LeBron James is the Shaq and Michael Jordan of his generation rolled into one. Insanely difficult to guard. Even more difficult to officiate. James is the poster-child for his generation.

Wilt. Magic. Bird. Pretty good company for LeBron James. #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/n6TsHHB7Ny

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 15, 2015

Anybody can criticize him for choosing to go only to teams with good players, but it’s nothing dozens of other NBA stars haven’t done in search of an elusive title.

So when BOTH Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving sustained season-ending injuries during the playoffs, James was left on his own. I guess I shouldn’t feel bad for him exactly — these things happen — but it does give us the opportunity to see what happens if one player is left to do it all on his own, how that would go.

I mean even MJ had Pippen.

The last player I can think of to win a title without another dominant hall-of-famer?

Well, the Pistons didn’t have any HOFers, did they? The Rockets, with just Hakeem Olajuwon, won the title in back-to-back seasons. Hakeem was and is still vastly underrated.

But back to my point. LeBron James of six years ago maybe would have done something silly and rolled over. People still don’t like what they call “antics,” but I see a guy who is doing everything he physically can right now to give his team a chance to win. Their offense runs through him every time. It’s a conscious choice everyone on the team makes — from the coach on down. You have to get the ball to your best player as much as possible. LeBron isn’t giving me any reason not to just sit back and admire his game. Two or three years ago, I’d have been REALLY hesitant to name him in a top-10 all-time list. I think he’s a no-brainer top-five at this point. A few more seasons could see him sniffing the very top.

Let’s not forget, LeBron James has gone to five straight NBA Finals and six overall. In his two finals appearances with Cleveland, who has been the second-best player on the floor for the Cavs? Zydrunas Ilgauskas? Anderson Varejao? Definitely not Matthew Dellavedova. It very well could be Tristan Thompson. Think about that for a minute. Going into gave five, LeBron was AVERAGING 36 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. He raised his averages in all three categories, but not surprisingly, it looks like he’ll end up 0-2 in the finals with Cleveland.

We are witnessing greatness. To call it anything else is to not give yourself just due. It’s one of the greatest performances of my lifetime, and it’s coming in a losing effort, which makes it all the more remarkable.

The rest of the Cavs team aside from LeBron is how much better than, say, the Lakers? I don't think much better, honestly…

— fansmanship (@fansmanship) June 15, 2015

The Warriors are going to do it, and surprisingly easily

Yes, I’m not a total curmudgeon. Let’s talk about the W’s!

I’m also enjoying the Warriors’ greatness they’ve captured this year. Most of the time, a team like Golden State, with its young nucleus, has to go through a gauntlet of more experienced, and equally talented teams along the way. Much of the time, teams see playoff heartbreak multiple seasons before ever ascending to the top.

The Lakers sure had to. Who remembers Kobe airballing shots in Utah? Or Shaq not able to overcome San Antonio. Other teams, like the Kings and Blazers of 15 or so years ago, never actually even got over the hump. Those were great teams, too.

Which is why Golden State’s ascent to, what I’m assuming will be, an NBA championship this season is so remarkable. The core guys went through a lot of garbage seasons together to get here, but they weren’t ever at a level where they were great, but not quite good enough. They’ve managed to get though the season and playoffs pretty healthy and, relative to other teams, adversity-free.

Props to Steve Kerr, the training staff, and the players themselves for making that happen. It’s also nice when you have such a unique player like Steph Curry who the front office has surrounded with all the right parts.

I don’t care that Andre Iguadala, for example, can’t make free throws. He’s a perfect fit as a part of a winning team. Just the kind of supporting cast member that an MVP-level player needs.

In a few days, the Warriors are going to, almost certainly, be THE winning team in the NBA this season.

