2. Miami Heat vs. 1. Chicago Bulls

Record wise they were the two best teams in the East this year.  Others would argue that they are the two best teams left in the playoffs.  That might be true, but only one can represent the East in the Finals.  Miami is riding both LeBron James and Dwayne Wade throughout these playoffs.  If either one has an off series, the Heat will be doomed to the exits.  Chris Bosh has to play better.  He seemed frazzled when Miami played in Boston and admitted as much after Game 3.  However, he recovered nicely and the Heat didn’t miss a beat winning in 5 games.  If that happens again at any point going forward the Heat won’t put up much of a fight.  They will continue to need contributions from James Jones, Joel Anthony and Mario Chalmers off the bench as well to clinch the East.

Chicago can’t expect Derrick Rose to continue to do it all by himself.  Chicago needs Carlos Boozer to average near 20 points a game for them to beat Miami.  If he continues at his current pace the Bulls will struggle to keep pace with the fast paced Heat.  Luol Deng will need to be more consistent on the offensive end.  The Bulls have a lot of players they can throw at LeBron and Wade, but none will be able to stop them every night.  If the Bulls bench players, Kyle Korver, Taj Gibson and Ronnie Brewer can outscore the Heat’s bench players the Bulls will make this a good series.  Rose will get his points, but he needs help now more than ever.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 3 Dallas Mavericks 

The Mavericks shocked a lot of people by sweeping the defending champion Lakers out of the playoffs in the semifinals.  Oklahoma had to beat the 8th seeded Grizzlies in 7 games.  Opposite endings for both, but going head-to-head should have a different outcome.  Oklahoma has a big advantage with Westbrook and Durant.  Two dynamic players at their respective positions that Dallas can’t match up with one on one.  There is plenty of depth on the Mavericks squad, but they will need to rely on Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood to disrupt their paths to the basket.  Dallas does have Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry who were shooting the ball with ease against the Lakers.  Oklahoma doesn’t have the ideal players to guard either one.  Dallas will need them both to be on their game to clinch another West title.  If J.J. Barea can attack the paint at will again against the Thunder the Mavericks will have a big advantage against either East opponent as well.

Which Russell Westbrook will be more involved?  The offensive catalyst who creates havoc in the paint and dishes the ball to open teammates.  Or the one who will take bad shots at key moments in the game.  If the latter shows up for the Thunder they will be watching the Finals at home this year.  If Westbrook can consistently attack the basket, he will make things easier for Kevin Durant and James Harden getting open shots.  Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins were after thoughts against Memphis, but with a favorable matchup for them in Dallas they should become more active on both ends of the court.  Oklahoma is one of the youngest teams in the NBA, but they are quickly growing before our eyes.  For their sake lets hope they won’t go out like the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007.

Thunder in 6 games

I’ve had a couple days to think this over.  For one there is no doubt who the better team was.  It was the Dallas Mavericks.  They made their shots and played shutdown defense when they had to. The Lakers seemed lost at times and forgot that the Mavericks can shoot the 3-pointer almost at will.  With that said it’s apparent that another era has ended in Los Angeles.  How long will it take for another to rise remains to be seen.  Make no mistake that it will rise again.  As long as owner Jerry Buss is willing to let GM Mitch Kupchak continue to make moves to improve the team they will contend.

It was embarrassing to see a two-time defending champion go out the way they did.  Not being swept out of the playoffs, but rather what Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum did to get themselves tossed in Game 4.  Odom’s push of Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki was bad, but was nothing compared to Bynum’s elbow to a defenseless Mavericks guard J.J. Barea.  Problem with Bynum’s bush play was that he’s done it before.  Never learned.  Even worse to me was the lack of respect shown by Bynum after the game.  Grow up and take the beating with some class.

I’m puzzled with Pau Gasol’s play throughout the playoffs.  He admitted that something off the court had affected him on the court.  What that something is wasn’t said, but some believe it was the break up from his fiance.  It’s pretty surprising to think that a great player like Gasol can let something get to him on the court this year when he was winning two championships the last two years.  I know I know, if true it was his fiance and not a jilted girlfriend.  I didn’t see Kobe laying down with all those court dates in Colorado back in 2004.  That Lakers team eventually fell apart too, but Kobe himself didn’t let that get to him on the court.

Phil Jackson is still the greatest basketball coach ever in my opinion.  Only a hand full of other coaches could do what he has done with so much talent.  The Chicago Bulls of the 90s.  The Lakers of the early 2000s.  Those were some great teams.  Phil was fortunate to walk into ready made teams, but you still have to coach and get those players to believe they can do great things. This will be a black mark on Phil’s legacy, but overall it doesn’t tarnish it.  There were problems early on with them, but Phil still managed to keep them in contention going into the playoffs.

