It seems as though these past few years, the anticipation and hype surrounding basketball season is on the rise. That could be because Boston was on the decline, with Danny Ainge bringing in the likes of Raef Lafrentz and Sebastian Telfair (they worked out well...). So maybe, in a city where our baseball and football teams compete for a title every year, basketball just wasn't on our minds.
Nevertheless, basketball is back! And the strong teams from our much younger days are bringing it to the table, too. Miami, New York, and Chicago all made major upgrades. The Lakers and Magic are still around. And with a lot of depth, our Boston Celtics are looking pretty good for themselves.
So here it is: The Playoff match-ups:
Eastern Conference: 1)Miami vs 8)Washington. 2)Boston vs 7)New York. 3) Orlando vs 6) Milwaukee. 4) Chicago vs 5) Atlanta. Bubble teams: Cleveland, Indiana, Philadelphia
Let's face it: Miami has a lot of talent and have a lot younger legs. The Celtics won't be able to match them for
82 games. They don't need to. Orlando didn't upgrade, but they are not going away by any means. Chicago improved with Boozer, although he's out currently, and will cause a log jam for the 4-6 spots with a still motivated Hawks team and a young (and talented) Bucks club. Since the Hawks won't finish higher than third in their division, they won't be any higher than 5th in the conference. Amare Stoudemire and John Wall are the new faces for the Knicks and the Wizards, respectively. With their production, they have a good shot at getting in.Do NOT count Cleveland out of the playoffs right away. Hey, they aren't a bad team. Antawn Jamison is still in the fold, and with the remnants of the post-Lebron era still in tact, they could very well be in the playoffs come April. But they need to prove that to the world. As for Indiana, Darren Collison will help Danny Granger and co. take steps forward, but they aren't there yet. The Sixers will be alright two, but same as the Pacers, not quite playoff contenders.
Western Conference: 1) Los Angeles vs 8) Phoenix. 2) Dallas vs 7) San Antonio. 3) OK City vs 6) Denver. 4) Utah vs. 5) Portland. Bubble Teams: Houston, New Orleans, Memphis
The Western Conference is a little trickier. LA should take it, again, as long as Kobe s
hoots better than he has been. Jason Kidd and Dirk will keep doing good things in Dallas, Deron Williams will team up with our old friend Al Jefferson in Utah, and Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are the next big thing in Oklahoma City. One of them will have to challenge the Lakers. Greg Oden will help (when he's on the floor) in Portland. And if 'Melo is playing (and moderately happy), expect the Nuggets to challenge the Jazz and Thunder for the division crown. San Antonio is older, but still dangerous, especially with new big man Taigo Splitter. Phoenix is weak without Amare, but Steve Nash is still there, so they will contend for a spot.A lot of west teams have some upside (Clippers, Kings, Warriors) but aren't ready for the playoffs just yet. Houston could easily be in if Yao can play a decent amount of minutes. CP3 and David West are a good combo for the Hornets, but the supporting cast isn't tremendous. The Grizzlies are probably a year away, with a nice young core surrounding sharp shooter Rudy Gay.
To refrain from a biased opinion (no one cares who I want to win), I'm going to end by giving my conference finals picks:
From the East: Miami
vs BostonAnybody surprised that I picked them? No, but let's be honest, this is probably anybody's guess at this point. The other team at this stage would be the Magic, but I think the stardom (they will be pretty ridiculous, pending injuries) of Miami and the incredible depth of the C's will bring them to this point.
From the West: Lakers vs. OK City
The Lakers are the obvious pick, but there's probably 3-4 teams who could play them. I picked OK City because Durant and Westbrook are a year older and getting further into their prime. This would be a great matchup; can the young legs overcome the talent of Kobe, Pau and company.
Maybe these will be a tad more accurate than baseball. But it's a long season.
Who are YOUR final four teams? Let's hear it! Whose taking home the title this year?
No way Cleveland comes close to the playoffs. Jamison is really only good when he's playing with someone good (i.e. Lebron) This team blows, to put it nicely, and Jamison/Mo Williams/Varejao won't do anything without a stud like Lebron. The team is almost as bad as the team James inherited. Let's stop pretending that Cleveland will win something just because we hate Miami. Jamison is not that kind of player, and Mo Williams said it best, "So damn close,now taking leaps and bounds backwards."
ReplyDeleteThe Knicks have horrible defense, and probably will be more "bubble" than definitely in. Ditto for Washington.
Instead of trashing, you can look closer at what was said. No where did I say I hated Miami. They are going to finish first no doubt. If Cleveland, the Knicks, and Washington aren't making the playoffs, do you see the Sixers and Pacers making it instead? Or the Raptors? Don't criticize if you don't have teams to back it up. In no way whatsoever is my choice of Cleveland a pity choice.
ReplyDeleteAgain, if Washington, New York, and Cleveland are not in, you then see the Sixers, Pacers, Nets, Raptors, Pistons, and Bobcats contending? Back-up your calls man! Don't come on here anonymous and just shoot down everything said!
None of this is "definite". It's "predictions". It's who I see is going to make it. Who do you see making it, Anonymous?