The Herd with Colin Cowherd - What's Wright - Nick Wright's NBA Playoff + Awards Predictions: Will Lakers SURVIVE Rockets? Celtics-Nuggets Finals?

Episode Date: April 18, 2026

All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet.   Nick Wright shares his predictions for the 2026 NBA Playoffs! Will LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers survive Kevin Durant's Houston Rockets (likely) without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves? Are Jayson Tatum's Boston Celtics the team to beat in the Eastern Conference over Jalen Brunson's New York Knicks and Cade Cunningham's Detroit Pistons? Later, Nick shares his NBA awards predictions after Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham were deemed eligible for awards. #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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This will be our NBA playoff pick show and our NBA awards ballot, as we found out, We record this on a Thursday, and so we found out just moments ago. Luca and Cade both won their appeals, both eligible. I will admit, when I saw Dusty from First things first text me a screenshot of a Shams Sharania tweet, and I just saw it in the corner of the screen, and it was a picture of Luca, my heart jumped of it. I was like, he's going to say he's coming back. but instead of the awards thing.

So I'm happy for Luca. He deserves to be on awards ballots, but the other would have made me happier. This episode of What's Right and the guy is presented to you by Boost Mobile. Reminder does help us out if you like, rate, subscribe, review to the show. Demande, how are you doing this morning? I'm doing excellent.

How's it going for you? I mean, it's going good. I knew this already. We just recorded a one hour show where I'm not lying. We're wearing the same clothes. I'm not lying to the audience. I didn't talk to you. all right i'm just going to jump right into it i'm going to pick every series and the number of games

in every series and we'll see how i do uh western conference round one okay c smokes whomever wins the eight nine playoff game uh i think it'll be phoenix beating golden state it doesn't matter who it is okay c and four over phoenix or golden state is my pick. Spurs Portland, you know what? I'm going to give Drew Holiday and Denny Avdia one game. Yes, exactly. I give them one game. Feels like the old Spurs go up two nothing. Portland gets game three. Game four, we're like, are we going to get a series? Spurs win by 40 and then they take care of it at home in game five. Denver, Minnesota, there are some, we haven't discussed this at all. But there's some very real, wait, what if Ant wins this series?

Implications for Joker, for Ant, for the rivalry between the teams, all of that. Assuming Ant is healthy, I think this can be a good series. Not a great series, though. I think Denver wins in six. I will take Denver over. Minnesota in six. And sadly, tragically, I have to go with the Rockets over the Lakers in six games. Six, all right.

I think LeBron can get a game by himself. Yep. And I think the Rockets can blow a game. But, and again, I reserve the right to change this pick if Luca comes back. And the fact that they have two days between games one and two, games two and three, and games four and five means game five of this series is 27 days after Lucas suffered his injury.

So maybe he could come back for a game six. But as we're sitting here right now, Houston over the Lakers in six. Producers, tell me in my ear, do you want me to do the rest of the Western Conference Bracket? or the East first round now, or do you not care? Okay, so I'll go to, so Western Conference, OKC and four, Spurs in five, Denver and Houston, and six. Eastern Conference round one, DeMonse. I have, I do think Orlando's going to beat Charlotte.

Either way, it doesn't much change my pick here. Detroit over the winner of Orlando Charlotte in a gentleman sweep in five. I think Philly can give Boston just a little bit of trouble. But I will say Boston over Philly in six. Does that sound right to you? Yeah, I was going to say between those two, definitely. But, yeah, I mean, I wouldn't even give them six. I would give them a game.

I wouldn't give Philly two games against Boston. If Embed's not back, then I, you know, then I wouldn't give them a game either. But if Embedd's back by game three, I think they could win. win one of the two in Philly and then win a game five potentially. Like I think Philly could win in six. I also think that they're still like ramping up Tatum. Like so he's, you know, ready to peak at the end. I think we have won seven game first round series and it's Nicks Hawks.

I think that's going to be an awesome series. I trust Jalen Brunson in a game seven in his building. But I think Atlanta is ready for a fight. And I ain't Jalen Johnson, got to have a little national pop moment. People at Nikiel Alexander Walker, who might be the league's most improved player. Go ahead. No, I was just about saying Nikol Alexander Walker. They got Dyson Daniels over there.

