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 Philadelphia- Bulls in 4. Philly is a great defensive team but their offense is absolutely atrocious. Two of their top three scorers come off the bench. Chicago will need to make some adjustments with Rose back full time but they won't have any trouble in this series.

Miami vs New York- Heat in 5. Miami just has too much talent for the Knicks. New York under Mike Woodson is a better team then they were earlier in the season, but they still aren't good enough to beat the Heat. I expect Carmelo to put up ridiculous numbers and get them a win or two but that's it.

Indiana vs Orlando- Pacers in 6. Indiana is one of the more underrated teams in this league. They don't have a true superstar but from top to bottom their aren't many deeper teams in this league. Orlando has all kinds of turmoil and Dwight Howard isn't 100%. That's a bad combination for the Magic.

Boston vs Atlanta- Celtics in 7. Boston is one of the hottest teams going into the playoffs but the Hawks are no easy opponent. Atlanta always seems to play Boston tough and the Hawks finished the season strong. The deciding factor in this series is home court advantage which belongs to the Celtics despite having a worse record.

Western Conference

San Antonio vs Utah- Spurs in 6. Just like Memphis last year, the Jazz are a very deep team in the front court. Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, and Derrick Favors can all get the job done for the Jazz. This year, however, the Spurs are a better team and Utah isn't quite as good as Memphis was last year. San Antonio has won 10 straight going into the playoffs.

Oklahoma City vs Dallas- Thunder in 5. The defending champs are limping into the playoffs but I still expect them to put up a fight. In the end the Thunder will prove to just be too good for them. I expect big series from both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The defense Serge Ibaka plays on Dirk will also be critical.

LA Lakers vs Denver- Lakers in 6. The Nuggets have won 8 of 10 going into the playoffs and the Lakers still have a ton of questions to answer. Kobe, Bynum, and Gasol all need to be at their bests in this series to avoid the upset. It will be a fun, high scoring series but the Lakers take it.

Memphis vs LA Clippers- Clippers in 7. Memphis is an extremely dangerous team but I just have a feeling about the Clippers. I think Chris Paul will be able to will them to victory. CP3 is the best player in this series and if he plays like it then Lob City will win a grueling 7 game series.

That sets up second round match ups of Chicago/Boston, Miami/Indiana, San Antonio/LA Clippers, OKC/LA Lakers.

 

[Harthan]

Chicago Bulls vs Philadelphia 76ers

Chicago needs Rose to return to the full playoff form that he was in last year - better, actually, if they actually want to go to the Finals this year, or even get deep in the playoffs. As much success as Chicago's elite defensive reserves have had this year, they won't get much further than this without Rose on the team. Not in seven game series against teams that keep getting better. The Sixers are Indiana-light; no superstar, but a good team with solid players at every position. Unfortunately, it was a miracle run in the early half of the season that's allowed them into the playoffs despite their poor play down the stretch. They're living on borrowed time and could probably lose to the Bulls without Rose. But, Rose had best bring his A-game because this is his chance to tune up before meeting the good teams. The critical decider here is going to be the fact that Philly plays its best ball off the bench; meanwhile, the Bulls have a war hardened, defense minded bench that's shouldered the load over the regular season. They'll shut down that bench. I don't see much hope for Philly in this one, unless they can swing a win in Chicago; they have a much better chance of taking a game in Philly, and if they can potentially be even through the first four there's hope. But it seems unlikely, and this smells like a sweep more than anything.

