Round-by-Round Predictions for Entire 2013 NBA Playoffs

With an arduous 82-game journey soon to be complete, the NBA playoffs will be upon us once again.

There's no shortage of compelling storylines this time around. LeBron James and the Miami Heat are primed to capture their second consecutive title, while Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder are seeking revenge in a big way.

Elsewhere, aging teams such as the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs will be looking to play the role of spoiler, with their statuses as title contenders beginning to fade with each passing season. (Though it seems like we have been saying that every season.)

With 16 quality teams and superstars galore, the 2013 NBA playoffs figure to redefine postseason excellence.

Note: Advanced stats from Basketball-Reference.com; team with home-court advantage is presented second in slide titles; not every series is set in stone yet.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat

Consider this a warm-up for the Miami Heat in their pursuit of a second consecutive NBA title.

The league's best team taking on a sub-.500 opponent will play out the way you would expect it to, as the Heat figure to sweep the Milwaukee Bucks in four tidy games.

Milwaukee center Larry Sanders has the length and athleticism to cause problems for an undersized Heat team, but Chris Bosh's ability to drag him away from the basket should negate his impact to a substantial degree.

One piece of information worth noting: Monta Ellis has previously compared himself to Dwyane Wade. Perhaps the battle between those two will heat up a bit in the postseason.

Prediction: Miami in four

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks

As basketball fans, we've been blessed with a first-round matchup between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.

The Knicks enter the playoffs playing their best ball of the season. They recently ripped off a 13-game winning streak that came to an end at the hands of the Chicago Bulls.

Led by the one-two scoring punch of Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, the Knicks will be a tough out. However, if there's one team that can knock them off in the first round, it's the Celtics.

The good news for the Knicks is that they've posted a 3-1 record against the Celtics this season. They've scored an average of 98.3 points over those four contests, compared to just 90.5 for Boston.

Noted Knicks killer Paul Pierce and cagey veteran Kevin Garnett will undoubtedly make the series interesting. In the end, the high-powered New York offense will be too much for the Celtics to match.

Prediction: New York in seven

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers

The Chicago Bulls' newly cultivated reputation as streak-busters has them trending in the right direction as we approach the postseason. But they simply don't have the depth necessary to take down a stingy Indiana Pacers team.

It may defy all of the evidence we've seen lately, but I can't buy into a Chicago team that relies on Nate Robinson and Marco Belinelli as its first men off the bench.

Instead, give me the Pacers, who have the personnel to make the Bulls' lives miserable over the course of a series.

The Pacers rank first in points allowed per 100 possessions. That's bad news for a Chicago squad that has scored 103.2 points per 100 possessions (23rd in the NBA).

Prediction: Indiana in six

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets

If there's one first-round series you can afford to miss, it's this one.

The Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks figure to square off in the four-five matchup out East, and it's a near certainty that it will receive the least national attention of all eight first-round showdowns.

Where this series will be decided is on the glass, where the Nets have a distinct advantage over the Hawks.

The Hawks rank 27th in offensive rebound percentage, while they sit at 12th in defensive rebound percentage. Conversely, the Nets rank second in offensive rebound percentage and 11th in defensive rebound percentage.

With a defense that's allowed a meager 95 points per game, the Nets should advance to the second round with limited resistance.

Prediction: Brooklyn in five

Western Conference Quarterfinals: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Even before Kobe Bryant suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, it was unlikely that the Lakers would have been able to give the Oklahoma City Thunder a run for their money in a first-round series.

Now, playing without the league's No. 3 scorer, the Lakers will need to find ways to account for Bryant's 27.3 points per game.

Steve Nash will be given more opportunities to create for his teammates, but even if his production does tick up in tandem with Dwight Howard's, the Lakers don't possess the defensive capabilities necessary to slow down Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Prediction: Oklahoma City in four

Western Conference Quarterfinals: Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs

In a narrative that will likely compare the Golden State Warriors' ascent up the conference ranks to the San Antonio Spurs' annual domination, the aged wonders will emerge with a series victory in short order.

While the Warriors have scored a steady 101 points per game this season, the Spurs have posted 103.1 while limiting opponents to 96.2 points per contest.

The Warriors don't boast qualified defensive credentials, as they rank 19th in opponents' points per game.

Although the Spurs may come hobbling into the playoffs, they should afford themselves some extra time to rest once they sweep Golden State.

Prediction: San Antonio in four

Western Conference Quarterfinals: Houston Rockets vs. Denver Nuggets

If you're a fan of shootouts, then this series is for you.

The Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets rank 22nd and 28th in opponents' points per game, respectively. They also rank in the top five in pace, which means we're in for an uptempo style of play.

Although the Rockets may able to keep pace with the Nuggets from a shooting standpoint, they don't have the right personnel at all five positions to defend Denver. The Nuggets possess a variety of explosive athletes in the frontcourt, many of whom will be matchup nightmares for Greg Smith and Omer Asik.

On the season, the Nuggets went 4-0 against the Rockets and outscored them by an average of 112 to 101.5. Assuming Ty Lawson returns at full strength, the Nuggets shouldn't have a hard time disposing of the Rockets.

Prediction: Denver in five

Western Conference Quarterfinals: Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Things are going to get chippy when the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies square off in the first round of the playoffs. The two faced off in the four-five matchup one year ago, and the Clippers ultimately prevailed in seven games.

While the Grizzlies don't have the offensive firepower to keep pace with the Clippers in a shootout, this doesn't figure to be that type of series.

