Buster's Conference Finals Matchups and Predictions

The second round is over in a very disappointing matter for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Oklahoma City was out maned in the series against Memphis. Now Memphis looks to take it a step farther and advance to the Finals. Miami didn't surprise anyone with their 4-1 victory over the Bulls, and the Pacers upset the Knicks in six games. Now that the Conference Finals have officially ended, lets take a look at the matchups.

Eastern Conference:

 

#1 Miami vs #3 Indiana

 

After a dominating performance from both of these teams in the second round, this is bound to be an outstanding series. These two teams met up in the semifinals last season. It was a series that Indiana very well could have won, but they did not have the experience. LeBron was on a search for his first title and was more focused than ever. Indiana has acquired the two keys that they were lacking last season. They did not have a dominating big man and they did not have experience. The Pacers now have both of these things and are ready to take on the Heat.

It is always scary to pick against LeBron and the Heat, but I have to go with Indiana in this series. I think the Heat will come out too relaxed and unfocused. The Pacers will take a quick jump on this and the series will be too far gone by the time Miami wakes up. I think the Pacers win the battle on the inside with Roy Hibbert. This is honestly a series that could go either way. With Paul George and David West I think the Pacers will win the back court as well. If the Pacers are going to win this series it has to be in six, if it goes to game seven Miami will take advantage. Pacers win in a close series 4-2.

 

Western Conference:

 

 

#2 San Antonio vs #5 Memphis

 

This is going to be a series of some great old school basketball. Both teams are going to play excellent defense and play with fundamentals on offense. Both teams will try to take advantage of the size and experience of their big men. There is no doubt that Memphis has the best front court in the NBA. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph not only play outstanding offense, but they work their butt off on the defensive side of the ball. It will be interesting to see how Tim Duncan responds to the defense of these big guys.

The Spurs are a fantastic team, but I do not think they have the size or energy to play with Memphis. I think the Grizzlies will wear them down in the first two games and then make their move. It will be important for the Spurs to perform well enough to give Duncan and Parker a rest. However, I think Memphis will take advantage of the time that Duncan and Parker spend on the bench and make it almost impossible to give them a breather. Zbo and Gasol are just too physical on the inside for any team to keep up, Memphis wins 4-2.

These series have the potential to make this one of the most entertaining Conference Finals in a long time! I am picking two underdogs, and I am feeling fully confident. Make sure you stay tuned in to see how our picks come out. Maybe I will finally beat CMan!

CMan's Conference Finals Matchups and Predictions

The Conference Finals have arrived. And the top seed in the West, the OKC Thunder, will be watching from home. There are two intriguing match ups though, so lets break them down.

First, The Eastern Conference:

 

#1 Miami vs #3 Indiana

 

If you asked before the Chicago series I would have said that Miami was beatable. I'm not so sure now. Miami dismantled a good Bulls team in four games after a surprising game 1 defeat in round two. It's not that they won the series, it's how they won. After losing the first game in Miami, the Heat won the next three by an average score of 102-80. The Bulls put up a fight in game 5 but they were playing for their season. The Heat won 94-91 and took the series 4-1.

 

 I said in the first round that I thought the Pacers were the only team in the East that could play with, and beat the Heat. They proved it in the regular season going 2-1 against Miami. However, Miami is unbeatable when they play as a team and play with purpose, especially in the East. This series could go 7 games with a Pacers victory or it could result in a quick Miami sweep in 4. This is a hard one to call because the nature of the Pacers play has a tendency to disrupt their opponent. I like Indiana, but I'm not ready to bet against the Heat yet. I say the series goes 6 games with the Heat winning one in Indiana. Miami makes it's third consecutive trip to the NBA Finals.

 

Miami Heat win, 4-2

 

The Western Conference:

 

 

#2 San Antonio vs #5 Memphis

 

This series pits the old Spurs against the young, stingy Grizzlies. San Antonio was pushed by a young, explosive Warriors team that really had nothing to lose. Memphis dispatched the number one seed OKC Thunder in 5 very competitive games. Frankly, if Westbrook is healthy, I don't think the Grizzlies make it out of the second round.

