During the NBA playoffs, fans see the returns on 82 hard-fought regular season games and all unanswered questions become clear as day -- sometimes in ways staggeringly unexpected.

With the postseason starting later this week, here are five bold predictions for what will happen...

1. Pacers and Clippers take out fledgling franchises

The No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed matchups in each conference often provide much of the first round entertainment, and feature two teams usually close in talent and performance. This spring's slate -- likely to be enjoyable -- will actually serve better as a ceremonial goodbye to the reigns of two once-contenders.

The Pacers will be taking on the Bucks, who will be playing without veteran star Damian Lillard after a rocky and ineffective season. Milwaukee is no longer a feared Eastern Conference elite, and this will only be reaffirmed when Indiana advances to the next round.

Meanwhile in the West, the Clippers will challenge the Nuggets, who just recently fired the major architects of their 2023 championship team -- head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth. Denver is clearly moving toward a transition period, and Los Angeles is eager to push them along, having found success behind a healthy Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.

2. Julius Randle comes around

After spending the first half of his career falling short of the playoffs, Julius Randle finally led the Knicks there in three of four seasons, only to be haunted by the experiences that followed. He crumbled in 2021, struggled through injury in 2023, and completely missed 2024 with a shoulder issue.

But this is the time Randle turns it around. He looked increasingly comfortable as his first season with the Timberwolves progressed, and a nice first-round matchup with the wing-heavy Lakers creates plenty of opportunity for him in a critical contract year.

Expect the usual, rumbling, stat-stuffing Randle in this year’s playoffs. Minnesota may not be able to make a deep run, but it won’t be because he fell short again.

3. Playoff version of Jalen Brunson defies doubters (again)

Like clockwork, the playoffs arrive and Brunson’s prior work is immediately forgotten -- this time in order to stamp rising star Cade Cunningham as the best player in the Knicks-Pistons series.

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