Round 1 Predictions

Western Conference
(1) Phoenix Suns
vs
(8) Memphis Grizzlies

(2) San Antonio Spurs
vs
(7) Denver Nuggets

(3) Seattle Supersonics
vs
(6) Sacramento Kings

(4) Dallas Mavericks
vs
(5) Houston Rockets

Eastern Conference
(1) Miami Heat
vs
(8) New Jersey Nets

(2) Detroit Pistons
vs
(7) Philadelphia 76ers

(3) Boston Celtics
vs
(6) Indiana Pacers

(4) Chicago Bulls
vs
(5) Washington Wizards

i agree with ceekay...and i'm too lazy to write it down just look at his post, i share his opinion

You could've just copied and pasted his picks

Western Conference
(1) Phoenix Suns
vs
(8) Memphis Grizzlies
Suns 4-0
Forget playoff experience. The Suns might be the most complete team in the league. They have 3 All-Stars and 2 very good 3 point shooters. And very few injury problems. The Grizzlies have more depth, but not enough to take over the Suns,

(2) San Antonio Spurs
vs
(7) Denver Nuggets
Nuggets 4-3
The Spurs are facing possibly the hottest team in the NBA right now, and theres more room for an upset after Tim Duncan said, "I'm 75 to 80 percent." Also, since the All-Star break, Denver has won 24 of 25 against teams not named Phoenix.

(3) Seattle Supersonics
vs
(6) Sacramento Kings
Sonics 4-2
Why is no one picking the Sonics? Because of one of the most bogus facts that people use: playoff experience. So what? The Kings have too many injury problems and I think Ray Allen and co. can move on to round 2.

(4) Dallas Mavericks
vs
(5) Houston Rockets
Dallas 4-2
Other than Phoenix, the Mavs are probably the best scoring team in the league. With Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Jerry Stackhouse, the Mavs will beat Tracy + Yao.

Eastern Conference
(1) Miami Heat
vs
(8) New Jersey Nets
Heat 4-1
The Nets look stronger now because Richard Jefferson will return to team with Vince Carter and Jason Kidd as the best backcourt in the league. However, Nenad Krstic and Jason Collins will be overpowered by Shaq and co. The Nets backcourt will steal 1 game but that's going to be it.

(2) Detroit Pistons
vs
(7) Philadelphia 76ers
Pistons 4-3
People think the Pistons will win in 4 or 5 because they have been hot lately. But dont underestimate the Sixers. They have been hot too and Iverson will average 30-35 ppg including a couple of 40 pt games before Philly runs out of gas in game 7.

(3) Boston Celtics
vs
(6) Indiana Pacers
Pacers 4-2
I dont think the Pacers want Reggie Miller to play his last few games against Boston. He will have at least 1 buzzer-beater as he and Jermaine O'Neal beat the slumping Celtics.

(4) Chicago Bulls
vs
(5) Washington Wizards
Bulls 4-3
Some people are leaning towards the Wizards with there fabulous trio in Arenas, Hughes, and Jamison combined with the Bulls injuries. But Ben Gordon will have at least 3 double-digit 4th quarters as the Baby Bulls look for their first playoff series win since the Jordan era.

Forget playoff experience. The Suns might be the most complete team in the league. They have 3 All-Stars and 2 very good 3 point shooters. And very few injury problems. The Grizzlies have more depth, but not enough to take over the Suns,

Even with that, in comparison to the Grizzlies, they have more playoffs experience. Marion, Amare, Joe Johnson have all been in the playoffs, though only 1-3 times. Nash has been there many times, Jim Jackson, McCarty, Outlaw, etc etc. The only guys who have no experience are Q-Rich and Barbosa, but the Grizzlies guys outside of J-Will have only been in the post season once.

Why is no one picking the Sonics? Because of one of the most bogus facts that people use: playoff experience. So what? The Kings have too many injury problems and I think Ray Allen and co. can move on to round 2.

Actually to be fair, 13 out of the 18 people that posted predictions in this thread picked the Sonics to win, so only 5 people actually picked Sacremento. That's slightly more than 70% of the people taking the Sonics in this one.


