NBA Playoffs 2011: 15 Bold Predictions for the First Round of the Postseason
The 2011 NBA playoffs have several teams in both conferences that feel like this is their year. The Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic are all confident of winning the Eastern Conference, while the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are set to make deep runs in the West.
The playoffs have many intriguing story lines, more so than any year in a long time.
Will LeBron James finally be able to carry his team to NBA Finals glory? Can the Lakers win a third consecutive title? Will the Oklahoma City Thunder become the league's next dynasty?
Before we get the answers to these questions, the first round must be played.
The NBA has seen its share of spectacular first-round series in recent seasons, and recent history shows us no team is safe in the opening round.
With that in mind, let's look at 15 bold predictions for the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs, which begin April 16.
Follow Nicholas Goss on Twitter, he is an Oklahoma City Thunder Featured Columnist.
1) The Boston Celtics Will Beat the New York Knicks Easily in Four to Five Games
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The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks are about to play their first playoff series against each other since 1990, when Patrick Ewing and the Knicks defeated the Celtics in five games (in 1990, the first round was a best of five games, not seven).
The Celtics have stumbled into the playoffs, while the Knicks have entered the postseason playing well.
However, the playoff-tested veterans of the Celtics will be able to turn up the heat on the Knicks, who have only one player with solid playoff experience, point guard Chauncey Billups.
The Celtics are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA and will be able to score easily against the Knicks defense, which gives up points like it’s going out of style.
The Knicks are building a solid team but will be unable to halt another title run by the Celtics.
2) Joe Johnson Will Help the Atlanta Hawks Finally Beat the Orlando Magic
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Joe Johnson is paid like a top NBA player, and his stats are quite good, yet he often disappears in the postseason and fails to help his team go deep into the playoffs.
However, this year will be different. After being destroyed by the Magic last postseason, the Hawks will beat Orlando this year.
Orlando is not as dangerous as it was in past seasons, and the Hawks' young players, such as Al Horford and Josh Smith, have improved a lot.
Johnson is ready to prove why Atlanta gave him a max contract last summer.
3) The Indiana Pacers Will Take the Chicago Bulls to Six Games
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The Pacers are one of the most improved teams in the NBA and are led by their own superstar, Danny Granger.
Granger is one of the NBA's better all-around players but is also one of its most underrated players. He can score from anywhere and also is a good passer and rebounder.
The Pacers have talented, physical big men such as Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough that will give Bulls big men Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer fits.
Indiana has nothing to lose this year and has the talent to take the East's No. 1 seed to six games.
4) Mario Chalmers Will Be a Big Factor for the Miami Heat
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Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers has played well all season, even hitting several big shots during the season against top opponents.
Chalmers must play well for Miami to be successful in the playoffs because point guard is a position it doesn't have the advantage in over just about every playoff team.
Chalmers can shoot well from the outside and isn't afraid to take big shots.
Against the Philadelphia 76ers, who have several talented young guards, Chalmers will need to step up defensively as well.
5) Memphis Will Upset San Antonio
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You read the title of the slide right. The Memphis Grizzlies can and will upset the Western Conference's best team, the San Antonio Spurs.
The Grizzlies have plenty of scoring and also have bulk in the middle with center Marc Gasol and forward Zach Randolph.
They also have solid defenders in Shane Battier and Tony Allen.
Memphis also has some guys with playoff experience. Leon Powe and Allen both have won the NBA Finals with Boston, and Battier has seen many playoff series in his career.
The Spurs will find it difficult to cope with the young and athletic Grizzlies, who believe it's their time to shine.
6) Oklahoma City Will Sweep Denver
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Oklahoma City has destroyed Denver this season, and the playoffs will be no different.
While the Nuggets have played well in the post-Carmelo Anthony era, they lack the offensive firepower or defensive abilities to hang with the explosive Thunder.
Denver has no one to guard Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook, and the duo will carry the Thunder to the second round without breaking a sweat.
7) Russell Westbrook Will Be the Breakout Player of the First Round
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Russell Westbrook will be the breakout player of the playoffs, as well as the first round.
Westbrook became an All-Star and a bona fide superstar this season, teaming with Kevin Durant to form the league's second-highest-scoring duo behind LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami.
Westbrook is one of the best rebounding guards in basketball, but his shooting range is much better than in years past, and he is a nightmare to defend.
The 2011 playoffs will be Russell Westbrook's coming-out party.
8) The Dallas Mavericks Will Get Dominated by Portland
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The Dallas Mavericks have playoff experience but are just overmatched against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki rarely shows up in the playoffs and will find it difficult to defend LaMarcus Aldridge of Portland, one of the league's most underrated players.
Gerald Wallace has given the Blazers some much-needed defense and timely scoring since he arrived from Charlotte via trade earlier in the year, and he will be a difficult matchup for Dallas.
Dallas has been eliminated in the first round three of the last four years. Portland will make that four of the last five this season.
9) Shaquille O'Neal Will Play Every Game vs. the Knicks
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Shaquille O'Neal has played well for the Boston Celtics this season, but the problem is he hasn't played many games for them this season due to multiple injuries.
However, the Celtics will welcome Shaq back for the first round, and he will play in each game in the first round against New York.
Shaq's size inside will help the Celtics defense tremendously.
10) Dwight Howard Will Request a Trade After Losing to Hawks
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When the Atlanta Hawks finally overcome the Orlando Magic in the playoffs this year, Dwight Howard will realize he cannot win the NBA Finals with Orlando.
Thus, he will request a trade before he becomes a free agent after the 2012 season. This way, Orlando can try to get some value in return for him.
He has done everything he can for Orlando, but it appears the Magic just don't have the pieces around Howard to win a championship.
11) Defense Will Be the Key to Chicago's Success
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Even with all the offensive talent the Chicago Bulls have, they will win their opening series against Indiana with defense.
Since arriving from Boston, Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has used his defensive wisdom to make the Bulls one of the NBA's best defensive teams.
12) Chris Paul Will Win Two Games Against the Lakers by Himself
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Chris Paul will destroy any Lakers guard who defends him. Los Angeles simply doesn't have a point guard to contain Paul, who will score at will.
Paul has several capable teammates, such as Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor, who will help him and the Hornets take two games from the Lakers in the opening round.
13) Derrick Rose Will Prove Why He's the 2011 NBA MVP
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Derrick Rose is a certainty for the NBA MVP award this season, and the Bulls point guard's play in big games is a reason why.
Rose has played magnificently versus top NBA teams such as Boston, Miami and San Antonio.
Against Indiana in the first round, he will prove why he deserves the MVP award.
14) There Will Be No Seven-Game Series
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There will be no seven-game first-round series this year. No matchup is so even that both teams will need to go the full seven games to decide the better team.
The only series that could go to seven games may be Magic vs. Hawks, but I doubt it.
While many of the first-round series will be very entertaining and highly competitive, there will be no historic seven-game series.
15) The San Antonio Spurs' Run Will End
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As I predicted earlier in this slideshow, the Spurs will be upset by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, and thus their reign as a top team will end.
Looking to get younger and more explosive, the Spurs will look to add younger players in the offseason.
They will realize they are not a real title threat anymore despite having solid regular seasons the past few years.
In the playoffs, Tim Duncan's age will be apparent, and he will no longer be able to carry his team to another deep playoff run.
