The NBA Playoffs started this Saturday and everyone is wondering who will win it all. Well, look no further. This is the definitive NBA playoff preview.

Note: These picks were made before Saturday's opening round games.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) Houston Rockets

Lawrence: The Golden State Warriors are the best team in the NBA right now and the Rockets are the worse team to make the playoffs. This series is going to be short and painful for the Houston Rockets as they're facing the Warriors, a team they failed to beat during the regular seasons and a team that boasts one of the best offenses in NBA history. The Warriors should obliterate the Rockets and it shouldn't even get close, I'm Picking the Warriors in four blowout wins.

Nkechi: Coming off a historical 73-9 regular season, the Golden State Warriors are undoubtedly the favorites to win the Western Conference and to advance to the NBA Finals. The Houston Rockets rely mainly on the offensive performance of guard James Harden. The Rockets will not defeat the Warriors by guard play alone; therefore, they have to feed the ball early to center Dwight Howard in the paint area and get him in a rhythm. However, the Rockets' defense is no match for the Warriors. Houston is ranked #25 in points allowed per game with 106.4 points. The Rockets 106.5 points per game. The Warriors will ultimately obliterate and sweep the Rockets. Get your brooms ready.

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Memphis Grizzlies

Nkechi: An injury-stricken Memphis Grizzlies limps into the first round of the playoffs. Riding a four-game skid, the Grizzlies are feeling the effects of being without stars Mike Conley (Achilles) and Marc Gasol (foot). Memphis will struggle to produce against the San Antonio Spurs' stifling defense. The Spurs will avenge last season's first-round exit by routing the Grizzlies in four games.

Lawrence: The Spurs are one of best teams in recent memory and if not for the Warriors they would be the talk of the NBA season. The Spurs are the only team in the NBA to rank in the top three in both defensive and offensive efficiency. The Spurs also have the best coach in the NBA in Greg Popovich making them a tough match-up for any team especially an injury riddled Memphis Grizzlies team.The Grizzlies have lost Marc Gasol, their best player, for the remainder of the year but Gasol wouldn't have made a difference in this series as the Grizzlies anemic offense will struggle against a superior Spurs defense. The Spurs should coast to a series win in four games.

(3) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (6) Dallas Mavericks

Lawrence: The Dallas Mavericks have preformed better than some expected during this season but their season should come to an end when they face the Thunder. The Thunder boast two of the top five players in the league: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The Thunder also boast the second best offense in the league, which will help them to overwhelm an aging Dallas Mavericks team. I'm picking the Thunder to win this series in 5 games.

Nkechi: In this series, one should expect quick shots early in the shot clock and volume scoring. Both teams like to play in an up-tempo offense. This match-up will come down to a battle of the stars. The performances Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitizki and Deron Williams are crucial in their team winning. In addition, each team will look for an X-factor — Enes Kanter (OKC) and Wesley Matthews — to contribute as a third scorer. However, a third scorer will not be enough for Dallas to fend off the Thunder for an entire series. Oklahoma City has two of the top 10 best players in the league. Durant and Westbrook will absorb a lot of the defensive pressure, leaving their teammates open to shoot. Lastly, if the Thunder can execute, primarily in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, then Oklahoma City will move on to the second round after six games.

(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5) Portland Trailblazers

Nkechi: The Los Angeles Clippers’ bench has to redeem itself after last year’s atrocious showing. But first, the Clippers have to get forward Blake Griffin in a rhythm. Griffin has played in only 5 games since returning from a quadriceps injury that he sustained in December and a hand injury that he sustained in January. Furthermore, the Clippers have to stay in attack mode and capitalize on the Portland Trail Blazers’ turnovers. The Clippers average 16.9 points off turnovers. With ball movement, Portland can force LA’s DeAndre Jordan to be a perimeter defender, creating opportunities to drive to the lane or to make back-door cuts to the basket. Unfortunately, Portland is not a good defensive team, conceding 104.3 points per game to their opponents. All of their efforts will be exhausted on defense, leaving no more gas in the tank to provide enough scoring to edge the Clippers. Clippers will prevail in six games.

Lawrence: The Portland Trailblazers have been the biggest surprise of the NBA season; many thought they would drop off after losing multiple starters from last year's team. The Trailblazers have succeeded in part due to their dynamic offense, which is led by one of the best back-courts in the NBA, the guards CJ McCollum and Damian Lilliard. The Clippers have underwhelmed at times throughout the season while dealing with injuries. The Clippers are now at full strength and have their own talented back-court of Chris Paul and JJ Redick. That back-court in conjunction with the return of Blake Griffin and the Trailblazers' porous defense makes it hard for me to imagine that the Trailblazers' Cinderella season continues. It's not going to be easy but I'm taking the Clippers in six over the Trailblazers.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (8) Detroit Pistons

Lawrence: The Cavaliers start their quest for a championship against the young and talented Detroit Pistons squad. The Cavs are the best team in the east by a large margin and have LeBron James, who is still the best or second best player in the world. What does this mean? It means the Pistons have no chance in this series; the Cavs should overwhelm them, on both offense and defense, and they should take only four games to end the Pistons season. As long as Lebron keeps everyone involved, and Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving hit their shots, it should be smooth sailing for the Cavs.

