Something to look Forward to

Written By: Michael Jordan Miller 

In recent years, has there been more buzz surrounding the start of an NBA playoffs than what we have with this years? Even with only one or two standout series on paper in the first round, something just feels different about this year. Maybe it’s the last time that we will get to see these players until next year. And I’m not talking about next season; I’m talking about 2012. Or maybe it’s the first time the league can feel confident in life after the Kobe Bryant/Allen Iverson/Kevin Garnett/Shaquille O'neal era. Starting tomorrow the torch will officially be passed from the former elite teams of the Association (Celtics, Lakers, Mavericks, Spurs) to the new, young blood of the league (Bulls, Blazers, Grizzlies, Heat, Knicks, Thunder). The talent on these teams is truly remarkable. When you have Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook all in their primes and ALL in the playoffs there is certainly something to be excited about. Oh, and I forgot to mention Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett ALL in the same playoffs with the previously mentioned players. David Stern has to be, even in the midst of impending labor talks, grinning from ear to ear about his league’s future.

Which leads us to the start of the first round of tomorrow. Clearly the series that everyone is talking about is the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. With the Celtics limping to the finish line and the Knicks showing promise the last month of play, this appears to be a coin-flip between the three and six seeds of the Eastern Conference. Until you really look at the matchup. Let me be the first to jump back onto the Celtics bandwagon and say that they will either sweep the Knicks or beat them in five games. This is not your classic Phoenix Suns team that Mike D’Antoni likes to remind you that he is still trying to play like. His style of running and gunning has not and will continue to not work in the playoffs. All of those years making the playoffs in the Western Conference, with two-time MVP Steve Nash running his offense, and what does he have to show for it? The year people remember is the 2007 playoffs, when he took his team up against the methodical, boring San Antonio Spurs and everyone thought that was going to be their time. Everyone was wrong. Regardless of the controversy, the Suns once again did not make it to the finals. Actually, they didn’t even make the Conference Finals that year, as the series with the Spurs was a Semifinal matchup. I think that if need be the Celtics can play that up-tempo style offense that the Knicks love to play and in the same breath can slow down the game to the pace they want to play. That’s something the Knicks just can’t control. It’s one way or no way and that’s the reason why they aren’t in the top four seeds of the Eastern Conference. Notice how the Bulls, Celtics, Heat, Magic, and Hawks are all in the top ten of total defense in the NBA. Where do the Knicks rank? Tied for twenty-seventh with Golden State. Having two transcendent superstars in their primes is NOT going to save this team from Mike D’Antoni’s self. Are they fun to watch? Yes. Are they going to win a series this year? No.

The rest of the first round matchups shape up to pave the way for what looks to be one of the most closely contested and intriguing Semifinal rounds of all time. Don’t sleep on the Memphis Grizzlies, who basically chose their own fate and decided they wanted a shot at the top-seeded Spurs. They have been playing great, under the radar basketball for several months and have a great shot at taking out a hobbled Spurs team. The other intriguing matchup will involve the trendy pick to come out of the West, or at least make a run to the Conference Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets. As a fan of basketball, I have to say that this will be far and away the most exciting first round matchup. George Karl deserves some serious consideration into being named Coach of the Year, not only for getting his overachieving team to the fifth seed, but also dealing with all of the Melo-drama that consumed his team the first two-thirds of the season. I don’t think that the Kevin Durant/Russel Westbrook combination is going to be stopped in the first round again this year, but the Nuggets are going to go out swinging and I expect a classic series between the two. The rest of the first round series look to end up being chalk, in my opinion, as I think the upper-echelon teams are just that much more talented than the lower, especially in the East. I see the first round breaking down in this fashion:

Chicago Bulls over Indiana Pacers in 5 GAMES 
Miami Heat over Philadelphia 76ers in 6 GAMES 
Boston Celtics over New York Knicks in 5 GAMES 
Orlando Magic over Atlanta Hawks in 6 GAMES

San Antonio Spurs over Memphis Grizzlies in 7 GAMES 
Los Angeles Lakers over New Orleans Hornets in 4 GAMES 
Portland Trailblazers over Dallas Mavericks in 6 GAMES 
Oklahoma City Thunder over Denver Nuggets in 7 GAMES

Beyond the Lakers/Hornets series, this first round will feature some great individual games, especially in the three-six and four-five series in the West. But, this will all cultivate, as I said before, in one of the greatest Semifinal rounds of all time. You’re looking at Bulls/Magic, Heat/Celtics, Spurs/Thunder, and Lakers/Blazers in the second round. If that doesn’t get you excited for the start of tomorrow's playoffs I don’t know what else will.

Conference Championship Predictions: 

Los Angeles Lakers over Oklahoma City Thunder in 6 GAMES

Miami Heat over Chicago Bulls in 7 GAMES

NBA Finals Predictions: 

Los Angeles Lakers over Miami Heat in 6 GAMES

MVP: Kobe Bryant