Second Round Predictions

Before I dive into Round 2 of the NBA playoffs, let's briefly recap how Round 1 concluded (or will conclude): 

WEST

Warriors beat Blazers 4-0

DUH

Clippers and Jazz tied 3-3

I think Clippers take this one and advance to play Warriors.

Spurs beat Grizzlies 4-2

Kawhi Leonard played like the best player in the NBA throughout the series. 

Rockets beat Thunder 4-1

Expected if you look past James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

EAST

Celtics beat Bulls 4-2

I knew it was to good to be true the second the Bulls went up 2-0 in this series. They may not be a good 1-seed, but they are still..um... a 1-seed. This collapse from the Bulls or resurgence from the Celtics didn't surprise me.

Wizards beat Hawks 4-2

Two words: John. Wall. Played like another person who is better than John Wall at basketball in this series. 

Cavaliers beat Pacers 4-0

It didn't matter who took the last shot for the Pacers after all. Cavs roll. 

Raptors beat Bucks 4-2

Even with the Bucks playing Barney music to introduce the Raptors, the northern-most team in the NBA held their ground.  

SECOND ROUND

WEST

Warriors vs Clippers/Jazz

No matter who wins Game 7 tonight, I think the Warriors will advance to the Conference Finals with ease. The Jazz don't have enough firepower, and the Clippers are (wait for it) injured. 

PREDICTION: Warriors in 4, regardless of opponent 

Spurs vs Rockets

This series will be interesting because it is a complete clash of styles. We have the run-and-gun Rockets, and the slow-it-down Spurs. The X-factor in this series is Kawhi Leonard. If he played like he did against Memphis, the Rockets don't stand a chance. Ultimately, it's all about defense, and the Spurs have a significant advantage in that category. Unless Houston shoots 80% from 3, the Spurs will win. 

PREDICTION: Spurs in 6

EAST

Celtics vs Wizards

Nobody really seems to be talking about this series, but that's stupid because it's going to be the best one in this round. Isaiah Thomas vs John Wall? Two teams who hate each other? Count me in. I honestly think the Wizards are hitting their stride at the right time, while the Celtics seem a bit shaky. And again. John. Wall.

PREDICTION: Wizards in 6

Cavaliers vs Raptors

I don't see this series being as good as last year's Eastern Conference Finals. Cleveland is starting to get in their playoff groove, while the Raptors struggled mightily in their series against the Bucks. I don't really have any confidence in Toronto right now, and the other team has LeBron James. 

PREDICTION: Cavaliers in 5

Jersey Appreciation Friday Vol. 16

We kick it old school for this week's Jersey Appreciation Friday and head to Seattle where Gary Payton and Detlef Schrempf's SuperSonics tore it up back in the dizzay. While some consider the effort ambitious, you have to love the effort put forth with this alternate red jersey from the 1990s. It's truly a hidden gem worth uncovering. Here it is: Click Here

Podcast #22

Warriors/Cavs
Rockets/Thunder
What Am I Wearing
All the Game 6s
Timmy and Bobby's Experience at Game 4
Most Exciting Potential Second Round Matchup
Guest: Timmy Somary

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The City of Houston v. Russell Westbrook Recap

Russell Westbrook's reign over the NBA season officially came to a close yesterday as the Houston Rockets knocked off the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1. The most anticipated series of the first round is over, and it ended just according to plan. 

Many people thought Westbrook's heroics could get the Thunder into a deep series, but it was clear from Game 1 that James Harden had other thoughts. Russ played great in the series, I don't care what they all say. The fact of the matter is that the Rockets are the better team, and they played like it. This 5-game series shouldn't surprise people. 

Everyone hyped this series up to be the legendary playoff matchup between two MVP front runners, but it wasn't destined to be that good. Neither team had a chance of getting to the Conference Finals, so it's not that big of a deal. 

First Round Sweep Recaps

The NBA Playoffs are to cover from an objective standpoint because there are so many stories to cover and not that much time to do it. An average Playoff story has a shelf life of less than 24 hours because new stories replace them. With that said, here's my take on the two sweeps we have seen in the past few days. 

