NBA Standings: 1/17/14

Eastern Conference: (GB)= Games Back
*Weekly Notable: Indiana has the best record in the NBA, despite playing in perhaps the weakest Eastern Conference of all time.

Atlantic:
Toronto:20-18(0GB)
Brooklyn:16-22(4GB)
New York:15-25(6GB)
Boston:14-27(8GB)
Philadelphia:13-26(8GB)

Central:
Indiana:31-7(0GB)
Chicago:18-20(13GB)
Detroit:16-23(16GB)
Cleveland:15-25(17GB)
Milwaukee:7-31(24GB)

Southeast:
Miami:28-11(0GB)
Atlanta:20-19(8GB)
Washington:19-19(9GB)
Charlotte:17-24(12GB)
Orlando:10-30(19GB)

Western Conference:(GB)= Games Back
*Weekly Notable: After the Thunder lose two games in one week, Portland and San Antonio are tied for the best record in the West.

Northwest:
Portland:30-9(0GB)
Oklahoma City:30-10(1GB)
Denver:20-19(10GB)
Minnesota:18-21(12GB)
Utah:14-27(17GB)

Pacific:
LA Clippers:28-13(0GB)
Golden State:25-16(3GB)
Phoenix:22-17(5GB)
LA Lakers:15-25(13GB)
Sacramento:14-24(13GB)

Southwest:
San Antonio:31-9(OGB)
Houston:26-15(6GB)
Dallas:24-17(8GB)
Memphis:20-19(11GB)
New Orleans:15-23(15GB)

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 NBA Playoff First Round Matchups and Predictions

It's Playoff time again in the NBA! Welcome to the longest and most drawn out playoff format in professional sports. But, it's why they play the regular season.

I am going to do a quick breakdown of the first round match ups with predictions. Buster and I will be going head to head throughout the playoffs. May the best (or luckiest) man win.

To keep you interested, I am going to start in the East. This should force you to read all match ups until I get to the one everybody is waiting for, The Oklahoma City Thunder.

Here we go;

THE EASTERN CONFERENCE:

#1 Miami (66-16)  vs #8 Milwaukee (34-44)

 To begin with, any team that can't play .500 basketball during the regular season shouldn't qualify for the playoffs. But, we don't make the rules and they do need 8 teams to be fair. On the other hand, if the Heat were given a bye in this round, the results would be the same. The Bucks are a scrappy team but the Heat will want to take advantage of extra rest by sending the Bucks fishing early. Miami wins in a sweep, 4-0.

#2 New York (54-28) vs #7 Boston (41-40)

The Celtics have an emotional edge in this first round match up. The Boston marathon bombings are fresh in the minds of every American and the loss of Rajon Rondo for the season spurred Boston to pretty decent play in his absence. However, the emotion of recent events will probably only last until the tip-off of game 3 in The Garden, and maybe not even then if the Celtics limp in 0-2. Carmelo Anthony proved in the last half of the season that he can do what he wants if he puts his mind to it. The supporting staff led by Tyson Chandler will have winning on their mind and nothing else. I think emotion will give Boston at least 1 win in the series, maybe 2. The Garden remains one of the toughest home court advantages in the East and the Celtics still have Pierce and Garnett. But, it won't be enough to win the series. Knicks win 4-2.

#3 Indiana (49-32) vs  #6 Atlanta (44-38)

The Pacers are the best bet to unseat the Heat in the East this year. The Pacers won 2 of 3 from Miami this season and played them well. But,  they have to get past the Hawks first. The Atlanta Hawks, much like their NFL counterpart the Falcons, seem to play well in the regular season but falter in the playoffs. The Pacers pose a real threat. They are a complete team with out a real stand out superstar. They play solid team defense and score enough to win more often than lose. They are a tough match up for anyone. The Pacers have their eyes on a trip to Miami in the conference finals and they will see this series as warm up. I'll give the Hawks a game at home but I see the Pacers winning easy in the series. Pacers win 4-1.

