NBA Eastern Conference 1st Round Playoff Preview
A Look At The NBA Playoff Match-Ups In The East
Eight NBA Eastern Conference teams will take to the court this weekend with hopes that their journey will take them all the way to the NBA Finals. This is a preview of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 8 Detroit Pistons
Season Series - Cleveland leads 3-1
Lebron James is a man on a mission this year. He is the best player in the NBA and a virtual shoo-in for the Most Valuable Player Award. Of course, he would like to culminate his great season with a championship and it will be very difficult for any team to deny him and the Cavaliers. The Cavs only lost two games at home this year (Lebron did not play in the last one) and they will have home court advantage throughout the playoffs. The addition of Mo WIlliams has given Lebron that second star to work with and will likely put the Cavs over the top this year in the post-season.
While the Cleveland Cavaliers are a team on a mission, the Detroit Pistons are a team in transition. They traded away their leader, Chauncey Billips, and they haven't been the same team since. The Allen Iverson experiment has not worked out and he won't be back next season. A couple of years ago, Cavs vs. Pistons would have been a highly anticipated series but the Pistons are a shell of the team they used to be. Expect an easy win for the Cavaliers.
Prediction: Cavaliers in 4
2 Boston Celtics vs. 7 Chicago Bulls
Season Series - Boston leads 2-1
The Boston Celtics got some terrible news as they get ready to defend their championship. Word out of Boston is that Kevin Garnett is likely out for the playoffs and that is a devestating blow to their hopes for a repeat. The Celtics are not a one man team, though. They still have two all stars in Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, a solid point guard in Rajon Rando, and some decent bigs in Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, and Glen Davis.
The Chicago Bulls rebounded from a slow start to once again make the playoffs. They have been a dominant team at home, especially down the stretch. The trade for John Salmons has worked out well for them, giving them a third scorer to go along with Ben Gordon and Derrick Rose. They also have solid bigs in Joahkim Noah and Tyrus Thomas. The Celtics got pushed to a seventh game in the first round last year and it should happen again this year.
Prediction: Celtics in 7
3 Orlando Magic vs. 6 Philadelphia 76ers
Season Series - Orlando leads 3-0
The Orlando Magic had another strong regular season. They have three legitimate scorers in Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, and Dwight Howard, the best big man in the NBA. However, their season did not end on a good note. They struggled down the stretch and blew the #2 seed. Lewis and Turkoglu were both banged up down the stretch but expect to play in the playoffs. The Magic suffered a tough blow at the all-star break when their all-star point guard Jameer Nelson went down with a season-ending injury. They were able to swing a deal for Rafer Alston, though, a serviceable replacement.
The Philadelphia 76ers overachieved for the second year in a row to make the playoffs. They overcame the loss of Eltron Brand early in this season and actually played better without him. They got excellent seasons from Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller. Samuel Dalembert is a solid center, but he will not be able to contain Dwight Howard. Expect a fairly routine win for the Magic.
Prediction: Magic in 5
4 Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat
Season Series - Atlanta leads 3-1
The Atlanta Hawks have one of the best young teams in the NBA. They served notice in the playoffs last year that they are a team to be reckoned with. They are led by veteran Mike Bibby, all-star Joe Johnson, and youngsters Marvin WIlliams, Josh Smith, and Al Horford, giving them a formidable starting five. The experience they gained in the playoffs last year should make them that much stronger this year.
The Miami Heat bounced back from a terrible season last year to once again make the playoffs this year. They are led by Dwyane Wade who is the best player in the NBA not named Lebron James. He is joined by a nice blend of veterans like Jermaine O'Neal and Udonis Haslem, and youngsters like Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers. The youngsters could struggle in their first playoffs, putting even more pressure on Dwyane Wade. Expect Wade to be spectacular and alomost single-handedly keep his team in the series. In the end, though, the Hawks have a little more depth and that will allow them to prevail.
Prediction: Hawks in 7
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