2012 NBA Playoff Predictions: Complete Predictions Through the Finals

All right, basketball fans, it's time to fill out your brackets. No, the OTHER brackets. I'm talking about making your predictions for this year's NBA playoffs!

The postseason is set up to be a great one, from the New York Knicks continuing their rivalry against LeBron James and the Miami Heat to the Oklahoma City Thunder facing the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in a rematch of last year's Western Conference finals.

That said, let's dive right in and look at this writer's predictions from Round 1 up through the NBA Finals.

East Quarterfinals: No. 1 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 8 Philadelphia 76ers

This series is going to be interesting to watch because despite being a No. 8 seed, the Sixers are much better than that. They were in first place in the Atlantic Division for most of the season before suffering a tremendous second-half collapse. Still, through pure team play and sharing the ball effectively, they made themselves a force to be reckoned with.

Enter the Bulls, who finished the season tied with the San Antonio Spurs for best record in the league. They're led by a banged-up Derrick Rose and a deep roster that, when pushed hard enough, is flat-out dangerous.

This will ultimately prove to be the difference-maker because, while talented, the Sixers don't have a player who can just take over and carry the team to victory.

They'll make the series interesting, but their efforts will come up short.

Final Prediction: Bulls in five

East Quarterfinals: No. 2 Miami Heat vs. No. 7 New York Knicks

On paper, this seems like an open-and-shut series. Miami has its Big Three, who dominated the Knicks all season, but let's take a look at the season series. New York was without Carmelo Anthony in the first game, Mike D'Antoni's horrific coaching cost it the second and it was without both Amar'e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin in the third.

Stoudemire is now back, and given how well the Knicks have done under interim coach Mike Woodson, they have one thing that the Heat do not: depth.

Sure, Miami is great, but LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh account for two-thirds of the team's offense, in most cases. New York, on the other hand, has multiple options both in the starting lineup and on the bench.

The main point I'm driving at is that while a great team, Miami is very predictable. Take one of the Big Three out of the game and it's in trouble. 

Tyson Chandler did just that with Bosh en route to winning a ring in last year's NBA Finals, and combined with Anthony, Stoudemire and the rest of the talent on the Knicks, this series is going to have a bold finish with intensity at a record high.

Final Prediction: Knicks in seven

East Quarterfinals: No. 3 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 6 Orlando Magic

This series, on the other hand, is very open-and-shut. The Magic will not have All-Star center Dwight Howard, who is out with a back injury, and that means they have nobody to cover Indiana's Roy Hibbert.

Throw in some clutch shooting from Danny Granger, and this matchup will move quickly.

Final Prediction: Pacers in four

East Quarterfinals: No. 4 Boston Celtics vs. No. 5 Atlanta Hawks

Intensity matches up with experience here, as the Hawks and Celtics face off in the playoffs for the first time since 2008, when the No. 8 Hawks took eventual champions Boston to seven games in the very first round. This time, Josh Smith & co. are out for revenge.

Unfortunately, I don't see them getting it. I like the Hawks, but Al Horford and his low-post game are a big loss. Without him, there really isn't anyone who can work the middle with the same intensity, especially with Smith doing his work on the wing.

This series will be close, but experience will ultimately win out.

Final Prediction: Celtics in seven

West Quarterfinals: No. 1 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 8 Utah Jazz

Utah went on a great run to clinch the final playoff spot in the tough Western Conference, but it got screwed in having to face the experienced Spurs, who ended the season on a 10-game winning streak. 

I understand that San Antonio was embarrassed in the first round of last year's playoffs, getting knocked out by the No. 8 Grizzlies, but this year is different.

This time around, the aging Spurs look more confident and seem hungry for another championship. Against the inconsistent Jazz, they'll be able to take that next step.

Final Prediction: Spurs in four

West Quarterfinals: No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 7 Dallas Mavericks

Dallas beat the Thunder in last year's Western Conference finals and ultimately went on to become champions, but the shoe will be on the other foot this time.

The Mavs lost two key pieces of last year's team in Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea, and without a dominant big man to go toe to toe with Kendrick Perkins, let alone a spark off the bench, the series is Oklahoma City's to lose.

In the end, Kevin Durant and the rest of the deep Thunder squad will handle the defending champions and make it to the next round. Still, don't be surprised if Dallas puts up at least a little bit of a fight.

Final Prediction: Thunder in six

West Quarterfinals: No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 Denver Nuggets

The Lakers are healthy, hungry and finally have a true point guard running the offense for the first time in years. Their first-round matchup isn't easy, however, as Ty Lawson and the Denver Nuggets are just as hungry.

One thing I can say about this series is that regardless of outcome, it's going to be close. The teams are alike, and with rebounding machine Kenneth Faried getting significant minutes for Denver, the Lakers could have a hard time controlling the pace of the game.

