Tonite, the NBA Finals begin on ABC, pitting the Los Angeles Lakers against the Boston Celtics. The Lakers got to the Finals by beating Phoenix in six games (like I predicted) and Boston upset the Orlando Magic in six games (in a series I thought Orlando would win in seven). This series is a rematch of the 2008 Finals, which featured Boston pummeling the Lakers over the course of six games and winning the last game by 39 points. The Lakers are coming in as the defending NBA champs and will be coming into this series with a homecourt advantage. The regular season saw both teams win once against each other by a point in each game.
The stories getting beaten to death right now in the media pertain to the Lakers, particularly the 2008 series, Pau Gasol, and Kobe Bryant. In 2008, Gasol and the Lakers were manhandled by Kevin Garnett and the much more physical Celtics. In the regular season the past two years, Pau has exorcised those demons by playing tougher and grittier against Boston and the Lakers added Ron Artest this season. I've read far too many articles in the last few days retelling of the beatdown the Lakers received in 2008 and how it motivates them now and how they want to erase the memories of that. It gets annoying having to hear about how this defeat two years ago consumes them, especially since they won the title last season. I would think that coming back to win the title the year after getting humbled would be the response to show how serious they are.
The Kobe stories revolve around him getting revenge on Boston, but they also go into something even more absurd. Several stories are about how this series will define Kobe Bryant's legacy. Evidently winning this series would make Kobe the greatest Laker of all time and put him right up with Michael Jordan as the greatest player of all time. First thing's first, if the Lakers win against Boston I think that one could argue Kobe as the greatest Laker. They would be wrong, as Magic Johnson is the greatest Laker of all time. He led the Lakers to five titles against more difficult competition, including two titles over Celtics teams that were amongst the best teams of all time. Kobe's first three titles came when he was a second fiddle to Shaq and last year's title was against an Orlando team that wouldn't last more than four games against any of the teams Magic's Lakers played against. To give credit where credit is due however, Kobe has been phenomenal this postseason and has put some of the best numbers in NBA history. I would say he is close to Magic and since he'll have had a longer career than Magic and ends his career with more championships, one would be hard pressed to say he is not the bes Laker of all time.
Second things second, these comparisons to Jordan are absurd. Jordan won six titles as the top dog of his team, has six Finals MVPs, five regular season MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year award, was the first person to record 200 steals and 100 blocks in the same year (while leading the league in scoring), ten scoring titles, and is a transcendent, once in a lifetime athlete. Kobe is great, but he is not Michael Jordan. Even if he wins multiple more titles, he is no Michael. His first three came as second fiddle (like I said above). Jordan was a better defender and scorer, although Kobe is a better shooter. No one is as competitive and no one dominated the game like Jordan. Kobe is arguably the best player since Jordan and arguably the best right now. There was no arguing with Michael. He was the best while he played; there was no debate over that. I don't want to get further sidetracked from my main point, but Kobe is not and never will be as good or better than Michael Jordan, but thats not a diss on Kobe. No one will ever be as good as Jordan.
Now the story that should be getting more attention is the Celtics and this run to the Finals. Earlier this year, the Celtics almost dumped Ray Allen and gave up on competing for the title. Instead, they just went for it and have now beaten the top two teams in the NBA record wise in Cleveland and Orlando. The story that everyone is missing is that this is most likely the last time this team with this lineup will compete for a title. Kevin Garnett's knees are shot and has been noticeably limping this season. Ray Allen is a free agent and could potentially be leaving Boston. Rasheed Wallace is old and out of shape. Paul Pierce is starting to slow down as well. They weren't really expected to do anything in the playoffs this season after all the injuries and malaise that hit them in the second half of the season. Instead, they took it to Cleveland and managed to wear Orlando down, although by the end of the series they were looking pretty worse for wear.
Matchup wise, I'm intrigued by Ron Artest vs. Paul Pierce. Ron seems like the kind of hardnosed, physical defender that will either bully Pierce into a terrible series or will get so rough with his techniques that he will take himself out of the game. Pau Gasol and Garnett is another intriguing matchup, as Gasol at this point is the superior player, but there are few people who can match KG's intensity. Knowing that this could be his last time in the Finals should spur him to play as hard as possible. It will be interesting to see if Pau can keep up with that type of pressure. In the backcourt Kobe will have to work harder on defense this series, as Ray Allen is a bigger threat than anyone he's had to guard in the playoffs this year and he will also likely have to share duties guarding Rajon Rondo (who will eat Derek Fisher alive). Boston is also a much better defensive team than Phoenix and Utah, so some of those looks he has had won't be there. The Lakers and Celtics have a fairly even bench, as the Lakers have the best bench player in Lamar Odom, but Boston's Glen Davis and Rasheed Wallace are better than the rest of the Lakers bench.