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks

I think this is going to be the most entertaining series in the opening round. The Knicks are probably better than a seventh seed now that Carmelo Anthony has taken over the team and is playing the way he feels he has to play to be any good. The Heat are arguably the best team in the NBA, but have had their share of troubles down the stretch and enter with two of the Big Three banged up - Wade with a finger, Bosh with a hamstring. Fortunately for them, the guy that isn't hurt is the rightful MVP. But, those mild injuries will do a lot to equalize this series. What I also love about this series is how the best of the 2003 draft is meeting now in a playoff series - maybe someone should find Darco and sign him to a ten day contract, just for old times sake, eh? Unfortunately for the Knicks, they haven't won a playoff game since 2001. Not hopeful. The secret to success for New York will be three pointers. The Heat are pretty bad at defending them and the Knicks are pretty good at making them. And yet, I don't really believe that'll be enough to win a series for the Knicks. A game or two, maybe, but the Heat are just too good to let that happen to them for a first round exit. Expect James to explode now that he is truly the man in Miami and take the Heat on to the second round.

Indiana Pacers vs Orlando Magic

It really comes down to one thing, doesn't it? No Dwight Howard for the Magic probably means no playoff victory. The Magic are basically in shambles. Injuries abound, with Howard's season ending injury capping it all off. Stan Van Gundy has had his job threatened and questioned openly nigh constantly. There's just not much hope that I can see. Ryan Anderson is the only thing left and, improved as he is, I can't believe he's enough to take the Magic into the second round. With Anderson being basically the only thing going for the Magic and Indiana leading a balanced attack strategy, they'll just take advantage of the holes everywhere else on the road to victory. Furthermore, David West, who was generally shut down by the Magic this year, will probably run wild all over them now that Howard isn't guarding the rim. Nothing about this series looks good for Orlando and I expect a sweep.

Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks

The true last gasp of the Celtics, almost certainly, with Garnett and Allen unlikely to return in 2013. The Celtics didn't pull the trigger on trade that would've moved Allen and Pierce out of town - probably a bad idea, in my estimation, but apparently clinging desperately to that last chance at a championship is the dominating thought in Boston. Rondo's playing very well since the deadline and, since every game is on national television, we can presumably expect the real Rajon Rondo every night. So, the Celtics are looking up, led by Rondo and solid play from its aging roster. The Hawks, meanwhile, will be out one Al Horford in the first round. Fortunately, they still match up well against Boston. And who could forget the team that took eventual champions Boston to the limit in seven games just a few years ago? Should be a great series to watch. Fortunately for Atlanta, their questions at center are answered by an aged Kevin Garnett and a rookie Greg Stiemsa off the bench, which would effectively make that a wash. I expect the 5 spot to a matchup of Josh Smith and Kevin Garnett. Johnson and Pierce match up extremely well with one another; they're very similar players. You can find similar similarities at most positions...until you get to Rondo, who the Hawks haven't got much of an answer for. Expect him to be the difference maker in this series. He hasn't done his best against Atlanta this year, but they did win their games against Atlanta when he was in the lineup. It'll be close, could go all seven once more, but I think Boston has it.

I'll do the West in a little bit.

 

[Unsold Bacon]

East

Chicago vs Philly


Chcago in 4. Philly has looked extremely weak recently and backed their way into the playoffs. They fell all they way from the 4 spot looking like a great team to looking pretty average in the 8. While they have been doing that Chicago has continued to win without Rose and now with their MVP back and looking at least a little like himself the Bulls can easily beat this team. Get the brooms out for this sweep.

Miami vs New York

Miami in 4. This might sound crazy but I'm smelling a sweep. Miami have done a great job against the Knicks this season and I can't see them even giving up a game even with the Big 3 a little banged up. It's also being said that it is possible DPOY candidate Tyson Chandler might miss game 1. New York has scored 10 fewer points per 100 possessions compared to their average against Miami and have also given up 10 more per 100 against them. The games will be tight and I except this to be the best series of the East.

Indiana vs Orlando

There is no way Orlando wins this. Indiana in 5. The fact there is no Dwight in this series is pretty much what keeps them down and if you combine it with an injured Big Baby they will be very, very bad. Roy Hibbert also has 5 inches on Big Baby who will be the starting center so I can see them being dominated inside. This series won't be that great.

