NBA Playoffs Predictions

It's that time of the year again! The NBA Playoffs are here and this the time we see who really is the best team in basketball. Casual fans and hardcore NBA fans unite! I'm gonna break down all the first round matchups and give you my predictions. This is gonna be a long blog post, so get your popcorn and soda pop ready. Here we go!

EAST:

Game 1 - Sun. April 21, Milwaukee at Miami, 7 p.m., TNT

I remember when Monta Ellis, or somebody on the Bucks said they could run with The Miami Heat. I beg to differ. This season has shown that nobody in the East can go toe to toe with The Miami Heat and the reigning  and defending MVP Lebron James. The Heat are very underrated on defense. They like to pressure teams, and constantly press to force turnovers. They're the best fastbreak team in Basketball and their efficiency rating is off the charts. They've also added Ray Allen, The Birdman, and Rashard Lewis to their team. Miami is stacked with playmakers.

The Bucks have almost no answer for anything Miami brings to the table. They don't have the size on defense to harass Lebron, they don't have any size down low to get and space and good points in the paint. Ersan Ilyasova is a force down low, but how productive is going to be against Miami? The Bucks can't force The Heat into bad turnovers, especially at home where they seem to dominate most of the time. I hate to say Milwaukee has no chance because anything can happen in the playoffs, but The Heat just beat them in every category. I mean, Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings will get their points in bunches and JJ Redick is good for some points off the bench. The Bucks are a young, athletic, and versatile team, but I don't see them beating Miami. They'll be lucky to get one game. I'll be generous and give them that.

Showstopper Prediction: Miami Heat in 5 games

Game 1 - Sat. April 20, Boston at New York, 3 p.m., ABC

This is probably the one game out of the East I'm looking forward to the most. The Knicks have had their moments this season. They started out, REALLY strong, kind of fizzled out in the middle of the season, but finished winning 16 out of their last 18 games and winning the Atlantic Division for the first time since 1994.

If this was a few weeks ago and Rondo was healthy, I would say, I'd take Boston in 6 games, but just watching The Knicks get better and better and get back to their ways and now Carmelo overtakes Durant for the scoring title. Boston just isn't the same team without Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, but they've still got Paul Pierce, a tenacious defender in Avery Bradley, and great playmakers like Jason Terry and Jeff Green. Plus, they've got one of the best coaches in basketball, Doc Rivers. The only problem with the Knicks is that they live and die by the 3 ball. Melo, Novak, Kidd, Felton, and JR are exceptional 3 point shooters and I'm sure Doc knows that. He's not going to leave them on the perimeter and rain down 3s all day. The Knicks are going to have change up a few things to contend with Boston.

This is the most important year for Melo and The Knicks. They've gotta get out the first round. They've been bumped from the first round 2 years in a row now by Boston and Miami respectively. Melo himself has been bumped out of the first round 8 of his last 9 appearances. All that being said, I think the Celtics are due for a swift exit from the first round this time around. Boston's defensive ability is the only thing that can extend the series, but The Knicks' offense is just too good this year. Their frontcourt is suspect at times, but they're very efficient on offense and once they get going, it's hard to stop them. The Knicks need a lot of things to go wrong to mess this up.

Showstopper Prediction: New York Knicks in 6 games

Game 1 - Sun. April 21, Atlanta at Indiana, 1 p.m., TNT

Indiana drew a good matchup here. The Pacers have the best defense in basketball and are the #1 rebounding team in basketball. They're lucky Chicago didn't draw that #6 seed because that's a bad matchup for them. 

The Hawks don't get talked about a lot, but they've been quietly playing good basketball this season. Josh Smith has put together another overall good season scoring 17.5 points per game, averaging around 8.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds. Losing Jamal Crawford and Joe Johnson is still HUGE, but Josh Smith is no scrub, Jeff Teague is still an exceptional point guard, and Al Horford is still playing at high level. He's always been a very underrated big man in my eyes playing on a struggling team. 

But Indiana is just a better team. Indiana plays slow and keeps the pace to match their playing style. They can spend the series exploiting their matchups against Atlanta. They've got the playmakers in David West and George Hill on the offensive side of the ball and with Roy Hibbert and Paul George guarding the rim, it'll be hard for Atlanta to get any decent points in the paint. And as I mentioned before, Indiana is the top rebounding team in the league, the Hawks are 23rd in that category. The Pacers are the #1 team in the NBA in scoring points in the paint. I don't the Hawks have any sort of answer for the balance of defense and offensive consistency.

Showstopper Prediction: Indiana Pacers in 5 games

Game 1 - Sat. April 20, Chicago at Brooklyn, 8 p.m., ESPN

The crowd in Brooklyn is gonna be rowdy, but I don't like their chances against Chicago. Deron Williams has been back to playing at the all star level we know he can't play at, Brook Lopez is putting together yet another solid season, and Joe Johnson looks to emerge as the superstar the Nets need. 

