NBA PLAYOFFS 1ST ROUND PREDICTIONS
March Madness has come to a conclusion once again, and the end of March Madness means the beginning of April which means it's time for the NBA to steal the spotlight for 2 months. The 30 team league has been narrowed down to 16 hopefuls. Though we don't expect anywhere close to the same spontaneity as college basketball provided us, with more than half the league still in play things should be interesting. In fact, this marks the first time in playoff history that the Lakers, Celtics, and Knicks have all missed the playoffs. This opens a huge door for up and coming franchises. This article will break down and offer a prediction of each of the 8 first round match ups that will take place over the next 2 weeks.
Eastern Conference
#1 Indiana Pacers vs #8 Atlanta Hawks: Atlanta is the only team in the field without a winning record, entering the post season 6 games under .500. Even more concerning is the fact that they've only won 14 times on the road, which is where they'll spend the entirety of their playoff journey. The lone chance the Hawks have to make things interesting for the Pacers is their ability to drill the 3 ball, as all 5 Hawks starters made at least 55 3's this season. Due to that and the fact that the Pacers have lost 13 of their final 23, I don't believe this will be a sweep. But a team that lives/dies by its 3 point shooting isn't likely to take a 7 game series from a defensively sound team either, especially on the road. Pacers take care of business 4-1.
#2 Miami Heat vs #7 Charlotte Bobcats: I'm gonna lay this out pretty simply; the Heat are 15-0 against the Bobcats during the Big 3 era. Sure, Charlotte has made drastic improvements in the last 2 years since posting the worst winning percentage in NBA history, and there's a lot to be proud of in that. But still to think a healthy Al Jefferson, Kemba Walker, and Gerald Henderson can stand up to LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh in a 7 game series is almost laughable. I'll throw Charlotte a bone and say they win a game because to believe any team could beat another 19 times in a row at the professional level is very bold; but they won't get more than one. Heat win in 5.
#3. Toronto Raptors vs #6 Brooklyn Nets: The Nets really could be the Dark Horse to win this entire thing. The second half turnaround they've made is incredible, Jason Kidd went from nearly being fired to likely coach of the year candidate. The Nets finally have their superstars playing in cohesion, even without Brook Lopez. They settled for the 6th seed by resting their guys the last 2 games. Meanwhile, if you haven't been following the NBA lately, it would probably greatly surprise you to find out the Raptors posted the East's 3rd best record. Even if you did watch you probably still found it rather abnormal. The teams split the season series 2-2, with 3 of the 4 meetings decided by 4 points or less. AKA: it's going to be a long series. Even though the Raptors hold the homecourt, the Nets are playing better and have bigger star power and experience to carry them through a tough series on the road, especially with KG gaining health. Nets 4-2.
#4. Chicago Bulls vs. #5 Washington Wizards: Once again, the Bulls proved that they can still be one of the conferences' best without franchise player/crybaby Derrick Rose. (Seriously, he outdid himself by playing a whole 10 games this season before calling it quits!). Joakim Noah in particular carried the load for Chicago to get them where are now. Washington's here thanks to a good blend of youth and experience. Washington's seasoning at the guard position has finally paid off with John Wall and Bradley Beal continue to improve as time goes on. Down low Washington owes their success to established veterans Nene and Marcin Gortat. Like Charlotte, this taste of success is unique to Washington, their first playoff appearance since the Gilbert Arenas era. However, I predict the experience and physical smash mouth style of the Bulls will overcome the young legs of Washington. Bulls in 6.
Western Conference
#1. San Antonio Spurs vs #8 Dallas Mavericks: San Antonio has to be the hands down favorite to win it all right now. The Spurs have only lost 4 games since the All-Star break, and they're deeper than ever as no Spurs player averaged 30 minutes per game. They've won the last 9 against the Mavericks, many of which have not been close. Though we've seen many great Spurs teams over the past decade and a half, none have seemed more confident and hungry than this year's edition. Ray Allen's game 6 shot is still burned into their memory, and they've channeled that into motivation and are out for blood. It seems pretty hopeless for a Dallas team filled with old goats. The Spurs are also completely healthy which minimizes the chances for Dallas to catch Greg Popovich's team off guard even for a game. I'm predicting a 4-0 San Antonio sweep.
#2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs #7 Memphis Grizzlies: One of the biggest storylines going into the 2013-14 playoffs is Kevin Durant chasing that elusive NBA championship trophy. Durant is playing the best basketball of his career, Westbrook's late injury last year challenged Durant to add new elements to his game and he has risen to the occasion. Memphis put Oklahoma City out of the playoffs last year while Westbrook healed and the Thunder should seek vengeance. Memphis won't go down without a fight, and they'll be able to bother OKC physically with Marc Gasol and Z-Bo inside balanced with the guard play of Mike Conely. But with Westbrook healthy this time around, the Grizzlies won't be able to focus solely on Durant with the double and triple teams we saw last year. There will be some close games in this series, but they will mostly roll in the Thunder's favor. OKC in 5.
#3. Los Angeles Clippers vs #6 Golden State Warriors: I believe this is going to be a lot closer than most of you may think. Golden State can really scare people with their ability to shoot the basketball. When Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Harrison Barnes are feeling it offensively all bets are off. Iguodala and Lee are fighting through injuries, but Andrew Bogut has been a huge help off the bench leading the team in rebounds and blocks while shooting 63% from the field. Lee and Bogut will be enough to cause trouble for Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan inside and Steph Curry vs Chris Paul is going to be a classic match up at the point guard position as well. Factor in the Clipper's franchise history of post season struggles and things really don't look bad at all for Golden State, the Clippers have only won 3 playoff series ever, and never advanced past the Western semis. However this is also one of the best teams in Clipper's history, and Doc Rivers has taken them to another level of ability and self-belief. I believe this series will be very close thanks to a couple of offensive outpours from Golden State but ultimately the experience and leadership of L.A. will be just enough to hurdle them over the hump and pick up a much needed playoff victory for the franchise. Clippers 4-3.
#4. Houston Rockets vs #5 Portland Trailblazers: At one point in time, each of these teams looked to be bigger threats than they are seen as now. The Rockets seemed to be the best post New Year's team for the first couple months before fading out and settling for the 4 seed. The Trailblazers made noise early keeping pace with San Antonio and OKC with the Western lead for the first few months. Now they meet as middle class Western opponents in the first round. For Portland it's been the result of youth finally maturing as Lamarcus Aldridge, Damien Lillard, Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez and Nicholas Batum have all been in the league 7 years or less. For Houston, the focus has more been on superstars, bringing in James Harden, Dwight Howard, and Jeremy Lin to Houston in the last 2 seasons of free agency. Houston's ability to score constantly along with Portland's weak bench will be the difference maker that sets up an in-state match up between the Rockets and the Spurs. Houston 4-2.
