With only a few games left till the regular season ends, that means that the playoffs is near. The best part of the season in my opinion, every team works for one of the 8 spots in their conference for the playoffs. Teams prove how good they are and how well they perform together. Personally, I can’t wait for it and I’m sure hundreds of thousands of people cannot wait to see the outcome either. Underdogs can prove themselves and win the championship, players can step up and lead their team to the finals, anything can happen.
Right now, my predictions are pretty much as most people see it as, hopefully. In the West:
1. Lakers
2. Nuggets
3. TrailBlazers
4. Rockets
5. Spurs
6. Hornets
7. Jazz
8. Mavericks
I really don’t want to see the Jazz play the Lakers in the first round, the Jazz are the team I see being the underdogs of the playoffs this year. I just see it in them, and if they play the Lakers they obviously won’t stand a chance and won’t get their chance to be the underdogs and proceed to the second round. The Hornets haven’t looked too well this week but I’m sure they will pick it up. I put the Spurs at #5 because I personally feel that the Spurs can’t win without Manu, they will be up against the Rockets most likely in the first round and without Ginobili they won’t be able to take it to 7 games. Also without Manu there’s one player less to watch out for for the Rockets. The Nuggets at #2 is self explanatory, they have been playing really well after that Billups trade earlier this season and defense has definitely improved. I don’t see them losing to neither the Jazz, Hornets or Mavericks, whoever they face in the first round.
I’m probably going to go with Lakers and Rockets for the first second round matchs and Nuggets and TrailBlazers for the other second round match. Then I’m going for the Lakers and Nuggets as the WCF match because in my opinion the Blazers lack playoff experience and even though the Nuggets do they have an upperhand with Billups who has really done well in the playoffs in recent years. The Lakers are surely going to be able to handle the Rockets as long as Bynum prevents Yao from getting the ball close to the rim or taking a jumpshot. His just got to keep Yao close to him.
My east playoff predictions would be like the standings look right now, with Cavs at first, Celtics at 2nd, Magic at 3rd, Hawks at 4th, Heat at 5th, 76ers at 6th, Bulls at 7th and Pistons at 8th. The East looks tight but I think the Celtics and Cavs are locks to go to the second round. The Heat are going to have trouble with the Hawks, in the end I think the Hawks might be able to win after the 7th game. The Magic surely will be able to handle the 76ers with ease as I’m sure Dwight Howard would destroy Dalmebert and the Magic team will drain shot after shot in the 76ers get lazy on defense.
For the second round in the East I’m going with Cavs against Hawks, with Cavs winning in 5 games and Celtics and Magic with Celtics winning in 7 games. The Magic seem to be a tought side but the Celtics will pull through in the end. Then in the WCF game the Cavs will take it to 7 games against the 07-08 champions and eventually win to go to the finals.
I’m really not sure about the finals right now but I’m sure it will be between the Cavs and Lakers. The Lakers have a tough side but they have to keep LeBron guarded at all times, his their most important player and the last thing they would want is LeBron taking it to the rim as his almost impossible to stop once entering the paint. The player for the Lakers who will need to step up no matter, Celtics or Cavs, which team they play is Fisher. He really needs to play defense. So right now my bets going to the Lakers in 7.
