NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs: Predictions for the First and Second Round
Chicago Bulls Win If…
Derrick Rose is the undisputed cornerstone for the Chicago Bulls offense. But, when it comes to defense, Rose has not been on the absolute end of praise. The Pacers have been improving as a unit since the removal of Jim O’Brien.
Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Granger have been demanding notice from people who overlooked the young team because of coaching errors and rotation misses.
Rose is the anointed one in the Most Valuable Player race. But if he wants to lead Chicago past this matchup, he must play with the same transition intensity that he did against the Toronto Raptors. Not only did he score 36 points, but he had 10 assists in the game, showing that he is a player who gets his teammates involved when he has confidence in them.
Luol Deng is one of the most consistent second options in the league and it is vital that he stay out of foul trouble early and knock down those perimeter shots.
Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer can guard and be productive in the painted area. The ability to cover each of Indiana’s players man-to-man will be the ultimate decider in whether or not Chicago will be victorious.
Indiana Pacers Win If…
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Maximum production from Danny Granger, Tyler Hansbrough and Darren Collison is warranted in this series against the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Collison is only averaging 11.8 in the regular season matchups against the Bulls and that will be less than acceptable on a more grand stage in the playoffs.
In New Orleans, he showcased his skills as a point guard when Chris Paul was taken out of the lineup due to injury and was surprising everyone watching by performing like a young CP3.
Tyler Hansbrough is establishing himself and laying the foundation for a bright future, but he needs to find more creative ways to score and dish. His mid-range game is no longer a secret, so he will be crowded constantly. The Bulls will be looking to take him off balance, make him take uncomfortable shots or make a pass to create a steal and transition points.
Danny Granger simply needs to keep mixing up his shots. Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge is who I mostly relate him to because of how much Aldridge drifted into jumper territory in the earlier games of his career, but then understood how important it was to be a factor in the low post.
Granger’s size will allow him to draw the contact on his way to the rim, he just has to be able to balance his body and control his speed enough to keep the refs from calling a charge.
Who Will Ultimately Be Successful?
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Chicago Bulls: 4-1
The Bulls have entirely too much firepower on too many spaces of the floor to allow Indiana a second-round berth. Derrick Rose’s confidence and focus will not fail Chicago now. It has not all season, why concede to a team that you are obviously more talented and more groomed than?
Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Miami Heat Win If...
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Miami Heat played their best games of the entire season against the Boston Celtics in their fourth meeting against the shaken and stirred Clovermen. Dwyane Wade broke out as the team’s leader, even while only scoring 14 points and assisting on eight shots.
His defense on Ray Allen sealed the win for the South Beach team who has struggled against the reigning Eastern Conference champions.
LeBron James can have the most points in the game, but it is going to depend on the little moves and makes of Wade to win in the end. Chris Bosh’s aggressive attitude as the regular season came to a close is going to be required as well.
He was never that hard-hitting as a defensive body, but lately he has been showing up with more than just a chip on his shoulder. Maybe he felt the heat from being hidden in James’ and Wade’s shadows.
Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers will need to be more instrumental in passing plays and drawing defense for their leading scorers to get open. Both have the ability to hit the open three, so defenses will try to double-team or pressure one or both on the perimeter.
Philadelphia 76ers Win If…
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Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand are both day-to-day with injuries that probably will not affect them during the postseason. Both will most likely rest in their next game against the Detroit Pistons to prevent any further injuries, especially since their position in the playoffs is concrete.
Lou Williams, who has been out for the last four games, will not be making another on-court appearance until this matchup comes to fruition.
With that said, and hopefully all of the necessary Sixers healthy, Iguodala’s leadership will have to burst to monumental heights, as Miami is a better team.
They are better in every aspect in the game, so in order for the Sixers to have a small shot in the first round, each person will have to be responsible for creating their own offense and covering their men defensively. Double-teaming will only leave an open man, and for a big part of the game, the players who expose defenses the most will be in play.
Victors in the End?
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Miami Heat will take this series in Game 5 (4-1). Dwyane Wade has been too powerful and too fueled to stop in his last few games and LeBron James is still playing like LeBron James.
Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks: Boston Celtics Win If…
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They were fooling us all with their horrible defensive execution in the past week. The Celtics are still the most dangerous team in the East, but their loss of size also makes them the most vulnerable. Boston no longer strikes fear.
Coming into this season, you could have asked anyone in the league who was coming out of the Eastern Conference to battle in the NBA Finals and the answer would have been unanimous. The chemistry was there, the love for winning was there and so was the fact that the group had not been dissembled.
All the lavishness that was Beantown’s finest has been reduced to hopes and prayers that they pull it together before they face a worthy opponent and embarrass themselves. In the last four games, Ray Allen has only hit 4-of-15 three-point field goal attempts.
