NBA Conference Finals Preview

Last round, I picked the Nuggets in five.

I even said that the Mavs would win Game Three, which was wrong.

I said that the Nuggets would win Game Four by sixty points.

Wrong again.

I picked the Lakers in six.  But I did say that the Rockets would win Game One. So other than the Lakers winning in seven, I think I did pretty good in that series.

I picked the Celtics in six, but the Magic won in seven. So to quote Dr. Cox:

"Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!"

I also had the Cavs in five—and that gave the Hawks a ton of credit they couldn't bring to reality.

I might be nitpicking, but as long as there are secretaries out there that can pick the entire sweet 16, then I can always do better on my picks.

The four remaining teams are the best four in the NBA right now. Record wise, only the Celtics had a better record then these four teams—and with their injuries, they are not a top-four team at this point of the season. The Celtics are also 32-1 in series in which they have a 3-2 lead.

The Cavs will face some adversity this series with the Magic. The Magic are a bad match-up for everyone they play, with their inside game led by Dwight Howard and their outside game led by Rashard Lewis. Hedo Turkoglu is a very tough player when he is hitting his outside shots, and he can be a force both inside and out when that happens.

I look for each team to win on the other's court through the first four games, and expect that it will be 2-2 going into Game Five. Cleveland will wear down the Magic with a steady case of LeBron and the best collection of role players in the league.

The Cavs can come at you with a small, quick lineup playing LeBron at the four, or they can come at you with their size and move LeBron to the three. The Cavs can even put LeBron at the one and surround him with three-point shooters.

The Cavs are able to wear teams down with all of their pieces and what they can do on the court. Plus, they always bring their A game on defense. So after an adversity-filled first four games, they will close out the Magic in six, winning the series in Orlando.

The Nuggets are playing more consistent ball right now than the Lakers. There is a feeling that the Lakers have not taken their opponents seriously so far this postseason but that the Nuggets will have their attention.

Don't buy into that.

Teams are what they are—and the Lakers are a sports car that will go zero to sixty in seven seconds but won't start the next day. The Nuggets are the work truck that has a V-8 and everyone loves to drive it, since it will always get you there and it looks tough at the job site.

The Nuggets can match the Lakers in depth, height, and star power. The Nuggets have an advantage when it comes to toughness and the Lakers have an advantage when it comes to home court. Look for the Nuggets to split the first two in Staples and win this series in six as they go 3-0 at home.

Ratings wise, the Cavs and Lakers is the best match-up for the NBA.  Kobe versus LeBron has an appeal that Carmelo versus LeBron lacks. 

The best match-up of teams is the Cavs versus the Nuggets ,since both teams have shown they will bring the thunder to every game. I think that is what will propel both of those teams to the Finals—their ability to grind out every possession of every game they have left.

It is going to be a lunchpail NBA Finals—but you can still pack your popcorn, because it will be fun to watch.