#4 Brooklyn (49-33) vs #5 Chicago (45-37)

This series is a tough one to call. The Nets have been up and down this year and the Bulls have been dealt some bad breaks. The Bull's have proven that they can win in the playoffs with out Rose and win big. They went in to the playoffs last year as the team no one wanted to play, they come in this year the same way. I'm not sold on the Nets yet and won't be till they win a series. The Bulls have history and tradition, the Net's have a new name and address. I'm going to call this a back and forth series coming down to a 7th and deciding game. If the Bulls can get it to a game 7,  I say they take the series. Chicago, in a tough series, 4-3.


THE WESTERN CONFERENCE:


#1 Oklahoma City (60-22) vs #8 Houston (45-37)

I'll try not to be a homer here. When you look at this match up from a purely statistical standpoint, it's pretty darn even. Heck,  the Rockets even top the Thunder in several statistical categories. I covered most of Oklahoma City's weaknesses in my previous blog. They seem to have corrected most of them in the last two weeks of the season. This is the first round of the playoffs - statistics are thrown out the window, at least for the first couple of games. The Thunder tasted both sweet success and bitter defeat last year and they want redemption. They are a better team than the Rockets and when they play to their potential, they don't often get beat. They also have recent, valuable playoff experience that the Rockets lack. I'll give the Rockets a home win, just for the Harden factor, but the Thunder win the rest. OKC  wins 4-1.

#2 San Antonio (58-24) vs #7 LA Lakers (45-37)

Once the Spurs realized that the Thunder would likely take the top seed, they promptly secured the #2 seed by losing a couple of their last games. Kobe Bryant predicted that the Lakers would reach the playoffs, and they did, but they will have to go forward with out him. the Lakers did win their last game against the Rockets,  assuring that they wouldn't have to face their nemesis in Oklahoma City. LA has no desire to play the Thunder in a series. They won't fare much better with the Spurs. Popovich doesn't lose many series, especially in the first round. The Lakers can play well without Kobe, but not against quality competition, and not for a 7 game series. Will the Lakers win a game? Maybe. Will they challenge for the series? No. Spurs win, 4-1.

#3 Denver (57-25) vs #6 Golden State (47-35)

This should be a lopsided series in favor of the Nuggets. George Karl knows playoff basketball and Denver plays tough all the time. The loss of Gallinari will be tough to overcome in a 7 game series but Denver should find a way. Golden State is a good team but they don't have the year in year out playoff experience that the Nuggets do. The Warriors will compete but, in the end, the the Nuggets should win the series pretty easily. In fact, Denver in a sweep, 4-0.

#4 LA Clippers (56-26) vs #5 Memphis (56-26)

This series matches two teams that couldn't be any different. The high flying Clippers against the stingy, defensive minded Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are the team that no one wants to play in the West. They are playoff hardened and hungry. The Clippers are coming off a record season for the historically worst team in the West. They do have the best all round point guard in Chris Paul and the ever improving Blake Griffin. The Grizzlies counter with attitude and a simple lack of fear for any opponent. If the Clippers play fast, team ball and Paul controls the environment,  they will win. However, I think this comes down to a game 7 in the City of Angels. Clippers win, in a tough series, 4-3.

There you have it. If you were looking for a stat filled blog with statistical reasons for winners and losers, I apologize but that blog would have been long and boring. Hey, It's the first round. We will get a little deeper in to the numbers in the latter rounds, when they really matter.

I still believe the Oklahoma City Thunder will get through the West and claim their second consecutive Western Conference Championship. I'm not so sure about the Heat. They can't be near as hungry as they were last year. Although, they have proven that they can turn their game on and off at will. The Pacers and Knicks will have something to say about it before the dust settles. If I am wrong, get ready for a rematch of last years NBA finals.

For Buster.

