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The Playoffs East

Apr 222011

Who will represent the East in the NBA finals?

The NBA playoffs are my favorite time of year. Players like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James go off and it is impossible to stop them. Derrick Rose has led the Bulls to a 3-0 series despite being down in the fourth quarter in all three games.

As for the Miami Heat, all of the stars have been important to take a 3-0 lead over Philly.

Boston leads New York 2-0, but if some of the bad calls in game one were erased and Stoudamire hadn’t been injured in game two the Knicks could be leading the series 2-0.

Orlando and Atlanta are tied at a game a piece. Dwight Howard has done everything he can to help the Orlando Magic win, but it has not been happening.

The series will end up like this:Chicago 4 Indiana 0, Miami 4 Philadelphia 0, Boston 4 New York 1, Orlando 4 Atlanta 3.

The second round will have a rested Bulls team taking on a fatigue hurt Magic team. Orlando is not strong enough to win the series.

Dwight Howard can stop Boozer or Noah, but Brandon Bass cannot hold them. Derrick Rose will not hit all those lay-ups, but he will continue to play like the MVP. Orlando’s supporting cast has not been playing well against Atlanta so they will rely on Dwight Howard too much.

You could say the same about Chicago, but they are able to make comebacks. Rose is unstoppable, Korver can hit a few shots and Boozer will have up and down nights. Chicago 4 Orlando 2

No.2 Heat vs. No.3 Celtics

The Celtics won the regular season series 3-1. But this isn’t the regular season.

Miami has been playing good basketball against Philly, no, tremendous basketball. Boston, meh.

The Celtics are playing New York, they barely won two home games against them. Bad calls, lucky shots, Knicks injuries. Boston is… too old.

As for the Heat, the Big three have been on fire and other players have been helping, nothing great, but Miami went into Philadelphia last night with a 2-0 lead, momentum, and Lebron James and Dwyane Wade.

I have not watched every Heat playoff game but I know they have been playing better basketball than the Boston Celtics. And that will continue to happen. Miami 4 Boston 3.

No.1 Bulls vs. No.2 Heat

D-Rose vs. D-Wade. Luol Deng vs. Lebron James. Carlos Boozer vs. Chris Bosh. AMAZING. The amazing thing about this, this is the SECOND best series in the east. Second. The Heat just beat Boston, next up, Chicago.

There will be swearing, pushing, yelling. But most importantly, there will be winning. One game after another, traveling between cities. Lebron and Wade trying to go back to the finals, Bosh and Rose trying to get rings. I having nothing else to say about this series except for this. Miami 4 Chicago 2

The Playoffs West

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Apr 172011

Now that the playoffs are underway, I think I should make my predictions for who is going all the way.

No.1 Spurs vs. No.8 Grizzlies

The Spurs have a big three consisting of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. They have one of the NBA’s top coaches and a strong supporting cast. If this were a movie, the Spurs would have won the Oscar for best picture. But it isn’t and it is playoff time.

Ginobili is hurt but the Memphis Grizzlies are not a very big threat to the Spurs. Even if Ginobili is hurt. Spurs in five.

No.2 Lakers vs. No.7 Hornets

Chris Paul is not enough. He needed David West to get two wins in this series, but he doesn’t even have him. Kobe Bryant will stop Paul and Pau and Odom will shut down the paint. Lakers in four.

No.3 Mavericks vs. No.6 Trailblazers

I know, the series is allready one game in, but that doesn’t matter. Dirk and Kidd may have led the Mavs to a comeback victory in game one, but they are not the Bulls.

The Trailblazers have their big three and they want to get to the second round. The Mavericks always choke. Blazers in 7.

No.4 Thunder vs. No.5 Nuggets

A lot of people like the Nuggets. Why? Is it because they won a bunch of games after the Carmelo trade? Yes. The playoffs are not the regular season.

The Thunder took last years champs to six games in last years playoffs. Durant didn’t win the MVP, but he is still the star of the team, and Westbrook should have gotten more love for Most Improved Player. The Nuggets are the most overrated team in the NBA.

Thunder in six.

No.1 Spurs vs. No.4 Thunder

The Thunder are not championship contenders. No, not yet. This year the playoffs consist of the Spurs, the Lakers, the Bulls, the Heat, the Celtics, etc. But the Thunder are a team who can make a run in the playoffs, but not against the Spurs.

This match-up would have Duncan, Ginobili and Parker take on Durant, Harden and Westbrook. When we compare the two benches, the Thunder look like they deserve the number one pick in the draft compared to San Antonio. Coaches? Popovich.

This match-up goes to the San Antonio Spurs, though it takes them six games to do it.