Going forward the one advantage the Lakers had was their size. “Pound it in the paint” is what I’ve said about the Lakers ever since they acquired Pau Gasol.  Some folks said that Dirk Nowitzki was going to have a field day with the Lakers.  I agreed with that, but I figured the Lakers would make Nowitzki play some defense and “pound it in the paint.”  I was wrong in that regard.  To me Phil Jackson is certainly gone.  Will he retire?  Yes.  One thing is certain.  It is extremely hard to win a championship let alone the 11 that Jackson has.  What more does he have to prove?  That he can win in New York?  Don’t get your hopes up Knicks fans.

Initially fans are wanting Dwight Howard right now.  I for one think that it is inevitable that he will be in a Lakers uniform.  That’s not me being a homer, but a realist.  What brought Shaq to LA? Money for one, but it was the allure of Los Angeles.  Money will be there, but the one advantage the Lakers have over most teams is that they play in Los Angeles.  New York has the same allure, but they haven’t had success recently like the Lakers.  With the looming lockout this summer there won’t be much player movement.

We will have to wait another year to see where Dwight Howard goes.  The Lakers will have to shore up their bench as well.  For now this team will have to do a lot of soul searching in the offseason and make sure that they don’t embarrass themselves like they did this past Mothers Day.

1. Chicago Bulls vs. 5. Atlanta Hawks

The Bulls know what they have in Derrick Rose and they like it. With his late game heroics in Game 3 against Indiana the Bulls know they can count on him late in close games.  Chicago will need more from Carlos Boozer who was next to being a no-show against the Pacers.  Indiana has more size to compete with Boozer than Atlanta does which should bode well for him.  Luol Deng was coming on late in the first round and should continue his upward trend.  Kyle Korver was hitting big shots at crucial times during the first round.  Chicago will be tested to see if they can prove they are the best team in the conference.

The Hawks got over the hump and beat a contender in the playoffs. Not that Orlando was going to make it to the Finals this year, but they were just two years removed from an appearance in the Finals.  Joe Johnson was better than advertised for the Hawks.  Al Horford held his own against Dwight Howard.  Josh Smith was a defensive menace during their first round series.  Jamal Crawford was a great catalyst off the bench against Orlando.  They didn’t have an answer for him, but it will be more difficult against the best defensive team in Chicago.

2. Miami Heat vs. 3. Boston Celtics

The most intriguing matcup of the playoffs is about to get underway.  Will the result be the same as before with LeBron James and the Boston Celtics?  Boston knows exactly what to do about LeBron, but they have to deal with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh as well.  Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have gotten a lot of rest which should help.  Whether it will stop the Celtics from giving up any leads is yet to be determined.  Rajon Rondo can’t have any bad games if the Celtics are to take advantage of their one strength against the Heat.

LeBron, Wade and Bosh are playing their best at the right time. Their biggest problem is still trying to win close games.  Boston knows that and figures they will be close through this series. Another problem for the Heat is who else can they count on? Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem won’t be available and Miami can’t expect Wade, LeBron and Bosh to be there every night against the defending conference champions.  Thankfully for the Heat, Boston is banged up too with Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal battling injuries.  Boston’s depth isn’t at its peak either.

2. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 3. Dallas Mavericks

It was tough for the Mavericks, but with some home cooking in Game 5 they rode that momentum into Game 6 in Portland and won decisively.  It’s hard to believe that this is the first time these two will meet in the playoffs.  There was some bad blood the last time they met.  That shouldn’t boil over into the playoffs, but you do start to get tired of seeing the same face every other day.  Dirk Nowitzki will need to play his ‘A’ game in this series.  He poses a difficult matchup for the Lakers, but they also know that the Mavericks don’t have many other options.  Caron Butler is ruled out for this series.  Jason Terry will have to be at his best off the bench.  Dallas has Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood to go against Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, but will it be enough?

