2026 Play In Predictions.

Miami Heat @ Charlotte Hornets:

I've been high on the Charlotte Hornets the past few months.

However, today, I'll pick the Miami Heat. They have the best player in the series, Bam Adebayo.

Kon Knueppel could also make the case for best player.

This might be the best of the 4 games.

Miami wins.

Portland Trail Blazers @ Phoenix Suns:

Portland. Phoenix is too reliant on Booker.

Orlando Magic @ Philadelphia 76ers:

Orlando, more cohesive.

Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Clippers:

I was almost going to pick Golden State. The loser will lose because of a large rebounding differential.

Los Angeles wins.

I agree with your predictions - if you ever get to alternapick.com there are so many cards/predictions to choose from!

For similar reasons I agree with your picks here. My most uncomfortable pick: POR over PHX.

It may be recency bias, but seeing POR twice late in season (and getting spanked twice) leads me to believe that they will continue their strong play against the Suns. But I also think that PHX has some bite. It all depends on who locks in better. Let's see

[POR] will continue their strong play against the Suns. But I also think that PHX has some bite. It all depends on who locks in better. Let's see

I am not one to quote myself... but

I watched some non-Clipper basketball last night after the Dodgers won... POR looks good. I wanted PHX to win - I wanted to avenge our two losses to POR - but PHX is also a nice PACIFIC DIV rival.

Let's see if we can get through GSW first.

Portland did continue their strong play.

My prediction of Charlotte-Miami probably being the best play-in game is probably going to be true. At worst, it will be among the best games of this year's play-in.

I am not one to quote myself... but

I watched some non-Clipper basketball last night after the Dodgers won... POR looks good. I wanted PHX to win - I wanted to avenge our two losses to POR - but PHX is also a nice PACIFIC DIV rival.

Let's see if we can get through GSW first.

Inglewood to Portland is the longest distance wise I-5 rivalry.

I wonder if there's a few people that drove, during the 2016 playoffs series. Probably a few more flew, for those that wanted to attend games in both locations.

I am not one to quote myself... but

There is nothing wrong with quoting yourself. I think most are on here to have fun.

Portland is deeper than Phoenix to me. More guys that can hurt you in a variety of ways.

You're looking at (rather, talking to) a guy that flew to POR during those playoffs - gotta love PDX. Drive is too long.

You're looking at (rather, talking to) a guy that flew to POR during those playoffs - gotta love PDX. Drive is too long.

Nice. Was it a fun experience?

Nice. Was it a fun experience?

Portland is cool. We lost.

Have been back to PDX with no games, and it is much more enjoyable.

Playoff anxiety doesn't allow me to relax and take in the city.

Charlotte Hornets @ Orlando Magic:

Tough, but I'll take Charlotte. They will play better now that they've gotten one higher intensity game under their belt.

Golden State Warriors @ Phoenix Suns:

Golden State. Golden State is deeper.

I understand. Thanks for sharing.

I'd love to see Charlotte do it but Diabate being a game time decision could swing this towards Orlando. I'm gonna have to go with the home team

The Warriors are the better and more battle tested team but they're banged up and really had to expend a lot of energy against the Clips. But the experience will carry them

Warriors and Orlando advance

Before the play-in started, I thought that if Golden State won the 1st game, they could lose the 2nd by 31. Not that the Clippers also couldn't lose the 2nd by 31.

But, I've changed my mind over the past two days and am picking Golden State today.

I hate talking about injuries. Also hope Diabate plays.

Draymond Green was one of the guys that worried me against the Clippers, and it showed up in a big way at the end.

Horford was the other X-factor, but not one I thought about.

What your predictions for the initial set of four games? Or reactions to them.

What your predictions for the initial set of four games? Or reactions to them.

I had Charlotte winning. I'm surprised it was that close and without Bam for a good amount of time

I thought the Clips would win. Really bummed they blew that game

I thought Phoenix would win but in a close battle. Turns out Portland won the close one

I did have Philly winning simply because of home court

Love the games themselves. Despite the Clips losing, the game was well played and hard fought

Portland and Phoenix was great as well. Deni is the real deal. My initial thought is how did the Wiz give up Rui and Deni for Kendrick Nunn and Bub Carrington?

Happy about Charlotte but disappointed that Kon couldn't shine on the big stage. Hope he does it tonight

Absolutely. If Horford doesn't play, the Clips win going away but with all the injuries that the Dubs already have, that really would've been unfortunate from a competitive standpoint. I'd rather have the Clips prove themselves against a healthy squad as opposed to beating a banged up team

I think he will.

On a fantasy basketball note, when I initially had my draft in our league, I thought I had too many Charlotte Hornets, with Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel.

Then they were good almost all year.

In the final week, they were inconsistent. In a 4 game week, Knueppel had an 8 point and 11 point game.

On the final Sunday of the fantasy playoffs, Miller and Knueppel combined for 18 points, far below what they normally do.