Warriors defeat Blazers 4-0:

I thought the Blazers would get a game in this series purely because Damian Lillard was too big of a star to lose four straight games. I gained confidence in that prediction when Kevin Durant had to sit out for a few games. Then the Warriors happened..again. The Blazers had a 14 point lead in Game 3 in the second half. The Warriors proceeded to go on a monster run and win the game. Game 4 was no contest. The only thing this series proves is that the Warriors are still the odds on favorite to win the whole thing. They did most of the work without their best player, and when he comes back I don't think any team can or will challenge them. 

Cavaliers defeat Pacers 4-0

It was funny to see the only team with more chaos surrounding them than the Cavs play the Cavs in the first round. Honestly the decline of the Indiana Pacers has been hilarious over the last two years. It seems like only yesterday when the Pacers were pushing LeBron's Miami Heat to 7 games in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals. Now we are left with a tense locker room, probably no Paul George and no Frank Vogel. Indiana basketball sucks. As for Cleveland, everyone is acting like they are still an inconsistent team because they allowed the Pacers to stay close for a couple games. I like to laugh at those people. The fact is the Cavs still swept, which is incredibly hard to do regardless of the opponent. The Cleveland LeBrons are still the top team in the East, even though I still believe in the Wizards. Nobody should be saying the Cavs played poorly in this series regardless.  

Blake Griffin Out For Season

Ugh. There's been a SHOCKING development in the NBA world. Hold on to your hats for this one. The Clippers announced this morning that Blake Griffin will be out for the remainder of the playoffs due to a toe injury.

 I feel bad for the clippers. I really do. They never seem to catch a break in the playoffs. I just feel like year after year, something goes drastically wrong for them. Granted, they most likely didn't have a shot to get to the Finals anyway, but we have to remember that they started the season as one of the hottest teams in the NBA. It looked like they could vie for the 2 seed in the West and maybe even get to the conference finals for the first time. 

The real loser here is Chris Paul. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are still relatively young, and Doc Rivers won a title with the Celtics in 2008. Chris Paul has not been rewarded for his honorable service in the NBA, and with him turning 32 in few weeks, his window for winning a championship is closing fast, and unless he goes elsewhere, I don't see him getting one. 

On the flip side, let's go JAZZ! Gordon Hayward is one of the most likable guys in basketball, and it's nice to see Utah get some much needed attention. That attention will blow over if they somehow lose this series, which can still happen as the Clippers won Game 3 last night and now lead the series 2-1. The Jazz have an unimaginable opportunity here to put Utah back on the NBA map. They need to pull this out. 

Altered Prediction: Jazz in 7

Jersey Appreciation Vol. 15

For this week's Jersey Appreciation Friday, I am going with the orange Oklahoma City Thunder jersey. As orange is my favorite color, seeing the Thunder do this is awesome. The navy blue is also a nice touch.   Click Here

Podcast #21

Takeaways From NBA Playoffs So Far
Parity Problem?
Most Interesting Conference
Best Player Conversation
Series by Series Breakdown
Carmelo Anthony
Guest: Timmy Somary
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Jersey Appreciation "Friday" Vol. 14

Man, I have really not been on the ball with Jersey Appreciation Friday. Anyway, the NBA Playoffs are starting so I have to honor my favorite NBA jersey ever. That would be the Boston Celtics alternate green/black jersey. I get that the green and white combination is a classic, but even the old school franchises need a touch up every now and then, and the Celtics did that masterfully. Click Here

First Round Playoff Predictions

March Madness is the most wonderful time of the year, but the NBA Playoffs might be fourth or fifth on that list. This hasn't been the most exciting season of NBA basketball (what season is exciting actually) but the Playoffs always brings the passion and energy from players that we rarely see during the regular season. With that, here are my predictions for each first round series. 

