Best 2 months of the season about to start, some great match ups in this year's first round will make things even more exciting! Other than that Sixers team everybody is going to be in totally competitive mood..And 1 quick note, everybody says it's gonna be Lakers - Cavs playing in June's Finals and I guess it's happening for a couple reasons mostly because of ratings and NBA looking to create a new rivalry (insert Lebron vs Kobe here) BUT I got a feeling somewhere down the road there's gonna be a big time upset...Let's break them down:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Cleveland vs (8) Detroit
It seems that after the epic performance of Lebron during the 2007 Playoffs this Detroit Pistons team is in its downfall..The Pistons are still the most dangerous below .500 team ever to be in the Playoffs because of the collective experience of their veteran starters but where's the motive??? Michael Curry has done a great job coaching a group of veterans who are so hard to be coached, Detroit has had 4 coaches in the last 6 years!!! On the other side there's Cleveland , a team with great chemistry, playing with home court advantage and 1 goal, the ring...The biggest factor besides the presence of LBJ is the absence of AI. Without him the Pistons don’t have anyone else who can compensate for his 18 points and 5 assists...this team has so many holes, and has also lost its leader so can the Pistons make a series out of it??? Let's just say the odds are better for Charlie Villanueva to grow some hair...
Prediction: Cavs in 5 (sweep alert)
Prediction: Cavs in 5 (sweep alert)
(2) Celtics vs (7) Bulls
Well Chicago already managed to pull the upset with a historic game by ROY Derrick Rose (first ever rookie to have 35 & 10 in his playoff debut, he actually had 36 &11) but I'm really not so sold on those Baby Bulls..While the mid season trade has made them a better overall team they are still too inexperienced to pull the upset.. Boston isn't looking good too, with KG probably out for most for the season, but worst case scenario would be for the Celtics to go back to their last year's habits (e.g needed 7th game to win series against Atlanta and Cleveland), they are so damn good to get eliminated even without their emotional leader.
Prediction: Celtics in 7 (although for those of you who watched the game the Bulls have unveiled their well hidden weapon for the series, Vinny's Del Negro's dad, great story here).
(3) Orlando vs (6) Philadelphia
I heard some people talking upset in this series mainly due to the Magic finishing poor the season (by losing games to Knicks and Bucks) while resting injured stars Turkoglu and Lewis...well guess again, Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard is going to bring his A game against a team that is lacking it's best interior presence, Elton Brand and is last in the league in hitting 3's..Orlando will probably double team Iguodala so role players will have to hit big shots...
Prediction: Magic in 5
(4) Atlanta vs (5) Miami
For me, the most interesting series in the East, Hawks look ready to take it to the next level but can they do it again Flash??? Dwyane Wade this year has been injury free creating highlight reels every single night, most important he showed us that he's back and ready to take the Miami franchise on his shoulders. Atlanta clearly has the edge with a balanced, athletic team that can run and shoot from everywhere but Miami's goal should be to try and stay close till the end of the games..if they can manage that then Wade, 1 of the best finishers in the game will be able to take over and deliver...BIG. It's Atlanta's series to lose folks and I never liked coach Woodson for that team!
Prediction: Miami in 6
(3) San Antonio vs (6) DallasPrediction: Celtics in 7 (although for those of you who watched the game the Bulls have unveiled their well hidden weapon for the series, Vinny's Del Negro's dad, great story here).
(3) Orlando vs (6) Philadelphia
I heard some people talking upset in this series mainly due to the Magic finishing poor the season (by losing games to Knicks and Bucks) while resting injured stars Turkoglu and Lewis...well guess again, Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard is going to bring his A game against a team that is lacking it's best interior presence, Elton Brand and is last in the league in hitting 3's..Orlando will probably double team Iguodala so role players will have to hit big shots...
Prediction: Magic in 5
(4) Atlanta vs (5) Miami
For me, the most interesting series in the East, Hawks look ready to take it to the next level but can they do it again Flash??? Dwyane Wade this year has been injury free creating highlight reels every single night, most important he showed us that he's back and ready to take the Miami franchise on his shoulders. Atlanta clearly has the edge with a balanced, athletic team that can run and shoot from everywhere but Miami's goal should be to try and stay close till the end of the games..if they can manage that then Wade, 1 of the best finishers in the game will be able to take over and deliver...BIG. It's Atlanta's series to lose folks and I never liked coach Woodson for that team!
Prediction: Miami in 6
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Los Angeles vs (8) Utah
...Mmmm, I really don't have anything left for here, like.. seriously, the Jazz lost home games against the Wolves (24-58) and the Dubs (29-53) last week to finish a horrendous season where they witnessed: their starting PG, All Star Deron Williams missing the first 20 games, then coming back, then losing F Carlos Boozer for most of season, him coming back but never being the same old Booz (reason possibly being going through a painfull divorce), owner Larry Miller dying after battling diabetes for years,want more??? Yes, it appears that the team's chemistry has been damaged and with Memo Okur not being 100% I don't see them getting it done against a cocky Laker team claiming that everything THAN winning the championship makes the season a failure (yap, it's that kind of attitude people in LA are known to have...)
