Good things come to those who wait, and we’ve all waited plenty for what’s shaping up to be an exciting playoffs. With quarterfinals and semifinals series to be played this week, we’ve compiled a preview of every first-round matchup, complete with key players, analysis, one big question and keys to victory for each and every team.
To top it off, the DIMER staff has provided their own predictions for how the bracket will shake out, which league players will inevitably screenshot and @ us with. No hard feelings, we swear.
With that being said, let’s jump into the previews, sorted by seeding.
1. Blazer5 Gaming (14-2) vs. 8. Warriors Gaming Squad (7-9)
Key Players
Blazer5 Gaming
Mama Im Dat Man (PG): 23.1 PPG, 11.6 APG, 56.2% FG, 52.1% 3PFG
OneWildWalnut (C): 15.9 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 72.1% FG
Warriors Gaming Squad
Type (C): 12.3 PPG, 11.1 PPG, 2.6 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 61.9% FG
Gradient (SG): 8.4 PPG, 2.8 SPG, 55.7% FG
Most 1-seed vs. 8-seed matchups in basketball are clearly one-sided. The top team in the league against what’s supposed to be a team that barely squeaked into the playoffs.
But the NBA 2K League isn’t like other basketball leagues.
Welcome to what could be one of the most hotly contested 1-8 series you’ll see. Blazer5 Gaming is the best regular season team ever, and have the frontrunner for MVP this season, Mama Im Dat Man.
But Warriors Gaming Squad isn’t your average 8-seed. At the time it won the Ticket to secure its spot in these playoffs, it was a 7-4 team that looked like it wasn’t far from taking the throne of best squad in the league. A five-game losing streak to end the season, which could have happened for a number of reasons depending on your line of thinking, quickly cooled that discussion but heated up the rumor mill.
The result is a three-game series that even has us scratching our heads a bit. Blazer5 Gaming has shown it is far and away the best team this season, but a quick examination of its tournament performances gives reason to doubt their ability to perform in the playoffs. Warriors Gaming is a 7-9 team, but boy does it have talent top to bottom and a proven track record this season of getting results in crunch time.
Examining it at a closer level, it’s hard to still not be optimistic about Blazer5. For all their tournament woes dating back to last season’s Ticket tournament, Mama has still been stellar in all of those performances. With him is reigning MVP and DPOY Walnut, forming one of the deadliest pick and roll duos in the game.
At a team level, the Blazer5 defense is quite simply one of the best. DPOY candidate LavishPhenom has been a revelation at the lockdown position, and rookie power forward Daveed has proven to be a formidable pick and roll defender in his own right.
But defense is also one of the strengths of Warriors Gaming Squad, they have a couple of DPOY candidates of their own in Gradient and Type, the latter of whom should certainly at least be on your All-NBA 2K League Defense ballot. While the Warriors don’t have a player on Mama’s level, they do play a brand of team ball that has been good enough to win them two tournaments this season. There are few weaknesses in this team one through five. The same could be said for Blazer5 too, of course.
What you get with all of this is a series that could quite easily go all three games, or at the very least feature two intensely close contests should there be a sweep. Don’t count out the Warriors just because they’re the 8-seed and don’t underestimate just how dominant Blazer5 is.
One Big Question: Can Warriors Gaming flip the switch?
Momentum can be powerful in the NBA 2K League (ask post-patch Knicks Gaming and Heat Check Gaming from season one), and perhaps a complete lack of it can be just as lethal. A five-game losing streak is the last thing you want to carry into the playoffs, but carry it the Warriors must. It’s a difficult thing to give up point totals of 92 and 86, as the Warriors have during their losing streak, and depend on a playoff adrenaline rush to carry you over Blazer5. But again, that is what the Warriors must do. If the switch remains off, it’ll be a quick series. If they can muster the strength to flip it on, they could be on their way to the semifinals.
