Western Conference
(1) San Antonio Spurs
vs (8) Utah Jazz
What a season for the San Antonio Spurs. With the shortened
season and games pretty much every other day, many thought the older Spurs may
face some difficulties. But with great coaching from Gregg Popovich, and an
incredible year from Tony Parker, they’re the best team in the Western
Conference. However, they do face a dangerous team in the Utah Jazz who will be
looking to build off great seasons from Gordon Hayward, Paul Millsap, and Al
Jefferson to give the Spurs some trouble. I wouldn’t expect the Spurs to get
upset as they did last year, but I think Utah is going to give them some
trouble in the paint, as Jefferson has been a beast down low this year, and Tim
Duncan’s body is far from what it used to be. That being said, Tony Parker and
Manu Ginobli look as good as ever, so I see them moving on after a great first
round series.
Prediction: Spurs in
6
(2) Oklahoma City
Thunder vs (7) Dallas Mavericks
It seems like once again we’re going into the NBA playoffs
not giving the Dallas Mavericks any respect. However, this is not the same team
that won the championship last year, and unfortunately, they’re facing who are
many people’s pick to make the finals in the Thunder. Dirk does look good once
again after really struggling out the gate this season, but even as good as
Dirk can be, this conference belongs to Kevin Durant – oh yeah, and Russell
Westbrook’s pretty good too.
Last playoffs we saw a lot of controversy in the amount of
shots Westbrook was taking in comparison to Durant. However, Westbrook looks to
have matured quite a bit, and despite still shooting more than Durant, things
seem just fine as they are averaging a combined 51.6 points per game. Dirk will
be able to steal a game, but I think that might be it.
Prediction: Thunder
in 5
(3) LA Lakers vs (6)
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets don’t have any real superstars, but coach
George Karl seems to have his team bought in as once again the Nuggets make the
playoffs after a surprisingly solid season. On the other hand, the Lakers – who
many counted out before the season began…cough cough Bill Simmons cough – have
had a very respectable year with Kobe placing second in the scoring race, and
Andrew Bynum playing like a beast for most games, and a bonehead for the rest.
If Kobe shoots a bit less and feeds the beast that is Andrew Bynum, this will
be a short series. But if he decides to take every shot…well, it’s Kobe, and I
they’ll still probably win. Kobe doin’ work.
Prediction: Lakers in
5
(4) Memphis Grizzlies
vs (5) LA Clippers
This series has the potential to be the most exciting series
of the first round. From the moment the lockout ended until now, the Clippers
have been one of the most talked about teams in the NBA. With the addition of
Chris Paul to a team built on the freak talent that is Blake Griffin, there’s a
lot to like about this team. And despite having a less than spectacular season
with plenty of ups and downs, the Clippers are back in the playoffs.
Unfortunately for them, they face the Memphis Grizzlies who
have only gotten better since their very respectable playoff run last season,
and they look like one of the most dangerous teams in the league. In terms of
depth, there may be no one deeper than the Grizz, and if their key bigs Zach
Randolph and Marc Gasol play as dominant as they did last post-season, then
this Clippers team is in trouble. However the Grizzlies need to get past one
huge obstacle: Chris Paul. CP3 is a maniac in the playoffs and has shown that
when he turns it on he can single-handedly beat any team in the league. Thankfully
for the Grizzlies, they have arguably the best perimeter defender in the league
in Tony Allen, and Ohio State alumni, Mike Conley Jr. has really started to
come into his own on both ends of the floor and may be able to somewhat contain
Paul when Allen is resting or in foul trouble. However, I still expect a few of
those lights-out games from Chris Paul, but unfortunately I don’t think it will
be enough.
Prediction: Grizzlies
in 7
Eastern Conference
(1) Chicago Bulls vs
(8) Philadelphia 76ers
Last year, the Chicago Bulls were riding a lot of hype going
into the playoffs. Derrick Rose was cruising towards his first MVP trophy, they
finished with the best record in the NBA, and many had them as the favorite to
win it all. Last year didn’t end up being everything they hoped for, but this
year they’re going into the playoffs being looked at a bit differently. Even
with Rose missing a large chunk of the season, the Bulls are tied with the Spurs
for the best in the league. The difference is, nobody is really talking about
them this time around. The Bulls are most likely enjoying their rare underdog
status, however that won’t kick in until they potentially face the Heat in the
Eastern Conference Finals. As for right now, they face the 76ers, who have
stumbled into the playoffs after a great start to the season. The 76ers will be
out matched in every aspect of this series, and I don’t expect them to do much
damage to a Bulls team that will be playing with a championship-or-bust
attitude in these playoffs.
Prediction: Bulls in
4
(2) Miami Heat vs (7)
New York Knicks
There is so much to look forward to in this series that I
desperately hope it isn’t a sweep. If you were to ask me (a Knicks fan) two
months ago if the Knicks had a hope in winning even a game against this Heat
team I would say “absolutely not.” But, there is no denying how good the Knicks
have looked since Mike D’Antoni quit the team and Mike Woodson took over.
Carmelo Anthony has been lights out, Iman Shumpert and Landry Fields have been
playing great on both ends of the floor, and we’ve seen the emergence of the
legend that is Steve Novak. Many thought that once Jeremy Lin went down, so would
their playoff chances, but this team has adapted to change very well and looks
like a brand new team. All that being said, the Heat will be playing with a
chip on their shoulder from last year, and LeBron James has had one of the
greatest statistical seasons of all time, so the Knicks will be in trouble. Unfortunately
I expect LeBron to simply play too well for the Knicks to handle, and although
they may be able to steal a couple of games, the Heat seem to once again be the
team to beat this post-season.
Prediction: Heat in 6
(3) Indiana Pacers vs
(6) Orlando Magic
Believe it or not, this might be the most lopsided match-up
of the first round. The Pacers have had a great season and have played
consistently well all season long. The Magic have been a nightmare, thanks
entirely to Dwight Howard. Howard has reached LeBron James status in terms of
being hated, and with the distraction he causes to his team I’m not sure if his
season-ending back injury is a bad thing or a good thing for the Magic. But
then I remember how good of a basketball player Howard is despite his boneheadedness,
and it’s clear this is going to be rough for the Magic. They don’t have anyone
who can create their own shots, and without Howard they don’t really have much
of an identity. The Pacers are deep, and unlike the Magic, they play well as a
team. This series says sweep all over it.
Prediction: Pacers in
4
(4) Boston Celtics vs
(5) Atlanta Hawks
Over the past few seasons everyone seems to share two
opinions about the NBA playoffs: The Celtics are too old, and the Hawks won’t
make it past the first round. In this series, something’s gotta give. And with
the way the Celtics have been playing (which has been very well), it looks like
the Hawks won’t make it past the first round. Kevin Garnett has had a great
year, especially defensively, and despite a Dirk-like start to the season (as
in seemingly out of shape), Paul Pierce is playing like he should, as one of
the best players in the league. Rajon Rondo still can’t shoot, but he’s still
one of the most talented players in this league, and I would not be surprised
to see a memorable triple-double from him at some point in this series. As for
the Hawks, they’re still very dependent on the extremely overrated and overpaid
Joe Johnson, so obviously things aren’t looking good for them.
Prediction: Celtics
in 5
