The first round of the NBA playoffs may not have been as exciting as last year’s, but there were still some great moments. Stephen Curry replicated his MVP-type play in the first round and led the Warriors to a sweep of the Pelicans. Josh Smith and Dwight Howard have brought flashbacks of their AAU days to the playoffs as the Rockets look to prove the doubters wrong. The Wizards surprised everybody by sweeping the Raptors and look like a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. We get to see the Cavaliers/Bulls series we were hoping for, but Kevin Love will be out for the Cavaliers the rest of the playoffs. If the first round was not as exciting as expected, the second round will be a must-see.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (5) Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies are not getting the respect they deserve. Although the Blazers were injury-ridden, they were able to take care of business quickly and get rest for this dogfight. The Warriors are looking to get out and run, but the Grizzlies are capable of making this a slow-paced game. If Mike Conley is able to play, the Grizzlies have a legitimate chance to win the series. Marc Gasol has to play at his absolute best every single game. Ultimately, the Warriors will be the ones standing tall in this dogfight. Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut are capable of defending Gasol and Zach Randolph, and their offense is far more superior. My prediction: Warriors in 6.
(2) Houston Rockets vs. (3) Los Angeles Clippers: Both the Clippers and Rockets are coming off very convincing first round wins. It took the Clippers seven games to dethrone the defending champs, and the Rockets finally got out of the first round with a series win against the Dallas Mavericks. Although Chris Paul was injured in game seven, there is no way he will miss out on this. With Patrick Beverley out, Paul can really take advantage of Jason Terry and Pablo Prigioni. The fact that we get to see Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, and James Harden all on the same court for a seven game series is pretty exciting. We know these stars will step up, but the role players could wind up being the X-factors in this series. Josh Smith and Corey Brewer had big roles in the first round and are ready to take the weight off of Howard and Harden. The Rockets are the deeper team, and that will show at the end of the series. My prediction: Rockets in 7.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(1)Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Washington Wizards: The Wizards were definitely the team that left fans most impressed after the first round. Slumping into the playoffs, they were able to demolish the Toronto Raptors in a convincing manner. Paul Pierce reminded us all why we call him “The Truth,” as he seems re-energized to make one more push at a championship. John Wall and Bradley Beal outplayed the backcourt of the Raptors the entire series. While the Hawks made their series with the Nets more interesting than expected, they showed us the Hawks we were used to seeing in their closeout game. They have to stick to their ball movement if they want to win this series. The frontcourt battle between these two teams will be very exciting to watch. Paul Milsap and Al Horford are the more skilled offensive duo, but Nene and Marcin Gortat are the more skilled defensive duo. These games are going to go down to the wire, and the Wizards will prevail. John Wall and Paul Pierce will lead Washington to the Eastern Conference Finals. My prediction: Wizards in 7.
(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (3) Chicago Bulls: Although I am picking the Cavaliers to win the series, it is a little difficult to stay confident in that pick. These two teams hate each other, and it is going to show every game. The Bulls should really focus on trying to get Timofey Mozgov in foul trouble every game. When he is off the court, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol can cause trouble in the paint. The point guard battle between Kyrie Irving and Derrick Rose will be fantastic. The Bulls are the deeper team, and their bench could be critical to them winning this series. Kevin Love is out for the rest of the playoffs, and this series will really show how important Love was to the Cavaliers. He was playing great until dislocating his shoulder in game four against the Celtics. JR Smith, whose shooting has been vital to the Cavaliers’ offense, will also be out for the first two games due to suspension. But of course, the main focus of the series will be LeBron James. He is the best player on the planet, and he has a chance to show everyone he still is. As much as I do not want to sound like a fanboy, one team has James and the other one does not. He desperately wants to bring a championship to his hometown, and he is not going to let the Bulls get in the way. However, do not be surprised at all if the Bulls advance. The injury to Love has the potential to really hurt the Cavs. My prediction: Cavaliers in 6.
