A moment of clarity
Things are finally clear.
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The dust has settled.
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All of a sudden, it all makes sense, it’s all in the open.
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The NBA playoffs.
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Are. here.
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Now I know there are some march madness nuts out there, but if you ask me, the NBA playoffs are the greatest postseason in all of sports.
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Nowhere else will you see such strategy as that exemplified through the adjustments made in a grueling 7 game series.
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One team will win a game, and the other will come back the next game with an answer.
No one is safe.
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You want to talk Cinderella?
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No 16 seed has ever beaten a 1 seed in March Madness. Ever.
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A #1 falling to an 8 in the playoffs? Happened just a few years ago, when the number 1 team in the NBA got spanked by the lowly Golden State Warriors.
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Just a few years ago, the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics took a full 7 games for all their series.
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Until they met the Lakers and stopped playing around.
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So here it is: the first half of my playoff predictions. If I had one of these last year, it would show that I correctly predicted an Orlando vs LA Lakers NBA finals. (of course I would never pick the Lakers to win anything, so I picked Orlando.)
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So here’s part 1: the Eastern Conference
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Cavs vs Bulls
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umm… the Cavaliers are hands down the best team in the NBA. I don’t know how many teams can even win one game against them. Last year, the cavaliers swept through the first two rounds like a wildfire, going 8-0. This year?
They’ve added Shaq, Antawn Jamison, J.J Hickson (he didn’t really play last year), Anthony Parker, and Lebron James is even better.
Uhh… good luck Chicago.
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Cleveland in 4
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Orlando vs Charlotte
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The second best team in the NBA? The Orlando Magic. Now, now, calm down Laker lovers. The fact is while the Lakers have fizzled and flumped their way into the playoffs, the Magic have had the best record in the NBA since the All-Star break.
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The Bobcats aren’t a bad team. Orlando is just that good.
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Orlando in 5
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Atlanta vs Milwaukee
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This one could actually be pretty good. The Bucks may have lost Andrew Bogut, but the Hawks aren’t exactly the most center-laden team in the NBA. They mostly rely on their athleticism and skilled offensive players. The Bucks play great team defense and have everything to prove. Also, Scott Skiles is a great coach.
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Atlanta in 7
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Boston vs Miami
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Also another good matchup. I don’t think Boston is as bad as they seem, but the heat are also on fire at the moment (no pun intended). Also, Boston has been torn up by superstars this year, a rarity in recent years.
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Eventually, I think Boston’s balance will outlast Miami. But, as with all Celtics series, it’ll probably take 7 games.
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Boston in 7
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Round 2:
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Cavs vs Celtics
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See #1.
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Cavs in 5
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Hawks vs Magic
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Uhh… there is not one matchup that I like for the hawks against the Magic.
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Joe Johnson will have to play D against Vince Carter, (a wise move might be having him guard Barnes), Al Horford will have his hands full against Dwight, Josh Smith can’t roam the paint with Rashard on the perimeter…. it’s just ugly.
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I even think the Magic have a better bench. Pietrus is a great defender, look for him vs Crawford. J.J Redick is slowly blossoming into… not a bust.
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Magic in 5
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ROUND 3:
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Clash of the titans.
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Both of these teams are so good. Cavaliers: best record in the NBA.
Orlando, only team to beat every team in the NBA at least once.
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I’ve gotta give this one to Cleveland though. This is simply their year. They pretty much loaded their team to beat Orlando this year, and they will.
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Cleveland is simply too big. They’re like the Lakers but with double the size and Lebron.
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Think about it: Shaq, J.J Hickson, Illgauskus, Antawn Jamison, and Varejao, and some 6’9-6’10 290 pound beast named Lebron James at small forward.
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They’re like the monstars from space jam.
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Cleveland in 6
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I know, Cleveland in the finals: big shocker. I’d love to pick an upset here, but I don’t really see any actually happening. I’m not just gonna pick the Bobcats to go all the way to be bold.
(although I think it’d be funny to watch them beat the Lakers in 4 games for the championship.)
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Western conference is much less clear cut. It shall wait until tomorrow.
