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NBA Playoffs Round 3

Alex — Sun, 20 May 2007 22:43:30 +0000

Comments on Second Round- With insane Steve Nash passes to the awesome plays from King James, the second round contained the most intense action yet. Probably the best basketball was played with Spurs and Suns series. This series was the roughest and fun to watch yet with all the bloodshed and flagrant fouls. The other series were boring and plain compared to that series. Hopefully, the best basketball hasnâ€™t passed us yet.East Conference Finals
Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Last year, Detroit Pistons went up 3-0 against the Cavaliers, and then the Cavaliers forced a 7th game. With this horrible nightmare behind them, I think the Pistons will stay focused and deliver the win. Theyâ€™re just way too experienced for the Cavaliers; this is the 5th straight season theyâ€™ve gone to the conference finals. The Cavaliers have only one major threat which is Lebron James. However, Lebron isnâ€™t even that big of a threat to the Pistons. With big guys like Dale Davis, Tayshaun Prince, and Jason Maxiel, Lebron will have a tough time scoring. Pistons have proved time and time again that theyâ€™re the most balanced team in the NBA. Every starter knows how to do their job, and their bench is fairly impressive. On top of that, they have home court and experience, thatâ€™s just too overwhelming for a one-man team. Pistons win it in 5.

West Conference Finals
Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs
Probably the best match-up in this series is Boozer against Duncan. They have been both monstrous in their previous series. In the other match-ups, the Spurs are clearly more dominant. Fisher and Williams have to step up to the plate if the Jazz want a slight chance. Manu Ginobili on the bench is very dangerous and combined with Bruce Bowenâ€™s awesome 3â€™s, the future does not look bright for the Jazz. The Spurs win it in 6.

NBA Finals
It looks like the Spurs will have a rematch with the Pistons. If that does happen, the NBA finalsâ€™ rating will go way down like the last time they played. Both teams have grown since then and are very evenly matched. They will take it to 7 games but expect 70-80 point games with their defenses.

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NBA Playoffs Round 2

Alex — Sun, 06 May 2007 21:59:49 +0000

Comments on First Round
Can you say upset? I have to give it to the Warriors for pulling off one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. An 8 seed beats a 1 seed and not any 1 seed, but the team that had the best record in the regular season. This goes to show how important records really are. Besides the Mavericks falling, what happened to the dominant West? There were three sweeps in the East, yet there were none in the West. On the bright side, the basketball only gets better from here.

