DTTWSB NBA 1st Round Predictions

The moment that NBA fans have been waiting for since November is finally here! The playoffs are about to start in less than one hour. These playoffs are going to be one of the most intriguing there have been in awhile. For my predicitions, I will be picking which teams win, in how many games, and why. I think I be able to do pretty well since each series is a best-of-seven series. In my opinion, the playoffs are where legacies are made. With that said, here are my first round predictions for the 2010-11 NBA playoffs.

Eastern Conference

1. Chicago Bulls vs. 8. Indiana Pacers: Bulls in 4

The Chicago Bulls are the team with the best record in the NBA. Led by point guard and MVP candidate Derrick Rose, I expect them to clean up the Pacers in no problem. Having to match up with the Pacers is perfect for this young team to get a quick series under their belt. I love the Bulls to advance to the Conference Semi-Finals.

2. Miami Heat vs. 7. Philadelphia 76ers: Heat in 5

It's time for the South Beach Super Friends to show what they can do in the playoffs. This is the reason why they came together in early July. I'm not sure there is any team in the East that can hang with the Heat in a seven-game series. The combination of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will be too much for a young 76ers team. Philly will probably win game 3, but I don't expect much after that.

3. Boston Celtics vs. 6. New York Knicks: Celtics in 6

When the seedings were finalized, this was the series I was most excited to watch. It's Boston and it's New York. It's hard to get much better than that. The Celtics are limping into the playoffs right now, but we saw this act from them last season and they ended up in the NBA Finals. They're matched up with a high-powered Knicks team that can score with anyone. I believe the Celtics will use their defense to get by the Knickerbockers in what should be a fun and entertaining series.

4. Orlando Magic vs. 5. Atlanta Hawks: Magic in 6

I hate to say this, but the Hawks are the prototypical regular season team in my opinion. I don't think they can beat the Magic in a seven-game series at all. Magic center Dwight Howard will be a force in this series. Orlando is a very dangerous team because nobody expects much from them and they have a lot of offensive fire power. This is a team that I have a close eye on.


Western Conference

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 8. Memphis Grizzlies: Spurs in 6

This is the perfect matchup between experience and youth. In the playoffs I'll take youth nine out of ten times though. San Antonio has a great coach and they play great basketball. Although I believe the Spurs will win, I do think the Grizzlies can cause them some problems. The games in Memphis will be highly competitive. I'll take the Spurs to win in 6 games.

2. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 7. New Orleans Hornets: Lakers in 4

All indications are that Lakers center Andrew Bynum will be healthy for the playoffs. If that's the case the Lakers should wipe the Hornets up in 4 games. The Hornets are without David West so point guard Chris Paul will have to carry the whole team. That's not going to work against this Lakers team who are poised to three-peat as champs.

3. Dallas Mavericks vs. 6. Portland Trail Blazers: Trail Blazers in 6

I'm kind of scared to pick this series. A lot of people are on the Trail Blazers bandwagon right now. The Mavericks are not getting any love which can motivate a team. At the end of the day though, the Blazers should be able to advance to the Conference Semi-Finals. Power forward Lamarcus Aldridge is playing with his hair on fire and should dominate in this series. Nowitzki and the Mavs will have to go back to the drawing board this summer after another first round exit.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 5. Denver Nuggets: Thunder in 7

This is the series to watch in the West. These two teams are evenly matched which should make for a phenomenal seven-game series. Oklahoma City small forward Kevin Durant will impose his will on the Nuggets defense. These pesky Nuggets will not go down easy though. I think both teams will win one road game and then it will come down to a seventh and final game in OKC. In game 7, stars win out most of the time. The Nuggets are quite the story but they don't have enough to beat this Thunder team.