Keys to Victory
Blazer5 Gaming: Mama, Mama, Mama
The man who has the best chance to lift the MVP trophy has been the engine to the finely tuned Blazer5 machine this season. His numbers (first in points per game and second in assists per game in the league) aren’t from a couple of big time performances with a couple of slumps: last year’s second-round pick has been the most consistent player in the league with his scoring and playmaking. As noted before, you can’t blame him for any previous tournament struggles. If he keeps that consistency, Blazer5’s chances immediately shoot up.
Warriors Gaming Squad: Team defense
The aforementioned Type and Gradient are the linchpins to this team. Even before this season’s successes, Type was considered among the elite rim protectors in the league, and Gradient’s status as the second overall pick has been well-deserved with his play. The two will have their hands full this series against Mama and Walnut, and even containing those two would go a long way toward pulling off this upset. Don’t forget power forward Jin either, who has been solid as a rock in his role this year.
2. Mavs Gaming (12-4) vs. 7. Celtics Crossover Gaming (10-6)
Key Players
Mavs GG
Dimez (PG): 16.7 PPG, 8.7 APG, 59.1% FG, 50.9% 3PFG
PeteBeBallin (C): 14.3 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 2.4 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 73.8% FG
Celtics Crossover
ProFusion (SF): 16.6 PPG, 2.1 SPG, 59.3% FG, 53.5% 3PFG
Bulley (PF): 9.6 PPG, 1.6 SPG
A tale of two teams.
One—in Mavs Gaming—of a team that underachieved in season one, but didn’t give up. The Mavs completely blew up the foundation heading into season two, bringing in a new head coach in LT Fairley while also being the only team to head into the draft with just one retained player on its roster, 2018 first overall pick Dimez.
The Mavs had a ton of questions that needed to be answered and with the regular season finally completed, it is now safe to say a majority of them were.
Dallas started off the season 10-0, setting a record for the best start to a regular season in the league’s young history. Not long after setting this record, the team also locked up its first playoff berth in franchise history. There isn’t a better way to signal change than by showing results, and that’s exactly what Mavs GG did.
The Mavs head into the playoffs as the 2nd seed. And while there are still some naysayers, as Mavs Gaming didn’t necessarily have the toughest schedule this year, there is no question the Mavs deserve to be in the conversation this year. The going won’t get any easier, however, and it starts with a best-of-three series against arguably the hottest team in the league right now.
This brings me to the other team—Celtics Crossover Gaming. The Celtics were no stranger to shortcomings themselves last season. And while they still kept their core foundation from 2018, there was no question that changes needed to be made if the Celtics had any intention of capitalizing on opportunities this year.
Celtics Crossover started out the season with a bang, making it to the finals of the Tipoff tournament. Yet what was to come after that, nobody could’ve predicted: a 1-5 start to the regular season and a quick trip to the basement of the league. It looked as if the Celtics were headed for a potential “Ticket or bust” scenario.
That’s when it happened. Celtics Crossover rattled off a nine-game winning streak and, in doing so, solidified a playoff berth. We’ve become accustomed to seeing quite a few teams endure winning streaks throughout the first two years of the league’s existence, but not many were as impressive as this. In the span of the streak, Celtics Crossover won games by an average point differential of 18 points per game, 6 points more than Blazer5’s point differential on their historic 14-game win streak.
Needless to say, regardless of the minor similarities, these two teams got to this specific spot in two totally different ways. That doesn’t take away from how bad these two teams want to beat each other, specifically the superstars—Dimez and oFab.
Dimez and oFab are most known for being the top-two overall selections in the 2018 season. But the history between the two predates even the NBA 2K League. The debate for “best player” was always Dimez vs oFab for years. Some might remember Dimez hoisting up that big $250,000 check for winning the Road To The All-Star Game finals during NBA 2K17. Rightfully so, that solidified Dimez as the best to many. But oFab was always right there and many people considered him better due to his ability to not only create offensively but also check other point guards 1-on-1.
Some might even remember the MPBA series prior to the inaugural NBA 2K League draft when oFab’s team Slight Work beat Dimez’s team Breakout in a best-of-seven series. Slight Work then went on to win the MPBA championship. That was the last time these two players played each other in the playoffs before. Yet, this is the first time we get to witness it on the big stage.
