NBA Playoffs : Second Round Preview

Now I know its a bit late but thats due to those pesky Game 7's. Lets first recap my predictions on the first round!



Prediction : Spurs over Jazz in 4 Games (Spurs won in 4)

Prediction : Thunder over Mavs in 6 Games (Thunder won in 4)

Prediction : Nuggets over Lakers in 7 Games (Lakers won in 7)

Prediction : Clippers over Grizzlies in 7 Games (Clippers won in 7)

Prediction : Bulls over 76ers in 5 Games (76ers won in 6)

Prediction : Heat over Knicks in 7 Games (Heat won in 5)

Prediction : Pacers over Magic in 6 Games (Pacers won in 5)

Prediction : Celtics over Heat in 5 Games (Celtics won in 6)



Ok so that wasn't too bad and pretty spot on. The Lakers Nuggets series could've gone either way, and the Bulls lost D Rose and Noah and who could've seen both of that. Even though I'm a Knick fan they were done hard by the Shumpert and Stat injuries mid series. Probably would've won another game and forced it to 6 but never won the series. Was a great first round but now the scrubs (Melo) are gone and its time for the second round.



Western Conference :



1. San Antonio Spurs defeats 5. Los Angeles Clippers in 5 Games

Spurs are too deep and too good defensively. Duncan is going to force Blake to take jumpers all day and Tony Parker will not let CP3 take over games. I still think the Clippers can get one at home but this series is going to be short and San Antonio will be once again rested heading into another series.



2. Oklahoma City Thunder defeats 3. Los Angeles Lakers in 4 Games

Whoa Laker fans who bashed me about the Nuggets prediction calm down again. Listen carefully, your team sucks I know I know Kobe bla bla but they aren't very good. The best thing that could happen to this team is it gets blown up in the offseason and they start over. The Thunder have a better team and are younger and quicker than the Lakers. Only way the Lakers stand a chance is they keep their starting 5 in the whole game every game. This could get very ugly ala the Mavs series last year. Elbowgate replay?





Eastern Conference :



1. Miami Heat defeats 3. Indiana Pacers in 7 Games

Full disclosure I am writing this after game 1 so Bosh is done for the series now. With that being said I cant see Lebron and Wade losing this series as much as that pains me to write. The Pacers have a nice team, I love the way they play they are deep as hell and very aggressive with guys who just come in to use up their fouls. Still I think the have Nuggets syndrome with no one to close out games. Will be competitive and I think if we see a Game 7 it could get really interesting...feeling the Heat much Lebron (no pun intended).



4. Boston Celtics defeats 8. Philadelphia 76ers in 5 Games

Its great to see Philly still in it. Doug Collins has done a great job in his tenure there and they have done a good job keeping Iggy in a Sixer uniform and not caving to trade rumors. However they are playing a fully healthy Rajon Rondo led Celtics team. I think Boston is going to go to Philly win 2 and then come home and close them out. Was a nice run (thanks to a ton of injury help to be fair) by the Sixers but they'll be better and back next year.





There ya go Enjoy the games and lets see if I can keep the predictions going in the right direction!

NBA Playoffs Are Here! 1st Round Predictions

Well the fast pace lockout shortened season is over and its time for the playoffs. No real surprises this year in either conference in terms of playoff teams but injuries and parody make this one of the most competitive playoffs I can remember. Was pretty good in previous years predicting who would win so lets start things off with the West Side!

Western Conference

1. San Antonio Spurs defeats 8. Utah Jazz in 4 Games

Can't see Utah winning a game here unless Al Jefferson plays out of his mind ala Zach Randolph last year. That's not gonna happen though and a strong deep and a 100% Manu means the Spurs sweep the young Jazz.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder defeats 7. Dallas Mavericks in 6 Games

Elbow gate is over Harden is going to be back for the series which is big. OKC almost beat the Mavs last year but will get the job done this year. Mavs are just getting old and stale. Lost key players from last years Championship team and just aren't the same. See them winning atleast 1 game this series but just because they are the champs and Dirk is there I'll give them 2. OKC in 6.

