1 vs. 8
Los Angeles Lakers vs.
Denver Nuggets Nuggets Outlook:
The Nuggets have been a fairly good team all year with the same go to guys for a long enough time to become a good team. Their offensive movement is outstanding, placing 2nd in scoring the league this year. The defensive prowess in Marcus Camby is a great defensive man in the middle, and can hit the mid-range shot. Their bench really delivers in Linus Kleiza and shooting maniac J.R. Smith. Iverson has remained a hard worker and still can lead his team. And that's the bad part, he has to lead the team because Carmelo Anthony's mishap. Whether he plays or not is a huge factor, because this team has struggled in the playoffs, and hasn't really played much without Carmelo. Also, the Nuggets have a horrible defense, giving up 150 and more to the Sonics, losing that game. However, they ended the season with a key victory over Golden State to solidify their spot. It'll be interesting.
Lakers Outlook:
After getting Gasol, the team was very good. But they lost momentum losing to Charlotte at home. But the Lakers picked it up near the end of the season, with a huge win over the Hornets, to finally be in 1st place once again. Acquisitions of Derek Fisher and Gasol have really helped this team improve physically and with experience and leadership. And did I forget the best player in the game, Kobe Bryant, is unstoppable. The guy can do anything, andnow has a big guy in the middle to help out. Odom and Farmar have stepped up their games as well, and this team has depth. If Bynum can come back healthy soon and adjust well, this team is a shoe in for the Western Finals. The only problem I see with the Lakers is that they can sometimes get off task and just go through the motions. If they can stay focused, they are effecient.
The Verdict: Lakers win in 5
This series will be interesting. It will be highscoring, and the Nuggets will have it hard if the Lakers can control the pace and slow down the Nuggets red hot offense. The Lakers don't have a great shooter of the bench like J.R. Smith, which is Denver's only advantage here. Denver has to win on of the first two games, which is the only way I'd see this going to a Game 7. Tough for the Nuggets, but they just won't come out this year, as the Lakers have better control and defense.
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2 vs. 7
New Orleans Hornets vs.
Dallas Mavericks Mavericks Outlook:
This team just beat the Hornets less than a week ago. That is momentum. They've beated the Suns and Warriors also, after consecutive losses vs. above .500 teams. But this team has really grasped the best it could to stay in the race. Josh Howard is very underlooked and supports Dirk very well. The addition of Kidd adds more Playoff experience, and his scoring rampage on wednesday could be a sign of things to come for Jason Kidd. Jason Terry is a huge factor for this team, he can score 10-30 on any given night and is their clutch shooter. They gave away alot of depth in their trading of Kidd, but if Stackhouse can come back soon, then this team is just that much better. They know what they have to do this year, and just wanted to get in the playoffs, unlike last year where their main focus was the regular season.
Hornets Outlook:
Chris Paul is the breakout player of the year, and has brought out the best in David West and Tyson Chandler. The returning Peja and newomcer MoPete added experience and great shooting. This team really is filled. They have an extremely good front court of West, Chandler, and Peja. West has really stepped his game up, and is a huge factor in the playoffs. Whether he can put it in or not will decide the team's future. They have no experience in the playoffs, but have beaten the Celtics this year. They alos ended the Rockets 22 game win streak. Their home court advantage is highly useful for their first year in the playoffs. The acquisition of Bonzi Wells adds a go to guy on the bench for putting the ball in the hoop, which is what the Hornets needed. This team is made for the future, and maybe even now.
The Verdict: Dallas wins in 7
Dallas and NOH will win their games at home, as they are prime at home. It comes down to game 7, and the two teams stars, Dirk and Paul, will decide what happens and who advances. Paul will try to do too much, and that will give the Hornets trouble on offense. This will lead to a breakdown in the 6th game From there on, Dirk and Kidd will dominate the rest of game 6 and 7 with their intensity and experience.
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3 vs. 6
San Antonio Spurs vs.
Phoenix Suns Suns Outlook:
This team has not once been in a bad position this year, and has kept it up. They made a fantastic move, realizing they were going nowhere with Shawn Marion, trading for Shaq to better contend with teams like the Spurs. They have beated the Spurs 3 out of the 4 meetings this year, and have a rivalry with them going from last year. Amare played the best ball in the game to end the season, and Shaq has really motivated him. Nash is brilliant as usual. If Grant Hill can stay healthy, then this team has good things coming up in the playoffs. Barbosa has continued to show why he is the reigning 6th Man of the Year, making 3's left in right. Giricek was a huge acquisition, because they were a little empty on the guard spot with just Raja at shooting guard. This team has been to the playoffs a few years in a row now, and knows how to get it done.
Spurs Outlook:
You can never count them out if they make the playoffs, because they are always a good team. Udoka and Thomas were good pickup to add more big men, but this team made a mistake of not picking up atleast a couple of rising stars, like Detroit did. That was a huge factor in them not doing as good. Parker, Ginobli, and Duncan are the most consistent, reliable players in the game. They beat the Jazz to end the season, giving them some good momentum, and are extremely good at home. Barry, Finlay, Bowen, Stoudamire, a great add on, are great shooters, something this team has on anyone. Not to mention their relentless at their defense. They know how to get it done even when they are down. Also the reigning champions.
The Verdict: Spurs in 6
This series will be all about defense, and the Spurs will control the Suns quickness and control the pace then. Once they do that, they are close. Then they have to try and get Shaq in foul trouble, which Duncan is great at. The Spurs are not losing at home, and will pull one out on the road. No doubt this series will be hard played, as both these teams deserve to advance a round.
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4 vs. 5
Utah Jazz vs.
Houston Rockets Rockets Outlook:
This team went on a spree of 22-0, launching themselves into contentio nfor a good seeding. After the strak, they sort of got lost in the shuffle, but did pick it up and quietly won some big games. They lost to the Jazz in the end of the seaosn, but ended the year with a win. In a tough division like this, they have a promising record. Scola deserves rookie of the year. He has taken over the huge exit of Yao Ming and has held his own in there as a credible starter. T-Mac is extremely determined to get through a round, and that he will do. If Alston can return i nthe middle of the series, that will help too. Bobby Jackson adds tons of playoff experience, and has been shooting the three very well since being traded to the Rockets. Karl Landry has also stepped his game up in the middle. They play at a good pace and play good defense. Mutumbo has had an amazing transition from off the bench in little to none time. His work ethic since Yao's injury is unbelievable for his age.
Jazz Outlook:
This team cannot lose at home, with only 4 losses, a huge feat. This team is highly underrated and has been in the 3-5 seed mix the last few months of the season. Boozer and Deron have great chemistry, and arethe future of this team. This dynamic duo has great fundamentals. The adding of Kyle Korver filled in the leave of Giricek better than expected. Korver is playing the best ball of his career and can take over a game off the bench. Harpring has delivered all season long, and can play great defense as well. Brewer and Okur have adjusted to this team better, and their chemistry has bettered so much since the Western Conference triumph appearance. The Jazz are in a relatively mediocre division, but they do deserve to be there they are.
The Verdict: Rockets in 7
T-Mac has so much pressure on him, his team is banged up, and without Rafer, they will have trouble defending Williams. All of this gives T-Mac a reason to finally win a playoff round. The Jazz will wim their home court, but the Rockets have home court advantage due to the better record, so they win it in Game 7. The Rockets have to find a way to dfend all the shooters on the Jazz, especially the bigs. This is a huge stepping stone in T-Mac's career, and he know's what he has to do to win. If Rafer comes back, more the power to them, but I just can't see the Rockets losing another series.
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