2008 Eastern Conference Playoff Preview
What could break me out of the stunning silence that has hung over my blog like a dark cloud of despair for far too long? Two things: 1) the potential for the best NBA playoffs ever, and 2) one of my kids emailing me and saying, "dude. when the time comes, you're going to post your playoff predictions right?" Yes, John. YES I AM!
So...without further ado...here we go:
ROUND I
BOSTON CELTICS (1) v ATLANTA HAWKS (8)
Prediction: Boston, 3-0
I'm not even wasting my time writing about this one. And yes, I meant to put 3-0. Like there's a 7-0 skunk rule in pickup ball, there should be a 3-0 skunk rule in this playoff series. Bring back the 5 game first round!
DETROIT PISTONS (2) v PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (7)
Prediction: Detroit, 4-2
I feel for the 76ers, who I think would beat any team in the East--except for Boston or Detroit. Yes, even Orlando. Unfortunately, while Detroit has earned a reputation of peeing over their leg in the playoffs, they don't do that in the first round. Philly is talented enough to take a coupla games and make Detroit focus, but not talented enough to pull off the upset. Too bad, because this is a young, entertaining team that I will definitely root for over the SSDD that is the Detroit Pistons.
ORLANDO MAGIC (3) v TORONTO RAPTORS (6)
Prediction: Raptors in 7
Their has to be one first round upset, right? And no, I don't think that a 5 beating a 4 really counts as an "upset". More on that later. While I'm not a huge fan of this Raptor's team--for God's sake, they only finished one game over .500 in the pathetic East--I'm not too excited about this Magic team either. Dwight Howard is a budding superstar, but he's not a superstar yet. Rashard Lewis is NOT an All Star, even if he's getting paid like one. And I'm sorry, but I think Jameer Nelson is unquestionably one of the ten worst starting point guards in the league, and might slip into the top five. I just don't see a team like that winning their first foray into the playoffs when they're playing a team who is close to them talent-wise, and has been there and done that.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (4) v WASHINGTON WIZARDS (5)
Prediction: ????
This all depends on Lebron's back. If Lebron's back is decent, I say the Cavs win. If it's not, then Washington wins--and wins rather quickly.
Basically, they need an outstanding effort from Lebron to win this series. This, of course, is not a problem for at all, especially since he likes to torture the Wizards. But if his back is messed up, and all signs point to the fact that it is...then they are D-U-N done.
Fine, I won't be a wimp...I think Lebron is able to pull it together in this series. Cavs in 6.
ROUND 2
BOSTON CELTICS (1) v CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (4)
Prediction: Boston in 6
And I don't really think it's going to be that close. Let's face it, the Cavs don't have the magic this year they did last year. Yes, Lebron took his game to another level this season, but at the same time, he became more frustrated with the fact that he elevated his game and his team/teammates did not.
In a way, the front office failures and lack of development of his teammates is a good thing. How, you ask? Because in 2010 when his Cleveland contract is done, it will be easy for him to say, "Well, I tried...off to New York!" instead of it being an agonizing, awkward decision that is inevitable.
DETROIT PISTONS (2) v TORONTO RAPTORS (6)
Prediction: Pistons in 6
I don't like the Pistons, as has been well documented. However, this Raptors team just doesn't have the firepower to pull off this upset. Detroit benefits from playing in a crappy conference, and wins a series were all the games are close but the outcome is never really in doubt.
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
BOSTON CELTICS (1) v DETROIT PISTONS (2)
Prediction: Boston in 6
Honestly...I wouldn't be surprised if it's Boston in 5. I think a trancendent player like Lebron can steal two games from the Celtics. I don't think anybody else in the Eastern Conference can honestly be "expected" to win two against the Celtics.
Because of how entertaining the West race was, people have VASTLY overlooked the Celtics. This team won 66 games! They are one of the best defensive teams EVER. Literally, one of the best of all time. They have the perfect balance of youth & veteran leadership. They have playoff experience. They have three future Hall of Famers, two of whom are still in their prime, and the third of whom happened to find himself in that "I'm slightly past my Hall of Fame prime, but if I'm on a team with one or two other great players I can still light it up". The have one of the best clutch players/leaders of all time. The have one of the greatest coachs/leaders (no, I'm not referring to Doc Rivers) ever, who is totally devoted to winning and has set the tone as such for the entire team. Finally, everything I said they needed to do in the preseason--turn Rajon Rando into a solid point guard, get production out of their younger players, pick up a coupla good veterans as the season went on--they've done.
This is the Celtic's year.
TOMORROW: WESTERN CONFERENCE & NBA FINALS
So...without further ado...here we go:
ROUND I
BOSTON CELTICS (1) v ATLANTA HAWKS (8)
Prediction: Boston, 3-0
I'm not even wasting my time writing about this one. And yes, I meant to put 3-0. Like there's a 7-0 skunk rule in pickup ball, there should be a 3-0 skunk rule in this playoff series. Bring back the 5 game first round!