All season long, the two-time defending champion Miami Heat have been the favorites in the NBA. The San Antonio Spurs, who lost to Miami in the Finals last season, had the best record during the regular season and have looked like a team on a mission. The Indiana Pacers, who seemed determined to overthrow their rivals in Miami started off the season hot but have slipped lately. This was supposed to be the year that some team knocked off LeBron James and the Heat and stopped them from becoming a dynasty. Thus far in the playoffs that dream seems very unlikely.

Could the NBA Finals return to the Moda Center in Portland this season? By Another Believer (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

At this point, I think the only other two teams that could give the Heat some trouble out East are the young Toronto Raptors and the veteran Brooklyn Nets, who happen to be facing each other in the first round. With the Pacers struggling to find themselves, it almost looks like a lock for the Heat to meet up with a team like the Wizards in the Eastern Conference Finals.

In other words, it’s not turning out to be as challenging as many thought for LeBron and co.

In the West, it’s a free-for-all, with some of the top teams struggling so far in the playoffs. The top-seeded Spurs are playing their in-state rival Dallas Mavericks who so far are showing the Spurs they mean some business. The two teams from the Lone Star State have split the first two games in San Antonio and Dallas could have won both games in San Antonio if not for an impressive run to end game one by the Spurs.

The second-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder with MVP Kevin Durant seemed primed for another playoff run yet find themselves down 2-1 to the gritty Memphis Grizzlies. The Houston Rockets had a lot of hype after the addition of Dwight Howard in the offseason, but they are down 0-2 to the Trail Blazers heading into one of the loudest arenas in the NBA back in Portland. The Los Angeles Clippers are the only top seeded team looking like they should taking a 2-1 lead over the Warriors including winning a game in Oakland.

The NBA playoffs are far from over and anything can happen, but so far signs are pointing towards the Heat reaching their fourth straight NBA Finals and meeting up with any of the right Western Conference teams that clinched a postseason berth. Here is what I believe will happen over the course of the playoffs:

First Round:

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 8. Dallas Mavericks (Spurs in 7)

2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 7. Memphis Grizzlies (Grizzlies in 6)

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 6. Golden State Warriors (Clippers in 7)

4. Houston Rockets vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (Trailblazers in 6)

1. Indiana Pacers vs. 8. Atlanta Hawks (Pacers in 7)

2. Miami Heat vs. 7. Charlotte Bobcats (Heat in 5)

3. Toronto Raptors vs. 6. Brooklyn Nets (Nets in 6)

4. Chicago Bulls vs. 5. Washington Wizards (Wizards in 4)

Semi-Finals:

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (Trailblazers in 6)

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 7. Memphis Grizzlies (Clippers in 7)

1. Indiana Pacers vs. 5. Washington Wizards (Wizards in 6)

2. Miami Heat vs. 6. Brooklyn Nets (Heat in 7)

Conference Finals:

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (Trailblazers in 6)

2. Miami Heat vs. 5. Washington Wizards (Heat in 5)

NBA Finals: 2. Miami Heat vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (TBA)

Why is it that in the NBA teams like the lowly Knicks or Hawks make the playoffs while good teams like the Suns or Mavericks barely miss the cusp of the postseason? Normally I am all for conferencing for a playoff system but when one conference, the West in this case, is so much stronger than the other something needs to be done about it.

A change to the NBA’s playoff system might give more teams a chance to make the finals. By National Basketball Association (Sportslogos.net) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

These bad East teams that make the playoffs continue to draft lower because of it. Western teams who miss the playoffs and are above .500 get the higher draft picks, improve themeselves, adn the cycle continues. So, what exactly can be done about it?

First we remove conferencing for a playoff system as a whole but we keep divisions within. Sixteen teams will still make the playoffs in order to keep a sense of familiarity with the players and fans. Each of the six division winners automatically clinches a playoff spot but then the final 10 teams become playoff eligible based on their overall record, travel be damned.

After all the regular season games have been played at the end of the year, the teams will be seeded based off their overall record regardless of being a division winner or not. Some may then ask then why the need for a division winner? Well because no matter the record of the division winner in the first round of the playoffs they receive home court advantage in the series to reward them for winning their division.