6. Denver Nuggets defeats 3. Los Angeles Lakers in 7 Games

Uh oh what's this? Yes upset city here. Denver pulls it off. This to me is not about superstars but all around deep teams. Denver has it LA doesnt come close. Metta World War is out for all but game 7 here so that even kills the depth more for LA. Denver has no match for Bynum, Gasol and Kobe and yes that sounds crazy but in every other way I give the nod to Denver including coaching. Denver runs, plays D, moves the ball around and isn't selfish. Either way this is going to be one hell of a series as its a clash of styles like no other series has.

5. Los Angeles Clippers defeats 4. Memphis Grizzlies in 7 Games

Did I tell you how exciting these playoffs are going to be?! Well this is going to be easily my favorite series to watch besides the Knicks. These 2 teams are so young and talented its unfair. LA doesn't have too much of a bench but their starting 5 is dangerous. I give them the edge over Memphis because of one guy CP3. Look he won series in New Orleans with nobody.

Eastern Conference

1. Chicago Bulls defeats 8. Philadelphia 76ers in 5 Games

Philly has a solid team yes but Chicago is just too strong for them. Even if D Rose isn't 100% they move on and in 5 games giving D Rose extra time to heal for the next series.....

2. Miami Heat defeats 7. New York Knicks in 7 Games

Yes I know I am a Knicks fan and yes I know I hate Lebron and the Heat with a passion but hear me out. I'm saying 7 games because the Knicks are really gelling post D'Antoni. You have matchup problems across the board for the Heat. The key here are two matchups. Amare vs Bosh is the biggest in my mind. If Amare can shut down Bosh Knicks have a chance to win some games here. The real key and this is obvious is Carmelo has to be lights out like he has been here at the end of the year. He needs to do everything Lebron is doing but more. Thats the only way the Knicks have a shot. With all that being said I still don't see them taking it but I'll give it 7 games. Go Knicks!

3. Indiana Pacers defeats 6. Orlando Magic in 6 Games

Why no one talks about Indiana boggles my mind but I'm a believer. We are talking about a team with great depth and a really really good Center in Hibbert. Now Orlando here will not have Dwight "team ruin-er" Howard but this is where Stan Van shows his coaching ability. He will pull off two wins against a strong Indiana team. Yes they lose but that hey they don't get swept!

4. Boston Celtics defeats 5. Atlanta Hawks in 5 Games

Atlanta has a lot of talent but they need to dump some to get a legit Point Guard. Been saying it for years! Smith, Johnson and Horford is sick but you have no point guard. Trade Smith get a PG in there and we can talk about being more than just a 4 seed every year. Celtics win this easily because of Rondo. Rondo has been the best shot creating PG this season and that's all he will do this series. I literally could see him get 30 assists against the Hawks this round. Celtics will enjoy a nice easy series here and then have to face the Bulls....


So there ya go Enjoy the games!

NBA Playoffs Conference Finals

Alright like last time lets check my results from the second round predictions :

Eastern :
Celtics over Cavs in 7 (Celtics won in 6)
Magic over Hawks in 6 (Magic won in 4)

Western :
Lakers over Jazz in 5 (Lakers won in 4)
Spurs over Suns in 7 (Suns won in 4)

3 fucking sweeps this past round really shocked me. The Jazz I thought had matchup problems with the Lakers so no surprise there but Spurs and Hawks to just die like they did....I still don't think I underestimated the Magic but Im getting a bit worried I did seeing their blowout after blowout. And yes I picked the Celtics go check you fucks I'll take my credit now! Overall it was a horrible second round, one of the worst in years and hopefully the upcoming Conference finals will help us put the second round out of our minds. Here are my predictions :

Eastern Conference :

