NBA Playoffs: Previewing the Conference Finals of the 2011 NBA Playoffs
On Sunday, May 15th, the NBA Playoffs continue with Game 7 of the Western Conference's second-round matchup and Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Eastern Conference is a matchup between the first and second seeds and showcasing this season's MVP in Derrick Rose and the two-time MVP of the previous two seasons, LeBron James. Let's not forget the 2006 NBA Finals MVP Dwyane Wade is playing too.
The Miami Heat's "Big Three" are clicking on all cylinders at the right time and look to take the momentum from their victory over the Boston Celtics into the conference finals. Derrick Rose has done everything during the Bulls' playoff run, just as he has all season.
The Western Conference Finals matchup is still undetermined, but we will take a look at both possibilities. After the Dallas Mavericks' sweep of the defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, they are preparing to play either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies have been the Cinderella of the playoffs. They first eliminated the West's top-seeded San Antonio Spurs and are now looking to upset the Thunder on the road in Game 7.
WCF First Possibility: Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
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One possibility of the Western Conference Finals could be a matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Mavericks absolutely handled the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the playoffs, and have had a long time to rest. That rest may give them the upper hand against the future opponent because the Thunder and Grizzlies have been battling relentlessly a series that is going seven games.
If the Thunder pull out the victory at home on Sunday, the will face a Dallas team that defeated them two of the three times they played this season.
A hot topic coming out of the series between the Thunder and Grizzlies has been the amount of shots Russell Westbrook has taken. Westbrook has 130 field goal attempts compared to Kevin Durant's 111 attempts.
Westbrook has been criticized by many for taking too many shots and his shot selection. Westbrook is a dynamic guard, but he will is a better player when he is on the attack rather than taking outside jumpshots.
Against Dallas this season, Westbrook has struggled, particularly scoring the ball. Westbrook averaged 14.3 points against the Mavericks compared to his season average of 21.9 while only shooting 32 percent.
Durant has not struggled as much with the Mavericks as Westbrook has, but one thing he will need to do against them that he did not do in the regular season is get to the free-throw line. Durant approached the line six times per game, almost three-fewer attempts than his season average.
Dirk Nowitzki has found some success against the Thunder this season. In their three matchups, Dirk has shot 62 percent from the field and reached the free-throw line over nine times per game. Dirks nine-plus attempts are three-more than his season average.
The Dallas bench was spectacular in their series against the Lakers. If Dallas receives a similar performance, they can take control of the series, especially if Jason Terry and Peja Stojakovic shoot like they did in game four.
Prediction: If the Mavericks face the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, they could find themselves in trouble. Serge Ibaka has the length and athleticism to contend with Dirk, and Westbrook's speed may be too much for Jason Kidd.
Oklahoma will need to be consistent scoring the ball, and they must rebound well. They also have a productive bench to contend with Dallas.
The series could go six or seven games, but in the end, the Mavericks may be too hot and well-balanced for the Thunder. Also, Dallas has had time to rest and heal and will have enough energy to contend with the youthful Thunder, who will be coming off of a long seven-game series.
WCF Second Possibility: Dallas Mavericks vs. Memphis Grizzlies
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If the Memphis Grizzlies can defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, they might have a chance to reach the NBA Finals. Memphis was able to defeat the Mavericks in three of their four matchups this season.
Dirk Nowitzki struggled against the Grizzlies this season averaging only 17.3 points compared to his season average of 23. Dirk's drop in scoring was not helped by his lack of free throw attempts. Memphis did a great job defending Dirk, sending him to the line just under three times per game.
Nowitzki's struggles could also be due to the defense of Zach Randolph. Dirk shot only 46 percent while Randolph was on the floor.
Randolph, unlike Nowitzki, found success against the Mavericks. Randolph shot 62 percent against Dallas, averaging 24.3 points in their regular season series.
Mike Conley has been a spark for the Grizzlies during their playoff run, and if they make it passed the Thunder, they will need for him to continue his solid play.
Conley struggled against the Mavericks this season, averaging only 10.5 points. Conley has improved since the regular season and may find more success against Dallas if they meet in the next round.
Memphis plays excellent defense, but their problem may be found on the offensive end. O.J. Mayo is their only true perimeter scorer, and they will need someone else to be effective on the offensive end from the perimeter.
Prediction: Memphis was successful against the Mavs this season and could be again. After a long series with the Thunder, if Memphis wins Game 7, they will be running on fumes by the time they reach Dallas.
Dallas will have their share of struggles against Memphis if they play them, but in the end, their long rest will pay off. Some say the rest can make a team rusty, but in the case of a veteran-filled Dallas roster, the rest will be perfect considering the Grizzlies will be coming out of a seven-game, emotional series.
Eastern Conference Finals: Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat
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The Miami Heat were able to dispose of the Boston Celtics a little more easily than many anticipated. Some of that may be due to Boston's age and health, but let's face it, Miami's "Big Three" played great.
Dwyane Wade was the series-leading scorer with a total of 151 points, and LeBron James was not far behind with 140. James, Wade and Chris Bosh combined for 355 points in the series, surpassing Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce's combined 302 points.
The Chicago Bulls ran into a pesky Atlanta Hawks team that gave them more of a challenge than some expected. Hawks' guard Jeff Teague surprised a lot of people with his performance against the MVP, Derrick Rose, in place of the injured Kirk Heinrich.
Derrick Rose controlled the series and was Chicago's only offense for much of the series. Rose dropped 179 points in the series. The next highest point total for Chicago was Luol Deng's 91.
If the Bulls want to find success against Miami like they did in the regular season, they will need to find offense from someone other than Rose. Rose will see many different players guarding him to keep a fresh set of legs on him.
Both of these teams are great defensive teams, so a lot of scoring is not expected. Chicago has an advantage on their interior defense and rebounding with Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer.
Chicago's interior has held Chris Bosh to 34 percent from the field and just over six rebounds per game, including a 1-18 performance in February.
Chicago did a great job of keeping LeBron off of the line in the two games that he played against the Bulls this season, averaging only six attempts per game.
Wade has been the only member of Miami's trio to find any success against the Bulls this season. Wade averaged 29 points and 10.3 free-throw attempts against the Bulls in their three matchups.
The Bulls will need to keep Wade and James out of the paint and off of the free-throw line if they want to continue being successful against the Heat.
Derrick Rose was very aggressive against the Heat in their matchups averaging just under 25 field goal attempts and averaged 29 points in the season series. Miami will throw many defenders at Rose to keep him from being as successful, so Chicago will need someone else to chip in offensively.
Prediction: The Bulls' success will depend on two things: keeping Wade and James out of the paint and finding another reliable offensive option.
The Heat are clicking at the right time and look determined enough to make it to the NBA Finals. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have been great during the playoffs, and no signs show that they will be slowing down.
Chicago plays great defense, but having three, solid offensive options is hard to contain, especially when Wade and James are arguably two of the top three or four players in the NBA. In the end, they will be too much for Chicago to handle, and Miami will win a hard-fought series.
