Year of the King?
Here are my Round 1 Playoff predictions. Yes, I'm a fantasy hoops writer, but have watched enough ball this season to at least be afforded a some thoughts on what may happen in the postseason.
Playoff Predictions - Eastern Conference
No. 1 Cavs vs. No. 8 Pistons
Many folks are predicting a Cavaliers sweep in the "Year of LeBron," but I think the Pistons will win at least one game simply based on experience. But coach
Michael Curry and the veterans didn't seem to get along very well this season and there are some chemistry problems in Detroit. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers, powered by LeBron, could go undefeated all the way through the East if LeBron decides that's what he wants to do.
Prediction: 4-1 Cavs
No. 2 Celtics vs. No. 7 Bulls
The Bulls come in as one of the hottest teams in the East, winning 14-of-16 home games since the All-Star break, although they were somehow crushed by the Raptors in their crucial home finale, securing a date with Boston as opposed to Orlando. The Celtics have the edge with home court, playoff experience and coaching, but have not been at full strength in forever. The Bulls are hungry and will play like they have nothing to lose. I don't see the Celtics returning to the Finals this season, but it's also hard to imagine them making a first-round exit. Had
Kevin Garnett's injury happened a year ago, you have to think the Hawks would have won that series. And the Bulls are very reminiscent of last year's Hawks. But
Vinny Del Negro is a rookie coach, the Bulls have a rookie point guard in
Derrick Rose, and
Tyrus Thomas is the key to their success. If fantasy players know anything about the Bulls, it's that relying on Thomas for anything is always a risky proposition, although he was very nice down the stretch this season.
Prediction: 4-2 Celtics
No. 3 Magic vs. No. 6 Sixers
It's Eastern Conference Finals or bust for the Magic this year, and while I don't think they have the tools to beat the Cavaliers, it would be shocking to see them manhandled by the Sixers. Just keep in mind that
Rashard Lewis (knee) and
Hedo Turkoglu (ankle) are not at full strength, which could hurt a little. The Sixers lost six straight games before somehow taking out the Cavs in Cleveland (OK, so LeBron, Mo and Big Z didn't play) and are far from 'hot' coming in. The Magic should be heavily favored in this one.
Prediction: 4-1 Magic
No. 4 Hawks vs. No. 5 Heat
This series is all about
Dwyane Wade vs. the Hawks young guns, who made such a courageous stand last year against the Celtics. The Hawks won the season series over the Heat 3-1, but were absolutely dismantled by the C's in Boston a year ago. The Hawks will have to hold off Wade and the Heat at home for three wins, and steal one in Miami. Regardless of what happens, this is going to be a fun series to watch. It sounds like
Michael Beasley will return to his role off the bench with
Jamario Moon healthy again, while the Hawks don't really have any injuries to speak of.
Marvin Williams is not a full strength, but
Flip Murray and Mo Evans have done a nice job of filling that hole. It will also be interesting to see what kind of plan Woodson has for stopping Wade. Just because I am calling Woody the fantasy coach of the year (coming on Monday), doesn't mean that I think he is a great coach in real life. But if he can get the Hawks out of the first round, that image should change.
Prediction: 4-2 Hawks <!--RW-->
Western Conference
No. 1 Lakers vs. No. 8 Jazz
Most people have already penciled in the Lakers for a date with the Cavaliers in the Finals and I'm in agreement. I see almost no way the Jazz will have much for the Lakers, especially if
Mehmet Okur is not feeling 100 percent as he deals with a hamstring injury.
Andrew Bynum could feast on them if Okur's out (and even if he's not), as the Jazz didn't look great down the stretch. The Lakers finished up on a 7-1 roll, while the Jazz lost seven of their last nine to stumble into the eighth seed. You have to think Jerry Sloan's worth at least one win though, right?
Prediction: 4-1 Lakers
No. 2 Nuggets vs. No. 7 Hornets
The bottom line here is that the Hornets have the best player in the series and I don't think anyone wants to play them in the Western playoffs. In addition, they have
Tyson Chandler back, although he's not at 100 percent. The Nuggets were one of the biggest surprises of the season and obviously had a great year, finishing as the No. 2 seed in the West, barely holding off the Spurs. Home court is key here, but an upset is possible if the Hornets can finally get something out of someone not named Paul or West (as in David). The Nuggets should win, but this one could go either way. I'm going out on a limb here and taking the upset, but I think it all hinges on which versions of
Carmelo Anthony and
J.R. Smith show up for the Nuggets.
Prediction: 4-3 Hornets
No. 3 Spurs vs. No. 6 Mavericks
The Mavs finished up the season as one of the hottest teams in the league, while
Dirk Nowitzki was one of the hottest players over the last month.
Josh Howard is back and the Mavs might be one of the better No. 6 seeds we've ever seen. Add in the fact that the Spurs are without
Manu Ginobili and
Tim Duncan is basically playing on one leg, and this should be a great series. In addition, the two teams clearly don't like each other, and there should be plenty of fireworks during this in-state rivalry. I'm going with another upset pick here.
Prediction: 4-3 Mavericks
No. 4 Blazers vs. No. 5 Rockets
The Rockets haven't gotten out of the first round in forever, while the Blazers haven't been in the postseason in forever. Both teams played well down the stretch and this should be a real battle.
Yao Ming and
Brandon Roy are obviously the focal points for each team, while Houston's defense is as good as it gets, led by Yao,
Ron Artest and
Shane Battier. The series will feature a pair of inexperienced point guards (
Aaron Brooks vs.
Steve Blake), but I think the experience of Artest, Battier and Yao could help offset the home court advantage the Blazers have. Flip a coin on this series, but I'll take the experience, as the Rockets may finally break out of their Round 1 blues.
Prediction: 4-3 Rockets
Like everyone else, I expect the Cavaliers and Lakers to meet in the Finals, but I'm going to go with LeBron and the Cavs to win it all. It is, after all, the Year of LeBron.
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Garnett to eventually have knee surgery </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Kevin Garnett - F - BOS - Apr. 17 