But, Chicago is a whole different breed. They've been playing exceptionally well over the last few weeks, but their success in the playoffs depends on the health of Joakim Noah. Noah is a such an intimidating presence in the paint of the offensive and defensive side of the ball and The Bulls need that because The Nets have Lopez to score and Evans to rebound and defend and putbacks if he's in the right position. 

The Bulls are more physical then the Nets, but getting points in the painted area could be a problem without Noah. Boozer scores decent numbers when he has to, Luol Deng is great playmaker, Kirk Hinrich has seemingly taken the spot of Kyle Korver and provide some needed points on the perimeter, and Nate Robinson has taken over for Derrick Rose, but he is NOT Derrick Rose. 

All that being said, The Nets don't have enough physical intensity to deal with the Bulls and not enough consistent playmakers to contend with Chicago's lineup. Brooklyn will provide a stellar challenge because I believe their frontcourt will get some needed points in the paint. This also depends on if Joakim Noah is healthy because he can be a force down there as I mentioned before. But The Bulls are resilient and are out to prove that they can get it done without Derrick Rose. It all depends on which Bulls team shows up in these playoffs. They're starting off on the road and their road record isn't exactly eye-popping (21-20) so they need to be ready.

Showstopper Prediction: Chicago Bulls in 6 games

WEST:

Lots of intriguing matchups in the West. Let's get right to them!

Game 1 - Sun. April 21, Houston at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m., TNT

This matchup is really intriguing because both of these teams play at almost the same pace. They like to go up and down the court and can score in bunches. Houston is 2nd highest scoring team in basketball with OKC at #3. 

James Harden is the key to Houston avoiding a sound beating at the hands of the defending Western Conference Champions. His playmaking is crucial to Houston being able to pull off the upset, but his supporting cast will have to back him up. This will also be Jeremy Lin's first playoff appearance, so it'll be impressive to see how he performs. Not to mention the big man Omir Asik down low is #3 in the league in rebounding and they have a very underrated forward in Chandler Parsons. Houston likes to quicken the pace and move up and down the court similar to OKC. They love to move the ball around and get a man open. They don't depend on the 3 ball as much like some teams do. Sounds like an even match, right?

Wrong. What Houston's downfall will be is their defense. Houston can score all the points they want, but they have to be able to defend because OKC can match their offensive consistency, but they can also defend when it's time to defend have the ability to pull away from their opponent. Houston is 16th in the league in defense while OKC has the #3 overall defense in the NBA. OKC has Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, the league leading blocker in Serge Ibaka, and exceptional players in Thabo and Perkins. But the 6th man is key here. Harden was big for OKC last season, and now they've got Kevin Martin. Kevin Martin can ball, no doubt about that, but his minutes off the bench will be pivotal.

Houston and OKC will score alot of points on each other, but it will be who has the better defensive prowess enough to lock down and force turnovers. Too much OKC, too much playmaking and defense for Houston to handle. I don't think Houston will get swept, but this will be a good series.

Showstopper Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder in 6 games

Game 1 - Sun. April 21, Los Angeles at San Antonio, 3:30 p.m., ABC

Let me choose my words carefully as to not upset the hardcore Kobe Lakers fans out there. The Lakers have absolutely no chance against San Antonio. I've said to this to a few friends of mine that The Lakers wouldn't get in the playoffs and they made it by the skin of their teeth. But man, did they ever draw a bad matchup here.

Here's how the Lakers look; Kobe Bryant is injured and Steve Nash is dealing with some injuries, Pau Gasol has been M.I.A. for most of the season, Dwight Howard finally turned on the switch and is playing close to the level he was at in Orlando and Steve Blake has been picking up the slack for the injured Nash. That's all well and good, but they're playing the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are also banged up as well. Manu has been dealing with some injuries as well and hasn't been playing like himself and Tony Parker has been inconsistent since coming back from his injury. All the more reason San Antonio brought in Tracy McGrady. People forget how good this guy used to be in his heyday with Magic before his own injury problems.

Even with their injuries, The Spurs are better up and down the roster than The Lakers. If Kobe and Nash were healthy, then I could see this series going 6, maybe 7 games, but the Lakers aren't beating The Spurs. As good as Dwight Howard is, Tim Duncan is no scrub. He's not going to let Dwight get those easy shots off of screen and picks. Duncan's fundamentals will prevail over Howard's versatility and athleticism. Even without their Big 3, The Spurs still have Danny Green, Kawai Leonard, and Steven Jackson as a great supporting cast. The Spurs overall roster is just too much for the Lakers to handle. The Lakers also have a 18th ranked defense while The Spurs are #4 in total points scored and the league leading team in assists. 