Also one thing with the Bulls. Ben Gordon is going to have to do more than just 4th quarter scoring and game winning shots if the Bulls are to have a chance in this one. With Curry out, their scoring in the starting lineup is vastly reduced, and defense and dirty playing can only tak you so far. The Bulls will need Gordon to score in at least 2 of the other 3 quarters for them to be in situations where he can win the game for them, and it will interesting to see if he's the same end game player when fatigued in the closing minutes.

good point fgrep, but the bulls success doesn't just hinge on that... offensively, it's more on the rest of the players:
*othella is pretty effective against bench players but he's gotta do against the wiz starters.
*duhon has been on fire and needs to keep it going, as washington will probably be giving him the outside shot all game
*most importantly kirk hinrich has to step up to the forefront scoring wise.
and of course, TO's can a be problem- the bulls have problems taking care of *the ball and the wiz are pretty good at stealing it

defensively: arenas will go bonkers so just play dirty

anyway, i'm looking forward to this series. both teams were league doormats last year and now have bounced back, becoming up and coming teams. both are relatively playoff inexperienced, play contrasting styles, and an old fashioned rivaly has developed

from a personnel, standpoint, i'm just glad to be attending my first playoff series in what seems a lifetime...

Western Conference
(1) Phoenix Suns vs (8) Memphis Grizzlies

i honestly dont see the suns having any trouble with the griz. imo the griz will take 1 game from the suns but thats all.
Suns 4-1

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs (7) Denver Nuggets

i picked the spurs(along with alot of other people) at the start of the year. even now with duncan hurt i believe they are the team to beat. that being said i think the nuggets will give them an early scare before the spurs, and duncan, get going.
Spurs 4-3

(3) Seattle Supersonics vs (6) Sacramento Kings

this is the one matchup i didnt want to pick. i dont think the sonics are really good enough to pass the first round anymore and i believe the kings to be the best of the best when it comes to playoff flops. so what i did was sit and think to myself "will peja finally step up in the playoffs". my reply was no so the sonics win this in 7
Sonics 4-3

(4) Dallas Mavericks vs (5) Houston Rockets

Easily my favorite first round matchup out west. unfortunatly i dont think it will live up to what i want it to. i like both of these teams but i dont think the rockets can play with the mavs. i do however feel the rockets will earn 1 win and the mavs will screw up one game and the rockets will take that too.
Mavs 4-2

Eastern Conference
(1) Miami Heat vs (8) New Jersey Nets

This is the only matchup i am going to call a sweep for the entire playoffs.
Heat 4-0

(2) Detroit Pistons vs (7) Philadelphia 76ers

I am starting to like AI(it scares me actually) so i kinda want to see him do good, but unfortunatly he cant play 5 men by himself. Pistons win this in 5
Pistons 4-1

(3) Boston Celtics vs (6) Indiana Pacers

i almost wanted to call this a 4-0 sweep just to see indypacers67 reaction. after thinkign about it i believe this and the bulls/wizards series to be the best 2 of round 1. imo this is definetly going 7 and since the celtics will be at home for game 7 i am picking them.
Celtics 4-3

(4) Chicago Bulls vs (5) Washington Wizards

I have always liked the bulls. would love to see them pass the first round but the wizards wont easily be pushed aside. i think this matchup is also gonna go 7 and give the world a good look at some of the young players out there(many dont even watch til playoff time). i personally believe that this is going to be one of those matchups where its better to play on the road than at home, therefor the wizards get my pick, winning all 4 road games and loseing all 3 at home.

Wizards 4-3


i will give my second round picks when we get there.

Even with that, in comparison to the Grizzlies, they have more playoffs experience. Marion, Amare, Joe Johnson have all been in the playoffs, though only 1-3 times. Nash has been there many times, Jim Jackson, McCarty, Outlaw, etc etc. The only guys who have no experience are Q-Rich and Barbosa, but the Grizzlies guys outside of J-Will have only been in the post season once.

Also Bonzi Wells who have been to the playoffs when the Blazers use to be good and give the Lakers some competition.

This is how the Grizzlies can beat the Suns:

Griz vs. Suns - Here's how the Grizzlies can beat Phoenix.
By Chris Herrington, Memphis Flyer, 4/22/2005

Phoenix might be the most exciting team in the league and might own the league's best record, but no one thinks they're the kind of juggernaut that previous league-wide win leaders have been. They're beatable. And here's how the Grizzlies can make it happen:

Limit turnovers.