There isn’t another series with this type of history. There isn’t another series ready to provide this type of energy. This series needs to be marked on everyone’s calendar. It has been marked on a few of these players’ long before it was known we’d be here.
One Big Question: Dimez or oFab?
The question is simple. We took a quick look into the history of these two players. There is no other way to look at it. Both of these players want to be, and believe they are, better than the other. This is the opportunity to prove that.
Dimez has the resume. He has won a big tournament before. But I think if the Mavs are going to pull out this series, he is going to need to show that side once again. The supporting cast has been extremely impressive this year but this Mavs team has disappointed in all tournaments thus far. Consider that due in large part to Dimez not stepping up and being the MVP we’ve seen him capable of being.
On the other side, oFab has proven a few times this year his ability to step up when the team needs him. He was a huge reason the Celtics were able to get to the Tipoff finals and rattle off a huge win-streak in the regular season. But he’s also come up short in tournaments.
Both of these players have a case to prove against each other, but also a case to prove against the big picture. The first and second overall pick are going to need to have dominant tournaments to will their respective teams to the trophy.
Keys to Victory
Mavs GG: Dimez
As I pointed out in the piece before, it’s time for Dimez to step up and become the MVP they need him to be. If Dimez can put an MVP-esque performance throughout these playoffs, and this series specifically, the Mavs have as good a chance as anybody else.
But I think we’ve seen what this team is while just depending on the supporting cast to will them to victory every game. The team needs a player to take over for certain moments in big games like this and Dimez needs to be that.
Celtics: Sticking to its identity
You don’t win nine games in a row for no reason. The issues at the beginning of the year seemed to be self-imposed. Celtics Crossover even went to the extent of playing sharpshooter ProFusion at center for one game. None of that is necessary.
The one change that was needed was swapping Bulley and Mel East. Both have thrived in their current roles and can be considered huge reasons for helping the turnaround this season. But outside of that, NoAutographs is quietly among the elites at the center position, and oFab and ProFusion have been arguably the most elite point guard-sharpshooter duo since the start of the year.
Don’t overthink things anymore!
3. 76ers GC (11-5) vs. 6. Pacers Gaming (10-6)
Key Players
76ers GC
Radiant (PG): 20 PPG, 11.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 53.5% FG, 50.5% 3PFG
Steez (C): 11.3 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 69.6% FG
Pacers Gaming
Wolf (SF): 9.9 PPG, 1.9 SPG, 64% FG, 51.5% 3PFG
Ramo (PF): 14.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.4 APG, 2.1 SPG
There is, in a sense, nothing new about 76ers GC. Their tournament credentials are almost unparalleled. They’re 21-9 all time in the NBA 2K League regular season, which doesn’t mean much but is indicative of how consistent and effective they are, time and time again. They have only ever lost once in the first round of a tournament. They’ve won a playoff game before, which only four (four!) teams can say. The other three aren’t back in the playoffs this year.
Pacers Gaming, by contrast, is here for the first time after a disappointing 2018 season. Ramo is now in the fold, and all of a sudden is now back to the slashing stretch-4 at power forward after an up-and-down stint on a post scorer. WoLF, pegged by so many as the leading Defensive Player of the Year candidate, hasn’t looked as dominant as expected and is now on the slashing defender. Swizurk, perhaps the league’s best pure shooter (ZDS will have something to say about that), is for the first time playing on the pure sharpshooter. The Pacers, just 5-9 last year, suffered a shocking loss to Hawks Talon GC, playing without Shotz, in week 11 before winning two much-needed games over Celtics Crossover—already clinched—and NetsGC—hardly at maximum energy—to lock up a playoff berth.
In ten games against playoff teams, including tournament games, Pacers Gaming is just 3-7, including an effectively meaningless win over Warriors Gaming Squad in the two teams’ very first game of the season. Their win over the Celtics and another MVP-nominated point guard in Fab, albeit one very different from 76ers GC’s Radiant, was their first victory in three tries. 76ers GC, on the other hand, has five wins over playoff teams in tournaments alone.