 

Memphis held the high scoring Thunder to just 89.6 points per game.  The Spurs averaged 102 against Golden State. San Antonio has more shooters than the Grizzlies can cover. Memphis will have to depend on Randolph and Gasol to give Tim Duncan and the rest of the Spurs big men fits. Duncan can't guard both and he will have a hard time scoring over them. The key to this series will be Parker and Ginobli. Memphis can't handle both at the same time. If both distribute effectively and score the series will go to the Spurs. Both benches have had success in the playoffs this year and are evenly matched. If "Pop" makes the right moves look for San Antonio to reach the NBA Finals for perhaps the last time in this era. I think home court makes all the difference in this series. I see a 7 game series going down to the wire.

 

San Antonio Spurs win, 4-3

 

We should have two very competitive series to enjoy. This is why they play the regular season. All four teams play defense and defense wins Championships. I say experience wins over youth in both conferences this year. LeBron James didn't move to Miami to win one championship and he is already 1-1 in Championship series. The clock is ticking in San Antonio and they know this might be the last chance this team has to win the big one. Memphis and Indiana are good teams but they are both in uncharted territory.  Their time will come, just not in 2013.



CMan's second round recap.

The NBA Playoff second round ended last night in Indianapolis and round three starts today in San Antonio. For many, the second round went the way they thought it would. For fans in OKC, the season ended a little too early. Lets take a look back at the second round games  and see how we did.

The Eastern Conference:

Miami vs Chicago ( Heat 4-1)

Chicago won the first game of this series  in Miami, in rather convincing fashion. The Bulls had just come off a game 7 in round 1. The Heat had been off for over a week. For a brief moment the Heat looked almost human. In reality, the Bulls woke a sleeping giant and reminded them that they still have to play the games. The Bulls lost the next four in a row and never got close to the Heat again.
CMan's pick: Heat 4-2.

Indiana vs New York (Pacers 4-2)

Indiana continues to methodically roll through the playoffs playing their game. No flash, no sparkle, just basketball. The Knicks tried to make a series out of it early but the end result was never in doubt. The Pacers are not shaken by any opponent or any single game. They seem to expect to win every game and when they lose, they just put the game away and prepare for the next. It's not pretty, but it wins.
CMan's pick: Pacers 4-2

The Western Conference:

Oklahoma City vs Memphis (Grizzlies 4-1)

Ugh.The loss of Russell Westbrook exposed a serious weakness in the Thunder lineup. Without number "0" the Grizzlies focused on Durant and begged the rest of the team to score. KD couldn't get off a decent shot all series and the rest of the starters never showed up at the same time. The bench was ineffective and no one could guard the Grizzlies back court. Gasol and Randolph were contained to an extent but the Memphis guards were explosive and hard to contain. The Thunder simply couldn't replace Westbrook's points consistently and never found an offensive rhythm. I picked the Thunder in this series but frankly, I was afraid of this Memphis team with Westbrook.

One final note, Leave Scott Brooks alone. As a Head Coach you spend 82 regular season games defining a rotation and team unity. You can't take away your floor general and expect to win multiple series. After all, I am confident that Phil Jackson would have won 8 straight titles in Chicago if  Michael Jordan had not decided to play baseball for two years. Ugh!
CMan's pick: Thunder 4-3

San Antonio vs Golden State (Spurs 4-2)

This series shocked the basketball world...for a little while. The Warriors were fresh off the dismantling of the Denver Nuggets and brimming with confidence. The Spurs, like the Heat enjoyed an extended break after the first round. I personally don't think that Denver would have lost the first round series to the Warriors had Gallinari not gone down (See Westbrook) and while they are young and exciting, they weren't going to beat the Spurs. Watch out nest season though. The Warriors and Head Coach Mark Jackson will be back and they will be better. The Spurs will be a year older.
CMan's pick: Spurs 4-2

I should have been undefeated in this round. My Thunder pick was a homer pick and wishful thinking. In reality, OKC went 3-6 without Westbrook. I was concerned about Memphis before the injury to Westbrook and the Houston series was a win either way.

Buster's Second Round Recap

The second round of the NBA playoffs have officially ended. Some people are very happy with the results, others (us Thunder fans) are not! Two out of the four series ended in upsets, although many people predicted them to happen. Take a look at how the second round went.