When it comes down to it, I think that the Lakers have a healthier and better team than Boston right now. The Celtics really seemed to slow down by the end of the Orlando series and they had a lot of problems getting scores in the 4th quarters of many of the games, since Ray Allen doesn't get the ball enough and Rajon Rondo doesn't play as hard in the clutch because he doesn't want to brick his free throws. I think that it is a winnable series for Boston, but I think that the matchups slightly favor the Lakers. If Garnett isn't completely shot, Pierce doesn't get stifled by Artest, and Ray Allen keeps playing the way he has, Boston should be able to win this series. If Pau Gasol plays the way he is capable of and doesn't get punked out again and Lamar Odom doesn't disappear, the Lakers should win. I want the Celtics to win and I'll be rooting for them, but I think it will be the LAKERS in SIX.
Showing posts with label NBA Playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA Playoffs. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
2010 NBA Playoffs Conference Finals Predictions
As I type this, the next round of the NBA Playoffs began yesterday with the Celtics beating the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Before that series gets any further and before the Western Conference Finals start tonite, I figured I would get my predicitons in before it is too late.
Eastern Conference Finals
2. Orlando Magic vs. 4. Boston Celtics
Orlando swept/kicked the shit out of the Atlanta Hawks in four games last round and until yesterday's game, had yet to lose in the playoffs. Boston upset Cleveland in six games and began the "Where in the World is LeBron James Going?" stories a solid month earlier than pundits (and I predicted). Right now Boston's defense is firing on all cylinders, Kevin Garnett is playing well and looking healthy, and Rajon Rondo was the best player in the playoffs last round. Boston has been playing like a team possessed and if their defense continues to stymie Orlando's three point shooting and Dwight Howard's limited post game, they should win the series. I think that Orlando is the better, deeper team and can win this series if Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis can make up for the fact that Dwight Howard is going to have little to no success against the three headed beast of Kendrick Perkins/Rasheed Wallace/Big Baby Davis unless he suddenly learns some new moves down low and can keep his cool. Carter played hard in game one, but Nelson didn't do much of anything. I think that this series should be a long, close one and that should favor the younger and better rested Orlando since Boston only had a two day rest before this series and they have been banged up all year. I want Boston to win this series, but I think it is going to be Orlando in seven.
Western Conference
1.) Los Angeles Lakers vs. 3.) Phoenix Suns
Both teams in this series are coming off sweeps of their last opponents, with the Lakers disposing of the upstart Utah Jazz and the Suns avenging years of heartache by beating the San Antonio Spurs. Phoenix's team chemistry has been the best of any team thie postseason. This is a team that genuinely enjoys playing basketball with each other. Steve Nash has been outstanding, Amar'e Stoudemire and Jason Richardson have been killing teams, and the Phoenix bench has played out of their minds. Kobe Bryant played incredibly against Utah and Pau Gasol has been solid this postseason. I think that Phoenix has the better bench, but the Lakers have too much size up front with Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom. Artest can probably shut down Richardson, but Nash is going to light up Derek Fisher and Kobe will dominate against Grant Hill and Jared Dudley. I will be cheering for Phoenix, as they really deserve a run at a title, but I think Los Angeles will outmuscle them. There is always a chance Kobe starts hogging the ball like he is wont to do from time to time and if that happens and they don't take advantage of their superior low post game, the Suns can win the series. I would love to see Phoenix in five or six, but I think it is going to be Lakers in six.
Thats it for this installment. I'll put up Finals predictions when that time comes near. Also, look for something about the closing of Thacher Park soon.
Eastern Conference Finals
2. Orlando Magic vs. 4. Boston Celtics
Orlando swept/kicked the shit out of the Atlanta Hawks in four games last round and until yesterday's game, had yet to lose in the playoffs. Boston upset Cleveland in six games and began the "Where in the World is LeBron James Going?" stories a solid month earlier than pundits (and I predicted). Right now Boston's defense is firing on all cylinders, Kevin Garnett is playing well and looking healthy, and Rajon Rondo was the best player in the playoffs last round. Boston has been playing like a team possessed and if their defense continues to stymie Orlando's three point shooting and Dwight Howard's limited post game, they should win the series. I think that Orlando is the better, deeper team and can win this series if Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis can make up for the fact that Dwight Howard is going to have little to no success against the three headed beast of Kendrick Perkins/Rasheed Wallace/Big Baby Davis unless he suddenly learns some new moves down low and can keep his cool. Carter played hard in game one, but Nelson didn't do much of anything. I think that this series should be a long, close one and that should favor the younger and better rested Orlando since Boston only had a two day rest before this series and they have been banged up all year. I want Boston to win this series, but I think it is going to be Orlando in seven.