Nkechi: The Detroit Pistons have not reveled in playoff glory since the 2008-2009 season. Their postseason was cut short after being swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Unfortunately for the Pistons, history will indeed repeat itself. LeBron James and company will be too much for a young Pistons team to handle. This series will end in a classic sweep.

(2) Toronto Raptors vs. (7) Indiana Pacers

Nkechi: The Toronto Raptors might have the higher seeding, but their most recent playoff performances don’t point to them as the obvious winner. The Toronto Raptors are on a 6-game losing streak in the playoffs. The Raptors will look to DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry to create most of the offense. The Pacers’ big men do not do an effective job at moving their feet on defense, so DeRozan and Lowry must consistently attack the basket. On the other hand, the Pacers, who missed last year’s postseason, have a lot to prove. After sustaining an awful leg injury at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain, Paul George finally returned at full strength. George has to be the best player in this series, averaging 30 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds. If George establishes a rhythm, the Raptors must contain the other four Pacers on the court. Lastly, the Raptors can’t overreact to a loss. If they do lose, they still need to believe that they can win the series. Their track record proves that they are a shaky team, but I predict the Raptors to beat the Pacers in seven games.

Lawrence: This is my big upset of the first round of the NBA playoffs. I believe the Indiana Pacers will beat the Toronto Raptors in 6 games. The Pacers operate the league's third best defense and will have to keep the Raptors from getting to the free throw line at will like they have for much of this season. The Pacers will also need Paul George to step up and play like the superstar he is and they need Monta Ellis and Myles Turner to play well if they hope to win. While the Raptors are much better than the Pacers both on paper and on the court this season, this Raptors team has struggled to win games in the playoffs and have lost in the first round of the playoffs for the last two seasons in a row. This team does not have the chutzpah to win when it counts in the playoffs; they have shown it before and they will show it in this series when they lose to an inferior team.

(3) Miami Heat vs (6) Charlotte Hornets

Lawrence: This should turn out to be a close series between two good teams. The Hornets are young and inexperienced team. If they are to win they're going to need Nicholas Batum, whose been too injured to play like he's healthy. They'll need Kemba Walker to step up and hit big shots at the end of the game. The Hornets will also have to hit their threes to win, no team besides the Warriors rely on the three-point shot more than the Hornets; if the threes fall the Hornets will almost certainly win. The Heat, on the other hand, have seasoned playoff veterans such as Dwayne Wade, Joe Johnson, and Luol Deng, mixed with young talent like Hassan Whiteside and Justice Winslow. The Heat's seventh-ranked defense will attempt to create problems for the Hornets. This series should be tightly contested; I'll take Charlotte in 7.

Nkechi: Initially, the Charlotte Hornets were my sleeper in this year’s playoffs. I have since changed my mind, realizing the combination of veterans and young guns for the Miami Heat. Even with the loss of scoring veteran Chris Bosh, the Heat have newcomer Joe Johnson and Goran Dragic to pick up the slack. The Heat’s Hassan Whiteside has transformed into an all-around player. Averaging a double-double in the regular season with 14.2 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game, Whiteside has to continue his regular season success. A premiere shot blocker, Whiteside also leads the league with 3.68 blocks per game. Furthermore, rookies Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson have soared onto the scene, giving teams trouble in containing them. Charlotte will have their hands full, but Kemba Walker has led a team to the promise land once before. Walker, however, needs help from his teammates. The Hornets have to figure a way to get Al Jefferson quality touches in the paint. The Hornets cannot afford to miss the open shots. Still, Charlotte has 1-2 years before they make a deep playoff run. Miami Heat in 6.

(4) Atlanta Hawks vs (5) Boston Celtics

Nkechi: The two teams stack up evenly. Finishing with the same record, 48-34, there is no clear favorite. For Atlanta to come out on top, the Hawks have to space the floor, freeing Al Horford and Paul Millsap for make-able mid-range jumpers. In order to space the floor, Atlanta has to effectively move the ball against a very active Boston team. On defense, the Hawks have to force the Celtics to take tough shots. Boston’s Isaiah Thomas, however, is no stranger to hitting contested buckets. Thomas is lethal in pick-and-roll action and in the paint. As a result, the Hawks will send multiple defensive schemes at Thomas. Boston must set good screens to free up other scoring options such as Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder. In addition, they have to defend the 3-point line. Moreover, the deciding factor of the series is the point guard play. Who will provide more for their team: Atlanta Hawks’ Jeff Teague or Boston Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas? My prediction is Thomas, who will lead his team to triumph in this physical contest in seven games.

Lawrence: Another case of a young, talented, up and coming team (The Celtics) playing a more playoff experienced, veteran team (The Hawks). The Hawks have struggled on the offensive side of the ball while excelling on the defensive end with the League's 2nd best unit. The Hawks will need Paul Millsap and Al Hortford to take care of business vs a weaker Celtic front-court. Isaiah Thomas has had the best season if his career this year and if the Celtics want to continue their season they'll need Thomas to continue playing at this all-star level. I don't think Thomas has enough to carry the Celtics through this series; I'm picking the Hawks in 6.