Thunder Update 7: Final Two Games

The Oklahoma City Thunder now has a one game lead over the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the Western Conference. With a win over the Sacramento Kings tonight the Thunder will clinch the one seed for the first time since moving to Oklahoma City. Getting the one seed in the playoffs is a huge step forward for this organization. It shows that even as good as a season that we had last year, there is still much room for improvement. The Thunder are really coming along as a team and cleaning up the sloppy mistakes they were making a month ago. Oklahoma City has had a solid season of basketball, but they are peaking to their best ability right before playoff time. This is exactly what needs to happen in order for the Thunder to get another shot at the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

The Thunder’s last game was against Portland in Oregon. Oklahoma City won by a score of 106-90. The Thunder swept the season series winning all four games, and scoring over 100 points three of the four victories. Russell Westbrook played an outstanding game scoring 33 points, 17 of which came in the third quarter. Oklahoma City clinched their third straight division title after the game when the Mavericks defeated the Nuggets 108-105 in overtime. Durant recorded 16 points and 5 rebounds as he “joked” around through the majority of this game. Reggie Jackson was the second leading scorer on the night with 17 points. Jackson also had 4 rebounds and 2 assists.

There are only two games remaining in the regular season, both are at home for the Thunder. As if it wasn’t important enough to finish out the season on a win streak, now the Thunder need a must win in order to clinch the one seed. The Thunder has played very well this season against the Kings as they lead the season series 2-0. The Kings are still in their normal state of being as they continue to struggle this season. Sacramento has a record of 28-52 and is currently on a two game losing streak. If the Thunder plays a decent game they will come out of this with a win and the number one seed in their pockets. Almost the same situation as the game against the Kings, the Thunder will play the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Wednesday night for the final game of the regular season. Neither of these teams matches up well against Oklahoma City. If the Thunder does not finish the season on a win streak, I think it is safe to say that it will be more than just a disappointment.

If you do not already know that Kevin Durant does not care about the scoring title at all, then I will go ahead and tell you now. Durant bluntly said in a press conference regarding Carmelo Anthony about the scoring title “he can have it!” Durant could care less about winning his fourth scoring title if it means that his team will be better as a direct result of it. Durant is currently in second place in scoring in the league with 28.1 points per game, just .6 behind the leader Carmelo Anthony. It is nearly impossible for Durant to win it at this point, even if he wanted to. Serge Ibaka is currently the leagues leader in blocked shots with 3.06 per game and will most likely stay that way through the remainder of the season. Russell Westbrook is tied for sixth in the league in assists with 7.5 per game. With the ability of Durant to score thirty points on any given night, with Ibaka to defend the paint better than anyone else, and Russell not only scoring but sharing the ball, there is no reason why the Thunder should not be able to make another run for the NBA Title.


Here are the current standings through 80 games:
*4/15/13 Note Worthy: Oklahoma City takes a one game lead over the Spurs for the best record in the West.
Eastern Conference Standings:

Atlantic:
New York(53-27)
Brooklyn(47-33)
Boston(41-39)
Philadelphia(33-47)
Toronto(32-48)

Central:
Indiana(49-31)
Chicago(43-27)
Milwaukee(37-43)
Detroit(28-52)
Cleveland(24-56)

Southeast:
Miami(64-16)
Atlanta(44-36)
Washington(29-51)
Orlando(20-60)
Charlotte(19-61)


Western Conference Standings:

Southwest:
San Antonio(58-22)
Memphis(54-26)
Houston(45-35)
Dallas(40-40)
New Orleans(27-54)

Northwest:
Oklahoma City(59-21)
Denver(55-25)
Utah(42-38)
Portland(33-37)
Minnesota(30-50)

Pacific:
LA Clippers(54-26)
Golden St.(45-35)
LA Lakers(44-37)
Sacramento(28-52)
Phoenix(24-56)

The Thunder are a great team.........of players.

During the Thunder/Pacers game the other night an interesting stat was flashed on the screen.The stat illustrated that the Thunder were the fourth worst team in the NBA at assist per field goal made at just over 56%. Oddly enough, the Thunders next opponent, the New York Knicks were the worst. The Spurs lead the NBA at just over 65%.  For the Record the Thunder's ratio in Sunday's loss to the Knicks was 51% to New York's 48%.

