The NBA playoffs are underway and a lot teams have something to prove. In the NBA's second season a couple of bad games mean an early summer vacation. Let's see who is going to advance to the next round and who is going to go home.
THE EASTERN CONFERENCE:
#1 Atlanta Hawks vs #8 Brooklyn Nets- Both of these teams have been on the opposite ends of the spectrum this season, with the Hawks leading the Eastern Conference for most of the season while the Nets just backed into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. The Hawks are looking to prove to the league that they are a true contender and their success in the regular season wasn't a fluke. For that I imagine they would need to make it at least to the Eastern Conference Finals and anything less would be a disappointment. The Nets have been playing better basketball of late and have been carried by the superb play of Brook Lopez. Over the month of March Lopez played at an extremely high level which netted him the East player of the week awards at the end of March and beginning of April. But unfortunately for Lopez he has his work cut out for him against this fantastic Hawk defense. Lopez could will the Nets to one win at home but nothing more. The Hawks are likely to throw Al Horford or Paul Millsap (sometimes at the same time) on Lopez which will be a tough match up for him. With not much scoring elsewhere the Nets will struggle to put up points which will make this a short series. Atlanta in 5
#2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs #7 Boston Celtics- In what was supposed to be a rebuilding season for the Celtics they managed to pull off a 23-12 record after the all-star break to sneak in as the 7th seed in the East. Brad Stevens has been nothing short of fantastic as the young coach for the young Celtics team. He has been great in drawing up last minute plays as well as playing the correct rotations in crunch time. The addition of Isiah Thomas has been fantastic for the Celtics, as Thomas has emerged as a 6th man of the year candidate. Unfortunately for the Celtics, a man by the name of LeBron James stands in their way as an ugly stepsister, looking to ruin this fairytale season. The Cavs have constantly been in the media, these things will happen when LeBron is on your team, from people wondering what exactly LeBron was doing on that two week break in Miami to questioning whether or not Kevin Love is happy with his role. Despite all the off court distractions the Cavs have been playing great basketball since LeBron's return from injury and the additions of JR Smith and Timofey Mozgov have made the Cavs favorites in the East. An intriguing question for the Cavs is how will Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving fare in their first postseason? The answer to that question will play a role in how much success the Cavs have in the postseason this year, but ultimately this team will go as far as LeBron can take them. I see the Cavs wrapping this series up rather quickly in order to get as much rest as possible, as a second round match up with the Bulls is lurking in the future. Cavs in 5
#3 Chicago Bulls vs #6 Milwaukee Bucks- Jason Kidd should be considered as a candidate for Coach of the Year with the effort he has done with this young Bucks team. The second pick of the 2014 draft Jabari Parker was lost for the season with a torn ACL but this team didn't miss a stride. The Greek Freak has made huge leaps in his game and he is one of the most versatile players in the NBA. The addition of Michael Carter-Williams gives the Bucks an additional play maker and someone who makes the game easier for everyone else. The Bulls have to be pleased to finally see Derrick Rose on the playoff roster, these will be his first playoffs since his unfortunate ACL injury in 2012. Since Rose has been back the Bulls offense has been running a lot more smoother with the defenses paying more attention to Rose, allowing for the rest of the team to get better looks. Pau Gasol has had a resurgence with this Bulls team, posting good enough numbers to be an Eastern Conference all-star. This is the first year that the Bulls have been somewhat healthy for the playoffs and if they are playing their best basketball, Bulls fans should believe that they can beat any team on a given night. The Bucks have the length to compete in a few games, but the Bulls are much more talented on both sides of the ball. Also coach Tom Thibodeau isn't afraid to play his starters 40+ minutes a night so don't be surprised to see very few substitutions from the Bulls. As has been the case for the Bulls in seasons past they will only go as far as Derrick Rose can take them. Anything less than a meeting vs the Cavaliers in the second round would be a disappointment. Bulls in 6
#4 Toronto Raptors vs #5 Washington Wizards- Both of these teams have been disappointing as of late and have slid down the standings since the all-star break. With both coaches on the hot seat, these playoffs will go a long way in determining in which coach keeps his job. The Wizards have the best player in this series in John Wall and will need him to carry this team as far as he can. The Raptors have their own stud point guard in Kyle Lowry, an excellent defender who can also be trusted with the ball in crunch time. The Wizards are a lot older than the Raptors with veterans such as Paul Pierce, Marcin Gortat, and Nene. Pierce helped eliminate the Raptors last year when he was on the Nets with many clutch baskets. This series will come down to which team can execute down the stretch as I expect many close back and forth games that will be decided in the 4th quarter. Out of all the first round playoff series, this one has been the most difficult to predict, as either team can win with a week of good basketball. In this close match-up I am leaning towards the team with the best player and veteran experience, as John Wall and Paul Pierce will close a couple of games down the stretch. Wizards in 6
