The NBA finals get closer as the second round continues. Artwork by Tori Wallace
Eastern Conference
The number one seeded Miami Heat are undoubtedly the favorites out of the eastern conference. Coming off of the heels of a championship last year and a 27 game win streak in the later half of the season, Miami should have no shortage of confidence. Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh have all finished the regular season with career highs in shooting percentage. The one potential challenger to the Heat will be the New York Knicks. Former Denver Nuggets teammates Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith have finally hit a stride for their new team with Anthony claiming the scoring title and Smith taking home the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Because of this offensive firepower, the Knicks stand the best chance of dethroning the Heat in the East, but this could only happen if Lebron does not perform, which is unlikely considering the form he is currently in. After the top two seeds, there is a significant drop off in the East. The Pacers are a solid team at the three spot, but with their youth and inexperience, a playoff run seems unlikely. The formerly dominant Chicago Bulls could go the entire playoffs without the league’s best point guard Derrick Rose. I expect them to take down Brooklyn in the first round, but they won’t have much of a chance against the Heat in round two.
Western Conference
The Western Conference was blown wide open when the Oklahoma City Thunder lost point guard Russell Westbrook for the rest of the season. This means that Kevin Durant will have to put the team on his back if the Thunder make the finals. With his scoring potential and clutch shooting, this is certainly a possibility, but it means that OKC is no longer the runaway favorite in the West. The Spurs are the second seed but with the wave of injuries that hit them late in the season and their aging talent, they no longer appear to be the second best team. The Denver Nuggets however had a massive surge after the all star break and despite not having a “superstar,” the combined talents of Andre Iguodala, Ty Lawson, and Kenneth Faried have made the Nuggets one of the league’s best overall teams. The Los Angeles Clippers are also a threat to take the West with the high flyers of Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan teaming up with Chris Paul for spectacular alley-oops. This years playoffs will provide these youthful players with an opportunity to prove themselves, and if they seize that opportunity, they stand a good chance of making the finals.
NBA Finals
Out of the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat will live up to their lofty expectations and make the finals for the 2nd straight year. In the West, the Denver Nuggets will emerge on the back of Ty Lawson who will prove himself to be an elite point guard. This scenario offers an intriguing matchup between two polar opposites. The Heat are built on a dominant half court offense that likes to slow it down to utilize the talents of its superstars to score points. The Nuggets on the other hand are a superstar-less team and rely on fast break offense to put up points. In the end, this series will come down to Lebron James. No one could stop him in last year’s playoffs or year’s regular season, so it’s difficult to imagine that anyone will be able to stop him over the next month. The Heat will take this series and the NBA Championship in five games.
