Four Years, Two Teams?

It may be to the point where these teams have faced each other so often that it is now considered a war by international law, but odds have it that the Warriors and Cavaliers will play each other in the NBA Finals once again. The argument remains as to whether or not the dominance of these two teams is good for the NBA, but anyway you put it this is the outcome for the 2017 season and maybe even a couple more years down the road. Buckle up NBA fans, this one may be a long ride. On another note the question remains, can anyone challenge either of these teams? No. At least not this year, and it is hard to see a new team emerging if both superpowers stay together this off-season.

Moves, Moves, and more Moves

There was a major shopping spree on players this off-season, as this it was one of the most active and exciting off-season’s that NBA fans have seen in a long time. Big names all seemed to move to and throughout the western conference. So much that it sparked the league to change the format of the All-Star game so that the West would not be so lopsided. One team in each conference stood out to me, as well as many other people, in making the most enticing moves this off-season.

In the east it was clearly the Celtics who had the best additions to their team. Adding Gordon Hayward through free agency and trading for Kyrie Irving were two great moves that helped the team get a lot younger and have a true identity to go along with the youth of their bench. There is still the aging Al Horford who does not fit the long-term plans of the team, but for right now he is good veteran help. This team is not going to stun the Cavaliers and take the eastern conference championship, but they should at least make the east finals competitive. The Celtics will be a force in the eastern conference for years to come, whether or not they do anything depends on the future of the Cavaliers roster.

As for the west the most intriguing team this off-season was the Oklahoma City Thunder with the additions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. The fact that both of these trades were pulled off is incredible, especially considering that Sam Presti technically flipped Serge Ibaka (traded to Magic for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis) for Paul George (Traded to Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis). This team now has a very interesting dynamic, as they have 3 guys that love to operate with the ball in their hands. Will they figure out a way to make it work? Yeah, I think they do but I do not think they reach a level that is higher for the Warriors. Sorry Thunder fans.

Lastly, some quick hitters regarding the rest of NBA and free agency moves. In the East everyone seemed to get worse and is entering rebuilding stages as the Bulls, Pacers, Hawks, and Knicks all traded away key pieces to get younger assets. All those stars migrated to the West where there were shuffles on most of the rosters. The Rockets propelled themselves into the top of the conference even further with the addition of Chris Paul. The Timberwolves made a big acquisition in getting Jimmy Butler, a move that they hope will help them in the long run as they have an extremely young roster. Lastly the Nuggets and Clippers both made additions that will likely keep them on the edge of the playoffs, but will not amount to major success in the West.

Graduating Class of 2017

Just about every team not mentioned above decided that it was a good move to invest in the draft, and it looks like the draft class is not going to disappoint. While it seems like the draft prospects have always busted in recent years, the rookies this year seem to be of a different breed. Going into the draft there were talks that this could be the best class since 2003, and from the little film we have seen in the summer league and preseason this looks more than formidable.

The number one overall pick by the 76ers Markelle Fultz not only looks like a stud, but so do his teammates around him. This is a team that has the potential to be really good in years to come if all of their young players tend to pan out how they should. While this pick was a no brainer for the 76ers, he is a perfect fit for their team as he provides the outside shooting needed to spread the floor.

The second overall pick went to the Los Angeles Lakers and they selected Lonzo Ball, as I am sure everyone on the planet knows by this point. Put his dad and all the drama aside and consensus has it that this kid is going to be a star. The pieces around him seem to be in place, but it is just a matter of how everyone progresses in the coming years. The interesting thing to follow with this roster is what happens next year in free agency, as the Lakers have a lot of money to spend and a lot of big name free agents should be available.

Some other noticeable draft picks were Jayson Tatum to the Celtics at three, Josh Jackson to the Suns at four, De’Aaron Fox to the Kings at five, and Dennis Smith Jr. to the Mavericks at nine. All of these players have potential to shine almost immediately in the league, and could very well be superstars in the making. Tatum is in a very interesting scenario as he is going to develop on a team that will likely get a lot of playoff success and experience. Jackson is on a young, but extremely talented team as he prepares to pair up with Devin Booker for years to come. Fox and Smith will not have any enticing prospects around them, but both are extremely explosive and quick players at the point guard position and should have long careers ahead of them.