Western Conference
1.) Los Angeles Lakers vs. 3.) Phoenix Suns
Both teams in this series are coming off sweeps of their last opponents, with the Lakers disposing of the upstart Utah Jazz and the Suns avenging years of heartache by beating the San Antonio Spurs. Phoenix's team chemistry has been the best of any team thie postseason. This is a team that genuinely enjoys playing basketball with each other. Steve Nash has been outstanding, Amar'e Stoudemire and Jason Richardson have been killing teams, and the Phoenix bench has played out of their minds. Kobe Bryant played incredibly against Utah and Pau Gasol has been solid this postseason. I think that Phoenix has the better bench, but the Lakers have too much size up front with Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom. Artest can probably shut down Richardson, but Nash is going to light up Derek Fisher and Kobe will dominate against Grant Hill and Jared Dudley. I will be cheering for Phoenix, as they really deserve a run at a title, but I think Los Angeles will outmuscle them. There is always a chance Kobe starts hogging the ball like he is wont to do from time to time and if that happens and they don't take advantage of their superior low post game, the Suns can win the series. I would love to see Phoenix in five or six, but I think it is going to be Lakers in six.
Thats it for this installment. I'll put up Finals predictions when that time comes near. Also, look for something about the closing of Thacher Park soon.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Predictions Galore!, NBA and UFC edition
The second round of the NBA Playoffs just started over the weekend. I didn't think they would start until this week since Atlanta and Milwaukee's first round series just ended yesterday, but I was mistaken. Before the playoffs advance any further, I reckon now would be as agood a time as any to get those out of the way. Predictions as follows:
NBA Playoffs, 2nd Round
Eastern Conference
1.) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 4.) Boston Celtics
Cleveland advanced by beating the Chicago Bulls in five games, which took one game longer than my first round prediction. Boston advanced by beating the Miami Heat in five games, a series I predicted them losing in six games. Boston showed much more life against Miami than they showed all season, with Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo carrying the load. Paul Pierce's offense was on, Kevin Garnett wasn't limping, and Rasheed Wallace didn't play too much. Cleveland beat Chicago, but didn't look all that impressive throughout the series. LeBron played out of this world (surprise surprise) and pretty much beat the scrappy but crappy Bulls by himself. I expect Cleveland to play better as a team against the Celtics and I expect Boston won't be as successful against a team that is more talented and deeper than they are. Boston should be a game opponent and make it a tough series, but Cleveland is going to go to the Eastern Conference Finals again. Based on the score to game 1, it would appear I'm right. CAVS in 6.
2.) Orlando Magic vs 3.) Atlanta Hawks
Orlando beat the Charlotte Bobcats in four games in a series I thought would take them seven. The Hawks dispatched the Milwaukee Bucks in seven, one game longer than I thought. Despite the foul trouble Dwight Howard was in during the Bobcats series, Orlando took care of business pretty easily. Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter played well and the Magic's depth, defense, and long range shooting overwhelmed Charlotte. The Hawks played like they always do: inconsistently. Joe Johnson played terrible, especially terrible for someone who wants to receive a huge contract this summer. They scraped by a Milwaukee squad playing without their best player in Andrew Bogut. If the Bucks hadn't choked hard in game 6 on their own homecourt, this series would be Milwaukee vs. Orlando. Anyways, everyone on Atlanta is like 6'8" and will be no match for Dwight Howard and Orlando has too much depth and talent to fall to a team as inconsistent and poorly coached as Atlanta. MAGIC in 5.
Western Conference
1.) Los Angeles Lakers vs. 5.) Utah Jazz
The Lakers eliminated the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder in six, as I predicted. The Jazz beat the disgruntled Denver Nuggets in six, also as I predicted. People made a bigger deal of the Lakers' first round struggles than necessary. As long as Kobe isn't shooting more than about 20 times a game, the Lakers should win most nights. If he is jacking up shots left and right, that means Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum aren't getting enough touches and the Lakers will lose. The Jazz are playing pretty gritty right now with like half their team injured. I would really like to see Utah win, as I think Deron Williams is the bee's knees and Carlos Boozer is playing for a contract right now. While the Lakers haven't been too impressive this season, they have health and size working for in their favor. If Utah wasn't so shitty on the road this year (below .500 on the season) and had big men taller than 6'8", I would think they could eek out a series win. Instead, the Jazz should make it a tough and competitive series that should have some very close games. It certainly was close in game 1, but I think Utah missed on their best chance to steal one on the road. LAKERS in 6.
3.) Phoenix Suns vs 7.) San Antonio Spurs
Phoenix sent the FrailBlazers packing in 6, one more than my prediction. The Spurs upset the 2nd seed Dallas Mavericks in 6, which I said could happen even though I picked Dallas in seven games. Phoenix is playing pretty well right now, especially Jason Richardson. San Antonio has come alive after a fairly blah season. Manu Ginobili is running neck and neck Deron Williams for best player in the West this playoffs. San Antonio exists to beat the Suns in the playoffs, much to my brother's dismay. I feel like the Suns could win this series, but that the Spurs would be more likely to beat the Lakers and make it to the NBA Finals. Amar'e Stoudemire should light up the Spurs, but Manu and George Hill will run train on the PHX backcourt. I'm really having a hard time picking this one, as my brain says the Spurs and my heart says the Suns. I should just pull a name out of a hat. Let's go with SUNS in 7.
On another note, UFC 113 is this weekend, featuring a huge rematch between lightheavyweight champ Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. I've never really done fight predictions before, but now seems as good a time as any to start.