There I go, 20 years in that league, 0 wins. At least I wasn't blown out in the finals.

Or, almost as bad, in 2017 when it said I won at the end of the final games, then the next morning I got stat corrected into a loss. I got a steal taken away and I think the other manager also got a steal added.

Yeah, that's right, you told me about the stat change once. I was actually the beneficiary of that in my football league this year. I was way ahead of the other guy going into the Monday night game but he had Lamar Jackson, who ran for a touchdown in I believe overtime. The other guy was like a half a point winner due to that touchdown but when I checked again in the morning, I noticed that I won. I'm guessing yahoo gave him too many rushing yards and when they corrected it, the other guy's total fell behind mine

Only a 5 point game. Great opportunity for Golden State.

I would rather Oklahoma City have a top 4 pick than Golden State.

Remember during game 1 of the 2015 - 2016 regular season, where Mike Smith said "I don't want to see how this team handles adversity. I want to see how they handle prosperity."

During this play-in game, the Clippers had a double digit lead 7 times.

Handling prosperity, and not putting games away, is still a problem.

But that would just make a great team even greater. In the interest of competitive balance, I'd rather it go to GS

Wrong Thread.

But that would just make a great team even greater. In the interest of competitive balance, I'd rather it go to GS

I've been thinking for a while that OKC can't keep all of their players, so they'd salary dump someone.

Wrong Thread.

I've been thinking for a while that OKC can't keep all of their players, so they'd salary dump someone.

I've been studying their cap situation. Interestingly enough, they have team options on both Hartenstein at $30 million and Dort at $18 million coming up this summer. If they want to avoid the 2nd apron, they're gonna have to not pickup the option on Hartenstein

If they want to avoid the tax altogether, they'll have to not pickup Dort's option and then dump one other smaller deal

I was thinking something bigger like they don't keep one of the big 3. Possibly Jalen Williams.

He wouldn't be the first person to be part of a big 3 who wins a title, then soon afterwards finds himself on a new team.

I can't think of an example right now, but I think it does happen sometimes. Maybe Jrue Holiday, but I'm sure there's been an example of a younger player.

Who was the 3rd best player on the Denver title team? I don't want to automatically give it to Michael Porter Jr.

Actually PER says Aaron Gordon was the 2nd best player, and Aaron Gordon is still on the team. So maybe that doesn't count.

Maybe we have to go back to the Rockets. Otis Thorpe didn't even get a full season with Houston after winning a title. But Houston didn't do it for salary reasons, like what I think OKC might do.

I also do think that if OKC is concerned about Holmgren's longterm durability, they can probably replace him with a good C and good PF.

I have to believe that they'll keep the big 3 intact. Chet and JDub are signed long term

You did mention Toronto's lousy guard situation. The one thing that could set them off course would be if SGA says that he's done as much as he can in OKC and that he wants to fulfill his life long goal of playing for his home province Raptors

But the one thing that makes this team great is their depth. By committing long term to the big 3, they'll have to cut bait on a lot of their depth and possibly the aforementioned Hartenstein and Dort

The Boys And Girls Club Of Canada make an announcement.

They have a surprise donation from a mysterious NBA star.

The star then reveals himself, and it's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

"I'm taking my talents to Jurassic Park".

That would be awesome! A reverse Lebron if you will. While Lebron left his home region to go to a rival team, SGA would be coming home

Thoughts on this quote from the past, or how it still applies to the Clippers?

Thoughts on this quote from the past, or how it still applies to the Clippers?

Mike Smith was right. The problem with that season was that CP3 and Blake got hurt in game 4. I often wonder what would've happened had they not gotten hurt. OKC had lots of issues that season but still looked dominant against the Warriors until blowing that 3-1 playoff lead. Would the Clips held on and beaten the Dubs?

But as far as the quote is concerned, he was probably referring to the previous season when they blew the 3-1 lead to Houston and then looking to the future, blew the 3-1 bubble lead to Denver. He had a good feel for what was wrong with this team and a lot of had to do with not being able to close out series'

Yes, game 1 of the regular season was following the blown 3 - 1 Houston series.

Agree about looking into the future. Some of that is on Rivers Sr. Some of that is on the players.

Some of that is on Ballmer for being overly loyal to Rivers Sr., and arguably the current group of players like Kawhi and others.

If the Clippers had gotten past Portland in 2016 (I'm not giving it to them), then Draymond Green still would have posed a problem in a series against Golden State. The type of player that secures possessions, rebounds, etc. which the Clippers frequently lack. Perhaps he would have done the same things he did a week ago in 2026, back then in a potential 2016 series. But back in 2016, he was also a DPOY candidate, so even tougher.

I had forgotten Josh Smith was on the 2015 - 2016 Clippers team. He went from hitting 3-pointers against the Clippers in 2015, to joining them next season.