Eastern Conference:
#1 Miami vs. #5 Chicago (Heat in 5)
Miami handled this series just as everyone thought. I personally thought the series would go to seven. After Chicago stumped Miami in the first game I thought maybe the world was wrong. Miami came out agressive and focused for the next four games. Miami has now won four straight games twice in two years. They won four in a row last year after losing to the Thunder in game 1 of the Finals, and four games in a row this year after losing game 1 to the Bulls. They may have the best player in the world on their team (and every NBA official) but this will be their last series to win this season. The Heat averaged 97.4 points per game in this series.

#2 New York vs. #3 Indiana (Pacers in 6)
I love it when I am right! Indiana took a quick 3-1 lead in this series that looked as if they weren't gonna lose another game. Carmelo Anthony and JR Smith were no match for George Hill and David West as they won this series in game six. I again predicted this series to go to game 7, but I am completely happy with the outcome of this series. The Pacers are a team that could have beaten Miami at this time last year, but lost due to their inexperience and the lack of a solid big man. This team now has both, and with David West joining the roster they are ready to take on the defending champions. The Pacers averaged a low 89.5 points per game in this series.

I went a solid 2-0 in the East! Now lets take a look at how I did in the West...

Western Conference:
#1 Oklahoma City vs. #5 Memphis (Grizzles in 5)
This is one of those ones where I was right, but I am very sad that I predicted it right. I did pick them to beat the Thunder in game 7, but Memphis only needed five to send us on vacation. I am okay with losing to the Grizzlies. They will be in the Finals, and have the best chance of bringing a title home to the West. With the loss of Russell Westbrook and the poor play of all of our big men (not just Kendrick Perkins) we stood no chance against Mike Conley and the big men Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. They were way to physical for us inside and on the defensive side of the ball. Say what you want, but the Thunder got straight up out played and out hustled. The Grizzlies averaged 93.6 points per game in this series.

#2 San Antonio vs. #6 Golden State (Spurs in 6)
This was the only series that I did not pick correctly. Golden State gave the Spurs all they wanted and more. No doubt in my mind that if David Lee is healthy and playing that the Warriors win this series or at least send it to game 7. San Antonio slipped through this series do to their excellent shooting and experience. The big question is, can they keep this going now that they are tired? I'm not completely sure they can, but I am terrified to doubt them. When you have the best power forward of all time and the most points scored in the playoffs by a point guard on your team it is hard to pick against them. The Spurs averaged the most points in the second round with 102 per game!

I went 1-1 in the West, leaving my total at three out of four. CMan beat me again this round, but I will see if I can get him in the Conference Finals!

Buster's NBA Playoff Second Round Matchups and Predictions

The first round went pretty much as expected with the exception of two games. But who really thought that Golden State would come back on Denver, and that Blake Griffin and the Clippers would be out coached and not physical enough. The first round is all about craziness. Now that things are a little more serious, lets see how I can do on the second round predictions. Lets start with the East and save the conference everyone really cares about for last.

Eastern Conference:

#1 Miami vs. #5 Chicago
Being rested up and 100% is one of the most important parts of being successful in the playoffs. Miami is well rested after the sweep of the Bucks. Chicago however, will be winded considering they just closed out a seven game series against Brooklyn yesterday. This series may be more about the return of Derrick Rose, rather than how this series actually plays out. Even with the return of D Rose, the Bulls cannot hang with the Heat for seven games. Rose will not be in game shape, nor is he likely to be feeling 100% if he does get a few minutes here and there in this series. Chicago will give Miami all they want, but in the long run they are no match for the defense and explosive offense of Miami. Miami wins this series 4-2.