Anyone that knows me as a person and a coach will tell you that I am a team guy. If you follow my Thunder tweets,  I constantly mention the number, or lack of, helpers. I'm not just looking at the guards for helpers, they should come from everyone. The Knicks beat the Thunder Sunday, in part, by ball movement. They found the open shooter more often than not. Having said that, It would be unfair to not point out that while they found the open man, the shots didn't always fall. The Knicks put up 93 shots to the Thunder's 78. OKC was certainly more efficient. However, we do have some glaring weaknesses that are not shared by past NBA Champions or other championship contenders. Allow me to break them down.

Team ball....

This is a team sport and, as such, requires the participation of each man on the court. Otherwise, we should just throw Durant and Westbrook out there by themselves and call it a game. Any one up for a little 2 on 5? I didn't think so. To be fair, the Thunder do play a great game of team ball..most of the game. And, when they do, they are almost unbeatable. But, it is my contention, that Champions play team ball for an entire game. The Spurs do,  but their age is catching up to them. The Heat can turn it on and off like a light switch and they do, depending on their mood or opponent. in fact, our reserves often keep or increase a lead by playing really good team ball. A big reason the reserves play solid team ball is that Durant and Westbrook are on the bench and outside of Kevin Martin we don't have a real go to guy on the second or third team. To put it simply, they have to.

Extended isolation....

Our starters, on the other hand, seem to depend to much on isolation plays or taking quick jumpers. When it works its great. When is doesn't, the quick jumper leads to short possession's and almost always a defensive rebound, in part because the rest of our team hasn't had time to get back to the paint and block out. It also typically provides a fast break opportunity for the opponent. The isolation play allows the defense to stack on the player with the ball and freezes the rest of our players as they literally watch the isolation play unfold. This usually leads to a poor shot, a deflection or a steal. If the shot does hit the rim, our players, still frozen, are often not in position to fight for the rebound.

Panic Ball......

Our starters have a tendency to try and speed up the game when they are behind. It's as if they are attempting to take the lead in a series of quick possessions. They seem to forget that an NBA game is a long game and leads are built with a combination of sustained offensive efficiency and defensive stops. This behavior typically leads to quick, contested shots, sloppy passing and turnovers. Panic ball is easily recognizable. It is usually led by Westbrook and is followed by the, now famous, chorus of fans bemoaning the Westbrook groan that can be heard throughout the Thunder nation. The scene unfolds like this; Westbrook receives an outlet pass from a rebound and quickly races to his favorite spot at the top corner of the paint and releases a frantic jumper that, usually misses, and is quickly rebounded by the opponent. On occasion he will pass to a heavily guarded Durant, who either puts up a quick three or turns the ball over. in either case the success rate is probably less than 20% and leads to a Brooks timeout.

The Opponents offensive rebound...

Consider this interesting, but scary pair of stats. The Thunder are #2 in the league at denying opponents a defensive rebound, but are 28th in the league at preventing the opponents offensive rebound.  In most cases we are headed to our offensive end as the opponent shoots in anticipation of a fast break opportunity leaving our opponent by themselves to get the rebound and put back. Translation - Our guys grab our missed shots at a pretty high pace but they also allow the opponent to grab more of their misses. The result is that we are every bit as good on our offensive end as we are bad on our defensive end at getting and giving second chance shots. Unfortunately we are 28th in the league in second chance scoring.

The turnover...

The turnover is probably our biggest Achilles heel. Kevin Durant has increased his rebounding totals and assist numbers this year by  astonishing margins. he has also become a turnover machine as a result. As a team the Thunder rank 28th in turnovers (15.1 per game), 27th in assist to turnover ratio (1.385) and 25th in turnovers per possession (1 every 15.9). Most of our turns are the result of ill advised passes in to the paint. The others are mainly poor ball handling. Turnovers have plagued the Thunder from the beginning of their existence. Too many - too often.

