Yes, I know the NBA Playoffs have already started and that the first round is already behind us, but I don’t start really paying close attention to the NBA playoffs until the second round. Ever since the NBA changes the first round playoff format and extended series from 5-games to 7-games, the NBA playoffs have just become too long and in this year’s case, boring. With the exceptions of Memphis – Clippers series and the Lakers – Nuggets series, these first round matchups have been rather boring to me. To be honest, to date, I may have watched more total minutes of the NHL playoffs than the NBA playoffs. I know we had an 8-seed beat a 1-seed (Sixers over the Bulls), but the Bulls were without last year’s MVP Derrick Rose and pivotal defensive center Joakim Noah. I don’t care how well the Bulls played without D-Rose during the regular season; you can’t sustain a loss like that and expect to win in the playoffs. And losing Joakim Noah was huge, as the Bulls lack front-court depth and they made Spencer Hawes look like the second coming of Moses Malone. The Heat and Knicks series was a big yawn, as the Carmelo-Lebron matchup fell flat on its face. Indiana and Orlando lacked interest for me without Dwight Howard, although big-ups to Ryan Anderson, Go Bears. The Celtics and Hawks series was ok, as I enjoy watching Rondo play. In the Western Conference, both the Memphis-Clippers and Lakers-Nuggets series were entertaining because they went to game 7 and were highly competitive. But both San Antonio and OKC made quick work of Utah and Dallas, not to this bloggers surprise but it was to one Texas/Dallas-bias blogger I know (index finger pointing at you, Professor). All in all, to me, and particularly without a rooting interest, the NBA playoffs don’t get interesting until the second round.
Eastern Conference –
Philadelphia 76ers v. Boston Celtics –
I think the 76ers will give the Celtics a run and make the games fairly competitive, as I do believe the 76ers are a good team and better than their regular season record would say. They have a lot of good, young talented players that if they all develop together, they could make the leap to becoming a top 4 team in the Eastern Conference. I like Jrue Holiday running the point for the 76ers and I even like what Evan Turner brings to the team. I know he is a terrible 3-point shooter, but the guy averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds per game in the regular season and has expanded that to 12 points and 7 rebounds during the playoffs. Andre Iguodala and Spencer Hawes aren’t superstars, but they are playing well and are giving them productive minutes. But the Celtics big-three/three-and-a-half (I guess you still have to include Ray Allen) are playing too well of late to lose this series. And whoever thinks Kevin Garnett is too old to still matter in the NBA is a dope. He has been averaging 20-and-10 during the playoffs and playing like a man possessed. Paul Pierce is being Paul Pierce and with Rajon Rondo liable to get a triple-double at any moment, I can’t see the 76ers over-coming.
Boston in 5 games.
Indiana Pacers v. Miami Heat –
The Pacers are doing everything they can to hype themselves up for this series, saying they aren’t the underdogs and their head coach calling out the Heat for flopping. While all this is probably necessary for them to win, it’s a signal that this team knows it doesn’t stand a chance against the Heat. The lack of a point guard will ultimately be the detriment of the Pacers, and Danny Granger going 1-10 from the floor like he did in game 1 of this series won’t get it done as well. The Heat, even without the services of Chris Bosh, should still beat the Pacers comfortably. Bosh suffered an abdominal strain in Game 1 and as I’m writing this right now, he is out indefinitely and likely out for the series. If by some miracle the Pacers do end up winning this series, it will be a major upset in my book and mayhem will then ensue. Pat Riley will race down from his GM suite like he did when the Heat traded for Shaq and didn’t win a title right away, and come to the rescue of coach Erik Spoelstra; or Riley will trade one of the big-three for a bunch of role-players, finally realizing that you can’t win an NBA Title with just 2 superstars, an overrated, overpaid, and soft big man, and a bunch of D-leaguers.
Miami in 5 games.
Western Conference –
Los Angeles Clippers v. San Antonio Spurs –
For some reason, the more I watch the Clippers, the more I tend to root against them. Frankly, I’m sick of Blake Griffin and his act. I’m sick of his flopping; I’m sick of his two-foot hook shots that he calls dunks, and I think he is quickly developing what is known as the KG complex, a guy who is “fake tough”. But I do think this will actually be a very entertaining series. You have two of the best point guards in the game right now in Chris Paul and Tony Parker going head-to-head against each other. Both are lightening quick with the dribble, both can penetrate the lane, and both are great floor generals. This matchup alone will make this series worth watching. The Spurs however will win the series. It won’t be because the Spurs are more talented or athletic than the Clip-show, but they will out-smart the Clippers. The Spurs are a very well-oiled machine right now and don’t count out the Spurs supporting cast. They are getting productive minutes from guys like Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and Stephen Jackson. In the playoffs, Kawhi is averaging 7 points, 3 rebounds, Danny Green is averaging 9 points, 4 rebounds, and Stephen Jackson is averaging 10 points, 4 rebounds.
San Antonio in 6 games.
Los Angeles Lakers v. Oklahoma City Thunder –
Well, this is the series everyone had hope for since Metta World Peace went Queens Bridge to James Harden dome. All that is missing is a table leg going through someone’s heart (Jim Rome listeners will get that reference) and we might as well be playing this series at Rucker Park. There is no doubt that the competitive juices will be flowing, with both teams wanted to come out with something to prove. I’m sure we are going to see some technical fouls called this series. While you can’t ever count out the Lakers as long as Kobe still wears a jersey, I like OKC to win this series. The combination of Ramon Session and Steve Blake will get abused by Russell Westbrook and Metta World will have to go “Malice at the Palace” to stop Kevin Durant. And quite frankly, like in the Lakers-Nuggets series, I think Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum will be no-shows. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins will completely take away the paint from them, rendering them to being useless and more importantly, heartless. When you have Kobe coming out and saying that he can’t wait for Metta World Peace to come back from suspension because he is the only player he can count on, you as a team have major issues.
Oklahoma City in 6 games.
Eastern Conference –
Boston Celtics v. Miami Heat –
This should shape up to be another classic bout between these two heavyweights of the Eastern Conference. The Heat and the Celtics, and mainly the Celtics v. LeBron, have always been contentious and hard-fought. Unlike the Pacers series, the Heat will need Chris Bosh to beat the Celtics. If the Heat want to sit Bosh down for the Pacers series and let him recover from his abdominal strain, they could probably do that and still win. But they will need Bosh to body up against KG in this series, as he is playing lights-out in the playoffs. But the Heat will be too much for the Celtics. For as good as KG and Rajon Rondo are playing, Ray Allen not being Jesus Shuttlesworth will finally catch-up with the Celtics.
Miami in 7 games.
Oklahoma City Thunder v. San Antonio Spurs –
I think this will finally be the year that OKC makes the leap and get into the Finals. If they don’t do it this year, then I’m not sure when they will. They have James Harden and Serge Ibaka both becoming free agents soon and many think they won’t have the cash necessary to sign both of them. They could amnesty Kendrick Perkins to free up cash, but that will only give them enough to sign one of them, so I feel there is a small sense of urgency with the Thunder to win a championship with this core. And while the Spurs are still the old, craft-veteran team that will out-coach and out-smart you to death, I just think OKC’s talent will overcome all those intangibles and they will take this series in a nail-biter.
OKC in 7 games.
Mr. Armchair Speaking –
No comments:
Post a Comment