NBA playoff predictions
Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 4:50 pm
Season is over. Griffith and the Clips are gone (sorry ESPN). Here are my predictions for the NBA playoffs...
EASTERN CONFERENCE
INDIANA PACERS (8)/CHICAGO BULLS (1)---Bulls have Derrick Rose leading the team. Bulls have home court through the playoffs. Pacers don't even have Reggie Miller (as if that would help)...Bulls in 5.
ATLANTA HAWKS (5)/ORLANDO MAGIC (4)---Magic do have Dwight Howard in the middle and are led by Jameer Nelson out front, which makes one wonder how they are #4 and how they lost the season series to the Hawks. The Hawks played to their competition which should make it easy to get up for games in the playoffs...Hawks in 6.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (7)/MIAMI HEAT (2)---Getting LeBron James and Chris Bosh was supposed to give the Heat multiple championships, not give them second in the East. Doug Collins was a good hire for the Sixers, but the Heat have too much in this series...Heat in 5.
NEW YORK KNICKS (6)/BOSTON CELTICS (3)---Carmelo Anthony was supposed to get the Knicks over the hump, yet Denver ended with a better record post trade than the Knicks. The Celtics may be getting older, but they are still the Celtics...Celtics in 6.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (8)/SAN ANTONIO SPURS (1)---Ginobli may miss the first game and the rest of the Spurs are getting older. There is some thought that the Grizzlies may have rested their players too early to avoid the Mavs and Lakers. Be careful what you wish for...Spurs in 5.
DENVER NUGGETS (5)/OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (4)---The Nuggets unloaded their distraction (Anthony) at the trade deadline, then actually improved their standing by the end. The Thunder got Perkins to complement both Durant and Westbrook making them dangerous...Thunder in 6.
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS (7)/LOS ANGELES LAKERS (2)---A bad matchup for the Hornets as they were swept by the Lakers during the season. Even with Bynum at limited strength, there is just too much power for the Hornets to think they can take this...Lakers in 5.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (6)/DALLAS MAVERICKS (3)---The Blazers dealt with major injuries at the beginning of the year which led to the emergence of LaMarcus Aldridge. Now they are just starting to get healthy. The Mavericks still have Nowitzki and Kidd to lead them. The Blazers took two games from the Mavericks at the end of the year so the confidence is there...Blazers in 6.
CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS
ATLANTA HAWKS (5)/CHICAGO BULLS (1)---Bulls too much for the Hawks...Bulls in 5.
BOSTON CELTICS (3)/MIAMI HEAT (2)---In tight games, the Heat don't know who to go to. The Celtics know...Celtics in 6.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (4)/SAN ANTONIO SPURS (1)---The Spurs are old, the Thunder are young and energetic...Thunder in 6.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (6)/LOS ANGELES LAKERS (2)---Blazers healthy and dangerous, but the Lakers should have Bynum and Blake back and won't lose at home...Lakers in 7.
CONFERENCE FINALS
BOSTON CELTICS (3)/CHICAGO BULLS (1)---The Bulls may be the future, but the last few years showed never count the Celtics out...Celtics in 7.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (4)/LOS ANGELES LAKERS (2)---Kobe and company say "not yet" to Durant and company...Lakers in 6.
NBA FINALS
BOSTON CELTICS/LOS ANGELES LAKERS---Phil Jackson rides off in the sunset Hollywood style...Lakers in 5.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
INDIANA PACERS (8)/CHICAGO BULLS (1)---Bulls have Derrick Rose leading the team. Bulls have home court through the playoffs. Pacers don't even have Reggie Miller (as if that would help)...Bulls in 5.
ATLANTA HAWKS (5)/ORLANDO MAGIC (4)---Magic do have Dwight Howard in the middle and are led by Jameer Nelson out front, which makes one wonder how they are #4 and how they lost the season series to the Hawks. The Hawks played to their competition which should make it easy to get up for games in the playoffs...Hawks in 6.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (7)/MIAMI HEAT (2)---Getting LeBron James and Chris Bosh was supposed to give the Heat multiple championships, not give them second in the East. Doug Collins was a good hire for the Sixers, but the Heat have too much in this series...Heat in 5.
NEW YORK KNICKS (6)/BOSTON CELTICS (3)---Carmelo Anthony was supposed to get the Knicks over the hump, yet Denver ended with a better record post trade than the Knicks. The Celtics may be getting older, but they are still the Celtics...Celtics in 6.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (8)/SAN ANTONIO SPURS (1)---Ginobli may miss the first game and the rest of the Spurs are getting older. There is some thought that the Grizzlies may have rested their players too early to avoid the Mavs and Lakers. Be careful what you wish for...Spurs in 5.
DENVER NUGGETS (5)/OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (4)---The Nuggets unloaded their distraction (Anthony) at the trade deadline, then actually improved their standing by the end. The Thunder got Perkins to complement both Durant and Westbrook making them dangerous...Thunder in 6.
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS (7)/LOS ANGELES LAKERS (2)---A bad matchup for the Hornets as they were swept by the Lakers during the season. Even with Bynum at limited strength, there is just too much power for the Hornets to think they can take this...Lakers in 5.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (6)/DALLAS MAVERICKS (3)---The Blazers dealt with major injuries at the beginning of the year which led to the emergence of LaMarcus Aldridge. Now they are just starting to get healthy. The Mavericks still have Nowitzki and Kidd to lead them. The Blazers took two games from the Mavericks at the end of the year so the confidence is there...Blazers in 6.
CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS
ATLANTA HAWKS (5)/CHICAGO BULLS (1)---Bulls too much for the Hawks...Bulls in 5.
BOSTON CELTICS (3)/MIAMI HEAT (2)---In tight games, the Heat don't know who to go to. The Celtics know...Celtics in 6.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (4)/SAN ANTONIO SPURS (1)---The Spurs are old, the Thunder are young and energetic...Thunder in 6.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (6)/LOS ANGELES LAKERS (2)---Blazers healthy and dangerous, but the Lakers should have Bynum and Blake back and won't lose at home...Lakers in 7.
CONFERENCE FINALS
BOSTON CELTICS (3)/CHICAGO BULLS (1)---The Bulls may be the future, but the last few years showed never count the Celtics out...Celtics in 7.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (4)/LOS ANGELES LAKERS (2)---Kobe and company say "not yet" to Durant and company...Lakers in 6.
NBA FINALS
BOSTON CELTICS/LOS ANGELES LAKERS---Phil Jackson rides off in the sunset Hollywood style...Lakers in 5.