DETROIT PISTONS (2) v PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (7)
Prediction: Detroit, 4-2
I feel for the 76ers, who I think would beat any team in the East--except for Boston or Detroit. Yes, even Orlando. Unfortunately, while Detroit has earned a reputation of peeing over their leg in the playoffs, they don't do that in the first round. Philly is talented enough to take a coupla games and make Detroit focus, but not talented enough to pull off the upset. Too bad, because this is a young, entertaining team that I will definitely root for over the SSDD that is the Detroit Pistons.
ORLANDO MAGIC (3) v TORONTO RAPTORS (6)
Prediction: Raptors in 7
Their has to be one first round upset, right? And no, I don't think that a 5 beating a 4 really counts as an "upset". More on that later. While I'm not a huge fan of this Raptor's team--for God's sake, they only finished one game over .500 in the pathetic East--I'm not too excited about this Magic team either. Dwight Howard is a budding superstar, but he's not a superstar yet. Rashard Lewis is NOT an All Star, even if he's getting paid like one. And I'm sorry, but I think Jameer Nelson is unquestionably one of the ten worst starting point guards in the league, and might slip into the top five. I just don't see a team like that winning their first foray into the playoffs when they're playing a team who is close to them talent-wise, and has been there and done that.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (4) v WASHINGTON WIZARDS (5)
Prediction: ????
This all depends on Lebron's back. If Lebron's back is decent, I say the Cavs win. If it's not, then Washington wins--and wins rather quickly.
Basically, they need an outstanding effort from Lebron to win this series. This, of course, is not a problem for at all, especially since he likes to torture the Wizards. But if his back is messed up, and all signs point to the fact that it is...then they are D-U-N done.
Fine, I won't be a wimp...I think Lebron is able to pull it together in this series. Cavs in 6.
ROUND 2
BOSTON CELTICS (1) v CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (4)
Prediction: Boston in 6
And I don't really think it's going to be that close. Let's face it, the Cavs don't have the magic this year they did last year. Yes, Lebron took his game to another level this season, but at the same time, he became more frustrated with the fact that he elevated his game and his team/teammates did not.
In a way, the front office failures and lack of development of his teammates is a good thing. How, you ask? Because in 2010 when his Cleveland contract is done, it will be easy for him to say, "Well, I tried...off to New York!" instead of it being an agonizing, awkward decision that is inevitable.
DETROIT PISTONS (2) v TORONTO RAPTORS (6)
Prediction: Pistons in 6
I don't like the Pistons, as has been well documented. However, this Raptors team just doesn't have the firepower to pull off this upset. Detroit benefits from playing in a crappy conference, and wins a series were all the games are close but the outcome is never really in doubt.
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
BOSTON CELTICS (1) v DETROIT PISTONS (2)
Prediction: Boston in 6
Honestly...I wouldn't be surprised if it's Boston in 5. I think a trancendent player like Lebron can steal two games from the Celtics. I don't think anybody else in the Eastern Conference can honestly be "expected" to win two against the Celtics.
Because of how entertaining the West race was, people have VASTLY overlooked the Celtics. This team won 66 games! They are one of the best defensive teams EVER. Literally, one of the best of all time. They have the perfect balance of youth & veteran leadership. They have playoff experience. They have three future Hall of Famers, two of whom are still in their prime, and the third of whom happened to find himself in that "I'm slightly past my Hall of Fame prime, but if I'm on a team with one or two other great players I can still light it up". The have one of the best clutch players/leaders of all time. The have one of the greatest coachs/leaders (no, I'm not referring to Doc Rivers) ever, who is totally devoted to winning and has set the tone as such for the entire team. Finally, everything I said they needed to do in the preseason--turn Rajon Rando into a solid point guard, get production out of their younger players, pick up a coupla good veterans as the season went on--they've done.
This is the Celtic's year.
TOMORROW: WESTERN CONFERENCE & NBA FINALS
posted by Michael Pondrom at 10:41 PM
1 Comments:
Thanks, but really, this is the lame conference.... I wait for tommorrow.
My picks:
Celtics over Hawks
Pistons over 76ers
Magic over Raptors
Wizards over Cavaliers
Celtics over Wizards
Pistons over Magic (too bad... the Wizards could have beaten the Pistons)
Celtics over Pistons
Yeah. The lame conference. Imagine if there were two wests this year. I didn't realize this until I read it on some sports writers article; the Celtics v. Lakers finals could possibly be the greatest thing ever. Like entertainment would be complete after that.
What I really like about the West is the way that the seeds indicate literally nothing except for the Lakers and Nuggets.
I'm strapped in and ready to go.
P.S. When I said email, I actually meant email, you remember, the old dark kind of email, like hotmail and yahoo. I thought you should add a special consolation image for the Warriors (although a Warriors Lakers matchup would be veeery interesting, I don't think they would forget what they did last year [I don't think they would remember that it was thanks to Don Nelson...] but none of this matters) Follow the link:
http://i30.tinypic.com/9tlovq.jpg
.
Since they didn't make the playoffs and won't be talked about any more, I think they deserve a little bit of talking now. Don Nelson ended the season just the way you pointed out he began it: doing the most fucking dumb thing you could possibly imagine: not play Baron Davis for the second half of a game that the season was riding on. Poor Boomdizzle.
-John
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