Haynie
04-18-2008, 02:18 AM
EAST – ROUND ONE
#1 Boston Celtics vs. #8 Atlanta Hawks
It sucks that teams like Golden State and Portland have to sit at home while sub-.500 squads like Atlanta and Philly get to compete in the Playoffs. Not only is it unfair to the players and fans left out, but it’s unfair to the field as the Celtics and Pistons get virtual bye weeks because these clowns are allowed into the tournament. The NBA needs to fix a lot of things, but this situation is near the top of the list.
Prediction: Celtics in four
#4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #5 Washington Wizards
This is definitely the best series in the East for the first round, both from a talent standpoint and the build-up of trash talk that’s been going on with Gilbert Arenas. LeBron is clearly the lead dog in this series, but the trio of Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison will be difficult for the Cavs to overcome. The regular season series was a 2-2 split, and the Wiz were without Arenas for all four games. I think he’ll be the difference-maker here.
Prediction: Wizards in six
#3 Orlando Magic vs. #6 Toronto Raptors
This isn’t the worst matchup in the world, but it’s definitely Orlando’s to lose. Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh cancel each other out, which leaves Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis as the swing factor that should push the Magic to victory. I like Jose Calderon a lot for the Raptors, but I just don’t see them having enough firepower to last in this series.
Prediction: Magic in five
#2 Detroit Pistons vs. #7 Philadelphia 76ers
You might be surprised to learn that the Pistons and Sixers split their season series 2-2. Even more interesting is the fact that Philly has won the last two games, including one in Detroit. However, this really is no indication of how these teams truly stack up to each other. The Pistons have been on cruise control all year, particularly the second-half. It’s not hard for a hustling, hard-work team like the Sixers to win those kind of games. But now that it’s do-or-die time, the Pistons will be awake and will make short work of them.
Prediction: Pistons in five
WEST – ROUND ONE
#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #8 Denver Nuggets
On paper, this actually looks like one of the toughest possible matchups for the Lakers. Allen Iverson always gives L.A. trouble. Carmelo Anthony is too strong for Kobe and too fast for Odom. Throw in Marcus Camby defending Pau Gasol, and it would seem that Denver has an edge here. However, the Lakers have blossomed as a team greater than the sum of its parts, and the Nuggets are underachievers considering their talent level. Sounds like the difference between a Phil Jackson-coached team and George Karl, doesn’t it? The Lakers averaged almost 120 points in three games against Denver this year. With L.A.’s defense now the best it’s been all year, Denver has no chance of matching that kind of scoring output.
Prediction: Lakers in five
#4 Utah Jazz vs. #5 Houston Rockets
Home court advantage means different things for different teams, but it means more to Utah than anyone else in the league. They would probably win this series without it, but it’s the difference between a seven game slugfest or a shorter, simpler victory. The Jazz have too many horses for the Rockets to keep up. While the rest of the year has spoken to the contrary, this will be a time that Houston actually misses Yao Ming.
Prediction: Jazz in five
#3 San Antonio Spurs vs. #6 Phoenix Suns
The Suns have won both meetings against San Antonio since the Shaq trade, the most recent a 96-79 stomping just a week ago. Normally you can’t put much stock in anything that happens in the regular season with the Spurs, but that game took place during the last few weeks when the Spurs normally are getting into title-run form. On the emotions of what happened in last year’s playoffs plus the addition of Diesel, Phoenix will deliver the knockout blow to the Spurs season and, I believe, their dynasty.
Prediction: Suns in six
#2 New Orleans Hornets vs. #7 Dallas Mavericks
Chris Paul versus Jason Kidd is probably the best individual matchup of the whole first round. The problem for New Orleans is that the Mavericks’ best player is a seven-foot German who’s been playing with the eye of the tiger since Kidd arrived. To the Hornets credit, David West can do his own damage on the offensive end and Tyson Chandler can do a good job defending Dirk Nowitski. This promises to be a great series, and I would be surprised by either team winning. In the end, I’m going with the Mavs as I think Dirk will carry his team and remind everyone that he’s still one the elite players in the league.
