NBA Playoff Prediction Thread

[Big Sexy]

This thread is dedicated to discussing the NBA playoffs and predicting the winners of each series. Rather then do all the predictions at once we'll go on a round by round basis to keep the discussion going throughout the playoffs.

Eastern Conference

Chicago vs Indiana- Bulls in 4. The Pacers are not very good and they are also inexperienced. They are the worse team in the playoffs by far and Chicago is arguably playing better then any team in the league right now.

Miami vs Philadelphia- Heat in 4. The Sixers have some injuries and are really struggling as of late. They are one of the most surprising teams in the league but Miami will easily dispose of them.

Boston vs New York- Celtics in 6. Boston struggled late and NY had a nice string of wins before losing their last couple games. The Knicks are scary with the talent they have but Boston will be too much for them.

Orlando vs Atlanta- Magic in 5. Orlando has a lot of playoff experience on their roster and are a tough match up for the Hawks. Atlanta has lost 6 straight going into the playoffs and the Magic should have few problems.

Western Conference

San Antonio vs Memphis- Spurs in 5. The Grizzlies are a nice young team with a lot of talent so I'll give them 1 win but that's it. The Spurs have a great mix of veterans and young guys and will be tough to beat in the West.

LA Lakers vs New Orleans- Lakers in 5. I'll give New Orleans one game because of CP3 but no more. Even without Bynum for a game or two the Lakers will make quick work of the Hornets.

Dallas vs Portland- Mavs in 6. Dallas always struggles in the playoffs but I like them better defensively this year then most previous seasons. Having Tyson Chandler and Brenden Haywood inside is a nice combo. The Blazers will put up a fight but fall short.

Oklahoma City vs Denver- Thunder in 6. The Nuggets are scary and playing with a chip on their shoulder but the Thunder led by Durant will be a little too much to handle in a 7 game series. Expect a very high scoring and exciting series with the Thunder taking it.

 

[tripolie atche]

First of all, as a longtime hater of the LA Lakers, let me get this out of the way:

WTF SAC!!! after coming back from a 20 pt deficit by shutting down LAL in the 4th & even taking a 3 pt lead with a few seconds remaining, why did you not foul instead of letting Kobe make the game tying 3??? This forced OT where LAL won it & clinched 2nd (the one matchup I did not want to see was LAL vs NO because that's basically a bye for the Lakers even with Bynum's injury lol)

anyways here are my predictions:

East:
CHI over IND in 5 - I want to say the Bulls will sweep but I think Danny Granger & Tyler Hansbrough will help IND steal either Game 3 or 4 at home.

MIA over PHI in 5 - I think this is what MIA wanted in the 1st round because PHI was the one playoff team in the East they didn't have any problems with in the regular season, hopefully I'm wrong & PHI can at least steal 2 gms in this series but I just think LeBron & D-Wade will be too much for the Sixers to handle.

BOS over NY in 6 - as a Knicks fan, it's hard for me to pick against them, especially picking a Boston team lol, but with the shit decade NY has had, I'll be happy if they can win at least 2 gms in this series. I expect Melo, Chauncey, & Amar'e to each have a great series, but their lack of depth will ultimately hurt them (all they have is Toney Douglas & at times Shawne Williams, but Landry Fields has been struggling for the past month or 2), & plus I just can't go against KG, Pierce, Allen, Rondo, & perhaps a returning Shaq.

ORL over ATL in 5 - even though ATL took 3 out of 4 against the Magic this season, I still can't forget about how ORL basically raped this team last year in the 2nd round. This could go 6, maybe 7, gms if Joe Johnson of '05-'06 to '09-'10 shows up, but then again that still might not be enough. Even though, Dwight had a low FG% in ORLs 4 meetings with ATL, I still think he'll post great numbers to go along with ORLs plethora of 3 pt shooters (J-Rich, Jameer, Turkoglu, Ryan Anderson, Arenas, & Redick).

West:
SA over MEM in 6 - I think this matchup will be like the Lakers-Thunder 1st round matchup from last yr as MEM will scare SA a bit & I can see Zach Randolph averaging around 23 ppg & 15 rpg, but the Spurs will ultimately prevail because of experience (I don't think Manu's elbow injury was too serious).

LAL over NO in 4 - for the past few weeks, this is how many people saw it: Of the top 4 seeds in the West, LAL was the team none of the bottom 4 seeds wanted to play & of the bottom 4 seeds in the West, NO was the team everyone in the top 4 wanted to play lol. So anyone can tell how this matchup will turn out & plus LAL swept NO in the regular season.

