Happy Friday! I’m back after having some computer problems
on Wednesday.
The NBA playoffs kick off tomorrow with some intriguing
matchups across the board. Let’s break down some of them with my predictions
for the first round.
Marquee Matchup
No. 4 Houston vs. No. 5 Portland, West: It’s amazing how
much better the West is than the East. Both of these teams would be the second
seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Instead, they are playing against each
other in the opening round. I love both of these squads. Houston has one of the
game’s best scorers in James Harden and one of the league’s rising stars in
Chandler Parsons. Portland counters that with a couple young stars in Damian Lillard and Nicolas Batum. However, this series will come down to the frontcourt.
If LaMarcus Aldridge outplays Dwight Howard, Portland wins this handily. But
it’s going to be a lengthy series. Blazers win this one in seven games.
Second Tier
No. 3 Las Angeles Clippers vs. No. 6 Golden State, West:
This one has excitement written all over it. Both the Clippers and Warriors
love offense, and they have some phenomenal players. Chris Paul leads L.A., but
Blake Griffin has had an All-NBA type season, proving he is more than a
human-highlight reel. And of course, you can’t talk about Golden State without
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. This is a tough matchup for that duo and the
rest of the Warriors. Andrew Bogut is once again out with an injury, making
Golden State very slim in the frontcourt. Curry and Thompson will keep this series
close, but L.A. comes out on top in the end. Clippers win in seven games.
Might Get Interesting
No. 3 Toronto vs. No. 6 Brooklyn, East: Brooklyn surprised
many when it dropped four of its last five games and lost the five-spot in the
East. Now, what used to be the hottest teams in the league has a difficult matchup with a
young and talented Toronto squad. The Nets have tons of playoff experience
though, so I like them as the favorites. But, this one gets interesting because
the Raptors have so much potential. DeMar DeRozan is a primetime player, and
probably the best kept secret in Canada. I like Brooklyn in six, but this will
be a better series than most predict.
Other Picks:
West
-No. 1 San Antonio over No. 8 Dallas in 4 games.
-No. 2 Oklahoma City over No. 7 Memphis in 5 games.
East
-No. 1 Indiana over No. 8 Atlanta in 4 games.
-No. 2 Miami over No. 7 Charlotte in 4 games.
-No. 4 Chicago over No. 5 Washington in 6 games.
Things I missed
-Fascinating story about Yasiel Puig’s flight from Cuba.
-In case you missed it, here is Tom Rinaldi’s video story on
the anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings.
-Rick Reilly is at it again, talking about getting high at Rockies' games.
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward
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