This system would make it so the best 16 teams in the NBA make the cut for the postseason and it makes for a better watching experience and competitive atmosphere. No more easily coasting to the Conference Finals for the top East teams. The NBA needs to do something about the conferencing problem. The current system — the one that rewards bad teams in the East with playoff spots, is getting to be kind of ridiculous.

As the new NBA season approaches, it seems that there are more preseason story-lines than I can remember in a long time. This season, some of these questions are:

Is this the last season of the Big Three in Miami?

How will Dwight Howard fit in with James Harden and Houston?

Will this be it for Tim Duncan?

How will Kobe play when he comes back from his injury?

There are many other story lines coming into the NBA season but with story lines comes predictions, something many people enjoy doing. I have made my predictions for each the Western Conference and Eastern Conference but have yet to make my Conference Finals picks and NBA Finals picks. It has taken me a long time to finally decide which two teams will be playing for a title at the end of the season but I have made my picks and here they are:

Can the Indiana Pacers be the team to finally de-throne the Miami Heat in the East? By Marta Sand (Flickr: Heat vs Pacers, 2012), via Wikimedia Commons

Eastern Conference Finals

For respect purposes and the fact that I do believe Chicago and Indiana will play each other in the second round thus handing the Heat a spot here.

Opposing them will either be the Pacers or Bulls. While both teams play defense, I favor the Pacers over the Bulls because of the experience of a year ago. So, Indiana vs. Miami in a rematch of that epic seven game series last season but this time, I believe Paul George and the Pacers will pull through and de-throne the champions.

The Pacers are going to be a very hungry team after the end of last season and if not for a dumb mistake by Frank Vogel in game 1, I think the Pacers would have won the series a year ago. This year I believe they will get it done and make it to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. Adding Luis Scola and Chris Copland help boost this team past the two time champions.

Western Conference Finals

This is a tough pick because I believe that there are at least six teams that can represent the West in the NBA Finals. I am going to go with a somewhat bold prediction here and say that the Western Conference Finals will take place solely in Texas. The Rockets and Spurs are my picks for the Western Conference Finals.

The addition of a (healthy) Dwight Howard to an already pretty good Rockets team is a huge factor behind this. I think James Harden and Howard will play together much better than Howard and Kobe Bryant did last season — resulting in wins rather than losses. That being said, I don’t believe it will be the Rockets representing the West in the Finals. This is going to be a test year for the Spurs since they have never dealt with a Finals loss. Will this old team fold after losing such a tough Finals series? Or, will they use the loss as motivation to get back and win another title? I’m going to bet on the motivation. So, the Spurs do it again, looking to redeem themselves from the heart-breaking Finals loss last season.

NBA Finals

Pacers vs. Spurs.

David Stern’s worst nightmare.

This will be another tough, grind it out type series much like the Heat-Spurs series was last season and as much as my heart wants to pick the Indiana Pacers to win, my mind won’t let me. I have counted out the Spurs for too long. My pick to be the 2014 NBA Champions is the San Antonio Spurs. They added another shooter and in my opinion a tough-minded player in Marco Belinelli which should help the already explosive offense. After their first NBA Finals loss, I believe that Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and especially Tim Duncan will be extremely motivated and hungry to get one more title as a core unit. Tim Duncan and the Spurs pull a page from the Baltimore Ravens playbook with Ray Lewis and send Duncan off into the sunset on top of the NBA world, gathering his fifth NBA ring.

2014 NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs 

Indiana Pacers star Roy Hibbert let loose on the media Saturday night in a strange press conference appearance following the Pacers’ impressive Game 6 win over the Miami Heat that pushed the Eastern Conference Finals to a decisive Game 7. When asked to comment on his own 10th place finish in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting, Hibbert had this to say:

Roy Hibbert (left) and the Pacers have proven themselves better than all but one Eastern Conference team. By Zach Primozic

(Before I get into the crux of the issue, I do want to point out that while Hibbert was outranked in DPOY voting by several more well-known players on higher-profile teams, he also received less points than the Pacers’ own Paul George as well as Larry Sanders of the Milwaukee Bucks, who isn’t even the most well-known person with his own name).