The phenomenal success of the Suns this season has been built on one big acquisition and one big idea: The team acquired Steve Nash, who rivals Jason Kidd as the best pure, up-tempo point guard in the game. They surrounded him with a small but outrageously athletic team -- ostensible shooting guard Quentin Richardson at small forward, ostensible small forward Shawn Marion at power forward, and ostensible power forward Amare Stoudemire at center. Going against the prevailing grain of NBA strategy, they rolled them out onto the court and let them run. The result has been the most exciting fast-breaking team since Magic Johnson's "Showtime" Lakers of the '80s.

Phoenix will fast-break at every opportunity, not only on missed baskets but on made ones too, if the opposing team relaxes for a second. No team in the league is as likely to convert a turnover at one end into a made basket at the other.

One of the biggest reasons the Grizzlies have been so competitive against the Suns this season is that they've done a good job limiting their turnovers, reducing their season average by more than two a game against the Suns. In the two Suns games in which the Grizzlies equaled or surpassed their season turnover average -- December 23rd at Phoenix and March 20th in Memphis -- they lost. In the two games in which they kept their turnovers down -- January 19th at Phoenix and February 1st at Memphis -- the Grizzlies won.

Defend the three.

The Grizzlies can limit Phoenix's transition opportunities by reducing turnovers, but they can't stop them from running. So the Grizzlies have to do a good job of defending the three-point shot in transition.

When you think of fast-break basketball, the image that likely comes to mind is a flashy pass leading to a big dunk. You'll see plenty of that from the Suns, with Nash finding Stoudemire, a thunderous power dunker, in the open floor. But Phoenix might be most dangerous on the break because of the team's knack for finding open three-point shots. The Suns have Johnson (the second-best three-point shooter in the league this season) and Richardson (the three-point shootout winner over All-Star weekend) spotting up on the break. And if Nash can't find those two, there's always power-forward Marion, also an adept three-point shooter. And if all else fails, Nash (a Top 10 three-point shooter this season himself) can pull the trigger.

The Grizzlies need to get out on Phoenix's shooters, even if it means giving up a highlight dunk or two. Phoenix is the best outside shooting team in the league, and the Grizzlies will be better off giving up two points than three.

As with turnovers, you can trace the Grizzlies' success against the Suns this season to their ability to defend the three, holding Phoenix below their league-best 39 percent in Memphis' two wins and allowing them to shoot better than that in their two losses.

If the Grizzlies have success in those two areas -- limiting turnovers and defending the three -- they should be competitive against the Suns. But to win, the following three areas are musts:

Compete on the boards.

This series isn't exactly a clash of the titans on the boards, as Phoenix and Memphis are 29th and 28th (out of 30 teams), respectively, in rebounding percentage. Phoenix's small frontline and lack of physical rebounders/defenders is the main reason why most observers think the Grizzlies match up better with Phoenix than the other elite teams in the West.

But even if Phoenix isn't terribly big, they are extremely athletic. With Pau Gasol and Stromile Swift back to 100 percent and the team not having to rely on slow-of-foot Brian Cardinal, the Griz should be able to hold their own on the boards, but Stoudemire's and Marion's quickness off the floor still makes the Suns dangerous on the offensive glass.

Get better point-guard play.

This has been an ugly area of late for the Grizzlies, with starter Jason Williams either pouting on the bench or throwing up bricks on the court and with backup Earl Watson's already sketchy ability to run the offense regressing. The Grizzlies'point-guard tandem doesn't have to outplay MVP candidate Nash in this series, but they certainly have to be better than they've been over the past couple of months.

With his tough-nosed defense, you'd think Watson could be a key player with his ability to harass Nash, thus slowing down the league's most effective offense. But the reality during the regular-season series was that Watson's offensive deficiencies were more of a factor than his ostensible defensive attributes. Watson's averaged three turnovers in only 16 minutes a game against the Suns, and his deplorable play in the Grizzlies' home loss in March got him yanked in favor of third-stringer Antonio Burks.

Williams, on the other hand, has thrived offensively against the Suns (not coincidentally, Nash is a poor defender), pumping his season scoring average from 10 to 16 and shooting well. With Williams' success against the Suns coming up against a long shooting slump, something's got to give.

Points from Pau.

There might not be a better reason for optimism in this series than the fact that the Grizzlies have gone 2-2 against Phoenix despite getting little production from Gasol.

