This week on JBT: Game 1 is OVER!!! With all the teams having played their first game of the first round, we'll be taking a look back at the winners and losers. We'll be chatting in-depth about all the games so far and breakdown where we see the rest of the series heading. KEEP BALLIN' SUPERSTARS!! #PacersPlayoffs #CelticsPlayoffs #RaptorsPlayoffs #NBAPlayoffs2018 #CavsPlayoffs #WizardsPlayoffs #SixersPlayoffs #SpursPlayoffs #RocketsPlayoffs #JazzPlayoffs #BlazersPlayoffs #Bu

*Photo via CSSNE The 2015/2016 Boston Celtics are a fiery bunch that has made their mark in a newly competitive Eastern Conference. Following their surge last year into the postseason, the C’s look to solidify their stance in the East with home court advantage. The seeding from three to eight in the East is completely up in the air; teams are swapping spots daily as they compete for a shot to dethrone King James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although the Celtics lack a true su

The 2015-2016 NBA season is rapidly approaching, and in oncoming weeks many people will be sharing opinions and predictions on how the season will unfold. The Eastern Conference has taken a back seat to the Western Conference since the turn of the Millennium and has failed to reach the prowess that its rival conference garners. Every year, there is one and sometimes two playoff participants in the East that stumble into the postseason with sub-.500 records while often times o

The 2014-15 Western Conference was dominated by the eventual NBA champion, Golden State Warriors. With the Dubs in control of the number one spot from the tip, other squads battled for the other seven spots. One game separated the second seed from the sixth seed and SEVEN teams ended the season with 50+ wins. So yeah, the West is damn good, but that was last year…what happens now? 1. San Antonio Spurs *Photo via Getty Images I still can’t figure out how the Spurs were able to

*Photo via NBA.com Throughout the NBA there has been a lot of talk about changing the current playoff format. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has gone as far to say that division winners should NOT be guaranteed a playoff spot, but that’s it. So far, there hasn’t been any talk about taking it a step further and letting the top 16 teams in the entire league make the playoffs, but it’s an interesting idea that many NBA fans would like to see . Even a few NBA coaches have said they

*Photo via AP Overview: The third seed, the Chicago Bulls(50-32) will take on the sixth seed, Milwaukee Bucks(41-41). In what could be an interesting first-round matchup. The Bulls have had an injury plagued season, but thanks to a solid bench they still had a successful year. Now that everyone is healthy, they have a shot to make a deep playoff run. The only issue is the starters haven’t had much time together, something to keep an eye on. And as always the other big questio

*Photo via AP The first seeded Golden State Warriors will face the eighth seeded New Orleans Pelicans in the quarterfinals of the Western Conference playoffs. The Warriors have dominated the NBA the entire season. Meanwhile the Pelicans snuck into the playoffs on the final night of the regular season. The Golden State Warriors could not have had a better regular season. In a very competitive Western Conference, the best offense in all of basketball, they won 11 games more th

*Photo via AP photo Overview: The explosive second seeded Houston Rockets (56-26) will take on the seventh seeded Dallas Mavericks(50-32). This is a classic interstate rivalry, and the first time since 2005 that they will be matched up in the playoffs. This will be an offensive based series, expect high scores! The Mavericks averaged 105.2 points per game , while the Rockets averaged 103.9 a game, it’s safe to say it will be a shootout. Season Recap: Despite overall averaging

*Photo via AP The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the playoffs for the first time since losing to the Boston Celtics in the 2010 Conference Semis. That was the last game LeBron James played in a Cavs uniform before returning home this season, and in Cleveland’s return to the playoffs, the number two seeded Cavs will play those Celtics who ranked seventh in the East. A lot of things have changed since their last playoff meeting. James won two rings in Miami, and the coach and core

*Photo via Getty images The Wild West: The only place a 3 and 6 seed can both have at least 55 wins and one game separating them. The number 3 seed L.A. Clippers are set to face off against the 6 seeded San Antonio Spurs. The series begins Sunday at 7:30 PST in Los Angeles. During the regular season the series was tied 2-2 with the Spurs taking the first two games and both teams winning one on the road, with the biggest margin of victory going to the Clippers by 10 Jan 31st.

*Photo via EPA Overview: The top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks(60-22) will take on the eighth seeded Brooklyn Nets(38-44) in this first round matchup. The Hawks have been one of the biggest surprises this NBA season. They finished with the second best record in the league, hitting 60 wins on the season. The Hawks did this with their team oriented style of play The Nets on the other hand, squeezed into the playoffs on the final night of the NBA season. The

*Photo via AP (4) Portland Trailblazers vs. (5) Memphis Grizzlies One of the rare times that the lower seeded team will have the home-court advantage, this is even though the Trailblazers won the Midwest Division. This series could be the worst basketball we see in playoffs, as both of these teams have a bevy of injuries. Portland will be without Wesley Matthews, who knows when or if Nicolas Batum and Aaron Afflalo are coming back. Memphis will need Mike Conley and Tony Al

*Photo via USA Today In the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Toronto Raptors (4th seed) will face the Washington Wizards (5th seed). This game will be the official start to the 2015 NBA playoffs, as tipoff is scheduled for Saturday at 12:30 p.m. This series will be an entertaining one to say the least. There are a lot of young talents in this series, such as DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal, John Wall and Kyle Lowry, and they should provide us with a nice up-tem

*Photo via USA Today Charlotte Hornets vs Toronto Raptor -The Toronto Raptors still have a chance at the third seed with a Bull’s loss and a win of their own. If they lose, they have no chance at the third seed. Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls -If the Bulls win they lock up the third seed, if they lose, they would need a Toronto loss to earn the third seed. Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz -This game will impact seeding for the Houston Rockets. The Rockets can land anywhere from

*Photo via USA Today Following Paul Georges return, the Indiana Pacers have been running on all cylinders. This week the Pacers won all three of their games against the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder. With that being said the Pacers are in eighth seed in the East Conference with the Brooklyn Nets a half-game behind . However, The Pacers have two games left against the Washington Wizards and the Memphis Grizzlies. Luckily for the Pacers, the Nets o

*Photo via USA Today In the mediocrity of the NBA’s Eastern Conference, it is hard to imagine any teams outside of the top three seeds advancing to the Finals. In fact, only two teams in NBA history seeded outside of the top three in either conference have won a championship; the 1995 Houston Rockets were the sixth seed, and the 1969 Boston Celtics were the fourth seed. Cinderella stories are clearly only meant for the NCAA Tournament. In the pro game, and especially in the m

*Photo via USA Today For the past few seasons the hopes of Chicago fans have been toyed with. Every season they are caught in limbo, between expecting to contend for a title, or a “next year” is our year mind set. Hopes were set high after a run to the Conference Finals in 2011, a season that saw Derrick Rose win the MVP and Tom Thibodeau win Coach of the Year. How could they not be optimistic coming off that season, but we all know the situation the Bulls have become, where

*Photo via USA Today Following last season’s 43-39 record and claiming the 7th seed, and losing in four to the Heat. Many had the feeling the Hornets were on the rise and were to be something to fear in the future. Following a solid off-season, picking up Lance Stephenson, Jason Maxwell, and drafting Noah Vonleh, the Hornets were projected to be a mid-seed in the East. However, this season has been a step back. With eight games left the Hornets are still in the playoff race,