MAIN EVENT
Light Heavyweight Championship
Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (16-0, champ) vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-4)
These two faced off in October of 2009 in a fight that everyone expected Machida to dominate. Instead, Shogun seemed to have solved the puzzle of Machida's karate and counterstriking style and in the eyes of nearly everyone, looked to have won the title via decision. I say nearly everyone, as the judges scored the fight unanimously for Machida. One of the big stories going into this rematch is if Machida can figure out how to adapt and change his gameplan after Shogun took him out of his element by utilizing leg kicks. Prior to this fight, Machida had never even lost a round before, so it will be interesting to see if he is able to come up with a new strategy. The other story of importance is whether or not Shogun can come up with another way to beat Machida. In the first fight, it appeared that he came up with the perfect plan and he still lost the decision. What can he do this time to win the fight? I think this will be a close fight again and I don't see either man knocking out or submitting the other. I think that Machida will be able to adapt more than I think Shogun will be able to implement a new strategy. Machida by Unanimous Decision.
The Rest of the Card:
Josh "Kos" Koscheck (16-4) vs. Paul "Semtex" Daley (23-8-2)
This welterweight fight has title implications, as the winner is going to get pummeled by champion Georges St. Pierre. Koscheck would be less likely to get annihilated as badly as Daley, as Daley has absolutely no ground game whatsoever and Koscheck is a very good wrestler and has decent standup. His standup doesn't compare to St. Pierre's and it isn't even close to Daley's, since he was a professional kickboxer. If Kos tries to stand up for more than a minute or two, Daley is going to light him up and knock his ass out. If he takes it to the ground, Daley is done. I think Koscheck is a major douchebag and I would love to see him get wrecked, but I don't want another boring title defense for Georges, as he won't stand up with someone like Daley anymore. It pains me to say it, but Kos is a pretty good all around fighter and unless he gets silly and decides he's a standup master, he should win. Koscheck by Round 2 Submission.
Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout (16-5-1) vs. Jeremy "Lil Heathen" Stephens (17-5)
This is a lightweight bout featuring one guy (Stout) who I've only seen fight Spencer Fisher in two awesome fights, and a guy (Stephens) who I've never seen before. Stout seems to have more momentum right now and has faced stiffer competition. I don't know either guy well enough to make a prediction with any real certainty, but I'll say Stout by Decision.
Kimbo Slice (4-1) vs. Matt Mitrione (1-0)
This is a battle of two contestants from the last season of The Ultimate Fighter. Kimbo comes in with a reputation as some kind of bad ass street brawler, but in terms of mixed martial arts he has decent standup with no proven knockout power, a rudimentary ground game, and an iffy chin. Matt Mitrione is a former football player with very good punching power, less than rudimentary ground game, and appears to have a pretty good chin. Kimbo will be giving up around forty pounds to Mitrione and I doubt that he is skilled enough to overcome that size disadvantage, even if it is to someone with even less experience than him. The only way Kimbo wins is if he takes it to the ground. He may be able to work some ground and pound and possibly a submission attempt. If he keeps it standing, Mitrione knocks him out. I think this is going to happen. Mitrione by Round 1 knockout.
Patrick "The Predator" Cote (14-5) vs. Alan "The Talent" Belcher (14-5)
This is Cote's first fight since he blew out his knee in a loss to middleweight champ Anderson Silva back in the fall of 2008. Belcher comes in having won three out of his last four fights and his one loss was the fight of the night back at UFC 100 last July. Cote is supposed to be a pretty heavy hitter, but he hasn't really knocked out anyone of note. Belcher is a pretty scrappy dude and his fights are usually pretty exciting. It makes up for his shitty Johnny Cash tattoo and horrible nickname. I think he wins this fight due to the fact he has been faring very well lately and Cote is going to have quite a bit of rust. Belcher by Decision.
The prelims, which I am not going to do since there are seven and they might not be televised, feature my boy "Filthy" Tom Lawlor. Hopefully he wins.
That's it for this one. Feel free to leave me a comment if you think my predictions suck or are awesome or whatever.
NBA Playoffs, 2nd Round
Eastern Conference
1.) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 4.) Boston Celtics
Cleveland advanced by beating the Chicago Bulls in five games, which took one game longer than my first round prediction. Boston advanced by beating the Miami Heat in five games, a series I predicted them losing in six games. Boston showed much more life against Miami than they showed all season, with Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo carrying the load. Paul Pierce's offense was on, Kevin Garnett wasn't limping, and Rasheed Wallace didn't play too much. Cleveland beat Chicago, but didn't look all that impressive throughout the series. LeBron played out of this world (surprise surprise) and pretty much beat the scrappy but crappy Bulls by himself. I expect Cleveland to play better as a team against the Celtics and I expect Boston won't be as successful against a team that is more talented and deeper than they are. Boston should be a game opponent and make it a tough series, but Cleveland is going to go to the Eastern Conference Finals again. Based on the score to game 1, it would appear I'm right. CAVS in 6.