Prediction: Mavericks in seven
EAST – ROUND TWO
#1 Boston Celtics vs. #5 Washington Wizards
The Celtics only lost 16 games all season. Guess what? Three of those losses came to the Wizards. After a blowout victory on their opening night against the Wiz, Boston has dropped every game since. This is due to two key factors. First, Jamison and Butler have been playing at All-Star levels all year and present key matchup problems for Boston. Second, Washington’s defense is very underrated. This actually is an area where Arenas’ return hurts them as Antonio Daniels is a much better defender. You can always bring Daniels off the bench, though, and Arenas still gives them a dynamic scorer that can open up things for the rest of the team. Call me crazy, but I smell an upset.
Prediction: Wizards in seven
#2 Detroit Pistons vs. #3 Orlando Magic
This series will be all about one man, Rasheed Wallace. The Pistons can run Orlando off the floor if they go small with Wallace taking Dwight Howard outside. You also have to like Chauncey Billups in his matchup with Jameer Nelson. If Wallace doesn’t show up, then it could be trouble for Detroit. That’s true in every series they play, though. The Pistons have beaten better teams than this during their years of Eastern Conference dominance, and this one will be no different.
Prediction: Pistons in six
WEST – ROUND TWO
#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #4 Utah Jazz
While the Lakers’ strength this year has been Kobe’s newfound ability to trust and involve his teammates, this series is a time when he can show off his individual greatness. The Jazz have nobody capable of checking Bryant one-on-one, and you can be sure the Lakers will look to exploit that fact as much as possible. On the other side, Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur present problems for the Lakers’ bigs. This would be a great time to get Andrew Bynum back. Even without him, though, you have to like the Lakers to take the series with their home court advantage and the presence of Kobe.
Prediction: Lakers in six
#6 Phoenix Suns vs. #7 Dallas Mavericks
It’s always a fun time when Steve Nash gets to play his old team. I don’t know if Dallas would agree though, especially considering the friends that Nash brings with him. While the focus will be on Nash, the key to this series is Amare Stoudemire and the Mavs having nobody who can guard him. Throw in Shaq’s presence inside, and you just can’t see Dallas being able to withstand the offensive attack. I don’t even think it will be that close.
Prediction: Suns in five
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
#2 Detroit Pistons vs. #5 Washington Wizards
I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about not having the Celtics involved here. But you have to look at each round on its own merits and I am convinced that Washington can get it done. That said, I think the Wizards will be in trouble here. The Pistons match up with them in all the ways that Boston does not, with Billups, Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince countering Arenas, Butler, and Jamison. Then you’ve got Richard Hamilton going to work, a clear edge factor for Detroit. Throw in a deeper bench and home court, you just can’t see Washington winning the majority of these games. In fact, I’m only giving them two.
Prediction: Pistons in six
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #6 Phoenix Suns
With his ultimate dream of a Celtics/Lakers Finals out the window, David Stern will settle for this titanic clash. While the moronic media will focus on the Kobe vs. Shaq angle, it’s a very small factor in how this series will play out. The days of Raja Bell being able to check Kobe are over. Lamar Odom is a matchup problem for Phoenix as the only guy who could check him in the past now plays in Miami. This series should be a major scoring affair and should be a classic. In the end, I’m going with the team with the best single player.
Prediction: Lakers in seven
NBA FINALS
Detroit Pistons vs. Los Angeles Lakers
These two teams met twice this year, splitting the series with wins on their own floors. Both games took place before the Pau Gasol trade, so that creates a very big wrinkle in trying to predict the series. The two starting lineups will wash each other out with similar overall stats and impact. The key here will be the bench, and the Lakers have the league’s best reserves. The running style that Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, and Ronny Turiaf bring to the floor will be too much for the AARP squad that comes off Detroit’s bench with guys like Lindsey Hunter and Antonio McDyess. The Lakers are by far the NBA’s most complete team going into the playoffs, and as the Spurs have proven many times now, that team is usually the last one standing.
