Western Conference
No. 1 seed Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 8 seed Utah Jazz
The Lakers were arguably the best team in the NBA before Andrew Bynum returned from injury days ago. Bynum is a force in the paint who will make the Lakers even more invincible. Meanwhile, the Jazz struggle on the road and on the defensive end. Mehmet Okur can’t guard Bynum, Carlos Boozer can’t guard Pau Gasol and nobody in the league can guard Kobe Bryant. The Lakers should handle their business at home, and expect Bryant to take over both games in Salt Lake City.
Lakers in four
No. 4 seed Portland Trail Blazers vs. No. 5 seed Houston Rockets
The key to this series will be Brandon Roy’s effectiveness. Ron Artest and Shane Battier are world-class defenders and Roy is one of the best offensive players in the league. Portland is almost impossible to beat at home, and with the game seven at home, I think Roy will break the hearts of Rocket fans once again.
Portland in seven
No. 2 seed Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 seed New Orleans Hornets
How big of an effect does Chauncey Billups make on a basketball team? He led the Pistons to six straight Eastern Conference Finals appearances, and the year he leaves the Pistons, they fall to the eighth-seed. The consensus among NBA fans is that Chris Paul is the best point guard in the NBA, but I believe Chauncey Billups is a close second. Besides the point guard match up, the Nuggets have a more talented supporting cast led by Carmelo Anthony, and their underated defense ranks fourth best in field goal percentage allowed.
Nuggets in six
No. 3 seed San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 6 seed Dallas Mavericks
The Spurs are not the championship caliber team that NBA fans have come accustom to seeing. Their defense is the seventh-worst in the league at defending the three, which means that marksmen Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki should get open looks from the perimeter. The Spurs also will be without their all-around star Manu Ginobli, which will make their offense much less efficient.
The Mavericks also struggle mightily on defense, and the problem starts with the age of Jason Kidd. The last time these teams met, the Mavericks won 107-102, but Tony Parker had his way with Jason Kidd, scoring 37 points. It’s a toss up, so I will side with Tim Duncan and Greg Popovich one more time, but don’t expect the Spurs to make it to the Conference Finals.
Spurs in seven
Eastern Conference
No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 seed Detroit Pistons
LeBron James is the best player in the NBA. He has become an above average mid-range shooter to go along with his unbelievable ball handling skills and athleticism. The Pistons may be better without Allen Iverson playing, but ultimately they are a team on the major decline. Expect the Cavaliers to win big at home, and for Maurice Williams to make some big shots at the Palace to secure the sweep.
Cavaliers in four
No. 4 seed Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 5 seed Miami Heat
The bottom line is, Dwyane Wade is going to have to win this series by himself. Jermaine O’Neal is a shell off his former self, and nobody on the Heat besides Wade can contain Joe Johnson or Josh Smith. The Hawks home crowd in last year’s playoffs sparked three wins against the future champion Boston Celtics, and I expect that home crowd to once again fuel the Hawks in all of their home games.
Hawks in seven
No. 2 seed Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 seed Chicago Bulls
With Kevin Garnett reportedly out for the series, the Bulls could shock the world. In their last meeting, the Bulls won 127-121, showing how they can score at will without the Celtics best defensive presence. But, don’t sleep on the emergence of Rajon Rondo. We know how dominate Ray Allen and Paul Pierce can be, but Rondo often is overlooked. I think Rondo will force rookie phenom Derrick Rose into mistakes, and Celtics coach Doc Rivers will find a way to get past a Bulls team that finished the season winning 12 of their last 16 games.
Celtics in six
No. 3 Orlando Magic vs. No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers
The Magic were a little banged up down the stretch, but Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard are reportedly ready to start Game 1. No one on the planet can stop Dwight Howard, who will likely have multiple 20-20 games in this series. Thaddeus Young emerged as a future star for the Sixers this year, but to overcome Howard’s dominance, Young and teammate Andre Iguodala will have to absolutely dominate the Magic backcourt. With Young likely not 100 percent due to a late season injury and the Magic boasting the third best field-goal percentage defense, I just don’t see that happening.
Magic in six
- Joey Akeley
Multimedia Editor