I know he's not a huge there, but that's a dude. He's serious. And so, yeah, I'll take the Knicks over the Hawks in seven. And then begrudgingly, I will take the Cavs over the Raptors in Six. I would like to see the Raptors and Scotty Barnes win this series. I don't think they have quite enough juice, so I will take the calves. So I am going to Monzae with all of the favorites in round one, but it's the NBA playoffs. That's how it goes.

So that does set us up for, I think, potentially three awesome round two series. The one non-awesome round two series is the Thunder playing the Rockets. This, I think, could be a very quick series for OKC. OKC over Houston in a gentleman sweep. And then an awesome series that Denver in their own building closes out in six. Denver over the Spurs in six games in a series the Spurs could have easily avoided had they simply won. game 82 over Denver's backups. So that sets us up with an OKC Denver conference finals.

And then in the east, I will again go a little chalky. Detroit over Cleveland in six, and I cannot wait for that at home game six, James Harden performance, and Boston over the Knicks in six, where I think Boston avenges last year's round two lost, loss and Jason Tatum eliminates the Knicks on the court where last year his season ended.

So that is it's a one versus three in the west, a one versus two in the east, and now I think probably from Vegas odds-wise

my biggest upset on the bracket. The Denver Nuggets, in seven games, go to Oklahoma City, and end their title defense, a game shy of the NBA finals. Nuggets over Thunder in a seven-game epic with Joker reminding the world. She can win the last two MVP's. I'm still the best player in the world. Eastern Conference Finals, not as quite as much of an epic.

Boston beats Detroit in six to set up a Boston-Denver NBA finals to find out who is going to be the first team of this era with multiple rings. OKC will have just fallen short. Boston has a ring, Denver as a ring, and in a game 7 in TD Garden in Boston Jason Tatum Jalen Brown and the Boston Celtics win the NBA championship

for whatever it's worth the odds on these Denver is on hard rock bet Denver is plus 550 to win the west Boston is just plus 150 to win the east and Boston is plus 550 to win the east and Boston is plus 550 to win the

title. I do feel a little bad, so we can throw up my bracket. I do feel a little bad, DeMonte, because Boston is your team, and I'm not trying to push you off that corner. But it'll be fun for us to be rooting for the same team together these playoffs, because I'll be rooting for the pick, but this is how I see the bracket falling. Can we just reveal DeManzay's full bracket so I can see where our district? agreements are. So, San Antonio and Denver,

that's the big one. So, oh, well, no. So in round one, in the West, we have the same four teams,

O KC, Houston, Denver, and the Spurs. In the East, you do have one upset. You have Atlanta beating the Knicks. That would be a

catastrophe for the Knicks. Yeah. Losing in round one to Atlanta. If that, and you think the series is going to seven, too, and if that series goes to seven,

I'm giving it to the ox. I'm giving it to the ox. I just think the Jalen Brunson in his building in a game seven, you know, against Atlanta, I'll trust him. But yeah, I clearly think it could happen.

And he's the other difference. We'll see. Maybe you have the Spurs beating the Nuggets. You think it's a great series. The Spurs just overpower them. Like, what do you think? I think it's a great series.

I mean, I could see that one going to six and seven as well. But I just think that. the spurs in a longer sample size being able to play them in a seven-game series. I think they'll be able to get it done. We have the same Eastern Armaged Finals, Detroit, Boston. You also have Boston winning. You have OKC that lost four or five to San Antonio in the regular season,

beating them in a series. Is this the San Antonio young guys finding a lack of experience catches up to them? What is it? I think it's just, I believe, lot in okay see i don't like the team i just think they're really good they're super deep of sGA is that guy uh but yeah i just i get that you don't you don't like it but you think it's what's going to happen yeah um and then in a finals that if we get this finals you are going to be an emotional rack yeah it's it was your favorite team against your least favorite team but we both have

the celtics winning it all right pretty sick. So we don't have a ton of differences. Think about NBA playoff predictions. It's hard to have a ton of differences. Yeah. But we both have, listen, it's not like the Celtics are the favorite. They're, you know, almost six to one. All right. My awards ballot in a moment, but first,

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but this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers.

