Western Conference
#8: New Orleans Hornets
The difference between the Nuggets and the Hornets: the Nuggets traded their disgruntled star player and became a much better overall team and can pull off a surprising run. The Hornets on the other hand despite all the obvious signs that he does not want to be there, kept their star and now will sit in the ugly seventh seed against the Lakers. This Hornets squad has potential but drama has diminished this team and prevented them from growth. They could have picked some good underrated players and evened out their squad and pushed for a higher seed. Unfortunately for the Hornets, the Western Conference has too much talent for an incomplete bunch to make a push.
Prediction: Lose to Lakers
#7: Memphis Grizzlies
Four years ago, this team would have made a hell of a push in the playoffs. Four years ago, this team would have been a devastating threat deep in the Western Conference. Four years ago, I would have picked them to threaten a spot in the Conference Finals. So what happened? Semi-ripping this from Bill Simmons, but the talent pool in the NBA has become much deeper and much more expansive than in recent seasons—leading to really good teams going nowhere. The Grizzlies are a superb team that unfortunately has to take on another superb team with the Spurs. They are one superstar player away from becoming a credible threat and until that happens, they will remain a very good team that becomes nothing more than an annoying thorn in the sides of the opposition.
Prediction: Lose to Spurs
#6: Portland Trail Blazers
See my description of the Grizzlies, and to an extent the Hornets. The Blazers have been hampered with injuries and unfortunate luck and yet delivered a powerful push into the #6 seed. However, that being said, they have the unfortunate path of landing in the West, which has powerful teams left and right. I will root for this team, because he Blazers have dealt with a lot of injuries in the past couple years and I would love to see them make a run and revive the franchise, which has struggled to go back to the golden days of the early 2000s (before the Lakers crushed their spirits). But, beating the Mavericks? I don’t see it.
Prediction: Lose to Mavericks
#5: Denver Nuggets
This one hurts. Really does. George Karl did an incredible job dealing with the drama and tribulations of a whiny star wishing to pull a LeBron and join a Super Team and make life easier. And the second he leaves, the Nuggets virtually explode and become a surprise-surprise team towards the end of the season. And I can guarantee you if they had kept Melo, they would have gone this far—would have gone in the direction of the Utah Jazz---south south south. The Nuggets have a strong offensive presence which is usually reserved for your East Coast teams. And with the Suns not in the playoffs, they are the fastest team standing, and can cripple the older squads like the Spurs and the Lakers. Too bad they face a young squad in the first round. If they had gone any lower, they would have advanced farther.
Prediction: Lose to Oklahoma City Thunder
#4: San Antonio Spurs
Age is one of those awful things that destroy every great legacy, every great player, and every great team. The San Antonio Spurs instead of trying to rebuild after years of successful championship runs maintained the same team, added some new supporting players, and stuck with the same formula of slower-paced and smarter basketball. As you can see with the #1 seed, the strategy still works after all these years. But, as I predict, age will catch up as the NBA playoffs are much more grueling as they have been 10 years ago because of tougher teams, and a longer playoff format. An experienced team like this will get by on the first round, but age and a hungrier younger squad will eventually steal their thunder. And yes folks, that was a subtle pun.
Prediction: Beat Grizzlies. Lose to Thunder.
#3: Dallas Mavericks
After that horrendous result in the first round against the Warriors back in 2007, the Mavericks have yet to destroy its reputation as a great team that burns out in the playoffs. Despite constant higher-seedings, they just can’t brush past the semifinals. Despite coaching changes, improvements in the lineup, and more and more promise, Dallas can never rise up and take out the big guns San Antonio and L.A. And that’s because Dallas has always been good, but never that good. Jason Kidd has always been good, but not that good. Good ol’ Dirk has been grand, but never great. The offense has always excelled, but not enough. There is no other team quite like this one: always confident in GETTING to the playoffs, but never confident in SURVIVING it.
Prediction: Beat Portland. Lose to the Lakers.
#2: Los Angeles Lakers
You can hate Kobe Bryant and his selfish ways, cocky attitude, ability to complain about everything in sight, and rather aggressive ways with his teammates….but you can’t judge his willingness to win. This man is hungrier for championships than any player in the NBA not named Steve Nash. He is a path of fury that the other Lakers can’t help but follow. That being said, this type of effort is infectious, just look at the incredible run of the Chicago Bulls. The Lakers have only intensified their squad after last year’s win with Matt Barnes. This Lakers team has the top coach in the NBA, one of the top player/competitors in the NBA, and one of the deepest benches out there. The Lakers had a rough ending, but that also happened last year and look where it took them. This franchise has grown accustomed to slowing down before the playoffs, and this will be no different. Granted they have an easier path, this Lakers team has a legitimate shot at going all the way. Despite all their strengths, they still have to get past the-----
Prediction: Beat New Orleans. Beat Dallas. Lose to Oklahoma City.
#1: Oklahoma City Thunder
This team is hungry. This team is talented to the core. And, this team is prepared for a run and prepared to tear apart the Lakers. The Thunder have quietly assembled one heck of a season and have improved greatly in the second half thanks to improved basketball, improved teamwork, and the infamous Perkins trade that destroyed one squad and made another one quite scary. With Durant and Westbrook at the helm, the Thunder isn’t just a powerhouse scoring machine---they are a scary team on the other side of the floor with their new pitbull style of backcourt defense. This is the only team that can stop the Lakers from going into the Finals yet again, as they are man for man evenly matched. This is the series I would absolutely love to see, and I predict that this heavenly matchup will occur. I don’t see the Nuggets or the Spurs providing problems, as the only hurdle in the Thunder’s path to the NBA Finals is the rough-n-tough Lakers. I see a 7-game explosive slugfest with few survivors. But they win my pick as the top playoff team in the Western Conference.
Prediction: Beat Nuggets. Beat Spurs. Beat Lakers.
NBA Finals:
Thunder vs. Heat
My prediction. I think the Heat win in 6 close games.
Good luck to all teams in the NBA Playoffs.
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