POR over DAL in 6 - in the past 5 seasons, DAL has lost in the first round as a #1 seed & a #2 seed so why not go one & done as a #3 seed lol. Even though DAL has great depth, so does POR as they matchup pretty well with Mavs. Blazers have been playing great ever since acquiring Gerald Wallace but I think LaMarcus will be the difference maker & too much for DAL to handle.

OKC over DEN in 7 - this should be a fun series to watch & the matchup I can't wait to see is Kendrick Perkins vs Nene (mainly because they almost came to blows those last 2 gms they played last week lol), but other than that I'm interested to see if DEN can advance into the 2nd rd w/o Melo or if Durant, Westbrook, & Co. could win their 1st playoff series & go on a deep playoff run like many people including myself have them going on. What leads me to believe why OKC will win this series is because injuries are beginning to pile up in DEN (Lawson, Chandler, Gallinari, & Afflalo) & even though the Nuggets have great depth, who will their go to guy be if they have the ball & are down by 2-3 pts with a few seconds remaining???

 

[Gregor_Samsa]

Eastern Conference

Chicago over Indy in 4- Chicago is unfuckwitable right now and D-Rose is ridiculous.

Miami over Philadelphia in 5- I don't like them but the talent of they're top two players will be enough to slide past the sixers though I do see philly taking one of the home games.

Boston over NY in 5- Boston's biggest problem now is lack of depth at the center position. Why they traded Kendrick Perkins, I'll never know. However, New York's center is Ronnie Turiaf. I think Boston will clamp down defensively on Anthony and Billups while letting Stoudemire get his points. They win out either way. New York might steal game one in Boston.

Orlando over Atlanta in 7- Yeah, the Hawks were horrible in the playoffs last year but they're well aware of it. They have too much individual talent on that team not to put up a decent fight. They push it to a game 7 but Dwight, Jameer and the gang pull out the series victory.

Western Conference

San Antonio over Memphis in 5- The old guys will be primed for a title run. They'll drink their Ensure and come out swinging. I give Memphis a game because of the inside match-ups. Randolph and Gasol are a great front court tandem for the Grizz and should help them snatch a game or two.

Lakers over Hornets in 4- I haven't seen the Hornets much this season because TNT and ESPN decided to broadcast the Miami Heat's entire season. But I know David West went down to injury so NO is sans their second best player. Tough goings for Chris Paul and company. The Lakers flip the switch and open the playoffs with a sweep.

Dallas over Portland in 7- I'm worried about the Caron Butler absence for the Mavs but I think they shall overcome. I'm really interested in the Nowitzki/ Aldridge matchup. Both big men with range and rebounding ability. This could be the first round series I'm most looking forward to.

OKC over Denver in 5- I know Denver has been running wild since the Carmelo trade but OKC has been on another level ever since Perkins began gelling with his new team. Westbrook, Harden, Durant, Ibaka...these guys are fierce. Denver gets a game due to the play of Felton and Lawson at the point and 2 guard positions but the Thunder should take this.

 

[It'sMyYard]

Eastern Conference

Chicago over Indiana in 4- Indiana are weak at the moment. Bulls will sweep easy.

Miami over Philadelphia in 4- Believe it will be Similar to above - I like the Sixers but they do have injuries, they'll be crushed in 4.

Boston over NY in 6 - The Knicks have talent and Boston's center is wavy. NY will win 2. but you only have to look at Pierce, Rondo, Garnett and Allen and you have your winners.

Orlando over Atlanta in 7- the Hawks have a losing streak behind them so I reckon they'll pull 3 out the bag in the right state of mind. Orlando will be too much though.

Western Conference

San Antonio over Memphis in 4- Experience over a young team. This will be exiting to watch but spurs will murder.

Lakers over Hornets in 4- sweep in regular season and it's LAKERS vs Hornets. I Didn't want Hornets to get the Lakers. They have no chance.

Portland over Dallas in 7- Great series this will be. Very hard to call. Both have great defence. Gonna give it to the blazers though. one word: Gerald Wallace!

OKC over Denver in 6- Good match up. though Durant and Westbrook will carry Thunder in 6.

 

[Goliath Uterus]

Chicago over Indy in 4, Indy sucks balls

Miami over Philly in 4, see above

Boston over NY in 6, Melo will steal the Knicks a few games, but the Celtics are the better team.

