Playoffs 2015

NBA First Round Expectations

Western Conference

(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) New Orleans Pelicans

This should be a good series for Golden State as they embark on their journey as the top seed in the West. The Warriors are led by MVP candidate Steph Curry and Klay Thompson as they lead a potent offense. However, the arrival of Steve Kerr has helped invigorate their defense. Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut echo Kerr’s sentiments defensively and bring toughness to a perimeter-oriented bunch. Together the Warriors won 67 games and never lost more than four games each month. Anthony Davis and the Pelicans sealed their playoff fate when they staved off a late rally against the Spurs Wednesday night. New Orleans helped keep their hopes alive even when things were looking grim without Davis. They will look to upset the Warriors especially after they felt they were disrespected during their last match up with them. Davis should have favorable matchups because he is too fast for Bogut and David Lee as well as too big for Green. New Orleans might have a brief postseason, but Davis will leave his mark.

(2) Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks

These are two teams that hate each other starting at the very top with Darryl Morey and Mark Cuban. It all started when Dwight Howard spurned the Mavericks when he chose the Rockets over them. Then, Cuban was able to finalize a deal that the Rockets could not match for Chandler Parsons. Finally, Jason Terry was once a Maverick. I know I am reaching there, but that just adds to the rivalry and makes this series must see television. There are matchups worth watching all over as well with Monta Ellis versus Harden, Trevor Ariza versus Parsons, and Howard versus Tyson Chandler. Houston will have to figure out how to stop Dirk Nowitzki and limit Rajon Rondo's drive and kicks. This series could very well come down to "Hack a Dwight", which could make these games unbearable to watch. The Rockets are talented, but they rely too much on Harden. I like the Mavs experience and depth to prevail here in this series.

(3) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (6) San Antonio Spurs

At one point, I had the Spurs and Clippers set to face off in the Western Conference Finals. It’s amazing how unpredictable the West can be. This matchup spells bad news for the Los Angeles Clippers because the Spurs are peaking at the right time. Chris Paul will probably be matched up against Kawhi Leonard or Danny Green since the Clippers lack an elite wing threat. Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan are vastly improved since their last playoff series against San Antonio. They will have to dominate their matchups and get help from JJ Redick as well as the bench. The Big 3 for the Spurs should be well rested and is up to the task and their bench will be ready. Los Angeles winning this series is not as farfetched as it seems, but the experience and depth of the Spurs should overcome the Clippers talent.

(4) Portland TrailBlazers vs. (5) Memphis Grizzlies

This series could have so much potential if every other player was not injured or hurt. The TrailBlazers lost Wesley Matthews and have to wait and see how long Nicolas Batum and CJ McCollum could be out. LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard already carry a ton of their team's weight, yet they should be up to the task. On the other hand, the Grizzlies are without Tony Allen and Mike Conley. Marc Gasol is nursing an ankle injury, but he should be fine. Both teams have contrasting styles, as the Blazers are more uptempo while the Grizzlies want to slow it down. Portland has the big men to compete with Zach Randolph and Gasol. The first key to this series will be perimeter shooting. Portland will shoot it well as for Memphis they struggle from outside. The final key to this series could be who gets healthier the fastest. The team that gets key players back from injury could prove dividends in the end. I like Portland to win this series because they are balanced.   

Eastern Conference 

(1) Atlanta Hawks vs. (8) Brooklyn Nets

For a little over a decade, Atlanta has always been a city riddled with good teams not living up to postseason expectations. As a result, the people of Atlanta always remain skeptical whether its the Falcons, Braves, or Hawks. The Hawks won 60 games and went from the Eastern conference's cellar playoff teams to a penthouse Finals contender. After a hot start and securing the top seed, they have been on cruise control for the last two weeks. The Brooklyn Nets have the star power necessary to give them a tough seven game series, but are simply too capricious. In addition, the Nets lost all four games to the Hawks by an average of 17. It will be interesting to see if the Hawks come out playing loose or uptight with the pressure growing from their rejuvenated fan base. The Hawks should come out with a ton of energy and look to cement themselves as a true contender. I think Atlanta's playoff demons will not be resurrected at least not in this series.

(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (7) Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics were 19-35 at the All-Star break after they were left for dead following the trade sending Rajon Rondo to the Mavs. Jared Sullinger suffered what appeared to be a season ending injury. Almost everyone thought they were headed towards pulling the plug, but Brad Stevens and Danny Ainge had other plans. They made a trade for Isaiah Thomas, which at the time was nothing more than a blip on the massive trade day deadline radar. Stevens was able to instill that same Butler Bulldogs toughness in his players and galvanize this bunch, which landed them a playoff birth against the vaunted Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs had problems at one point too as they were 20-20 and had chemistry issues. Although the chemistry is not where it needs to be, Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love lead a team that is the Eastern Conference favorites. This should be nothing more than a brief initiation for the Celtics as the Cavaliers are overwhelmingly better.

