The road to the 2016 NBA title runs through Oakland, California. That was no mystery, what with the Golden State Warriors following up their first championship in 40 years with the winningest season in league history.
Now that the rest of the playoff field is set, we know who else will be braving that treacherous road through the East Bay en route to the Larry O'Brien Trophy. The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder will have to face familiar foes in the first round. The Los Angeles Clippers must get by a plucky Portland Trail Blazers squad if they're to go toe-to-toe with their archrivals.
In the East, LeBron James' path to a sixth straight Finals will be filled with opponents from his past: the Detroit Pistons, against whom he authored his first great postseason legend; the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks, each of whom his Cleveland Cavaliers swept last spring; and potentially, the Miami Heat, who tie-broke their way to the conference's No. 3 seed.
Before the action tips off Saturday, let's have a look at how each of the 16 postseason participants figures to fare, based on its own condition and that of its opponents. We'll also look at ...
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Article written by Josh Martin
NBA Playoffs 2016: 1st-Round Predictions and Title Odds for All 16 Teams
April 15th, 2016 by Josh Martin Leave a reply »
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