That is only 26.6 percent, whereas he usually hits 44 percent of those attempts. Allen will need to be playing the games of his career in this series with Carmelo Anthony averaging 47.4 percent in his last five. It will be an all-out war and Kevin Garnett needs to pull out the vintage trash talk and defensive strategy to break the Knicks' spirits.
New York Knicks Win If…
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...Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire can compete against Boston while playing the same amount of time on the court.
It does not seem like they have a problem with sharing the spotlight when the cameras are on and questions are being asked. However, it will take the combined superstar effort of both to come through in the clutch.
The ball needs to be evenly distributed because the Celtics can guard all spots of the floor adequately. Giving them the edge of repeating yourself will never win a championship.
Stoudemire needs to constantly draw contact from the likes of Big Baby Davis and Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq will be the weakest link in the Celtics frontcourt because of how prone he is to injury and the simple fact that his age does not give him the physical leniency it used to.
Chauncey Billups needs to be the go-to-guy when the paint is cloudy. He has proven himself to be the clutch player in tight situations, therefore the Knicks will look to him in the postseason for drawing fouls, shooting accurately from the perimeter and speeding up the pace of the game in transition.
And the Winner Is…
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The Boston Celtics still have my faith. I believe that they can leave their age in the locker room but bring the experience of the postseason on the floor. New York is still missing key parts of their game that will be needed to put them in true contention for an NBA championship, and defensively they have a lot of work to do.
Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks: Orlando Magic Win If…
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Dwight Howard has been at the level of MVP execution this entire season. His technical fouls put a minute stain on a solid season of an All-Star starter. He cannot change the way he plays in an effort to appease the commissioner.
The authority behind his put-downs are what fuel his team to increase their own passion and his management of the team’s tempo and success is second-to-none.
He is the sole key to a win over the Atlanta Hawks. If he does not falter from the techniques that brought him to the big dance, he will be smiling all the way into the second round. Jameer Nelson needs to seize every turnover opportunity and be the underlying hustle of the team.
He has to push the pace on every possession to give the Magic team an upper hand on the Hawks. Fearless Jameer is who needs to be present in every game of this series. When he has the confidence to, he can drive into the paint and create open looks for the rest of his team.
Jason Richardson does not need to over extend his efforts in three-point attempts, he just needs to be a great teammate made available in any way his team can use him.
Atlanta Hawks Win If…
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The scariest thing about the way the Hawks are ending their season is that it seems like they are really playing to win. There is no resting going on and they have lost the last five games they have played, including a mesmerizing train wreck against the Washington Wizards.
I do not believe there was another time in the season where I saw an “elite” team beat so definitively by a team that reeks of futility. Well, other than when the Lakers lost to the Cavaliers before the All-Star break.
There is truly no explanation for how the Hawks can get back on track before they have to face the Orlando Magic. The direction that Atlanta is heading does not seem like it will end sooner than later and that spells out first-round elimination for Joe Johnson and Al Horford.
And the Winner Is…
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The Orlando Magic have a lot to play for. They are playing hard in honor of their momentarily dismissed leader, Dwight Howard. While Howard himself is out to prove that a man of his accomplishments in a single season deserves a mention.
Chicago Bulls vs. Orlando Magic: Bulls (4-2)
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The Chicago Bulls met with the Orlando Magic this past Sunday and defeated the Howard-less team with a lot more trouble than predicted. Derrick Rose had to go out of his way to make sure that his team walked off of the court with their heads held high...again.
But, the Magic team will not be so forgiving in a seven-game series. They will restructure their offense to cater to the Bulls' one-on-one coverage and adjust to the speed of transition that the Bulls try to deal their opponents.
The under-the-rim battle between Dwight Howard and Carlos Boozer will be the more important story behind this game, because both have that fire and power as they gain ground on the rim. However, it will be very interesting to see which will be taken out of the game quicker.
Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics: Heat (4-3)
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Miami’s home base anticipated the star-power that Pat Riley was able to manufacture was going to be a shoo-in for the playoffs. The strides this team made after all of the bumpy roads of uncertainty and distrust were smoothed out and it has been extraordinary to watch.
The Heat are still reeling from their win against their self-proclaimed toughest competition and there is little confusion that this confidence will be drafted into the second round of the playoffs.
Boston will be looking to prove their dominance while they sort out of the kinks of their own bewilderment.
Look for the Celtics to play the best games of their career. Why? This matchup will be youth vs. veterans. The Big Three on each team are some of the greatest at what they do and each team will be looking to solidify those notions in the eyes of the beast.
Conference Finals: Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat
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And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Your conference finals will come down to Chicago and Miami as they both try to define their seasons and return their franchises to supremacy.
