This has been a pretty wild NBA season. Between the meteoric rise of Blake Griffin, and the seesaw season of the Miami Flamers, and the couple blockbuster trades that took place (Melo and D-Will), it’s been a fun season for basketball fans. The playoffs this year look wide open, with more than a few definite contenders, and some random wild card teams in the mix. Today we’re doing a preview of the first round for the Eastern Conference, followed by a Western Conference Preview tomorrow.
Chicago Bulls (1) vs. Indiana Pacers (8)
The Bulls are absolutely deserving of their first seed. They have the probable MVP in Derrick Rose, whose looking like the new Jordan in Chi-town (could’ve been you Lebron). Now he has a solid supporting cast in Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, and Joakim Noah. They should sweep the Pacers, who are a team of college heroes of the past (Hansborough, Hibbert, Rush, McRoberts).
The Edge: Chicago
Miami Heat (2) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (7)
The Sixers are a decent team for the first time since Iverson, but let’s not put too much stock in them. They’re a .500 team, and their best player is Elton Brand. We all would love to see the Heat get upset, but it won’t happen in the first round.
The Edge: Miami
Boston Celtics (3) vs. New York Knicks (6)
Easily the most intriguing matchup. The Knickerbockers have a lot riding on this, they need to prove it was worth trading their future for Melo. If they do end up winning the championship it will prove offense wins championships, because the Knicks can’t play a shred of D. The C’s should be able to prove too much for them. They’ve been close to the top of the East all year, they have all the experience you could ask for, and they’re still very hungry.
The Edge: Boston
Orlando Magic (4) vs. Atlanta Hawks
The Magic are a very talented team, and they always seem to be a contender when the playoffs come around. Jameer Nelson is inching towards superstar status, and Dwight Howard is hands-down the best big man in the league. They got a good draw in this round with the Hawks, considering they never seem to be a factor in the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how far the Magic can go.
The Edge: Orlando
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