Still, Los Angeles has two clear advantages: Kobe Bryant and the fact that most of the players on the current roster have won championships together. That said, they'll bump and grind their way into the next round.

Final Prediction: Lakers in six

West Quarterfinals: No. 4 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers

I'm so happy that the Clippers are back in the playoffs, but I'm sad to say that they won't make it past the first round. Yes, Chris Paul has revitalized the franchise and deserves to be named MVP, but the Clippers have one fatal flaw: Their offense, known as Lob City, is predictable, and in the playoffs that won't fly.

The Grizzlies, on the other hand, have great depth and will use that while riding on the back of Marc Gasol's defense to push and shove their way through the Clippers. It'll be an ugly series, but tons of fun to watch.

Final Prediction: Grizzlies in seven

East Semifinals: No. 1 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 4 Boston Celtics

Once again, we have a great matchup of youth against experience. Each team has strengths that could exploit its opponent's weaknesses, but only one can be left standing.

In this case, it's going to be the Bulls. Yes, Boston's veteran players bring the experience factor into play, but again, they are VETERANS. The series will be tight, but Chicago will ultimately find itself back in the conference finals.

Final Prediction: Bulls in six

East Semifinals: No. 3 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 7 New York Knicks

The Knicks won the season series against the Pacers, taking two out of three under Mike Woodson. Should they face off in the playoffs, the Knicks will be back at full strength because Jeremy Lin may very well make his return to the floor.

With the team completely healthy, Woodson will be able to use his coaching style at its best, the very same one that took the Pacers to school during the regular season. Nothing against Indiana, but not even its late-season charge will be able to help it in this series.

Final Prediction: Knicks in five

West Semifinals: No. 1 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 4 Memphis Grizzlies

This round of the West semis is hard to pick, for a couple of reasons. First, the Grizzlies beat the Spurs in the first round last year, and without Rudy Gay. On top of that, the Spurs didn't seem to play with the passion they exhibited all throughout the second half this year.

Gay is fully healthy and back in the Grizzlies lineup this year, but that doesn't make picking any easier. Each team has tools that could knock out the other, but the overall depth on both sides makes it almost too close to call.

Still, a winner has to be picked, and in this case it's the Spurs. The core players on the team have played together for a long time, and more importantly, they're out for revenge against Memphis. In a gritty and physical series, they'll advance.

Final Prediction: Spurs in seven

West Semifinals: No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers

This potential matchup got off to an early start last weekend when the Lakers came from behind and defeated the Thunder 114-106 in double overtime, mostly without Metta World Peace, who was ejected in the second quarter for elbowing James Harden in the head.

That said, while it was a great game, it was a fluke win for the Lakers. Had Harden played in the second half, the Thunder would have emerged victorious because they are younger and deeper than the aging Lakers.

Don't get me wrong. This will still be a great series. Yet with home-court advantage, Oklahoma City will advance.

Final Prediction: Thunder in seven

East Finals: No. 1 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 7 New York Knicks

Ugh, great. The Bulls and Knicks face each other in the playoffs...AGAIN. I hate to say it, but the Bulls will win.

Sure, a short-handed New York team was able to beat Chicago in overtime not too long ago, but Derrick Rose was just coming back from an injury and hurt himself again in that game. I hate to say it, but it was a fluke win.

Rose is still pretty banged up, but he'll turn on the afterburners in the playoffs and put up some great numbers despite wanting to drown himself in Icy Hot and Ben-Gay after every game. 

The Knicks will put up a good fight here, but Chicago's hunger and desire for a championship will push it to the next level.

Final Prediction: Bulls in six

West Finals: No. 1 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder

The Spurs will definitely get this far on experience, but the youth of the Thunder will finally become too much for them.

Kevin Durant's clutch shooting and Serge Ibaka's shutdown defense will neutralize hard-charging San Antonio, putting an end to any hopes and dreams of a fifth ring for Tim Duncan.

Final Prediction: Thunder in five

NBA Finals: No. 1 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder

Don't let the teams involved fool you. An NBA Finals featuring these two teams would be absolutely incredible. From the incredible skills of Derrick Rose to the clutch play of Kevin Durant, this series would have NBA fans absolutely glued to their TVs from start to finish.

That said, it's so hard to predict how it will turn out. I love Derrick Rose, but I can't help but feel that the Thunder's shutdown defense would be too much for him and his teammates.

Yes, Chicago is talented, but the rest of the team besides Rose is just too inconsistent to make a serious run at a title, at least at this point.

In an absolute dogfight of a series, KD & co. will be hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy above their heads after the final buzzer.

Final Prediction: Thunder in six