No.2 Lakers vs. No.6 Trailblazers

Kobe vs. Brandon Roy! Gerald Wallace on Ron Artest! Lamarcus Albridge on Pau Gasol! BEST SERIES EVER! Okay, maybe not, but it will be pretty fun to watch.

The coaches would be fighting a mental game while the players play. The comments players say would get hefty fines, this would become a rivalry. Can you imagine a second-round series that exciting? It would be BETTER than the Bulls and the Celtics two years ago. Maybe.

The winner of this series would have no energy left, but it would have been worth is. The team that plays better under pressure and better defense wins this series. L.A. in seven.

No.1 Spurs vs. No.2 Lakers

A few months ago, I might have picked the Spurs, now, it’s a lot tougher.

The two teams are very evenly well matched. Picking this match-up does not have to do with the on court battles. No, I decided this series simply by looking at two things.

Reason One:The Spurs always choke. Yeah, yeah, they have four banners, three of which they received in this century, but ever since the 2007 championship, San Antonio has not been back in the NBA finals. The closest they got was the five game conference finals series against the Lakers in 2008.

Reason Two:Kobe is the best post-season player currently in the league. He gets so prepared and refuses to lose. Last season Chris Rock was trying to talk to him as he sat on the bench in the finals. Kobe ignored him.

It may not be too convincing but it’s the best I could get. Also, San Antonio has not beaten the Lakers in the playoffs since 2003. Lakers in seven.

Lakers Hornets

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Apr 172011

Kobe and the Lakers take on the Hornets, and they will win.

Andrew Bynum:knee, Matt Barnes:knee, Steve Blake:chickenpox. Those are the three injuries that will affect the Lakers as they take on the New Orleans Hornets today. Though L.A. will still win. Easily.

Why? The Lakers are LONG, and even if the Lakers are missing Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom will get the dirty work down low. L.A. is missing Bynum, New Orleans is missing David West.

Chris Paul will be the only problem for L.A, but really, Kobe can stop Paul any day. The Hornets should have their runs, and so will the Lakers, but in the end, Kobe and Pau will destroy the Hornets.

The Lakers have lost five of their last seven, but that WILL not affect the Lakers. the regular season and the post-season are two different seasons, ask any athlete and they’ll tell you that. The Lakers are favorite in this game and they know that. They will produce.

Bulls Pacers Game One

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Apr 162011

The Bulls beat the Pacers at home 104-99. Derrick Rose scored a career playoff high of 39 points in the win.

The Pacers were leading 96-88 late in the fourth quarter yet Derrick Rose showed us why he should be the MVP this season. Rose caught on fire and made a run with the Bulls. 104-99.

Indiana may have shown a few fans that they can keep up with the Chicago Bulls, maybe not win the series, but a few games. I don’t think so.

How will the Pacers win any post season game if they let the Bulls rally late and win. A 15-3 run for the win. 15-3. Embarrassing.

The series may just be a game in, but it may all ready be wrapping up despite the Pacers late lead.

A New Number One

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Mar 162011

The Chicago Bulls have dethroned the Boston Celtics for the number one seed in the east

The best team in the eastern conference of the NBA is not last year’s runner up Celtics, nor the re-vamped Miami Heat. It is Derrick Rose’s Chicago Bulls. The Bulls cannot be stopped and are the winners of 11 straight including wins over Orlando, Miami and Atlanta. Rose is arguably the best point guard in the NBA because no one can stop him.

Tom Thibodeau is an outstanding coach that has made these Bulls championship contenders. I’ve said before that the only them in the east that can stop Boston is Chicago and I am sticking with that. The Bulls defense has been great only allowing their opponents to score 91 points per game (PPG). No one can seem to stop Chicago.

In order for Boston or Miami to take the number one seed they will need to step up and dominate. They cannot allow bad teams to beat them.

Trade Grades

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Feb 242011

I break down most of the trades that happened before the deadline.

As the NBA trade deadline passes, players are moved around a lot, here are my thoughts on the trades.

Gerald Wallace is traded to Portland for two first round draft picks, Joel Przybilla and Dante Cunningham. Portland A Bobcats B+
The Bobcats can still make the playoffs, but getting rid of Gerald Wallace wont get them there this season. I like this trade for Charlotte because they are looking for a future. the draft picks will help bring in young talent, I do not think that Wallace will be an elite player and the Bobcats have saved money to bring in other talent.

As for Portland, they get another helper in Wallace and they didn’t give up too much. They needed work at the three and Wallace will be able to do that. I think Wallace is a little underrated, and he can come in and help the Trailblazers.

James Johnson was traded to Toronto for the Miami Heat’s 2011 first round draft pick. Chicago D- Toronto A
James Jones was a pretty good player and helped out the Bulls, I do not like this trade. Miami is having a great season and the Bulls are not getting very much, the pick probably will not be as good a player as Jones.

