Nuggets take on the Mavericks and have good chance at the Western Conference Finals.
The first round of the NBA playoffs was exhilarating, with two series going to seven games, and much other exciting action around the league. Whether it was the Nuggets 58 point beat down against the Hornets, the seven overtimes between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls, or any of the last second winning shots, the opening round didn’t disappoint.
There are now eight teams left, four in each conference, ready to do whatever it takes to advance out of the Conference Semi-Finals and onto the Conference Finals in order to complete the ultimate goal: winning 16 times in the playoffs and earning an NBA Championship.
The second round will be more intense and competitive than the first, and these are my predictions of who will move on to the Conference Finals:
WESTERN CONFERENCE
NUGGETS (2) VS. MAVERICKS (6)
The Nuggets gave the Hornets an old-school beat down in the first round, but this series will be much more difficult for Denver. The Mavericks have a much deeper bench than the Hornets and a better starting lineup as well. Again, Kenyon Martin will have a tall task in shutting down Dirk Nowitzki the 2006 MVP. Martin gives up some height to Nowitzki but in the toughness department Martin is ahead of Dirk and will beat him up like he did David West. Dirk will get his points as he did in the first round against the Spurs but the Nuggets want to limit his touches to about 20-25 per game. Another storyline for this series is the point guards, the elder sages Chauncey Billups and Jason Kidd. Billups is more of a point contributor to the Nuggets than Kidd is to the Mavericks, but both are floor generals who keep their team in check. Both teams have deep benches but the Nuggets have more depth with Chris “Birdman” Andersen, Anthony Carter, and J.R. Smith. The Mavericks do have the Sixth Man of the Year Jason Terry and a solid big man in Brandon Bass, but they do not match the energy and contribution the Nuggets bench brings. Nene is too quick and athletic for Eric Dampier and is steadily improving his play in the playoffs. The Nuggets are getting hot at the right time and the Mavericks will give them a tough ride, but don’t have the tools to stop them from getting to the Western Conference Finals. Another positive note is that the Nuggets posted a perfect 4-0 record against the Mavs during the regular season and no team in NBA history has won a playoff series after being swept in the regular season.
Prediction: Nuggets in six.
LAKERS (1) VS. ROCKETS (5)
In first round the Lakers handled the Jazz in five games, but there were visible flaws in their series victory. Los Angeles continually gave up big leads and their defense was suspect at times throughout the series. The Rockets will be a much tougher team to beat than Utah, especially due to Houston’s elite defensive players who will guard Kobe Bryant. Ron Artest and Shane Battier will take turns on Bryant and should give him a more turbulent series than Utah did. In the front-court for the Lakers this round they will have to find a way to stop Yao Ming who has been playing well of late. Andrew Bynum and the other Lakers'[ big men will have to find a way to contain Yao in the paint; but even if they don’t, Houston doesn’t have enough big time players to carry the load for the Rockets. Los Angeles has too much depth and experience, but this series should be a thriller nonetheless.
Prediction: Lakers in six.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
CAVALIERS (1) VS. HAWKS (4)
Can anyone stop MVP LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference? The Hawks struggled to get past the Miami Heat in the first round, and they will struggle to get one win in this entire series. The Cavaliers are rested and James is ready to start it back up for the second round. The Cavaliers are too talented, have too deep of a bench, and are overall a better team than the inconsistent Hawks. The Hawks are still a young, unstable team and lack consistency in the playoffs, but they do have flair with Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, and Josh Smith. This one should be quick and painless.
Prediction: Cavaliers in four.
CELTICS (2) VS. MAGIC (3)
Both teams struggled through the first round, and the Celtics only have one day off before this series begins. Kevin Garnett’s absence will play a factor in this series and Dwight Howard will make his presence felt with the lack of big men on the Boston roster. Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, and Glenn “Big Baby” Davis will have to step up and become larger contributors to the Celtics on both sides of the court, and Boston’s bench will have to get more from Stephon Marbury. The Magic will continue to be a threat from the three point line, and they will find the balance of their downtown shots and their feeds to Howard. This series will be a thriller but the Celtics are going to be tired after their long series with the Bulls. Still, Boston has a tendency to pull of close series.
Prediction: Celtics in seven.
