2008 NBA Playoffs Preview

After one of the most exciting NBA seasons in recent memory, it’s finally time for the Playoffs! We’ve witnessed one of the tightest MVP races of all time, and since there still isn’t a clear cut favorite, the debate will inevitably continue for the next few weeks. The two teams that have historically achieved the greatest success, the Lakers and Celtics, are back on top once again. The Lakers were tops out west this year, and the Celtics finished with the best overall record in the league. Boston also completed the best single-season turnaround in NBA history as well. Finally, the Western Conference race was undeniably one of the most competitive in NBA History. There was a lengthy span during the year where eight teams were within three games of each other, and even today as the regular season ends, seeds 1-6 are only separated by two and a half games.

Now for the question everyone is asking: Who will win the NBA title this year?

Eastern Conference:

Boston Celtics (1) vs. Atlanta Hawks (8) – 8 games below .500, yet the Hawks are still in the playoffs. You gotta love the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately for the Atlanta, they get the chance to play the Celtics in the first round. The Hawks are a young team, and outside of Mike Bibby, they have with very little playoff experience. On the other hand, the Celtics are comprised mostly of veterans. This team has many playoff games under their belt, along with three superstars that are hungry for a championship. It doesn’t look very promising for the Hawks. In addition, not only does Boston have home court advantage, but the Celts have won all three games these two teams have played this year. Boston has also been extremely hot through the end of the season; although their starters have been resting quite a bit lately, the team has still been victorious in 11 out of their last 12 games. On the contrary, no one expects Atlanta to win, so the pressure is all on the Celtics. Atlanta has a very talented and athletic squad that will be competitive for years, but Boston is a much superior team in nearly every aspect of the game, and won’t allow this to be much of a series.
My prediction – Celtics in 4

Detroit Pistons (2) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (7) – Although they’ve been struggling lately, Detroit still comes in with the second best record in the NBA. It seems like every year, Detroit coasts through the end of the regular season and waits until the playoffs to really turn it on. The Pistons are healthy right now, the starters are well-rested, and unlike the past, it appears that Detroit actually has a reliable bench this year. As for Philadelphia, they’ve a very young team with very little (if any) playoff experience. The 76ers have also lost seven of their last ten to end the season, including four straight losses. Plus, besides Igoudala, Philly doesn’t have many options on offense – The Pistons tenacious defense should eat them alive. Philly did split the season series with Detroit 2-2, so the Sixers have proven that they can play with these guys, which is why they probably won’t be swept. In the end, it’s all going to come down to playoff experience, and the Pistons will prevail.
My prediction – Pistons in 5

Orlando Magic (3) vs. Toronto Raptors (6) – The Magic won two out of the three games these teams played this season, and although they haven't been at their best lately, Orlando still finished with the third best record in the Eastern Conference. Dwight Howard’s play is the key to a Magic victory – he needs to realize that no one on the Raptors can guard him, especially not Chris Bosh, so he has the ability to completely dominate offensively in this series. Along with Howard, the rest of Orlando’s frontcourt is very talented as well, so Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turgoglu shouldn't have any issues against the Raptors either. Toronto shouldn’t be taken for granted though. In guards TJ Ford and Jose Calderon, the Raptors have a big advantage over Orlando at this position. If Ford and Calderon can control the tempo in the games, as well as get some good looks for their teammates, Toronto can pull off an upset. Since the Raptors are a very soft team, they live and die by their three pointers and jump shots. When this team gets hot, they can beat any team in the league. However, if Toronto’s shots aren't falling, this will not be a very competitive series. This first round matchup could very well go either way, but Howard and the Magic should edge out Toronto.
My prediction - Orlando in 6

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. Washington Wizards (5) – What does LeBron need to do in Cleveland to get at least one decent player added to his team? If only he had a David West, Carlos Boozer, Paul Gasol... hell, even a Hedo Turgoglu playing alongside him. It's simply amazing that he's averaged nearly eight assists with the supporting cast that he has. Cleveland has not been playing well lately. It's not surprising that James' back is ailing, he's been carrying the team single-handedly all season, and it's finally catching up to him. The only player on the team that can regularly hit a wide open shot has been Daniel Gibson, who's been injured for nearly the entire second Half. As for the Wizards, they finally appear to be healthy, which isn't a good sign for the Cavs. Antwan Jamison has played probably the best season of his career, Caron Butler was an all-star this year, and Gilbert Arenas at 50% is still better than any of the Cavs options. Sorry, LeBron, even though you carried the Cavs into the NBA Finals last year, you're going to need help simply getting out of the first round this year. My prediction - Wizards in 6.