Round 2 Predictions Eastern Conference Semi-Finals

Bulls vs. Pistons
Fate brought these two strong rivals together in just the second round. The Bulls, making the playoffs for the first time since Michael Jordanâ€™s departure, play against the experienced Pistons, who won it all in 2004. This is truly going to be a spectacular series. Each match-up is going to be a blast to watch. For the Point Guards itâ€™s Chauncey Billups for Detroit vs. Chris Duhon for Chicago. This one should be hands down. Chauncey averaged 7 assists per game in the regular season and has tremendous leadership abilities. He can slow it down, score, assist, and anything you want him to do. For Center, itâ€™s Ben Wallace vs. Chris Webber. Ben Wallace, being multiple times defensive player of the year, should be able to contain Chris Webber. Chris Webber still hasnâ€™t played like he used to before the flu got to him. For guards itâ€™s Ben Gordon vs. Richard Hamilton. Although Ben Gordon was explosive against Miami, the Heat simply didnâ€™t have anybody that could guard him. Richard Hamilton isnâ€™t the best defensive player, but should be able to out play him with his offensive capabilities. For forwards, itâ€™s Tayshaun Prince vs. Luol Deng. Again, Luol Deng was a beast against Miami, but Miami did not have anybody that could guard him effectively. If anybody can guard Luol Deng, itâ€™s going to be Prince. Donâ€™t let his size trick you; he has averaged 1.4 blocks per game with 14 points per game. However, Luol Deng has averaged 19 points per game and has been known to score more than 30. This match-up will be an interesting one to see. In the last position, Rasheed Wallace against Kirk Hinrich. Rasheed is just a much better player with his monstrous 3 pointers. Kirk is definitely not to be overlooked, but he is no match for the experienced â€˜sheed. In the bench department, the Pistons have it hand down. With big names like Jason Maxiell, Carlos Delfino, Antonio McDyess, Lindsey Hunter, Ronald Murray, and Dale Davis, Pistons have an amazing bench. In the end, itâ€™s going to be a fun and competitive series to watch, however experience always wins in playoffs. My prediction: Pistons in 6.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Jersey Nets
You have to give to the Nets for beating the Toronto Nets, even if it was just a one-point victory. However, their success will be short-lived. I donâ€™t think they have the ability to stop the Cavaliers. In the Point Guard position itâ€™s Eric Snow up against Jason Kidd. Kidd averaged a whopping 9 assists per game and 13 points per game. Eric Snow only average 4 points per game and is still developing. Jason Kidd has this match-up under control. In the Forwards, itâ€™s Lebron James against Richard Jefferson. Do I really need to talk about this match-up? Lebron is one of the best offensive players in the league. Nobody can guard him. Enough said. In the guards, Vince Carter will dominate whoever the Cavaliers put on them. He averaged a monstrous 25 points per game with 5 assists per game. In the shooting guards, itâ€™s Larry Hughes against Mikki Moore. Both players are erally well rounded and this match up will be fun to watch. As the Power Forwards itâ€™s Drew Gooden vs. The Jason Collins. Drew Gooden is a good well-rounded player averaging 11 points with 9 rebounds. On the other hand, Jason has only averaged 2 points with 4 rebounds. Definitely, the Cavaliers have this match-up. In the bench, with the Cavaliersâ€™ Varejao, the Cavaliers will beat the Nets in bench. Overall, this match up will be a very close series, but Lebron James and the bench will give the Cavaliers the edge. My prediction: Cavaliers in 7.

Western Conference Semi-finals
Spurs vs. Sun
This is a highly debatable match up. Many people think the winner of this match up will go on to win it all. I donâ€™t fully believe in this, but thereâ€™s definitely a good chance it will happen. I think this whole series will boil down to whether or not Steve Nash will deliver. If he plays like how he did against the Lakers, the Suns will shine. However, if he ends up choking like Dirk Nowitzki, the Suns have no chance. In the Point Guard positions itâ€™s Steve Nash vs. Anthony Parker. Although Anthony Parker has been known to explode offensively, he is no match for the 2 time MVP. Nash averaged a monstrous 11 assists per game with over 20 points per game. In the forwards itâ€™s Stoudemire against Tim Duncan. Wow is this a great match up. NBAâ€™s finest forwards going against each other. Their stats are neck and neck. Even Stoudemire is hungry to get on to face Duncan. “It’s a clash of two of the best power forwards and centers in the league meeting in the playoffs,” he said. “It’s definitely a huge matchup. It’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be a showdown. I’m ready and my team is ready.” Itâ€™s going to be the finest match ups in the playoffs. In the small forwards, there is Shawn Marion against Bruce Bowen. Even though Bowenâ€™s threes are killer, Marion has this match up locked up. Heâ€™s averaged 18 points per game compared to Bowenâ€™s 10. In the guards position, itâ€™s Boris Diaw against Manu Ginobili. This one should be hands down. Manu Ginobili has this match up locked up. For a foreigner, he can really shoot well averaging 17 points per game. Finally, in the bench, the Suns definitely have an edge with Barbosa. He wasnâ€™t named the best 5th man for nothing, averaging 18 points per game from the bench. Overall, this will be the most exciting series in the second round. However, the Sunsâ€™ Steve Nash, Stoudemire, and Barbosa will lead them to a victory. My prediction: Suns in 7.