This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, Hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad

Hey Jonas and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel,

help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. And I know firsthand because I competed there myself.

I'm Renee Stubbs. And on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jenchen won. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lerner Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now,

and I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court-side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. We now have the NBA Awards ballots. So I just want to, so this is Shams article from ESPN.com.

I'm just going to read it to you. Abridged. Luke and Kate are eligible for all 25, 26 season awards, including NBA, including MVP and all NBA teams after their extraordinary. circumstances challenge of the 65 game rule was approved. Donchich finished with 64 games during the regular season, missed two games in December because of the birth of his child. Cunningham, who played in 63, missed 12 games with a collapsed lung.

Minnesota's Anthony Edwards appeared in 60, filed a challenge as well, and his case was advanced to an independent arbitrator, but his challenge was denied, and he's not eligible. I don't know what Cade's case was, to be honest with you. I didn't think, like, by the way, I'm glad he's eligible. I'm very glad he won his appeal. But I didn't think you could appeal based just on the strength of I was so close and got unlucky on an injury. I thought it had to be something like death in the family made me miss a game,

birth of a child. But I'm really glad he's eligible because a huge part of the story of this season is K. Gunningham and the Detroit Pistons. and him not showing up on ballots would be ridiculous. All right. So let's get right into it, because I did have to make some late changes. First team, all-MBA,

four obvious ones, and then a debate. Shea, Wimbi, and Yokic are the obvious ones. And then it's a question. Cade Cunningham or Jalen Brown. Jail and Brown. had an amazing season. It's one of the coolest stories of the year. But my lean and my fake vote would go to Cade.

I would have Cade as first team all NBA. He's the best player on the number one seed. With his full team, though. He's 100% right. Full strength of team. You know, that was the team that they were coming in with. They did well. Bailen Brown had some, I don't want to say lesser guys

because we still got dogs over there, but not his full team. And he led them. Listen, that is the argument. And Jalen average 30 a night. Like, that is the argument and it's a good argument. I would, and the other pieces, Jalen did play a lot more than Cade. So that is, I'm not going to like argue with you about it and that because I was debating and if I'm being totally like I thought Cade had no shot of being eligible so I

hadn't I even spent as much time on this one as I would have others but my just gut is number one seed 60 wins best player there I I'm going to put Cade as first team all NBA second but this also makes second team all NBA trickier because sometimes somebody's got to get bounced. Obviously, Jalen Brown is a lock. Donovan Mitchell to me is a pretty easy inclusion. Jalen Brunson, I was debating Jalen Brunson versus Jamal Murray for this spot. I went with Jalen.

I'm a bit of a traditionalist and I want a center, if possible, on every, on first, second, and third team. so Jalen Duren, Cade's teammate, gets second team all-MBA, and my final first team all, or second team all-M-B-A spot, I was debating between forward Kevin Durant and forward Kauai Leonard. Durant played the second most minutes of anyone in the league this year. His team did win 50 games. Kauai had an awesome year, but his team, wasn't as good and I don't think he was quite individually as impressive.

Neither obviously were, you know, are great leaders. I went with Durant. So my second team is Jalen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Jailen Durenne. Any major issues there, DeMazze? No, I'd say that's pretty fair. I can't think of anything or anybody who I would throw in there or take out. So third team, the obvious definites were Jamal Murray, Kauai Leonard. The closest to a next definite was Tyrese Maxie, who was the best player on the Sixers all year.

Jalen Johnson, for the Atlanta Hawks, their best player given their second half of the season, he gets on. and Chet Holmgren as my center, he's going to finish second and defensive player of the year, he gets on. When I did this last night, I had on there because Cade was not on my ballot. So, you know, Brown bounced up to first team.