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Looking around the NBA, many markets with a huge population/history are teams that will be out of the playoff race come December. The Knicks, Lakers, and Celtics are dynasties that all collectively find themselves in rebuilding years, these three teams were all out of the playoffs at the same time for the first time in NBA History last year.  The argument claiming that free agents will always flock to the town that can make them a star seems to be more and more outdated as the years go by.

A decade ago, when free agents more frequently would test the  waters, these destinations were prime for the best talent. Carmelo, Shaq, Pau, Kevin Garnet, Brian Scalabrine, Ray Allen, and Amare Stoudemire to name a few all were whisked away from a small market to win on the biggest stages in the nation, but as of the past few years, these markets have been whiffing on talent like Kevin Love, the Big 3 from Miami, and the Lakers missed on Melo.

The simple fact is that in the NBA, stars can make money no matter where they are. Kevin Durant makes an obscene amount of money, stared in a terrible, terrible movie about him,  and found him self on the cover of NBA 2k15 despite Oklahoma City being one of the smallest markets in the NBA.

If a player is talented, the money and notoriety that those big cities provide will come to them without relocation. With the money the NBA will make of their upcoming TV deal, the nation will watch good basketball no matter the location. Basketball is now getting global, and the focus on being talented in the region is now what matters in the NBA.

People who say that Kobe Bryant is repelling free agents may be true, but odds are there’s more of a focus on players who go to other teams for different reasons. Maybe it’s more of the fact that Carmelo wanted to get close to a max deal alongside staying in his hometown, Lebron also wanted to go home. Kevin Love and the Timberwolves thought they could give Love a chance at victory, and felt that the Cavs offered the most for them to trade. The city in itself will not be the reason talent travels, there are many other dominant reasons that sway a free agents decision.

The NBA is growing globally, and with that wider focus, there is much less attention to just a popular city. The days of the Lakers always being on top are dead and gone, and with that, is the end of an era. Let Kobe drop 30 points a game, the team still starts Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill, and they’ll be terrible for a while. The Lakers will learn a lesson that the Celtics have been learning for the past two years (and one that the Knicks have been learning for a while.) a city won’t guarantee free agents.

The post Major Market Meltown: Why Kobe is Irrelevant in 2014 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Western Conference
Regular Season Standings
Playoff Teams

1. San Antonio Spurs: I want to choose against the Spurs, and the Cavaliers for that matter, with all of my being. However, it’s pretty difficult in San Antonio’s case when they’re night in and night out the most fundamentally sound squad. The ageless Tim Duncan returns with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli once again. Add in NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, alongside Danny Green, Boris Diaw, Marco Belinelli and the best coach in the game, and you have yourself a recipe for success. See: The last decade or so.
2.  Los Angeles Clippers: How would things in the NBA be different if the original Chris Paul trade went through? Would CP3, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard be headlining this city for the Lakers and the Clippers stuck in their usual second-tier rut? We’ll never know, but what we can expect is Doc Rivers to have one of the best squads in the NBA this season, especially with his system implemented for another year.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook may be the highest scorer in the league come December. Afterwards? Not so much. That’s when Kevin Durant will return and lead what will potentially be a middle of the road team back to the top three in the West. Steven Adams showed he could be a decent big man in the league, so Kendrick Perkins may find more and more pine. Anthony Morrow and Jeremy Lamb still aren’t a replacement for James Harden, but they should stretch the floor consistently. That is, if Westbrook and Durant don’t do it enough.
4. Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki finally has help again in Dallas. Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler should form a dangerous starting lineup run by Jameer Nelson. If the Mavericks do make a top four seed in the West, does Rick Carlisle have a case for coach of the year? There’s a strong chance. Remember, the Mavericks took the Spurs to seven games last season. They’d meet them in the second round this year.
5. Golden State Warriors: And here we have the Western Conference team that everyone wants to play as in video games. Do you want scorers? Well, they have Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodola, Shaun Livingston, Brandon Rush, David Lee and Andrew Bogut. Even new head coach Steve Kerr can knock it down from range. The defense might be a little
6. Portland Trail Blazers: If Damian Lillard played in a bigger market than Oregon, he’d be a superstar in this league. Lamarcus Aldridge is a top tier power forward, but I felt was overhyped during his magnificent stretch of last season. It didn’t carry deep into the playoffs, losing to the Spurs in the second round in five games after eliminating the Rockets in the first. Nicolas Batum might be the key factor if the Blazers can take the next step, while Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews and Steve Blake will also play significant roles.
7. Houston Rockets: Don’t get me wrong, the Rockets are a strong team with Dwight Howard and James Harden. However, the loss of Chandler Parsons will really hurt. Trevor Ariza ought to bring a strong third option, but I’m not too sold on the depth of this squad. I wouldn’t hold my breath on a championship run.
8. Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies won 50 games in 2014 despite multiple missed games by their stars. Marc Gasol may not be on the squad a year from now, but Tony Allen, Tayshaun Prince, Zach Randolph, Vince Carter and Mike Conley should be enough to push the Grizzlies into postseason play.

