2013 NBA PLAYOFF PREVIEW AND PREDICTION . . .
With superstars littered
throughout playoff teams and
exciting back-stories to virtually all series, the 2013 NBA playoffs are certainly shaping up to be entertaining and exciting. While the eventual fate of the playoffs falls into the hands of the likely MVP LeBron James and the Miami Heat, (almost) all series should prove to be exciting and very few teams will dominate their opponent.
Some of the bigger stories to
follow and see how they unfold:
can the Lakers overcome Kobe
Bryant’s injury and Dwight
Howard take over the reins in Los Angeles? The Lakers finished the season on a five-game win streak and Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard
appear to be clicking without
Kobe. Another major story: can the Thunder win in the playoffs without Harden? And how will a Harden vs. Durant-Westbrook first round go? Much has been
said about whether or not OKC should have kept Westbrook over Durant, and now the magnifying
glass returns to the athletic point guard in Oklahoma City.
Of course, Carmelo Anthony’s
perennial playoff struggles will
also be something to focus on.
Melo has been an impressive
regular season performer—and recently beat out Kevin Durant
for the 2013 scoring title—but can he do it in the playoffs? He certainly has the surrounding pieces, and his legacy may be on the line this year as much as
LeBron James’ was last year.
As mentioned earlier, the No. 1 story is clear: can anybody beat Miami? And how much does San Antonio have left in the tank? The Spurs finished the season with a
three-game losing streak…a far-cry from their ten-game win streak at the end of the 2012 season. A final major story: what Clippers and Nuggets teams will
show up in the playoffs? Both
teams have had periods of
incredible success and are coming into the playoffs relatively hot, so
can that continue that when it
matters most?
Here is how I see some of those stories and the 2013 NBA playoffs panning out:
*Round 1 Games
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (
Houston Rockets
It will be very interesting to see if the Rockets can run with OKC, but ultimately this series should not be much of a competition.
The Thunder have experience and talent on their side and barring an incredible meltdown should be able to overpower their former teammate, James Harden.
Prediction: OKC wins, 4-1
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) LosAngeles Lakers
In my mind, San Antonio is the
biggest question mark going intothe playoffs. They have not
played very well of late which
certainly has the potential to
carry over into the playoffs.
Duncan’s minutes have also been very limited this entire seasonand it’s difficult to see how he could play extended minutes in the playoffs, especially against
the duo of Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard. On the other hand, when the playoffs come around, San Antonio always seems to show up
and prove any doubters and nay-sayers wrong. This series will last six or seven games and in the end, I think the Lakers have ashot at pulling off a big upset.
Dwight and Pau have been
clicking of late and Duncan and Parker average less than 35 minutes a game each. The Lakers got hot at the right time.
Prediction: Los Angeles wins, 4-3
(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Golden State Warriors
This should also be a very
entertaining series. The raining threes show that Steph Curry and
Klay Thompson can put on is
something that can be nearly
unstoppable at times. The
Nuggets, however, owned the
NBA’s best home record at 38-3 this season. If the Warriors can play defense like they have in the
final games of the regular season and continue to nail outside shots, the wild West is in for another upset.
Prediction: Golden State wins,
4-3
(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5)
Memphis Grizzlies
Ironically, the four vs. five seed
game will likely be less
competitive than either the two vs. seven or three vs. six seed games. Lob City is rolling and Memphis always seems to choke in the playoffs. It would be tragic if Los Angeles finished the season
that they started off so well with with a first round loss—and that should not happen.
Prediction: Los Angeles wins, 4-2
Eastern Conference
(1) Miami Heat vs. (
Milwaukee
Bucks Not much to say here. LeBron,Wade, and Bosh will handleMonta and Brandon Jennings with ease.
Prediction: Miami wins, 4-0
(2) New York Knicks vs. (7)
Boston Celtics
Like Popovich, I would never cast out the coaching ability of Doc Rivers in the playoffs. Clearly New York has the better player personnel but Boston has the
been-there-done-that attitude and found a way to get into the playoffs without their superstar point guard, Rajon Rondo. In the end, however, I will keep with my
theme of out with the old in with the new. KG’s limited minutes won’t be enough to slow down the 2013 NBA scoring champion.