And he’s right, nobody watches the Pacers. Not their local residents — they have the 25th-best attendance in the league. Not San Antonio Spurs’ MVP Tony Parker, who admitted earlier last month to not watching any of the Pacers’ less-than-riveting first round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. The truth of the matter is that the Indiana Pacers are, in fact, a little boring. As a die-hard NBA fan and League Pass subscriber, I watch at least a couple of hours and multiple games of basketball almost every day of the regular season. I don’t think there was even one point this season where I looked at the full offering of games on a given day and said, “You know, I’m really interested to see what the Pacers are up to today.”

Can you blame me? As much as they say that defense wins championships, the Pacers’ staunch defensive style (2nd in the league in opponent points per game) does little to make them inherently watchable to anyone other than that one tool some of us know who believes his superior appreciation of defense in the NBA makes him a better fan than us mainstream cretins who prefer to watch teams who score once in a while. The Pacers have been woeful in this regard, ranking 23rd in the league in points per game. Not only do the Pacers struggle to score, they struggle to score in ways that are fun to watch, ranking in the bottom five league-wide in categories like field goal percentage and assists per game. And while fundamentally, winning games only requires that you score more points than your opponent, winning games doesn’t necessarily translate to an enjoyable fan viewing experience.

Then there are the intangibles. While Frank Vogel is a gifted head coach who has led the Pacers into the elite of the Eastern Conference, whenever I see him, I experience an odd phenomenon. I’ve seen him many times before, but for a split second I’m surprised by what he looks like. He comes off as just kind of a nondescript type of guy. His Pacers take after him in this way. Although Paul George, Roy Hibbert, and the currently-injured Danny Granger have represented the Pacers in the All-Star Game in the past three seasons, none are the type of flashy offensive talent that inspires fans to go out and buy their jerseys–although it’s becoming apparent in these playoffs that Paul George may evolve into that sooner than anyone expected.

I don’t blame Hibbert for his apparent affliction with Jan Brady syndrome. In a league where respect can be measured by things like number of nationally televised games and jersey sales, Indiana is barely on anyone’s radar. However, he and the Pacers can do something about that. With a win tonight on the road against the defending NBA champions, the Indiana Pacers have a chance to not only advance to their first NBA Finals since 2000, but perhaps also to put us all on notice that they’re a team worth watching. Their prospective Finals opponents, the now very well-rested San Antonio Spurs, could teach the Pacers a little something about that. While also somewhat unfairly saddled with the “boring” label, they’ve proven their worth and earned their respect by winning multiple championships and being one of the most consistently elite teams in the last decade. You earn cred with people who love basketball through sustained excellence. You earn it by performing on the big stage. Now you have the opportunity tomorrow to come and get it.

And if Hibbert and the Pacers pull this off, I promise that once in a while I’ll choose their games on League Pass next season.

Last June, LeBron James was able to finally breathe and celebrate the fact that he had finally won the NBA championship that he had been chasing for years. An NBA Finals win over the Oklahoma City Thunder did the trick and it was James who propelled the Heat to the title, showing that he was the best player in the game. Going into the 2012-2013 NBA season, all eyes were on LeBron and the Heat to see if they could repeat. Now it is playoff time, in the middle of the second round to be exact, and from what we have seen so far this season, if the Heat don’t repeat as champions it should be considered as one of the biggest failures in NBA history.