EAST 

1 Celtics vs 8 Bulls 

The Bulls are actually the trendy upset pick in the East given the Celtics' lack of playoff experience, but let's remember how bad the Bulls are this year. If the Bulls do anything in this series, it will be because they use their length to disrupt Isaiah Thomas. Still, this is a 1/8 matchup for a reason, and I expect it to play out normally.

PREDICTION: Celtics in 6

4 Wizards vs 5 Hawks

I said yesterday that I'm adopting the Washington Wizards for this year's Playoffs, so of course I have them winning easily against the Hawks. I think Washington will be the team to break the LeBron steak in the coming years by making the Finals, and this will be a major step toward that. Also I'm not sure if Atlanta really wants to be here. 

PREDICTION: Wizards in 6

3 Raptors vs 6 Bucks

I really love Giannis Antetokounmpo, I really do. But this just isn't his time yet. The Raptors have the most dangerous backcourt in the East with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. The addition of Serge Ibaka will also prove valuable in this series as the Bucks are without Jabari Parker. Wait three years, and I'll believe in the Bucks. 

PREDICTION: Raptors in 5

2 Cavaliers vs 7 Pacers 

The Pacers and Bulls are two similar teams: they both are receiving unwarranted and undeserved recognition for underwhelming seasons. Sure the Pacers have Paul George, but that's really it. Lance Stephenson isn't going to blow LeBron away like last time. The Cavaliers haven't been in their best form as of late, but we have to remember that they have the LeBron factor. 

PREDICTION: Cavaliers in 4

WEST

1 Warriors vs 8 Trail Blazers

I'm not expecting anything competitive out of this series, but I do think Damian Lillard will steal a game at home. The most interesting part of this series is predicting how many times the announcers will say that Damian Lillard got snubbed from the All Star Game. 

PREDICTION: Warriors in 5

4 Clippers vs 5 Jazz

It's cool to see Gordon Hayward get his day in the sun, but I think he's going to be sunburned by the end of the series. We've seen this type of thing in countless tournaments and playoff series. The old dog vs the new cat. Usually it's the old dog who wins, and I expect nothing less here. The Jazz actually match up well against the Clippers for the most part, but the point guard differential (Chris Paul vs George Hill) will push the Clippers over the edge. 

PREDICTION: Clippers in 7

3 Rockets vs 6 Thunder

At last we get the grand matchup of the first round: Harden v Westbrook. Honestly I'm not that excited for this series, since the games won't be entertaining. People forget how bad the Thunder are aside from Russell Westbrook. The Rockets actually have valuable assets outside of James Harden. I expect Harden and Westbrook to cancel each other out, leading to Eric Gordon and the rest of the gang to win the series. 

PREDICTION: Rockets in 5

2 Spurs vs 7 Grizzlies

I'm always sad when I see that the Grizzlies have to play an absolute powerhouse in the first round. I think their core of Mike Conley Jr, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph are all great people off the court, and they never seem to catch a break. The Spurs are the only team in my mind that can beat the Warriors, so I don't think the Grizzlies will give them too much of a contest in this one. 

PREDICTION: Spurs in 4

Podcast #20: Hello NBA

College Basketball News
What Am I Wearing?
MVP Debate
Playoff Preview

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NBA Disclaimer

Just so you all know, I think college basketball is ten times better than the NBA, but the NBA is ten times better than no basketball at all, so I feel obligated to at least mention it a few times right? Well yeah. The playoffs are five days away, and there is no professional sport better than the NBA, so let's jump into it. 

Jersey Appreciation..Saturday? Vol. 13

Well I had a rough week with school, so I celebrated Jersey Appreciation Friday by sleeping for 11 hours. Anyway, I thought with this being the last college jersey to appreciate this until June, we have to honor the North Carolina Tar Heels. Everyone knows about their classic Carolina Blue, but I actually think the inverted black jersey is cooler. Think about what they could do with navy blue too. Click Here

Podcast #19: Goodbye College Basketball

Recap of the National Championship
- UNC Way
- No More Zag Haters...For Now
- Roy Williams Legacy
- The Kennedy Meeks Hand
Bob's (College) Basketball Awards

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