Boston vs Atlanta

Boston in 7 This is the only one in the East I can see going the stretch. They have played very tight this year with the Celtics winning the season series. I can see it being low scoring as well. Although Avery Bradley is a great defender (especially on the perimeter) I can see Joe Johnson giving him a little bit of trouble, not just because it seem Joe can hit almost any shot on the court but because he has 5 inches on Bradley and unfortunately for him Ray Allen won't always be there to help him out.

I'll try to post the West later.

 

[Alastor]

Eastern Conference

Chicago vs Philadelphia

Chicago sweep. Phily is limping towards the playoffs. Derrick Rose is going to want to prove he is still the MVP of last season.

Miami vs New York

Heat in 6. I believe New York can at least win their first 2 home games to make it an interesting series with and improved defensive effort this season to compliment Melo's offence. But Lebron is still Lebron.

Indiana vs Orlando

Indiana sweep. Pacers are a deeper team and can throw different bodies at the Magic. Orlando is distracted by too much off-court drama. The probably want the post-season to end earlier to get away from all of it.

Boston vs Atlanta

Boston to win in 5. Many see this as a tight series but I think the Celtics are better coached and has Rondo as the difference maker. The old guys will want to close the series fast so I predict a short series.

Western Conference

San Antonio vs Utah

Spurs in 6. Jazz has a deep frontcout which will cause the spurs many problems. But spurs will probably outgun them with 3 point shooting.

Oklahoma City vs Dallas

OKC in 6. I think Dirk can win at least 2 games for the Mavs but Durant and Westbrook will prove too much for the Mavs. X-facor here is whether Harden is still shaken by the concussion. If that is the case I am hoping for an upset for the champion.

LA Lakers vs Denver

Lakers to win in 5. Bynum and Gasol are too big too skilled. Denver never wins in playoffs, much less against the Lakers.

Memphis vs LA Clippers

Memphis in 7. Home court will decide this series. Down the stretch, Clippers have to rely on Paul almost all the time due to poor free throw shooting of their front court. As good as Paul is I do not believe he can win 4 games on his own.

 

[tripolie atche]

West

#1 San Antonio vs #8 Utah - Both teams have deep benches, especially UTA in their frontcourt which could give SA some trouble. However, SA is especially deep at the wing position which I think will be a bigger problem & too much for the Jazz to handle. Plus, unlike at the end of last season, none of SA’s Big 3 are hurt (remember, Manu sat out Game 1 last season which MEM narrowly won), & I also don't see SA getting upset by the 8th seed for the second year in a row. Spurs in 6.

#2 Oklahoma City vs #7 Dallas - This series will mostly depend on James Harden's availability after suffering that concussion last Sunday. You never know if symptoms can reappear again for Harden, but since he's already been cleared, I think KD & the Thunder will avenge their West Final loss from last season. Dirk & the Mavs will put up a fight, but I can't see them making another run without Tyson Chandler in the middle. Also, if Westbrook is having a bad game from the field, I hope he gets his teammates more involved late in the game rather than continuing to jack up jumpers but I don't think anyone is too optimistic about that ever happening lol. Thunder in 6.

#3 LA Lakers vs #6 Denver - I think Denver could be this year's Memphis Grizzlies & WILL BEAT the heavily favored Lakers. MWP's suspension will hurt his team since he was starting to play well again after Kobe sat out with the shin injury & even after he came back, but the Lakers don't have a very good bench while DEN is deep at all 5 positions. I know they have some guy named Kobe plus Bynum & Gasol can't be stopped, but knowing Bynum, I think he'll do something stupid to either get himself benched by Mike Brown or thrown out of a game for picking up a 2nd technical that ends up costing the Lakers a game. This is going to be a great series & the one I'm looking forward to the most. Nuggets in 7.

