So we
already featured a very interesting roundtable take on the upcoming NBA
Playoffs. We discussed some interesting angles and questions and all agreed, to
a certain degree, that Miami is the overwhelming favorite to win it all.
Please give
me a minute – I have to vomit.
…
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| Because of these two additions, the Heat just got a lot tougher. (image from the Miami Heat page on NBA.com) |
It’s tough
to be objective when it means I have to yield to the cold hard reality that
LeBron James might just get ring #2. Ugh. Oh but now THAT is done, let’s get
down to the nitty-gritty, and very requisite affair, of looking at each series
and predicting who will advance.
In other
words, we’re setting ourselves up for complete and utter failure, since nobody
ever really gets these things exactly (EXACTLY) correct, right?
So here’s me
presenting our take (after my third glass of iced tea this morning mind you) on
the different and prospective 2013 NBA Playoff Match-ups:
East First Round
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Match-up
|
Rolly Thinks…
|
Enzo Thinks…
|
Because…
|
|
1 – Miami
Heat vs. 8 – Milwaukee Bucks
|
Heat in 4
|
Heat in 4
|
Brandon
Jennings will get absolutely murdered here, and I think the Heat would want
to make Jennings eat his words right on his own homecourt.
|
|
2 – New
York Knicks vs. 7 – Boston Celtics
|
Knicks in
6
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Knicks in
6
|
Melo is in
God Mode right now and the Knicks are peaking.
|
|
3 –
Indiana Pacers vs. 6 – Atlanta Hawks
|
Pacers in
5
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Pacers in 7
|
I think
this young Indiana unit will struggle in its first series as a high seed, but
they ill get through eventually.
|
|
4 –
Brooklyn Nets vs. 5 – Chicago Bulls
|
Nets in 6
|
Nets in 7
|
This is
going to be a mighty exciting series with a lot of back and forths till the
dying minutes of Game 7!!!
|
West First Round
|
Match-up
|
Rolly Thinks…
|
Enzo Thinks…
|
Because…
|
|
1 –
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8 – Houston Rockets
|
Thunder in
5
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Thunder in
5
|
Harden has
one terrific game in him to steal one at home, but OKC will end it on their
own home turf in Game 5.
|
|
2 – San
Antonio Spurs vs. 7 – Los Angeles Lakers
|
Spurs in 6
|
Spurs in 7
|
I think
this will be another great series between two embattled teams, but,
ultimately, I think the Spurs might have more weapons to throw at LA.
|
|
3 – Denver
Nuggets vs. 6 – Golden State Warriors
|
Nuggets in
7
|
Nuggets in
7
|
Run and
shoot. Run and shoot. Remember the Kings and Mavs of the early 2000s?
|
|
4 – Los
Angeles Clippers vs. 5 – Memphis Grizzlies
|
Clippers
in 7
|
Grizzlies
in 7
|
This is
where Rolly and I diverge. Lob City is for the regular season, but Grindhouse
is for the postseason.
|
East Second Round
|
Match-up
|
Rolly Thinks…
|
Enzo Thinks…
|
Because…
|
|
1 – Miami
Heat vs. 4 – Brooklyn Nets
|
Heat in 5
|
Heat in 6
|
I think
this won’t be as easy as it looks for Miami, especially if D-Will continues
to shoot well. Still, not even the Nets’ own big three can deflate Miami’s.
|
|
2 – New
York Knicks vs. 3 – Indiana Pacers
|
Knicks in 7
|
Knicks in
6
|
Melo is
just too good, even for Paul George. X-Factor will be how well, or how awful,
Roy Hibbert will be for Indy.
|
West Second Round
|
Match-up
|
Rolly Thinks…
|
Enzo Thinks…
|
Because…
|
|
1 – Oklahoma
City Thunder vs. 4 – Los Angeles Clippers OR 5 – Memphis Grizzlies
|
Thunder in
6 over the Clippers
|
Thunder in
6 over the Grizzlies
|
The fact
of the matter is nobody on either team can touch Kevin Durant. Here’s to
hoping Russell Westbrook doesn’t self-destruct.
|
|
2 – San
Antonio Spurs vs. 3 – Denver Nuggets
|
Spurs in 6
|
Spurs in 7
|
I think
Denver will give SAS fits with its speed and athleticism, but TD will find a
way to will the Spurs to the next round.
|
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| I am praying to the high heavens that Kevin Durant does a Larry Bird and just takes over the postseason. Please lang. Please. (image by Rocky Widner/Getty Images) |
East Conference Finals
|
Match-up
|
Rolly Thinks…
|
Enzo Thinks…
|
Because…
|
|
1 – Miami
Heat vs. 2 – New York Knicks
|
Heat in 6
|
Heat in 6
|
Melo may
be in God Mode, but LBJ is bigger than even that right now. And, yeah, JR
Smith might just be volatile enough to shoot the Knicks out of this series.
|
West Conference Finals
|
Match-up
|
Rolly Thinks…
|
Enzo Thinks…
|
Because…
|
|
1 – Oklahoma
City Thunder vs. 2 – San Antonio Spurs
|
Thunder in
6
|
Thunder in
6
|
Another
speedy and athletic team that will finally break the Spurs for good. Sorry, TD,
this is the end of the line.
|
2013 NBA Finals
|
Match-up
|
Rolly Thinks…
|
Enzo Thinks…
|
Because…
|
|
1 – Miami
Heat vs. 1 – Oklahoma City Thunder
|
Heat in 6
|
Thunder in
7
|
This is
where it gets nasty and my bias will inevitably kick in. I think it will be
awfully tough for any team to beat Miami in a 7-game series, but the Thunder
have the best chance out there. And I choose to believe they’ve learned from
last year and have something cooking for LBJ and friends.
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