The Lakers had a tough going with New Orleans, but their size ultimately was too much for the Hornets.  Dallas has the depth to hang with the Lakers bigs, but it will be a daunting task.  Pau Gasol should be better than he was against the Hornets.  It was a good wake up call for him going forward.  Kobe Bryant played to the Lakers strengths in the last two games against the Hornets. Lamar Odom and Ron Artest played well and even Matt Barnes and Steve Blake played a big part in the Lakers turn around against New Orleans.  Depth is always important at this time and the Lakers win in that department.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8. Memphis Grizzlies

Believe it or not this will be a great series.  Memphis doesn’t even have their best player in Rudy Gay, but Zach Randolph was phenomenal against the Spurs.  If he repeats that performance the Grizzlies will be looking at another upset.  Tony Allen was all over Manu Ginobili.  He will have to do the same against Kevin Durant, but it won’t be easy.  Marc Gasol has a tougher defensive matcup in Kendrick Perkins, but he should still be a force on offense.  The key will be what Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo can do for the secondary scoring.  If they contribute often they will make it tough for the Thunder.  

Russell Westbrook has to play bigger than ever before.  He is the one player that the Grizzlies will have trouble defending in the series.  Another advantage for the Thunder is Kevin Durant.  His relentless scoring ability was no match for the high scoring Denver Nuggets who couldn’t keep up with Oklahoma.  Memphis is more defensive minded and will have to hope Durant has a couple bad games.  Serge Ibaka is beginning to realize his potential as an offensive player.  That isn’t good for the Grizzlies if they can stop Westbrook and Durant.  James Harden is going to be a key component off the bench.  If he can consistently score in double digits for the Thunder they will be looking at competing for the conference title.

1. Chicago Bulls vs. 8. Indiana Pacers

I made the mistake of predicting the Chicago Bulls would finish 5th in the conference and the Milwaukee Bucks would finish ahead of them in the division.  Oops.  Regardless thanks in large part to the eventual MVP Derrick Rose the Bulls have a good chance to make some noise in the Eastern Conference.  A lot has been said about the Bulls roster, but besides Rose they need Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer to help carry the offense.  They are the best defensive team in the league this year, but Boozer and Deng have to be more helpful on offense.

The Indiana Pacers went on a roll after they fired Jim O’Brien. Frank Vogel has done a great job on an interim basis and probably will get the job full time next year.  Danny Granger has gotten a lot of help from Nick Collison and Tyler Hansbrough during the season.  Both will need to continue to produce in the playoffs as well.  Indiana has a deeper team than Chicago, but over a 7 game series I just don’t see the Pacers taking it that far with the Bulls.

2. Miami Heat vs. 7. Philadelphia 76ers

Well, it’s finally time for the Miami Heat to shine.  LeBron James and Dwayne Wade will continue to do their thing, but what can we expect from Chris Bosh?  Will we see the Chris Bosh from the first two months of the season or the one who was wanting to be more involved towards the later part?  For Miami to make some headway into the conference finals and maybe the title, they will need a productive Bosh.  The role players they have will have to shine as well.  Mike Miller, Mike Bibby just to name a few.

The 76ers would have rather played the Boston Celtics, but this is a good test for them and their future.  Andre Iguodala is turning into a good defender, but will have to be the offensive catalyst the Sixers need him to be.  Elton Brand has been around for a while now, but hasn’t been in the playoffs for much of his career.  Talent wise they are overmatched, but they might be able to surprise the Heat and take two games in Philadelphia before it’s all said and done.

3. Boston Celtics vs. 6. New York Knicks

Will the Celtics have a healthy Shaquille O’Neal or a banged up one?  Does it really matter against the Knicks?  If he is able to play don’t expect to see him for more than 20 minutes a game. The Celtics need to play to their strengths which is let Rajon Rondo find the open man and have Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen hit their shots.  This would be a good time for Jeff Green (who was acquired for the popular Kendrick Perkins) to shine.  He has excellent scoring ability and Boston would like him to bring that in the playoffs.

New York has its star studded lineup with Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups.  What they can do with it remains to be seen.  You would think New York would probably just run the old Celtics team out of the building, but the Celtics have dealt with these teams many times before and New York is still trying to get the chemistry together since acquiring Anthony. There is plenty of scoring with the Knicks trio and Toney Douglas coming off the bench, but their defense will continue to give head coach Mike D’Antoni headaches.

4. Orlando Magic vs. 5. Atlanta Hawks

It’s a rematch of last years awful semifinals between these two in which the Magic swept them out of the playoffs.  This time the Magic don’t think it will be that easy.  Atlanta still has Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford as their go to guys, but since they acquired Kirk Hinrich they have more balance to their offense. Atlanta still has last years sixth man of the year in Jamal Crawford as another scoring option off the bench.  The Hawks seem to be better equipped to handle Orlando.

