hello there. been off air for some time now. it's not that there has been nothing to talk about about, but i've just been a bit lazy in posting stuff. but with the nba playoffs right around the corner, i'm back with my playoff picks :D
so, without further ado, here we go!
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[chicago bulls vs indiana pacers]
the bulls have been red hot coming down the stretch and derrick rose is the reason why. he really has carried this team all season long and seemed to take it up a notch at the end of the season to help the bulls secure the #1 seed overall. with everyone finally healthy, them playing solid defense, and the outstanding play of rose, it's gonna be tough to take down this team.
the pacers had an good season. hibbert and collison did fairly well and granger is still their go to guy. they have a bunch of good hustle players and work hard on the glass, but they really don't have the athleticism or "wow" factor when you look at their team. i don't see them doing too much against the bulls. maybe if they can slow down rose (or if he just has an off day) and granger goes off will they have a chance, but i think it's slim to none. i'll take a quick first round exit for the pacers.
my pick: bulls in 4
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[miami heat vs philadelphia 76ers]
miami had stretches this year where they looked unstoppable, blowing teams out by double-didgets. then, there were stretches where they looked really out-of-sync and weren't playing on the same page. also, if one of their big 3 are struggling, they don't do too well either. can lebron, wade, and bosh all show up at the same time? if they do, and the role players actually knock down some open j's, they will be hard to stop.
when you look at the 76ers roster, no one really stands out. they play good team ball and igoudala has emerged as one of (if not the best) perimeter defenders in the league. so, if he could shut down lebron or wade and brand has a good series against bosh, they have a chance. however, i don't think they match up very well against the heat.
my pick: heat in 5
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[orlando magic vs atlanta hawks]
the magic made a bunch of trades at the deadline and shook up the roster, but i don't know if that really helped them or not. they still seem like the same kind of team. they rely on dwight to have a big game inside which will open things up for their outside shooters. if they are making their 3s, they will be hard to stop. if they are missing, however, it won't be pretty for them. still, dwight has continued to be a beast down low and he's actually making a higher percentage of his free-throws which is bad news for his opponents.
on paper, the hawks should be a much better team than they are. they are athletic and have shooters and a good post player in horford. but for some reason, they just don't seem to execute when they need to and make stupid plays. skeets from tbj is actually picking the hawks to win because he believes that collins can and will play dwight one-on-one so the other defenders will stay home on the shooters and they won't be able to make many 3s. they hawks did beat the magic 3 times out of 4 in the regular season, but i think things will change in the playoffs.
my pick: magic in 6
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[boston celtics vs new york knicks]
what happened to boston? it seems like after the trade deadline and the team trading perkins, the team has gone downhill from there. rondo especially looked like he checked out of the final few weeks of the season and maybe they are just coasting to the playoffs. last year, they weren't play well either and then they "flipped the switch" and was one game away from winning it all. they have the veteran players who knows what it takes to win, so it's hard to pick against them.
the knicks are an exciting offensive team and they will put up points. melo and amare are amazing offensive players who can make shots, but their defense is lacking. the knicks also traded away half of their roster to get melo so they aren't a very deep team. if they can keep the games close, watch out. melo is one of the best closers in the game and can make the clutch shot. but, will they be close enough to make it happen? i'm going out on a limb and saying "yes." the celtics are looking bad and i think the knicks will step up their defense in the playoffs. i'm picking an upset.
my pick: knicks in 7.
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[san antonio spurs vs memphis grizzlies]
similar to the celtics, the spurs are on their last legs as a championship contender. duncan, manu, and parker have all the veteran savvy you can get, but they are an old team. still, they have the best record in the western conference for a reason. they don't make many mistakes and they don't get flustered. they play their game and if their bench can provide enough of a spark to rest their stars, they can make a deep run.
memphis is another one of those teams where everyone knows their roles. they are actually really balanced in terms of where they can get their points. they play good defense and work hard. the big thing is that they have never been here in the playoffs, so this it'll be interesting to see how they come out. things slow down in the playoffs and it becomes more of a grind-it out type games, and that is exactly how the spurs like to play it. i think the grizz will play hard and get a couple of games, but that's it.
my pick: spurs in 6
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[los angeles lakers vs new orleans hornets]
the lakers had an injury scare, but it looks like bynum is gonna be okay and will start on sunday's game. the thing that people always talk about, when they mention the lakers, is their length. at times, they can have a 7' bynum, 7' pau, and 6'11 odom on the floor along with a 6'8 kobe. not only are the long, but fairly athletic too. the lakers are the perennial favorites to win it all and it's gonna be tough to take them out. their bench has been spotty this season and down the stretch it seemed like they didn't really care either, but once playoffs come, you know they will also "flip the switch."
the hornets had a decent year, but with david west, they really don't have that post presence. i still think chris paul is one of the top pgs in the league and he will cause havoc against fisher. ariza will come out and play hard and try to shut down kobe and if kobe goes into mamba mode for too much of the game, the hornets have a chance. still, i don't think they have much of a chance. they lakers are too deep and too talented.
my pick: lakers in 4
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[dallas mavericks vs portland trailblazers]
dallas is solid team. they have their star in dirk. a their hustle players in marion and chandler. a pg who can handle and pass in kidd. and a spark plug off the bench in terry. however, every year, they get to the playoffs and they get bounced in the first round. it seems like they just always get teams that match up very well against them. and i think this year is the same.
i think the trailblazers made one of the better trades this year by getting gerald wallace from the bobcats. he brings that athleticism and energy that they were lacking. lamarcus has had an amazing year and really took the next step in becoming a star in this league. roy is back from injury and while he's not as explosive as he once was, you still have to account for him. i just think this team is fairly deep and they will cause problems for the mavs.
my pick: blazers in 6
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[oklahoma city thunder vs denver nuggets]
the thunder have been the sexy pick to win it all this year. they are young. they are talented. they are athletic. and they are fun to watch. they have their star in durant who can match anyone offensively. they have their quick and athletic pg in westbrook who has had a great season. they have their perimeter stopper in thabo. and with the addition of perkins and ibaka coming into his own, their defense is solid down low. oh yea, they also have their scorer off the bench in harden. it's easy to see why people like this team so much.
the nuggets really surprised me. after trading melo away, they actually improved and really came together as a team. there is no "superstar"on this team, but a bunch of talented players who want to prove to everyone else that they don't need melo. jr smith can make the big shot, but he also takes really bad shots too. gallinari can score too. wilson is a good hustle player. ty lawson and felton are a good combo at guard. and nene continues to play big for them down low. i think this is going to be the most exciting series and it'll be close, but the thunder will win at the end.
my pick: thunder in 6