#4 Memphis vs #5 LA Clippers - I've been going back & forth on this series for the past few days, but in the end I think MEMs defense will do a good job on containing Paul and/or Griffin, which will be enough for the Grizzlies to get past them & move on to the 2nd round. On the other side, Griffin's post defense isn't any good which is good news for Randolph & Gasol, & Tony Allen will do a good enough job on CP3 to prevent him from taking over in the 4th quarter in most games. Also, this is Rudy Gay's first playoff series, so one should know how eager he is to help his team go on a deep run after having to watch MEM get within a win away from advancing into the West Finals from the bench. Grizzlies in 7.

East

#1 Chicago vs #8 Philadelphia - Even if D Rose is hurt and plays limited minutes in this series because of it, the Bulls have shown this season that they can win without him. With that being said, they should have no troubles getting past a Sixers team that has arguably struggled the most since the All-Star break, amongst playoff teams, after leading their division for most of the season & then fighting off MIL for the last playoff spot in the East. I expect that to continue for PHI & I think this series to be the lowest scoring series of the eight, but CHI is already looking forward to the winner of the BOS-ATL series lol. Bulls in 5.

#2 Miami vs #7 New York - Damn. Heat...Knicks...Playoffs. That's all I need to type as my reason for why I, or any NBA fan, should be looking forward to this series. As someone who grew up watching these two battle from 1997-2000, obviously it's not going to be a low scoring, defensive battle as those series were. Anyways, after almost being in the league for nearly a decade, we finally get to see Melo vs LeBron in the playoffs & no one is more motivated or hot coming into this series than Melo, who IMO has more to prove than LeBron since he's only gotten out of the first round just once in his career. Even though the Knicks have improved greatly since Woodson took over, MIA's Big 3 are well rested & will be too much for NY to overcome. As a Knicks fan, honestly I'll be satisfied if this series goes 6 or 7 games, which I think it will since MIAs perimeter defense is pretty bad while NY attempted the second most 3's per game behind ORL, & since the Heat struggled with Chandler last year in the Finals (yes I know he has the flu & hopefully he's ready by Game 2 Monday if he can't go today). Heat in 6.

#3 Indiana vs #6 Orlando - Even if D12 were playing, I'd still go with IND but since he's not I expect Roy Hibbert to be a monster down low against with Big Baby on him. IND ended the regular season hot & that will continue, however, I won't say a Pacers sweep because ORL will win either Game 3 or 4 due to their 3 pt shooting...but that'll be it lol. Pacers in 5.

#4 Boston vs #5 Atlanta - Obviously, BOS is confident in winning this series because they basically gave homecourt to the Hawks last Friday when they rested the Big 3 & Rondo while they were playing....you guessed it, the Hawks lol. However, I really don't blame the Celts for being confident, I mean they have been one of the hottest teams since the AS break, Rondo has gone 20 straight games with at least 10 ASTs, Garnett is having a great season when many people like myself thought he was done, & Paul Pierce is having a great season as usual. Even though Ray Allen is having problems with his ankle, Avery Bradley has done a great job filling in mostly on defense. For ATL, Horford has been ruled out for this round while Zaza may not play in this series also with his foot injury. If so, KG & Bass should have no troubles against this team. Though, with Smooth & Johnson, the Hawks won't go away quickly so it'll probably take BOS six games to move onto the next round for what could be the their last run with Ray & KG set to hit free agency this summer. Celtics in 6.

So my second round matchups are San Antonio vs Memphis, Oklahoma City vs Denver, Chicago vs Boston, & Miami vs Indiana

 

[tripolie atche]

went 5-3 in the 1st Round as I got CHI, DEN, & MEM wrong

West

#1 San Antonio vs #5 LA Clippers - as much as I hate the Spurs, it's hard for me to pick this Clippers team to advance when Blake & CP3 are both banged up while SA is fully rested after barely breaking a sweat against UTAH. Yes, they've been off for a over a week come Tuesday night, but rust shouldn't be a problem for an experienced team like the Spurs who have had long layoffs like this in previous playoffs, so I'm sure Pop & the Big 3 will be ready for Game 1. Also, Games 3 & 4, which will be in LA, will be a BACK-TO-BACK. This will most likely hurt the Clippers more than the aging Spurs, because of Paul's groin or hip & Blake's knee & due to SA's week long rest. In addition to, even if the Clippers bench plays the way they did like in Game 7 against MEM in this series, the Spurs will have an answer as their bench is the deepest in the NBA right now & you never know who will come off & step up for them on a game to game basis. Spurs in 6.

