Playoff predictions

[gatorboymike]

Regular Season Final Standings

East
1. Chicago
2. Miami
3. Indiana
4. Boston
5. Atlanta
6. Orlando
7. New York
8. Philadelphia

West
1. San Antonio
2. Oklahoma City
3. LA Lakers
4. Memphis
5. LA Clippers
6. Denver
7. Dallas
8. Utah

First Round

East
Chicago over Philadelphia, 4-0
Boston over Atlanta, 4-2
Miami over New York, 4-0
Indiana over Orlando, 4-0*

West
San Antonio over Utah, 4-3
LA Clippers over Memphis, 4-2
Oklahoma City over Dallas, 4-1
LA Lakers over Denver, 4-0

Conference Semifinals

East
Chicago over Boston, 4-2
Miami over Indiana, 4-1

West
San Antonio over LA Clippers, 4-3
Oklahoma City over LA Lakers, 4-3

Conference Finals

East
Miami over Chicago, 4-2**

West
Oklahoma City over San Antonio, 4-1

NBA Finals

Oklahoma City over Miami, 4-3

Champion

Oklahoma City

Finals MVP

Kevin Durant

NOTES
* Without Dwight, you might as well call them the Orlando Bobcats.
** And call them the Miami Lakers. I'm predicting a re-emergence of the Shaq-Kobe Effect here; that is, they've been dogging it all through the regular season, but suddenly come to life in the playoffs.

[BigAl_83]

Looks pretty good to me, can live with those results and Heat-Thunder Finals will be fun! I might have Memphis pull the upset in 1st rnd, because they also have homecourt and showed last season they can beat anyone in the playoffs.
Dont know if the Lakers will sweep Denver, they still have the World Peace suspension playing through their minds.

Cant wait for the playoffs to start!

[magic_bobcat]

Memphis are going to spoil Chris Paul's party and then maybe Tony Parker's too.

Magic will win at least one game against Indiana

[cgb_orl]

hmmmm This isn't the same Spurs squad from last year.......and Manu's elbow isn't fractured. Bet half of yall thought they would barely make the playoffs citing the customary "old" card....

[magic_bobcat]

Everyone thinks Parker is old. But he's only 29 (30 in May) he's just been in the league forever.

I never doubted them being in the playoff. I was shocked they're first in the west though. They're played well, especially without the big 3.

But if the Grizz get through to the second round and the Spurs go 7 games against the Jazz then the Grizz might have a shot because Pop won't be able to keep resting Duncan and Ginobili.

Plus its not the same Grizz squad. Rudy is playing like the beast he is. But then again I am biased he is one of my favourite players.

[cgb_orl]

Everyone thinks Parker is old. But he's only 29 (30 in May) he's just been in the league forever.

I never doubted them being in the playoff. I was shocked they're first in the west though. They're played well, especially without the big 3.

But if the Grizz get through to the second round and the Spurs go 7 games against the Jazz then the Grizz might have a shot because Pop won't be able to keep resting Duncan and Ginobili.

Plus its not the same Grizz squad. Rudy is playing like the beast he is. But then again I am biased he is one of my favourite players.

That's a lot of ifs

j/k btw :)

Last year, the Grizzlies advantage was size and scoring down low. They knew the Spurs were weak down there. Did well to take advantage but Rudy actually takes some of that away from them. I think one of the games they played this year, they held him to 1 pt (now SJax is there). But more importantly, Pop has invested in Splitter and bought Diaw in for situations where Blair is simply undersized or Bonner is overpowered. So take a look at the games this year not only against the Grizz (4-0 btw) but also vs Lakers (2-1) and Utah (3-1) who have big front lines. They have a tendency to have some dud games so I know it's not perfect. I do agree they have to "exercise some demons" but they are poised to do so.

[boba]

First Round

East
Chicago over Philadelphia, 4-2
Boston over Atlanta, 4-1
Miami over New York, 4-3
Indiana over Orlando, 4-0

West
San Antonio over Utah, 4-1
Memphis over LA Clippers , 4-3
Oklahoma City over Dallas, 4-0
Denver over LA Lakers, 4-2 ( Homer pick, but I really like the way the Nuggets are playing right now and how they match up with the Lakers. )

Conference Semifinals

East
Chicago over Boston, 4-3
Miami over Indiana, 4-0

West
Memphis over San Antonio, 4-3
Oklahoma City over Denver, 4-2

Conference Finals

East
Chicago over Miami, 4-3

West
Oklahoma City over Memphis, 4-0

NBA Finals

Chicago over Oklahoma City, 4-3

Champion

Chicago

Finals MVP

Derrick Rose

[jmintz]

Granted, as a Grizz season ticket holder, I'm biased, but this is a better team than last year. We had no big wing defenders (which really hurt in the OKC series...we had no one with any chance of defending Durant) and we had no shooters. Now we have Gay back...a guy who ranks in the top 30 in spg and who you have to at least guard outside. That, and Mayo's shooting the ball really well right now.

Conley probably can't guard Paul on his best day, but then no one really can, so as long as we can keep the rest of the team from blowing up, we should be able to get past the Clippers, and I think we beat the Spurs in 7.

I don't think we beat OKC though. That team is loaded. So, at least from the Grizz standpoint, I'll agree w/ Boba's predictions, although I think we lose to OKC 4-2.

[cgb_orl]

Let me go ahead and do this. These Memphis fans are killing me lol

First Round

East
Chicago over Philadelphia, 4-2
Boston over Atlanta, 4-3 (hesitant)
Miami over New York, 4-2
Indiana over Orlando, 4-2

West
San Antonio over Utah, 4-1
Memphis over Clippers, 4-3 (hesitant)
Oklahoma City over Dallas, 4-2
LA Lakers over Denver, 4-2

Conference Semifinals

East
Chicago over Boston, 4-3
Miami over Indiana, 4-1

West
San Antonio over Memphis, 4-2
Oklahoma City over LA Lakers, 4-2

Conference Finals

East
Miami over Chicago, 4-3

West
San Antonio over Oklahoma City, 4-3

NBA Finals
San Antonio over Miami, 4-2

[baseballboy2]

Chicago over Philly 4-1
Miami over New York 4-2
Indiana over Orlando 4-2
Atlanta over Boston 4-3

Oklahoma City over Dallas 4-2
San Antonio over Utah 4-1
Los Angeles over Denver 4-2
Los Angeles over Memphis 4-3


Round 2

Chicago over Atlanta 4-1
Miami over Indiana 4-1

San Antonio over Los Angeles 4-2
Oklahoma City over Los Angeles 4-3


Round 3

Chicago over Miami 4-3

Oklahoma City over San Antonio 4-2


Finals

Chicago over Oklahoma City 4-3