The 2015 NBA playoffs are right around the corner, and it is time to make series-by-series predictions.

1. Golden State Warriors - 8. New Orleans Pelicans: WARRIORS in 5.

The Warriors have been making it look easy all season long with their smooth flowing offense and their versatility on defense. Anthony Davis may be able to lead his team to one victory, but the Pelicans ultimately lack experience and offensive firepower to keep up with the Warriors.

2. Houston Rockets - 7. Dallas Mavericks: ROCKETS in 7.

Last playoffs, James Harden laid an egg, with poor shooting and offensive execution. Don’t expect him to do the same this year, but the Mavericks won’t go down without a fight. Behind Rick Carlisle’s brilliance and Dirk Nowitzki’s leadership, the Mavs can push the Rockets to the limit. Expect a lot of Hack-A-Whoever, Josh Smith or Dwight Howard, whatever Dallas has to do to win. They just need a healthy Chandler Parsons to possibly stick him on Harden.

3. Los Angeles Clippers - 6. San Antonio Spurs: SPURS in 6.   

It’s a shame that the Clippers, who have been red hot, may see a first-round exit. Going up against the defending champs, the Clippers need to be physical and learn how to find quality offense in halfcourt sets. After all, the Spurs are the best at slowing the pace down and controlling it. Let’s not forgot that, when in doubt, Gregg Popovich won’t hesitate to use the Hack-A-Jordan strategy.

4. Portland Trail Blazers - 5. Memphis Grizzlies: GRIZZLIES in 7.

The biggest question mark for the Blazers coming in is their health. With Wesley Matthews and Dorell Wright still out and Arron Afflalo and C.J. McCollum questionable to play, the Blazers are extremely thin at the two guard position. Speaking of Matthews, the Blazers are 10-12 without him. His absence will hurt this team largely on both ends of the floor. Not having home court advantage as the four seed is also costly. Can LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard carry a huge load like last year? It will be tougher against the grit-and-grind Grizzlies.

1. Atlanta Hawks - 8. Brooklyn Nets: HAWKS in 5.  

The Brooklyn Nets just barely snuck into the playoffs due to the Indiana Pacers losing their last game. They have been inconsistent all season long and are going to go up against a team that moves the ball around and shoots a high percentage. The Nets, with their mostly stagnant offense, would be lucky to even win one game against one of the best passing and most efficient teams in the league.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers - 7. Boston Celtics: CAVALIERS in 5.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are far more talented than the Boston Celtics, but do not count this Celtics team out. They are very scrappy and play as a unit. They won’t go down too easily. Each night it is someone different who gets the job done for them. However, at the end of the day, three superstars to none will overpower Boston.

3. Chicago Bulls - 6. Milwaukee Bucks: BULLS in 5.

The Milwaukee Bucks were a surprising team during the season, but the playoffs are a whole different ball game. With the Bulls getting healthy at the right time, it is hard to imagine the Bucks winning many games in this series. Although Jason Kidd has done a wonderful job of coaching this young team, the Bulls will most likely wear them out with their physical, playoff level defense. Plus, Chicago is far more potent in the painted area than Milwaukee.

4. Toronto Raptors - Washington Wizards: WIZARDS in 6.

The Raptors swept the Wizards 3-0 during the regular season, but the postseason is a different story. The Wizards shocked the Chicago Bulls last season, and it won’t be surprising if they took down the Raptors this year despite being the fifth seed again. Washington is far more physical and has solid big men play down low.  Sure, their big men have been inconsistent this year, but expect them to play with more intensity and tenacity during the playoffs.