#2 Oklahoma City vs #3 LA Lakers - I'm kind of worried that the one-plus week layoff will hurt the young Thunder team, but then again the layoff has helped Perkins & the hip injury he suffered in their last game, & the Lakers just got done playing a tough 7 game series against DEN. OKC may not be as deep as DEN, but I think they'll get past the Lakers & move onto the West Finals because of their transition offense, & Gasol & Bynum's inconsistency. Like they did against DEN, the Lakers will struggle to stop OKC on the fast-break, while Bynum & Gasol won't be able to own the boards against Ibaka, Perkins, & Collison enough to get past the Thunder. Similar to the other West 2nd rd series, LAL will also be playing Games 3 & 4 at home back-to-back, which will make it tough for the Lakers to win both. Also, I'm sure Fisher & Harden are looking forward to this series & will want revenge for obvious reasons, along with Perkins since the last time he played against the Lakers in a playoffs series was the 2010 Finals (he blew his knee out in Game 6, & missed Game 7 where the Lakers killed BOS on the offensive glass while winning the game by 4 points) so you know he can't wait for this to start tomorrow night. Thunder in 6.

East (I had made these predictions before last night's Game 1 between Boston & Philly)

#2 Miami vs #3 Indiana - The Pacers' depth & Roy Hibbert will make it tough for MIA, but it won't be enough to put them over the hump because Granger will struggle against LeBron on both sides of the ball while Paul George's struggles will continue like it did against the Magic. Hopefully, this won't be a 4 or 5 game series after Vogel called the Heat the biggest floppers in the league lol. Heat in 6.

#4 Boston vs #8 Philadelphia - PHI struggled to beat a Bulls team minus Noah & Rose, & if Watson had held onto the ball a little longer before passing it to Asik, we'd probably be getting ready to watch Game 7 between the Bulls & Sixers. Anyways, as for this series, even though Ray Allen is still having problems with his ankle & Paul Pierce has a sprained MCL, I don't think that'll be problematic for BOS at least in this series. In addition to, obviously Jrue will have a much tougher time with Rondo than he did with Watson, & Elton Brand will struggle with his shot in this series against KG & Bass, like he did in the previous round against Noah, Boozer, Taj, & Asik. This will be the lowest scoring series of the semifinals, but unless injuries to any of the Big 3 or Rondo forces them to a miss a few games, then the Celts should easily take care of the Sixers & move onto the East Finals. I would like to say the Celts sweep them, but PHI's bench will win them one of their two games at home. Celtics in 5.

So my Conference Finals matchups are San Antonio vs Oklahoma City & Miami vs Boston. (On the West side, I'll be fine with any matchup except....San Antonio vs LA Lakers lol)

 

[Big Sexy]

I went 7-1 in the first round and missed a perfect 8 for 8 because of the injury to Derek Rose.

Eastern Conference

Boston vs Philadelphia - Celtics in 5. Boston is just a superior team and Philly lucked out with the Derek Rose injury. The 76ers will get one at home but I can't see them getting much more then that. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are just playing too good right now.

Miami vs Indiana- Heat in 5. The Pacers are a deep team but they lack a true superstar and a closer. Miami is playing well right now and they shouldn't have too much trouble in this round. The Pacers will play them tough but I'd be surprised if it got past 5 games.

Western Conference-

San Antonio vs LA Clippers- I'm going out on a limb and taking the Clippers in 7. The Spurs looked great against Utah but my gut is telling to once again take LA. the Chris Paul vs Tony Parker match up will be fun to watch and it will be interesting to see who the Spurs put on Blake Griffin because they lack athleticism on the inside.