The two teams are 1-1 in head-to-head matchups, both of which came with Ramo (he scored a then-league-high 43 in the Pacers’ win) on the post scorer and the Pacers without Matty. But assuming the Pacers roll with their most recent lineup, with Wolf at the slashing defender, there’s a blueprint already written for them. Warriors Gaming Squad, in the Turn final and again in week six, held 76ers GC to 39 and 50 points, respectively, and limited ZDS to seven total points across both games.
First and foremost, Ramo—or whichever big guards the pick-and-roll, and the Pacer did not trade the No. 4 overall pick to have Beezus guard pick-and-roll—has to stay high. The Pacers don’t have a big man as impactful as Type on defense. They must work to limit Radiant’s threes as much as possibly. Wolf must be at his best, which he wasn’t against BP, a similar player to Radiant, who torched the Pacers for 41 points in the game that marked Kings Guard’s arrival.
76ers GC will try and force mismatches with high wraps, similar to what the Pacers run but with more devastating effect. To snuff out open threes on the wing, either off the dribble or the catch, the Pacers must have near-perfect communication during their switches—again, with Ramo staying high—or a commitment from their corner defenders to play up. Steez, because Steez is one of the smartest players in the league and Jeff Terrell is one of the best coaches in the league, will slip and add another layer of complexity to the Pacers’ thought process. Even the slightest amount of space is fatal.
Mismatches happen. They can’t be allowed to happen too often. Here’s what a dribble guard-on-big isolation looks like.
BeezusMismatch
Clip of NBA2KLeague Playing NBA 2K19 – Clipped by josiahcohen13
You can almost see the scorch marks.
One good counter for 76ers GC against the longer slashing defender is Steez immediately resetting his screen, often into a downscreen. The slashing defender has only a gold pick dodger badge, while the shooting guard pure lock has a hall of fame badge.
SteezSecondScreen
Clip of NBA2KLeague Playing NBA 2K19 – Clipped by josiahcohen13
The only one who can stop that is Radiant. He’s done it before: he turned in a dud in the 76ers’ semifinals loss last season to the Heat. It’s highly unlikely the two-time Tipoff MVP will do it again.
Transition points will be huge in this series. You cannot contain Radiant forever in the half court. WGS allowed him 23 points in the 50-point effort and 11 assists in the 39-point defensive bonanza. But failure to contain the 76ers’ transition offense as well will prove fatal; one cannot hope to outscore them, especially the Pacers despite their week 12 outburst. Finding the proper matchups in transition is imperative.
One good point for the Pacers is that on the other side of the ball, Radiant will be guarding Swizurk (unless the Pacers revert to Wolf at the shooting guard pure lock, in which case Radiant will guard him), and that’s a win for the Pacers. Swizurk is very shifty on the perimeter and will be able to create enough for himself, even on the pure sharp, with Radiant guarding him. The 76ers would be wise to keep Radiant off Swizurk and let him save his concentration for offense.
The 76ers have to look out for several things. They need to watch for the Pacers’ version of Space Jam (it is Ramo after all) with Wolf slipping the strongside screen toward the hoop. Furthermore, Ramo has the ball at the top of the key more than most power forwards, and he sometimes cleverly uses himself as a screen for Swizurk while dribbling.
PacersGamingPlay
Clip of NBA2KLeague Playing NBA 2K19 – Clipped by josiahcohen13
The Pacers need to be effective on smart plays like this, which gives Matty numerous passing options: Beezus on the wrap slip, Ramo at the top of the arc, or Swizurk in the corner after Ramo gives his defender a backscreen/clip en route to the top of the arc. Communication is once again crucial, as it is for any defense. Steez has to anchor the defense; the 76ers figure to let Breadwinner, an aggressive defender, cling to Ramo, an aggressive scorer.
Defensively, the Pacers will try to hide Matty on Newdini in the corner. His help defense ratio will be important—does he rotate up on wraps? Does he pinch when Steez, one of the smarter passers among big men, slips? Newdini is shooting 62% on the season and 50% from three. If he goes above and beyond that and scores more than his customary 7 points per game, watch out.
