I just finished Part 1, The West, and now on to Part 2, The East.
(1) Chicago Bulls (50-16) vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers (35-31)
Bulls: The Bulls, for the second straight year, finished with the best record in the NBA. This is more impressive when you consider that the reigning NBA MVP, Derrick Rose, has missed 25 games this year due to injuries (Credit to Coach Thibodeau). This is an excellent team, with sharpshooting forward Luol Deng, a finally healthy Rip Hamilton at the 2-guard, and with the physical Joakim Noah at center. Along with them, the Bulls have a solid bench with Omer Asik at center, forwards Taj Gibson and Kyle Korver, and Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Watson, and John Lucas III in the backcourt. The major keys, though, are Rose's health, and starting power forward Carlos Boozer. Boozer has to improve in the playoffs if the Bulls want to bring an NBA title back to the Windy City.
76ers: This was a team, that, early on, was labeled as a surprise team in the East. However, they faded in the second half of the season, but managed to hold on enough for the 8th and last playoff spot. Don't let that fool you, though. This is a tough, gritty team that will not go down without a fight. The 76ers are led by small forward Andre Iguodala, and also have one of the best young backcourts in the NBA in Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday. Along with that, is the inside muscle of Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes. The 76ers also have some solid bench players such as guards Lou Williams and Jodie Meeks, and forwards Thaddeus Young and Nikola Vucevic. Coach Doug Collins will no doubt have them ready.
Summary: The Bulls are overwhelming favorites in this series, and have the talent to do so. But, the 76ers will not go down easy and the Bulls will have a fight on their hands. This will be a physical series, as both teams are very good defensively and will fight for every board and every loose ball. Derrick Rose, when fully healthy, is the most explosive player in the NBA. Despite recent injuries, I feel Derrick should be able to get his and get the ball to his teammates. However, do not overlook the 76ers by any means.
Verdict: Bulls in 5, could easily be a sweep, though I think all or almost all the games will be fairly close.
(2) Miami Heat (46-20) vs. (7) New York Knicks (36-30)
Heat: The Heat are in year 2 of the "Heatles," "Big Three," or whatever you wanna call it, experiment, and the pressure and stakes are higher than ever. Especially for LeBron James, who also is under the most pressure of any player. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, after sitting out at times this year, are back for the playoffs. This team is under enormous pressure to bring the championship they promised to Miami in July of 2010. The Heat have been very inconsistent this season, at times looking like contenders, and maybe the best team in the NBA, at times looking like pretenders. Also under pressure is coach Eric Spoelstra, with Pat Riley closely watching him, he could find himself out of a job, and the Heat could find themselves making major changes should they fail to bring home a title again.
Knicks: The Knicks were struggling for most of the year, then Mike D'Antoni resigned, whose unpopularity with Knicks players, especially Carmelo Anthony, was not exactly a secret. After his resignation, the Knicks turned their season around a bit, and improved their play, especially on defense, under the watch of new coach Mike Woodson. Amare Stoudemire has managed, despite talk of chemistry issues between him and Carmelo, and the Knicks have survived without the phenomenon that was Jeremy Lin thanks to Iman Shumpert and Landry Fields. Also, the addition of Tyson Chandler helped in a major way. This team is playing better and starting to come together at a good time in the season.
Summary: The Heat are favored in this series, but the Knicks have been playing better as of late. Miami obviously has the Big 3, who can take over a game, but the real question is, can their role players step up? For example, Chalmers has hit some shots, but is not someone who you can look to like a D-Wade. Another question I have is: Can the Knicks raise the intensity level against the Heat? They have played better as of late, but you need to raise your intensity to beat a team like the Miami Heat. However, the Knicks have an inside presence defensively in Chandler that the Heat do not have. This could complicate things for the Heat and make life difficult for them.
Verdict: Heat in 7, I think this series is a lot tougher than a lot of people think, but don't say I didn't warn you if the Knicks pull off the upset.
(3) Indiana Pacers (42-24) vs. (6) Orlando Magic (37-29)
Pacers: This is a very interesting team to say the least. They do not have that one Kobe-type superstar that stands out. What they do have, though, is a collection of players that fulfill their roles. They are led by the frontcourt of Roy Hibbert at center, and David West and Danny Granger at the forwards. In the backcourt are two amazing young players in Paul George and Darren Collison. Also, they have a very good bench with Lou Amundson at center, Tyler Hansbrough and Dahntay Jones at the forwards, and Leandro Barbosa and George Hill at the guards. Plus, they have a potential Coach of the Year candidate in Frank Vogel (My award picks and All-NBA teams are next week).
Magic: The Orlando Magic season has been defined by one name: Dwight Howard. First it was the "Will he or won't he be traded" saga, then it was his coach Stan Van Gundy's admission that Dwight wanted him fired, then it was his refusal to play for Van Gundy anymore. Somewhat ironically, he will miss the playoffs due to back surgery. The Magic still have some long-range shooters in J.J. Redick, Ryan Anderson, Hedo Turkoglu, and Jason Richardson, plus point guard Jameer Nelson. Glen Davis will fill Howard's spot in the lineup, but the Magic will miss his size and defensive presence down low, in the post.
Summary: The Magic are already depleted with the loss of Howard. This makes the challenge of facing a team like the Pacers all the more difficult. The Pacers' depth and size is a tough enough challenge to face with a full team, but with a depleted team without its inside presence, that makes it an even tougher task. I fully expect Hibbert and West to have their way with the Magic frontline now that Howard is out, and Granger, who I feel is underrated and underappreciated, can kill the Magic with his shooting range.
Verdict: Pacers in a sweep, it's possible the Magic win a game, but with how good the Pacers have played, I find it hard to imagine.
(4) Boston Celtics (39-27) vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks (40-26)
Celtics: The "Big 3" are attempting one last shot at glory. This could very well be the last run for the Big 3, as Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett's contracts expire after the season, and both could very well be gone. Those two, along with Paul Pierce, and the fourth member of the Big 3, Rajon Rondo, are primed and ready for one more run. However, they have some good, solid players aside from those 4, such as forward/center Brandon Bass and guard Avery Bradley, who performed well in Allen's absence this season. They have the talent to at least go on another run, but their biggest opponent is not the Heat or the Bulls. It's Father Time.
Hawks: The Atlanta Hawks make their 5th straight playoff appearance with mostly the same core (Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford). However, Horford will miss at least the first round, and maybe more. This could prove to be costly for the Hawks, as they need an inside presence. The Hawks also have one of the best young guards in the league in Jeff Teague, who is a slasher and can drive to the hoop. Ivan Johnson and Tracy McGrady have shown flashes when called upon off the bench. Overall, the Hawks are an above-average team, but they lack some pieces needed for a deep run in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Summary: The Celtics are older and wiser, and I feel that gives them the edge in this series. KG, Pierce, and Jesus Shuttlesworth, aka Ray Allen, have fought many battles over the years, and even gone to 2 NBA Finals, winning one and falling just short the other time. In leadership, KG, Pierce, and Allen still control the team, but on the court, it is very clear that Rajon Rondo has taken over. He is their best playmaker and their best player now. What I find interesting in this matchup will be the matchup of the point guards, Rondo and Teague. A matchup of one of the league's best point men versus one of the league's most underrated should be very interesting to watch.
Verdict: Celtics in 7, their experience is too much for the Hawks, plus Al Horford is out.
Assuming all these predictions come true, here's what I think will pan out in the East after the 1st round:
Conference Semis: Bulls over Celtics, Pacers over Heat
Conference Finals: Bulls over Pacers
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