The NBA playoffs are starting again, and excitement is building up. 16 teams will do battle in order to find out who the best basketball squad in the world is. Each round one series starts this weekend, either on Saturday or Sunday. Before they get underway, we here at The Sports Examiner will do our very best to predict the outcome of each series and pick the eventual champ. Of course, this is the NBA playoffs, so anything can happen. Well, almost anything (sorry Nets fans). Let's get started.
First Round:
1. Golden State Warriors vs. 8. New Orleans Pelicans- This should be an easy win for Golden State. Sure, the Pelicans have Anthony Davis (unarguably the best player in the league under 23), but there's not much after that. Yes, Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday, Omer Asik, and Eric Gordon are all goodplayers, but they've got nothing on the Warriors roster, which features the likes of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. Even the Warriors bench (with guys like Andre Iguodala and David Lee) would be able to measure up with the Pelicans starters. Winner: Golden State Warriors in 4
2. Houston Rockets vs. 7 Dallas Mavericks- This could be a very interesting match-up, as Dallas's roster has a number of veterans who have proven themselves in the post-season, including Dirk Nowitzki and Rajon Rondo. They've also got Chandler Parsons, who played with Houston last season. But is that enough to take down the Rockets? They're led by MVP candidate James Harden, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and Jason Terry, a former Sixth Man of the Year. I wouldn't be totally surprised if the Mavericks won, but I don't think it'll happen. Winner: Houston Rockets in 6
3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs- This match-up looks like it'll be the best one, as these are two teams who both have chance to win it all. However, in the post-season, it's always a smart bet to go with the Spurs. After all, they are the defending champions and have a roster full of players who are proven in the post-season, like Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and Manu Ginobili. The Clippers on the other hand, are not so proven in the post-season. Winner: San Antionio Spurs in 6
4. Portland Trail Blazers vs. 5. Memphis Grizzlies- Though the Grizzlies have a lower seed, they get home-court advantage because they had more wins than the Blazers. That home-court advantage could come in use, as this is a close match-up. There are quality players on both teams (like Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge for Portland) and (Mike Conley and Marc Gasol for Memphis). This one could really go either way, but I'm going with Memphis, who is more battle-tested than Portland. Winners: Memphis Grizzlies in 7
1. Atlanta Hawks vs. 8. Brooklyn Nets- How the Nets got into the playoff, we're not really sure. There are better teams in the East, such as the Indiana Pacer or Detroit Pistons. Nonetheless, the Nets are here. Unfortunately, they're not going to be there much longer. There's a reason the Hawks picked up the best record in the East. They're a highly efficient team with a chance to go deep in the playoffs. Winner: Atlanta Hawks in 4
2. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 7 Boston Celtics- Like with the Nets, we're a little surprised the Celtics are still here. Also like the Nets, it doesn't look like they have much chance to make it past the first round. The Cavaliers are just too good to lose this early. Sure, the Celtics have a talented young roster (with guys like Marcust Smart, Jonas Jerebko, and Evan Turner) and have a great coach (Brad Stevens), but they are not enough to take down a team featuring LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. It's just not going to happen. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers in 4
3. Chicago Bulls vs. 6. Milwaukee Bucks- Derrick Rose is finally back, but he is not at the level he once was. Even so, the Bulls are still good enough to take down the upstart Bucks. Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and the rest of the Bulls roster are more than capable of beating Milwaukee. There's really no chance of an upset here. Winner: Chicago Bulls in 4
4. Toronto Raptors vs. 5 Washington Wizards- Many people had the Raptors going far last year, but they couldn't even get past the first round. Could the same thing happen this year? The Wizards have a great roster (with guys like John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Nene Hilario), but they are nowhere near as hot as they were in the first-half of the season. The Raptors meanwhile, have guys like Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Patrick Patterson, and are also colder than they were earlier in the season. The Raptors have a better chance at winning this series and the whole thing, but that's not really saying much, seeing as both of these teams are vast underdogs. Winner: Toronto Raptors in 6
Quarterfinals:
1. Golden State Warriors vs. 5. Memphis Grizzlies- The Grizzlies may give the Warriors a bit of a challenge here, but it shouldn't derail the Warriors. They're much too talented of a team to get held up here. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph could create some problems inside the paint, but the Warriors have Draymond Green, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Winner: Golden State Warriors in 5
2. Houston Rockets vs. 6 San Antonio Spurs- This could all come down to experience. Save for Harden, Howard, and Trevor Ariza, the Rockets have no notable players with Finals experience. The Spurs on the other hand, have a roster full of guys with that experience. Seeing as these two teams can go toe-to-toe with each other, it is that experience that could push the Spurs forward. Winner: San Antonio Spurs in 7
1. Atlanta Hawks vs. 4. Toronto Raptors- While it wouldn't surprise me terribly if the Raptors won, I still have to go with the Hawks. After all, we are talking about one of the most efficient teams in the NBA. They play well together as a unit and will prove tough to beat. Toronto should put up a good fight, but it won't matter. Winner: Atlanta Hawks in 6
2. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 3 Chicago Bulls- Compared to the beginning of the year, the Cavs have really come together as a team and gelled well. There were compatibility questions in the beginning, but those look to have been settled. It's hard to see the Bulls winning without Rose at 100%. This looks like it's the Cavs' series to lose. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers in 6
Conference Finals:
1. Golden State Warriors vs. 6. San Antonio Spurs: This is a tough one to call. San Antonio is an extremely disciplined team that is more than proven in the post-season. Golden State on the other hand, is a young team with a top-notch offense and defense. It's really hard to bet against the Spurs, so I'm going to go with them. Coach Gregg Popovich will no doubt find a way to slow down Golden State's explosive backcourt and Kwahi Leonard could prove problematic for the Warriors. Winner: San Antonio Spurs in 7
1. Atlanta Hawks vs. 2. Cleveland Cavaliers: The Hawks face their toughest test of the post-season when they take on the Cavs. Historically, the Hawks have had a hard time against King James, and their woes should continue here. Like with the Bulls, this is Cleveland's series to lose. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers in 6
Finals:
6. San Antonio Spurs vs. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers: For the second year in a row, LeBron James meets the Spurs in the Finals. Last year, he did with the Miami Heat. This year, he's got a much better team. For the first time, James has an elite point guard in Kyrie Irving. He also has big man Kevin Love, who will create problems with the Spurs. There's no question this year's Cavs are better than last year's Heat. Remember, Dwayne Wade was nowhere near his full potential last year. But is it enough to overcome the Spurs? I think so. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers in 7 MVP: LeBron James
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