NBA playoff fever

This might be the best time of year for sports with the NBA and NHL playoffs starting up, the MLB season beginning, and the NFL draft just around the corner. Only October compares, with baseball postseason and NFL season. I've got my baseball post done (though I really just restricted it to Rangers, heh) and I pay very little attention to the NHL outside of the Stars (growing up in Texas will do that to you). So, I thought I would do my first league-wide prediction post EVER on this blog over the NBA playoffs (where amazing happens). This could be a historic rookie performance, no too different from Derrick Rose exploding for 36 and 11 in his first playoff game. Odds point the other direction, though. I bet I get somewhere around the equivalent of 13 points and 6 boards in 22 minutes off the bench. We'll see, and review my picks in a later post. And I know it's sort of cheating since there has already been one day of NBA playoff action, but fuck it, I'm doing this anyway. Let's get started, shall we?


FIRST ROUND - WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Utah Jazz - This series should be a cakewalk for the Lakers. They might have the best frontcourt in the NBA now that Bynum has come back after dealing with an injury plagued season yet again. This Lakers team is simply stacked across the board and has excellent size, defense, and scoring ability. Plus, they have the best player in the NBA in Kobe Bryant, who also happens to be somewhat experienced in this whole "playoffs" thing. The Jazz have struggled as much as any team in the league lately, losing 7 of their last 9, not to mention a recent drubbing by (guess who). Boozer also just hasn't been able to play at the level he played last year after returning from an injury that kept him out most of the first half of this season. From a talent standpoint, the Jazz should be able to play with the Lakers, but they are in a strange funk right now. The Jazz have an excellent home record this year and have been great at home for a couple of years, so they could maybe take a couple of home games. This is the Lakers, though, and I am only going to give them one.

PREDICTION: Lakers in 5


(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) New Orleand Hornets - This Nuggets team looks really dangerous right now. Chauncey Billups has completely changed the way the team plays, and they have drifted away from the selfish play and complete lack of defense whatsoever that was present in the Iverson era. This team is clicking on all cylinders right now and are 14-3 since March 11. Carmelo has been playing really well lately, even on defense, which I thought was virtually impossible. Isn't is great when great scorers start putting out some defensive effort? On the other side, I don't know really what to think of the New Orleans Hornets. They heavily relied on their role players last year, who have been less than stellar this season. Peja's shooting has gone completely cold, Tyson Chandler isn't nearly the inside presence he was, and the bench honestly just sucks. Chris Paul is unbelievable and to think where this would be without him makes me sad he hasn't won an MVP yet. He had my vote last year, and he should be high in the running this year. Chauncey is a good defender, but I think Chris Paul will put up some big numbers this series. Him and David West are really all this team has though and Denver is a pretty bad matchup for them.

PREDICTION: Nuggets in 6

(3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Dallas Mavericks - Ah, my favorite rivalry is back again. Every time these two teams meet it is immaculate fun. I'll admit my overwhelming Mavericks bias and my overwhelming hate for the San Antonio Spurs, and there is no way that doesn't somehow influence my decision. But seriously, the Spurs have no Ginobili and the Mavericks have Howard for this series. These two could very well be the most important players to their respective teams, even though few seem to see them that way. Ginobili is the yin to Howard's yang; he gives the Spurs the same lift in scoring and defense that Howard gives to the Mavericks. The Spurs just will not be able to score enough points to stay with the Mavericks in this series with their key X-Factor gone. I think Tony Parker is going to have a huge series, since there are no Mavericks who can keep up with him. I also think Dirk will have a great series since no one on the Spurs can match up with him.

NOTE: This is one of those series where game 1 has already been played, and I loved the way the Mavericks contained Parker and Duncan. The Spurs bench looked terrible, the Mavs bench looked great. Dirk was even in foul trouble and had to sit an entire quarter and we still handily beat the Spurs. Another fun fact: the Spurs shot 11-14 from the arc and still lost the game. The long ball definitely won't be that easy for the rest of the series, and the Spurs really need to find someone else to score if they want to stay in this series.

PREDICTION: Mavericks in 6

(4) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (5) Houston Rockets- Another series where game 1 was already played and shit, did the Rockets ever make a statement. This just isn't a good matchup for the Trail Blazers at all and it is a shame, since they were coming into the playoffs as maybe the hottest team in basketball. Maybe it is the lack of playoff experience that is rearing its ugly head, but the Rockets also haven't made it out of the first round since the Olajuwon, Drexler, Barkley Rockets did it in 1997. Something's gotta give in this series. On paper, the Blazers have no answer for Yao except to hopefully get him in foul trouble and Artest can contain Brandon Roy on the perimeter. I figured LaMarcus Aldridge would have a pretty big series, but he was terrible in game 1. I still think he will bounce back and start scoring 20 a game for the team. The Blazers will make it a series, but they will fall short.

PREDICTION: Rockets in 7


EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Detroit Pistons - Ahem...

PREDICTION: Cavs in 4

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Chicago Bulls - A very intriguing series, knowing that the first game went to the Bulls. Baby Bull fever is starting up again with a new and improved baby by the name of Derrick Rose. This speedy, big, polished, athletic freak of a baby showed the NBA world how he can take over a playoff game at this early stage of his career. Rose has all of the tools to be a bigger Chris Paul with a much better scoring ability. It's going to be fun to see him develop. I really don't see him putting up that kind of output again in this series, though, and I think the Celtics will show off their playoff swagger and take over this series in the next few games. The Bulls were incredibly lucky Paul Pierce didnt hit his 2nd free throw before time expired after an absolutely atrocious foul by Joakim Noah. I would be heaving things into the television I were a Bulls fan and saw that shithead staring blankly to the sidelines after hacking the best player on the floor up only 1 with 2 seconds left. Bulls came away with a great win, but I just don't think the Celtics are going to let themselves get beat in the first round.

PREDICTION: Celtics in 6

(3) Orlando Magic vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers - Not much of a contest here. Dwight Howard has been arguably the most dominant player in the NBA all year and the Magic have a strong supporting cast in Alston, Turkoglu, and Lewis. 76ers don't stand much of a chance.

PREDICTION: Magic in 4

(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Miami Heat - This should be a really fun series. The Hawks are probably the most underrated team in basketball and the Heat have been playing great lately and have been fueled by an unreal 2nd half of the season by Dwyane Wade. The Hawks have some great young players and an all star calibur player in Joe Johnson. Their youth and athleticism could benefit them in this series. But, they don't have much of a way to stop Wade, who could have an absolutely monster series. 40 and 10 per game isn't completely unfathomable. Beasley has really come on lately as well, scoring 20+ in his last 5 with rebounding performances of 13, 13, and 16 before sitting most of the final game of the season. Wade will single handedly propel the Heat out of the first round and leave the Hawks with another disappointing first round exit. I really hate to underrate the most underrated team in basketball....sorry, Hawks. We're cool, right?

PREDICTION: Heat in 7


I'm going to post tomorrow and finish the rest of the playoff predictions, so stay toond! I'll leave you with this fine piece of journalistic reporting.

Till then....