Prediction: New York wins, 4-3
(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6)
Atlanta Hawks
Like Memphis, Atlanta has a knack for playing teams very well in the first round of the playoffs but are just never able to pull off the
series win. Indiana played Miami well in the 2012 playoffs and their core group is still together. With one of the NBA’s best
defenses, the Pacers will win this series relatively comfortably.
Prediction: Indiana wins, 4-2
(4) Brooklyn Nets vs. (5)
Chicago Bulls
As great as the Chicago Bulls have played without their MVP point guard, Derrick Rose , it won’t be
enough come the playoffs.
Brooklyn has Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, and a force down-low in
Brook Lopez. While none of that trio has been particularly
impressive on their own in playoff situations, the combination of the
three will be enough for Deron
Williams to beat his former
teammate, Carlos Boozer, and the Chicago Bulls.
Prediction: Brooklyn wins, 4-3
*Conference Semifinals
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4)Los Angeles Clippers
Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins will help showcase their roles for
OKC in this conference semifinal matchup and keep Blake Griffin from throwing down many Chris
Paul alley-oops. Durant and
Westbrook will provide the brunt of the scoring load and they will prove that they don’t (yet) miss James Harden.
Prediction: Oklahoma City wins, 4-2
(6) Golden State Warriors vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers
Six seed vs. seven seed…you
probably didn’t expect that but there is certainly a legitimate possibility that three California
teams advance to the second
round of the playoffs. A Golden State vs. Los Angeles matchup will be very interesting because the
Lakers will struggle to stop the
outside shooting of the Warriors and the Warriors will have trouble with Gasol and Howard on the
inside. In the end, Bogut, D-Lee, and Festus Ezeli will provide the
interior defense needed to muffle LA’s duo and if Curry and Klay can hoist up threes with success
similar to their regular season
performance, this “We Belong” team can advance a round further than the 2007 “We Believe” team.
Prediction: Golden State wins,
4-3
Eastern Conference
(1) Miami Heat vs. (4) Brooklyn
Nets
Again, barring an incredible
surprise, the Heat road to the
conference finals should be
smooth sailing if they don’t take anything for granted. I don’t see that happening after the scare that Indiana gave them last year.
They know what it takes to win in the playoffs.
Prediction: Miami wins, 4-1
(2) New York Knicks vs. (3)
Indiana Pacers
A Knicks-Pacers series will be a
fun one to watch as strength
battles strength. Can the Knicks great offense beat the Pacers stellar defense? My thoughts:
Carmelo realizes what these
playoffs mean and it is his time
to prove he is more than a great regular season performer.
Prediction: New York wins, 4-3
*Conference Finals
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (6) Golden State Warriors
As much as I would like to say
that the Warriors can earn a trip to the Finals, one year together (really less because of Bogut’s injury) is not enough to beat a perennial championship contender. Unless Westbrook
makes some bone-headed
decisions like he did in last year’s NBA Finals, this is the Thunder’s series to lose. If the shots fall for
Golden State and Bogut solidifies the interior, the series may go to six or seven games but otherwise look for the Thunder to return to
the Finals.
Prediction: Oklahoma City wins, 4-1
Eastern Conference
(1) Miami Heat vs. (2) New York
Knicks
This is the battle of the 2003 NBA Draft as four of the top five picks fight for a trip to the NBA Finals —LeBron James (1st overall pick),
Carmelo Anthony (3), Chris Bosh (4), and Dwyane Wade (5). Melo should give Miami more than an easy walk-through but like their
previous series, the Heat will take care of business in the
conference finals.
Prediction: Miami wins, 4-2
*NBA Finals
Miami Heat (1) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (1)
Just as I stuck with my preseason predictions for the NBA Finals matchup, I’m also doing so for
the NBA champion. If OKC cannot beat Miami with Harden, then they definitely cannot do so without Harden. While it is probably legitimate to say that an OKC team minus Westbrook
would have a tough time against the Big Three in Miami, too, what the Thunder have now is not enough to win a championship. Like last year, LeBron will take home regular season and NBA Finals MVP honors en route to a
second consecutive title for the Heat.
Prediction: Miami wins, 4-1;
Finals MVP: LeBron James