Orlando over Atl in 6

San Antonio over Memphis in 5, if Rudy Gay was around I say the Grizzlies take this series

Lakers over Hornets in 4, duh

Portland over Dallas in 7, Dallas blows heem in the playoffs, and this Portland team is fo real

OKC over Denver in 7, Love both these teams (Denver a bit more), so I won't be sad to see either one advance, should be the best first round series.

 

[People's Champ]

West

Spurs over Grizzlies in 6
I like the Grizz a lot, but I can't see them beating the Spurs. The Spurs are a good team, and the experience will get them past the Grizz.

Lakers over Hornets in 4
This is an easy sweep. The defending champs are the best team, more talented, and Paul can't do it alone. No need for a big explanation here, easily Lakers.

Trailblazers over Mavericks in 6
I don't like the Mavs. The regular season means nothing to me when it comes to this team. Without Butler, and a team like Portland playing as well as they are, I see the Blazers winning this series. It should be fun to watch, but the Mavs are out in the first round.

Thunder over Nuggets in 7
I think this will be the best series in the West. Since the trade, the Nuggets have been on fire. And its real hard to pick against them. But the Thunder are the better team, with the better PG and of course, KD. Its going to be close, but the Thunder will pull it off. I will say, however, that I wouldn't be surprised to see Denver pull it off.

East

Bulls over Pacers in 4
This won't even be close. The Pacers are not a good team, and the Bulls are rolling, possibly the best team in the league. As much as I would like to give the Pacers a win, I don't see it happening.

Heat over Sixers in 4
Too much talent for the Sixers to handle. Wade and James willl power the Heat past the Sixers. With injuries and what not, I don't see them winning a game.

Knicks over Celtics in 6
Believe me, I know I'm going out on a limb. But I have to say that I just don't think the Celtics are the same team since trading Perkins. I like the way the Knicks are playing and will be pumped to be back in the playoffs.

Magic over Hawks 6
I think the Hawks will put up some type of fight, but the experience and talent the Magic have will be too much for the Hawks. I'm not too big on the Hawks and can't see them beating Orlando.

 

[Big Sexy]

I see a lot of people picking against the Mavs and rightfully so because they have lost in the first round 3 of the last 4 years, but I think this Mavs team is a little different and the main reason is Tyson Chandler. Chandler is a legit starting center and him combined with Haywood, Dirk, and Marion gives the Mavs a big lineup. One of the things that makes Portland so good is the size at every position but Dallas negates that with great size of their own. I also like the play of two guys for the Mavs as of late. The first is Jose Juan Barea. He is the Mavs point guard of the future and is basically splitting time with Kidd. J Kidd is still the starter but he doesn't have to exert himself as much with the great play of Barea. The other is Corey Brewer. Not always on the offensive end but the defensive end he is always playing well.

Not having Caron Butler hurts but with all the additions and improved play of past players I like this Mavs team better then most the last few years. Portland could very well upset them but they aren't a very good road team and Dallas is playing with a chip on their shoulders. I don't see the Mavs making it past the second round but I believe they will beat Portland.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I'm not a huge NBA fan, so I won't make predictions on the other matchups, but I think you guys are selling the Thunder short (one team I do follow). Durantula and Westbrook, when they are focused to murder teams, do just that. Thunder is kinda the "sexy" pic with a lot of media outlets right now and for good reason.

Actually I will Chuck in my 2 cents, why not.
East
Chicago vs Indiana-Pacers are what? 7 games below .500? This is why I think the NBA needs a rule that if you're below .500, no playoffs and the team you'd play has the option of a bye or to play the next lowest (7) seed. chicago in 4 by an average of 30

Miami vs Philly-Miami will fuck around and lose 1 because that's just their personality, probably game 4 after going up 3-0. Miami in 5.

Boston vs New York-classic matchup, but Boston has the experience. They're good enough that they didn't have to play hard every night during the regular season. When the old guys do play hard, they don't look so old. Melo doesn't play D and even if he drops 40, which he won't because of Boston's D, they don't stand a chance. This is a case of defense winning championships. Boston in 5

Orlando vs Atlanta-Historic ass whoopin last year and I don't see this year as all that much different. I DO think that Atlanta will play with more fire becasue of last year and Howards laid back demeanor might cause Orlando to get overcome by that fire in one game, but the cream rises to the top. Orlando in 5.