Prediction: Lakers in 5 (Jazz has 1 of the best home courts in the history of NBA so they might be able to steal 1)
(2) Denver vs (7) New Orleans
It's very unfortunate that 1 of those teams will be eliminated in the 1st round..Denver is coming off a great season, the difference being made by Chauncey Billups; he was the missing part, a general, a true leader and a clutch performer who makes solid decisions and loves to play under pressure..Now, Denver is coached by George Carl, first thing that comes up to my mind??? This!Biggest upset of all times...I enjoy watching the Nuggets play but I'm not afraid to say that other than Billups I consider this team a bunch of immature gangsters from Martin, to Melo, to J.R. Smitht to Chris Andersen who are known to do stupid things in n out of the court: from flagrant fouls, to brawls, to ill advised plays, to refusing coming out of the game, to meaningless confrontations, to drugs, DUI's blahhhhh blahhh blahhhh...
Many people have been saying that Melo is a different person after last summer's experience with the US team in Beijing but really, Chauncey has been the stabilizer....against a very poised New Orleans team run by NBA sensation Crhis Paul the only certain thing is a long and exciting series as long as New Orleans stays healthy..they are not deep but other than Paul they have a great starting 5 with the best offensive rebounder in the game (Chandler) and my boy Peja, 1 of the best all time 3 point shooters.
Prediction: Denver in 6
...Mmmm, I really don't have anything left for here, like.. seriously, the Jazz lost home games against the Wolves (24-58) and the Dubs (29-53) last week to finish a horrendous season where they witnessed: their starting PG, All Star Deron Williams missing the first 20 games, then coming back, then losing F Carlos Boozer for most of season, him coming back but never being the same old Booz (reason possibly being going through a painfull divorce), owner Larry Miller dying after battling diabetes for years,want more??? Yes, it appears that the team's chemistry has been damaged and with Memo Okur not being 100% I don't see them getting it done against a cocky Laker team claiming that everything THAN winning the championship makes the season a failure (yap, it's that kind of attitude people in LA are known to have...)
Prediction: Lakers in 5 (Jazz has 1 of the best home courts in the history of NBA so they might be able to steal 1)
(2) Denver vs (7) New Orleans
It's very unfortunate that 1 of those teams will be eliminated in the 1st round..Denver is coming off a great season, the difference being made by Chauncey Billups; he was the missing part, a general, a true leader and a clutch performer who makes solid decisions and loves to play under pressure..Now, Denver is coached by George Carl, first thing that comes up to my mind??? This!Biggest upset of all times...I enjoy watching the Nuggets play but I'm not afraid to say that other than Billups I consider this team a bunch of immature gangsters from Martin, to Melo, to J.R. Smitht to Chris Andersen who are known to do stupid things in n out of the court: from flagrant fouls, to brawls, to ill advised plays, to refusing coming out of the game, to meaningless confrontations, to drugs, DUI's blahhhhh blahhh blahhhh...
Many people have been saying that Melo is a different person after last summer's experience with the US team in Beijing but really, Chauncey has been the stabilizer....against a very poised New Orleans team run by NBA sensation Crhis Paul the only certain thing is a long and exciting series as long as New Orleans stays healthy..they are not deep but other than Paul they have a great starting 5 with the best offensive rebounder in the game (Chandler) and my boy Peja, 1 of the best all time 3 point shooters.
Prediction: Denver in 6
Dallas has been cruising under the radar for the last couple weeks going from potentially missing the playoffs to climbing at the No6 seed and so the ailing Spurs without Manu Ginobli and a quickly aging Tim Duncan will try to hold court against the surging Mavericks who have won seven out of nine! If Ginobili was healthy, this isn’t even a series. but with his injury, it makes the spurs vulnerable..Duncan ALWAYS turns it up in the playoffs, he looked slower last year, then game 1 of the playoffs, he drops 40...even on one knee, he’s gonna eat Dampier and Bass alive. Howard is a spurs killer, so he’ll be that x-factor... I'm going with experience here, San Antonio always comes up with phenomenal plays, they just deny to lose...Have to say though that this is a totally winnable series for a Dallas team that lost its swagger after getting humiliated in the 1st round of the 2007 playoffs by those Dubs!
Prediction: Spurs in 7
Prediction: Spurs in 7
(4) Portland vs (5) Houston
There’s almost no difference between these teams statistically and that's why it makes sense for them to be the number4 and 5 seed respectively..In a playoff year that is full of entertaining first round match-ups, the showdown between Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets has to be at the top. The Trail Blazers have been tagged as the team of the future as their blend of youth and a defensive mindset has them maturing rapidly. The inexperience of the Blazers is going to be a factor many will bring up, but it could actually help a team that is ignorant to how big the moment is. The Rockets have the T.O.-esque diva, Tracy McGrady, who bounced back and forth before finally ending his season to get knee surgery. Then there is Ron Artest, who has the ability to break down his opponent, or just plain break down and Yao has not found the keys for a playoff success..add this to Rick Adelman's woes during his stints with Portland (lost to NBA finals by Bulls) and Kings (lost memorable 7th game by Lakers) and I see the youngsters advancing and giving some serious trouble to the Lakers...
Prediction: Portland in 7
Prediction: Portland in 7
