Well I want to start by apologizing to our few but faithful followers for being MIA the past couple weeks. I hope in the interim you have been enjoying baseball getting into full swing and the NHL playoffs, but most importantly, the NBA playoffs. I'm gonna break down the Conference Finals for you game by game, but before I do so, I'd like to comment on the NBA Lottery. If you didn't know, the Cavaliers won the first pick in the draft. It was a major victory for a Cavs team that everyone has pitied since the departure of LeBron. They will now pick 1st and 4th in the upcomnig draft, and in a league where an all-star player can lead you into the playoffs, the Cavs may find themselves making one of the greatest turnarounds in NBA history. If you look at their depth chart now, you would simply cringe. But the addition of a Kyrie Irving/Enes Kanter, Derrick Williams/Brandon Knight or any other combination of the aforementioned would likely make the Cavs immediate playoff contendors. As we saw in the years following their biggest lottery win ever in 2003, it really is a lottery. The Cavs won't need our pity anymore, and if they can add another key player in free agency, they may even earn our respect once again. I may go into this in more detail as the draft nears, but for now, it's time to break down the games.
Eastern Conference Finals - Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls
The Heat and the Bulls are almost polar opposites when it comes to their makeup. The Heat's success revolves around their 2 1/2 superstars. They can single-handedly score 90 points themselves, but if one of them is off, they really struggle unless a role player steps it up. On the other hand, the Bulls are built around role players who form a cohesive unit. They rely on defense, hustle and discipline to win games. They have good depth, but rely on Derrick Rose to lead them on the court. It's all gonna come down to how well the Heat can match the hustle and determination of the Bulls.
Game 1: I predicted a split in Chicago for this series, so I'm not surprised to see the Bulls come out and win. As mentioned, the difference in the game was rebounding and loose balls, which the Bulls clearly won.
Game 2: If my prediction holds true the Heat will take this game.
Game 3: Miami is going to be electric and Wade is going to be the difference. I predict a triple-double for him either in game 3 or 4.
Game 4: Again, Miami proves too much for Chicago as the Heat take a 3-1 lead.
Game 5: With their backs against the wall, the Bulls avoid elimination by holding the Heat under 90 points again.
Game 6: If you thought the Heat celebrated after defeating Boston, wait until you see their reaction after taking down the Bulls in game 6 to get to the finals.
Western Conference Finals - Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks
This is the battle of young versus old, up-and-coming all-stars versus aging veterans. There is plenty of excitement for both of these teams. OK City has never been here before, so they are playing with house money. Dallas is looking to erase the memories of their postseason failures. Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant are MVP caliber players. The matchup between Jason Kidd and Russell Westbrook features one of the best point guards of all time versus one of the most promising young points in the game today. I have no other in game insight to add, this series is simply gonna come down to who outscores the other team on the given night.
Game 1: Nowitzki set a playoff record at the foul line and JJ Barea and Jason Terry added 21 and 28 respectively to hold off the Thunder to get the win at home.
Game 2: OKC needs to find out how to defend Dirk without giving up open three-pointers to Dallas' shooters. They won't quite figure that out yet by Game 2, which Dallas will take.
Game 3: There's no place like home for the Thunder. They gameplan to go after Dirk on the offensive end, getting him into foul trouble early. With Dirk limited, the Mavs struggle to keep up and OKC takes it.
Game 4: OKC goes on an offensive onslaught, as Durant and Westbrook both score 30+ to get the win and tie the series at 2-2.
Game 5: Dallas gets red hot from beyond the arc to win game 5 and take back a 3-2 series lead.
Game 6: OKC falls behind early, but rallies in the fourth to force a game 7 in Dallas.
Game 7: The atmosphere in Dallas is undescribable as Dallas looks to get back to the NBA Finals. An early lead disintegrates, but JJ Barea comes up big again as he hits a last second three to win the series.
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