West
San Antonio vs Memphis-kinda the same story as Boston/New York only Memphis isn't as talented. San Antonio in 4

LA vs new Orleans-Lakers are deep and experienced and like the other really good teams, didn't always have to play hard to win. they will play hard, and it will be ugly LA in 4

Dallas vs Portland-I never trust Dallas in the playoffs, but they will win this series. It'll get to 2-2 and then Dirk will have a few big games. Dallas in 6

OKC vs Denver-yea, Denver has been playing well, but so has OKC. OKC is young, but playoff experienced. They play with a swagger. OKC in 4, maybe 5, maybe

 

[Megatron]

EAST

Chicago over Indiana in 4 - Indiana the worst of all playoff teams, Chicago one of the best. The Pacers might be lucky to steal one, in a situation like Game 3 or 4 after already down 2 or 3 games.

Miami over Philly in 5 - I do like Philly, but this isn't a very good matchup for them. The Heatles are playing just as hot as about anyone, and I don't see this going past 5.

Boston over New York in 5 - Boston won't have much troubles at home, but the Knicks will get one at the Garden and one other game will go to overtime. However, the Knicks don't play nearly enough D and Anthony/Stoudemire/Billups have only had 20-some odd games to work together.

Orlando over Atlanta in 5 - Atlanta is playing uninspired, and Howard will carry these guys in the series.

WEST

Spurs over Grizzlies in 6 - I think the injury to Ginobili will cause the Grizzlies to split one of the first two in SA, and they'll get one more at home. They're better then your average 8 seed, and the Spurs are hurting atm.

Lakers over Hornets in 4 - The hornets don't have much firepower offensively, and you really think the team that's trying to 3 peat is going to fall to the Hornets?

Mavericks over Blazers in 6 - While people are anticipating this as the possible upset series, the Blazers have trouble scoring and Dirk & co. should be able to at least take these guys to a 2nd round.

Thunder over Nuggets in 7 - The lone series I see going the distance. I really like OKC as a possible contender, but they have to get over that hump of not winning a series yet. The Nuggets have been playing much better since the Carmelo trade, and will be a tough test for the Thunder. However, there isn't anyone that can take the ball and go with it in the final 5 minutes, and I think the closer by committee, so to speak, will cause their downfall.

 

[gd]

Thunder have a shot to get out of the west for sure. I don't see any way they blow a 2-0 lead against Denver and they got a good shot of taking out SA, who I believe will be coming off a long, tough series against Memphis.

I think their bigs (Perkins, Ibaka, Collison, Mohammad) have a shot at containing the bigs of the Lakers and Thabo can do a decent job of containing Kobe. In that one, I think it all comes down to the Durant/Artest matchup, which KD really struggled with last year.

As for the East, I'm not sure. Don't like the Celtics this year and am actually leaning towards Miami. When you have 2 of the top 3 or 4 players in the league you have a shot to win any series. I don't trust the likes of Joel Anthony or Big Z though. I'll pick em anyway, the Bulls are a year (and a decent 2) away.

So OKC vs. Miami with the Heat winning in 7. Dan Gilbert proceeds to write an angry letter.

 

[Big Sexy]

Eastern Conference

Chicago vs Atlanta- Bulls in 6. ATL will take a couple games at home because of how good Jamal Crawford has been playing but the Bulls are the more talented team. Rose seems to be fully recovered from the ankle and Carlos Boozer may actually show up in this series,

Boston vs Miami- Celtics in 7. This could go either way and I'm not very confident at all but I think the Celtics toughness will be too much for the Heat to handle. Mike Miller is banged up and Haslem still is unlikely to be back for the Heat which hurts them.

Western Conference

Oklahoma City vs Memphis- Thunder in 6. The Grizzlies were the story of the first round and they have a lot of talent but the Thunder are much better equipped then the Spurs to stop Memphis. The Grizzlies won the first round because of their superior inside play. They don't have that advantage against the Thunder. OKC is stacked inside with Perkins, Ibaka, Nazr, and Collison. The Thunder also have the best player in this series by far in Kevin Durant.

LA Lakers vs Dallas- Lakers in 6. I loved what I saw from Dallas in round one and Caron Butler may be back but the Lakers are just a tough match up for them. Both are very strong inside teams and both have good bench depth but the Lakers are just the better overall team and it helps they have home court. I expect Kobe to outshine Dirk and the Lakers to come out on top.

