NBA Playoff Predictions.

The playoffs are here and this playoff looks to be as interesting as ever. NBA playoffs are usually fun, though the first round ratings usually get crushed by the NFL draft. This year will be no different as the NBA playoffs tend to heat up over the next 2 months. Yes, 2 months is a loooong time for a playoffs, but thats the way it is.

The first thing that catches my eye is Cleveland's easy bracket. They had to fight at the end to get the second seed and boy was that worth it! By that time, the Wizards had dropped form 6-Th to 7-Th. So not only do they avoid Miami in the first round by not finishing 5-Th, they also get to play the beat-up Wizards. Then they get to play the winner of 3-6 match-up and thats New Jersey and Toronto, a much easier option than meeting Detroit in the semis. So looks like the King has a great chance to make the L-Eastern Finals. But the ride probably ends there at the hands of the Pistons.

Now Chicago gets the bad end of the bracket. They finished 5-Th and they have to beat both Miami and Detroit just to play someone in the L-Eastern finals. Chicago could beat the Heat, especially since they have home court, but if both Wade and Shaq are healthy, the Heat should win. Heat is also part of the tough bracket, having to play the Pistons in the semis if they get there. That should be a good one. But I think Detroit is the best team in the East again and they should beat anybody in their path. Only Wade and the Heat can even challenge them. Detroit should easily dismiss the Magic in the first round. The other first round match-up is Vinsanity going to Toronto. This is a great match-up for the Raptor-fan since they can continue to boo him for a few more playoff games. Toronto is pretty good and probably the best-kept secret in the NBA right now. Chris Bosh is awesome and he should be licking his chops to play the Nets who have no credible big-bodies to throw at him.

The West is brutal as always. All four match-ups are intriguing to say the least. The Warriors make the playoffs after 13 years and who do they get to meet? The one team that has trouble beating them, the Dallas Mavericks. They have won a whole bunch of games against them the last 2 years including a 3-0 sweep this season. There's the whole Nelly-V-Cuban angle here and his familiarity with the Mavs is a big story too since that helps the Warriors quite a bit. The Warriors have won 16/21 games to end the season and their fans really think they have a shot against the Mavs. I will not go that far. Playoffs are a completely different animal and I expect this playoff series to be different than the regular season games. The Mavs are just loaded and they didn't win 67 games for nothing. The Mavs should win this one. But the Warriors are a tough match-up and I don't see anybody in the Mavs who can stop Baron Davis. Boom-Dizzle is playing real well right now.

The 2-7 is the same as last year with my Phoenix Suns against the LA Fakers. This was a fascinating series last year and as a Suns fan, I hope it's not that interesting this year. They went 7 games and the Suns are hoping they don't have to do the same this year. Kobe is better this year, but the Lakers as a team are much worse than last year. The Suns are better with Amare doing his thing and they desperately want to get this over with soon. Another 7-game series will kill their future in this playoffs. The wild-card as always is Kobe. He can change a lot of teams plans all by himself and the Suns hope they can outscore him easily. Philip surprised the Suns with this ball-sharing and "go-inside" offense last year, but this year, the Suns should be ready for it. Also, even Philip himself is not sure how much "ball sharing" Kobe will be willing to do in this series given they have been one dimensional the entire second half of the season. I expect the Suns to win, but it will not be easy. Also their real problem will be the Spurs in the second round.

The Spurs, interestingly, face the team thats probably the most challenging for them from the lower half of the tournament. I think they would have had no problem beating either the Warriors or the Lakers, but the Nuggets are an interesting animal with AI and Melo. AI is a tough fighter and a match-up nightmare. Melo aint no joke either. Spurs will defend these guys tight, but Parker is going to be tired chasing AI around and if that affects his offense, the series can get prolonged. The Nuggets do not play good enough defense to stop the Spurs, but they do have athletic big bodies in Camby and Nene who can bother Timmy to some extent. If that happens, then the series become really interesting.

The 4-5 match-up is a tossup as always with the fifth seed Houston having the home court. T-Mac and Yao against the balanced, versatile, talented Utah Jazz team. I think this can go either way, but T-Mac finds a way to get it done in 7 games. Utah is a dangerous team, but they didn't finish the season that strong and thats going to hurt them. They definitely have the better point guard and power forward in this one and more overall balance, talent and versatility, but Houston has 2 super stars at the shooting guard and the center position. It should be a great contest between two defensive minded coaches with contrasting personnel at their disposal.

My Predicitons.

L-East
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Orlando @ Detroit - Pistons in 5.
Washington @ Cleveland - Cavs in 5.
New Jersey @ Toronto - Raptors in 5.
Miami @ Chicago - Heat in 7.

West
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Golden State @ Dallas - Mavs in 6.
LA Lakers @ Phoenix - Suns in 6.
Denver @ San Antonio - Spurs in 6.
Utah @ Houston - Rockets in 7.