What blows my mind during the playoffs, more than the repetitive cycle of Drake Sprite commercials, is the scheduling. Yes it is great to have all the games on TV, and pretty much balanced enough that you can check out every game in it’s entirety, but when teams get more than one day off, it ruins the flow and forces hoop fans to turn to that lil black disc on a sheet of ice. Now before folks say that this preview has dropped after the second round started, let it be known that I posted the predictions on FB before it started (and we all know that FB is the place to be!)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(Round 1 Predictions = 4 correct teams, 1 correct series total)
Cavs vs. Celtics = Cavs in 7
In the battle of “That was then, this is now”, the Cavs are channeling the pre championship Bulls who just could not get over the hump, despite having Jordan. For the past three years the Cavs have been listed as one of the contenders for the title, yet have fallen short. The Celtics of course won the chip two years ago, but injuries and Father Time have jumped on the Shamrock faster than expected…..but that isn’t an excuse for Rashweed to play like a bag of dirty diapers. Lebron is on a mission this year (as commanded by David Stern) to get to the title game, the Celtics have one final opportunity before their window completely closes and they rebuild around Rondo.
Magic vs. Hawks = Magic in 6
The Magic went to the top of the mountain last year after knocking off the favored Cavs, and this year they once again have taken a back seat to the team from Ohio. This will be a battle of two similar teams, as both love to run the floor and launch the longball. Athleticism should be at a premium in this series as Smith, Crawford, Williams and Johnson can attack you in a variety of ways (just keep JSmoove away from the three point line), while Carter, Lewis, Pietrus and Howard will have no problem matching their opponent move for move. After sticking with the Hawks as they built their roster from a pretender to contender, Joe Johnson needs to get out of his first round funk in order for the Hawks to have a chance.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Round 1 Predictions = 2 correct teams, 2 correct series)
Lakers vs. Jazz = Lakers in 6
People laughed and mocked the Purple and Gold when they dropped two games to OKC and struggled to drop the hammer in three of the other four. OKC is a team on the rise, and the Lakers at this point are not a team meant for the run and gun. The Jazz surprised most with a series over the Nuggets, but will struggle to match the Lakers inside game, especially with the loss of AK47 and Okur. D. Williams will have a field day with Fisher, that should not come as a surprise to anyone who has witnessed the Lakers lead guard struggle to keep up with the quicker pg’s in the league. With the Lakers holding such a size advantage in the paint, Kobe doesn’t have to dominate in this series as he may have or had to in others, which will serve better for the Lakers down the road.
Suns vs. Spurs = Suns in 6
This is a series about redemption for one team and potentially one last kick at the can for both. With a couple of aging but can still get it done superstars in TD and Nash, both the Spurs and Suns exceeded expectations since the start of the season. The Spurs will struggle trying to keep up with the Phoenix tempo, while the Suns will have their hands full with the battle tested team from the Alamo. Look for the Suns to take the series in six and kickstart the Tim Duncan retirement tour.
