Keeping it simple and sweet...
Eastern Conference
MIAMI HEAT (1) VS.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS (8)
The Heat are overwhelming favorites to win out the East and,
to a lesser extent given the talent out West, repeat as NBA Champs. They enter
the playoffs with the best record in the league by a lot, on an eight game
winning streak, and are getting healthy at just the right time. I like the
Bucks and think they are an understated team in the field but they draw a near
insurmountable task of knocking off the defending Champs in the first round.
Miami’s depth, excellent defense and championship pedigree handle business
here.
Heat in 4
NEW YORK KNICKS
(2) VS. BOSTON CELTICS (7)
Oh goody. We get our favorite territorial rivalry of all
sports: New York v Boston. Here, the Knicks are favorites as one of the hottest
teams in the league with a near unconscious Carmelo Anthony scoring in bunches
right now. They've basically been in cruise control in the Atlantic since the
get-go of the season and should move on against a Boston team that, while
talented, has been no better than a .500 club this season. A lot can be said
about KG and Paul Pierce’s collective heart and have been rested down the
stretch but they're still facing an uphill battle trying to win four against
the Knicks. It'll be an entertaining series only because of the bad blood
between the two teams and the history between the two cities. But
Knicks in 5
INDIANA PACERS (3)
VS. ATLANTA HAWKS (6)
This should be a good series as they split four head to head
meetings this year and are evenly matched talent-wise. The Pacers have been
slipping as of late and without Grainger are not going to be able to make a
serious push at a deep playoff run. They are likely to sneak out of this first
round matchup with the Hawks who are also stumbling into the playoffs but even
that isn’t a sure thing as Horford and Smith are still as solid as they've ever
been. This one might go the distance.
Pacers in 6
BROOKLYN NETS (4)
VS. CHICAGO BULLS (5)
It’s hard to make out this series as both teams are relative
underachievers. In a sense, the Nets ought to be stoked they make the move to
Brooklyn, open a new arena and make the playoffs as a four seed in their first
season but there have been all sorts of questions about the effectiveness of
their rotation and highly paid stars Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace. The Bulls,
on the other hand, have been waiting on Derrick Rose all season and still won’t
get him in time and though they are solid through the roster, they don't have
any elite scoring options and are going to be trotting out a banged up and,
recently, less-than-effective Joakim Noah. The Nets are poised to take the
series if they play as well as they've been playing down the stretch.
Nets in 6
Western Conference
OKLAHOMA CITY
THUNDER (1) VS. HOUSTON ROCKETS (8)
James Harden is back in OKC. He leads one of the most
prolific offensive attacks in the NBA into his old stomping grounds where the
Rockets will try and blitzkrieg their way past the top seed in the West. That'll be a tall billing though as Durant and Westbrook have had great years once
again and Harden’s replacement, Kevin Martin, has picked up the slack meaning
Oklahoma City should be able to score plenty, too. The Thunder are the superior
defensive team and should have no problems shorting Houston’s scoring enough to
win four games first and are in position for another run at the NBA finals.
Thunder in 5
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (2) VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS (7)
Although the Spurs have been dominant this season in
amassing a stellar record and challenged for the top spot in the West until
late, they may very well be the perfect first round match for the Lakers as
they might be the only team they can beat. Both teams are old and dealing with
injuries although Kobe’s loss will be more significant than a hobbled,
less-than-100% Ginobili or Parker. That said, the Lakers are still rostering
three proven stars in Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol and can take this
series if they can dominate the paint and the boards. I'm still anticipating
that the Spurs get to the next round but if there was ever a team the Lakers
could beat, it’s this one so don't be shocked.
Spurs in 6
DENVER NUGGETS (3)
VS. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (6)
At first, my inclination was that the Nuggets were the team
the Warriors did not want to see in the first round. As a Warrior fan, I was
hoping they would slip following Gallinari’s injury and be overtaken for the
three seed by the Clippers whom Golden State dominated this season. Instead,
Denver’s steady and balanced roster went on a tear since the injury and, though
possessing not a single all-star, can run up and down the court with the best
of them and play strong on both ends. The Warriors’ success in the playoffs
will depend on Andrew Bogut’s effectiveness and it has to be encouraging that
he was able to suit up and log nearly 20 minutes in the final game of the
season. Still, the issue with Bogut will be his ability to keep up with Denver’s
breakneck pace which is probably not going to happen meaning he will likely not
be on the court much at all making it very hard for the Warriors to contend
with Denver at the rim. I'm calling this thing to go the distance regardless of
outcome but my heart is telling me to go with
Warriors in 7
LOS ANGELES
CLIPPERS (4) VS. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (5)
Rematch. This was one of the more wildly entertaining series
of last year’s postseason as it went 7 and was chippy from start to finish. The
two teams boast the same record and two polar opposite playing styles; the
Clippers are flashy and like to score a lot of points and the Grizzlies like to
keep teams from doing that by playing some of the best defense in the league.
The Clippers’ fates run through CP3 and Mike Conley plays him tough making that
the matchup to key in on. How LA’s bigs guard and manage Gasol and Randolph
will also determine if this series ends up like last year’s with the Clippers
sneaking into the next round. I’m calling a Clipper let down; after a sizzling hot
start, they've looked solid but not elite and have shown to have trouble with
teams that shut them down outside of the paint. But it’s still going the
distance and it’s still going to be wild as all hell to watch.
Grizzlies in 7
Dig it.
No comments:
Post a Comment