Gasol was fine in the first game against the Suns, but he played hurt in the second game, sat out the third game due to injury, and played only 15 minutes in the fourth game.

But Gasol looks close to 100 percent now, having scored in double figures in 11 of his past 12 games, and there's no reason he can't thrive against the Suns. Gasol should be able to use his five-inch size advantage to score against Marion in the post. And even if Phoenix decides to guard Gasol with Stoudemire, it should still be a favorable match-up: The Suns' young star may be emerging as a dominant offensive player, but that production hasn't translated to the defensive end yet. Actually, the Sun player best equipped to defend Gasol is probably seven-foot reserve Steven Hunter, who has averaged only 14 minutes a game but could play a bigger role in this series.

If the Grizzlies can do all of the above, they could well pull off a playoff upset. Of course, given the likelihood of significant player turnover this off-season, along with the equal likelihood of a series loss, perhaps how the team fares in the coming week is less important than how a few particular players fare. Going forward, four players seem to comprise the core of this team: Gasol, Mike Miller, Shane Battier, and James Posey. You know what you're going to get from Battier. Posey could be an important player in this series, theoretically, with his ability to both hit threes and defend the perimeter, but more likely his lost season will come to a quiet close.

So that brings us to Gasol and Miller: With immense offensive skills and plenty of room for growth (they are only 24 and 25 years old, respectively) they're the two most important players on this roster. The Grizzlies need Gasol to confirm that he can be a reliable playoff scorer (and a better showing defensively and on the boards wouldn't hurt either). Miller has struggled mightily in 12 postseason games with Memphis and Orlando. Does he have the mental makeup to match his physical tools? He's been healthier and more effective this season than ever in his career and over the past month has emerged as the big-time scorer his skills have always suggested he could be. For these players, the next few games pose a big test.

It's easy to write that, don't you think?

EAST
Miami Heat- 4
New Jersey Nets- 1
too much shaq, but nets will find a way to win 1

Detriot Pistons 4
Philedelphia 76ers 1
Iverson will win 1 game, but the pistons just will over power them with defense and inside game.
Boston Celtics-3
indiana Pacers- 4
Should be a good series, but I feel the Pacers have the momentum going into the series and will pull off the series win. Will be close though

Washington Wizards- 4
Chicago Bulls-2
The big 3 of the wizards will be a little too much for the bulls. They are going to miss Curry in the middle.

WEST
Phoenix Suns- 4
memphis Grizzlies-1
Nash knows how to handle this change to post season being their with Dallas a few times.

San Antonio Spurs-4
Denver Nuggets-2
Spurs will lose a couple since Timmy has been out, but they will get their act straighten out and win this series.

Seattle Supersonics-4
Sacramento Kings-2

Although the sonics lack experience, kings injury riddled season will come to a end. Only reason seattle won't sweep is because they short on expierence in comparison.

Dallas Mavericks- 4
Houston Rockets-3

Should be a good Texas show down, but Dallas just had the edge with homecourt and the experience. Dirk will be a monster in this series.

sixers got owned, iverson 7 turnovers

Ok since the Playoffs have begun, heres my predictions.

Western Conference
(1) Phoenix Suns
Def.
(8) Memphis Grizzlies

(2) San Antonio Spurs
Def.
(7) Denver Nuggets

(6) Sacramento Kings
Def.
(3) Seattle Supersonics

(4) Dallas Mavericks
Def.
(5) Houston Rockets

Eastern Conference
(1) Miami Heat
Def.
(8) New Jersey Nets

(2) Detroit Pistons
Def.
(7) Philadelphia 76ers

(3) Boston Celtics
Def.
(6) Indiana Pacers

(4) Chicago Bulls
Def.
(5) Washington Wizards

Lets Go Mavs

Western Conference

Phoenix Suns(1) vs. Memphis Grizzlies 8
Grizzlies will play them good and might win a game or two, but Suns will take the series.

San Antonio Spurs(2) vs. Denver Nuggets(7)
I'd love to see an upset here, but unless TD goes down I don't see that happening. Spurs in 6.

Seattle Sonics(3) vs. Sacramento Kings(6)
Kings have learned how to play without guys. They're much more experienced in the Playoffs, and Peja's expected back for game 1, Miller will miss the first two games, but Bobby Jackson's back. I still think it will be enough anyway. Kings in 6. Also, Sonics have been playing a lot worse lately.

