07 Playoffs

[maes]

WC
Mav v Warriors: Dallas 4-1
I actually like the Warriors as a dark horse but they're a cut below the other WC teams. Next year for Nellie.

Jazz v Rockets: Rockets 4-3
Rockest are the #1 overall defense in the league IMO, and have two of the most unguardable players. Jazz have very little playoff experience outside the coaching staff and Fisher. Still a good team, but it's not their year yet.

Spurs v Nuggets: Spurs 4-1
It's odd to say but i think the Spurs are underrated this year. They don't blow you away w/ #s because they play such a slow pace, but they are the #1 point differential in the league by a huge margin. Sure Denver scores a lot & won a lot of games, but you'll see their average margin of victory is a whopping +1.6 points, not even a single bucket.

Suns v Lakers: Suns 4-2
This isn't really much of a contest except for Kobe. Lakers are one of the few WC playoff teams that actually have a negative point differential. I'm guessing Kobe explodes for 2 games, as Phoenix doesn't have anybody that can contain him.

EC
Pistons v Magic: Pistons 4-3
I think this series is closer than most experts predict. The Magic are really an up & coming team, and Darko has massive motivation to truly play to his abilities this series.

Heat v Bulls: Bulls 4-1
Too many injuries to the Heat, and home court advantage for the Bulls. Some stats: at home the Bulls are a #1 in the EC, and have the same record as the Spurs and only 2 games behind Phoenix. Any team should feel uneasy in Chicago.

Raps v Nets: Nets 4-3
Toronto's recent injuries will hurt, i wonder if Bargnani is really 100% after the surgery. The Nets finished the season off weak but i think they were already resting for the playoffs, and missing RJ who should be at full strength now. And not to be underestimated, Vince Carter is potentially playing for a new contract.

Cavs v Wizards: Cavs 4-0
This would have been a great series, but the Wizards w/o Zero & Caron are like the Bulls w/o Jordan & Pippen, you lost both the President & the Vice President.

[Axel]

How can you not like Tracy?

there's the fact that he played for stats....

I think we can effectively throw the "he played for stats" argument out the door.

He's moved into Wade and Lebron territory as far as distributing superstars.

[Matt]

it's not an argument.....it's something he admitted

[---]

I know, but he has made up for it. You can't really continue to hold it against him when you talk about the seasons since it happened. Yeah it was wrong, but as I said he has made up for it and never done it since.

It makes him look like a selfish player, when he really isn't.

[TomCat]

my predictions.

West:

Mavs vs Warriors: Mavs 4-2
Mavs should go through to the next round, but i am confident that the Warriors will win atleast one game. they finished the season very strong. they could even cause an upset!

Suns vs Lakers: Suns 4-0
Not much to say about this one. Suns are too good. too quick and amare will be unstoppable

Spurs vs Nuggets: Spurs 4-2
I think this one will be quite boring, with no close games. Spurs will go through

Rockets vs Jazz: Rockets 4-1
The Rockets are a great team. i expect them to dispose of the Jazz fairly easily. Rockets have a chance to upset the mavs in the second round also.

East:

Pistons vs Magic: Pistons 4-0
Too easy for pistons. Magic are too inexperienced. Look for dwight to play well though

Cavs vs Wizards: Cavs 4-1
I am sooo sorry for Agent 0. he would have made the playoffs so much more exciting. oh well without him, they dont have a chance

Bulls vs Heat: Bulls 4-2
Chicaho have a great starting line-up. I dont think wade is fully recovered, and the heat dont look like they can repeat

Raptors vs Nets: Raptors 4-2
I really like the raptors chances of going a long way. bosh will perform well. also look for VC to heat up

ok they are my pedictions

[frenchy]

my predictions.

Western conference

Mavs vs Warriors: Mavs 4-1
Mavs are the best, but I do not think they will sweap the W.

Suns vs Lakers: Suns 4-3
Difficult series for Suns. If Kobe stays healthy this serie could be surprising

Spurs vs Nuggets: Spurs 4-2
Well, not sure of the result but do not think that Nuggets will go to 2nd round (sorry Melo)

Rockets vs Jazz: Rockets 4-2
The Rockets are a great team. I expect them to dispose of the Jazz fairly easily.

Eastern conference

Pistons vs Magic: Pistons 4-0


Cavs vs Wizards: Cavs 4-1
Where is agent 0 ? Too easy for Cavs

Bulls vs Heat: Bulls 4-3
Chicago have a great starting line-up and Heat was too injured this year to repeat

Raptors vs Nets: Raptors 4-2
Welcome back Vince enjoy Canada !

[ixcuincle]

my predictions.

West:

Mavs vs Warriors: Mavs 4-1
Mavs too good , but keep in mind the Warriors did sweep the season series.

Suns vs Lakers: Suns 4-0
Lakers struggled down the stretch , and Kobe can't do everything. Suns in 4.

