EASTERN CONFERENCE
(1) ATLANTA vs (8) BROOKLYN
Atlanta won the season series, 4-0
Atlanta won by double digits in all but the last game (which Paul Millsap didn't play in). Brooklyn isn't a very good team, but some of their guys have been playing well as of late, including Brook Lopez, Deron Williams and Thaddeous Young. That being said, they're still not very good.
Atlanta shocked the hell out of me this year. I had them being a below .500 team, definitely not having the 2nd best record in all of basketball. They really are a solid all-around team, though. Good point guard, good wing players and good big men. They shouldn't have any sort of a problem with the Nets.
Atlanta 4-0
(2) CLEVELAND vs (7) CELTICS
Season series tied, 2-2
The first Boston win came when Kyrie Irving didn't play, and the second when Cleveland rested its best players. Despite their current 6 game winning streak, that doesn't bode well for the Celtics. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for them, so I'm sure they're just as surprised as you and me that they're in the playoffs.
Cleveland, on the other hand, has been one of the best teams in the NBA since getting off to such a horrible start. They began the season 19-19, then LeBron James missed 8 games due to injuries and, frankly, just needing rest. When he returned, the Cavs went a ridiculous 34-10. Good luck, Boston.
Cleveland 4-0
(3) CHICAGO vs (6) MILWAUKEE
Chicago won the season series, 3-1
The Bucks may have only finished at .500, but that's following a 15-67 record the season before. You may not like Jason Kidd, (I know I don't), but the man can coach. The Bucks 26 game turnaround is the best this year, thus making them the most improved team in the NBA. But.....
Chicago is better. The Bulls once again had to play a good chunk of the season without Derek Rose (51 games played). His inconsistency in the lineup definitely hurts them, but Tom Thibodeau is a great coach. Plus, the addition of Pau Gasol and emergence of Jimmy Butler have made the Bulls a legitimate team once again.
Just for fun, keep an eye on "the battle of turnovers" between Derek Rose (3.2 per game) and Michael Carter-Williams (3.8 per game).
Chicago 4-1
(4) TORONTO vs (5) WASHINGTON
Toronto won the season series, 3-0
I really think this series will come down to the health of Kyle Lowry. If his last game is any indication, then he's ready to roll (26 pts, 7 ast, 4 reb, 3 stl), but if his back acts up, that will certainly be in Washington's favor.
Neither of these teams excites me. Lowry and DeMar DeRozan make for a good combo, but John Wall doesn't have that true compliment player on his team Bradley Beal can get hot, but not consistently. As much as I liked Washington coming into the year, Wall can't advance them on his own.
I'll give the Wizards a couple of sneaky wins.
Toronto 4-2
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) GOLDEN STATE vs (8) NEW ORLEANS
Golden State won the season series, 3-1
Yes, Golden State is the best team in the NBA. Yes, New Orleans barely got into the playoffs. But so help me, I think we're going to have a good series on our hands.
The Warriors are sporting the potential MVP in Steph Curry, potential Defensive POY in Draymond Green, and Curry's "splash brother", Klay Thompson. I get it, they're good. But New Orleans isn't lacking in talent, either. They have (most likely) future MVP Anthony Davis, Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon.
I also think rebounding is very much in the Pelican's favor. Next to Davis is Omer Asik. He didn't quite have the year I expected, but still averaged a smidge under 10 rebounds per game. He and Davis should be able to out-rebound Green and Andrew Bogut.
I'm telling you right now, if New Orleans can guard well against the 3, they have a legitimate shot at not only making Golden State sweat, but getting past them. Having said that, I'm almost certain that the Warriors will now sweep the Pelicans. :)
Going out on a big limb, here:
Golden State 4-3 (I didn't have the stones to predict New Orleans)
(2) HOUSTON vs (7) DALLAS
Houston won the season series, 3-1
Despite losing 3 out of 4, Dallas played Houston very tough. They also only had to face Dwight Howard once, and that was in the last matchup with Howard only playing 18 minutes. His return is interesting, because it can either take pressure off James Harden (another MVP candidate), or screw him up. I heard that when Howard first returned, he told Harden to keep playing the way he was. That had better be the case for Houston's sake. Also, the team takes a hit by not having Patrick Beverley. His wrist injury puts Jason Terry as the starting point guard, which isn't great. Well, all he really has to do is get the ball to James Harden and get out of the way. Nevermind. Houston's fine.
I have to say, I'm pretty surprised Dallas did so well this season. Dirk Nowitzki's numbers are down all across the board, though I suppose I should cut the almost 37 year old some slack, because, you know, he's almost 37. But speaking of numbers being down, what the hell happened to Rajon Rondo!? He's been terrible since being traded to Dallas. Despite that, the Mavericks do have some decent talent with Monte Ellis, Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler. Those guys, plus Dirk, should keep the games close, but only close. I'll give Dallas one game, because Harden has to have at least 1 bad outing.
Houston 4-1
(3) LOS ANGELES vs (6) SAN ANTONIO
Season series tied, 2-2
The Western Conference is so good, that the 55-27 Spurs are the 6th seed. That makes for a fantastic matchup with the Clippers. I certainly didn't expect to see these 2 teams meeting in the 1st round, but I'll take it.
If there's 1 thing I've learned about San Antonio, it's don't bet against them. That's exactly what I did last year, and it bit me in the butt. So this year...I'm going to do the exact same thing. Come on people, they have to have a falloff at some point! Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili's numbers are all down this year. If the Spurs are going to win, Kawhi Leonard is going to have to do a lot of the heavy lifting. And he can, and most likely will, have a good series, but it won't be enough.
Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are studs for the Clippers. Then they have J.J. Reddick, Matt Barnes and Jamal Crawford to compliment them. I was all in on the Clippers last year, and I think I might be again. They have so much friggin' talent, they just have to put it all together. If they can get past San Antonio, the rest of the West has to be put on notice.
Los Angeles 4-3
(4) PORTLAND vs (5) MEMPHIS
Memphis won the season series, 4-0
I'm shocked at that. I know Memphis is good, especially on defense, but to sweep Portland is pretty impressive. This series for the Trail Blazers really hinges on Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge. They're extremely thin everywhere else, mainly because of injuries. And if guys like Nicolas Batum and Arron Afflalo are out or miss any time, then they're not just thin, they're emaciated.
Memphis, on the other hand, got great news, because not only did Marc Gasol play in the season finale, he utterly dominated (33 pts, 13 reb). It seems safe to say his ankle injury is behind him. Mike Conley (ankle), however, hasn't played in the last 4 games, and while it was probably to rest him for the playoffs, it's still something to keep an eye on. Even if Conley were to miss time, the combination of Gasol and Zach Randolph will probably be too much for Portland to handle. It's not looking promising for them.
Memphis 4-0
Let's see how my picks pan out. Be sure to check back after the 1st round for my conference semi-final predictions. Enjoy the games!
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