2.) Orlando Magic vs 3.) Atlanta Hawks
Orlando beat the Charlotte Bobcats in four games in a series I thought would take them seven. The Hawks dispatched the Milwaukee Bucks in seven, one game longer than I thought. Despite the foul trouble Dwight Howard was in during the Bobcats series, Orlando took care of business pretty easily. Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter played well and the Magic's depth, defense, and long range shooting overwhelmed Charlotte. The Hawks played like they always do: inconsistently. Joe Johnson played terrible, especially terrible for someone who wants to receive a huge contract this summer. They scraped by a Milwaukee squad playing without their best player in Andrew Bogut. If the Bucks hadn't choked hard in game 6 on their own homecourt, this series would be Milwaukee vs. Orlando. Anyways, everyone on Atlanta is like 6'8" and will be no match for Dwight Howard and Orlando has too much depth and talent to fall to a team as inconsistent and poorly coached as Atlanta. MAGIC in 5.
Western Conference
1.) Los Angeles Lakers vs. 5.) Utah Jazz
The Lakers eliminated the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder in six, as I predicted. The Jazz beat the disgruntled Denver Nuggets in six, also as I predicted. People made a bigger deal of the Lakers' first round struggles than necessary. As long as Kobe isn't shooting more than about 20 times a game, the Lakers should win most nights. If he is jacking up shots left and right, that means Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum aren't getting enough touches and the Lakers will lose. The Jazz are playing pretty gritty right now with like half their team injured. I would really like to see Utah win, as I think Deron Williams is the bee's knees and Carlos Boozer is playing for a contract right now. While the Lakers haven't been too impressive this season, they have health and size working for in their favor. If Utah wasn't so shitty on the road this year (below .500 on the season) and had big men taller than 6'8", I would think they could eek out a series win. Instead, the Jazz should make it a tough and competitive series that should have some very close games. It certainly was close in game 1, but I think Utah missed on their best chance to steal one on the road. LAKERS in 6.
3.) Phoenix Suns vs 7.) San Antonio Spurs
Phoenix sent the FrailBlazers packing in 6, one more than my prediction. The Spurs upset the 2nd seed Dallas Mavericks in 6, which I said could happen even though I picked Dallas in seven games. Phoenix is playing pretty well right now, especially Jason Richardson. San Antonio has come alive after a fairly blah season. Manu Ginobili is running neck and neck Deron Williams for best player in the West this playoffs. San Antonio exists to beat the Suns in the playoffs, much to my brother's dismay. I feel like the Suns could win this series, but that the Spurs would be more likely to beat the Lakers and make it to the NBA Finals. Amar'e Stoudemire should light up the Spurs, but Manu and George Hill will run train on the PHX backcourt. I'm really having a hard time picking this one, as my brain says the Spurs and my heart says the Suns. I should just pull a name out of a hat. Let's go with SUNS in 7.
On another note, UFC 113 is this weekend, featuring a huge rematch between lightheavyweight champ Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. I've never really done fight predictions before, but now seems as good a time as any to start.
MAIN EVENT
Light Heavyweight Championship
Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (16-0, champ) vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-4)
These two faced off in October of 2009 in a fight that everyone expected Machida to dominate. Instead, Shogun seemed to have solved the puzzle of Machida's karate and counterstriking style and in the eyes of nearly everyone, looked to have won the title via decision. I say nearly everyone, as the judges scored the fight unanimously for Machida. One of the big stories going into this rematch is if Machida can figure out how to adapt and change his gameplan after Shogun took him out of his element by utilizing leg kicks. Prior to this fight, Machida had never even lost a round before, so it will be interesting to see if he is able to come up with a new strategy. The other story of importance is whether or not Shogun can come up with another way to beat Machida. In the first fight, it appeared that he came up with the perfect plan and he still lost the decision. What can he do this time to win the fight? I think this will be a close fight again and I don't see either man knocking out or submitting the other. I think that Machida will be able to adapt more than I think Shogun will be able to implement a new strategy. Machida by Unanimous Decision.
The Rest of the Card:
Josh "Kos" Koscheck (16-4) vs. Paul "Semtex" Daley (23-8-2)
This welterweight fight has title implications, as the winner is going to get pummeled by champion Georges St. Pierre. Koscheck would be less likely to get annihilated as badly as Daley, as Daley has absolutely no ground game whatsoever and Koscheck is a very good wrestler and has decent standup. His standup doesn't compare to St. Pierre's and it isn't even close to Daley's, since he was a professional kickboxer. If Kos tries to stand up for more than a minute or two, Daley is going to light him up and knock his ass out. If he takes it to the ground, Daley is done. I think Koscheck is a major douchebag and I would love to see him get wrecked, but I don't want another boring title defense for Georges, as he won't stand up with someone like Daley anymore. It pains me to say it, but Kos is a pretty good all around fighter and unless he gets silly and decides he's a standup master, he should win. Koscheck by Round 2 Submission.
Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout (16-5-1) vs. Jeremy "Lil Heathen" Stephens (17-5)
This is a lightweight bout featuring one guy (Stout) who I've only seen fight Spencer Fisher in two awesome fights, and a guy (Stephens) who I've never seen before. Stout seems to have more momentum right now and has faced stiffer competition. I don't know either guy well enough to make a prediction with any real certainty, but I'll say Stout by Decision.
Kimbo Slice (4-1) vs. Matt Mitrione (1-0)
This is a battle of two contestants from the last season of The Ultimate Fighter. Kimbo comes in with a reputation as some kind of bad ass street brawler, but in terms of mixed martial arts he has decent standup with no proven knockout power, a rudimentary ground game, and an iffy chin. Matt Mitrione is a former football player with very good punching power, less than rudimentary ground game, and appears to have a pretty good chin. Kimbo will be giving up around forty pounds to Mitrione and I doubt that he is skilled enough to overcome that size disadvantage, even if it is to someone with even less experience than him. The only way Kimbo wins is if he takes it to the ground. He may be able to work some ground and pound and possibly a submission attempt. If he keeps it standing, Mitrione knocks him out. I think this is going to happen. Mitrione by Round 1 knockout.
Patrick "The Predator" Cote (14-5) vs. Alan "The Talent" Belcher (14-5)
This is Cote's first fight since he blew out his knee in a loss to middleweight champ Anderson Silva back in the fall of 2008. Belcher comes in having won three out of his last four fights and his one loss was the fight of the night back at UFC 100 last July. Cote is supposed to be a pretty heavy hitter, but he hasn't really knocked out anyone of note. Belcher is a pretty scrappy dude and his fights are usually pretty exciting. It makes up for his shitty Johnny Cash tattoo and horrible nickname. I think he wins this fight due to the fact he has been faring very well lately and Cote is going to have quite a bit of rust. Belcher by Decision.
The prelims, which I am not going to do since there are seven and they might not be televised, feature my boy "Filthy" Tom Lawlor. Hopefully he wins.
That's it for this one. Feel free to leave me a comment if you think my predictions suck or are awesome or whatever.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
2010 NBA Playoffs First Round Predictions
I do believe the title of this post basically sums up the purpose of this post, so I'll make the introduction brief. The 2010 NBA Playoffs start today, April 17. For each round of the playoffs, I am going to post my predictions and thoughts on each series that is being played. So without further ado, here we go.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (61-21) vs. 8. Chicago Bulls (41-41)
Much like last year, this season is supposed to be the one in which LeBron James is crowned champion. Last year, the Cavs were derailed by Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals. This year, they added Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison to their starting rotation and picked up solid role players like Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker. They finished this season with the best record in the NBA and are heavily favored to win it all. Chicago scraped into the playoff with a win on the last day of the regular season and finished at .500 for the second straight year. LeBron is talking a ton of shit about how ready the Cavs are and how they are super serial about winning the title. That won't stop him from celebrating each blowout over the vastly inferior Bulls like it's the greatest thing in the history of the sport. LeBron is kind of an egomaniac considering he hasn't won shit yet, but that is for another post. The Bulls need to put on a good showing in this series so they can vastly overpay someone like Joe Johnson or Amar'e Stoudemire to be Derrick "my favorite player in the universe" Rose's wingman. A couple of close games, or even two wins would be nice for my Bulls, but I don't think it is going to happen. Cleveland has too much depth and frontcourt might. Cavs in 4.
2. Orlando Magic (59-23) vs. 7. Charlotte Bobcats (44-38)
Orlando surprised a lot of people by beating Cleveland and making it to the Finals last year. I called that shit before it happened, but I guess that's of no real importance besides tooting my own horn. In the offseason, they decided to not overpay for Hedo Turkoglu and added Vince Carter to the mix and despite struggling early in the season, finished with the league's second best record. Charlotte finished above .500 for the first time ever and received their first ever playoff berth. I'm not a big fan of Larry Brown, but he has done a great coaching job and built a scrappy defense-oriented team that has beaten a lot of the league's top teams this year. I see them doing pretty well against Orlando, especially if Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis play poorly for Orlando. Dwight Howard should be able to boss around Charlotte's post players, but there is never any guarantee that he'll get enough touches to make an impact offensively. Seriously, the dude only averages 10 shots a game when he should be getting at least 15. While I said Charlotte would do well against Orlando, the Magic are too good to lose this series. Magic in 7.
3. Atlanta Hawks (53-29) vs. 6. Milwaukee Bucks (46-36)
Atlanta started this season on a tear and has come down to Earth a bit now. Milwaukee was projected to be lottery bound this season, but the drafting of Brandon Jennings, career year for Andrew Bogut, and the midseason acquistion of John Salmons (fuck you Salmons, why didn't you play this way in Chicago the first half of the season!?), teamed with Scott Skiles' coaching turned the Bucks into a surprise this season. Skiles, as he is wont to do, turned the Bucks into (much like Charlotte) into a very scrappy defense oriented team. If Bogut hadn't gotten crippled a few weeks ago, I would say the Bucks would steal this, as I think Atlanta is highly overrated. However, Bogut's injury changes everything and I think the Hawks advance in a tough, tough series. Hawks in 6.