Spurs vs Nuggets: Spurs 4-1
Spurs will kick Nugget butt

Rockets vs Jazz: Rockets 4-1
Tmac finally gets to play in the 2nd round LOL

East:

Pistons vs Magic: Pistons 4-0
Pistons swept season series and should sweep this series , either in 4 or one of those 5 game sweeps

Cavs vs Wizards: Cavs 4-0
Wizards only won 1 game after Arenas and Butler went down due to injury. The Cavs should win this series. However , with the exception of the Bulls blowout , the Wizards somehow have managed to keep fairly close to their opposition. The Wiz won't get blown out , but they won't win the series either without their 2 superstars.

Bulls vs Heat: Bulls 4-1
Bulls won season series 3-1 and will win the playoff series 4-1...someone I was talking to pointed out Shaq has never won a playoff series with Eddie Jones on his team. So...

Raptors vs Nets: Raptors 4-3
Raptors win in seven.

[shadowgrin]

My 2 cents.

EAST

Detroit v. Orlando: 4-0
Pistons with the sweep. Even though Dwight is a beast and instant double-double, the Magic offense doesn't yield to much to him, which they should do all the time. The Pistons also have able bodies to throw at Dwight with Rasheed, McDyess, Webber, and Mohammed.

Cleveland v. Washington: 4-1
Wizards will definitely win one to save face in the playoffs.

Chicago v. Miami: 2-4
Don't count the defending champs out. Bulls are still a donut on offense, no inside presence. Relying on the Bulls excellent shooting won't help much if Wallace, Nocioni, and Tyrus can't overcome Shaq, Haslem, and even Fatoine for the boards because the Bulls frontline is too busy guarding Shaq. The backcourt also is too busy guarding Wade, unless Hinrich hacks Wade's wrist again.
Gordon? Just slap Posey or Eddie Jones on him. If no one in the Heat does what they're supposed to do, then the Bulls will end their reign.

Toronto v. New Jersey: 3-4
No one can stop Bosh amongst the Nets, no one can stop Carter, Jefferson, or Kidd amongst the Raptors also. The only reason I see a game 7 is because of Toronto's chemistry. Watch Kidd orchestrate Carter and Jefferson, and also put up a clinic against the Raptors pointguards to clinch it.

WEST

Dallas v. Golden State: 4-2
Running and gunning this series is going to be, but Dallas now has defense to close the Warriors out.

Phoenix v. Los Angeles: 4-2
Kobe will carry the team and maybe some good games from Odom and Walton but it won't be enough against a complete Suns team especially with Amare having overcome that mental barrier of his injury and started attacking the basket with bad intentions.

San Antonio v. Denver: 4-2
It's basically the Mavericks v. Warriors matchup. The combined offense of AI, Carmelo, JR Smith, and even Nene won't be enough to go against the experienced Spurs.

Houston v. Utah: 4-2
Utah will lose, they showed they're prone to lapses with their losses during the season. It's even worse than the lapses the Rockets sometimes commit. The Jazz are a great team on a good night but the Rockets are championship team on a good night, and Yao isn't the softie anymore. He's even meaner than that putz Eddy Curry.

[Indy]

I'm amazed so many people are picking against the Raptors. Obviously you haven't seen them play.

Sorry, but the Raptors are not nearly as good as you think. They are a team built to win in the regular season right now, and they didn't even win very much in the regular season. They do not have a team capable of winning a playoff series. I actually think other then Washington the Raptors are the worst team in the playoffs.

[Matt]

Raptors > Orlando

[Andrew]

Bulls vs Heat: Bulls 4-1
Bulls won season series 3-1 and will win the playoff series 4-1...someone I was talking to pointed out Shaq has never won a playoff series with Eddie Jones on his team. So...

He's never won a championship with Eddie Jones but he's certainly won playoff series; teams that featured Shaq and Jones as teammates have gone as far as the Conference Finals (the Lakers in 1998 and the Heat in 2005).

[Sauru]

I know, but he has made up for it. You can't really continue to hold it against him when you talk about the seasons since it happened. Yeah it was wrong, but as I said he has made up for it and never done it since.

It makes him look like a selfish player, when he really isn't.

only thing that was wrong about it in my eyes is he admitted it. every superstar had had "me" moments, some are that way thier entire career. he has definetly turned it around

[[Q]]

Dallas might be in trouble.

great win by Barbosa today.

[Slizz]

I think this Warriors Win could be crucial...

Think about it. The Warriors have beaten Dallas all season long. Now they say: "Yeah whatever. Playoffs are different." But now they lose the first game I guess this could make them quite nervous.

[Drex]

Don Nelson totally out-coached Avery. He made him change his game plan and everything

[shadowgrin]

Don Nelson has double the players he want in GS which he used to want in Dallas, only minus a sweet shooting seven-footer.

[Sauru]

not looking good for dallas at all. if stackhouse keeps playing as bad as he has been and dirk cant learn to step it up then the mavs are going down round 1

[frenchy]

So it looks like to two last finalists will stop on the first round.
Almost done for Miami
Under way for Dallas, if Dallas is down the UT/HOU winner is already in conference finals.