Chris Bosh will be a free agent along with Dwayne Wade and LeBron James in a few years. Matt and other NBA fans are just counting down the days before the dynasty is broken. By Richard Giles, via Wikimedia Commons

When I say that this season should be considered one of the biggest failures in NBA history if the Heat don’t repeat, I am serious. Just look at their roster, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, the additions of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, Mike Miller and so on. There is no excuse whatsoever that this current Miami Heat team shouldn’t win the championship. There are at least four future Hall of Famers on the team and one or two more that have a chance to make it there. Throughout the course of an NBA season, there are some teams that fail to win even 27 games out of the 82 that are played by each team; the Heat alone had a historic 27 game winning streak at one point. They finished the season with an astonishing 66-16 record, giving them the number one seed in the Eastern Conference and the playoffs entirely. The record was six games better than the second best team in the league and twelve better than the second seed in the East, the New York Knicks.

If the Heat don’t win, it was be the second time in three years that the “Big Three” don’t win the championship and that is just wrong with the roster they have playing on the court. I believe that if they don’t win the title the next two years, which would give them the first, three-peat since the Lakers did it in the early 2000s, they might change the team up in 2014 once Wade, Bosh and LeBron all can become free agents. Think about it. Wade and Bosh aren’t getting any younger. LeBron will just be 30. This is where all the LeBron leaving Miami rumors surface. It’s still years away, and this probably isn’t the time to talk about all that. For now, Miami should be excited about their present crash course with destiny and we should just be thinking about this season and how it turns out. For Miami’s sake, I hope they win the title and live up to the high expectation they’ve created for themselves.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir2TdfSwH8g

The Lakers didn’t exactly have a banner year. By Sgt. Joseph A. Lee, via Wikimedia Commons

What if I told you in the beginning of the 2012-2013 NBA season that the Los Angeles Lakers with Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol on their roster would end up crawling their way into the playoffs and finally getting swept in the first round? You wouldn’t believe it, would you? You might call me crazy or a doubter but it’s the unfortunate reality for Lakers fans.

Beginning with high hopes for another run at an NBA title, this year ended up becoming one of the longest and most bizarre Laker seasons in the history of the franchise. Looking back, we should have seen this coming right? They did start out the season 1-12 including going 0-8 in the preseason and to me looking back on it, we should have seen that as the first big red flag. After two straight championships then followed by two second-round playoff exits, Lakers’ management decided it was time to shake things up and they did so in a huge way. By adding All Star center Dwight Howard and former All Star Steve Nash to a roster with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, the Lakers looked primed to chase their 17th title. Add-in veteran Antwan Jamison and Jodie Meeks and things in Laker land seemed pretty good. As the season started, the Lakers fell to a 1-4 record through the first five games and fired coach Mike Brown and replaced him with offensive-minded Mike D’Antoni while spurning Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson in the process.

To many fans’ and players’ disgust and disapproval, Mike D’Antoni was named head coach of the Lakers. Unfortunately for the team and their fans, the change of the coach didn’t help much as the team fell to a horrid 17-25 record at one point. Over the last 40 games, the Lakers had one of the league’s best records 28-12 and things finally started to look in the right direction for the Lakers. But the injury bug bit and fate decided that it just wasn’t meant to be for the Lakers. Pretty much every single player on the Lakers roster got hurt this season. With the team struggling to make the playoffs, Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles with just two games left. It was a bitter way to end his season after yet another outstanding and age-defying year by the Black Mamba. Barely sneaking into the postseason, the Lakers drew the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.

The Spurs had been banged-up themselves with injuries of Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker and many wondered if the Kobe-less Lakers could manage the upset. But, after game-one of the series, you could tell that the Spurs meant business and the Lakers were going to be no match for them. The Purple and Gold would end-up getting swept in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since the 1960s including a 31-point loss at home. It was the worst loss at home in franchise history. What a fitting way to end the bad season by getting swept on their home court. The only Laker star in his prime, Dwight Howard, even got ejected a little into the third quarter in what may have been his final game as a Laker. Looking back on it, I should have seen that the Lakers season was doomed from the start.

So what now?

