It’s the best time of the year. Spring has sprung, the sun is out longer, we’re approaching a beautiful summer season, but most importantly, the NBA playoffs have started.
Sixteen Teams, two months, four series, and one column, let’s get this madness underway.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and Orlando Magic each exceed 59 wins in the Eastern Conference this season, making it the most competitive East since Michael Jordan’s era.
The defending NBA champions are without the biggest reason they won last season: Kevin Garnett. Garnett averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds, and added impeccable defense to an intimidating Boston squad before straining his knee in Utah in early February.
Last season, the acquisitions of Ray Allen and Garnett propelled the Celtics to win their 17th NBA title. Allen, Garnett, and guard Paul Pierce comprised a deadly starting line-up that was in contention in the East for most of the season.
In a tripod, if one leg falls, they all do. In the case of “the big three,” I see this tripod falling in seven games to a Cleveland group with undeniable chemistry.
The guys in Cleveland finished with the same record as last year’s champions, 66-16, to finish with the best record in the NBA, securing themselves home-court advantage through out the playoffs. Home-court is a pivotal advantage in the playoffs, especially for a team that finished 40-2 at home.
Not to discount the other four guys on the court for the Cavaliers, but in Cleveland, it’s pretty much the LeBron James show.
For those of you who don’t know, LeBron is a 6-foot-8 inch, 270-pound man-child who can leap out of the building. When I watch him play it’s almost like watching a video game with cheat codes – he’s bigger, faster, and stronger than everyone else, by a lot.
The biggest difference in this Cavs team from its previous seasons is the elevated play of their role players. Mo Williams made a huge impact this season, averaging 18 points per game at the point guard position. If LeBron is “the King,” Mo Williams is clearly “the Jester.”
The East is deep. The Cavs are clearly leading the pack, but don’t count out Orlando, Boston, or even the Miami Heat.
Dwight “Superman” Howard causes matchup problems for a lot of teams in the East, but with out point guard Jameer Nelson, I don’t see Orlando slowing down LeBron and the Cavs.
Despite only being a few games over .500 in the regular season, the Miami Heat have Dwyane Wade, which means anything’s possible. Wade has proven he can carry his team on his back – and still dunk while doing it. The MVP candidate is a game-changer, and might be able to win a playoff series or two with virtually no supporting cast.
In Boston, Paul Pierce’s competitive spirit, along with his ego, won’t let his team go down with out a fight. Allen and Pierce can still propel this team to the late rounds in the Eastern Conference, possibly prolonging enough rest time for a Garnett return. That’s if all the cards fall into place in Beantown.
I hope things get tangled up in the East, and that my predictions are incorrect – because let’s face it, when things don’t go according to plan in sports, it’s awesome.
But I just don’t see any team dethroning “the King.” The Cavs should be heading to their second finals appearance in three seasons.
Two words to summarize the Western Conference this season: Laker domination. Not to discount the efforts of Denver, Portland, or San Antonio who all reached 50+ wins, but Los Angeles has pretty much handled the conference uncontested since the opening tip-off in October.
The biggest difference in this year’s Laker squad vs. last year’s Western Conference championship squad is the big man in the middle, Andrew Bynum.
The Lakers went 25-7 with out Bynum this season. Throw the 21 year-old center into the mix, and the Lakers have added 14 points and 8 rebounds per game, along with a dominant presence down low – one that could make a huge impact in slowing down LeBron James.
Every post-season has a Cinderella team. We will see an upset at some point in the playoffs. In the West I see the Portland Trail Blazers being that team. I urge you to head to Vegas and place a bet on the Trail Blazers; you can thank me for the tip later. They have beaten the Lakers two out of three times this season. They’re young and have all the components to win ball games.
After a big season trade involving Chauncey Billups and Allen Iverson, the Denver Nuggets have emerged as another solid team in the West. The mile-high team won 54 games this season, and have impressive talent on paper.
A deep western conference could make things interesting, but I have to go with the men in the purple and gold to represent the West in the NBA Finals.
The possible match-up between Kobe and LeBron might be more marketable than the Boston vs. Los Angeles rivalry last season. We could be witnessing the next Bird vs. Magic folks.
The two MVP candidates have each lost in the finals in the past two years. Kobe and LeBron are so hungry for a title that the championship trophy must look like a steak dinner.
Kobe has Michael Jordan-like focus right now. He’s got that look in his eye. You know the one I’m talking about, the “I’m going to take over this game because I can,” look.
Would LeBron and the Cavs be able to match-up with a mult-italented Laker offense in the finals? My answer is no. To this point, nobody has been able to match the line-up of Bynum, Gasol, Bryant, Ariza, and Fisher, especially with Odom coming off the bench for good measure.
LeBron is beyond brilliant, but it takes five guys on the court to win a title, and I think the Lakers depth, experience, and desire for the championship will prevail in the end.
My prediction: The Los Angeles Lakers will be hoisting their 15th NBA Championship banner in the rafters at Staples Center in late June. So take a seat, and enjoy the show.