 

[tripolie atche]

went 5-3 in the 1st round as I got ORL over ATL, POR over DAL, & SA over MEM wrong, but hey I'm glad MEM took out the Spurs because I really didn't want to see a potential LAL-SA matchup in the West Finals (lol I think Charles Barkley was the only one outside of Tennessee who had them winning that series)

anyways here are my 2nd round predictions:

East:
CHI over ATL in 5 - I would say CHI in 6, maybe even 7, but with Hinrich's hamstring injury making him questionable for the series, it looks like Jeff Teague will be the one having to guard D Rose lol. I still think the Hawks will win at least one game mainly because Carlos Boozer won't play well in this series also. (He has a turf toe & he'll be matching up against Al Horford).

BOS over MIA in 6 - this should be an entertaining series & regardless of Shaq playing or not, I still think the Celts will prevail. MIAs Big 3 will each have to play great in each game throughout the series, but D Wade averaged about 13 ppg on around 30% shooting in the four games vs the Celts this season. Also, Miami's depth, or lack there of, will give BOS the series win even if Miker Miller and/or Udonis Haslem return (it's been one injury after another for Miller this season & Haslem hasn't played in 5-6 months). Plus we all know what the end result will be if MIA is in a situation where they have the ball & have a chance to tie or take the lead with only a few seconds left in regulation lol.

West:
OKC over MEM in 6 - Thunder will win this series, mainly because OKCs frontcourt will matchup well to make it tough on Randolph & Gasol (yes the Grizzlies did take 3 out 4 vs the Thunder in the regular season, but those 4 games did not feature Perkins). Also, even though Tony Allen & Shane Battier are two of the best defenders in the league today, neither will be enough to slow down Kevin Durant.

DAL over LAL in 7 - Hard to believe that this is first time Dirk will play Kobe in the playoffs, but this series features the team I hate the most vs the team I love to see lose (I'm from Dallas, so it's pretty funny to see my friends go ape shit & blame the refs every year they get eliminated from the playoffs). However, besides the fact that I refuse to root for the Lakers to win, I think DAL will win if Dirk continues to play like he did in the POR series, Chandler stays out of foul trouble, and if the Lakers bench outside of Odom struggles while the Mavs bench with Terry, Barea, & Peja each can play well. Hopefully, Butler & Roddy B can make their returns during this series, but I think Butler has already been ruled out by Carlisle and I don't know what the status is of Roddy B

 

[Big Sexy]

Eastern Conference Finals
Miami vs Chicago- Heat in 6. As much as I'd like to pick Chicago, I just can't see them winning this series. The haven't been overly impressive thus far in the playoffs and that was against fairly easy opponents. The Heat are playing too good right now and have to much fire power for Chi Town.

Western Conference Finals
Dallas vs OKC- Mavs in 7. I think the last series going 7 games really helped the Thunder get some much needed experience. They were in a do or die situation and played great to get a big home win and take the series. With that said, even though Dallas will be a little rusty after a long lay off, I think their experience helps them take the series. OKC has the talent to match them but Dallas has the experience and they have been playing tremendous basketball in these playoffs.

 

[tripolie atche]

went 3-1 in the 2nd round as I only getting BOS over MIA wrong

First, congrats to MEM on a great season. Hopefully, they can resign Marc Gasol in the offseason and I also hope they don't become a one hit wonder like the 2005-06 LA Clippers lol.

Anyways here are my Conference Finals predictions:

East:
MIA over CHI in 6 - I expect to this to be a low scoring series, but from an offensive standpoint I don't think D Rose will be able to carry his team to the Finals by himself. Deng & Boozer may each have 1 or 2 good games in the series, but throughout the series I doubt they will. Yes, CHI has one of the best benches in the league but Korver will continue to struggle, while guys like Gibson, Watson, & Brewer won't be much of a factor. Also, I don't think Deng, Brewer, & Bogans will be enough to slow down Wade & LeBron.

West:
OKC over DAL in 6 - Even though the Mavs have the experience & have had a week of rest, I think the Thunder will take it because of their quickness. I don't think Kidd will be able to keep up with Westbrook, while Dirk and Marion will struggle to slow down Durant. Both benches are great & it should be about even, but I think Harden will help OKC steal a game or two. Another reason I like OKC is because IMO having one week off will hurt DAL. Obviously, they were pretty damn hot against LAL, especially in Game 4, but I think the one week layoff will be enough to cool down Terry, Barea, Peja, & maybe even Dirk. Finally, for the Thunder's sake, I hope Westbrook doesn't average 20-30 shots per game in the series lol.

