Jason Robinson
Bulls vs Pacers
I see no reason why the Pacers would be able to contend in this series (except Psycho T, of course). The Bulls are hungry and will plow through this first round.
Bulls in 4
Heat vs 76ers
The 76ers have impressed me this season. Evan Turner hasn't done much so basically they have the same team and just player better than previous years. Unfortunately, they're just flat outmanned in this one.
Heat in 5
Celtics vs Knicks
Awesome stats from sportsnation yesterday-- The top players in the league in +/- are Paul Pierce (+17 per 100 possessions) and Kevin Garnett (+16). On the other end are Amare (+.14) and Carmelo (-.75). Competitive and entertaining series, yes, but no way the Celtics let this one get away.
Celtics in 5
Magic vs Hawks
Both teams in this series fought to rediscover their identity this season as the Heat and Bulls took all the headlines. The Hawks were the young, up-and-coming team for a couple years, but nothing ever happened. They just kind of fizzled out. Joe Johnson averaged under 20 ppg for the first time in Atlanta and shot under 30% on 3's for the first time in his career. The Magic made 3 huge trades to stay competitive. At the end of the day, Dwight Howard is having his best season and nobody in Atlanta can come close to stopping him.
Magic in 5
Friday, April 15, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
NBA Playoff Pick 'em
Spurs vs Grizzlies
A few weeks ago, I would have been tempted to pick the Grizz here, but I've meandered off the Memphis bandwagon. They can still keep it close, and win a game (maybe two), but the Spurs will take care of business in this first series.
San Antonio in 5
Lakers vs Hornets
This is the biggest mismatch of the western playoffs. The Hornets are missing David West and, therefore, have no secondary scorer or leader. Carl Landry can be that guy but he's not 15 ppg player--he's a 25-points-one-night-and-5-points-the-next-night kind of guy (and yes, that's my term I just made up). I'd be surprised if the Hornets won a game in this series.
LA in 4
Mavericks vs Trailblazers
These two split the regular season series and I expect a similar type of fight in the playoffs. The Trailblazers continue to overachieve despite injuries, year after year. Plus, the addition of Gerald Wallace adds another scorer and one extremely hard worker. His defense, especially, will help against Dirk, letting Aldridge focus more on scoring. The Mavericks win solely because Dirk's late game heroics will win at least two games in this series.
Dallas in 7
Thunder vs Nuggets
This will be the most fun match-up to watch in the first round. The Nuggets are leading the league in scoring since the 'Melo trade because of the depth they added. They have a lot of shooters and athletic point guards who love to run. However, since the trade, OKC beat Denver in both meetings because they play above average defense and can also beat you with speed. Durant and Westbrook will be the two best players in this series and its too difficult to win 4 games against a team like that.
OKC in 6
A few weeks ago, I would have been tempted to pick the Grizz here, but I've meandered off the Memphis bandwagon. They can still keep it close, and win a game (maybe two), but the Spurs will take care of business in this first series.
San Antonio in 5
Lakers vs Hornets
This is the biggest mismatch of the western playoffs. The Hornets are missing David West and, therefore, have no secondary scorer or leader. Carl Landry can be that guy but he's not 15 ppg player--he's a 25-points-one-night-and-5-points-the-next-night kind of guy (and yes, that's my term I just made up). I'd be surprised if the Hornets won a game in this series.
LA in 4
Mavericks vs Trailblazers
These two split the regular season series and I expect a similar type of fight in the playoffs. The Trailblazers continue to overachieve despite injuries, year after year. Plus, the addition of Gerald Wallace adds another scorer and one extremely hard worker. His defense, especially, will help against Dirk, letting Aldridge focus more on scoring. The Mavericks win solely because Dirk's late game heroics will win at least two games in this series.
Dallas in 7
Thunder vs Nuggets
This will be the most fun match-up to watch in the first round. The Nuggets are leading the league in scoring since the 'Melo trade because of the depth they added. They have a lot of shooters and athletic point guards who love to run. However, since the trade, OKC beat Denver in both meetings because they play above average defense and can also beat you with speed. Durant and Westbrook will be the two best players in this series and its too difficult to win 4 games against a team like that.
OKC in 6
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