4.) Boston Celtics (50-32) vs. 5.) Miami Heat (47-35)
Before this season started, Rasheed Wallace said the Celtics would win 72 games, at least. He managed to help them finish 22 games off that prediction by putting together one of the most awful seasons in the NBA this year. That, combined with nagging injuries to Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and infighting and complacency amongst the team, has Boston stumbling into the playoffs. A lot of the veterans on the team have been saying that the team has been saving up for the postseason, but I honestly don't see Boston doing much of anything with Garnett limping up and down the court, Ray Allen's defense crumbling, Rasheed Wallace's existence, and Rondo's abyssmal jump shot. Miami overachieved for the most part this season and have a healthy Dwyane Wade. Unless Dan Aykroyd and Daniel Stern kidnap him, a healthy D Wade and his supporting cast put Miami in the second round, where they can get smoked by Cleveland. Miami in 6.
And now, the Western Conference...
Western Conference
1.) Los Angeles Lakers (57-25) vs 8.) Oklahoma City Thunder (50-32)
The Lakers come into this playoffs as the defending NBA champs and then replaced role player Trevor Ariza with Ron "Crazy Pills" Artest. Kobe has battled injury this year and comes in pretty beat up. The team themselves stumbled into the postseason and have a lot of people questioning their cohesiveness and toughness. Oklahoma City is a surprise playoff team, winning 27 more games and Kevin Durant has blossomed into a superstar. The team is full of up and comers and will be contenders in the future. Key word here is the future, as the Thunder are not really there yet. They should make it a tough series for L.A. however. Lakers in 6.
2.) Dallas Mavericks (55-27) vs. 7.) San Antonio Spurs (50-32)
This should be the best series of the first round. Dallas and San Antonio have been rivals for years, and either team is a serious threat for the finals. Dallas is fielding a nasty team of Nowitzki, Kidd, Caron Butler, and Shawn Marion. The Spurs have mainstay Tim Duncan, Richard Jefferson, Tony Parker and a resurgent Manu Ginobili. Parker is playing hurt, but Ginobili is on fire as of late. Dallas has been on a tear since the all-star break, but most of their wins are close and they played some shitty teams down the last few months. If Parker was healthy and George Hill wasn't hurt, I say the Spurs take it in 6, but right now I'm not too sure. I'm gonna go with Mavs in 7.
3.) Phoenix Suns (54-28) vs 6.) Portland TrailBlazers (50-32)
Phoenix is another surprise team, as no one expected them to even make the playoffs. Steve Nash has had another career year, Grant Hill is still healthy, and Amar'e Stoudemire is playing his ass off for his new contract. Portland was supposed to be a contender, but everyone on their team has been hurt. Their best player, Brandon Roy, is out for the playoffs with a torn meniscus. Phoenix is playing so well right now and I don't think a crippled Portland will do much of anything. Phoenix in 5.
4.) Denver Nuggets (53-29) vs. 5.) Utah Jazz (53-29)
Denver was a clear cut number 2 seed for most of the season, but injuries, lack of low post scoring and a decline in energy has dropped them to the 4th seed. Utah has played through a ton of injuries and are playing pretty well right now. Both teams are terrible on the road this season, so that is working in Denver's favor, but I think between Coach Karl missing time with cancer and the team's deficiencies that Utah will eek out a win in this series. Utah in 6.
That wraps up the first round playoff preview and predictions here at Price Vincent. When this round ends sometimes in the next month, I'll post round 2 predictions. Be on the lookout for another blog sometime soon.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (61-21) vs. 8. Chicago Bulls (41-41)
Much like last year, this season is supposed to be the one in which LeBron James is crowned champion. Last year, the Cavs were derailed by Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals. This year, they added Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison to their starting rotation and picked up solid role players like Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker. They finished this season with the best record in the NBA and are heavily favored to win it all. Chicago scraped into the playoff with a win on the last day of the regular season and finished at .500 for the second straight year. LeBron is talking a ton of shit about how ready the Cavs are and how they are super serial about winning the title. That won't stop him from celebrating each blowout over the vastly inferior Bulls like it's the greatest thing in the history of the sport. LeBron is kind of an egomaniac considering he hasn't won shit yet, but that is for another post. The Bulls need to put on a good showing in this series so they can vastly overpay someone like Joe Johnson or Amar'e Stoudemire to be Derrick "my favorite player in the universe" Rose's wingman. A couple of close games, or even two wins would be nice for my Bulls, but I don't think it is going to happen. Cleveland has too much depth and frontcourt might. Cavs in 4.
