The playoffs are just about set and I almost cannot wait to submit my April Madness bracket. But before that, let's check back at my NBA Preview post and see how I did...shall we?
"In short, (the Celtics) are less hungry, in a better division, older, and lacking James Posey and, yes, P.J. Brown (if they didn't have either of those two players, they don't get past Cleveland). If they get The Cavs this year in the playoffs, they will get CRUSHED...I'm not even worried."
And ya know what? I'm still not worried. I'm not 100% sure about "crushed," but I still feel good, we'll get to this later. I just wish I would have predicted the massive injury streak, but you can't win 'em all.
"Not getting Ron Artest was a mistake for the Lakeshow. I know he's crazy, but you would really rather have Lamar Odom over Artest?"
Ummm...yes. Lamar Odom has been a pretty great bench player and starter and I think Artest would have eaten Sasha Vujacic by this point in the season had that trade gone down.
(Remember when I suggested The Cavs trade for Artest? I wish I didn't.)
"Either Phoenix or Dallas is not making the playoffs this year. I'm probably wrong about this, but these two teams, as we know them, are so done. The Jason Kidd Mavs was such a stupid idea and everything Josh Howard does could be described similarly. Running Steve Nash ragged, like The Suns are doing these days, is going to lead to a "Weekend and Bernie's" situation if he doesn't retire soon (or get traded to a contender to be what I will like to call, the "fun-time party" guard off the bench and play 15 minutes a game). I don't see who The Suns can beat in The West really, and I don't mean in a playoff series, I mean in any regular season game. I don't even know who they are anymore."
I think I had a pretty good beat on this (except for the part where I said I was wrong). The Suns really couldn't beat anybody this year and I would say that Dallas is the worst team in the Western Conference Playoffs this year, despite their 6-seed (is it any wonder the Spurs drew Dallas in the first round?? Even in their golden years, they continue to get every break. Dallas is the only team I would pick the Spurs against in the first round and they got 'em).
"Philly and Detroit are similar because I think they will both be dangerous as "young blood" teams, which is weird to say about Detroit, but I think they'll start going to their young guys because it's for the best as far as I can see. I just don't think either of them has what it takes in the playoffs yet. As for Orlando, if you lose a series and say you were the better team, you so obviously don't have what it takes, you might as well be contracted (I'm looking at you, Wade Phillips)."
Did I indirectly predict the Iverson trade?
As much as Orlando has bothered me this year, beating my Cavaliers twice (once by about 40), I still think they are false. Unfortunately, they drew the 76ers who play such a pointless style of basketball and are unlikely to make that series interesting. The Bulls could have done it.
It's always good to get in a shot at Wade Phillips when at all possible.
"(The Spurs') go-to guys now are a tiny Frenchman and a freelancing goofball named "Ginobili." These guys are great, but the way they get their points is no sure thing. When they were just supporters of Duncan, they could do their crazy shit and that's all they had to do as Tim Duncan played his old standards. Now, with Duncan aging, the roles are reversed."
I probably should have seen Ginobili's ankle getting messed up but I pretty much called this downfall. I have never met anyone more qualified to have a blog than myself.
"Everyone loves the Blazers, but nobody has the guts to pick them to win anything. This includes me, of course, but I'm contemplating making the bet that they will be a top three seed in The West with my roommate."
Almost had it. I never ended up making that bet, but it looks like they're going to get the four seed in the West which, in spirit, makes me a winner. I like these guys to embarrass the Lakers in the second round while still losing to them...if that makes sense
"It's the time of night where I see mice walking, not running, across the floor like they own the place. Here's my Finals call and I'm outta here:
Houston over Cleveland in 7"
Overall, I think I did OK, but does it make up for initially defending the Iverson trade? Uh oh...I don't know. To make up for it, I give you the perfect NBA Playoffs Bracket
Eastern Conference
Round 1
1 Cleveland over 8 Detroit in 5
Is there any doubt about this? I always hate playing against Detroit because they somehow manage to keep it close, and inevitably Rasheed Wallace is going to make some shots and it literally hurts me to watch that idiot succeed at anything. He actually said that the Pistons would get "their swagger back in the playoffs." Here's some news: YOU HAVEN'T BEEN A TITLE CONTENDER SINCE BEN WALLACE LEFT.
Thanks for playing, Detroit...not really though.
2 Boston over 7 Chicago in 7
If this was the NCAA tournament, Chicago would be the popular upset pick. Now that Garnett is supposedly out for the playoffs, how good are the Celtics? Here's how good they are:
Everyone talks about how mentally tough Boston is...I'm a little hesitant to call it that. I would say that Boston is mentally solid. They'll beat you if you are mentally weak, for sure (ahem...Lakers...), and they'll beat you in 7 while winning no road games if you're just not a good team. I guess you can call that tough...
