2011 NBA Playoffs: Two Western Conference Upsets Bound to Happen
The Western Conference seeding was finally complete after the Lakers beat Sacramento last night in overtime. The Lakers will face the Hornets, and the Lakers swept the Hornets 4-0 during the regular season. The Hornets will not derail the Lakers chances at a 3-peat.
Oklahoma City gets to play the Denver Nuggets, and they beat the Nuggets three out of the four times these two teams met. As a matter of fact, the Nuggets only beat the Thunder with Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. The Thunder are way too talented with Durant and Westbrook to be upset.
The team that was hurt most with the playoff seeding was the San Antonio Spurs. Granted they finished the season with the second best record in the NBA, and the best record in the Western Conference. While this team has a ton of playoff experience, their age is starting to show.
33 year-old Manu Ginobili hyper-extended his right elbow on Wednesday. Ginobili is the second in PPG behind Tony Parker with 17.4 PPG.
Tim Duncan, now 34, brings in career lows of 13.4 PPG and 8.9 RPG into the playoffs. Duncan also brings in a bum ankle, which could hurt the Spurs as they are not stout with big men.
These two teams split the season series with two games a piece, although the Grizzlies won the last two. While the Spurs have been in the playoffs and went far in previous years, they will be largely tested by the Grizzlies. This will not be an easy series for the old and hurt Spurs.
Grizzlies PF Zach Randolph leads the team with 20.1 PPG and 12.2 RPG. Granted the Grizzlies will be without their star, SF Rudy Gay. C Marc Gasol adds to the size of the Grizzlies as he is averaging seven RPG.
If Manu Ginobili or Tim Duncan doesn't play like their normal selves, expect the Grizzlies to take advantage as this is a very good under the radar team entering the playoffs. The Spurs are getting up there in age, and their playoff experience can only account for so much now.
The final matchup in the Western Conference playoffs is the Mavericks vs the Trail Blazers. The Trail Blazers were the team that nobody wanted to see in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, especially the Mavs who have been bounced from the first round three out of the last four years.
The Trail Blazers are scary as they are lead by PF LaMarcus Aldridge with 21.8 PPG. Aldridge is also averaging 8.8 RPG. C Marcus Camby adds some extra size as he leads the team with 10.3 RPG.
The Blazers went out and traded for SF Gerald Wallace, and he has come in and averaged 15.8 PPG and 7.6 RPG. PG Andre Miller has continued to show that he is one of the greatest PG in the NBA still as he has averaged 12.7 PPG and seven APG.
The X-factor for the Blazers will be SG Brandon Roy. Roy returned from a knee injury and has come off the bench to be a huge factor for this team. Roy has averaged 12.2 PPG and 2.7 APG in 47 games played this season.
Without a doubt, the Trail Blazers could upset a lot of people in the Western Conference playoffs. They have a great starting lineup, and with Roy coming off the bench this team is scary. The Mavericks have been known to choke in the playoffs, and I wouldn't expect any different this year.
The Spurs are playoff tested, I'll give them that. They have big names as well. The question for this team will be their ability to stay healthy and play at a high level. While the Spurs are not bound to be upset, an upset could be starring them in the face with a very talented Grizzlies team.
