NBA: 3 star-studded first-round matchups we want to see

With the NBA slated for a July 31st return date, there could be several intriguing first-round matchups depending on how the standings shape up.

After months of justified concern that the NBA season would get canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the league has gained traction towards a return recently. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski released a report recently that sparked hope in fans everywhere, assuring that the league has a planned scenario to finish this season.

"“So the NBA’s inviting 22 teams to Orlando: 13 Western Conference, nine Eastern Conference. Eight-regular season games per team. Play-in for the 8th seeds. July 31-October 12. Vote tomorrow to ratify. The NBA’s back.”"

With a renewed hope that the league will soon return, those final eight regular season games could be crucial for almost all 22 teams involved. The current NBA standings showcase a variety of exciting first-round matchups, but given how jam-packed the standings are, several teams’ seeding could shift drastically.

For example, seeds 2-7 were separated by just 5.5 games when the NBA suspended play in March in the Western Conference. Simultaneously, seeds 3-6 in the Eastern were in a similar situation, separated by just 4.5 games.

Playing eight more regular-season games may just seem like a way to give players some time back on the court rather than just jumping straight into the playoffs, but it is much more crucial than that. These final games could create some top-tier first-round matchups between both conferences, some that could possibly shift the NBA landscape entirely.

While the NBA is still over a month from returning, here are three potential first-round matchups that would have fans glued to the television screen.