As much as I LOVE NBA basketball, the regular season was anti-climatic at best. There weren't many surprises (warriors are the best team on the planet) except for some great individual performances (like triple doubles which are nice but i'm not a big stats guy). I like watching young players/teams improve, competitive games and of course the X&Os. Now that the playoffs start, the intensity goes UP another level (it usually fades after the all star break) and now teams will be scouted and exposed for what they can do and NOT do. Here are my picks for the 1st rd...
FIRST ROUND
Celtics over Bulls in 6 (the bulls experience gives boston a tough challenge. the weakness for the celtics is their AWFUL rebounding and thats what chicago can exploit. however the bulls are a mess on offense with no spacing and too many egos)
Cavs over Pacers in 5 (normally i would say cavs would sweep but they have been sleepwalking the past few months. I expect them to wake up once they actually lose a game or two. Lebron vs PG13 should be fun to watch)
Raptors over Bucks in 7 (The bucks will have trouble making shots but Giannis will be fun to watch. The Bucks like to BLITZ the PNR. Trapping Lowry would be a mistake because hes just way to fast to contain)
Wizards over Hawks in 7 (this SHOULD be the most competitive series of the 1st rd. I don't think Atlanta is a "good" team but they play intelligent basketball - especially on the defensive side. Their coached has trained them well to succeed collectively as a team. However i still think the Wiz should prevail because they have more talent and they can RUN them off the court)
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Warriors over Blazers in 5 (the warriors are the far superior team. I'll give one game to portland because of their explosive backcourt and KD working back to game shape)
Spurs over Grizz in 7 (i actually think this is a tough match up for the spurs. the grizz play the same style basically and they are well coached. the spurs win during the regular season because paying attention to details and great coaching. Problem is during the playoffs, that EDGE decreases because the other team does too. This spurs team doesnt have the talent of prior yrs but they should have enough to squeak by the grizz)
Rockets over OKC in 5 (this might be the most fun series of the 1st round. cant wait to see beverly vs russ. I think the rockets win because they have more explosive shooting, they will tire russ out and OKC talent isnt that good)
Jazz over Clippers in 7 (here is my "upset" pick. close series and i hope america gets to see how good Gobert actually is on defense. If the jazz can stay healthy (G.Hill and Favors are always hurt) then I think they can beat the clippers. The Jazz have been a good team for a few yrs now - they failed to succeed due to various injuries. Now they've added some playoff vets (Diaw, JJohnson) that can help them get to the next level. I think the window has closed for the clippers - problem is they know that too
Knicks should be improved: win about 40 games and maybe sneak into the playoffs. Melo, Rose and even Noah will have some nice moments however this team should be about PORZINGUS. the sooner they make him the primary player, the better
4/13/2017 10:41 AM
