BALL ‘TIL YOU FALL
So it all comes down to this. The NBA Playoffs kick off this weekend complete with double doses of drama for the '07. Already, the Mavs are set to take on the Warriors and their old coach Don Nelson. Vince (Air Canada?) Carter returns to Toronto. The Suns and Lakers face off in a rematch from last year. Oh, and the Knicks didn’t make it…yeah, again. And it's only the first round. But before they tip off, I thought, Hey, since I won my NCAA pool without posting my winners before the tourney started, I might as well give away my surefire, can't-miss predictions for this! Ready? Let's ball...
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1 Detroit Pistons (53-29) vs. 8 Orlando Magic (40-42)
Dwight Howard and the Magic technically slid into the eighth seed by default. Their closest contenders were the Indiana Pacers who lost something like 80% of their last 25 games and finished five games out of the playoffs. Still, look for Howard, who said he wanted the Pistons in the first round, to steal a game or two here, and, if nothing else, get some experience that’ll pay off in a few years.
Prediction: Detroit in 5
2 Cleveland Cavaliers (50-32) vs. 7 Washington Wizards (41-41)
No Gilbert Arenas. No Caron Butler (not yet, at least). If LeBron James wants to make a run, this is the year. Wizards in round one. Raptors/Nets in round two. This is how legends are made.
Prediction: Cavs in 4
3 Toronto Raptors (47-35) vs. 6 New Jersey Nets (41-41)
I can’t stand Vince Carter, but he’s about to bring all the drama of the NBA Playoffs to this one series. Carter, who left the Raptors under “less than favorable” conditions a few years back, returns. Look for Jason Kidd to steal the show, though, and use his experience to expose Chris Bosh and the young Raptors, who are still a year or two away from making major moves. Just don’t expect them to go down without a fight.
Prediction: Nets in 6
4 Miami Heat (44-38) vs. 5 Chicago Bulls (49-33)
Okay, so what they say is true. I really didn’t care all that much about the NBA’s playoff system until my own team got screwed because of it. The Bulls are the third best team in the East, but because they didn’t win their division (and couldn’t pull off a win against the Nets last night), they slide down to five. They’ve got home-court advantage, but instead of playing the seventh seed, they’re stuck with Shaq, D. Wade and the defending champs. This, along with the Utah/Houston match-up out West, will be the best series of the first round.
Prediction: Bulls in 7
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1 Dallas Mavericks (67-15) vs. 8 Golden State Warriors (42-40)
Has anyone seen the Warriors play? The fact that they just barely made a late playoff push (winning 9 of their last 10 games), coupled with the fact that they play most of their games after 10PM, means everyone will bet against them. Still, like the East, look for Jason Richardson, Baron Davis and Monte “The Best Player Everyone is Still Ignoring” Ellis to steal at least one game in the #1/#8 match-up. But Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Josh Howard are just too good.
Prediction: Mavericks in 6
2 Phoenix Suns (61-21) vs. 7 Los Angeles Lakers (42-40)
Throw these teams into a seven-game series and I guarantee one thing: Someone is jawing (or elbowing…or punching…or wrestling) with Kobe Bryant. It gets heated out in the desert, and this is the one match-up I can see the Suns wanting to end as soon as possible. Lucky for them, Lakers center Andrew Bynum is struggling and way too slow to keep up with the pace these teams play at. And if he ain’t in the game, this series won’t be nearly as entertaining as it was last year.
Prediction: Suns in 5
3 San Antonio Spurs (58-24) vs. 6 Denver Nuggets (45-37)
This is why the Nuggets traded for Allen Iverson. Given the circumstances, I have to say that A.I.’s shift out West has gone almost too smoothly. I see him picking it up a notch now that the playoffs are here. But, really? Outside of maybe the Mavs, the Spurs are the last team you want to see in the playoffs. I’m optimistically hoping Denver can pull out an upset in Game 1 and make this an interesting series. But I doubt it.
Prediction: Spurs in 6
4 Utah Jazz (51-31) vs. 5 Houston Rockets (52-30)
Can you imagine if just one of these teams was in the East? The Jazz are wildly proficient every night (no surprise) and get the most out of the players they have. The Rockets have quietly (okay, maybe not) assembled a grab-bag team that works well together. They’ll beat you outside, inside and everywhere in between. Hard to call ‘em in a series, though, considering Tracy McGrady’s track record in the Playoffs, but Yao Ming is the obvious difference here.
Prediction: Rockets in 7
FINALS PREDICTIONS
1 Detroit Pistons vs. 1 Dallas Mavericks
Wow! Really going out on a limb here, right? For the record, I hope this is not the match-up. I’d like to see the Cavs get in there, maybe the Bulls, maybe even a resurgent Heat team (‘Cause, let’s face it, Shaq is practically synonymous with the Finals at this point). In the West, I’m probably one of the few people giving the Suns no chance (Lakers, Spurs and Mavericks in the first three rounds?). And the Spurs are always there. I’d like my sleeper to be the Rockets, but I don’t see them getting past a tough Jazz team and the Mavs. All of that said, I can’t see Dirk and the Mavs never getting a ring, and the Pistons, though not what they were a few years ago, don’t have a serious threat in the East right now.
Prediction: Mavs in 6
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FREE THROWS
While these 16 teams battle for league supremacy, there’s 14 others sitting at home waiting for the NBA Draft in June...The Indiana Pacers (35-47), if it’s any consolation, are in the playoffs. They’re just going by the name Golden State Warriors now (Former Pacers Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson, who were traded earlier this season, are integral parts of the Warriors team)…The Memphis Grizzlies (22-60) just found out they’re losing GM Jerry West in July. Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, please?...Is there a worse team to be on today than the Seattle Supersonics (31-51)? They’re like the orphaned child of the NBA out there…There’s a reason the NBA has a lottery. Here’s to the Boston Celtics (24-58) getting the #4 pick in the June draft and missing out on Oden, Durant and Corey Brewer. Losers shouldn't win — especially when they’re losing on purpose to try and get a better pick…On the flipside, the Philadelphia 76ers (35-47) deserve all the credit in the world. They lost A.I. and never quit. They’ll be back in the mix sooner rather than later…Will the Atlanta Hawks (30-52) ever be good? It feels like no matter who they draft, they win 30 games every year…Michael Redd and the Milwaukee Bucks (28-54) will be back. They’re better than that…Come on, Minnesota Timberwolves (32-50). Trade KG to the Bulls! (Seriously, there’s nothing sadder than watching Kevin Garnett get within 15 feet of the NBA Championship Trophy, especially when you consider he’ll never win one with the Wolves)…The Los Angeles Clippers (40-42) are officially the odd team out this year. They should trade their lottery pick to the Wizards for the #7 seed in the East…Of all the young teams in the league, the Portland Trail Blazers (32-50) are poised to make the most noise in the future. Brandon Roy is the ROY and they’ve got a gang of talent ready to come of age…Sacramento Kings (33-49): It’s time to destroy and rebuild…Michael Jordan and the Charlotte Bobcats (33-49)? The verdict is still out…Whether they’re in the playoffs or not, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (39-43) are still one of the best stories in the league and you can’t help but root for ‘em. They’re back in the Big Easy for good next year…And to the New York Knicks (33-49): Hey, you did do better than last year, right?…Okay, no more cheap shots. See you at the draft.
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