NBA Playoffs 2012

[Captain Hate]

I haven't done my predictions yet but the Griz/Clips series should be primo.

[jon abbey]

I have all the teams with home court winning for the first two rounds, then I guess Miami over the Spurs in the Finals?

any of those top four teams could easily win, though. I don't think any other team has a chance except maybe the Celtics, but I certainly didn't think Dallas had a chance at this time last year (although I did call the Spurs not being legit last year with their #1 seed).

the Knicks haven't won a single playoff game since I think 2000, so one win would be a nice start. if they could somehow steal one of the first two in Miami, that might make it interesting, but Chandler's having the flu and not practicing today is not promising.

[grant]

By far the premiere round one match-up. LAC in six.

CP3 will be in beast mode when it counts, and the rest will fall into place.

I don't think any other team has a chance except maybe the Celtics, but I certainly didn't think Dallas had a chance at this time last year (although I did call the Spurs not being legit last year with their #1 seed).

If Billups was healthy and active, I'd feel comfortable choosing the Clips as perennial dark horse favorite.

The Spurs won't make it out of the semi-finals.

LA, for me, is the only other team with a hazy chance. If Bynum holds his own in the paint and rebounds like a maniac again, they could very well go deep.

Also, ATL will triumph over BOS.

[The G Man]

Also, ATL will triumph over BOS.

You and Jon agree on this. Atlanta has home edge over Boston.

I predict Boston will win this series, the only one where I think the team starting on the road has the edge. I think Clips/Griz and Denver/Lakers will be the most likely series to go the distance.

[Captain Hate]

I certainly didn't think Dallas had a chance at this time last year

I don't think anybody did but they caught lightning in a bottle and then promptly released it by letting Chandler go (maybe they didn't have any choice in that matter; I don't remember/understand although anybody thinking Brenda Haywood gives you any type of presence in the center deserves to be ridiculed continually) and then the disaster with Odom. Vinsanity worked out better than could be expected but they still had a down year even once Dirk hit his stride.

I hope you non-Gordo guys are right about ATL but I agree with him.

When Noj checks in I want to know what he thought of the job Mike Brown did this season. abbey has blasted him plenty of times in the past but I think that's the LeBron mancrush preventing him from evaluating anybody in his midst objectively.

[walto]

IMO, Atlanta has almost no chance of beating the Celtics, unfortunately. That Rivers agrees should be apparent from his disdain for the homecourt in that series. (Also, of course, when Boston plays in Atlanta, there are generally nearly as many Boston fans in the house as there are Hawk fans there.)

I think (and hope) Memphis will beat the Clippers. I hope (but do not think), they'll win the whole thing. In the East, I'm rooting for the Knicks, but expecting the Bulls. Of course, the most important thing--as always--is that somebody beats the Celtics.

I think it's interesting that so many top seeds in the NHL faltered. I don't think that could happen in the NBA--less randomness there, partly because there's so much more scoring. I watched a couple of the Bruins/Caps game and actually thought that the Bruins were a somewhat better team (if maybe a bit slower). But that doesn't matter so much in hockey, I don't think--even in a seven game series. You need to play best of 13 or something in that sport for the better team to (nearly) always come out on top. Seven is enough in hoops, I think.

[jon abbey]

oh, sorry, I don't think ATL has a prayer versus Boston, I'll be a little surprised if that even goes five games, even with a dubious Ray Allen.

DAL let Chandler go in an attempt to land Deron Williams and/or Dwight Howard after this season. they still have a good chance at the former.

Bill Simmons needs to watch the DEN/LAL series, because the guy he proclaimed to be the "next Ben Wallace", Kenneth Faried, is a terrible defender who will be constantly exposed by Gasol and/or Bynum.

[Noj]

When Noj checks in I want to know what he thought of the job Mike Brown did this season. abbey has blasted him plenty of times in the past but I think that's the LeBron mancrush preventing him from evaluating anybody in his midst objectively.