#2 New York vs. #3 Indiana
This series is the one to watch for this second round if you ask me. I strongly believe the winner of this series will beat Miami. Indiana was an outstanding team last year who barely lost to the Heat in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. They are eager to make it past this round of the tournament, and I think they will do so. As my buddy CMan mentioned Carmelo Anthony is having shoulder problems, and with JR Smith you never know what you are gonna get. One night he comes off the bench and shoots 50% for 19 points and the next he is shooting 21%. This is a series that very well could be finished in just five games. But having the scoring champion and the sixth man of the year will buy the Knicks two, maybe three games. The Pacers win this series 4-3

Western Conference:
#1 Oklahoma City vs. #5 Memphis
I have been dreading writing about this series ever since I found out we would be playing the Grizzlies. It is gonna come down to who I think will win this series, and who I want to win this series. Everything in me wants me to pick the Thunder to win this series, but Memphis is just too quick and physical on the inside. Without the offensive explosiveness of Russell Westbrook I think the Thunder will struggle to score against Tony Allen and the defensive player of the year Marc Gasol. Can the Thunder win this series? Absolutely, and I will be pulling for them as hard as I possibly can. Reggie Jackson will need to continue his play, while Nick Collison gets more minutes off the bench. Kevin Martin is going to have to step up like he did in game 6 against Houston, and Kendrick Perkins is going to have to shut down Zach Randolph on the defensive side of the ball. This series could go either way, but I think the Grizzlies win 4-3.(I hope I am wrong!)

#2 San Antonio vs. #6 Golden State
This is really going to be a fun series to watch! The slow and fundamental play of the Spurs, against the fast pace offense of the Warriors. I think that Golden State will win this series if they play their best possible basketball (I know, I know, I picked two upsets in the West). The question will be if they can play their best possible basketball and shut down Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Golden State averaged more points than anyone in the playoffs last round with 107.2 points per game. I really do not think that the Spurs can slow them down, or put up the amount of points that Golden State will. Again I am picking a seven game series, Golden State wins 4-3.

There it is, my second round predictions! Make sure you give us a follow on the top right side of the blog so you never miss any of the action! Keep checking in throughout the second round to see how we did on our predictions!

CMan's NBA Playoff Second Round Matchups and Predictions

The second round in the East looks like I thought it would. The West is another story. This could get interesting as several key players remain out and others return. There is even a rumor that Derrick Rose might suit up in Chicago..we will see.

Now my predictions for the second round.

Eastern Conference:

#1 Miami vs #5 Chicago

The Bulls gutted out a 7 game win over the Nets in Brooklyn, the Heat burned past a Bucks team that should have started summer vacation two weeks ago. The Heat are rested and ready to play, the Bulls are tired but battle tested. I think Chicago will test Miami but I don't think they have enough left in the tank to out last them in 7 games, even with Derrick Rose in uniform. The Bulls are resilient, especially in the post season, but the Heat are too strong and in the end, should close out Chicago 4-2.

#2 New York vs #3 Indiana

This should be an entertaining series. The Pacers toyed with the Hawks and finished the series when they decided too. The Knicks have home court in this series but they struggled at times with a very old Celtics team. Carmelo is having shoulder problems and you never know which JR Smith will show up. If the Pacers can steal one of the first two games in New York then they should have enough to turn the series in their favor and win it in 6. if they don't it should be a 7 game series. Either way, I like Indiana to win, 4-2.

Western Conference:

#1 Oklahoma City vs #5Memphis

This is why you play for home court advantage. The Thunder lost 2 of 3 to the Grizzlies in the regular season. Two of those games were in OKC. Memphis is a scary team and they play angry. The Thunder are a finesse team, playing without their most dynamic player, Russell Westbrook. Both teams played last night and have little time to prepare for each other. I don't know who has the prep advantage at this point, but I do know it's going to take a team effort to win by the Thunder. Reggie Jackson has played well in the absence of Westbrook but the rest of the starters are still feeling their way. The reserves are the ace in the hole for OKC, they are still pretty much intact and, if Derek Fisher continues to play like he did last night, the Thunder have a fighting chance. It will be a long and hard series but if OKC can play 4 games at the level they did against Houston in game six, they should come out on top. They are the better team. Thunder win, ugly, 4-3.

#2 San Antonio vs #6 Golden State

The Spurs come in well rested, the Warriors come in with a ton of confidence. This is the old Spurs against the New kids on the block. No one gave them a shot against the Nuggets and few will give them a chance against the Spurs. If the Warriors shooters get hot this could be a long series. If they can steal a game early in San Antonio they will have a chance, however, these are still the Spurs and they still have Duncan, Ginobli and Parker and as long as "Pop" is drawing up plays, I can't bet against them. Spurs win, 4-2.

