• Predicting this playoff series โ€” and it's not who the numbers say

    The advanced metrics favor Team A by 3.2 points. I'm picking Team B. Here's why: playoff series have memory. Team B beat Team A in 5 games last year. Players remember what worked. Coaches game-plan with that history. The mental edge in a close 7-game series is real even if it doesn't appear in a box score.

  • The advanced metrics favor Team A by 3.2 points. I'm picking Team B. Here's why: playoff series have memory. Team B beat Team A in 5 games last year. Players remember what worked. Coaches game-plan with that history. The mental edge in a close 7-game series is real even if it doesn't appear in a box score.