NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference

By Dr. J

Hey, you can call me Dr. J. I’m a big fan of the NBA and the Bikes in Trees blog, so I’ve decided to combine the two with a little breakdown of the upcoming playoffs. Below is my take on the East. Once the West is decided, I’ll submit my breakdown then. For now, whet your whistle with this little puppy.

1 Boston Celtics vs. 8 Atlanta Hawks

This series does not promise to produce any drama, or a repeat of last year’s Warriors v. Mavs series. The Celtics are a dominant team, and through the season they have dominated the Atlanta Hawks, and I don’t figure that this will change very much. The Hawks have added Mike Bibby in the middle of the season, so they will have a little bit of experience to add to Joe Johnson’s playoff experience that he got with his short stint with the Phoenix Suns. Their presence alone should be able to maybe garner one win against the Celts. Sadly, though, the combination of KG, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce will decimate the tiny Hawks. Also, Boston has inexplicably been able to develop its bench through the season, while at the same time turning Rajon Rondo into a very serviceable point guard. This team is primed to make a deep run, and the Hawks won’t get in the way.

Prediction: I want to give the Hawks some love because they are a feel-good story, but semantics can only get you so far. The Hawks should feel good about themselves if they can take one game into the fourth quarter without being down by double digits. Celts in 4.

2 Detroit Pistons vs. 7 Philadelphia 76ers

The Pistons are a fine team. They throw out one of the most balanced lineups every night in ‘Sheed, Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince. Each of them (except for maybe Prince) has the ability to step up and be the dominant scorer for their team in a game. Not to mention, the Pistons play some pretty good defense (understatement). That said, the Pistons have a habit of starting the occasional game lackadaisically or going stone cold, and a team like the Sixers is the perfect team to take advantage of that. Andre Iguodala has been consistently growing in the absence of Allen Iverson, and Samuel Dalembert has finally started to make his contract not look that ridiculous. This apparent mismatch is tempered a little by the fact that the Sixers split the season series with the Pistons.

Prediction: The Sixers are young, and ambitious, but they don’t have nearly enough talent to overcome the mighty Pistons in this series. I think they do have enough energy and excitement, though, to win a game or two in the series. Pistons in 6.

3 Orlando Magic vs. 6 Toronto Raptors

This series looks to be a matchup of two young and rising stars in the Eastern Conference. Dwight Howard for the Magic and Chris Bosh of the Raptors will most likely go off for tons of points in this series because neither team has an answer for the other. The Magic won the season series 2-1. I don’t put much stock into that, though, because the first game between the two teams was early in the season, and in the final one, Chris Bosh didn’t play. Other than the two top stars, this actually won’t be that close of a series, though. The Magic are a better defensive team and a better offensive team, too. The Magic also have a great supporting cast to help out Howard in Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis. The Raptors, though, have no one other than Bosh on their team.

Prediction: Bosh is a great talent, and he could probably earn a win for the Raptors. It won’t be much more than that, though. Magic in 5.

4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 5 Washington Wizards

And now for the big grudge match of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. There is so much trash talk going between these two teams that it almost makes me want to pay attention to the Eastern Playoffs. The trash talk, combined with two electric stars in Lebron and Gilbert Arenas, just makes me salivate for the post-game press conferences. I agree with Gilbert in thinking that “everyone wants to play Cleveland in the first round.” The Cavs definitely have been a little off since they made their big trade. The Cavs have been losing games that they should win as of late. Lebron has been experiencing back spasms. The Cavs have been unable to find a reliable second banana to Lebron. Plus, the Wiz have been energized by the return of their superstar, Arenas. What Arenas failed to mention in his trash talk, however, was that the Wizards are pretty banged up, too. The Wizards easily have the better supporting cast with Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, and a developing (and slightly injured) DeShawn Stevenson. These teams seem to be headed in opposite directions to me.

Prediction: Washington seems to have everything going for it coming into this matchup, but there is one thing they don’t have: Lebron James. After watching last season’s playoffs, I can’t, in good conscience, pick against his team. This is going to be a great series with tons of venom and last-second shots. If it weren’t for Lebron, I could see this series going either way. Too bad for the Wiz that Lebron’s back won’t slow him down enough. Cavs in 7.

Look for my take on the West this Thursday or Friday, once the seeding is solidified in the Big Boy Conference (West).