell you everything you need to know.

The Hornets have won both games against Washington this season, with a third game scheduled for the final day of the regular season. While that bodes well for Charlotte, the Hornets may be without star forward Gordon Hayward for the play-in tournament. Hayward averaged 25.5 points on 48.6 percent shooting as well as 8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the games against Washington. That is a lot of firepower to lose, and it could mean that even more will be required from LaMelo if they want to walk away with the win. It’ll be awesome to see if the rookie has what it takes.

1) No. 7 Trail Blazers vs. No. 8 Warriors

This is the dream matchup for both teams. Just two years ago, the Warriors eliminated the Trailblazers from the playoffs without Kevin Durant or Klay Thompson. Obviously, the Warriors are in a similar situation now, so they have no reason not to believe they should win this matchup. Meanwhile the Trailblazers, and especially Dame Lillard, get a chance to prove they can finally vanquish Steph and the Warriors.

Because how sick do you think Lillard is of that narrative? He’s constantly referred to as the best point guard in the game…except for Steph Curry. His Blazers could be an elite team, if only they could get past Golden State. Lillard, McCollum, and company are eager to flip the script. So, if they get the chance to take a shot at “The Chef,” they best not miss.

As for the Warriors, Steph Curry believes he is the MVP. But as of right now, he has about as good a chance of holding the hardware as I do. Be real: He’s gone on a historic run the last month and a half, but that doesn’t mean anything if you can’t beat the best teams in the league. Currently the Warriors are 11-23 against teams with a winning record. If Steph really wants to win his third MVP award, he needs to lead his team to a deep playoff run, and that starts with a big win in the Play-In Tournament.

Number one overall versus number two overall. All-Star versus Rookie of the Year. It’s a battle of different stories leading to the same point in life. While Zion Williamson has always been the “can’t miss product,” the golden child, and the obvious top pick, Ja Morant has had to fight to earn everything he’s ever gotten. That doesn’t take away from what Williamson has accomplished. It just goes to show that while Morant has more to prove in a play-in game against New Orleans, Zion has more to lose.

Despite the great numbers he’s put up in 2021, Zion hasn’t really lived up to the hype he had coming out of Duke. He was supposed to be the guy who made Pelicans fans forget about Anthony Davis. However, Zion missed more than half of his team’s games his rookie year, and if not for the expanded playoffs this season, would’ve missed the playoffs his sophomore season. He’s also shooting under 30 percent from deep this season. He needs to remind the sports world that New Orleans is more than just gumbo, Mardi Gras, Drew Brees, and Jameis Winston eating W’s during a post-game interview. An early playoff exit is the last thing Zion needs right now.

Memphis is one of those forgotten teams in the NBA. They had a great run of consistent playoff appearances in the early 2010’s, but since the deepest they ever went was the Conference Finals only to be swept by San Antonio, they’ve sort of faded into obscurity over the last three seasons. Ja Morant is trying to change that. The Grizz may still be a few years away from being a serious threat in the Western Conference, but the first step toward that goal is simply returning to the playoffs after a three-year hiatus. As the saying goes: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” No one is expecting much from Memphis, and frankly, everyone would rather see Zion in the playoffs than Morant. But Morant has proven his doubters wrong several times before, and I don’t see why he’d stop now.