NBA Playoffs Picks: Round 2: Eastern Conference
5/04/2009 | Posted by
Scott Lunn
-- Written by Devin Dombrowski --
Just an update before we get to the picks for the Eastern Conference. With the first round wrapping up yesterday, we finally have the tally of points for the first round predictions between Scott and me.
Devin: (Cleveland in 4, Boston in 7, Orlando, Lakers, Denver and Dallas) = 40 Points
Scott: (Cleveland, Boston, Orlando in 6, Lakers and Dallas) = 30 Points
I’m not sure what to make of this. I don’t watch much NBA so I guess we could argue that it’s somewhat more predictable than other sports. How else can you explain that I picked 6/8 series correctly, missed one series by a single game (ATL/MIA) and picked the winners of two and missed by a game (Lakers/Mavericks).
On a similar note, Scott got 5/8 series correct. So basically we both did better with our NBA picks than we did with the NHL picks. I have no way of explaining this. I watch a TON of hockey and I know Scott does. Is it possible that we don’t know the game as well as we think? Or is it possible that we over thought our first round picks for the NHL? Or that the NBA is just easier? I’m willing to listen to suggestions.
And with that, here are my round two winners for the Eastern Conference…
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (4) Atlanta Hawks
Uh oh, someone needs to wake Cleveland up and remind them that they have three more series to go before the season is actually over. I’m no expert, nor have I done an ounce of research on this, but the Cavs layoff has to be close to a record.
In the first round, Cleveland disposed of Detroit like they were playing the games on Xbox 360 and the level was set to beginner. This came as a surprise to nobody. Even the Pistons’ players weren’t surprised by this at all. Then again, Detroit is pretty much tanking it until the summer of 2010 when they hope to splurge on the free agent buffet and once again be competitive.
Atlanta had a tougher time in the first with their series going the full seven games. I personally picked Miami in seven games so I was close, but missed out completely. I really thought D-Wade had enough to carry Miami for a series or two, but I guess Atlanta just has a better overall team. Good for them. I hope they enjoyed it because their season is about to end.
My Pick: Cleveland in 6
(2) Boston Celtics vs (3) Orlando Magic
This goes without saying, but the Celtics just finished off the best first round playoff series ever. Honestly, when I’m tuning in for games and watching them, you know it has to be good. I’m not going to rehash much more about that series right now because chances are A) you already watched it B) you don’t care and didn’t watch it or C) you have seen/visited ESPN in the last few days and had it slammed in your face.
The Magic disposed of Philly in six games and I’m not sure what to make of that. I definitely thought they were much better than Philly, so I’m a little surprised that the series even went for six games. The only thing I really know about this series was the suspension of Dwight Howard, which didn’t seem to affect Orlando one single bit.
I’m picking Orlando to win this series for a few reasons.
1. Boston doesn’t have anybody to really match up with Howard
2. Boston has to be tired. It’s a long season, they are somewhat old, and just went through the longest seven game series that I can remember.
My Pick: Orlando in 7
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-- Written by Scott Lunn --
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks
Cleveland absolutely breezed through their series with Detroit, proving that the Pistons are do for some major overhauling at this point and are no longer the team that sat amongst the top of the East for the past several years. The biggest concern for the Cavaliers at this point has to be the 8 days in between games they will face before their series starts on Tuesday. I'd expect them to start off a little slow, but it won't take them long to find their legs again.
Obviously LeBron James leads this team in every way imaginable, but he has a lot more support now than in years past. Mo Williams has capably taken over at the point guard spot and adds a legit second punch in the scoring column, which eases some of James' burden. Additionally, Delonte West, Anderson Varejao, and Big Z all play their roles very well and for good measure throw in veterans Ben Wallace and Joe Smith off the bench, and there's little doubt why Cleveland is expected to be contending for the title in June.
Atlanta comes in fresh off knocking out Miami yesterday in a very bizarre series where not a single game was decided by single digits. The Hawks are talented, but lacked consistency in the 1st round, and that will be something they simply can't afford against Cleveland.
I'm trying to find a way that Atlanta can make this series competitive, but I just don't see it. They don't really match up all that well at any position with Cleveland, least of all at the small forward slot. I would think the Hawks would have to put somebody other than Maurice Evans on LeBron James defensively, but it's really not going to matter in the end.
One thing you can expect from this series is some highlight reel dunks and blocks from LeBron and Josh Smith, both those guys can jump out of a building. In the end, Cleveland has the better starters, the deeper bench, and home court advantage... did I mention they were 40-2 at home this season? I'd say this series might be a touch closer than the Cavs/Pistons, but not much really.