(3) Chicago Bulls vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks

The Bulls and Bucks are one of two playoff matchups where divisional rivals square off. This rivalry has not been one worth mentioning sense the 90's, but it should be the first of many big games in the years to come between these two. Ironically, both of these teams have some traits worth comparing. They have elite defenses that force their opponents to take bad shots and turn the ball over at an alarming rate. Second, they are willing to close the paint and foul players to discourage attacking the basket. Finally, both offenses can be stagnant at times because of players expending so much energy on defense. The Bulls and Bucks love to slow games down so the first team to 90 will more than likely win each game. The matchup to watch is Jimmy Butler versus Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Derrick Rose is the x-factor. This should be a chippy series, as the Bulls will prevail. This series would be a lot more intriguing with a healthy Jabari Parker and the presence of Larry Sanders.

(4) Toronto Raptors vs. (5) Washington Wizards

This is the only series in the East that I had to wrestle with because both teams are evenly matched and equally mercurial. The Raptors and Wizards both have been trending downwards since the All-Star Break. Randy Whitman and Dwane Casey could be coaching for their jobs, as they are both solid coaches. John Wall and Bradley Beal will have their work cut out for them against Kyle Lowry and DeMar Derozan. This should be fun as both teams love to push the pace every chance they get. The battle down low will be key on offense and defense for both teams. On paper, Washington has the advantage with Marcin Gortat, Nene, Kris Humphries, and Kevin Seraphin. If they play up to their abilities, the Wizards should win the series. On the other hand, Toronto has a better bench, which evens out the playing field. The first team to win on the road has the advantage. Otherwise, the Raptors should win in seven.

FF4

Final Four Journeys

March Madness is coming to an end with Final Four action looming in the days to come. Three of the four teams were expected to be in Indianapolis while one has become America's Team. Duke, Wisconsin, and Kentucky were pegged to be championship contenders since the beginning of the season with the gaudy talent each team boasted. On the other hand, Michigan State was not even considered an afterthought to make the Final Four at the start of the season. The Spartans were on the fringe of being an NIT bound team at one point. Although these teams had different roads to get to the Final Four, they each have one common denominator and that is elite coaching. 

Duke

Coach Mike Krzyewski continued his resurgence at Duke as he recruited three possible “one and dones” in Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor, and Justice Winslow. They started the season well as they overwhelmed out of conference teams with their talent and experience from guys like Quinn Cook, Amile Jefferson, Matt Jones, and Rasheed Sulaimon. All of a sudden, Duke hit rock bottom when they lost to a pesky Miami team at home 90-74. In addition, Sulaimon was suspended from Duke with sexual assault allegations against him. That suspension, in my opinion, proved to be the difference in the Blue Devils run. They began to band together and play for one another as well as play loosely. Some of the aforementioned players received more responsibilities and freshman Grayson Allen earned more minutes off the bench. Chemistry was never the issue with this team it was all about Coach K keeping his guys level headed. If they win the championship, it will be because of their shooting ability, uptempo offense, and the play of Okafor, Winslow, and Jones.

Wisconsin

With the John Wooden Award limelight beaming heavily on Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin managed to breeze their way into the Final Four. Kaminsky's size was too much for smaller defenders and too agile for big men with cinder blocks as shoes. Sam Dekker has made himself a lot of money with his meteor-like performances recently while Nigel Hayes and Josh Gasser make their contributions. The only adversity this team faced was when Traevon Jackson missed 19 games with an injury, but Bronson Koenig was consistent during his absence. The Badgers lost games, but there was never a reason to overreact. This team resembles Ryan as they are a gritty group of players and never get rattled when the pressure increases. The advantage they have in any of their games is the chemistry and experience with one another. These are not boys these are men playing alongside one another. The versatility of their players and the ability to spread teams out will be a nightmare for the other teams. Pick your poison is an understatement regarding this group.

Kentucky

When Kentucky returned over 60 percent of their scoring and added Karl Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, Trey Lyles, and Tyler Ulis they were immediately dubbed as the favorites to win it all. The Wildcats have everything a coach could dream of size, speed, athleticism, a presence in the post, and suffocating defense. Nolan Richardson would agree that playing Kentucky is "40 Minutes of Hell." They started off the season hot as they rolled through powerhouse programs like UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas, Texas, and Louisville. They even rolled through a national team in Puerto Rico back in August! They have certainly made it look easy, but Coach John Calipari would tell you otherwise. He is constantly letting reporters know that it is hard to get so many young players to come together and stay focused. At times, Kentucky's toughest opponent has been themselves. I still think this team is too much for the remaining teams, but I worry about them in clutch situations. Towns wants to own the moment, but everyone else is questionable. If Towns fouls out of a game, this team can be beat.

Michigan State

Tom Izzo called his team "A Team of Destiny" after their Elite Eight victory over Louisville and it is hard to argue that notion. This team has managed to get hot at the right time and reminds me of last year's Connecticut team. Travis Trice certainly reminds me of Shabazz Napier with his competitive spirit and big shot capability. However, this team is far more talented than those Huskies. Denzel Valentine is finally morphing into a top tier player on both sides of the ball and Branden Dawson has a knack for making the right plays. Just two months ago this team was almost poised to be in the NIT as they lacked confidence and traditional Sparty defense. Izzo found a way to push the right buttons and get his team on track as they finished the season off strong and lost in the Big Ten Championship to the aforementioned Badgers. This team has the toughest road to winning it all because they have to make the games ugly to win. Overall, their lack of talent makes it hard for them to win games, but Izzo will give them a chance.