Prediction: Lakers in six
#1 Boston Celtics vs. #8 Atlanta Hawks
It sucks that teams like Golden State and Portland have to sit at home while sub-.500 squads like Atlanta and Philly get to compete in the Playoffs. Not only is it unfair to the players and fans left out, but it’s unfair to the field as the Celtics and Pistons get virtual bye weeks because these clowns are allowed into the tournament. The NBA needs to fix a lot of things, but this situation is near the top of the list.
Prediction: Celtics in four
#4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #5 Washington Wizards
This is definitely the best series in the East for the first round, both from a talent standpoint and the build-up of trash talk that’s been going on with Gilbert Arenas. LeBron is clearly the lead dog in this series, but the trio of Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison will be difficult for the Cavs to overcome. The regular season series was a 2-2 split, and the Wiz were without Arenas for all four games. I think he’ll be the difference-maker here.
Prediction: Wizards in six
#3 Orlando Magic vs. #6 Toronto Raptors
This isn’t the worst matchup in the world, but it’s definitely Orlando’s to lose. Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh cancel each other out, which leaves Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis as the swing factor that should push the Magic to victory. I like Jose Calderon a lot for the Raptors, but I just don’t see them having enough firepower to last in this series.
Prediction: Magic in five
#2 Detroit Pistons vs. #7 Philadelphia 76ers
You might be surprised to learn that the Pistons and Sixers split their season series 2-2. Even more interesting is the fact that Philly has won the last two games, including one in Detroit. However, this really is no indication of how these teams truly stack up to each other. The Pistons have been on cruise control all year, particularly the second-half. It’s not hard for a hustling, hard-work team like the Sixers to win those kind of games. But now that it’s do-or-die time, the Pistons will be awake and will make short work of them.
Prediction: Pistons in five
WEST – ROUND ONE
#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #8 Denver Nuggets
On paper, this actually looks like one of the toughest possible matchups for the Lakers. Allen Iverson always gives L.A. trouble. Carmelo Anthony is too strong for Kobe and too fast for Odom. Throw in Marcus Camby defending Pau Gasol, and it would seem that Denver has an edge here. However, the Lakers have blossomed as a team greater than the sum of its parts, and the Nuggets are underachievers considering their talent level. Sounds like the difference between a Phil Jackson-coached team and George Karl, doesn’t it? The Lakers averaged almost 120 points in three games against Denver this year. With L.A.’s defense now the best it’s been all year, Denver has no chance of matching that kind of scoring output.
Prediction: Lakers in five
#4 Utah Jazz vs. #5 Houston Rockets
Home court advantage means different things for different teams, but it means more to Utah than anyone else in the league. They would probably win this series without it, but it’s the difference between a seven game slugfest or a shorter, simpler victory. The Jazz have too many horses for the Rockets to keep up. While the rest of the year has spoken to the contrary, this will be a time that Houston actually misses Yao Ming.
Prediction: Jazz in five
#3 San Antonio Spurs vs. #6 Phoenix Suns
The Suns have won both meetings against San Antonio since the Shaq trade, the most recent a 96-79 stomping just a week ago. Normally you can’t put much stock in anything that happens in the regular season with the Spurs, but that game took place during the last few weeks when the Spurs normally are getting into title-run form. On the emotions of what happened in last year’s playoffs plus the addition of Diesel, Phoenix will deliver the knockout blow to the Spurs season and, I believe, their dynasty.
Prediction: Suns in six
#2 New Orleans Hornets vs. #7 Dallas Mavericks
Chris Paul versus Jason Kidd is probably the best individual matchup of the whole first round. The problem for New Orleans is that the Mavericks’ best player is a seven-foot German who’s been playing with the eye of the tiger since Kidd arrived. To the Hornets credit, David West can do his own damage on the offensive end and Tyson Chandler can do a good job defending Dirk Nowitski. This promises to be a great series, and I would be surprised by either team winning. In the end, I’m going with the Mavs as I think Dirk will carry his team and remind everyone that he’s still one the elite players in the league.
