Your NBA Eastern Conference Semifinal Primer

After carrying Toronto past Indiana in Game 7, can DeMar DeRozan top Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat?

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

Ed. Note- We know that the second round has already begun in the West, but we wanted to wait until all the NBA's playoff matchups were set to post our previews. Deal with it.

Anyways, here are Adam's breakdowns of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #4 Atlanta Hawks

After sweeping the Detroit Pistons in arguably the closest four-game, best-of-seven, series in NBA history, the Cavaliers are well on their way to consecutive Eastern Conference titles.

Although the Cavaliers are under a different head coach this postseason, they have a stronger, healthier roster in 2016. Of course, they have LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, but Kevin Love seems to be the x-factor.

East Round 1 Preview: (3) Toronto Raptors vs. (6) Brooklyn Nets

Kyle Lowry's biggest national moment this year was a trade rumor involving the Knicks. But that's about to change.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

By the Numbers:

Toronto:
48-34 (26-15 Home; 22-19 Road)
PPG: 101.3 (13th); PPG Allowed: 98.0 (7th)
+3.2 Average Scoring Margin (9th)
Off Rating: 105.8 (9th); Def Rating: 102.4 (9th)
+3.5 Net Efficiency Rating (T-8th)

Brooklyn:
44-38 (28-13 Home; 16-25 Road)
PPG: 98.5 (21st); PPG Allowed: 99.5 (11th)
-1.0 Average Scoring Margin (19th)
Off Rating: 104.4 (14th); Def Rating: 104.9 (19th)
-0.5 Net Efficiency Rating (17th)

Season Series: Tied 2-2
Brooklyn 102, Toronto 100 (November 26)
Toronto 96, Brooklyn 80 (January 11)
Toronto 104, Brooklyn 103 (January 27)
Brooklyn 101, Toronto 97 (March 10)

Four Things That Might Happen At The NBA Trade Deadline

NBA GM's will be by the phone Thursday, but will anyone big get moved?

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

The NBA Trade Deadline is TODAY, Thursday, at 3 p.m. Here are a few things that might happen:

1. The Knicks trade Iman Shumpert and Ray Felton for Darren Collison and Reggie Bullock (or Matt Barnes)

This one seems probable, and fair for both sides. The money doesn't work out unless the Clippers agree to fit Shumpert's contract into the trade exception they got out of the Eric Bledsoe trade this summer, otherwise they'd have to throw in Willie Green.