Cleveland in 5
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Orlando Magic
This series is infinitely harder to pick in my opinion. Boston had absolutely all they could handle with Chicago in the first round, and while I got sick of the hype, it's hard to deny what a great series that was. I can't recall the last time I saw two teams so evenly matched do battle in a series like that. The problem for Boston is that they've essentially played 8 games already at this point.
The series with the Bulls pointed out that Boston is clearly a different team without Kevin Garnett in the picture and it's going to cause them to struggle in this postseason. Rajon Rondo has been spectacular thus far and he's had to be too. Paul Pierce has not played up to his ability so far and Ray Allen was hit or miss throughout the series.
Orlando looked like a dominant team for much of the season, but looked surprisingly human in their first round series with Philadelphia. While they managed to take the series in 6, it wasn't the easiest set of games for them by any stretch of the imagination. Orlando's biggest issue seems to be that they are far too willing to rely on shooting jumpers to get their points. They are a true "Live by the 3, die by the 3" team and that usually doesn't work out for the best in the postseason.
They didn't shoot the 3 particularly well against the 76ers, but still made it out alive... they'll have to be better against Boston without question. When Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis are on from the outside, this team becomes a nightmare to handle for the opposition, but if they aren't, the focus quickly moves to Dwight Howard.
Howard should be the key to this series. He is probably the best big man in the game today, but still lacks the consistency needed to be a truly dominant center. He has games where he drops 30 points and 20+ rebounds on you, and then he'll turn around the next night and only give you 14 points. Boston's glaring weakness aginst Chicago was in their front line. Without Garnett, Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis are really all they have, because Mikki Moore and Brian Scalabrine aren't intimidating anyone.
The Magic would be wise to pound the ball into Howard and let him go to work because he is far more talented than anything Boston can counter with. If he can get Perkins or Davis in foul trouble, the Celtics will be in for a world of hurt. On the other side of things, Rafer Alston and a combination of J.J. Redick and Mikael Pietrus are going to have their hands full with Rando and Allen. The loss of Courtney Lee is going to hurt Orlando without a doubt. He's a quiet rookie you don't hear much about, but he's a solid player and especially on the defensive end. If he ends up being done for the postseason, it could be the turning point Boston needs in this series.
In the end, this series is going to be about Orlando's game plan... will Stan Van Gundy continue to have his team bomb away from the outside and risk the series on the hotness of their shooting, or will he feed the monster inside and let Howard rip up Boston's depleted front line? This should be a good battle, but I'm banking on Boston's tired legs and weak frontcourt giving out first.
Orlando in 6
Just an update before we get to the picks for the Eastern Conference. With the first round wrapping up yesterday, we finally have the tally of points for the first round predictions between Scott and me.
Devin: (Cleveland in 4, Boston in 7, Orlando, Lakers, Denver and Dallas) = 40 Points
Scott: (Cleveland, Boston, Orlando in 6, Lakers and Dallas) = 30 Points
I’m not sure what to make of this. I don’t watch much NBA so I guess we could argue that it’s somewhat more predictable than other sports. How else can you explain that I picked 6/8 series correctly, missed one series by a single game (ATL/MIA) and picked the winners of two and missed by a game (Lakers/Mavericks).
On a similar note, Scott got 5/8 series correct. So basically we both did better with our NBA picks than we did with the NHL picks. I have no way of explaining this. I watch a TON of hockey and I know Scott does. Is it possible that we don’t know the game as well as we think? Or is it possible that we over thought our first round picks for the NHL? Or that the NBA is just easier? I’m willing to listen to suggestions.
And with that, here are my round two winners for the Eastern Conference…
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (4) Atlanta Hawks
Uh oh, someone needs to wake Cleveland up and remind them that they have three more series to go before the season is actually over. I’m no expert, nor have I done an ounce of research on this, but the Cavs layoff has to be close to a record.
In the first round, Cleveland disposed of Detroit like they were playing the games on Xbox 360 and the level was set to beginner. This came as a surprise to nobody. Even the Pistons’ players weren’t surprised by this at all. Then again, Detroit is pretty much tanking it until the summer of 2010 when they hope to splurge on the free agent buffet and once again be competitive.
Atlanta had a tougher time in the first with their series going the full seven games. I personally picked Miami in seven games so I was close, but missed out completely. I really thought D-Wade had enough to carry Miami for a series or two, but I guess Atlanta just has a better overall team. Good for them. I hope they enjoyed it because their season is about to end.
My Pick: Cleveland in 6
(2) Boston Celtics vs (3) Orlando Magic
This goes without saying, but the Celtics just finished off the best first round playoff series ever. Honestly, when I’m tuning in for games and watching them, you know it has to be good. I’m not going to rehash much more about that series right now because chances are A) you already watched it B) you don’t care and didn’t watch it or C) you have seen/visited ESPN in the last few days and had it slammed in your face.