3 Orlando over 6 Philadelphia in 5
Magic fans get so angry when people treat their team as a mirage but that just makes it more fun to keep doing it. I would LOVE to pick Chicago or even Detroit to win this series but I just hate the way the 76ers play. Philly is the worst team in the playoffs, if you ask me.
4 Atlanta over 5 Miami in 7
I went back and forth on this one. I usually buy into the old adage, "the team with the best player usually wins in the playoffs," but I'm going with the A-T-L here.
Miami is REALLY bad. Also, we keep talking about this Wade season in terms of LeBron's last few seasons because of how he's carrying his team and we assume he can take them passed the Hawks but you know what? Dwyane Wade isn't as good as LeBron. There, I said it. I think I'm being generous to the Heat in giving them seven games.
Round 2
1 Cleveland over 4 Atlanta in 5
You better get used to the phrase, "Cleveland in 5."
There's not much to say here. Atlanta should be a bottom four seed but there are only three good teams in the East. This is why getting the number 1 seed is nice.
2 Boston over 3 Magic in 7
Paul Pierce's last ride.
Again, this is a series between a team with, not a huge heart, but A heart (and home court) against a team with no heart.
Eastern Conference Finals
1 Cleveland over 2 Boston in 5
Paul Pierce is dead by this point and I don't think this series goes past six with both teams healthy. All questions about Cleveland's "lack of experience" are answered. See ya, Boston.
West
1 Los Angeles over 8 Utah in 5
Remember when the Jazz were a Western Conference sleeper? Yeah, neither do I, because it was never true.
Kobe is going to score so many points in this series, it's ridiculous. No worries here, they probably lose game 4 on purpose.
7 New Orleans over 2 Denver in 6
No matter how much talent Denver has or how much New Orleans doesn't, I cannot feel comfortable picking the Nuggets to win a series. The Nuggets are surely a dumb team. I know that Chauncey Billups has been a stabilizer, but he still is a bad shot taker. J.R. Smith, Billups, Carmelo...this team is a bad shot factory. Chris Paul can take these clowns.
3 San Antonio over 6 Dallas in 7
How lucky are the Spurs?
Before this match up was set, I wanted to pick San Antonio to lose and Dallas to get swept. Now, I have to settle for Spurs in seven. Dallas, in my opinion, is the second worst team in the playoffs. Talk about a team with no heart. No matter how much worse the Spurs are than the Mavericks, they will always win.
4 Portland over 5 Houston in 7
Home court will help the Blazers, but what's important is the dark cloud that follows Houston's playoff runs. I love their defense, but who are the Rockets going to in the clutch to score? Yao? Artest? The answer is Artest and that is why they're going to lose this series (not that Yao would be much better). This is where you miss McGrady, oddly enough.
Round 2
1 Los Angeles over 4 Portland in 6
As long as I get to watch two games where Kobe gets booed instead of getting MVP chants on the road, I'll be happy.
The Blazers basically ARE the Lakers but a little younger and the reverse likability. Again, in a fantasy draft, I'm taking Brandon Roy over Kobe Bryant, period.
7 New Orleans over 3 San Antonio in 6
Revenge!!
Western Conference Finals
1 Los Angeles over 7 New Orleans in 6
Though I don't think the Lakers will be too severely challenged in the West, I think the Brandon Roy/Chris Paul match ups will be entertaining enough to satiate our thirst for pre-finals blood.
NBA Finals
1 Cleveland over 1 Los Angeles in 6
A homer pick? Maybe. The right pick? Definitely.
One advantage the Lakers have is their alleged "experience."
Phil Jackson, I'll give you, has as much experience winning titles as anybody...actually more. But the last few times he has appeared, he has been overpowered by more physical Eastern Conference teams. It's also unclear as to whether or not he hates this team (my money is on hate). Kobe has experience thrashing up lackluster defenses and then being severely outplayed by a more physical guard or forward when push comes to shove. Sorry, I'm just giving you the facts. In fact, Kobe had horrible series against teams that single covered him with the likes of Richard Hamilton and Ray Allen at times. I don't love that if I'm a Laker fan.
Also, what is more important when the maximum pressure is on, fake experience or genuine chemistry and affection for your teammates? The strategy here is to take away the non-Kobe players (which Boston didn't even do that great of a job of) until he stops trusting them and comes out with guns blazing and jacks up shots. If that happens, the series is over. It will be tough for the Cavs to slow down the ridiculously tall front line of the Lakers, but I think they can do it.
And the other thing...remember that "old adage" we talked about earlier? Well LeBron is a better player right now than Kobe Bryant has ever been.
***Before I let you off the hook, I'd like to welcome a new fan, Mr. John Burtch (applause). I have no way of knowing if he actually read this unless he comments though, so I ask anyone who wants to comment to, in addition to whatever else, to answer this:
If Kobe never wins another title, in the words of Kevin Garnett, "what can you say now?"
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