2. Orlando Magic (59-23) vs. 7. Charlotte Bobcats (44-38)
Orlando surprised a lot of people by beating Cleveland and making it to the Finals last year. I called that shit before it happened, but I guess that's of no real importance besides tooting my own horn. In the offseason, they decided to not overpay for Hedo Turkoglu and added Vince Carter to the mix and despite struggling early in the season, finished with the league's second best record. Charlotte finished above .500 for the first time ever and received their first ever playoff berth. I'm not a big fan of Larry Brown, but he has done a great coaching job and built a scrappy defense-oriented team that has beaten a lot of the league's top teams this year. I see them doing pretty well against Orlando, especially if Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis play poorly for Orlando. Dwight Howard should be able to boss around Charlotte's post players, but there is never any guarantee that he'll get enough touches to make an impact offensively. Seriously, the dude only averages 10 shots a game when he should be getting at least 15. While I said Charlotte would do well against Orlando, the Magic are too good to lose this series. Magic in 7.
3. Atlanta Hawks (53-29) vs. 6. Milwaukee Bucks (46-36)
Atlanta started this season on a tear and has come down to Earth a bit now. Milwaukee was projected to be lottery bound this season, but the drafting of Brandon Jennings, career year for Andrew Bogut, and the midseason acquistion of John Salmons (fuck you Salmons, why didn't you play this way in Chicago the first half of the season!?), teamed with Scott Skiles' coaching turned the Bucks into a surprise this season. Skiles, as he is wont to do, turned the Bucks into (much like Charlotte) into a very scrappy defense oriented team. If Bogut hadn't gotten crippled a few weeks ago, I would say the Bucks would steal this, as I think Atlanta is highly overrated. However, Bogut's injury changes everything and I think the Hawks advance in a tough, tough series. Hawks in 6.
4.) Boston Celtics (50-32) vs. 5.) Miami Heat (47-35)
Before this season started, Rasheed Wallace said the Celtics would win 72 games, at least. He managed to help them finish 22 games off that prediction by putting together one of the most awful seasons in the NBA this year. That, combined with nagging injuries to Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and infighting and complacency amongst the team, has Boston stumbling into the playoffs. A lot of the veterans on the team have been saying that the team has been saving up for the postseason, but I honestly don't see Boston doing much of anything with Garnett limping up and down the court, Ray Allen's defense crumbling, Rasheed Wallace's existence, and Rondo's abyssmal jump shot. Miami overachieved for the most part this season and have a healthy Dwyane Wade. Unless Dan Aykroyd and Daniel Stern kidnap him, a healthy D Wade and his supporting cast put Miami in the second round, where they can get smoked by Cleveland. Miami in 6.
And now, the Western Conference...
Western Conference
1.) Los Angeles Lakers (57-25) vs 8.) Oklahoma City Thunder (50-32)
The Lakers come into this playoffs as the defending NBA champs and then replaced role player Trevor Ariza with Ron "Crazy Pills" Artest. Kobe has battled injury this year and comes in pretty beat up. The team themselves stumbled into the postseason and have a lot of people questioning their cohesiveness and toughness. Oklahoma City is a surprise playoff team, winning 27 more games and Kevin Durant has blossomed into a superstar. The team is full of up and comers and will be contenders in the future. Key word here is the future, as the Thunder are not really there yet. They should make it a tough series for L.A. however. Lakers in 6.
2.) Dallas Mavericks (55-27) vs. 7.) San Antonio Spurs (50-32)
This should be the best series of the first round. Dallas and San Antonio have been rivals for years, and either team is a serious threat for the finals. Dallas is fielding a nasty team of Nowitzki, Kidd, Caron Butler, and Shawn Marion. The Spurs have mainstay Tim Duncan, Richard Jefferson, Tony Parker and a resurgent Manu Ginobili. Parker is playing hurt, but Ginobili is on fire as of late. Dallas has been on a tear since the all-star break, but most of their wins are close and they played some shitty teams down the last few months. If Parker was healthy and George Hill wasn't hurt, I say the Spurs take it in 6, but right now I'm not too sure. I'm gonna go with Mavs in 7.
3.) Phoenix Suns (54-28) vs 6.) Portland TrailBlazers (50-32)
Phoenix is another surprise team, as no one expected them to even make the playoffs. Steve Nash has had another career year, Grant Hill is still healthy, and Amar'e Stoudemire is playing his ass off for his new contract. Portland was supposed to be a contender, but everyone on their team has been hurt. Their best player, Brandon Roy, is out for the playoffs with a torn meniscus. Phoenix is playing so well right now and I don't think a crippled Portland will do much of anything. Phoenix in 5.
4.) Denver Nuggets (53-29) vs. 5.) Utah Jazz (53-29)
Denver was a clear cut number 2 seed for most of the season, but injuries, lack of low post scoring and a decline in energy has dropped them to the 4th seed. Utah has played through a ton of injuries and are playing pretty well right now. Both teams are terrible on the road this season, so that is working in Denver's favor, but I think between Coach Karl missing time with cancer and the team's deficiencies that Utah will eek out a win in this series. Utah in 6.
That wraps up the first round playoff preview and predictions here at Price Vincent. When this round ends sometimes in the next month, I'll post round 2 predictions. Be on the lookout for another blog sometime soon.
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