The 2013 NBA Playoffs are almost in view. The first round of games will begin on April 20 and opinions and predictions are surfacing about which team will win the coveted Larry O’ Brien NBA Championship Trophy.
Favorites such as the Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are usually top picks for many fans and sports pundits, but surprise teams such as the Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks match up well with many teams around the league.
Injuries to All-Star guards Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo have several doubting how long the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics will last.
The Eastern Conference is far more top heavy than the Western Conference. The top eight teams in each conference advance to the playoffs, and who team plays is determined by seeding.
The Heat, New York Knicks and Pacers have been performing better than the rest of the Eastern Conference, but well-coached teams with playoff experience, such as the Bulls and Celtics, make it hard to count them out.
Average teams, like the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets, are not to be looked over either. The seeding for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference are pretty much set. The Miami Heat locked up the top seed in the Eastern Conference weeks ago and will take on the inexperienced eighth seed Bucks.
The quick guard play of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis will make it an exciting series as they may give the Heat a hard time on defense.
I believe the veteran leadership and experience of the Heat that helped them win an impressive 27 straight games — the second longest streak in NBA history — will easily take care of the Bucks in the first round.
The Nets and the Bulls have the fourth and fifth seeds practically wrapped up. This series could easily go all seven games. But, ultimately, the Nets will advance past the injury-riddled and Rose-less Bulls.
Should the Pacers remain as the third seed, which is likely, they will cruise through the inconsistent Atlanta Hawks. The Pacers are too strong for the Hawks; don’t be surprised if they were to sweep them in four games.
The Knicks are expected to play against the Celtics in a tough series. With a recent rivalry brewing and both teams battling injuries, All-Star players Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler will lead the Knicks to victory over the Celtics, who will push them to seven games.
The Heat will remain Eastern Conference Champions for the third straight year. The Knicks will go the distance with the unusually tall players of the Pacers, but will eventually take the series in the second round.
After a second round battle with the Nets, the Heat will beat the Knicks in six games. The Heat have proven they can defend the sharpshooting Knicks. With the Knicks’ big men battling injuries, Chris Bosh and Chris Anderson will surely take advantage. The pressure defensive of the Heat in the playoffs will be too much for Carmelo and the Knicks.
In the Western Conference. the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz are competing for the final playoff spot. However, neither team will beat the number one seed San Antonio Spurs in a best-of-seven series.
The Spurs are well coached and definitely battle tested with playoff experience. This could be the last great run for veteran players Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
The seven seed, Houston Rockets, against two seed, Oklahoma City, will bring former teammates back in the playoffs as opponents. Current Rockets All-Star player James Harden will go up against NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant and explosive point guard Russell Westbrook of the Thunder. Oklahoma City has more playoff experience and will advance. The series is sure to be entertaining.
The Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors bring together an interesting matchup with smart point guards Stephen Curry of the Warriors and Ty Lawson of the Nuggets. But because the Nuggets have more depth and better coaching, they will win the series.
The best first round matchup will be the fourth and fifth seeded Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies. Both teams are experienced and have the talent to win the Western Conference. The Clippers are slightly more athletic, have a deeper bench and will advance to the second round over the Grizzlies. But I would not be surprised if the Grizzlies upset them.
In the second round, San Antonio will go to the wire with the high-flying Nuggets, but will win the series in the end.
The youth and talent of the Thunder will carry them past the inconsistent Clippers and, eventually, the Spurs, in the second round and conference championship. The Spurs are a veteran group, but the Thunder are an athletic bunch, and their youth will exhaust San Antonio’s defense, like it did last year.
A rematch of last year is in store, bringing LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh back to the NBA Finals against Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka.
Even with the way the Heat are playing heading toward the playoffs, it will not come as easy as the previous year. But Durant will have a tough time finding ways to score against the tough Miami defense.
James, Wade, Bosh and head coach Erik Spoelstra — with key additions Ray Allen, Chris “Birdman” Andersen and Rashard Lewis — are streaking right now and will be tough to beat in a seven-game series.
That is why the Heat will win the series in six games and repeat as NBA Champions.