Oklahoma City vs LA Lakers- Thunder in 6. The Lakers just haven't looked completely in sync all year and I definitely didn't like their lack of a killer instinct against Denver. Probably the biggest concern was the play of their front court against a weak Denver front line. They have to step up big time against the likes of Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka. I see a big series coming from Kevin Durant.

That sets up conference finals of OKC/LA Clippers and Miami/Boston.

 

[Yes! Yes! Yes!]

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers : Philly got lucky last round beating the Bulls without Rose. There is no way they are winning this series. I could see them maybe winning one more game in the series. Celtics in 6.

Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers: Indiana is a really deep team but they lack a superstar player to take over games. Bosh going down to injury hurts Miami but not enough to cost them the series I think. Heat in 6.

Western Conference

San Antonio Spurs vs L.A Clippers: The Clippers grinded out a tough seven game series with the Grizzlies but now they get the tough Spurs who are on fire right now. Had the Clips not had to go through such a brutal series last round I would give them a better chance here but I think the Spurs win it in 5. Spurs in 5.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs L.A Lakers: Let's be honest here other than a late rally in Game 7 the Lakers were lucky to survive the Nuggets. The Thunder dominated the defending champs. I think the Thunder are more than enough for L.A. They have the big men inside to match L.A's size and they can run the Lakers off the floor with their younger, more athletic team. Thunder in 6.

That sets up Celtics vs Heat and Thunder vs Spurs in the Western Conference finals. Which was the most competitive conference finals we could ask for once Rose went down.

 

[Alastor]

6 of 8 in first round. Rose injury and Clippers bench mob did the damage.

My second round picks: Boston, Heat, Spurs, OKC. All in 6 games.

 

[TLK]

It doesn't seem likely that anyone will stop the Spurs. It's funny how everyone is talking about Kobe chasing MJ's 6 rings or LeBron finally winning a ring, but Duncan is chasing #5 and he has the most realistic chance of accomplishing it. I've never been much of a Spurs fan, but it's hard to deny Duncan's success. He 'struly making a strong case for best player of the decade, despite the obvious choice in Kobe.

 

[Big Sexy]

I got 3 of 4 right in the last round and now we are one to the Conference Finals.

Eastern Conference Finals- I'm taking the Heat in 6 games. Miami had some struggles last round but came together to win 3 straight at the end. The Celtics were given an easy opponent in Philly but still took 7 games to defeat them. Boston will get a couple wins and it will be a hard fought series but the Heat are simply too good for the aging Celtics.

Western Conference Finals- I've got the Thunder in 7. The Spurs have impressed me immensely in the first two rounds but this is by far their toughest test yet. Let's also not forget that while the Spurs are 8-0 in the playoffs, the Thunder are 8-1 and have had a tougher road having to go through the defending champs and then the Lakers. OKC matches up very well with San Antonio and I think this is where the Spurs run ends.

 

[JamJam]

I want to disagree with Big Sexy, but I really can't. Looks like it'll be a battle between the top 2 scoring duos in the NBA. Let's hope that the C's give the Heat a series and go up to six games. I think the Spurs can beat OKC actually, but as you said, this'll be their first real test. But nonetheless, it's gonna be an awesome time to watch the NBA.

 

[tripolie atche]

went 4-0 in the 2nd round (9-3 overall)

West

#1 San Antonio vs #2 Oklahoma City - Really looking forward to the individual matchups in this series with Westbrook vs Parker, Harden vs Manu, etc. However, I'm going to go with OKC because I don't think Kawhi will do a great job in guarding Durant, while Westbrook will outduel Parker, & Duncan will be held in check by Perkins & Ibaka. SA's deep bench should make this a 7-game series, but in the end, OKC will move onto the NBA Finals having beaten the 3 teams that have won the West since 1999 (DAL, LAL, & SA). I think this will go down as the best Western Conference Finals since Kings-Lakers from a decade ago, if not one of the best in NBA history. Thunder in 7.

