April 17th- 88 games have past for those who've moved on with the right to participate in the “Race for 16 wins.” It's the NBA playoffs...and TPFSports gives you a preview of the Eastern Conference match ups.
This is a guard heavy conference, featuring the leagues best wing players minus one guy who wears purple and gold. Lebron, Wade and Pierce are all capable of putting a team on their shoulders, but we weigh on who'll carry the load into the next round.
Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. Detroit Pistons (8)
Cavs: Well obviously it pretty much starts and ends with LeBron James. He’s having an MVP caliber year on the best team in the East, and he’ll be the best player on the floor in each game he plays. The major difference this year is that his current team is better prepared to help him along the way.
Mo Williams has proved to be an excellent secondary option, knocking down open shots and creating for himself when James needs help. They are a good defensive unit, even with Ben Wallace off the floor and Mo Williams on it, and they have the ability to jump out of the gates and roll the other team by thirty without looking back. They’ve been almost untouchable at home, and are not long as succeptible to the “Double LeBron and clog the lane” defense.
Pistons: It’s a shame to even have to watch them in the playoffs for a few reasons: 1. They never looked as if they were all that interested in making the playoffs. 2. It would have been fun to see the Bobcats be rewarded for their improvement this season. 3. This is a team that could use a better draft pick. 4. Anybody tuning in is going to be exposed to more talk about Allen Iverson.
This season fell apart early, and they’ve been stuggling to keep it interesting ever since. Tayshaun Prince looks like he just realized he might have signed a 3-year lease on a Mustang II. Rasheed Wallace’s lack of interest in his contract year is both comical and depressing, and the Stuckey-Johnson-Maxiell youth movement never provided the lasting spark that this team needed. Truthfully the best thing to come this team in 2009 is the zip code Ad that Jordan Brand did with Rip Hamilton. Even then, Chris Paul’s was better.
X-Factor: Act of God?
Prediction: Cavs in 5
I can actually see the Pistons stealing a game, maybe Game 2 or 3, and providing a scare in another – but Cleveland is going to roll here.
Boston Celtics (2) vs. Chicago Bulls (7)
Celtics: We were set to write about how great a season they’ve had considering the age of their stars, and the initial possibility of a post-championship lethargy – but disaster struck in the last 24 hours in the form of a Kevin Garnett diagnosis. Knowing KG, one should be unwilling to rule him out, but it’s certainly clear that he’s going to be significantly hindered if he plays at all. This obviously changes the outlook of the whole playoff series – and puts them in prime upset territory. Also, Danny Ainge is in the hospital after having a heart attack. We didn’t know how else to work that into this section.
They’ve spent the season as a grizzled veteran team that plays defense and hits big shots. Usually intimidating (bullying) and distracting (scaring) opponents (the small euros of their opponents) with their big three (Garnett) – and quietly letting Rajon Rondo run amok. That isn’t going to be an option anymore, because Rajon Rondo is going to be the second or third best player on the floor for this team at all times. With KG and Powe out, the front court becomes Perkins, Mikki Moore, Scalabrine, and Glen Davis. Depth there is an obvious issue.
Bulls: Derrick Rose is a star in the making, and will need to have a huge series offensively (against Rondo) and defensively (on Rondo, Pierce, or Allen) to have a shot at the upset. The extra attention to Derrick Rose has allowed Ben Gordon more freedom to do damage, and John Salmons has been a great replacement for the player who’s inhabited Luol Deng’s body for the past few seasons. Tyrus Thomas has had an excellent season, and coupled with Noah they provide a very active front court that could give the Celtics trouble. The Bulls have the advantage in athleticism and health (minus Deng), and might just have enough bounce and speed to jump all over a stunned Celtic team.
X-Factor: The Bulls’ athletic defenders
Now this isn’t to say that I think Derrick Rose is a great defender, he’s bad right now – but there is enough speed, length, athleticism, and defense between Rose, Salmons, Hinrich (ehh), Thomas, and Noah that they might be able to chase Ray Allen, frustrate Paul Pierce, and force Rondo into a jump shooter. If this happens, the Chicago will be out on the break getting easy dunks and we could a situation where Boston is backpedaling trying to recover.