Contenders

9. New Orleans Pelicans: Honestly, I had to fix the mistake of putting “Hornets” down. Look at this lineup, though: Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon, Anthony Davis and Omer Asik. Austin Rivers and Ryan Anderson can come off the bench and form a pesky team throughout the season. I have them ninth, but they should be in the playoff hunt up until the end.
10. Denver Nuggets: Kenneth Faried looked like a top-level player in the FIBA games. Nate Robinson will be back and healthy as a sparkplug. Danillo Gallinari, Ty Lawson, JaVale McGee, Aaron Afflalo, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov put together a pretty talented roster that might be in the running for a final seed.
11. Phoenix Suns: The Suns played as well as anyone could have expected last year…and still just missed the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference. A step back is more likely than a step forward as they played a little over their heads in 2013.The Rest
12. Los Angeles Lakers: I’m not as low on the Lakers as most. They finished second to last without Kobe in 2013, so with Kobe it ought to be a little better. Or at the very least more entertaining. Carlos Boozer, Jeremy Linn and Nick Young don’t exactly form a stellar “Big Three” to tag along. You might as well have Kobe go for the record 100 points every single game.
13. Sacramento Kings: The Kings could be a surprise team in the sense they might be around the 10^th-seed by year’s end. Could. We’re talking Dumb and Dumber level chances. Ben McLemore, DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Derrick Williams and all of the Big Ten’s favorite Nic Stauskas form a young core. If someone like Sim Bhullar turns out to be more than height, they could be dangerous. But don’t count on it.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves: “Why can’t this be Love?” “Do you believe in life after Love?” “Love is a battlefield.” This might as well be the Timberwolves pregame music. Wiggins should sell some tickets, but they won’t win many games.
15. Utah Jazz: I mean, the Jazz have players who could be decent in the future. As for right now? Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Alec Burks, Trey Burke, Enes Kanter and Gordon Hayward aren’t exactly striking fear into anybody. Daunte Exum may end up being a good draft pick, but he has looked a little overwhelmed in our limited viewing.

    

Eastern Conference
Regular Season Standings
Playoff Teams

1. Chicago Bulls: The Bulls boast the deepest roster in the league. Rumor has it that rookie Doug McDermott may find a starting role so it looks something like this: Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, McDermott, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah starting, Kirk Hinrich, Tony Snell, Mike Dunleavy, Nikola Mirotic, Taj Gibson rotating off the bench, and Aaron Brooks with Nazr Mohammed available for spot minutes. What worries me? Despite the depth, Rose and Gasol’s health are vital, especially the former. We’ve all heard that enough throughout the past few years for the former.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: We keep being force fed information about LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, so I’ll stray away from them. If Dion Waiters can take a step forward, Mike Miller stays healthy, and Anderson Varejao does the same, the Cavaliers should win the East. The biggest, underrated offseason move of the season? Cleveland getting Shawn Marion. He can provide some defense where Love and Irving don’t.
3. Toronto Raptors: And here we hit the ridiculous amount of solid teams that East has relative to last year. But honestly, most of these teams aren’t making the playoffs in the West. Toronto boasts Kyle Lowry, DeMar Derozan and Jonas Valanciunas among a group of good role players.
4. Washington Wizards: I could see any order happening from teams ranked 3-6, and then again from 7-12. The Wizards are here because they, and I’m going to make up a few words here, outgritted the grittiest team in basketball last year in the playoffs. Sure, it was a banged up Bulls team, but Nene and Gortat took it to Noah and Gibson. John Wall, Bradley Beal and Paul Pierce finish up a starting lineup that could make some noise.
5. Miami Heat: Sure, the Heat lost the best player in the game to Cleveland. That doesn’t mean they’re going to fall as fast and hard as the Cavaliers did when they originally lost James. Wade, Bosh, Chalmers and Anderson all return to the squad. One of the best two-way players in the game in recent years, Luol Deng, joins them and so does Shannon Brown, Danny Granger and rookie Shabazz Napier. The Heat still have plenty of firepower to make an impact on the East.
6. Charlotte Hornets: Outside of any of the Cavs’ moves, Lance Stephenson is the biggest name in the East to change homes this past offseason. Combined with Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Al Jefferson and Cody Zeller, the Hornets have their best team in the Michael Jordan ownership era. Don’t be shocked if you hear something along the lines of “Al Jefferson” and “MVP” at some point. He won’t win, but he could very well be mentioned if the Hornets get off to a blazing start.
7. Brooklyn Nets: I have so many problems with the Nets. First of all, I said immediately that the Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett trade was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. Secondly, remember when Deron Williams versus Chris Paul was actually a thing? Two more stars of yesterday are featured in this lineup: Joe Johnson and Andrei Kirilenko. Brook Lopez only managed to play in 17 games last year. This team has enough to make the playoffs, but not much more. They’ll be at the very bottom of the East in about two or three years.
8. New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony received a ton of hatred last year, and in his whole career for that matter, for being lackadaisical, not winning playoff games and struggling defensively. From my perspective, very few played harder for their team – if you can call what is around ‘Melo a team. Phil Jackson’s influence should bring improvements across the board to get this team into the playoffs, and then next year the real rebuilding begins.

Contenders

9. Indiana Pacers: Lance Stephenson left, Paul George broke his leg and there isn’t a bigger head scratcher in the NBA than Roy Hibbert…literally. The core of this team that was supposed to dethrone the Heat is in shambles. It could still have enough to find a postseason berth, but it could also tank to a top pick.
10. Detroit Pistons: This is where the East falls apart. It has no depth on outsiders looking in. The Pistons feature a front court of Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond and Josh Smith. It bothers me to this day that the Pistons shelled out so much cash for Smith, but fortunately, I’m not a fan of any Detroit sports. Brandon Jennings and Jodie Smith will head the backcourt, as the Pistons will make an effort at being swept in the first round of the playoffs. Stan Van Gundy will help matters some, but the current Pistons roster is like three different puzzles thrown into one box.The Rest
11. Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks are here simply by default of making the playoffs last year, albeit finishing 38-44. There may not be a more boring team on paper in the NBA. Or on the court. Kyle Korver is fun to watch shoot threes. That’s it, we’re done here.
12. Orlando Magic: Roy Devyn Marble will score 20 points per game and…oh, forget it. The Magic actually have one of my favorite underrated players in Nikola Vucevic. Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, Even Fournier, Tobias Harris, Channing Frye, Mo Harkless and Seth Curry might be the biggest group of average players to ever grace a professional team.
13. Boston Celtics: Just give it time and that trade off of Pierce and Garnett will look great. Unfortunately for Rajon Rondo, he has to play during that time. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is in another uniform by the All-Star break. There is potential on this squad in Marcus Smart, Evan Turner, Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger, but that’s for down the line.
14. Milwaukee Bucks: At least the Brewers didn’t have a complete meltdown and miss the playoffs after having a huge division lead or anything. Jabari Parker and O.J. Mayo are an interesting backcourt, but that’s about the extent of my interest in this team. It will take a few drafts for the Bucks to be back in the playoffs.
15. Philadelphia 76ers: Outside of Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, name two players on this team right now. Try it. If you can, I’m sorry, but you shouldn’t be able to. Here is the rest of the roster: Michael Carter-Williams, K.J. McDaniels, Hollis Thompson, Henry Sims, Luc Mbah a Moute, Brandon Davies, Chris Johnson, Jerami Grant, Arnett Moultrie, Alexey Shved, Elliot Williams, Jason Richardson, Tony Wroten and Casper Ware. Yes, Jason Richardson is still in the league, apparently. And yes, the 76ers will have the worst team in the NBA.

Playoff Predictions and Awards

Eastern Conference Finals: Cavaliers over Bulls in six. The Bulls will have the better regular season record, but will continue to struggle to get past LeBron James. At this point, it’s going to put Chicago in a bind about how it can compete going forward. 2014-15 is the window for this Chicago squad. Cleveland will take a little bit of time to get all the kinks out, but should hit their stride come playoff time.

Western Conference Finals: Clippers over Mavericks. That’s right, no Spurs or Thunder in this matchup. The Mavericks will take out the Spurs in the second round, but run into a tougher matchup in the Doc Rivers-led Clippers. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and company continue taking positive steps on both ends of the court and get on a hot streak to finish the season.

NBA Finals: Clippers over Cavaliers. The “Jordan wouldn’t have lost,” arguments gain even more fuel as LeBron James reaches his fifth straight Finals. Cleveland will continue to be a threat however by adding a few role pieces and defensive additions in the next offseason to make what should be multiple consecutive deep playoff runs.

Coach of the Year: Rick Carlisle, Dallas. If the Mavericks are able to make a top four seed in the West, I can’t see anybody else staking a claim to this award.

Rookie of the Year: Doug McDermott, Chicago. The rookie will be getting a lot of shot attempts on a Chicago squad desperate for offense. If he does end up starting and Thibodeau continues to like his “swag,” as the coach said during the preseason, then he could out-perform Parker, Wiggins and company.

MVP: Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers. If Chris Paul plays a full schedule last year, his name is right up there with LeBron and Durant. With Durant’s injury, it’s going to be difficult for a repeat MVP performance, so it may come down to CP3, who averaged nearly 20 points to complement 10 assists per game, and James.

Defensive Player of the Year: Marc Gasol, Grizzlies. Once again, LeBron finishes second in this category. Gasol will be the best defensive player on the best defensive team.

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With a little more than half of the NBA season in the books, we are already seeing talks about where Carmelo Anthony will play next season. As we already know, he will most likely test the free agent market. Now, it just a matter of where will he go. It’s been speculated that Anthony might actually stay in New York with the Knicks, or he might go to Los Angeles and team up with Kobe and the Lakers, or even find his way to Chicago and team up with Derrick Rose and the Bulls.

We could see Anthony stating the time is right for his departure from the Big Apple. He will not win an NBA Championship in a New York Knicks uniform, given the team’s supporting cast, injuries, and current state.

If he were to leave New York, the best fit for Carmelo would be going to the Chicago Bulls. Some might say that it would be the Lakers because he and Kobe would be a highly dynamic offensive duo. But in Chicago it would be him and Rose and a lot of young and upcoming future all-stars like Jimmy Butler, and you still would have all-star center Joakim Noah.

Until the offseason, this is all just talk. And with how weak the Eastern Conference is this season, the Knicks are still well alive in the NBA playoffs hunt.

The NBA zeason is halfway done and it is only heating up. It is going to be a great end to this season.

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Things are not looking so bright right now for the New York Knicks. Yes, I know that this is just the start of the 2013-2014 NBA season, but the Knicks are off to an slow start and now it’s just getting ugly. The New York Knicks have a record of 1-3, with their only win coming in the season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. Ever since then, they are on a three game losing streak falling to the Chicago Bulls, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Charlotte Bobcats.

Just when you think, the slow start is already bad for the Knicks who had high hope of winning the NBA championship this reason; Knicks All Star center Tyson Chandler is out 4-6 weeks breaking a bone in his leg in the loss against the Charlotte Bobcats. Losing Chandler is a big blow to the Knicks, because Chandler is the second most important player on the Knicks roster of course behind NBA Star Carmelo Anthony. Not having Chandler in the lineup for about a month is going to hurt the Knick chances of being in top of the Eastern Conference. The Knicks is truly going to miss having Chandler because he is the heart of the Knicks’ defense, and without the former NBA defensive player of the year, the Knicks just lost their best defender, their interior defense, and mainly their defense as a whole.

Now the question is who is going to step up for the Knicks with Chandler going down with the injury. The Knicks are already having issue with depth of their big man because they have former All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin. Not having a strong front court will only make this hard for the Knicks, and we all know that Carmelo Anthony cannot do it all by himself. But hopefully the acquisition of Andrea Bargnani and Metta World Peace would be a good pick up for the Knicks. The Knicks next game is November 8, against the Charlotte Bobcats hopefully they can get revenge. On the bright side of this they have JR Smith coming back after coming of his suspension. But if the Knicks do not do well, this season would be Mike Woodson’s last season as Knicks’ head coach. More importantly, is this the last season we will see Carmelo Anthony wearing that New York Knicks uniform?

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Because of Pierce remarks, it leads to JR Smith having to come back and respond to Pierce comments. In an interview Smith

responded saying that “I just look at him as a bitter person just getting out of Boston. He doesn’t really know what New York is all about. He’s been playing in Boston his whole career. … He just knows, just know that his words have consequences and he’s going to have to pay for them.” In addition to that Smith later guarantee that the New York Knicks will win the NBA Championship this upcoming season.

With Smith saying that he is 100% positive that the Knicks are going to win the NBA Championship this season it just spark more flames in this coming season between the two teams, causing more players to enter this war of words. This caused another Nets newcomer, Jason Terry, to get in the mix. Terry responded to Smith by saying “Maybe the Rucker Park Championship. I don’t know, not the NBA championship. I don’t see how they could guarantee that, at all.” This is important because this is a big blow to the Knicks because Rucker Park championship is for street ball.

All I know I can’t wait for the NBA season, especially with this match up. Although the Knicks and Nets won’t have their first meeting of the season until December 5 you can tell that this war of words will continue through the season. Both teams made improvement in their roster so they can reach that ultimate goal of winning an NBA Championship. This NBA season should be a great one, and I cannot wait until it starts because the Eastern Conference is heating up.

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Dwight Howard and the Kobe-less Lakers

After a whirlwind of a regular season, the once-laughable Lakers somehow managed to sneak into the postseason. However, between the devastating news of Kobe Bryant’s ruptured Achilles tendon and the daunting task of facing San Antonio in the first round, Lakers fans have little to celebrate. Without Bryant, arguably the greatest competitor in the game, the herculean task of carrying the Lake Show to an improbable title chase is centered squarely on the massive shoulders of Dwight Howard. With the possibility of free agency looming, Howard’s future in Los Angeles will likely be determined by his performance in the playoffs.

Prediction:

Bryant’s absence is too much for Howard and the Lakers to overcome, and the center turns in underwhelming performances against the Spurs’ big men. Los Angeles musters one win in the friendly confines of the Staples Center, but ultimately drop the series to San Antonio by a count of three games to one.

Boston copes with injuries, tragedy

Less than a week removed from the tragic Boston Marathon bombings, the Celtics were given an opportunity to lift the spirits of their proud city in their first round matchup with the Atlantic Division champion New York Knicks. Under head coach Doc Rivers, the Celtics have already demonstrated their resiliency, having earned a playoff berth after losing star point guard Rajon Rondo to a torn ACL midway through the season. Meanwhile, the streaky Knicks entered the postseason as the East’s greatest threat against Miami’s quest for a third straight Finals appearance.

Prediction:

The people of Boston deserve another gutty Celtics postseason run to distract them from the pain of Marathon Monday, but without their magician at the helm, Boston comes up short in a thrilling series. New York will advance, but I would not be surprised if the C’s stretch this to six games.

Harden vs. Oklahoma City

(Battle of the Offensive Juggernauts, Part I)

By dropping the regular season finale to the Lakers, James Harden and the Houston Rockets likely sealed their postseason fate, as the eighth seed in the West earned them the dubious honor of facing reigning conference champions Oklahoma City in the opening round. For Harden, this series is an opportunity to make the Thunder regret trading him to H-Town, after OKC refused to offer the former Sixth Man of the Year a max contract. Harden has obviously proven his star caliber abilities as the featured man in Houston, but a stellar performance in this series would cement his status as an elite player.

Prediction:

Harden will get his numbers, but Houston’s inexperience against the ultra-talented Thunder results in a commanding series win for OKC. I really hope the Rockets can extend the series to at least six games, but I don’t expect them to do so.

The Wild West

(Battle of the Offensive Juggernauts, Part II)

Despite the fact that Miami is expected to repeat as NBA champions, the Western Conference is still the superior league from top to bottom. As such, the West has provided some of the most thrilling playoff series in recent years, and the Denver-Golden State matchup has all the makings for another highly competitive, highly entertaining bout. Both the Nuggets and Warriors have a knack for scoring a ton of points, and the young talent on each squad should make for some outstanding battles.

Prediction:

I fully expect this series to go to seven games, with the Nuggets’ incredible home court dominance carrying them to the second round. Denver and Golden State both suffered tough blows with the injuries to Danilo Gallinari and David Lee, respectively. Nevertheless, I still believe the offensive firepower of each team will make for an awesome series, including the deciding seventh game in the Mile High city.

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The NBA Playoffs just kicked off and this is where all the hard work in the offseason and regular season pay off.  This year’s playoffs are going to excite with teams like: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, San Antonio, Boston, Orlando, Oklahoma City, Denver and Dallas. These and other teams are more than  capable of winning it all.

Eastern Conference

#1 Chicago Bulls vs. #8 Indiana Pacers

• Chicago is the #1 overall seed with a 62-20 record; they have the league’s best ranked defense and arguably, the MVP in Derrick Rose. The bench has played well and that should not change in the playoffs. Indiana is a young team with a lot talent, but it’s not their time.

Chicago wins the series 4-1

#2 Miami Heat vs. #7 Philadelphia 76ers

• Miami and Philly are similar in their up-tempo style of play. The glaring difference is Miami has two of the top five players in Dwayne Wade and Lebron James. Just the two of them alone is too much for Philly to handle.

Miami wins the series 4-1

#3 Boston Celtics vs. #6 New York Knicks

• The most exciting series in the Eastern Conference, the number of star players could light up the Milky Way galaxy. Carmelo Anthony, amare Stoudemire, Chauncey Billups going up against the Boston four party. This has seven games written all over it.

Boston wins the series 4-3

#4 Orlando Magic vs. #5 Atlanta Hawks

• This Orlando team is not as good as they have been in the past, but they still have Dwight Howard and he is the best center in the league. Atlanta has no answer for Dwight and that will really make it hard to advance any further.

Orlando wins the series 4-2

Western Conference

#1 San Antonio Spurs vs. #8 Memphis Grizzlies

• If the spurs stay healthy they should be able to handle this dangerous Memphis team. This series has upset all over it, the veteran spurs going against the young grizzlies. In this situation I think that experience determines everything.

San Antonio wins the series 4-2

#2 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #7 New Orleans Hornets

• The hornets haven’t beaten the Lakers all year and their star forward is out with a torn ACL. The Lakers ended the season losing five out of their last seven games so they are most vulnerable but you need more than luck to beat the two time defending champs in a playoff series.

Los Angeles wins the series 4-1

#3 Dallas Mavericks vs. #6 Portland Trail Blazers

• This is a tough first round matchup for the Mavericks; Portland is not a true #6 seed. Home court advantage definitely comes into play in this series. Ultimately I think that Dirk Nowitzki will be too much for Portland.

Dallas wins the series 4-2

#4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. #5 Denver Nuggets

• Oklahoma City is a great team, but the Denver Nuggets have a lot of depth. Denver can go ten deep and that can wear any team down. The Thunder have home court advantage, but the Nuggets are more than capable of stealing one on the road.

Denver wins the series 4-3

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