East

#2 Miami vs #4 Boston - Despite BOS winning 3 out of 4 against the Heat during the regular season, I think the Heat will have no trouble going back to the NBA Finals. Yes, Bosh maybe out for this series, but I think Pierce who struggled a bit when Iguodala was guarding him will obviously have even a tougher assignment going up against LeBron, while I expect D-Wade to continue to play great basketball since Ray Allen & his ankles will be guarding him. The Celts' will truly miss Avery Bradley's perimeter defense in this matchup. Rondo & KG should keep them in this series, but it won't be enough as MIA will eliminate BOS in the Garden where the Big 3/Big 4 era will come to an end. Heat in 6.

So my NBA Finals matchup will be Oklahoma City vs Miami.

 

[Megatron]

Heat in 5

The C's will get one at home, but Lebron and Wade took off those last three games and Haslem is doing a decent job at being the #3 option while Bosh is out. If their shooters (Chalmers, Miller, Battier) make the open shot then Boston's old bodies don't stand much of a chance. Doesn't help their best perimeter defender (Bradley) is out and that Pierce is hurting, but LBJ and Wade will do the same things they did against the Pacers only against an older, more worn down team.

Spurs in 7

This series looks so hard to predict and will be much fun to watch. Both teams have great offenses and are coming in with 1 loss total in the playoffs. The Thunder have been a bit more battle tested than the Spurs, but the Spurs have the best coach in the game, a deeper team, and HCA. I'll take the team that has only lost 2 times in like 28 games, but it's a virtual toss up. Home court decides it for me.

 

[timfly]

Heat in 7
Spurs in 7

Don't want the Heat to win, but of course they are. However, Duncan dominates in the finals and Heat lose.

 

[tripolie atche]

went 2-0 in the Conference Finals

NBA Finals

#2 Oklahoma City vs #2 Miami - This is going to be a great series & I'm really looking forward to the matchups in this year's Finals, especially Durant vs LeBron. However, after watching OKC run through the 3 teams that have owned the West for over a decade, I'm going with the Thunder to take down the Heat. I think LeBron will have a great series, but it won't be enough for MIA as OKC has the edge in depth, while Wade will struggle offensively since he'll be on Westbrook for most of the time & a less than 100% Bosh will be going up against Ibaka & Perkins. Thunder in 6.

NBA Finals MVP: Kevin Durant

 

[Big Sexy]

I kind of forgot about this thread but I went 2-0 last round and with the Finals tied 1-1 I'm still sticking with my original prediction of Thunder in 7. The Heat are definitely game and they have taken home court but this Thunder team isn't going to just curl up. They have a lot of fight in them and the combo of Durant/Westbrook has outplayed the combo of LeBron/Wade thus far. I'd be surprised to see this series go anything but 7 games and I think having home court will be the deciding factor for OKC.

 

[Khalifa]

I said since January 3 that Heat will win the NBA finals in 7 games against the Thunder. I still firmly believe that that will happen. Miami have been playing some great defense but Scott Brooks isn't a stupid coach. Obviously Durant needs to take more than 19 shots compared to Westbrooks 32! Durant is a 3 time scoring champ and Lebron is guarding him so you would think that maybe if they went to Durant a little more then Lebron would be more worn out of offense but Durant only will have to guard Battier letting him rest a bit more on D. Ibaka also needs to stop settling for mid range jumpers and attack the hoop. He is an athletic freak and it really does disappoint me that he is settling. Kendrick Perkins shouldn't even be taking any shots at all. I think he is easily one of the worst offense players ever. Westbrook needs to be more of a play maker. I like that he is attacking, attacking and attacking but he can and always will get his shot off. If he gets others involved first that'll give the Thunder more of a chance to win game 5 and 6 which I still see them doing.