The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had their best season in franchise history in 2020. With a roster filled with both talented young players and seasoned veterans, the Buccaneers have all the pieces in place to make another Super Bowl run this season.
Nah’Shon Hyland is a dynamic scorer who attended Virginia Commonwealth University. He had a productive two-year stint in college. At the combine, Hyland boosted his draft stock by impressing scouts in both the scrimmages and during the interview process.
Jared Butler had a preexisting medical condition that was a cause of concern for NBA teams, but he has been cleared by the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel. Butler is one of the most well-rounded guards in the class.
Sharife Cooper played in only 12 games for the Auburn Tigers during his freshman season but his potential jumped off the screen even in the limited sample of games. He arrived at Auburn as a five-star prospect and lived up to the hype.
The Philadelphia 76ers made big organizational changes after being swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2019-20 NBA season. Philadelphia also made several changes to its roster. Unfortunately, they stumbled in the playoffs again.
The Atlanta Hawks second-round series went seven games. After losing Game 6 at home, Trae Young took the Hawks into Philadelphia and led his team to victory. Young was 5-23 in the game but he recorded 11 assists and scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. Kevin Huerter also chipped in with 27 points and the Hawks shocked the world by eliminating the top-seeded 76ers. The 76ers may have been the top seed but the Bucks are the better team. With Antetokounmpo, Holiday, and Middleton, the Bucks have three legit 20 points per game scorers. It is going to take a collective team effort for the Hawks to eliminate the Bucks. Young will not beat them alone. John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams, and Huerter all have to take their game to another level this series.
The Orlando Magic made the playoffs in the 2019-20 season and were hoping to continue their upward trajectory this season. After a promising 6-2 start to the season, injuries put a halt to their progress.
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the 2020-2021 season with low expectations. The team went with a completely new look after making the playoffs in the previous season. Veterans Chris Paul, Steven Adams, Danilo Gallinari, and Dennis Schroder were all traded in the offseason.
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz had different paths in the first round. Los Angeles played in a grueling, seven-game series with the Dallas Mavericks. Utah disposed of the Memphis Grizzlies in only five games. The Clippers are trying to make their first Western Conference Finals appearance in franchise history.
The Denver Nuggets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in six games in the first round, and Nikola Jokic was dominant all series. Even without Jamal Murray, the Nuggets are still a contending team.
The Atlanta Hawks made things look easy in their first-round matchup against the New York Knicks. The Knicks were one of the NBA’s best teams defensively but they could not contain Trae Young, as he scored 30 or more points in three of the five games.
The Phoenix Suns are one of the NBA’s biggest surprises this season. Even with the Lakers back at full strength, the Suns will not back down. This will end up being one of the best first-round matchups.
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