Dating back to last year's series between these two, the Clippers topped the 100-point mark just one time (Game 4). The Grizzlies possess the league's most aggressive defense, one that ranks first in opponents' points per game, allowing just 89.4 per contest.

In fact, the Grizzlies are the only defense in the NBA that's held opponents to fewer than 90 points per game. In a series that figures to go down to the wire, give me the team that's seeking revenge.

Prediction: Memphis in seven

Eastern Conference Semifinals: Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat

Based on everything we've seen throughout the regular season, there exists a realistic possibility that the Miami Heat could go undefeated in the playoffs through the conference semifinals.

The Brooklyn Nets haven't had an answer for the Heat all season long, losing all three contests. The point differential in those three games was staggering. The Heat outscored the Nets by an average of 20 points (103.3 to 83.3).

The Heat held the Nets to 42 percent shooting throughout the regular season, but the most impressive Miami statistic comes from the rebounding department. Miami, the league's worst rebounding team, out-rebounded the Nets (who rank 10th in rebounds per game) 37.7 to 37.3.

If those trends hold, we'll have another Heat sweep on our hands.

Prediction: Miami in four

Eastern Conference Semifinals: Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks

The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks doing battle at Madison Square Garden would be a throwback series. Unfortunately for the Pacers, Reggie Miller won't be available to provide late-game heroics this time around.

While the Knicks have been lauded all season long for their carefree bombs-away offensive mentality, they've been steady on the defensive end as well. With a positive point differential of plus-4.4, the Knicks will be in good shape to do battle with a tough Pacers defense if need be. 

Indiana figures to lean heavily on Paul George and David West to carry the offensive burden, but it won't be able to match the production of Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith and the rest of New York's three-point shooters.

Prediction: New York in six

Western Conference Semifinals: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Matchups with the Memphis Grizzlies haven't been kind to the Oklahoma City Thunder this season. The Thunder are just 1-2 this season against the Grizzlies, splitting a pair of home games and losing in their only trip to FedEx Forum.

While the Grizzlies undoubtedly have the defense to stop the Thunder for brief periods, there's virtually no hope of containing Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook over the course of a seven-game series.

Mike Conley is arguably the league's best defender at the point guard position; his defensive rating of 100 this season is a career-best mark. While he may be able to frustrate Westbrook into having a bad game or even two, that won't be enough.

Tayshaun Prince has the experience necessary to guard Durant, but there's a clear discrepancy in overall talent and athleticism there.

Durant and the Thunder are on a mission to redeem themselves after falling to the Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals, and a series with a rough-and-tumble Memphis squad won't be enough to deter them from reaching their ultimate goal.

Prediction: Oklahoma City in six

Western Conference Semifinals: Denver Nuggets vs. San Antonio Spurs

The temptation to pick the Denver Nuggets here is strong. However, Denver's inability to win consistently away from home must be taken into consideration.

Denver will finish the season with a sub-.500 road record, as it currently sits at 18-22 in games played away from the Pepsi Center.

Having posted an unthinkable record of 37-3 at home, it's possible that the Nuggets could steal a game down in the land of the Alamo, but they were unable to do so in two opportunities during the regular season.

In the end, Gregg Popovich and the Spurs will squeak by the Nuggets thanks to the steady play of Tim Duncan and the veteran wizardry of Manu Ginobili.

Prediction: San Antonio in seven

Eastern Conference Finals: New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat

One of the few teams the Miami Heat couldn't quite figure out this season was the New York Knicks.

On the season, the Knicks posted a 3-1 record against the Heat, although one of those wins did come on a night when Erik Spoelstra decided to rest both Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.

While the Knicks may make this a series—and perhaps even a tight one—it's hard to envision a scenario in which James and the Heat are bounced by any Eastern Conference opponent.

Yes, the Knicks have the league's leading scorer. Yes, they're playing their best ball of the season heading into the postseason. But the Heat were a team built for the playoffs.

With Chris Bosh capable of drawing Tyson Chandler away from the basket and Dwyane Wade at a significant advantage matching up against Iman Shumpet and J.R. Smith, the Heat will find themselves the kings of the Eastern Conference for the third straight season.

Prediction: Miami in six

Western Conference Finals: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

If all goes according to plan, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder will collide in the Western Conference finals for the second year in a row. The Spurs will be on the lookout for revenge, as they squandered a 2-0 series lead in the 2012 conference finals.

If the regular season has been any indication, this one should come down to the wire. The Thunder and Spurs split the season series 2-2, with the Thunder outscoring the Spurs by a margin of just three points per game over the course of those four meetings.

Perhaps it sounds predictable, but I'll take the Thunder to top the Spurs once again. Kawhi Leonard's transformation into one of the game's best wing defenders has been great to watch, but there's no scenario in which I can imagine him locking up Durant for extended stretches.

Russell Westbrook matching up against Tony Parker may very well wind up being the best positional matchup of the entire postseason. I'll give the edge to Westbrook, as he figures to continue what's been the best season of his career to date.

Prediction: Oklahoma City in seven

NBA Finals: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat

In a postseason full of rematches, there will be none more compelling than the inevitable NBA Finals showdown between the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Last year's series lasted just five games, as the Heat ripped off four straight victories after falling to the Thunder in Game 1. This time around, the Heat will be stretched to a sixth game but will ultimately prevail in a matchup of the league's two preeminent franchises.

Attempting to stifle the trio consisting of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh is hard enough, but when they have complementary players like Shane Battier, Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen by their side, forget about it.

Prediction: Miami in six