Playoff Predictions Part 1 Eastern Conference

Alright hoop fans I am back for part 1 of my NBA playoff predictions in the Eastern Conference!  The Western Conference Playoff Predictions will be out tomorrow.  This week's blog will clearly give you at least one guys perspective of who is shining the brightest at the right time.  And with all due respect to the wonderful writing and statistical breakdowns of ESPN's very own John Hollinger, I am not basing my playoff predictions on any advanced metrics or PER numbers.  I will give you my very own take based on my observation of the teams and how they are playing currently.  And on we go!

We will start off in the Eastern Conference.  As of today here is a look at the current playoff seedings in order from 1st to 8th:  Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, and the New York Knicks.  Interesting to note is that the 4 through the 6 seeds are all currently tied which means with between 8 and 10 games left those seeds could completely flip flop.  More interesting to note is that we are set up with the current seedings for at least 2 great first round series.  The Knicks and their now defunct Linsanity, will move up to the 7th seed for an extremely interesting first round date wit the love able and huggable fellows from Miami.  This actually bodes well for the 76ers who I believe have a better chance at being competitive with the Bulls in the first round then they do with the Heat.  Outside of the switch between the 7th and 8th seeds I see the rest of the teams staying where they are.  This means we get a great first round treat in the Pacers and Magic squaring off in which could be SVG's playoff swan song!  And finally we have the Hawks and Celtics paired up in the incredibly unentertaining first round snooze fest!

Alright so here is how I think the first round shapes up.  The Bulls riding a continued stretch of poor health and limited team chemistry, beat the 76ers in a grueling 6 game series with Derick Rose struggling mightily throughout the series and Lou Williams of the 76ers making a name for himself while becoming the best player in the series.  The Heat and Knicks will turn their first round series into the most entertaining first rounds in many years.  Lebron will dominate as the Knicks will have no answer for him, and Carmelo will show the unforgiving NY fans why they are somehow blessed and yet stuck with him for better or for worse! Heat win in 6 games all decided by 5 points or less!  Carmelo wins 2 games with sheer offensive domination, while Tyson Chandler shows everyone why the Heat cannot win in the Finals without a center!  The Pacers and Magic will be another great first round series if anything just to see if SVG or Dwight Howard get fired during an actual game!  Here is the thing about the Howard/SVG spat, it doesn't matter which side you sit on in terms of employee and employer relations.  Really what it boils down to his a coach in a professional sport is the boss of the players tasked with playing that sport.  Pick a sport and I can point out at least 1 coach who is completely over is head and has no business keeping his job and the players know it.  The funny thing is that SVG is not that coach.  He is one of the better coaches in the NBA despite what Mr. Shaq will say about him!  I don't know another coach that could take the collection of players he has been given and still be in a position to play deep in the playoffs each year!  What is really sad is that players egos, specifically superstar or perceived superstar players, always eventually drive them to acts of insanity!  Forget one moment if you will for all of the talk of Howard signing or not signing a contract extension, and aside from all of the facts or myths coming out of the media, why wouldn't Howard at his level of stature be the leader of the team and do anything necessary to not only publicly support his coach, but also internally support him until the season is over?  Moving on Magic get by the Pacers in the only 7 game series of the playoffs riding Dwight Howard who dominates on both ends and shows you the potential he has when he puts his head down and plays!  Finally the snooze fest that will see the Celtics roll the Hawks in 5 games.  The dominating efficiency in the Celtics dismantling of the Hawks will be a sign of things to come down the road!  

This leaves with some very interesting 2nd round match ups in which I believe will not bear out like everyone else thinks.  We will have the Bulls squaring off against the Celtics while the Heat will play the Magic.  What strikes me as extremely important to look at is the play of the Bulls without their best player, as well as the play of the Heat without Dwayne Wade.  The Bulls are an incredible 17 and 7 without Rose while playing and beating top teams such as the Heat during this stretch.  The Heat are 9 and 0 without Wade during which time Lebronblogosphere here but I believe the Celtics will beat the Bulls culminating with a game 7 win on the Bull's home court!  My simple basis for this is that Derrick Rose is not healthy and has not been healthy for some time.  The addition of Rip Hamilton to the Bulls back court was a great move but his health has kept him out.  Add this up and there is not enough chemistry for the Bulls starting unit to get past the absolute team chemistry in Boston.  The Celtics are playing extremely well heading into the playoffs and they are masters at managing their bodies to be able to operate at full strength for the stretch run.  That and Doc Rivers is the 2nd best coach in the NBA right now and just a shade behind the best in Greg Poppovich.  There is your shocker of the Eastern Conference!

Now the Heat and Magic are where it gets very interesting as well.  I believe if his back issues are not as big a deal as feared, that Dwight Howard will have the kind of playoffs that propels him into the superstar stratosphere without any perceptions of negativity.  Howard will average 30 and 15 against the Heat and will his team to a 7th game on the road in Miami.  Ultimately Lebron James will show everyone what he is capable of when he assumes the role of the unquestioned best player in the world at the most optimal moment.  Oh and after the Magic lose in game 7 all the kudos will go to Dwight Howard for his amazing playoff run in which he will state he is bitter about losing and will not stand for anything less than a championship for the next season.  Shortly after that SVG will be fired in addition to Otis Smith and the Orlando Magic will sell their soul to Dwight Howard the unbridled king of the Magic Kingdom!

And to that we come to the Eastern Conference Finals in which the veteran Boston Celtics will take on the hated and loved all at the same time Miami Heat!  This will be the best series thus far and no one will be disappointed from the East Coast to the West Coast!  When it comes to the art of controlling a game thoroughly and concisely, Rajon Rondo is in a league of his own.  I think he is the difference maker in the series.  With Avery Bradley the newest Doc Rivers sleeper playing the rabid one on one defense against Wade, and Garnett cancelling out Bosh, it comes down to Rondo and Pierce against Lebron.  I think Lebron will redeem himself and have a wonderful series that will go 7 games.  But, and I cannot believe I am saying this as a Laker lifer, I think Boston shocks the NBA and defeats the Heat in Miami for game 7.  This is the moment where everyone stops reading this blog and says "this guy is nuts"!  Maybe so, but there is something about this abbreviated season and my nostalgia for the Celtics going out with one last hurrah!  Of course you will have to wait for my next blog to see the Western Conference predictions and my further nostalgic picks!  Whether you loved my blog or hated it, I am desperate for your comments! 

P.S.  I am feeling really good about basketball now as I have the pleasure of coaching my daughters 2nd grade team.  Here is the fun part!  My daughter has now played 3 seasons of basketball and she is constantly asking me what she needs to work on.  She handles the rock like me in my prime, and has this uncanny desire to guard the best player on the other team.  Her heart is as huge if not bigger than mine and it makes me smile just thinking about how lucky I am to have the opportunity to share with my daughter a love and passion that continues on in my life! 

Until part 2 I bid you all a farewell on my 36th birthday!  I am getting old!