It's tough to say how well Brown has done. The team has been terribly inconsistent, with the norm being roller coaster games with five minute stretches of brilliance followed abruptly by five minute stretches of keystone cops. Mind-numbingly careless turnovers are common, as are defensive lapses for uncontested buckets. They've mastered the 13-point lead going into the 4th quarter which is a 3-point game with six minutes left. The Lakers seem unable to turn it on when it counts most. They're putrid on the road. I see this Denver series being a six-gamer, and wouldn't be shocked to see it go seven since these Lakers seem to play down to everyone. Ty Lawson gives LA fits. Then again, if the Lakers were to put together a complete game and not have stretches of stupid basketball, I don't think the Nuggets should be within 25 points by any given final buzzer.

It's likely just the growing pains of learning a new system, along with a terribly thin bench. I think it would have been smarter to move Steve Blake and keep DFish to anchor the reserves. Blake is turnover prone and a bricklayer. Brown has the Lakers in the playoffs with a fairly high seed, and may have done as much as he could with a short season and a team lacking depth.

I'm hoping somebody out East gives The Heat a big shitburger to eat, and I think the two teams left standing out West will be OKC and San Antonio. I think OKC could break through this year, they're well-balanced and if Durant and Westbrook both get rolling they can't be stopped. They're just young and emotional, but I've seen them riding the emotion of being fired up and kicking a team's ass and it was downright scary. My money would be on Pop and the Spurs carrying old Timmy to one more title-shot, only to fall short to Miami.

[Noj]

Wow, Chandler with a couple mean linebacker-type cheap shots on LeBron, whose extra late-reaction with flailing arms on the second one literally made me laugh out loud. A Razzie-worthy performance.

[Captain Hate]

Amazing he could come back from near paralysis to make 2 straight and 1s

Not a good day for Bulls fans

[jon abbey]

the league office really needs to start giving out penalties for excessive flopping.

[jon abbey]

Rose with a torn ACL and MCL, sorry Chris. they should still win this round.

[Captain Hate]

Shit things don't look good for Schumpert either; no these have nothing to do with the compressed schedule SHF. Fannnnnnntastic you idiot.

I'm not taking anything away from the Heat's performance by saying this but the officiating has been a fucking disgrace.

[presquepartout]

man, i hope the sixers get thumped by a rose-less bulls. that way the sixers management can reach no conclusion but blow it up. zeller/shabazz in 2k13. (and you'll really need a top 3-4 pick in next year's draft to get much talent.)

peaking ahead at next year's mock drafts are depressing.

http://nbadraft.net/2013mock_draft

jmm is the fourth pick and literally all he has done in college is put up a few nasty dunks.

[Harold Baines]

Thank you, David Stern. Thibs will get second-guessed for having him on the floor that late, but, shit.

[Harold Baines]

I mean, elation to desolation so fast.

He and Rip just clicking. The energy there. ECF for sure; you could feel it.

And then.....

[jon abbey]

Derek Fisher is a Lakers plant to ruin OKC, he is just so bad that there is no other explanation. they tried Odom on DAL too, but Cuban figured it out before the playoffs.

[walto]

Avery Bradley has joined the Celtics League of the Just! From yesterday's Globe:

"We just laugh about it, me and my mom and my dad. We just all sit back and laugh because it's just amazing, we know that it's just a gift that was given to me."

{Bradley on how he had lock-down defensive skills at 6 years old.--I was sooo hoping that Rose would have had a chance to get 35 on him.}

[Captain Hate]

In case you needed more evidence that Nike sucks major cock http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball- ... 10618.html

[Enforcer]

Derek Fisher is a Lakers plant to ruin OKC, he is just so bad that there is no other explanation. they tried Odom on DAL too, but Cuban figured it out before the playoffs.

Did you see how desolate he looked after Durant sank the game winner? Teammates mobbing Durant but Fisher is just standing there with a grimace on his face, looking like it's all he can do to pretend he wants to play for the Thunder. Unbelievable. At least act like you care.