 

[Kermit]

Did you guys see Dirk kill it tonight. The main thing i am happy about though is how well we, I am a Thunder fan, stayed with the Mavericks even though Dirk played like a demi-god.

East:
Chi over Mia in 6 - Miami will put up a good fight, but the Bulls seem to want it all the more for the right reasons. The trio got out played in game one Chicago, and i don't see them stealing one on the road. Miami went into the series screwed since Chicago his the top seed. No offense to Heat, they have played well in the playoffs.

West:
OKC over Dal in 6 - Game one was an eye opener, but i'm hoping the Thunder's endurance will be the key attribute in this series. Dirk went crazy on the court, and he is a legend in his own right, but come on KD had 40 points and shot 18/19 from the line. If Dirk comes out and has a bad game, or one of their three point shooters are off, I don't see the Mavericks pulling out a win. The Thunder kept with the Mavericks despite having to defend the supernatural beast, Dirk Nowinski. I don't see the Mavericks winning in OKC, there is just too much youth and energy in the stadium, but I see the Thunder picking off a win on the road to steal the series. No matter what this series will be interesting; you have a Veteran team vs. a Young Team.

 

[Big Sexy]

NBA Finals

Dallas Mavericks vs Miami Heat- Mavs in 6. Now with the Heat having home court advantage I believe that the Mavs would need to take care of business in 6 games. They could win a game 7 in Miami but it would be very difficult. Both teams have looked great thus far in the playoffs but the Mavs provide some match up problems for the Heat. The only guy the Heat have that can cover Dirk is LeBron James and you can't have LeBron on Dirk for extended periods because he would get into foul trouble. On the flip side the Mavs have a lot of great defenders to hold the Heat's stars in check. Tyson Chandler with his length, strength, and athleticism will give Bosh all sorts of trouble. When it comes to Wade and LeBron the Mavs have very good wing defenders in DeShawn Stevenson and Shawn Marion to at least hold them somewhat in check. Plus they have Corey Brewer on the bench and while he has not played a lot in these playoffs I expect to see him get some minutes in this series guarding bot LeBron and Wade. All Brewer really needs to do is play good defense and hit the open three. That happens to be exactly what he does best. It will be a hard fought series but I am taking the Dallas Mavericks to be NBA Champions.

 

[bigandpissed]

Im hoping Mavs in 7. GOD DAMN IT I HATE MIAMI!!! I SWEAR TO GOD IM GOING TO KICK LEBRON JAMES STRAIGHT IN THOSE PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR TESTICLES, AND THEN IM GOING TO FLOSS MY ASSCRACK WITH THAT STRINGBEAN BASTARD CHRIS BOSH!

ahem... and dallas has a better bench.

 

[Megatron]

^ Big Sexy the Finals are 2-3-2 format, so the Mavs would have to close out in Miami if the series went 6 games.

I haven't posted my predictions since the opening round, but I would've went 1-1 in the Conference Finals. I had Heat/Thunder.

Now for the finals, Dallas may have more depth, and Dirk may be playing out of his mind, but the Heat are finally clicking and playing some of their best basketball all season. LeBron was unstoppable against Chicago and Bosh had a pretty good series as well. Wade wasn't the biggest contributor but they still won in 5. Dallas will live and die off of Dirk. If he doesn't perform like he did against OKC, they don't have a chance. He needs to average somewhere around 30 points (give or take a basket) because, while his D isn't bad, it isn't great. LeBron and Wade, on the otherhand, can still be huge factors even if their offense isn't there because they play excellent D.

While I wouldn't mind Dallas winning and think Dirk has had one of the best playoff runs in recent memory, after all that the Heat have been through since James signed, it would be tough for me to see him not show up and win this series. Plus, this team will be the most physical team Dallas has seen all year. LeBron and Wade can finish at the hoop and Bosh isn't bad either. They'll get their chances at the line and I see them cashing in. It'll be a damn fine series to a good playoffs, ending with the villians doing what they set out to do: celebrate an NBA championship.

Heat in 6. MVP - LeBron.

 

[Big Sexy]

^ Big Sexy the Finals are 2-3-2 format, so the Mavs would have to close out in Miami if the series went 6 games.

Yeah I know that, it was an oversight and too late to edit my post. It's much easier to take a game on the road up 3-2 with the other teams back against the wall. I'm more confident in them taking a game 6 on the road vs a game 7.