The Magic haven’t been a consistent team all year long.  Dwight Howard has been their one constant both offensively and defensively.  Jameer Nelson has been good at times, but wildly turnover prone the other times.  Jason Richardson is their second best scoring option, but hasn’t been that most of the season.  Hedo Turkoglu will have to play like it’s 2009 for Orlando.  He hasn’t been the same since leaving Orlando after that season and will have to be if the Magic are supposed to advance any further.

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 8. Memphis Grizzlies

This won’t be easy for the Spurs.  If they don’t have a healthy Manu Ginobili for most of this series it will go down to the wire. Tony Parker has been great and even though Tim Duncan had his worst season he knows how to win during the playoffs.  San Antonio will have to count on Richard Jefferson and George Hill to ease the burden on Ginobili and Duncan.  There’s a lot of mileage on their legs and Jefferson and Hill should be able to produce at high levels in this series.

Memphis isn’t as deep as the Spurs.  Zach Randolph is their best scorer.  Mike Conley is an adequate point guard, but isn’t a viable scoring threat.  Tony Allen and Sam Young have been great since Rudy Gay went down to injury.  They will have to be to keep the Grizzlies hopes alive.  Marc Gasol has a favorable matchup for himself.  The Spurs don’t have as many big men to guard him and that bodes well for Gasol.  Whether he can take advantage of it is another question.

2. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 7. New Orleans Hornets

It was a tumultuous ending to the season for the Lakers.  They are all healthy and should be ready to play for the playoffs now.  Kobe will do his usual thing and Pau Gasol will still be the constant scorer and rebounder.  The questions always end up being the same.  What will Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum bring to the Lakers this time around?  All three should be fine since this is their time to shine.  The Hornets are a little banged up, but with the Lakers having banged up egos it could get interesting.

The Hornets have a great floor leader in Chris Paul.  He will have to do almost everything for them.  Score, pass, rebound and play defense for them to make it a close series.  No one is expecting the Hornets to do much, but even without David West, they have some good players still.  Trevor Ariza knows how to play on this stage.  Carl Landry and Emeka Okafor are good rebounders and can play with the Lakers bigs as long as their not in foul trouble. Jarrett Jack was a great addition during the season and can spell Paul off the bench.  The Lakers should advance, but it’s up to them how soon they want to.

3. Dallas Mavericks vs. 6. Portland Trail Blazers

This is not what the Mavericks wanted.  Portland has given them problems during the season and to make matters worse they have players that can match up with theirs.  Dirk Nowitzki has to play at a high level in these playoffs.  If Dallas has any title hopes they rest with Dirk.  Jason Terry has to be a productive force off the bench for the Mavericks.  They won’t be able to beat Portland without his scoring.  Dallas would feel more comfortable if they had Caron Butler, but even without him they nearly clinched the second seed.

The Blazers are the most dangerous team mainly because of their acquisition of Gerald Wallace from Charlotte.  He has given them a new aggressive identity.  With Marcus Camby entrenched in the paint, Portland has become a great defensive team.  LaMarcus Aldridge has had a career year and along with Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum Portland is poised to get over the hump and out of the first round of the playoffs.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 5. Denver Nuggets

Oklahoma has an easier road in the West this year.  Denver has been one of the hottest teams since the All-Star break during the season, but the Thunder have perhaps the best duo in the game in Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.  Both should be able to dominate at both ends for the Thunder.  Denver doesn’t have anyone who can stop them both on a nightly basis.  With Kendrick Perkins defending the paint for Oklahoma now that has opened things up for Serge Ibaka.  He should have a big series against the Nuggets big men.  

Denver will have to rely heavily on two regulars, Nene and Ty Lawson.  Both were instrumental in getting Denver the 5th seed in the playoffs.  With Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton and Danilo Gallinari playing at high levels since the Carmelo Anthony trade the Nuggets can score with anyone.  What Denver will get out of Kenyon Martin will be a mystery, but he can be the defensive catalyst if he can prevent the Thunder from getting easy baskets in the paint.  This is perhaps the most anticipated series with a lot of high scoring games.

Here it is.  My bracket.  If you can’t decipher my handwriting, sorry, can’t help you.  I will probably be throwing mine away after this weekend, but like the millions of people that take part in this, I can’t get enough of it.  When I correctly predicted the Syracuse Orangemen to win the 2003 NCAA tournament, I was hooked.  This year I’m going with the Ohio State Buckeyes to win it all.  They’ve been consistently the best team all year.  Jared Sullinger is a beast down low for them and they shoot the ball with tremendous ferocity.  Notre Dame impressed me playing in the tough Big East conference.  They won big games down the stretch and were perfect on their home court.  We all think we have the perfect bracket, but all that matters is the love of the game.