The final day of the NBA regular season was one that nobody will ever forget. We said goodbye to an absolute legend of the game in Kobe Bryant. He is a 5-time champion, an 18-time NBA all-star and a 15-time NBA all-team candidate, and after 20 long years in the NBA he decided to call it quits. Golden State Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzles to break the record for the most wins in a season. They ended up with 72 wins and only nine losses. This article is going to analyse each of the round one playoff matches and my prediction for each.
Golden State Warriors Vs Houston Rockets
My Prediction: Golden State Warriors 4-0
In case you don't know, each round of the playoffs is a best of seven contest. Game one of the series was this morning and it saw the Warriors get up by a convincing margin. I can't see Houston winning a single game in the series, purely because they do not have enough depth in their roster. They rely too much on James Harden and with the depth of the Warrior's roster, they will always be able to shut him down and still have their best players free. As good as star point guard Stephan Curry is, he isn't always having to carry his team across the line. The Warriors have a more experienced lineup that will be able to handle the pressure of playoffs. If Houston are going to win, they will have to shut down Steph Curry and they will need several players to be scoring above 20, not just James Harden.
Cleveland Cavaliers Vs Detroit Pistons
My Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1
The Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the Eastern Conference this season. Detroit were lucky to scrape into the playoffs, just beating Chicago in the fight for 8th position. Detroit miss a standout player who can do everything. They have a few players who had break out seasons, such as Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, but they don't have a player who can take control of the game and really lead from the front. Cleveland have a very experienced player in Lebron James who has the ability to dominate a game that is closely contested. Cleveland are going to be hard to beat for any team, and I just don't think that Detroit have the talent to knock them off. However, I think they will be able to snatch a game which will give them huge confidence for next season. Although Detroit have a statistical advantage, having won three of their last four games against Cleveland.
San Antonio Spurs Vs Memphis Grizzles
My prediction: San Antonio Spurs 4-2
The Spurs have had an outstanding season to finish in second place in the Western Conference. Memphis had a disappointing season but still managed to make the playoffs. The unique thing about the Spurs is that they don't have a stand out player. Kawhi Leonard did have an exceptional season, but they are so hard to play against because of their wide spread talent. I think their biggest advantage is that their big men have the ability to hit mid-range shots which makes them very hard to guard. I think Memphis will struggle to guard the Spurs because of the standard of their bench. If Memphis are going to win, they will have to score at least 100 points. Any less than that and I don't give them much chance of winning. However, I feel that if there is going to be an upset in the playoffs, Memphis might just be the team to do that. They will win a couple of games, but I tip that Kawhi Leanard and Tony Parker will be too good for Memphis.
Toronto Raptors Vs Indiana Pacers
My Prediction: Indiana Pacers 4-3
Toronto finished the season second, and the Pacers finished seventh. Game one of the series was this morning, and Indiana ran out 10 point winners. Toronto aren't known for their playoff ability, with a poor showing in last year's playoffs. Indiana missed out on playoffs last year, and only just made them this year. However, I think Indiana are a big chance at claiming an upset. Paul George has had a great season and will be the difference maker in this series. If he can continue to put up 30 points a game, they will be able to win. If he fails, then Monte Ellis will have to really step up and start playing like an A-grade player. Toronto need to get more rebounds if they are going to win. They were beaten on the glass today, and if they continue like this they will not be able to beat Indiana. It will be a tight series, but I think Indiana will cause an upset in game seven.
LA Clippers Vs Portland Trailblazers
My prediction: LA Clippers 4-1
Los Angeles finished fourth in their conference, after a rather impressive season. Portland finished fifth but I think they will struggle to shut down the fire power of LA. LA won game one of the series, and I can't see things changing. During the season, the Clippers beat Portland three times and only lost once. Blake Griffen and DeAndre Jorden are going to be the difference between Portland and the Clippers. If Portland are going to win, they will have to restrict these two men from getting double-doubles (Two stats over 10). Although, they will struggle to guard Blake Griffen because of his ability to knock down long range shots and to grab the rebounds in close. Portland don't really have anybody capable of shutting him down, but Damian Lillard and his men will certainly give it their best shot. I think the games will be quite close, but the expeirience of the Clippers will be too much in the end.
Miami Heat Vs Charlotte Hornets
My prediction: Miami Heat 4-1
This is the first time Miami has played in the playoffs without Lebron James since two seasons ago. They have really impressed the NBA universe this year and have managed to finish in third position in the Eastern conference. Charlotte will also be happy with their regular season, as they played a solid brand of basketball to cement themselves a place in the playoffs. Although, Miami dismantled Charlotte in Game 1 of the series by a convincing 32 points. During the regular season, both teams beat each other twice which will give the Hornets some confidence. However, Miami have had more experience in playoffs and that will give them an edge going into game two. For Charlotte to win, they will have to shut down the deadly duo in Chris Bosh and Dwane Wade. It will be hard, but if the Hornets can keep the pair from scoring 30 points between them, then they will have a strong chance of winning a game or two. I am not counting them out and it will be a series to watch, but Miami will be too strong in the end.
Atlanta Hawks Vs Boston Celtics
My prediction: Atlanta Hawks 4-2
Boston Celtics have been the underdogs of the season but have somehow managed to finish in fifth position after a fantastic season of basketball. Atlanta finished in the top four as expected, and beat Boston by one point in game one of the playoffs. This is the most even matchup in the first round of the playoffs as both teams have a couple of star players as well as an even bench. Isaiah Thomas was a standout for Boston over the regular season and will need to keep his form up in order to upset the Hawks. Boston are going to need to shut down a couple of Atlanta's star players, especially Paul Millsap. Millsap averaged 18 points and 9 rebounds a game during the season and is going to be a headache for Boston as they work out how to stop him. For Boston to win, Isaiah Thomas must score close to thirty points while restricting Paul Millsap to under 20.
Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC) Vs Dallas Mavericks.
My Prediction: OKC 4-0
Game one of this series was as one sided as a playoff match can get. OKC came home 38 point winners in a less than ideal start for Dallas. The key for Dallas to win the series is going to be winning game 2. If they can take a match on the road, it will restore their confidence and allow them to play a bit more freely at home. However, OKC are going to be near impossible to stop unless they completely shut down both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook who both average over 20 points and 8 rebounds. Dallas need players to step up and help Dirk Nowitzki who was left alone in game one as the only player playing well for Dallas. For Dallas to win, they need at least five players to score of 10 points. Their aim needs to be to share the ball and to get everyone involved in the game, so that OKC have more than just Dirk Nowitzki to worry about.
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