Kauai bounced up to second team, and the extra spot was Dini Avdia. So Cade being, I filled it out expecting Luca to be eligible because if you have an extenuating circumstances provision and this guy, like, and you don't grant it for birth of a child on another continent, what you're basically saying is you will only grant it for death in the family. And I didn't think they were going to do that. So I never, I didn't do the math on what it would look like without Luca. but my my gut is carl anthony town scotty barn step on castle were all in the mix if i had two open spots but i didn't uh but diny obdia is my last you know first man out thanks to kade being eligible uh so again just in recap first team all NBA

shay luca kade wimby joker second team all nbby joker second team all Jalen Brown Donovan Mitchell Jalen Brunson Kevin Durant Jalen Durenn three Jailens on my second team All-N-B-A. A lot of Jailens in the NBA. Yeah. And you know Jalen Rose, you know, says and is kind of documented. Yes, the first one ever and got it going like yes. There's a lot of Jailants. Third team all-N-B-A, Tyrese-Machy, Jamal Murray, Kauai Linder, Jailen Johnson, and Chet Holmgren. Real quick, before we get to my MVP ballot

and the rest of my ballot, let me remind you guys about our friends at Boost Mobile. Everything else keeps going up, rents going up, streaming services are going up, your favorite burrito spots charging you extra for salsa. Not with Boost Mobile. With Boost Mobile, you and your phone bill don't have to play the,

will this go up soon game? Why? because Boost Mobile has unlimited talk text and data plan at a price that'll never go up in fact it's the same price you'll pay for life so switch now for an unlimited wireless at a price that'll never go up only at boost mobile after 30 gigs customers may experience slower speeds customers will pay $20 per month as long as they remain active on the boost unlimited plan all right damonzee most valuable player who would your vote vote go to. How much of that is that you don't, that you just don't love shit. Honestly, what it is for me is, I mean,

the dude, I get he plays limited minutes. He can get a bucket if he wants a bucket. Just throw it up in the sky. The dude is a tower out there. I think he's the, I think if I was starting a team and I drafted a guy,

I will pick Wimby. Like, he, to build around, like, hey, man, he's our, he's our hub. Even if, let me ask you this, would that be, would he be your number one pick if it was you're starting a team? But it's, oh, you only, it's only for a year.

Like, do you is, would you rather have him than anyone else in the league for next season? Uh, that, that, the list probably gets a little bit bigger if it's just for, for a year, uh, but. Well, it's not, I mean, there's not many guys. I was about saying, honestly, I don't know. I really believe in Wimby. Like that dude, he's never seen it. So listen, so then you might not like my ballot. I'm going to go five to one.

And again, last night, fifth on my MVP ballot was Jalen Brown. He got, once I found out, Cade Cunningham was eligible. He replaced him. That is, if people think that Jalen should be on there, that's totally fair. That's totally legitimate. it. I put Cade there. Fourth is the guy who I had second for the last couple months of the season, but he got hurt and missed time, and that has to matter in this.

Luke at Anzic, he falls to fourth. Third is the guy I had third most of the year. So he didn't move up because even though someone moved behind him, someone jumped him. third is Wimby. The, as great as he is, I don't think he was more valuable or his impact matched, the top two guys. Second on my ballot, all the way up from fourth, with a push in the final three weeks of this season, most notably, not only getting his team up to the three seed, but playing Wimby head up in a huge spot and dominating the end of the matchup.

Nikola Yokic, which this would give him his sixth consecutive top two MVP finish, which I believe has only ever been done by Bill Russell and Larry Bird. However, not enough to knock off Shea, who just had maybe the most efficient 30 plus point per game season by any guard in NBA history. 55% his team was the best team in the league all year. He scored 20 in every single game all season. He's going to be, spoiler alert, my clutch player of the year as well. So my MVP ballot goes,

Shea, then Joker, then Wimby, then Luca, then Cade. If there was a six and seven, six would have been Jalen Brown, seven would have been Jalen Brunson. that's where it would have been. Go ahead. I want to go on the record and say that I would not Wimby. It would be Joker first for me and then Wimby second. I can't just ignore the fact that Joker.

Are you talking about for MVP or are you talking about to have for one year? Oh, for one. No, I think honestly it might be both for that. But Wimby, I mean, Joker would be first MVP for me and then Wemby. Okay. Then I'd go as true or whatever. Quick revision. So you'd have, okay, that's fair.

Defensive player of the year doesn't, I mean, it's Wimby by a mile. Sixth man of the year, I debated this one. I ended up going Wimby's teammate Kelton Johnson, who's one of eight spurs to average double figures. He was probably actually their fifth best player this year. He was a key guy off the bench for the number two seat, Kelton Johnson. rookie of the year, I went Cooper Flag. The producers want to know if the play-in changed this.