The Magic disposed of Philly in six games and I’m not sure what to make of that. I definitely thought they were much better than Philly, so I’m a little surprised that the series even went for six games. The only thing I really know about this series was the suspension of Dwight Howard, which didn’t seem to affect Orlando one single bit.
I’m picking Orlando to win this series for a few reasons.
1. Boston doesn’t have anybody to really match up with Howard
2. Boston has to be tired. It’s a long season, they are somewhat old, and just went through the longest seven game series that I can remember.
My Pick: Orlando in 7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Written by Scott Lunn --
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks
Cleveland absolutely breezed through their series with Detroit, proving that the Pistons are do for some major overhauling at this point and are no longer the team that sat amongst the top of the East for the past several years. The biggest concern for the Cavaliers at this point has to be the 8 days in between games they will face before their series starts on Tuesday. I'd expect them to start off a little slow, but it won't take them long to find their legs again.
Obviously LeBron James leads this team in every way imaginable, but he has a lot more support now than in years past. Mo Williams has capably taken over at the point guard spot and adds a legit second punch in the scoring column, which eases some of James' burden. Additionally, Delonte West, Anderson Varejao, and Big Z all play their roles very well and for good measure throw in veterans Ben Wallace and Joe Smith off the bench, and there's little doubt why Cleveland is expected to be contending for the title in June.
Atlanta comes in fresh off knocking out Miami yesterday in a very bizarre series where not a single game was decided by single digits. The Hawks are talented, but lacked consistency in the 1st round, and that will be something they simply can't afford against Cleveland.
I'm trying to find a way that Atlanta can make this series competitive, but I just don't see it. They don't really match up all that well at any position with Cleveland, least of all at the small forward slot. I would think the Hawks would have to put somebody other than Maurice Evans on LeBron James defensively, but it's really not going to matter in the end.
One thing you can expect from this series is some highlight reel dunks and blocks from LeBron and Josh Smith, both those guys can jump out of a building. In the end, Cleveland has the better starters, the deeper bench, and home court advantage... did I mention they were 40-2 at home this season? I'd say this series might be a touch closer than the Cavs/Pistons, but not much really.
Cleveland in 5
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Orlando Magic
This series is infinitely harder to pick in my opinion. Boston had absolutely all they could handle with Chicago in the first round, and while I got sick of the hype, it's hard to deny what a great series that was. I can't recall the last time I saw two teams so evenly matched do battle in a series like that. The problem for Boston is that they've essentially played 8 games already at this point.
The series with the Bulls pointed out that Boston is clearly a different team without Kevin Garnett in the picture and it's going to cause them to struggle in this postseason. Rajon Rondo has been spectacular thus far and he's had to be too. Paul Pierce has not played up to his ability so far and Ray Allen was hit or miss throughout the series.
Orlando looked like a dominant team for much of the season, but looked surprisingly human in their first round series with Philadelphia. While they managed to take the series in 6, it wasn't the easiest set of games for them by any stretch of the imagination. Orlando's biggest issue seems to be that they are far too willing to rely on shooting jumpers to get their points. They are a true "Live by the 3, die by the 3" team and that usually doesn't work out for the best in the postseason.
They didn't shoot the 3 particularly well against the 76ers, but still made it out alive... they'll have to be better against Boston without question. When Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis are on from the outside, this team becomes a nightmare to handle for the opposition, but if they aren't, the focus quickly moves to Dwight Howard.
Howard should be the key to this series. He is probably the best big man in the game today, but still lacks the consistency needed to be a truly dominant center. He has games where he drops 30 points and 20+ rebounds on you, and then he'll turn around the next night and only give you 14 points. Boston's glaring weakness aginst Chicago was in their front line. Without Garnett, Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis are really all they have, because Mikki Moore and Brian Scalabrine aren't intimidating anyone.
The Magic would be wise to pound the ball into Howard and let him go to work because he is far more talented than anything Boston can counter with. If he can get Perkins or Davis in foul trouble, the Celtics will be in for a world of hurt. On the other side of things, Rafer Alston and a combination of J.J. Redick and Mikael Pietrus are going to have their hands full with Rando and Allen. The loss of Courtney Lee is going to hurt Orlando without a doubt. He's a quiet rookie you don't hear much about, but he's a solid player and especially on the defensive end. If he ends up being done for the postseason, it could be the turning point Boston needs in this series.
In the end, this series is going to be about Orlando's game plan... will Stan Van Gundy continue to have his team bomb away from the outside and risk the series on the hotness of their shooting, or will he feed the monster inside and let Howard rip up Boston's depleted front line? This should be a good battle, but I'm banking on Boston's tired legs and weak frontcourt giving out first.
Orlando in 6
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