Am I being to hard?......

Look, the Thunder are a championship caliber team. They have won consecutive division titles and are in position for a third. They have a conference championship and played for the NBA title. Fifty wins a season has become common for this team and they win in the toughest conference in the NBA. They have proven themselves to be solid contenders for an NBA title every year. However, the weaknesses in their game are real and not shared by the other top teams in the NBA.

The pass....

I've been a soccer coach for years and the first lesson I teach my teams is that the ball moves faster than a defender. Passing is the best offensive weapon you have and the better you are at passing, the more dangerous the weapon. You end up forcing the defense to chase the ball,  preventing them from solidifying a defensive position. And, it wears them out. The same philosophy applies to basketball. The Knicks proved that on our floor Sunday afternoon.The Spurs and Heat show us every time we play them. Efficient ball movement, coupled with timely and effective picks, opens passing lanes, driving lanes and leaves shooters with mostly uncontested shots.

Rebounding....

This is a no-brainer. Offensive rebounding extends the possession and enhance scoring chances. Most are simple put backs by the rebounder. Perimeter chances are enhanced by the fact that the defense is in the paint and not guarding the perimeter allowing for timely passes out for efficient jumpers. Defensive rebounding simply results in a stop. The more stops we get the better chance we have to win. We can start the fast break but our bigs need to stay back and protect our paint.

The good news...

When we play as a team we are really good. When we play as a team we can beat anyone, and usually do. Our team is still very young despite our success. A lot of our mistakes can be explained by youth and a growing mental toughness. Russell Westbrook is a great example a player whose growth in mental toughness has been experienced by every Thunder fan. Our coach is still young and growing in his profession. Scott Brooks and the team have progressed every year and I am confident that Sam Presti and Clay Bennett will continue to make more good decisions than bad ones. I know we, as fans, want it all now but we must remain patient. Consider that Michael Jordan played 6 years before winning his first championship. LeBron James waited 8 years and played for two teams before he won his first. Patience. Will we win the NBA championship this year? I don't know. But, I am confident that we are doing the little things required each and every day, in games and practice, that will eventually result in one or more Championship rings.

For Buster.

Thunder Update 6

The Oklahoma City Thunder are now on a five game winning streak heading into tomorrows game against the San Antonio Spurs. Oklahoma City now has a record of 47-16, and things are only going to get better this season. Earlier today the Thunder defeated Kendrick Perkins former team the Celtics. The Thunder won 91-79, which is a way better outcome than the last time they played in Boston (Boston won 108-100). Kevin Durant recorded yet another double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds, which was complimented by Russell Westbrook's 15 points in this double digit victory. The Celtics limited the Thunder's average of 107 points per game (an NBA best) to 91, but the outstanding defensive effort throughout the game made it enough to get a comfortable win.

Monday nights game will be no easy win, but will most likely be the deciding matter to whether or not the Thunder get the first or second seed in the West. The Thunder will come into the game only being behind one game for the number one spot in the West. Winning this game will not only tie up the race for first, but also give the Thunder a huge mental edge heading into the post season. Oklahoma City does have one thing going in their favor as they head into the house of the best home record in the NBA... San Antonio's leading scorer Tony Parker will not be playing due to his ankle injury a few days ago. There is a debate about whether or not having home court advantage effects the Thunder considering they didn't have it last year and defeated the Spurs in six games. When asking Kendrick Perkins about the situation he states "It's important, no matter how guys try to look at it". Tomorrow will be the third matchup between these two teams this season (the fourth will be played on April 4th), the Spurs won the first game 86-84 in San Antonio, and the Thunder took the second one 107-93 in OKC. It is clear that this is a must win for OKC. Kevin Durant is only averaging 21 points per game this season against San Antonio (which is a Western Conference low). Russell Westbrook will have to have a huge game giving lots of helpers (as CGilmartin likes to call them) to the outside shooters, and the trees inside the paint.