There you have it good people. Good luck to all the teams! Check back after round two and we will get you prepped for the Conference finals.

For Buster.

Buster's First Round Recap

The first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs are officially over. Chicago defeated Brooklyn in game 7 to finish out the last game of the first round. Here is a quick recap of the first round and a look at how my predictions turned out.

Eastern Conference:

#1 Miami vs. #8 Milwaukee (Miami 4-0)
This is a series that I really just wanted to stir up some trouble with. I knew in my mind that the Heat would sweep the Bucks with no problems, but my heart told me that Milwaukee would steal one game. This is probably because of my great hatred towards LeBron and the franchise of Miami. Miami blew threw Milwaukee averaging 100 points per game. Perhaps even Bucks fans were smarter than me and knew they couldn't even pull off one win.

#2 New York vs. #7 Boston (New York 4-2)
No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit, but Boston fooled a lot of people into thinking it was possible. The Knicks took a 3-0 lead and it looked as if my prediction of a sweep was gonna happen. Boston fought back to take the next two games in a row. Just as everyone had jumped on the Celtics bandwagon, New York pulled off the fourth win in what was a close game until the finish. The Knicks averaged 87.6 points per game.

#3 Indiana vs. #6 Atlanta (Indiana 4-2)
I am gonna brag on my self for just a second and take the time to say that I successfully predicted this series at 4-2. I knew that Atlanta could not hang with the Pacers in the long run, but I knew they were good enough to steal two games at home. After all, Indiana is going to beat the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals! The Pacers averaged 94.5 points per game.

#4 Brooklyn vs. #5 Chicago (Chicago 4-3)
Just as I thought, the Bulls pulled out a win in a very tough series. Nate Robinson played outstanding like he has been and will continue to do so for this team. I did predict a 4-2 Bulls win, but I was not surprised to see this series go to game 7. Chicago is for real, and could pose a possible threat for the Heat in the second round. The Bulls averaged 97.4 points per game.

I would like to take a quick note and say that I predicted every matchup in the East correctly, as did my partner in crime CMan. At the end of this one I stand as 4-0. Now lets take a look at how I did in the West.

Western Conference:
#1 Oklahoma City vs. #8 Houston (Oklahoma City 4-2)
I don't think this series went as anyone planned it to go. With the loss of Russell Westbrook, losing two games in this series was definitely not the biggest loss. After Russ went out in game 2 we all knew this was no longer going to be an easy journey. However, I do not think anyone expected to see some of the worst Thunder basketball of the season. The Thunder did pull it out in the end averaging an amazing 105.8 points per game!

#2 San Antonio vs. #7 LA Lakers (San Antonio 4-0)
I again want to take the time and say that I predicted this series absolutely correct, because it is the only other time I did this. The Lakers had a hard enough time winning with Kobe, without him, no one though they had a chance in this one. San Antonio took care of business in four games and is rested up for their next series against Golden State. The Spurs averaged an outstanding 104 points per game!

#3 Denver vs. #6 Golden State (Golden State 4-2)
I could not have been more wrong in this one as I picked Denver to win 4-2. Golden State was a team that I enjoyed watching very much this season. I knew they were young and explosive, but I had no idea they had the ability to comeback and take over games like they did in this series. Mark my words, Golden State is a team to watch out for in the West! The Warriors averaged more than any other team in the playoffs with 107.2 points per game!

#4 LA Clippers vs. #5 Memphis (Memphis 4-2)
This is just one more series that I was way off on! Maybe I just picked the Clippers to win this series because of my love for Blake Griffin, I don't know! Memphis proved to be way to physical on the inside with Gasol and Randolph. The defense of Marc Gasol and Tony Allen was too much for the Clippers to handle, especially with Blake Griffin playing injured. Memphis averaged 100.2 points per game.

I finished at a sub par level of 2-2 in the West, and an overall record of 6-2. CMan may tell you that we ended up in a tie, but he was clearly our winner. CMan predicted three perfect series to my two perfect series. Keep an our out for our second round predictions to see who wins!

CMan's NBA First Round Recap

The first round play of the 2013 NBA playoffs are history with the Bulls game 7 victory over Brooklyn tonight. Here is a quick recap of the first round series and how my predictions fared.