What Wolf and Ramo do in pick and roll defense will determine this series. Back at the beginning of the season, they’re the duo we would have picked if we needed a stop. They need lots of stops against one of the most efficient offenses in the league. Can they put it together time and time again, with ZDS wrapping, with Steez slipping, with Radiant stepping back from deep?
One Big Question: Which lineup will the Pacers use?
It’s unlikely they revert to Ramo on the post scorer, which beat the 76ers at the Ticket but lost to them in week 11 (and lost, shockingly, to Hawks Talon in the same week). They’re more likely to stick with the one that won them a playoff berth in week 12, with Matty at point guard, Swizurk on a pure sharpshooter at shooting guard, Wolf on a slashing defender at the three, Ramo at the four and Beezus at center.
But will they change things up? They probably need Ramo’s offense on a slashing stretch-4, but might they want a sharpshooting rim protector to try and better defend the pick and roll? Radiant isn’t particularly a paint invader, and Ramo “held” Fab, who is one, to 24 points in their biggest win of the season.
The more important question is Wolf. In week 12, he played on the slashing defender, a bigger and more athletic build that gives up some speed and shooting. Does he bring it back in an attempt to guard the shifty Radiant? Or does he slide down to the two, getting more speed and a better pick dodger badge but moving Swizurk up to small forward, probably on the shot-creating sharpshooter? That’s the lineup with which the Pacers began the season and eventually moved away from.
Keys to Victory
76ers GC: Ruthless efficiency
76ers GC’s gameplan is no secret. They run a ton of pick and roll. Radiant shoots a lot. ZDS has quiet nights and then explodes for 40+ points now and again. Breadwinner and Newdini stand in the corner and try to hit as many shots as possible while trying to get as many steals as possible on defense.
More often than not, that gameplan works. The 76ers are 21-9 all-time in the regular season for a reason. They’re disciplined. Jeff Terrell is one of the best coaches in the business and can be counted on to institute good between-games adjustments. His players need to execute to the best of their ability. Few teams can out-execute the 76ers when they’re on their game. If they come out sharp, even fewer teams can stand in their way.
Pacers Gaming: Will the real Matty please stand up?
Back at point guard, the Pacers’ third-round pick holds a lot of cards. The offense can’t be tailored to keep the training wheels on for him after a number of weeks on the bench. He has to score when necessary, keep dishing out assists, and keep the turnovers (he averaged two per game in week 12) to a minimum. Matty scored 31 points on May 1, against Magic Gaming, hitting seven 3-pointers. He hasn’t hit more than two in any other game. He was on the bench for several weeks, and the offense has changed and then changed again in his time out of the starting lineup.
He needs to contribute on defense as well. When Steez slips, he needs to properly pinch down or bait the kickout to the corner. How well can he recognize what Radiant, a pick and roll maestro, will do? Matty earned a basketball scholarship to Detroit Mercy after winning a city championship in his senior year in high school. He is a smart person, a smart player. Now, in the playoffs, he must show it on the biggest stage.
Also: defend, defend, defend like hell.
4. T-Wolves Gaming (10-6) vs. Kings Guard Gaming (10-6)
Key Players
T-Wolves Gaming
BearDaBeast (PG): 15.6 PPG, 9.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 56.9% FG, 52.1% 3PFG
FEAST (PF): 10.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.6 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 67.9% FG, 65% 3PFG
Kings Guard Gaming
BP (PG): 19.3 PPG, 7.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 51.4% FG
Yusuf Scarbz (PF): 8.9 PPG, 2 SPG, 1.7 BPG, 61.6% FG, 66.7% 3PFG
T-Wolves Gaming comes into the playoffs hotter than any other team in the league, having won their last seven regular-season contests. That included ending Blazer5 Gaming’s 14-game winning streak to cement its playoff spot, though in fairness Blazer5 had nothing to play for in the game.
Kings Guard Gaming enters the playoffs with less fanfare, having dropped its last two regular-season games. Kings Guard was one of the strongest performers during the first nine weeks of the regular season, challenging Blazer5 and Mavs Gaming for the top spot in the standings consistently.
