A Lot to Live Up to (NBA Playoffs Preview)

It’s the First Round of the NBA Playoffs. All you need is 16 more victories and you are the NBA Champions. To be honest, I would settle for half as good of playoffs from last year. However, the way things shook up on the last night, you never know, we may be in store for some good match-ups.

Man did the Bulls blow it or what? Before game #82, they were the two seed looking at Washington in the First Round and then the winner of New Jersey/Toronto. It is a cakewalk to the Conference Finals. Nope, sorry, they couldn’t take care of the Nets on their home floor, and they get Miami, and then Detroit. If they beat Miami of course. How about those Warriors? Nellie’s old team versus his new team… I predict a lot of scoring. Here is the series breakdown and predictions for Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs.Detroit vs. Orlando – Detroit is too good for this team, plain and simple. Orlando does not have anyone that comes to mind who has been in a playoff game. Grant Hill? Hedo Turkoglu? Darko? Please. This will be a good learning experience for Dwight Howard though. He is going to get a master’s degree in “sweeps” after this series. I’m still sticking by my guns and saying that Detroit has the best starting 5 in basketball. They have the battle tested team, the most experience, and the best player in the series (Billups). Dwight Howard needs to get more polished on offense, not just a put-back, fast break guy. Orlando will be back next year. Detroit with the sweep.

Cleveland vs. Washington – Washington could win…a game. No chance they win this series. The Wizards are too banged up (Arenas and Butler), and when you have your hopes rested on Antonio Daniels and Antawn Jamison, you get my sympathy. Just be happy you have a team Washington. As for Cleveland they are the winners this year for easiest road through the playoffs. I mean no disrespect to Toronto/New Jersey/Washington but its not exactly like having to go through L.A./San Antonio/Denver like Phoenix will have to. The Cavs went from being ousted in the First Round by Miami, to the Conference Finals in one game. Cavs in a sweep.

Toronto vs. New Jersey – This is an up in the air series for me. Toronto won the division, but the series this year was split 2-2. Toronto has the same problem that Orlando has with little playoff experience. Chris Bosh is the best player in this series, but I just don’t think that Toronto has the leadership/experience to match up with New Jersey. This series is a lot like Utah and Houston; you could really go either way. It is really going to come down to how good Vince Carter plays. If he stays aggressive and puts a decent effort up every night New Jersey wins. Toronto is a dark horse though; they are the team other than a healthy Wizards team that runs like the Suns in the Eastern Conference. I’m taking New Jersey in six.

Miami vs. Chicago – I think this is going to come down to home court advantage. I could see this series going all the way. Both of these teams match-up really well with each other, and I think Miami would have much preferred Cleveland. Chicago played Miami very tough last year, and they throw a lot of different curves at Dwayne Wade. Wade is the best player in this series, but how does his shoulder hold up? Miami is banged up at other positions too with Haslem, Payton, and Kapono nursing injuries. Everything points to Chicago winning if you ask me. I just don’t think Wade is going to hold up against a good defensive team like Chicago, who is going to play him physically. This is the best series of the First Round, I’ll take Chicago in seven.

Dallas vs. Golden State – Welcome back to the playoffs, Warriors. For your accomplishment you get the best team in the NBA. Everybody says that Don Nelson has a leg up because this is his old team and he knows Dirk as well as anybody. Well, this isn’t the same old Mavericks. This team has a different edge, a different identity, and is not the run and gun team that always lost to the Kings when Nellie coached them. Golden State is a good team. They run, and score, but don’t have the defense to make this series close. Dirk is the best player in this series, but what this comes down to is the fact that Dallas is going to be able to stop this team from scoring, and they will use their versatility on offense to eliminate Golden State. The Mavericks in a sweep.

Phoenix vs. Los Angeles Lakers – This is not the same juicy match-up that we saw last year. This Phoenix team is not as vulnerable to an upset from the Lakers. This is virtually the same Lakers team from last year that blew a 3-1 series lead to a team without Amare Stoudamire. Amare and the Suns will make them pay this time for not being stronger in the middle. There really is not a team that the Lakers could beat in this conference in the First Round except the Warriors. Kobe is not going to score 50 every night, and even then, the Lakers are not guaranteed to win. Besides, it’s Kobe and Raja Round 2. Picking the Suns in 5.

San Antonio vs. Denver – This is by no means a cakewalk for the Spurs. Denver has come on pretty strong the last month of the season. But the Spurs had a really good second half of the season. This may be the second best series of the First Round, as it pits two teams with contrasting styles against one another. San Antonio plays slow and emphasizes defense. Denver plays very up-tempo, a lot like Phoenix, but they have the ability to stop teams with one of the best defenders in the league, Marcus Camby. Tim Duncan is going to be himself, and Carmelo Anthony is going to do the same. Where this series is won is at the point. Parker and Iverson are going to be the keys to success in this series. I really think Allen has a lot to play for in this series, he hasn’t been in the playoffs in a couple of years, and he seems even more dangerous being a second option. San Antonio is a well-oiled machine, and this is an odd year (Champs in `99,’03,’05). I like San Antonio in six.

Utah vs. Houston – This series seems like a slam-dunk for the Rockets, but for some reason I feel as though Utah will not go quietly. But Utah won 3 of 4 against the Rockets this year, including the last game of the season. Tracy McGrady is the best player in this series, and he will be the reason that Houston would get by the Jazz. The Jazz doesn’t have the automatic take over scorer that you need in the playoffs. The Jazz play great team offense, but a good defensive team like the Rockets matches well against Utah. The play of Derron Williams has helped this team tremendously, the front line is great with Boozer, Kirilenko, and Okur, but with McGrady playing MVP type basketball, Yao Ming healthy, and a great utility player like Shane Battier, the Rockets will edge them out. I choose the Rockets in six.