NBA Booming Ballers, on PredictionStrike

It’s almost NBA Playoff time! What’s up, everybody! My name is Jalon Dixon, your friendly neighborhood NBA super fan and new Prediction Strike expert here with the weekly scoop on the biggest news across the association and how these things could influence Prediction Strike’s NBA Stock Market.

To kick things off, let’s look at how my top players to watch from last week have been performing.  Sacramento Kings All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox is a runaway candidate to win the new NBA Clutch Player award and should be considered as one of the hottest buys on Prediction Strike heading into his first-ever postseason appearance. Fox is currently up +10.81% for only $4.13 with an opportunity to be the next young star guard to announce themselves to the world on the biggest stage in basketball.

But before that... housekeeping reminder that you can still become a PS Black Member today! That includes:

• An immediate deposit promotion
• The ability to double your max holding position
• Rapid Bank Withdrawals
• Monthly Free Tokens
• Verified User Badge, and... A NEW ADDITION...
• 20% LOWER FEES! Down from 2.5%, enjoy 2% fees on all buys/sells.

Oh, and check out our MERCH store here: https://store.predictionstrike.com/! Per your request, we've released some top-notch merch. There's a limited quantity and will only be around for a limited time, so make sure to get on it!

The Dust Is Settled in the East

With only 2-3 games left before the start of the NBA Play-In tournament on April 15th, things have officially settled down in the Eastern Conference. The Milwaukee Bucks have clinched the best record in the league and top seed in the East. 3 of the 4 Play-In tournament spots are clinched with the Atlanta Hawks in 8th, the Toronto Raptors in 9^th, and the (my) Chicago Bulls in 10th. Leaving only Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat to duke it out for that final spot amongst the other five teams who have secured their spot.

But with things just about wrapped up, we also have our first official matchup set: New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers. A bunch of storylines can be associated with this series, the biggest being that the Knicks were only an RJ Barrett ($0.99, -3.51%) and draft capital away from acquiring All-NBA shooting guard Donovan Mitchell ($3.94, +12.42%) just this offseason. The Eastern Conference may not have the level of drama that the West does, but they are not devoid of some big-time storylines.

With that being said, here are my top-5 Eastern Conference storylines heading into the postseason (or offseason depending on the team):

• Can Anyone Dethrone the Milwaukee Bucks as the odds-on favorites to come out of the East?
• If the Atlanta Hawks go out sad again, will this end the Trae Young ($3.85, -11.07%) era?
• Donovan Mitchell in the Big Apple
• If Victor Wembenyama ends up in the East, which team would you rather see him on Detroit Pistons or Charlotte Hornets?
• Boston Celtics Redemption story

Honorable Mentions: Potentially the Philadelphia 76ers' LAST BEST chance

Let us know how you feel about these storylines and tell us what storylines I may have missed that could have serious ramifications during the Playoffs and the offseason!

Quick Hitters

• In last night’s win over the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks All-Star forward Khris Middleton ($1.98, -14.86%) left the game early with re-aggravated knee soreness. Reminder: Middleton missed most of the Bucks’ postseason run last season due to a sprained MCL and the first 20 games of this season. This nagging knee injury is a big storyline for the championship picture as the Bucks look to translate this regular season’s success into a deep postseason run.
• After scratching through injuries and organizational turmoil, the Los Angeles Lakers have secured a place in the Play-In tournament as they currently sit in 7th despite last night's loss to the LA Clippers. Now the Lakers are only a game back of the Golden State Warriors and the LA Clippers for a chance to vault up to 5th. But even if that doesn’t happen, if they just maintain their position as either the 7th or 8th seed, they will have two shots at locking up an official position in the postseason. This season must feel like a Fever Dream for Lakers fans. Buckle up, things are only getting more interesting.
• After missing 21 games due to a family matter, Golden State Warriors All-Star forward Andrew Wiggins ($0.71, +0.29%) is set to return to the floor at the start of the Playoffs. Many will point to the Warriors’ road woes as their biggest dilemma heading into the playoffs. The truth is that last postseason Wiggins was arguably the team’s second-best player for that entire championship run. If the defending champs had any hopes of making another deep run, they were going to need him back. Now the real question is: How ready will he be?

Well, that is all the news I have for this week. Thanks, everyone, for joining us! I am super excited. to bring you more NBA commentary every week. Have any ideas as to what else you would like to see from this newsletter? Let me know! Till next time, peace!

Happy trading, Jalon

Looking for more weekly in-depth analyses and reactions to the latest NBA news? Then feel free to subscribe to my podcast, Routine Jumper Radio. Every Monday and Wednesday I go live on the AMP Live Radio Show app at 10:30 am to discuss the hottest storylines around the association. The live shows are recorded and later posted on all podcast streaming platforms!

It would be great if you could subscribe as it keeps me motivated to create valuable content for you all!