Whether or not Kings Guard can regain that form and end the T-Wolves’ run will depend on their ability to create opportunities for MVP candidate BP. It’s no secret that the offense runs through him, as he averages at least five more points per game than anyone else on Kings Guard’s roster. The adverse is true for the T-Wolves. If they can’t contain BP, their season will end.
On defense, Kings Guard needs to clog passing lanes and force the ball inside, which is where one of the league’s best rim protectors, Yusuf Scarbz will be on patrol. T-Wolves’ BearDaBeast finished in the top-five of the league in assists, and Feast was one of the benefactors of that. Feast shot 65% from 3-point range on the season. If BearDaBeast is free to create, setting up JMoneyRep817 and Feast, the semifinals are within reach.
One Big Question: Who will be the second and third options on offense come for Kings Guard Gaming?
T-Wolves Gaming has the offensive firepower to overcome BP’s offensive contributions if Kings Guard’s attack is nothing but the BP Show. Unless Kings Guard’s defense is stifling, they will need at least one other player to hit double figures and shoot a solid percentage to win this one.
The odds-on favorite to do that is BallLikeSeem, especially with JMoney defending him. He’s averaging 14.3 points per game in the regular season, but he’s actually failed to top 10 points per game on average across five tournament games. Will be able to be effective in crunch time here in the playoffs? Moreover, can Yusuf Scarbz, who has been stellar shooting from the corner all season long, continue making those catch-and-shoot threes to get Kings Guard over the top?
Keys to Victory
Kings Guard Gaming: BP
MVP finalist BP has been the focal point of the Kings Guard offense this season, and a big reason why the franchise has been able to turn around from a 4-10 record to playoffs. The team will need him to put in MVP-type performances if it wants to advance deep into the postseason and have a shot at the title in August.
It’s been quite the season for BP and the Kings, but at the end of the day DJ Layton has managed to finagle an MVP-nominated season out of BP. They’ve held things together this far, and if they can continue to do so BP has already shown he’s more than talented enough to put the team on his back.
T-Wolves Gaming: Replicate what got you here
If the T-Wolves can replicate their play from the last seven games of the regular season, where Bear looked like a man on a mission and the team came together to play excellent all-around NBA 2K, then they can win this series and fight for a spot in the finals next round.
The first game might be the key. If the T-Wolves get hot early, with JMoney continuing his impressive offensive form from the final few weeks, and Bear talks trash, and Turnupdefense plays lockdown defense, the T-Wolves will seize the upper hand quickly and force the Kings to respond. It’s all about continuing their hot streak from the most important part of the season.
Predictions
Will
Blazer5 Gaming def. Warriors Gaming Squad
Kings Guard Gaming def. T-Wolves Gaming
Mavs GG def. Celtics Crossover Gaming
76ers GC def. Pacers Gaming
Blazer5 Gaming def. Kings Guard Gaming
76ers GC def. Mavs GG
76ers GC def. Blazer5 Gaming
Len
Warriors Gaming Squad def. Blazer5 Gaming
Kings Guard Gaming def. T-Wolves Gaming
Celtics Crossover Gaming def. Mavs GG
76ers GC def. Pacers Gaming
Warriors Gaming Squad def. Kings Guard Gaming
Celtics Crossover Gaming def. 76ers GC
Celtics Crossover Gaming def. Warriors Gaming Squad
Josiah
Blazer5 Gaming def. Warriors Gaming Squad
T-Wolves Gaming def. Kings Guard Gaming
Celtics Crossover Gaming def. Mavs Gaming Squad
76ers GC def. Pacers Gaming
Blazer5 Gaming def. T-Wolves Gaming
76ers GC def. Celtics Crossover Gaming
76ers GC def. Blazer5 Gaming
Derek
Warriors Gaming Squad def. Blazer5 Gaming
T-Wolves Gaming def. Kings Guard Gaming
Mavs GG def. Celtics Crossover Gaming
Pacers Gaming def. 76ers GC
T-Wolves Gaming def. Warriors Gaming Squad
Mavs GG def. Pacers Gaming
Mavs GG def. T-Wolves Gaming