Dallas Mavericks(4) vs. Houston Rockets(5)
Probably the tighest series of em all. Rockets in 7.

Eastern Conference

Miami Heat(1) vs. New Jersey Nets 8
Unless Shaq is out, I don't see the Nets having a chance. Heat in 5.

Detroit Pistons(2) vs. Philadelphia 76'ers(7)
The defending Champs in 5. Because of Allen Iverson, the 76ers will get one game.

Boston Celtics(3) vs. Indiana Pacers(6)
Pacers in 6. Miller Time.

Chicago Bulls(4) vs. Washington Wizards(5)
No Deng or Curry for the Bulls. Wizards in 7.

Grizzlies had many chances at this game, but once Posey missed that 3 to cut the deficit to 4 with about 4 mins or so left, it basically blew our chances. They stopped Stoudemire and put him in foul trouble and Nash had a bad shooting night, but they didn't stop Steven Hunter who scored 16 pts. Memphis played really well despite the Suns making 15-32 from dwontown. If the Grizzlies can do what they did in Game 1 by keeping Nash and Stoudemire under control, while not letting any bench players have big nights, then they can definitely win Game 2.

Lets see so far ive predicted

Detroit 4 Philly 1- Got this spot on
Miami 4- NJN 1- 1 game off
Phoenix 4 Memphis 2- correct pick but 2 games off
SAS 4 Denver 2 - 1 game off
Seattle 4 Sac 2 - 1 game off

so far ive picked 5/5 winners....i still got

Indiana 4-2 over Boston
Chicago 4-3 over Washington
Dallas 4-3 over Houston

the Chicago vs Washington will probably toughest to get. I'll probably end up 7 of 8.

My results so far.

EAST

Miami wins 4-1 (Correct on winning team, incorrect on series)
Detroit wins 4-1 (Correct on both predictions)

WEST

Phoenix wins 4-2 (Correct team, incorrect on series length)
San Antonio wins 4-1, 4-2 tops (Correct and Correct)
Seattle wins 4-2 (Correct team, a game off on the predicted series)

So far I've got all the teams advancing, though only two series have lasted as long as I predicted.

SONICS will defeat S Antonio in 5 games...and will meet Miami

So far I've been right for everyone...except Denver, I took a chance on them

I'm disappointed about Sacramento. But, I should have known they would lose. Other then that I'm doing pretty well, picking almost all the winners within one or two games. (Go pacers and mavs, obviously the first more then the second )

The final three series are in the books (well, Dallas/Houston still has a few minutes left but it's basically over). Here's how I fared:

EAST

Miami wins 4-1 (Correct on winning team, incorrect on series)
Detroit wins 4-1 (Correct on both predictions)
Chicago wins 4-3 (Incorrect, incorrect )
Indiana wins 4-3 (Correct, Correct)

[b]WEST

Phoenix wins 4-2 (Correct team, incorrect on series length)
San Antonio wins 4-1, 4-2 tops (Correct and Correct)
Seattle wins 4-2 (Correct team, a game off on the predicted series)
Dallas wins 4-3 (Correct, correct)

7/8 on series winners, 4/8 on series length. The jinx isn't in effect this year...yet.

east
Miami/ NJ- correct on winner/ incorrect on series
Detriot/Philly- Correct on series/winner
Indiana/Boston- Correct on series/winner
Washington/Chicago- Correct on series/winner

West
Phoenix/Memphis- Correct on winner/incorrect on series
SAS/Denver- Correct on winner/incorrect on series
Seattle/Sac.- Correct on winner/incorrect on series
Dallas/Houston- Correct on series/winner

not bad..
8/8 on series win
4/8 on series length

8/8 is better than not bad, Amphatoast. For a playoffs that's been so predictable so far (at least according to our picks), it hasn't been boring.

7/8 in series win 0/8 in series length

Just realised...both 4th vs 5th series saw the eventual winner drop the first two games before coming back to win, both 1st vs 8th series ended with the top seed winning in a sweep while both 2nd vs 7th series ended with the 2nd seeds advancing 4-1.

i was 7/8 on winners (Damn you Bulls ), and 2/8 on series length

i'm pretty sure rnd 2 will yield a 4/4 on winners but series length will be a toughie.