Bold Predictions for Every Set 2nd Round 2024 NBA Playoffs Series

With an exciting first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs mostly in the books, it’s time to turn our attention to the conference semifinals.

In a lot of ways, this round may signal a changing of the guard in the NBA. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler all have already been knocked out. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden may soon join them. Stephen Curry didn’t even make the playoffs.

Younger, more dynamic teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks are moving on.

Before those series get started, it’s time to make some bold predictions about all the matchups we know so far.

Jalen Brunson Will Average 35-Plus Points Again

Coming off a first round in which Jalen Brunson averaged 35.5 points against the Philadelphia 76ers, this may not sound like an overly bold prediction. But reaching those heights two rounds in a row is no small feat.

Brunson will pull it off for a few reasons.

Though they were a little better defensively in the first round against the injury-ravaged Milwaukee Bucks, the Indiana Pacers surrendered 118.9 points per 100 possessions during the regular season. Their marginally improved defense in the playoffs had more to do with the absences of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard than any dramatic improvement.

Indiana doesn’t have a ton of length to throw at Brunson, either. Philadelphia had Kelly Oubre Jr., Nicolas Batum and Tobias Harris to send at him, but Aaron Nesmith is the only Pacers option who could come close to replicating the kind of resistance the Sixers put up. The Pacers probably can’t afford to take Pascal Siakam off OG Anunoby.

The matchups in this series are a bit more favorable for Brunson than they were against the Sixers, but that isn’t the only reason why he’ll continue to go off.

After his conference finals run with the Dallas Mavericks and these last two postseasons with the Knicks, it’s fair to say Brunson is one of the NBA’s bigger playoff risers. His career scoring average in the regular season is 16.9 points and 22.9 for the playoffs. In 2023-24 alone, he went from 28.7 points per game during the regular season to 35.5 thus far in the playoffs.

Since his days as a Villanova Wildcat, Brunson has always reacted well to the brightest lights. That’s going to continue in the second round.

Tyrese Haliburton Will Rediscover His Three-Point Shot

Tyrese Haliburton started this season on an absolute heater for the Pacers. Over his first 33 games, he averaged 23.6 points and 12.5 assists while shooting 40.3 percent from deep.

Then he missed 10 of 11 games with a hamstring injury, and he hasn’t looked the same since.

Over his final 35 regular-season appearances, Haliburton averaged only 16.8 points and 9.3 assists…