Tomorrow afternoon marks the start of yet another post-season in the NBA. This year promises to be one of the most exciting playoffs in some time. Here are my predictions:
Eastern Conference:
(1) Bulls vs (8) Pacers- Derrick Rose and Chicago's league-best defense seems to be too much for Danny Granger and Indiana to handle. There is no way Darren Collison will be able to handle Rose, and the Bulls match up tremendously with all of Indiana's key players. I say Bulls win series 4-1.
(2) Heat vs (7) 76ers- Although I love what Doug Collins has done with this young team, Philly stands no chance against Miami. Every matchup on the court, with exception of point guard, goes in the Heat's favor. I do expect Miami to give one up on the road so I say series ends 4-1, Heat.
(3) Celtics vs (6) Knicks- This series will by far be the most compelling of all in the first round. New York is on a good swing coming into the post-season and with Amare fresh and Melo playing his best basketball of the season, the C's have no picnic on their hands. With the Knicks not being known for any notable defense, they probably are in the best situation possible. Since the Kendrick Perkins trade, Boston has clearly been struggling, especially on offense and Rondo has been a shell of his early-season self. Even with all of their flaws, I do not see KG allowing his Eastern Conference champion squad to take an early playoff exit. I say this series will go all the way down to the wire, Celts win in 7, 4-3.
(4) Magic vs (5) Hawks- Last season, in the second round of the playoffs, Orlando DESTROYED Atlanta in a 4 game sweep. I believe this time around will be different. The Magic's frontline besides Dwight Howard is non-existent and their bench is depleted. Also, with the addition of Kirk Hinrich, the Hawks have a scrappy, veteran point guard that actually gives effort on the defensive end, unlike Mike Bibby. With that said, Atlanta still will not be able to hold Dwight and their inconsistency will cripple them in the series. I take Orlando, 4-2.
Western Conference:
(1) Spurs vs (8) Grizzlies- Without their star and leader, Rudy Gay, Memphis has the 5th best record in the Western Conference since the start of 2011. They have a great young nucleus, with vets like Zach Randolph and Shane Battier, who returned to his first NBA team via trade. It has been a big story this week that the Grizz tanked the last few games of the season so they could play San Antonio. This does not sit well with the Spurs and I'm sure this will fuel a fire in the veteran squad. I do believe every game in this series will be tightly contested but without their best player, Memphis won't get past the Spurs. I take San Antonio, 4-2.
(2) Lakers vs (7) Hornets- This is the most lopsided matchup of the entire 1st round. New Orleans is the only team amongst the Western Conference's top 8 that did not get a win against the Lake Show this season. Chris Paul will put up a fight and will be a huge problem for anyone who guards him but that's where it ends for New Orleans. I'm taking L.A. in a sweep, 4-0.
(3) Mavericks vs (6) Trailblazers- Next to the Boston- New York matchup, this is the most intriguing series in the 1st round. Although the Mavs are seeded higher, they seem to be at a disadvantage against Portland. The Blazers are amongst the deepest teams in the entire league and Dallas is short handed offensively. The loss of Caron Butler will hurt the Mavs tremendously in this series. Dirk and Jason Terry are the only two players that Dallas has that score over 15 points consistently. Portland has LeMarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace, Wes Matthews, Nic Batum, and Brandon Roy. It looks like Portland has too much fire power for Dallas to match and I'm picking the Blazers in the series upset, 4-2.
(4) Thunder vs (5) Nuggets- Denver is one of the hottest teams in the league since trading Melo to New York and getting 4 quality players in return. I love watching Denver play. Their energy is great and I love teams that can go 9-10 deep. Unfortunately, their lack of a defined star to take over in a crucial playoff game scares me. No one on the Nuggets will be able to defend Kevin Durant, who will probably score at will and Russell Westbrook will get in the lane at ease. I say OKC wins the series pretty easily, 4-1.
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