Oklahoma City seems to be meshing well with the new comers on the team. Derek Fisher has proven that he can give valuable minutes to the team. Am I saying he is a guy who deserves first half playing time? No, not at all! He brings great experience and leadership to the team, but he is not a guy who needs to be in a tight first half situation. Fisher is averaging 4.6 points per game to go along with 2 rebounds per game and 1.6 assist. Fisher could give us that push that lead us to the finals last year. Ronnie Brewer is only getting 8:30 minutes per game, which is a lot less than I personally expected. Brewer is bringing 1.7 points per game and 1.3 steals per game to the table. Now to our franchise players... Kevin Durant is still doing what he does leading the league in scoring with 28.5 points per game. Durant recently recorded his second career triple-double although it did come as a Thunder loss. Russell Westbrook is still holding his ground at fifth in the league in assist with 7.7 per game. Our defensive player of the year candidate Serge Ibaka remains in second place for blocks per game with 2.95.

Here are the current standings through 63 games:
*3/11/13 Note Worthy: Oklahoma City moves within one game behind the Spurs for best record in the West
Eastern Conference Standings:

Atlantic:
New York(38-22)
Brooklyn(37-26)
Boston(34-28)
Toronto(25-39)
Philadelphia(23-39)

Central:
Indiana(39-24)
Chicago(35-28)
Milwaukee(32-29)
Detroit(23-41)
Cleveland(21-42)

Southeast:
Miami(47-14)
Atlanta(34-28)
Washington(20-41)
Orlando(18-46)
Charlotte(13-50)

Western Conference Standings:

Southwest:
San Antonio(48-15)
Memphis(42-19)
Houston(34-30)
Dallas(29-33)
New Orleans(22-42)

Northwest:
Oklahoma City(47-16)
Denver(42-22)
Utah(32-31)
Portland(29-33)
Minnesota(21-39)

Pacific:
LA Clippers(44-20)
Golden St.(35-29)
LA Lakers(33-31)
Phoenix(22-41)
Sacramento(22-43)

NBA Standings 1/24/13

Eastern Conference Standings

Atlantic:
New York(25-14)
Brooklyn(26-16)
Boston(20-21)
Philadelphia(17-25)
Toronto(15-27)

Central:
Chicago(25-16)
Indiana(26-17)
Milwaukee(22-18)
Detroit(16-26)
Cleveland(11-32)

Southeast:
Miami(27-12)
Atlanta(24-18)
Orlando(14-27)
Charlotte(10-32)
Washington(9-31)

Western Conference Standings

Southwest:
San Antonio(34-11)
Memphis(27-14)
Houston(22-22)
Dallas(18-24)
New Orleans(14-28)

Northwest:
Oklahoma City(33-10)
Denver(26-18)
Utah(23-19)
Portland(21-21)
Minnesota(17-22)

Pacific:
LA Clippers(32-11)
Golden St.(26-15)
LA Lakers(17-25)
Sacramento(16-27)
Phoenix(14-28)

NBA Finals!

The NBA Finals are here! I am very excited to see one of the best offense from the West, play against the best offense in the East. The Mavs are not going to have the mis matches that they had against the Thunder. These two teams are going to match up very well against eachother. This game is going to be a battle of the defenses. Should the teams play their best defense players or play offensive threats to put points on the board.

Who will match up on eachother? If your asking me you start out with LeBron guarding Dirk. As the game goes they will need to rotate Bosh and LeBron on him. Dirk cannot guard Lebron, however he may be able to guard Bosh. Who will gaurd LeBron? I think that Dallas will start Marion on LeBron. Marion will have to be quick, and stay out of foul trouble. The last matchup I will cover is the point guard position. Jason Kidd and Mike Bibby will guard eachother in this series.

This series is going to be a great one to watch. It is a real hard one for me to pick. I am going to pick Dallas to win this series in six games. Stay tuned for more coverage of the NBA Finals.