Predictions for the First Round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs

Question of the Day: What do you make of the upcoming schedule's for your favorite teams?

The first round of the NBA playoffs start this Saturday, and while they will be incredibly long (and sometimes boring) many teams repeated their appearances from last. Like always, there are superstar teams such as the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder looking to contend for the title while teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers are expected for first round exits. My predictions for all four Eastern Conference face-off's below.

Eastern Conference:

• 1) Miami Heat versus 8) Milwaukee Bucks: There is no question that the Heat are favorites to win the title again behind the Big 3. LeBron James had yet another MVP caliber season and will likely continue his dominance in the opening round against Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. The Heat are too talented of a team to even see a good fight against the Bucks. Their size and athleticism will allow for the Heat to control the series to a very quick sweep.
  Prediction: Heat win series 4-0

• 2) New York Knicks versus 7) Boston Celtics: Newly adorned scoring champion Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks are in cruise control right now. With J.R. Smith being the an incredible sixth man, and a somehow still underrated center in Tyson Chandler the Knicks will have a challenge in playing the Boston Celtics. Sure the Celts were incredibly inconsistent this season but if Jeff Green and Avery Bradley play up to their expectations then this series could get interesting. Kevin Garnett will hope to cool Carmelo down a bit with his trash talk, I'm sure but the Knicks need to make a statement about what they can do in the playoffs and they will do so. The Knicks will lose twice in Boston but ultimately the Knicks will dominate behind the arch and use a great swarming defense to force turnovers.
  Prediction: Knicks win series 4-2

• 3) Indiana Pacers versus 6) Atlanta Hawks: I may be a Hawks fan but let's face it; the Pacers are second best team to the Heat in the East. Paul George and David West lead a Pacer team that have bugged teams with their swarming defense. If center Roy Hibbert can get things going I can see the Pacers playing the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. In what seems to be his last season with the Hawks, Josh Smith will look to not be inconsistent as he has been this season, but if Al Horford picks up his slack and Kyle Korver and Jeff Teague can play the perimeter to their advantage, the Hawks might have a puncher's shot to winning the series. The Pacers have a superstar in the making in Paul George. Seeing him let the Hawks beat the Pacers in Phillips Arena but even then it will be a narrow win.
  Prediction: Pacers win series 4-1
  

• 4) Brooklyn Nets versus 5) Chicago Bulls: To me, the match up of the 4th and 5th seed are going to be the most interesting. The Nets are a newly renovated team that want to live up to their preseason hype when they added Gerald Wallace and Joe Johnson to help out Brook Lopez and superstar point guard, Deron Williams. The Bulls on the other hand went from a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference to a team riddled with injuries, especially the one to point guard Derrick Rose. Had Rose been back from his torn ACL in time for the playoffs, I would have given the Bulls the upper hand in what will be a very physical defensive match up in the paint, but I can't see them passing the Nets without an elite guard to go against Williams.
  Prediction: Nets win series 4-3

Questions or Comments?
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