THE WESTERN CONFERENCE:
#1 Golden State Warriors vs #8 New Orleans Pelicans- The Pelicans scored an impressive win on the last day of the season over the San Antonio Spurs to slide into the final spot of the Western Conference. Anthony Davis has been nothing short of phenomenal this season, looking like every bit of the superstar that people predicted him to be. But unfortunately for him his first playoff experience will likely be extremely short as Davis has to play the juggernaut that has been the Golden State Warriors this season. One of the best aspects of the Warriors this season has been their excellent home record. With only two losses at home the entire season it is almost it will be very difficult for a team to steal a game at home against the Warriors because it seems like even when the Warriors don't play that well at home they somehow manage to win anyway, evidenced by their last second win vs the Suns a couple of weeks ago. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Warriors have an undefeated home record until at least the Western Conference Finals. The Pelicans may pull one out at home thanks to Anthony Davis but it should be a short playoffs for the Brow. Warriors in 5
#2 Houston Rockets vs #7 Dallas Mavericks- James Harden has carried this injury riddled Rockets team all the way to the second seed. Even though he might not win MVP he has to be considered one of the best players in the league and someone who can take over a series if need be. The X factor for the Rockets will be the health of Dwight Howard. If he can play his best the Rockets will be contending for the Finals and will be a tough out. The Mavs have been struggling to fit Rajon Rondo into their offense and have been stagnant the last month of the season. The problem for the Mavs is that they don't have anyone that can match up against Harden and they might have to put Rondo on him. This series will be a test for Chandler Parsons as he will be going up against his former team. If Parsons can take some of the scoring load away from Dirk and Monta Ellis the Mavs might be able to steal a few games. I see a couple of overtime games in this hard fought series as the Rockets prevail on a great performance by James Harden. Rockets in 6
#3 Los Angeles Clippers vs #6 San Antonio Spurs- It is extremely unfortunate that the Clippers, who have been playing great basketball as of late, have to play the Spurs in the first round round of the playoffs. Chris Paul has been playing like an MVP and has carried this team in spite of injuries to Blake Griffin. CP3 has been extremely efficient the season and with JJ Reddick they make one of the best offenses in the league. The Spurs were looking at a number two seed on last day of the regular season but with a loss to the Pelicans they dropped all the way to the sixth seed. Kawhi Leonard has been one of the best players in the league after his injury and he makes the Spurs a championship contender with his play. This maybe Tim Duncan's last season so the Spurs will definitely try to end his illustrious career on a high note. With Greg Popovich and the big three you can never count this team out come playoff time. I expect the Spurs to steal one of the first two in LA and eventually advance to the next round. Spurs in 6
#4 Memphis Grizzlies vs #5 Portland Trailblazers- Both of these teams looked prime for a playoff run until poor play and injuries led them to the middle of the Western Conference standings. The Grizzlies looked like an elite contender about two months ago, but have cooled off since and the Blazers suffered a brutal season ending Achilles injury to Wesley Matthews who was having a career season. Damian Lillard has hit a slump after the all-star break and Lamarcus Aldridge has been playing with a broken hand for the better part of the season. In addition Arron Afflalo might not play Game 1 because of a shoulder injury which means the banged up Blazers might have to start Allen Crabbe at shooting guard. The Grizzlies have elite defenders in Marc Gasol and Tony Allen and each will make life difficult for Aldridge and Lillard. With all of the injuries to the Blazers, the Grizzlies can put more pressure on Aldridge and Lillard due to the lack of scoring elsewhere. The injuries to Portland heavily tilt this match up to the Grizzlies favor. I see the Grizzlies stealing one of two from the Blazers at home and advancing to the next round. Grizzlies in 6
#4 Memphis Grizzlies vs #5 Portland Trailblazers- Both of these teams looked prime for a playoff run until poor play and injuries led them to the middle of the Western Conference standings. The Grizzlies looked like an elite contender about two months ago, but have cooled off since and the Blazers suffered a brutal season ending Achilles injury to Wesley Matthews who was having a career season. Damian Lillard has hit a slump after the all-star break and Lamarcus Aldridge has been playing with a broken hand for the better part of the season. In addition Arron Afflalo might not play Game 1 because of a shoulder injury which means the banged up Blazers might have to start Allen Crabbe at shooting guard. The Grizzlies have elite defenders in Marc Gasol and Tony Allen and each will make life difficult for Aldridge and Lillard. With all of the injuries to the Blazers, the Grizzlies can put more pressure on Aldridge and Lillard due to the lack of scoring elsewhere. The injuries to Portland heavily tilt this match up to the Grizzlies favor. I see the Grizzlies stealing one of two from the Blazers at home and advancing to the next round. Grizzlies in 6
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