Toronto might not be adding much to their roster,but Jones can come off the bench and help out. The Raptors weren’t giving up too much either.

Aaron Brooks is going to Phoenix for Goran Dragic. Houston D- Phoenix A-
The Rockets gave up their starting point guard for a player who is not nearly as good as Brooks. I’ll admit, Dragic is a good point guard, but I do not want him starting if I am a team. The Rockets needed to trade somebody, but this was not the trade they needed.

Phoenix knows that star Steve Nash is getting old and they need to get ready for when he retires. Brooks is a young and talented point guard who will be able to take his spot. The problem for Phoenix though is that he becomes a free agent at the end of the season, though he is restricted.

Shane Battier goes to Memphis for Hasheem Thabeet. Houston C+ Memphis B-
Battier is a solid player and he will be able to help the Memphis Grizzlies. Thabeet is not a great NBA player. Now that Rudy Gay is injured, Battier can come in and help out Memphis until he is back.

Houston all ready made a mistake by shipping Brooks, I didn’t like this trade all that much either. Battier was starting for Houston and they are not even given a small forward in return. Thabeet is younger than Battier, and Battier does become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but I am not buying this tradeall that much.

Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic traded for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson. Oklahoma City A+ Boston F+
Green and Krstic are not bad players, but Robinson and Perkins are even better. Coach Doc Rivers said that the Celtics needed Robinson to win a series in the playoffs, and as for Perkins, some say not having him was the reason Boston lost the championship. These two were the best younger players on the Celtics, now I would pick the Miami Heat in a seven game series.

OKC is a good team but could use some more talent to go to the finals. Perkins and Robinson are a great fit. Robinson adds some depth at point guard and Perkins adds a big guy. I love this addition for the Thunder.

Semih Erden and Luke Harangody are sent to Cleveland for the Cavaliers second round pick. Boston B- Cleveland C
Boston didn’t lose much, two players, but the Cavaliers should have a high pick in the draft. Though it’s a second round players, they could find a talented player.

Cleveland needs help, but not this help. Harangody and Erden haven’t done anything so far in the NBA, Cleveland could have done better.

Hilton Armstrong and Kirk Hinrich are traded to Atlanta for Mike Bibby, Maurice Evans, Jordan Crawford and the Hawks 2011 first round pick. Washington B Atlanta D
Armstrong and Hinrich for Bibby is bad enough, then they have to throw in other players? Atlanta could grab a good player in the draft but that’s now gone, they could have developed Evans and Crawford. Hinrich is getting older and Bibby is a better player than him. Armstron won’t do anything.

Washington all ready has a young point guard in John Wall, getting 32 year old Bibby won’t hurt the team. The other additions can help their roster as well.

Baron Davis and the Clippers 2011 first round pick go to Cleveland for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon. Los Angeles A- Cleveland B
Davis is 31. Not too old, but older than Williams. Jamario Moon will be a role player in L.A. The Clippers were hitting a few bumps in the road and Williams and Moon should help them get back on track.

Cleveland was having plenty of problems. They wanted to trade Williams and getting a first round draft pick from the Clippers means they will probably have two high draft picks now.

Carl Landry is headed to New Orleans for Marcus Thorton. Sacramento B New Orleans B+
Landry has better stats than Thorton but he also averages 10 extra minutes. I do think Landry will play better than Thorton for the Hornets though.

Deron Williams traded

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Feb 232011

Deron Williams was traded to the New Jersey Nets

The East just gets better and better. As the NBA trade deadline gets closer more and more trades are coming up. After former Nuggets superstar, Carmelo Anthony, was traded to the Knicks, the Utah Jazz traded point guard Deron Williams.

The Nets made it clear they wanted to trade point guard Devin Harris before the trade deadline, and they found a good trade. The trade sends Harris and third pick in the 2010 draft, Derrick Favors to Utah along with a pair of first round picks. The Nets receive Williams.

Devin Harris is on of the players in the deal

I was not surprised at all when I saw the trade, knowing that New Jersey was looking to get rid of Harris and wanted a superstar in return. It wasn’t working out in Utah with Williams after some believe he was the reason head coach Jerry Sloan retired.

One trade wasn’t enough for the Nets as they sent forward Troy Murphy back to Golden State for center Dan Gadzuric and forward Brandan Wright.

The trade with Golden State has the ability to be great because Murphy leaving clears some cap space and they could pick up stars in free agency with their cap room. The Nets are excited about Wright and happy to get rid of Murphy and Harris.