Celtics over Magic in 7 : Why? I have no idea. Yes they beat the Cavs but everything is pointing to a Magic win in this series. They look so good against the Hawks and Bobcats but that is exactly it, it was the Hawks and Bobcats. With KG getting 100% and Rondo playing out of his mind they very well could take this series. Mostly though I'm picking the Celtics because I want to see another Boston LA Finals as I think the Celtics have the better chance to beat the Lakers than the Magic do. Celtics in 7 close fun games


Lakers over Suns in 6 : The worst possible thing for Laker haters like myself happened when they swept the Jazz. They got extra rest. So now they are fully rested to play the fast pace Suns who in my opinion are playing way above their potential. You gotta take the Lakers here and I'll say it goes six just because I think Nash can squeeze out atleast a victory or 2.

There ya have it although I'll probably just be on Lebron watch over the next 2 weeks!

NBA Playoffs Second Round

Ok so it has started but I'm still going to predict the results. First lets take a look at my first round results :

East :
Cavs over Bulls in 4 (Cavs won in 5 games)
Orlando over Charlotte in 5 (Magic won in 4)
Atlanta over Milwaukee in 5 (Atlant won in 7)
Boston over Miami in 6 (Boston won in 5)

West :
Lakers over Thunder in 6 (Lakers won in 6)
Dallas over Spurs in 6 (Spurs won in 6)
Suns over Portland in 7 (Suns won in 6)
Nuggets over Jazz in 6 (Jazz won in 6)

Ok so overall I didn't do poorly. I'm actually happy the Spurs won since I picked them to win the entire thing in the beginning of the year....on a side note Nuggets are such a disgrace to George Karl.

So as for the second round, it has begun and is full of intriguing matchups. Here is how I see it playing out :

East :
Celtics over Cavs in 7 : I can feel it. Either this round or the next the Cavs will fall on their face. I still dont think they have a great team yes I'm the minority but fuck it they don't. Shaq is old Jamison is alright but the rest are scrubs. Lebron is the best in the world but I think the Celtics can pull it off.

Magic over Hawks in 6 : Hawks create matchup problems for the Magic but I think the Magic are too talented and well rested for Atlanta. Will be a very entertaining series in terms of gameplay.


West :
Lakers over Jazz in 5 : Ok lets get this right the Jazz beat the Nuggets because the Nuggets dont play as a team and are divas. So with that being said the injured Jazz will not come close to getting more than a game against the Lakers. Worst possible scenario for Laker haters is seeing them beat up on the Jazz and rest it out while the other series goes 7 and speaking of....

Spurs over Suns in 7 : Spurs v Suns well that hasnt been done before. This series like previous ones will be good. Obviously two drastically different styles here but I like the momentum the Spurs got in beating the underachiving Mavs last series so they are my pick to take this tough tough tough series.

There ya have it! Gonna be good!

NBA Predictions Review & Playoffs

Ok quick review on the basics :

Champion : San Antonio Spurs
West Conference Top 3 : 1. Lakers, 2. Spurs, 3. Portland
East Conference Top 3 : 1. Cavs, 2. Celtics, 3. Orlando (Celtics win the East)

MVP : Lebron James
Rookie of the Year : Tyreke Evans (Kings)....Blake Griffin is gonna miss 6 weeks
Most Improved Player : Danilo Gallinari (Knicks)

I also predicted my Knicks won't more than 28 games, Nate Robinson will be traded at the deadline, Jordan Hill will be a bust with Toney Douglas starting.

Wellllll....The Spurs and Celtics are actually showing their age so Im unsure as how those predictions will work but we will see eh. Pretty dead on with MVP and Rookie of the Year without the awards being given out. Lebron will most likely get it (Carmelo would get my vote) and Tyreke is a lock. Danilo got a lot better this year and will be a solid player in his career. Not going to be as good as Dirk but has the same timeline going as Dirk in getting to his potential.