We'll start in the East:

Miami vs Milwaukee. (Heat 4-0)

As I stated in my preview the Bucks, an under .500 regular season team, had no business in the playoffs and they proved me right by losing in a mostly uncontested sweep to the Heat. Miami hardly broke a sweat in the four games and looks like they are prepared to repeat as NBA Champions.

New York vs Boston. (Knicks 4-2)

The Celtics fought hard and played pretty well all series even managing a win in New York in game 5. However they lost the first 3 games and no team has recovered from a 3-0 first round deficit. The Knicks went on to win game 6 in Boston,  after losing 2 in a row,  to close out the Celtics 4-2.

Indiana vs Atlanta. (Pacers 4-2)

The Hawks were who I thought they were despite winning their first two home games to tie the series at 2-2. The loss in game 5 was to much too handle and they only partially showed up in game 6 in Atlanta. My guess, vacation plans were already in process. Atlanta continues to be a Major league city that plays well in all sports during the regular season but falters when it matters.

Brooklyn vs Chicago. (Bulls 4-3)

This series went as predicted. The Bulls and the Nets played a tough, nail biting series with both teams winning games on the others court. I predicted if the Bulls can get the series to a game 7 they would win, and they did. The 4 vs 5 match up is always a pick-em and this one didn't disappoint. It was the only series to go 7 games in the first round.

With the Bulls victory I go 4-0 in the East. I didn't fare as well in the West. No one saw the Warriors coming or the sudden loss of All-Star Russell Westbrook in OKC.

Now, The unpredictable West:

Oklahoma City vs Houston. (Thunder 4-2)

The loss of Westbrook sent shock waves through the entire NBA family. It's tough enough for the players to adapt to playing without their on court leader, imagine being Thunder Head Coach Scott Brooks. An NBA coach uses the 82 game regular season to fine tune the starting and reserve rotations for the playoffs, all of that preparation is thrown out. The game 3 win by OKC in Houston was an emotional one and put the Thunder up 3-0 in the series. Then reality set in as Houston wins games 4 and 5 with relative ease. It took good coaching and a gut check by the Thunder team to pull out a game 6 win in Houston. It took an entire team effort and that's what the Thunder got. With Westbrook,  this series is a sweep. No rest for the weary, The Grizzlies come calling tomorrow.

San Antonio vs Los Angeles Lakers. (Spurs 4-0)

The loss of Kobe Bryant in the season finale was devastating to the Lakers. Kobe guaranteed they would make the playoffs, and they did, but they were never going to beat the Spurs without him. It would have been an uphill battle with Bryant. In fact, the Lakers were so depleted by the end of the series even their own announcers weren't sure who was on the court. The result, a painfully easy sweep for the Spurs and it came with and extended rest for one of the oldest teams in the playoffs.

Denver vs Golden State. (Warriors 4-2)

I don't think very many people saw this coming with the possible exception of Warrior head coach Mark Jackson. Denver won a tight game 1 at home by 2 and then Golden state reeled off 3 consecutive wins going away. I don't think Denver knew what hit them. Perhaps the loss of Gallinari hurt more than I originally though or the Nuggets were looking past the Warriors. Denver managed to win game 5 at home put it only postponed the inevitable game 6 victory by the Warriors at home.

Los Angeles Clippers vs Memphis. (Grizzlies 4-2)

This series went a lot like my prediction. Tough, hard fought contest with a lot of pushing and shoving. At times it looked as if the Clippers Blake Griffin and the Grizzlies Zach Randolph were involved in an MMA championship fight.  However, I thought the Clippers would pull it out. I thought wrong. No one wants to play Memphis in a series, they are stingy defensively and they are...well...thugs. And, the Clippers were banged up going in. After winning the first two games in LA, holding Memphis to 91 each game, the Clippers looked good for a series win, however, once the Grizzlies got back to Memphis it all changed. Four games later and the Clippers were going on vacation.

So, I ended the Western Conference 2-2. My overall record stands at 6-2, not too bad. I think it just proves that the West is by far the stronger conference. Keep in mind though, it only takes one team to win it all.  Looks like Buster and I will tie in the first round. Stay tuned for my second round picks!


For Buster.