Prediction: Mavericks in seven
EAST – ROUND TWO
#1 Boston Celtics vs. #5 Washington Wizards
The Celtics only lost 16 games all season. Guess what? Three of those losses came to the Wizards. After a blowout victory on their opening night against the Wiz, Boston has dropped every game since. This is due to two key factors. First, Jamison and Butler have been playing at All-Star levels all year and present key matchup problems for Boston. Second, Washington’s defense is very underrated. This actually is an area where Arenas’ return hurts them as Antonio Daniels is a much better defender. You can always bring Daniels off the bench, though, and Arenas still gives them a dynamic scorer that can open up things for the rest of the team. Call me crazy, but I smell an upset.
Prediction: Wizards in seven
#2 Detroit Pistons vs. #3 Orlando Magic
This series will be all about one man, Rasheed Wallace. The Pistons can run Orlando off the floor if they go small with Wallace taking Dwight Howard outside. You also have to like Chauncey Billups in his matchup with Jameer Nelson. If Wallace doesn’t show up, then it could be trouble for Detroit. That’s true in every series they play, though. The Pistons have beaten better teams than this during their years of Eastern Conference dominance, and this one will be no different.
Prediction: Pistons in six
WEST – ROUND TWO
#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #4 Utah Jazz
While the Lakers’ strength this year has been Kobe’s newfound ability to trust and involve his teammates, this series is a time when he can show off his individual greatness. The Jazz have nobody capable of checking Bryant one-on-one, and you can be sure the Lakers will look to exploit that fact as much as possible. On the other side, Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur present problems for the Lakers’ bigs. This would be a great time to get Andrew Bynum back. Even without him, though, you have to like the Lakers to take the series with their home court advantage and the presence of Kobe.
Prediction: Lakers in six
#6 Phoenix Suns vs. #7 Dallas Mavericks
It’s always a fun time when Steve Nash gets to play his old team. I don’t know if Dallas would agree though, especially considering the friends that Nash brings with him. While the focus will be on Nash, the key to this series is Amare Stoudemire and the Mavs having nobody who can guard him. Throw in Shaq’s presence inside, and you just can’t see Dallas being able to withstand the offensive attack. I don’t even think it will be that close.
Prediction: Suns in five
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
#2 Detroit Pistons vs. #5 Washington Wizards
I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about not having the Celtics involved here. But you have to look at each round on its own merits and I am convinced that Washington can get it done. That said, I think the Wizards will be in trouble here. The Pistons match up with them in all the ways that Boston does not, with Billups, Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince countering Arenas, Butler, and Jamison. Then you’ve got Richard Hamilton going to work, a clear edge factor for Detroit. Throw in a deeper bench and home court, you just can’t see Washington winning the majority of these games. In fact, I’m only giving them two.
Prediction: Pistons in six
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #6 Phoenix Suns
With his ultimate dream of a Celtics/Lakers Finals out the window, David Stern will settle for this titanic clash. While the moronic media will focus on the Kobe vs. Shaq angle, it’s a very small factor in how this series will play out. The days of Raja Bell being able to check Kobe are over. Lamar Odom is a matchup problem for Phoenix as the only guy who could check him in the past now plays in Miami. This series should be a major scoring affair and should be a classic. In the end, I’m going with the team with the best single player.
Prediction: Lakers in seven
NBA FINALS
Detroit Pistons vs. Los Angeles Lakers
These two teams met twice this year, splitting the series with wins on their own floors. Both games took place before the Pau Gasol trade, so that creates a very big wrinkle in trying to predict the series. The two starting lineups will wash each other out with similar overall stats and impact. The key here will be the bench, and the Lakers have the league’s best reserves. The running style that Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, and Ronny Turiaf bring to the floor will be too much for the AARP squad that comes off Detroit’s bench with guys like Lindsey Hunter and Antonio McDyess. The Lakers are by far the NBA’s most complete team going into the playoffs, and as the Spurs have proven many times now, that team is usually the last one standing.
Prediction: Lakers in six