2011 NBA Playoff Predictions: Picking the Winner of Each First-Round Series
Well everyone, here we are again. The NBA regular season is over and our favorite time of the year is here.
Playoff time.
When the trees start to blossom and that faint rain smell mixes with the warming air, you know it's playoff time.
Though I will admit that I really do miss how the first-round series used to be five games; it feels like the seven-game first-round series push the playoffs another two months, even though it's just two extra games per round.
Another thing that annoys me with the playoffs is how some series will include breaks of three or even four days between games! I'm sorry, but in the old days, they played back-to-back games on occasion, and even 15 years ago, they played every other day.
A five-game series took, at most, 10 days. A full, seven-game series now can take almost three weeks.
Let's go back to the old days a little bit. Let's say forget the money for once and do what's best for the fans. Let's face the fact that, after eight-and-a-half months of the NBA season, we get a little bit tired of it toward the end and just want it to be over.
At least, the people I know do. It's almost better to take the first round off, or the first part of it, at least.
Now that I am done ranting about things that annoy me, shall we talk about the first round?
Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers
1 of 9
The Bulls are a team that kind of shocked everyone and became the No. 1 overall seed in the NBA, and now they have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Derrick Rose is going to be your MVP and he's going to play like it in this round. Can flat-footed T.J. Ford stay in front of Rose?
Nope.
Will Rose go for right around 27-11-6?
I would say it's possible.
What do the Pacers have to do to win?
Danny Granger needs to channel his inner-Kevin Durant and score 30 or more a night, Roy Hibbert has to own the boards and Mike Dunleavy...
Does Mike Dunleavy Jr. do anything worthwhile? I've never seen him do...anything really.
I guess what I'm saying is if Mike Dunleavy has to be relied on in any sort of capacity, then you end up with this prediction:
Chicago Wins the Series, 4-0
Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers
2 of 9
So after starting out like they were probably going to end up being a seventh or eighth seed, the Heat overcame some self-induced adversity and ended up as the No. 2 seed in the East.
I didn't expect Philadelphia to be here, or be this high in seeding. I thought the Sixers had a good chance a few weeks ago to potentially get the sixth seed and give Boston some fits.
I really don't think Miami is going to have very much trouble with the Sixers at all. Miami likes to play up-tempo and so do the Sixers, but Miami has the best player in the game and probably the fourth-best overall player in the game.
Is anyone on the Sixers in the top 25?
Miami Wins the Series, 4-0
Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks
3 of 9
The Celtics are reeling and seemingly ready to end their reign as the best team in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are looking to be the first team to take the Celtics out in the first round since the "Big Three" was assembled three years ago.
The Celtics are lucky they are playing the Knicks. They need to find themselves offensively and the Knicks don't play a lick of defense. When the Celtics have the ball, you might as well call it a glorified scrimmage on that end of the court.
The best bet for the Knicks is for Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire to both score close to 40 points a night, and if they get around 20 or so points from the rest of the guys, they may have a shot.
We know the Knicks don't play defense and this could be D'Antoni's last ride in New York.
I really hope he's coaching the Warriors next year. I would love to see an NBA team average 140 PPG.
Celtics Win the Series, 4-1
Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks
4 of 9
The Hawks and Magic meet once again in the playoffs. I wouldn't call what they did last playoffs a series; it was more of a men vs. boys type of situation.
We are talking about men in their primes against four-year-olds on a basketball court.
It was like the episode of How I Met Your Mother when Marshall was coaching the kids against the Teen Wolf and lost 159-0, or whatever the score was.
It's not going to be like that this year.
The teams are more evenly matched than you think. The Magic aren't as good as they were and are definitely a far cry from where they were just two years ago.
Jameer Nelson is now a liability rather than a game-changer. Dwight Howard is by far the best player on the team and is really going to look good in a Knicks uniform in two years.
And then there's Hedo Turkoglu and Gilbert Arenas.
For the Hawks, there is a banged-up Al Horford, Joe Johnson and his not-worth-it contract, Josh Smith and Jason Collins.
Collins is allegedly an "x-factor" in this series. I don't see it.
The Hawks have no chance in this series, and I hope the 18 people who normally buy Hawks playoff tickets for Games 3 and 4 save their money and stay home.
Magic Win the Series, 4-0.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies
5 of 9
For whatever reason, the Grizzlies wanted the Spurs in the first round. Was it because of the matchup? Was it because the Grizzlies are young and dumb enough to think that they could beat the most fundamentally sound and well-coached team in all of the NBA?
It could be a bit of both.
San Antonio is older and a little slower, but still executes with razor-edge efficiency in the half court. The Spurs also can get out and break on teams, and they play great defense.
