The regular season ended last night. Portland finished on a 13 game losing streak, and will have the 10th pick in the draft if the lottery plays out as expected (it won't, but odds this small mean we are likely still 10th), and LA made the playoffs by beating Houston and with Utah's loss. After the regular season, here are the match-ups:
East :
1 Miami vs. 8 Milwaukee
Led by the Big 3, Miami comes into the playoffs as the favorite to win it all. Their miraculous win streak (even if the quality of competition was only okay) likely gives Miami the impression that they can beat anyone, and they can. James and Wade are a tough matchup, but Milwaukee has some decent defenders. Mbah A Moute should be on James, and his ability to defend him will depend on whether Milwaukee has any chance whatsoever. The pick: Miami in 4
2 New York vs. 7 Boston
New York is an offensive powerhouse, with shooters everywhere. Anthony won the scoring title, and JR Smith could be 6th man. Add in Tyson Chandler as a fantastic defender and NY has an impressive rotation. Boston has experience on their side. Pierce and Garnett will have to score efficiently and play good defense to halt the aggressive Knicks attack. The key for Boston will be Avery Bradley's ability to exploit Kidd and Felton. The pick: New York in 5
3 Indiana vs. 6 Atlanta
Indiana is a stingy defensive team, and are led by first time All-Star this year Paul George. Josh Smith will likely match-up with George in what could be his last games in a Hawks Jersey. Hibbert and West have to be factors down low, and keep Horford from getting good position down low. If Atlanta does not win, Josh Smith could be wearing a different jersey next year. The pick: Indiana in 6
4 Brooklyn vs. 5 Chicago
This match-up will not get the attention that the BOS/NY matchup will, but it will be the closest series. Chicago is still without Rose (so we think?) and has relied on team basketball to advance. Noah should be good to go, and Boozer/Gibson/Butler/Deng are all capable of scoring 15 points a game. Even without their top player, this is a dangerous team. Brooklyn is led by Deron Williams, who has been playing better over the last month and a half. Wallace has struggled and Lopez could be ineffective against Noah. The X-Factor will be Joe Johnson's ability to score in the 4th quarter. This series will go 7. The pick: Chicago in 7
West:
1 Oklahoma City vs. 8 Houston
Oklahoma City took advantage of SA's slide to snag the top seed. Led by Durant and Westbrook (though the shot totals favor the wrong player) Oklahoma City is the favorite in the West. Martin has been a solid 6th man, and defensive specialists Ibaka and Sefolosha have been great. Houston is led by James Harden, the former Thunder guard, who could be the best 2 guard in the league right now. Yes, that includes the Black Mamba. He will likely have a chip on his shoulder, but he will need other teammates to step up to beat OKC. The pick: OKC in 5
2 San Antonio vs. 7 LA Lakers
San Antonio is a team. LA wants to be a team. The dynamic trio of Duncan/Parker/Ginobili led to some of the best basketball of the season, but are they healthy enough to make a deep run? The Lakers are reeling after Bryant's torn Achilles, but they might actually be better off without him. The X-Factor has to be Steve Nash- can he play? The pick: SA in 6
3 Denver vs. 6 Golden State
Denver doesn't have a stand-out player, but they are the deepest team in the league. Led by Lawson and Iguodala, Denver is considered a favorite in this match-up, but do they have anyone to count on to score late in games? Count in the Gallinari ACL tear, and this team does not look as sturdy. Golden State is led by Stephen Curry, who yesterday broke the 3-pointers made in a season record against Portland. Denver plays good defense, and their ability to contain Curry will help determine the winner of the series. Can Lee be the All-Star GS needs? The pick: Denver in 7
4 LA Clippers vs. 5 Memphis
This series feels like a toss-up. Chris Paul is the best player in the series, but Memphis' frontcourt duo is far superior to the Clippers. Lob City will not get easy dunk looks against Gasol and Randolph. Add in Ed Davis as a big off the bench and Memphis' frontcourt looks sturdy. Back to Paul, he should out play Conley, though he is a good defender in his own right. On the wing is the weakness of both teams, and Jamal Crawford has to exploit this, even if he has Tony Allen on him. In the end, there will be too much defense. The pick: Memphis in 6
For more in-depth analysis as the playoffs progress, and updated predictions, check back when the time comes. For now, here are my predictions for the later rounds in the playoffs.
Miami over Chicago
Indiana over New York
Miami over Indiana
Oklahoma City over Memphis
Denver over San Antonio
Oklahoma City over Denver
Oklahoma City over Miami- 6 games
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