Carmelo Anthony joins the Knicks

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Feb 222011

Caremelo Anthony might have played his last western conference All-star game Sunday as he is traded to the Big Apple

ESPN NBA analyst Chris Broussard said Monday night that the New York Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony. The trade included The Nuggets, Knicks and Timberwolves, and now the Knicks are a whole new team.

After months of pain and suffering in Denver, Carmelo Anthony has made it clear he wanted to play in the Big Apple, and now it has happened. The trade sends Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Balkman and Anthony Carter to New York.

New York is giving up Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danillo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgof, 1 first round pick, two second round picks and 3 million dollars to Denver.

The Timberwolves gave up Corey Brewer and they acquire Eddy Currry and Anthony Randolph.

I am not a fan of this trade for New York. They were building a dynasty but they gave up their whole team it seems like. All their role players are now gone for two good players.

Denver got a good trade, they get rid of their drama and get rid of aging point guard Billups while they get lots of role players and young talent. Though now Denver does not have superstar.

Minnesota got a great trade because Anthony Randolph alone is better than Corey Brewer and Eddy Curry is also coming along.

I think it is great that the trade is done though because now the mess in Denver is over and hey can begin to re-build. It should be fun to see Stoudamire and Anthony, but then again, they have only played with each other in the All-Star game. No chemistry.

For the trade to work out in New York, Anthony and Stoudamirre need to build a chemistry between each other.

Can Cleveland keep it up?

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Feb 132011

The Cleveland Cavaliers finally won, now can they win again?

The Cleveland Cavaliers got their first win of 2011 against the L.A. Clippers on Friday, tonight they take on the Washington Wizards. The first time they met, Cleveland started a win streak in a 107-102 road win.

Tonight the Wizards must go to Cleveland looking to snap their 0-25 road record but Cleveland is looking for their tenth win of the season. The Cavaliers have won six of their nine wins at home.

In order for the Wizards to steal a victory tonight, they will need the team’s leader in steals, John Wall to have a good night. I believe that Wall might be a little overrated, but do not count out on the rookie point guard. He can put up big numbers.

Wall averages 16 points per game and nine assists per game. He also averages a pretty high number of rebounds per game for a point guard at four.

Other players on the Wizards roster will have to step up including Andray Blatche and Nick Young. Blatche leads the team in rebounds (8.1 RPG) and Young leads the team in scoring (17.3 PPG) Young has had some great games and he will need one tonight.

Other important players for Washington include forward Rashard Lewis and center JaVale McGee.

As for Cleveland, former Wizards forward Antwan Jamison will need to have a good game. Jamison averages 18 points per game and seven rebounds per game. Jamison needs to stop Blatche from hitting the boards.

Power forward J.J. Hickson also needs to stop Blatche as he is arguably the most important Cavaliers player, and right now, he is the team’s future. Hickson can do a little bit of everything, score, rebound and lead the team.

Center Anderson Varejao and guard Mo Williams will need to play good games to.

Judging by how bad the Wizards are on the road, and how Cleveland is still hungry and craving more, I pick Cleveland to win this game.

More Melo Drama

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Feb 102011

Could Carmelo Antony be headed to L.A.

Ever since NBA star Lebron James fled Cleveland in July, rumors of Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony wanting to leave spread. Anthony did not start the rumors, but he didn’t help it, he played along.

For months the Nuggets have begun to play bad games while their fans booed their best player. Trade talks about sending Anthony to another team (especially New York) swarmed. Over the past few days, the whole idea has changed.

The first thing was that a new trade talk came in the mix. The Los Angeles Lakers would reportedly ship center Andrew Bynum for Anthony. It seemed like a possible trade but other players and draft picks would have to be added to the mix. Though the trade seemed like the closest deal yet, Lakers fans should not go out and buy their Carmelo Anthony merchandise.

Anthony said that he might sign a contract extension with the Denver Nuggets if he is not traded, but how likely is that. Obviously Anthony wants to leave, when he becomes a free agent, he could go to New York or the L.A. Clippers or another team. Why would he pick Denver. A team with an aging point guard, an aging coach, a mediocre shooting guard and an aging power forward. If he pushes it enough, he might be able to pull off a Anthony Nene for Ron Artest, Luke Walton and Bynum trade.

If a trade went down and Anthony played in L.A. the Lakers would have a great chance at 3-peating. If I were Mith Kupchack I wouldnot stop calling the Nuggets front office. It would also mean L.A. would have a future saved as Kobe Bryant gets older.

New York on the other had still wants Anthony, they could get rid of Landry Fields and Wilson Chandler or Danilo Gallinari. Also Eddy Curry could be thrown in for money’s sake and he becomes a free agent at the end of the season so Denver wouldn’t have to keep giving him a boat load of money.

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