Memphis is playing with house money. The Grizzlies weren't supposed to be in the playoffs this year, especially after Rudy Gay went out for the year. O.J. Mayo got out of the doghouse and started contributing.
Then there is "Z-Bo" (Zach Randolph) and Marc Gasol. They like to bang, they like to rebound, they like to play physical defense and they can score points.
Tony Allen has been playing on another world recently and seems to be the heart and soul of the team right now.
I like this Grizzlies team, and they are a really good point guard and bench guy away from being a top-four team in the West.
How do they do against San Antonio?
Spurs Win the Series, 4-2
Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Hornets
6 of 9
Well, this is awkward.
The Lakers just played the last basketball game in Sacramento and they are going to be the team that beats the Hornets in the last game ever in New Orleans.
This is going to be an embarrassment of a series.
It's the Ghost of Chris Paul vs. The Champs.
If Bynum is seriously hurt, this series presents a great opportunity to give him two weeks off; the Lakers will still win each game by 20 points or more.
Sorry, Hornets—hope you have better success in Vancouver or Seattle or Louisville, if you exist.
Lakers Win the Series, 4-0
Dallas Mavericks vs. Portland Trail Blazers
7 of 9
The Blazers are one of the sexy picks in the playoffs to make an upset. They could have been in any spot five through eight and you could make an argument for them to advance in the playoffs.
Well, the issue is that Portland is a lot like the Maryland Terrapins. There are stretches when they can't make a shot to save their lives. A whole quarter will go by and only 12 points will be up on the board, with 10 of those coming in a three-minute span.
Dallas, on the other hand, has the best closer statistically in the game in Dirk Nowitzki, and this is one of the last chances he's going to have to win a championship in Dallas.
Jason Kidd is done, Jason Terry graduated high school while I was still in junior high (I'm almost 30 now), and then there is DeShawn Stevenson.
If the Blazers want to make a run, they very well could go Butler on us.
I don't think they will though. I just think Brandon Roy is going to be needed in a big way in this series and he's going to no-show for the most part.
I honestly think if Dallas makes it out of the first round and gets Caron Butler back for the Laker series...watch out.
Dallas Wins the Series, 4-2
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets
8 of 9
In the final Western Conference series, we have the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets. I'm from Seattle, so a tear comes to my eye with every good word that is said about the Thunder and how the city of Seattle suffered for OKC's gain.
Break out the karma.
OKC is good. They have two All-Stars, a big guy who likes to hit people, another guy who is trying to prove he is not a bust and Nick Collison, who is my boy and I therefore can never hate him. it's hard to hate a guy when he buys you a sandwich and a beer and hangs out with you when he doesn't even know your name.
Durant is a big-time scorer, Westbrook is hot-and-cold and Ibaka is a freak of nature and is everything Johan Petro should have been.
It's hard to not like a young, exciting team; that's why we like the Bulls so much. But, we can get caught up in that too much.
What have the Thunder won? Nothing. They just got their first division championship banner ever.
The Denver Nuggets are also fun and exciting. Yes, they are coming off two bad losses to OKC in the past couple of weeks, but this team is completely different from what it was just a couple months ago.
The Nuggets are also playing with house money. They weren't even supposed to be in the playoffs after the Carmelo Anthony trade.
Well, here they are, and they are coached by former Sonics coach, George Karl.
The Nuggets are expected to be easily brushed aside by OKC, as OKC makes a magical run to the Finals.
What have they won again?
Who is their coach? Scott Brooks, who is probably one of the worst late-game managers I've seen since Andy Reid, and coaching goes a long way in the playoffs.
George Karl has been to the NBA Finals and he's coached other teams that shouldn't have made the conference finals to Game 7 of said conference finals.
Why do the Thunder win?
They have more talent than Denver.
Why do the Nuggets win?
Karma, on three fronts.
The fans of Denver endured a torturous first half of the season. They had no idea whether Carmelo was coming or going and had their hearts ripped out night after night by his uninspired play.
OKC got its team by hook and crook; the city has yet to really pay for stealing a franchise, and it's only a matter of time before something bites Clay Bennett in the backside.
George Karl also survived a deadly disease last season and has yet to win an NBA championship. He has a few points coming his way.
Denver Wins the Series, 4-3
Conclusion
9 of 9
I am fully expecting to go 7-1 with my predictions, and I'll only be wrong when OKC beats Denver.
These playoffs should be some of the best we've ever seen once the second round starts.
San Antonio-Denver/OKC, LA-Dallas (FINALLY), Chicago-Orlando and Miami-Boston are extremely enticing matchups, and we could see all four of those series going to a full seven games.
Thank god the playoffs are here!
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