Golden State Warriors vs. Utah Jazz
Bravo to both teams beating both the Mavericks and Rockets while being the underdog. After this match up, the winner will have a real hard time in the conference finals. In the forwards, itâ€™s Jason Richardson against Matt Harpring. Jason Richardson has been an on court success and will easily beat Matt. Jason has been averaging 16 points per game and was the real leader that led his team to one of the biggest upsets of NBA history. In the guards, itâ€™s Monta Ellis against Deron Williams. This should be definitely a great match up to watch. Both players are very skilled and highly capable of being superstars one day. I will leave this match up to fate. In the centers, itâ€™s Al Harrington against the Carlos Boozer. Carlos Boozer definitely has a slight edge over Al Harrington with his offensive skills. However, the winner of the match up is hard to determine because of the intangibles. This is also one of the many neck to neck match ups in the playoffs. For the bench, I havenâ€™t really followed these two teams well enough to tell you which bench is better. However, I do think this match up will be a very close one, but the Jazz due to the match ups will come out victorious. My prediction: Jazz in 7

This second round has some of the most intense match ups yet. Featuring probably the best basketball played until the finals. Enjoy watching!

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NBA Playoffs Round 1

Alex — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:31:48 +0000

April is the time for spring, growth, and rejuvenation. However, to die-hard basketball fans, itâ€™s time for the playoffs to start. From the heart-breaking loses to the spectacular victories, the playoffs would make anyone jump up and down. Here is my 2 cents on what will happen in the first round.

East Conference:

Detroit Pistons (1) vs. Orlando Magic (8)
This one should be an obvious one. With Chris Webber, Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, and Chris Webber as the starters, Pistons are going to dominate. Not to mention, their bench is wonderful with Antonio McDyess and Lindsey Hunter. The Orlando Magic has struggled to get to the playoffs but will have an early leave. My prediction: Pistons win it in 5 games.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2) vs. Washington Wizards (7)
This game also should also be hands down. With the unstoppable Lebron James, the Cavaliers should be able to see the light of the second round. The Wizards started out strong in the regular season, but towards the end, they have slumped their way into the playoffs. They are just not consistent enough to win this series. My prediction: Cavaliers win it in 6.

New Jersey Nets (6) vs. Toronto Raptors (3)
This one will definitely be a close one. However, I think the New Jerseyâ€™s poor defense will be the ultimate cause of their loss. The Raptors are very good offense team, and with Chris Bosh, they will just tear the Netsâ€™ defense apart. My prediction: Raptors win it in 7.

Chicago Bulls (5) vs. Miami Heat (4)
This series is probably the only must watch of the East in the first round. The defense dominant Bulls vs. the star power of the heat. Although the Bulls will put up a fight, I donâ€™t think they will be able to contain both Dwayne Wade and Shaq. Sure Dwayne Wade has just come back from a major injury, but he is already getting back on track. Itâ€™s only a matter time when the Heat will become a major threat. My prediction: Heat wins it in 7.Thatâ€™s all the games for the Eastern Conference. Right now, I think itâ€™s either the Pistons or the Heat for best in the East. Now, itâ€™s time for the dominant Western Conference.

Dallas Mavericks (1) vs. Golden State Warriors (8)
Just looking at the seed number it seems like an easy choice, however itâ€™s a very hard decision. The Golden State Warriors, despite their horrid record, have defeated the Mavericks every single time in the regular season. However, the playoffs are a very different setting and Dirk Nowitzki wants to show everyone why heâ€™s MVP. Although the Warriors 3-0 record against the Mavericks, the Mavericks are just a better team. My prediction: Mavericks in 6.

LA Lakers (7) vs. Phoenix Suns (2)
Steve Nash will be just too much for the Lakers. He has averaged more than 11 assists per game in the regular season and 19 points per game. Even with another 80 point game, Kobe Bryant canâ€™t carry his team to beat the Suns. My prediction: Suns win it in 5.

San Antonio Spurs (3) vs. the Denver Nuggets (6)
The Spurs just have awesome defense, holding their opponents to only 90 points per game in the regular seasons. Add in Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, and Bruce Bowen to the equation spells a win over the Nuggets. My prediction: Spurs in 5.

Utah Jazz (4) vs. Houston Rockets (5)
This one should be the closest series in the Western conference. The Rockets with McGrady and Yao Ming should be able to rock past the Jazz though. The Rockets have held their opponents to only 92 points per game in the regular season. On top of that, the Jazz have slumped into the playoffs losing 6 games out of 10 in April. The funny thing is they were the only team to have a perfect record in the beginning of the season. My prediction: Rockets win it in 6.

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