When it comes to Miami they have had a much easier route to the finals. Philly just isn't that good, Boston's best player in Rondo was injured most of the series, and Chicago much like OKC was too young and inexperienced this year. Chicago was also a one man team and Miami was able to shut down that one player. However, they can't shut down Dirk. He isn't some 6'3 point guard you can just box up. He is a 7 footer who has been nearly unstoppable in these playoffs and he has a better supporting cast then anyone Miami has faced. The Mavs also has better wing defenders then any team Miami has faced thus far this season. The Mavs are the deeper team, more well rounded team, and they have the MVP of these playoffs thus far in Dirk.

 

[jmt225]

Words cannot describe how happy I am that we're getting a finals without the Lakers participating. Seems like the first time in 10 years, lol.

Anyways, I'm kind of torn of who I'm rooting for. Both Mike Bibby and Peja Stojakovic are two of my all time favorite players, and both deserve championships are being robbed in 2002. However, I've always had a soft spot for Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and Mark Cuban, while I've never really cared for Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, and the city of Miami period (worst sports city in America, no doubt, and even though the Cowgirls play in Dallas, I don't hold that against the city).

Anyways, this thread is not about who you're rooting for, but who you predict to win, and my prediction is no surprise the same as who I'm rooting for.

Dirk Nowitzki is simply playing the best basketball of his entire career, and I just don't see anyone slowing him down on Miami's team. Jason Terry is also playing the best ball of his career, and the fact is... all around, Dallas has a much better supporting cast than Miami, and their stars are much more consistent. While Miami can always count on LeBron to get his numbers, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are very much different stories. Sure, either one can go off any given game, but that's not enough to bet on them against a team as consistent as Dallas has been these playoffs. Moreover, while NOBODY can shut down LeBron, after seeing how well Shawn Marion guarded Kevin Durant, I have faith in Marion keeping LeBron from getting CRAZY numbers.

So, yeah... I have Dallas winning in 5. Just too much fire power. People credited Miami's defense a bit too much against Chicago, I thought. Watching that series... Chicago just didn't play well on the offensive side on the ball, and Miami was VERY lucky they didn't. They won't be so lucky against Dallas.

 

[Phoenixsplash]

Miami in 6. Yeah MAvs got Dirk, Kidd is too old, Marion is overrated, and the Heat have too much fire power in the big 3, and will get contributions from Chalmers and UD.

 

[tripolie atche]

went 1-1 in the Conf. Finals as I also had Heat-Thunder in the NBA Finals

NBA Finals:
MIA over DAL in 6 (MVP: D Wade)- don't really care who wins the championship because I'm just glad that we don't have to go through another NBA Finals with the Lakers or Spurs, but if I had to pick someone then I'd have to go with MIA, even though I'm from Dallas lol. I'm going with the Heat mainly because of their defense, & I think they'll find a way to slow down Dirk whether it be Bosh, Haslem, LeBron, and/or Joel Anthony. Yes, DAL has more depth obviously, but with Haslem & Mike Miller playing well in the East Finals, I think they'll continue to play well in this series (hopefully James Jones is ready to go, but I don't know what his status is since he has a torn tendon in one of his toes).

But like I already mentioned I really don't care who wins the championship because both teams have longtime veterans not named Dirk, Kidd, & LeBron who have never won a championship (DAL has JET, Marion, Peja, etc. & MIA has Big Z, Juwan Howard, Bibby, etc.)

 

[Chris]

Miami in 5.

Miami handled Chicago pretty easily and I definetly think the Bulls are better than the Mavericks. Miami plays lockdown defense and Dallas really only has one top notch scorer in Dirk. While Miami has Lebron, Wade, and Bosh. I think Lebron will guard Dirk most of the series and do a good job. I think Miami will get help from their reserves and win the series fairly quickly. Dallas wins Game 1, Miami wins the next 4.

 

[Phoenixsplash]

Dallas really only has one top notch scorer in Dirk

Thats debatable. Terry is one hell of a shooter. I think he will cause a ton of match up issues from 3.

 

[Chris]

Thats debatable. Terry is one hell of a shooter. I think he will cause a ton of match up issues from 3.

So are James Jones, Mike Miller, Eddie House ect. Miami has plenty of shooters too. Terry isn't the kind of guy who is gonna drop 30 every game like Dirk, Lebron, Wade, and Bosh are capable of.