Western Conference:

Lakers vs. Nuggets - This probably won't be a tight series, however it should be exciting to watch. The Nuggets are one of the few times that can nearly match up with Los Angeles in terms of size, but that won't really matter, since Denver doesn't play defense...ever. Look for Kobe, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and potentially even Sasha Vujacic to seriously pad their stats in this series. It's also important to note that the Lakers convincingly beat Denver all three times they played this year, so the Nuggets have yet to prove that they can even be competitive against L.A. Since Denver does have Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, and a great coach, look for a few of the games to be close. The end result of this series should be a sweep though.
My prediction – Lakers in 4

New Orleans Hornets (2) vs. Dallas Mavericks (7) – This series has upset written all over it. The Mavericks have a gigantic advantage in terms of playoff experience, especially in Jason Kidd and Devean George, who have played in the NBA Finals a few times. A second advantage that Dallas has is their reserves. Not only do the Mavs have a great bench, but these guys are all veterans, decent players that have regularly competed in the post season. Eddie Jones, Jason Terry, Juwan Howard and Devean George are all players that can be relied on if there are any injuries or starters in foul trouble. Plus, after their first round upset last year, Dallas is going to want this victory more than their opponent. New Orleans is a great team, they overachieved immensely by locking up the second seed in the west, and have played consistently well all season. The Hornets biggest issue is that they aren’t very deep – besides Chris Paul and David West, they don’t have many other offensive options. Tyson Chandler is a solid rebounder and defender, Peja can hit the open shot, and Bonzi Wells is a decent sixth man, but none of these guys are reliable on a regular basis. Due to depth and experience, along with clutch play by their superstar Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs will win this matchup.
My prediction - Dallas in 6

San Antonio (3) vs. Phoenix (6) – Congratulations to Phoenix for finally addressing their biggest need. In acquiring Shaquille O’Neal, a big man that can play defense in the paint, the Suns finally have a player that can guard the elite power forwards and centers in the west. This leaves Amare Stoudemire, averaging 28ppg and 10 rebounds since the Shaq trade, free to focus entirely on offense. If this was 2004, Phoenix would be the favorite to win the 2008 NBA Finals. Unfortunately Shaq’s skills have been declining significantly the past few years, and while he may be big enough to defend Tim Duncan, his lack of quickness poses a big liability. As a result, even more so than in the past, Shaq frequently finds himself in foul trouble. This leads to Stoudemire being forced to cover Tim Duncan, and if this is a matchup that occurs for the majority of this series, Duncan will average 40 points per game and the Spurs are going to win convincingly. San Antonio ended the season very strong, even with the injury to Manu Ginobili. One can’t forget that the Spurs are still the reigning NBA Champions as well. At least in the playoffs, they seem to have Phoenix’s number, responsible for ending the Suns’ season in three out of the past four years. The Spurs live for big games - Ginobili is one of the best clutch players in the NBA, Duncan always rises to the occasion in playoff games, and Tony Parker is a great point guard with a ton of postseason experience. As for the Suns, they have improved quite a bit since their loss in the 2007 Playoffs. The team has added Grant Hill, a very talented player, and Gordon Giricek, a shooter that fits very well in their offense. Additionally, Phoenix is far too tough and experienced to be taken lightly because of their low seeding, and Steve Nash isn’t going to go down without a fight. If the Suns are going to beat San Antonio, this year is their best chance, but expect the Spurs to win this series.
My prediction – Spurs in 6

Utah Jazz (4) vs. Houston Rockets (5) – Sorry, T-Mac, but I don’t think this is your year to finally win a playoff matchup. This year, however, it’s not your fault. The Jazz are a very tough matchup for the Rockets. Houston is well known for its focus on defense, but their lack of size will be a big issue against Utah. The Rockets don’t have anyone that can guard Carlos Boozer – Mutombo isn’t quick enough and Luis Scola is giving up 30 pounds to him, so Boozer will be able to punish them both in the paint. Deron Williams is much bigger and far more talented than any of the Rocket’s point guards, so expect him to put up some big numbers as well. In addition, the key to Houston’s defense, Shane Battier, is best against shooting guards and small forwards who play on the perimeter. Utah’s strength is in its point guard and post players, and they don’t have any key guys at either of those positions, so Battier shouldn’t be much of a factor on the defensive end. While the Jazz are very deep, the injury to Yao Ming left the Rockets with no other consistent scoring options besides Tracy McGrady, which is going to pose another problem for Houston. Facing constant double and triple teams, T-Mac won’t have many good looks on offense, so the rest of the team needs to hit their open shots in order for these games to even be close. The Jazz cannot be beaten at home, notching a 37-4 record in Salt Lake City, so don’t expect Houston to win any games there. Since Utah doesn’t play particularly well on the road, this series probably won’t be a sweep, but Utah should dominate fairly easily.
My prediction – Utah in 5

- Scottie