It did not because I already had Flagg. However, if I was leaning con-canipple, the play-in might have, and it's not fair, it's not supposed to work that way. The play-in might have worked, you know, against him. just like I think just if I'm being totally honest with you guys talking about him and that guy cooked yesterday he was not afraid of the moment at all who v.J Edgecombe oh I feel like people were people were talking a lot of great yeah right and he's a but and he's a pretty good year

third he's a he's a solid third place but he didn't have the regular season that con or cooper had but my award going to go to Cooper or my vote I I know the play and stuff was not supposed to impact the voting, but we watched the games. And I do think, like I said, when I thought Cade wasn't eligible, I had Denny Obdia as my final All-MBA guy, his play and performance almost assuredly, like swayed in my brain that a bit. Most Improved Player. On yesterday's show, DeMonsé, you were talking about Nikiel Alexander Walker. I think he'll probably win the award.

I am going to give my vote to Jailen Duren. Jalen Duren jumping up to 20 points a game and being as, you know, playing 70 games, being the second best guy on the one seed, the best guy for a few weeks when Cade was out. I didn't, you know, he got to a level. I didn't expect him to get to even. even as, I mean, he's a late lottery pick in year four.

He should be improving, but I'm giving it to Jalen Duren. Clutch player of the year, I already said, Shea, coach of the year. I don't think this one's close. With respect to J.V. Bickerstaff, with respect to Mitch Johnson and San Antonio, with respect to a bunch of really good coach for Johnson. Joe Missoula is the coach of the year. They were 15 wins over their projected win total. They never gave a game away.

They were locked and dialed all year. Coach of the year is Joe Missoula, and I just think the job he's done is remarkable. Now, these are real projection awards based on how I see the playoffs going, but a few bonus takes. Eastern Conference Finals MVP, the Larry Bird Award. I'm going to give to Jalen Brown, which will be the second time he has won that. Western Conference Finals MVP, which is the Magic Johnson Award, Nicola Yokic.

I think it'll be the second time he's won it, but I'm not sure it existed when they won the championship. I think it did, though. Yeah, it did. However, finals MVP, in a true storybook, I'm going Jason. Tatum. I think the Celtics are going to win the title. I think at that point, Tatum's going to be a full go. I think Tatum and Brown's stats will be similar, and I think Ty will go to Jason Tatum this time. Yeah. And I think it would be one of the coolest stories in recent NBA history. However, that will not be enough for Tatum to overtake the mythical best in the world title, Joker, particularly if they get back to the finals will retain that title.

Now, if Shea and the Thunder go back to back and he's awesome throughout the playoffs again, I think he will wrestle that away from Joker in a lot of people's minds. But I think if the Nuggets lose in the finals, I think Joker probably strengthens his grip on that title. So there it is. Full awards, full playoff predictions. Enjoy the playoffs this weekend. It's and and guys rest up.

It's 45 straight days of late night basketball. DeMonsey Tuesday night. Do you know what time Lakers Rockets tips on the West Coast? On the West Coast, I'm going to say, because it's in L.A. Is it 8.30? 8 o'clock or something like that. I mean, 8.30 would be outrageous. But no, it's going to, it's about a 735 West Coast tip.

which means that game is starting. A playoff game is starting at 10.35 at night, East Coast time. It's going to be on to 1 in the morning, but whatever. I love that about L.A. NFL season two. It's a lot of hoops the next six weeks. Everybody enjoy. Huge thanks to our sponsors, Hard Rock Bet, and Boost Mobile.

Thanks as always to the volume and to Blue Duck. Talk to you guys on TV throughout the week. And see you guys right here on Tuesday. What's right. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin.

And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. Nice. We invented a podcast. Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it.

We get to ask other people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey, Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite.

Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app.

Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo. And every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports

and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice. on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo's Slice of Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Winning on Clay is an art. The rallies are relentless. And at the French Open, only the toughest survive. I'd know. I competed there for decades. Join me, Renee Stubbs, on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast for no-nonsense breakdowns of the biggest matches, the toughest players, and the moments that define Roland Garris. She's an outsider to win the French fame.

And she likes Clay. And Lennarabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcasts on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.