After another fantastic year for the NBA, we are ready to begin the 2013 NBA Playoffs. Like March Madness, the BCS Bowl System, the NFL Playoffs, and the Stanley Cup Final, the NBA Playoffs have their own vibe – two months of great professional playoff basketball.
As I so love to do, I will give you my predictions for the upcoming NBA Playoffs and debate the major headlines. Will the Heat repeat as champions? How will the Lakers fare without Kobe? Can the Spurs become the “ageless wonder”?
At the beginning of the season, I, of course, correctly chose the Oklahoma City Thunder as the number-1 seed from the West. They finished the regular season with a 60-22 record and two games ahead of the “ageless” San Antonio Spurs, who, again, under head coach Greg Popovich, manage to defy the odds and make the playoffs with over-30-year-old veterans Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, and Tim Duncan.
At the three-seed in the West are the dangerous Denver Nuggets with a 57-25 record. People forget about the incredible 16-game win streak the Nuggets had in late-February through March. Even after their streak ended, I had the Nuggets as a potential favorite to win the Western Conference and head to the NBA Finals, but with the recent ACL injury to one of their best players, Danilo Galinari, the Nuggets are still seen as contenders, but definitely are not as strong as they could be. In the first round, they play the Golden State Warriors who have had their share of struggles this season with their recent injury to one of the best power forwards in the league David Lee.
At the four and five-seeds are the Los Angeles Clippers and the Memphis Grizzles who both posted 56-22 records in the regular season. At the eight-seed are the Houston Rockets led by former OKC sixth-man James Harden and Jeremy Lin.
Of course, how can we forget about the NBA’s drama queen the Los Angeles Lakers. I can’t remember a team that was as highly ridiculed as the Lakers have been this season, and it just got worse when one of the best players in the NBA, Kobe Bryant suffered an achilles injury. With Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, Metta World Peace, and Steve Nash, it would appear that this team is capable of being great, but in reality, this team has struggled to stay above .500. They play the Spurs in the first-round and all signs are pointing toward an early first-round loss for the Lakers.
First round:
#1 Oklahoma City Thunder over #8 Houston Rockets: 4-2
#2 San Antonio Spurs over #7 Los Angeles Lakers: 4-1
#3 Denver Nuggets over #6 Golden State Warriors: 4-2
#4 Los Angeles Clippers over #5 Memphis Grizzles: 4-3
Semi-finals:
#1 Oklahoma City Thunder over #4 Los Angeles Clippers: 4-2
#3 Denver Nuggets over #2 San Antonio Spurs 4-2
Western Conference Finals:
#3 Denver Nuggets over #1 Oklahoma City Thunder: 4-3
The Eastern Conference bracket is a little more one-sided than the West bracket. We all know whom the unanimous favorites are: for the second consecutive year, it is the Miami Heat. Led by Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, the Heat finished with an NBA best 66-16 record and again garner the number-1 seed in the East. However, in contrast to last year when the Heat won the NBA Championship, this year the road for the Heat to repeat is much tougher than expected.
Most notably, the two-seed New York Knicks and the NBA’s leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, who finished with a 54-28 record. The Knicks are close to winning their first playoff series since the days of Patrick Ewing, and Charles Oakley. Pretty great time to be a Knick’s fan.
The three-seed Indiana Pacers, led by the NBA’s Comeback Player of The Year Paul George, will also look to make a run against the Heat, but with their crucial absence to star guard Danny Granger, the Pacers could have a tough time competing in the semi-finals.
The four and five-seeds Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls will go head-to-head in what I believe is the best series in the playoffs. This is literally a 50/50 matchup and no doubt this series has a potential to go seven games.
The sixth-seed Atlanta Hawks come in with a 44-38 record, and, in my mind, next to the Lakers, the Hawks are the most disappointing team in the NBA this season.
The Rajon Rondo-less Celtics barely made the seven-seed and the playoffs with a 41-40 record, but with their talent that they have I can see them contending with the Knicks in the first round. And then we have the poor, ‘ole Milwaukee Bucks, who finished below .500 with a 38-44 record and have to play the Heat in the first round. Maybe next year Milwaukee.
First round:
#1 Miami Heat over #8 Milwaukee Bucks: 4-0
#2 New York Knicks over #7 Boston Celtics: 4-3
#3 Indiana Pacers over #6 Atlanta Hawks: 4-2
#4 Brooklyn Nets over #5 Chicago Bulls: 4-3
Semi-finals:
#1 Miami Heat over #4 Brooklyn Nets: 4-2
#2 New York Knicks over #3 Indiana Pacers: 4-2
Eastern Conference Finals:
#1 Miami Heat over #2 New York Knicks: 4-2
The NBA Finals are set to begin on June 6, and the series will showcase the two best teams in the NBA in pursuit of the Larry O’Brien Trophy. I believe the Denver Nuggets will win the West despite doubts after losing their best player. They, inevitably, will face the Miami Heat, and if all goes to plan, the Miami Heat will be standing on the podium as NBA Champions for the second straight year.
NBA Finals:
#1 Miami Heat over #3 Denver Nuggets 4-3