Prediction: Celtics in 6
They’ll get a good scare, but the Bulls aren’t quite ready, and the coaching situation is a little too dicey. They have surprisingly solid pieces, and got hot late – so expect Pierce, Shuttlesworth, and E.T. get it done alone. Look out for a big series from Rondo, who could just as easily have put him as the X-Factor.
Orlando Magic (3) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Magic: For about 65 games this team was one of the best in basketball. The Magic could have been a sexy pick to take out the Cavs until their late season swoon. Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu are banged up and Rafer Alston is on the team. This isn’t so much about the 76ers series, because they’re going to smack Philly, it has more to do with their long-term playoff outlook. Dwight Howard is going to average 25 and 20 in this matchup, and you can expect a big series out of whoever isn’t guarded by Andre Iguodala: Lewis or Hedo.
76ers: We would have liked to have seen a better year out of Lou Williams and Thad Young, as well as better use of Speights, whom I think will make Brand trade bait over the next season and a half. Iggy started off slow, but ended up having a really great season – and Andre Miller might be better at 33 than he was at 23. It’s great to see Philly back in the playoffs, even if it’s only for four games. They simply don’t match up to the Magic.
X-Factor: Magic 3pt Shooting
If they shoot poorly, that’ll leave it up to Dwight Howard scoring clutch buckets. He hasn’t quite developed a set of post moves that allow him to initiate his own scoring opportunities. Assuming they shoot well, his combination of power and speed will be way too much for anybody forced to guard on their lonesome – but 3-18 from long range night will lead to a lot of D12 free throws and a low scoring affair.
Prediction: Magic in 4
The second round matchup with the Celtcis is the only real intrigue here, other than the possibility of a Thaddeus Young coming-out party.
Atlanta Hawks (4) vs. Miami Heat (5)
Hawks: In the midst of a fantastic NBA season, the evolution and improvement of the Atlanta Hawks has almost fallen by the wayside. The loss of Josh Childress and stunted growth of Al Horford should have set this team back, but instead they found more consistency and brought the excitement back to Atlanta basketball. Joe Johnson continues to be, in my opinion, the most underrated star in the NBA – and he’ll get his chance to go head to head with MVP candidate Dwyane Wade. Last year for the first time, Joe Johnson was given a platform – and he showed out. What is more exciting, Joe Johnson v. Wade or Josh Smith v. Woodson? Bibby embracing his role as a spot-up shooter and facilitator has really improved the balance of their offense. Keep and eye on Marvin Williams, coming off an injury. He’s quietely becoming a very good small forward.
Heat: You can not say enough about Dwyane Wade’s season. 30/7.5/5 is incredible, and when you consider the weight he carries running the offense, and trying to pretend that O’Neal and Beasley are legit threats, one can’t help but think he’s every bit, if not more deserving of the MVP award than LeBron or Kobe. They hit a stride in the second half of the season, and really started to beat teams that were top-to-bottom more talented than themselves. The Hawks are going to run every long armed, athletic defender they can at Wade, but he has a history of performing pretty well in the playoffs if memory serves. Don’t think this will be the first time this season he’s being “gameplanned for.”
X-Factor: Chalmers and Beasley (and Cook?)
Dwyane Wade is going to need somebody else to do something, anything in order to win this 7 game series. If Cook finds his stroke, or if Chalmers can give Bibby fits with his speed and quick hands, and keep him from hitting the daggers; and Beasley can do some scoring on Josh Smith (or at least get him into foul trouble) this series swings in Miami’s favor. Also, if either coach figures out how to use that wipe-board thingy… oh, nevermind.
Prediction: Miami in 7
Atlanta is primed to make the leap into that level next tier of teams, where you can pencil them into the playoffs and pick them into the second round. They’ve been poised, they’ve won big games against top teams, and they have a few veterans that should be able to get it done late in games. And, for all of those reasons –they’re going to blow it. We’re going to see one great series out of Wade. He’s going to get to the foul line, even with Johnson doing an admirable job, and he’s going to kill Atlanta from there. One surprise showing from Jermaine O’Neal, an 8 steal game from Chalmers, and Beasley realizing he’s on national TV will be just enough to help Wade carry them through this round.
The Western Conference Preview
