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Although the season is still two months away, it is never too early to speculate how the 2022 NBA playoffs may unfold and to get excited about the matchups that could potentially take place. The current favorites for the title in the upcoming season are the LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. However, neither team was able to make it to their Conference Finals last year, let alone the NBA Finals.
As a result, fans were able to witness some unexpected matchups in the NBA playoffs. Two notable examples are Jrue Holiday going up against Chris Paul and Patrick Beverley battling against Devin Booker.
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Both were classic examples of offense vs defense, something we have focused on for this article. We will examine some of the most exciting individual contests to look forward to in the 2022 NBA playoffs, looking at the obvious battles as well as the less straightforward.
5 Individual matchups we want to see in the 2022 NBA playoffs
#1 Kevin Durant vs LeBron James
Some of the most thrilling postseason battles of the last decade came between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. After losing in dramatic fashion in the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors added Kevin Durant to their lineup to combat LeBron James. In the ensuing two Finals series, they were embroiled in a duel for the ages, with Durant having the last laugh on both occasions.
If the Lakers were to meet the Nets in the 2022 NBA playoffs, the pair would face off once again. Kevin Durant was in unguardable form in the 2021 postseason and led Team USA to gold at the 2021 Olympics as well. So it will be up to James to stifle him, something few defenders were able to do last season.
#2 Kyrie Irving vs Kyle Lowry
Two point guards not afraid to leave it all on the floor could lock horns in the 2022 NBA playoffs should the Brooklyn Nets meet the Miami Heat. Kyle Lowry moved to the Heat in the offseason and is now part of a strong 'Big 3' that could challenge that of the Nets.
Both players have vast experience in the playoffs and have faced each other in the Eastern Conference Finals before in 2016. On that occasion, Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers prevailed over six games. During that series, Irving and Lowry averaged over 20 points and four assists each while shooting above 47% from the field.
Even though Lowry is heading toward the end of his NBA career, he still has the ability to explode in games offensively and has a tenacious defensive attitude which could frustrate Irving. The two play at a fast pace and with intensity, and will not back down if the contests were to get heated, which could make for a fascinating encounter.
#3 Stephen Curry vs Russell Westbrook
Another NBA duo who know each other well are the Golden State Warriors and LA Lakers point guards Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook (respectively). Despite playing in the same conference for the majority of their years in the league, the two have only battled once in the playoffs in 2016 in an epic seven-game series.
That time around, the Warriors prevailed, and Curry averaged 27.9 points to Westbrook's 26.7 and also shot above 41% from beyond the arc. However, as it could be in the 2022 NBA playoffs, Westbrook will have greater significance in all aspects of the series. In their 2016 battle, Brodie also averaged 11.3 assists, seven rebounds and an impressive 3.7 steals per game. His all-round game will be as important to the Lakers as Curry's 3-point shooting is to the Warriors.
#4 Nikola Jokic vs Joel Embiid
While this matchup may be less likely than the rest on this list, how exciting would it be to see the top two candidates for MVP last season battle it out in the paint?
Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic were the most dominant big men in the NBA all year and will likely continue that form into the new campaign. If Embiid can stay healthy and both teams can defy the odds to make it out of their conferences against strong opposition, their matchup could be one for the ages.
Nikola Jokic did everything for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA last season, averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals. He was an improved three-point shooter and connected with 86.4% of free-throws. Despite putting up fewer points than Embiid per game, Jokic played in every game (21 more than Embiid) and shot at a better rate from the field.
On the defensive end, both players are among the best centers in the NBA. Embiid even earned a place in the league's All-Defensive second team last season for his 1.4 blocks and one steal per game. They both finished with a defensive win share above three and had a positive box +/-.
#5 Kawhi Leonard vs LeBron James
If we are to see a matchup between LeBron James and Kevin Durant in the 2022 NBA playoffs, the LA Lakers will first have to get through their city rivals. Kawhi Leonard missed out on his chance to lead the Clippers to the NBA Finals last season but, should he make a full recovery from his ACL injury, will look to make up for it this year.
Between them, James and Leonard have six NBA Finals MVP awards and six Championship rings. They had two epic Finals battles when the former played for Miami and Leonard played for the San Antonio Spurs.
In 2013, James led the Heat to a 4-3 series victory, averaging 29 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. However, Leonard would have his revenge a year later, leading the Spurs in their 4-1 series domination, in which he shot at 61% from the floor.