As for the playoffs, even though they did start here are my predictions for the first round :

East :
Cleveland over the Bulls in 4 (Saw the Bulls lose by 39 to the Heat so they have no chance)
Orlando over Charlotte in 5 (Charlotte has enough talent/coach to get one game)
Atlanta over Milwaukee in 5 (Bucks will win once at home)
Boston over Miami in 6 (Boston might not win the East but they are better than the Heat)

West:
Lakers over Thunder in 6 (Oklahoma will take two games in this series and Durant will outplay Kobe)
Dallas over Spurs in 6 (Dallas got a ton better with Caron and I think the Spurs run is over there goes my prediction from the beginning)
Suns over Portland in 7 (Cant see Portland winning this without Roy, still dont believe in Suns)
Nuggets over Jazz in 6 (Utah is too injured but Sloan will get them to win atleast 2)

So there we have it. I will enjoy the West as every game will be great unlike the overmatched matchups in the East.

Manu Ginobli...6th Man Of The Year and Bat Killer!!!

WTF

09-10 NBA Preview

Basketball is back and the season of the "super" team is here. With a very very busy offseason seeing most of the strong teams get even stronger it might make most of us forget the word parity. Still though it will throw in some great matchups on a weekly basis.

The West is so strong this year with of course the Lakers with basically 5 all stars on the team with the addition of Artest and keeping Odom too. Then you have the Mav's picking up Shawn Marion to team up with Dirk and the aging Jason Kidd (too little too late too old?). Finally though you have the San Antonio Spurs picking up Richard Jefferson which is a minor move if you think about it but it is key. Especially with Manu healthy you can literally have a very scary 4 man set of Parker, Manu, R Jeff and Duncan. Not to mention they basically got a steal in the second round in Dejuan Blair who was averaging near impressive double doubles in pre-season. Duncan can get his rest for the post season and the Spurs will not miss too much of a beat in Blair. Thats my team to win it all but sleeper during the season are the Trailblazers. Another year older and a better PG in Andre Miller leading the team will vault them to 3rd.

The East is a three horse race and I dont think you will find anyone crazy enough to not say so. The Cavs, Celtics and Magic are the top dogs and rightfully so. The Cavs picked up Shaq, Celtics picked up Rasheed and the Magic well they got Vince Carter. So pick your poison...I go with Cavs to do their regular season dominance and then lose to the Celtics in the playoffs. Magic will push any team they play to game 7's in the playoffs but I think the Celtics get back to the Finals. Oh and as for my Knicks....Danilo will be great, Jordan Hill the rookie will be a bust and Toney Douglas will be a starter by the end of the year. Nate Robinson will be traded at the deadline too and we will win less than 28 games.


With all that said Im no expert so I wont go into what players will do this etc etc but here are my predictions:

Champion : San Antonio Spurs
West Conference Top 3 : 1. Lakers, 2. Spurs, 3. Portland
East Conference Top 3 : 1. Cavs, 2. Celtics, 3. Orlando (Celtics win the East)

MVP : Lebron James
Rookie of the Year : Tyreke Evans (Kings)....Blake Griffin is gonna miss 6 weeks
Most Improved Player : Danilo Gallinari (Knicks)

Spurs

IGNORE, OMG HELLLOOOOO, WTF, OMG HELLOOO WTF IS UP WITH UR EYES, IGNORE, IGNORE

Im saying ignore to be polite.

Steve Nash Screws Bulbs

Steve please ignore this when you are thinking about becoming a Knick or when you are a Knick but I thought Id remind you. The Suns havent won shit with you nor have the Mavs for that matter. The Spurs have created a semi-dynasty / always strong team definitely stronger than yours. Yes I agree they are assholes but still your on a team that once was beautiful but now has Shaq's old ass.

Is That Greg Popovich?

The NBA Is Back!! Greg Popovich needs Tim Duncan to give him a Mach 3