Laker Nation better be prepared for a first round exit.

Showstopper Prediction: San Antonio Spurs in 5 games

Game 1 - Sat. April 20, Golden State at Denver, 5:30 p.m., ESPN

Out all of the games in the first round, this is the one I'm looking forward to the most. Right off the bat, Golden State can forget the notion of winning a game in Denver. They've been AMAZING in the Pepsi Center. 38-3 to be exact. The best team at home in the NBA this season. Golden State plays well on their home court, but not as well as Denver. 

The Nuggets offense is so explosive and fast. They like to go up and down the court with haste. Danillo Gallinairi is a BIG loss to this team because he's a very underrated perimeter shooter, but they've still got leading scorer Ty Lawson, superstar Andre Iguodala and a tenacious big man in Kenneth Faried who can snatch down offensive boards and score with the best of them. Denver has a ton of playmakers on offense and at home, they don't take their foot off the gas. 

Stephen Curry holds the all time record for most 3's in a single season and he's the one person that gives Golden State a fighting chance in this series. Not to discredit Andrew Bogut, Jarrett Jack, and David Lee, but Stephen Curry is the premiere playmaker on this team and needs to open up opportunities to get David Lee and Andrew Bogut going. Also, Jarrett Jack is going to be an integral part of Golden State's gameplan coming off the bench. Curry will get his because Lawson is coming back from injury. He says he's fine, but I think he might a little gimpy. Curry will get his and keep Lawson on his toes. 

The Warriors have a slight advantage in the rebound category and their frontcourt is more athletic and can provide more consistent points in the paint, but as far as overall efficiency goes, Denver is the #1 offensive team in basketball and Golden State themselves are only 13th in the league in defense. Denver is just going to be too much for Golden State to handle. Stephen Curry and his team need to be ready or else things could get ugly. It's gonna be a great series. 

Showstopper Prediction: Denver Nuggets in 5 games

Game 1 - Sat. April 20, Memphis at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m., ESPN

Here we go again. The Los Angeles Clippers face off with the Memphis Grizzlies for the second straight season. This time, the roles are reversed, Clippers are the #4 seed and Memphis is #5 seed. Who could forget their epic 7 game series from last season. Game 1 one the series saw The Clippers come back from 27 down to beat Memphis on their homecourt and win Game 7 on that same court. A great start to the first round indeed. The Grizzlies are out for some revenge this year.

This time around, things are a tad bit different. The Grizzlies are much better on defense ranking #2 and allowing just fewer than 90 points per game. Their defense is ferocious, forces turnovers, can body and outsize players down low, and can lock down defend and press the court with the best of them. A defense this good is something they lacked last year. They've also got some size and athleticism down low. Marc Gasol puts together another efficient season with 14.1 points per game and averaging almost 8 rebounds per game. Of course, Zach Randolph will be an integral part of their offense averaging 15.4 points per game and 11.2 rebounds per game. I feel like the absence of Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo is big. They don't have that one superstar who can take the game over in clutch situations. Sure Michael Conley is good, but he'll need to turn his game up in the playoffs to give Memphis a chance.

Lob City however has had their fair share of problems off the court, but I'm sure things have quieted down by now. The Clippers are still #4 in scoring, Chris Paul is still (in my opinion) the best point guard in the league right now in terms of playmaking abilities, player efficiency, and #2 in the league in assist, and have guys like Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan ready to dunk on somebody if need be. DeAndre may lead the league in FG percentage, but he needs to improve his FT shooting. Jamal Crawford is in the running for 6th man of the year and he's going to give Lob City a much needed boost. Nobody on Memphis can contend with CP3 or even defend a guy like Jamal Crawford. Guys Jerryd Bayless and Darrell Arthur will need to step up.

Tough choice here, but I'm gonna have to go with The Clippers again. As much as I want to pick to Grizzlies because I think their defense is so strong, the Clippers just have too much depth and they can play against anybody with the ability of their frontcourt. It just seems like another bad matchup for the Grizz. They don't have enough offensive efficiency to contend with The Clippers. Grizz seem to rely more on their defense, but sometimes struggle to score consistent points. They can slow down The Clippers, but can they score the points to beat them. This series could go either way, but we're in store for another great series.

Showstopper Prediction: Los Angeles Clippers in 7 games

There you have it. My picks and predictions. Enjoy the first round matchups of the NBA Playoffs everybody! 16 Teams. 1 NBA Champion. Let the games begin.

Also, as an early NBA Finals Prediction, I'm gonna go Heat vs Thunder in a rematch from last year. If The Spurs weren't so banged up, I'd choose them, but unless they get it together, I'm going with OKC.

Feel free to Comment.

By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete