My first round results and reactions are followed by previews of the upcoming second round, starting with Wizards @ Pacers (TNT 7 PM EST) and Clippers @ Thunder (TNT 9:30 PM EST)
First Round Prediction: Spurs Sweep Mavericks.
Reality: Spurs in 7.
What We Learned:
1. Monta Ellis can go toe-to-toe with Tony Parker in a play-off game. If only Monta could be more consistently awesome, maybe the Mavs would have been able to steal game seven.
2. It's going to take a lot more from the Spurs than it did last year to make the championship.
First Round Prediction: Rockets win in 5 over Portland.
Reality: Portland wins in 6.
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Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
"WHAAAAT?!" -drops mic- |
What We Learned:
1. Kevin McHale is not the right coach for Houston, although
that's not stopping the Rockets from keeping him.
2. Damian Lillard isn't just good, he's an all-star with hall of fame potential. Think about it, if he's this good after 2 years and in his first post-season, how great could he become?
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| Photo by: Eric Gay |
#1 San Antonio Spurs v. #5 Portland Trail Blazers
The Spurs and Trail Blazers were 1A and 1B for most of the first half of this season in the West. Apparently, I had forgotten this as LaMarcus Aldridge dominated games 1 & 2 against Houston and Damian Lillard elevated himself to a new tier of point guard the rest of the series. Reminder: I picked Houston in 5. Woops. This Blazers team is the team that led the western conference alongside San Antonio. The Spurs may be tired after playing a seven-game series and when a majority of the team's players are in their 30's, that could be a serious issue against this tough match-up.
Key Match-up To Watch: Parker vs. Lillard will be fun BUT... LaMarcus Aldridge vs. Tim Duncan.
This is the defining match-up of the series. Whoever wins Aldridge vs. Duncan, will win the series. LaMarcus Aldridge is a young Tim Duncan right now and Tim Duncan is still Tim Duncan, just not as fast. Aldridge has the capability for multiple 40/20 games and Duncan could pull off 35/15 if the rest of the team is cold. The Spurs may need some help from Tiago Splitter in order to hold LaMarcus Aldridge under 30 points.
My Pick: Trail Blazers in 5. Start building the Damian Lillard statue.
On to the next one...
First Round Prediction: Thunder in 6.
Reality: Thunder in 7.
What We Learned:
1. Mike Conley is severely underrated but, Zach Randolph needs to be on the Grizzlies for them to upset a team the way I thought they would in the pre-season.
2. Russell Westbrook is an issue. An easily fixable issue that has yet to be fixed after three years. Westbrook needs to give the ball to Durant or Ibaka instead of chucking up awful prayer shots.
First Round Prediction: Clippers in 5.
Reality: Clippers in 7.
What We Learned:
1. Donald Sterling is super racist.
2. Mark Jackson might not be the answer as Warriors' head coach.
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| (Photo : Reuters) |
#2 Oklahoma City Thunder v. #3 Los Angeles Clippers
Is the media circus and consequential distraction completely gone from LA? If not, will it affect the team in any way? We will never know the answers to these questions and can only assume based on how the Clippers play. There are no even positional match-ups in this series except for Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul which is only even when Russell Westbrook isn't playing like a maniac. 200% effort that works 50% of the time.
Key Match-up To Watch: Kevin Durant vs. Matt Barnes. Kevin Durant had a reputation as not being mean enough on the floor until this year when he obtained an attitude that got him 15 technical fouls. It will be thrilling television to see whether or not Durant keeps up his mean streak against one of the meanest players in the league, Matt Barnes. Things could get messy and Durant could be "unreliable" at moments. (Not that I back up that Oklahoman headline in any way).
My Pick: Thunder in 7.
Now, over in the East...
First Round Prediction: Pacers in 5.
Reality: Pacers fall asleep at the wheel and it takes them seven games to take down a team that shouldn't/didn't want to be in the playoffs.
What We Learned:
1. Home-court advantage means nothing when you suddenly implode.
2. Jeff Teague is going to be quite the NBA player.
First Round Prediction: Bulls over Wiz in 6.
Reality: The Bulls had zero offense besides that one performance from Mike Dunleavy Jr. Wizards took the series in 5.
What We Learned:
1. It'll probably take more than just the return of Derrick Rose to put the Bulls into contention. (Carmelo Anthony, anyone?)
2. The Wizards are a force to be reckoned with when Nene' is on the floor.
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(AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
Bradley Beal struggles toward the basket as Lance Stephenson defends closely. |
#1 Indiana Pacers v. #5 Washington Wizards
The Wizards, (who should really just change their name back to the Bullets as those are the Bullets jerseys they've been wearing) rolled over the Bulls in a series that everyone predicted correctly except for me. While they were resting this past week, the Pacers were STILL trying to come back from being down 2-3 in their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks. For some reason, game 7 was when everything seemingly clicked for the Pacers as every starter performed at their highest level. The Pacers still only won by 11. Whether they play like the #1 team in the East or the team that barely got out of the first round, the Wizards present a serious challenge for this confusing team.
Key Match-up To Watch: Bradley Beal vs. Lance Stephenson. As previewed by the above picture, Beal and Stephenson are two of the more exciting players to watch in basketball. Beal, is going to be one of the best shooting guards in the league next year and Stephenson, is already referred to as "The Eighth Grader" and is the most fun player to watch right now due to his wide variety of skills and his temper.
My Pick: Wizards in 6. I wanted to say "Wizards sweep" simply because the Pacers have to be humiliated somehow, and getting taken to a game seven against the Hawks wasn't enough for me. They are ill-prepared for these playoffs and unless every game is played like a game seven, this team is toast.
On to the next one...
First Round Prediction: Heat sweep the Bobcats.
Reality: I DID IT!
What We Learned:
1. Nothing we didn't already know.
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| It's alright, Kyle Lowry. You did good. |
First Round Prediction: Nets in 7.
Reality: I must be some sort of sorcerer or something!
What We Learned:
1. Despite the scare, the Nets proved the theory that experience triumphs youth in moments like Sunday's Game 7.
2. Paul Pierce's reason for coming to Brooklyn? To block Kyle Lowry lay-ups.
3. Toronto's fans do translate to basketball.
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| (Anthony Gruppuso/USA TODAY Sports) |
#2 Miami Heat v. #6 Brooklyn Nets
The Heat are young, athletic, and have had a week to rest up and face good old rivals Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. The Nets are old. This is the first time all year where you can definitively state that the Nets wish they had Brook Lopez. Mason Plumlee was a disappointment round one versus the Raptors and only time will tell if he'll have any more success guarding Birdman and the Heat. It's the current all-stars (Wade, Bosh, James) versus the former all-stars (Williams, Pierce, Garnett). Match-ups like these are where experience means nothing (since both teams have that) and the only thing that matters is who's better prepared.
Key Match-up To Watch: Lebron James vs. Paul Pierce. Also, look out for Dwyane Wade vs. Joe Johnson as that's a match-up between two players who are really on fire when they get hot and incredibly freezing when they get cold.
My Pick: Heat sweep. Why? They've had rest, the Nets haven't.
Good luck to your teams and may all series go to Game sevens! I certainly didn't think that many would last round.
