Former Wizards Star John Wall Picks the Detroit Pistons to Win the Eastern Conference Finals

“Ah, that’s interesting. Uh right now my team would be Detroit. I mean I think the Knicks are the team that everybody expects to be that team because of what they did last year. But I think just the level that Cade Cunningham is playing on um is phenomenal. I mean he’s a guy that can do whatever you need. I think having OG Anunoby trying to guard him, he’s a guy that’s 6’7″, 6’8″, physical that can withstand the bumps and contact that OG gives them. But I just think the way they’re playing, they got that grit, that grind attitude, that old school basketball where they’re not backing down from anybody. But also, you know, I mean, the Knicks are a team that’s right there. But my pick would be the Detroit Pistons. You can’t forget the Cavs. You know what I mean? They made a great trade trade for James Harden. So, you got to trying to figure out how that works with the last couple games they got left before the playoffs start. And then, you know, we’re hearing a lot of noise about is Tatum coming back. So, I mean, Jaylen Brown has held it down most of the year and all the other guys. So, it’s it’s going to be a fun race, but I have Detroit Pistons.”

Wall did not give one pick for who will win the west, but when asked who he thinks will give OKC the toughest run, he gave the San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets as his top two:

“There’s two teams. You just talked about one of them, San Antonio Spurs, a team that beat him three times out of one. And when I break down that scenario and I and I try to tell people, OKC and Spurs kind of have similar people, same type of guys. You have a guy in SGA that can change and being so dynamic. You have a guy like Wemby that can impact the game in so many ways. But on the other end, OKC has guys that does the same thing the Spurs does, but the Spurs guys can put the ball on the floor a little bit better in my opinion and create a little better. So I think I mean that Spurs team is there, but you also have the Denver Nuggets. We can’t forget Nicola Jokic. I mean, three-time MVP, a guy that almost the team that almost beat them last year, took him to game seven, and I feel like they could have won that one, but Aaron Gordon pulled a hamstring in game six and he tried to go out there and give it a run in game seven, but you could just tell he really wasn’t himself. And they’re still a team that’s top four, top five in the West right now with Payton Watson, who’s emerging young star for them, that’s been missing a lot of time with the hamstring, and Aaron Gordon’s been out most of the year. and I was watching the game last night and they just said they’ll probably be back in like a week or 10 days. So, if they can get healthy, they’re a team that’s going to be reckoned with in the West. So, those would be my two top teams.”