This upcoming off-season might be one of the biggest Laker off-seasons in recent memory because of the many decisions that Jim Buss and the rest of the Lakers front office has to make. No longer do they have hall of fame owner Jerry Buss to help make decisions.

Many questions linger. What will they do with Pau Gasol? What will happen with Dwight Howard’s future with the Lakers? What will happen with Kobe trying to come back from the Achilles injury? Where do Antawn Jamison and Earl Clark fit in during the next few seasons? And most importantly, will Mike D’Antoni return as the coach of the Lakers? All of these questions will be answered in the coming months, but my answers to all these questions if I was the Lakers GM/owner would be as follows:

I think they should keep Pau because his versatility as a passer and shooter is something that most big men in the league don’t have and is a huge value to the team. Not knowing if Howard is going to stay is another reason to keep Pau for another year. In the worst case scenario, Pau is there for another season, then becomes a free agent and over $18 million comes off the Lakers’ books in 2014.

As for Dwight Howard, I believe that he will stay with the Lakers and sign a long-term contract for two reasons. One: where else is he going to go? Houston? Dallas? Atlanta? If Dwight wants to win like he says he does, then staying in Los Angeles should be priority number one. What other team is going to put talent around him to win? And what other fans are going to put up with all his drama? As for the second reason it is strictly Howard’s image and ego. His image has already taken a hit from his Orlando days and if he left the Lakers after one year, he would be playing for three teams in three years. This isn’t the profile of a franchise cornerstone.

Kobe Bryant has defied basketball odds time and time again but this will be his greatest test, coming back from an Achilles tear. I believe that he will come back stronger than ever. That is all I will say because questioning this man’s will and heart for the game is shameful and shouldn’t ever happen.

Now, on to the bench for the Lakers, I think they should re-sign Antwan Jamison for another season and keep him as a veteran for this team. He provides leadership and a unique shooting and cutting ability that can still help. I also think they should re-sign Earl Clark back just to have a younger, athletic player on the team that has played a season with all the players and knows the system. But they shouldn’t just stand pat. Jim Buss should try to sign another player or two that can help out the team like Nate Robinson and/or Kyle Korver to improve the team’s shooting.

The biggest question aside from the Howard drama is what to do with D’Antoni. To me, Mike Brown re-signing with the Cavs is a blessing in disguise for the Lakers. It eats up some of the salary that the Lakers still owe Brown and would make it so if they did indeed fire D’Antoni like most Laker fans and media members want to happen, it would equal them just paying Mike Brown if you add up D’Antoni’s and the rest of the money owed to Brown. I think they should fire D’Antoni and not because he was a bad coach because he was a good coach under all the scrutiny he endured all year. That being said, he isn’t the right coach for this team and the Lakers management needs to realize that. The team wasn’t even running his offensive system all season. How can you have a coach who doesn’t even run his own system? My message to the Lakers: Fire D’Antoni.

I cannot go as far to say that this was the worst season in Lakers history. They did make the playoffs. But it has to be one of the mot disappointing seasons in recent memory. I attended the final game of the season where the Lakers got swept by the Spurs and the atmosphere in the Staples center was unlike any I have every seen there before. It was clear that the fans were still very supportive but you could sense a huge disappointment among them — and rightfully so. The season was doomed the day the front office planned it out and the Kobe injury was the cherry on top of it. Hopefully next season will be better for the Lakers and that starts with the critical moves needed to be made this offseason. Hopefully Buss, Kupchak and company can find a way to restore the Lakers to the proud franchise that we all are used to seeing out there on the court.

Can the “German Moses” bring back the Mavs from playoff oblivion? By Keith Allison, via Wikimedia Commons

As the NBA season winds down, pretty much every playoff spot has been filled with just seeding left to be determined. The 8th playoff spot in the Western Conference is the lone exception. It’s a battle between four teams, the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trailblazers. Shockingly, two of the last three champions are on this list fighting for the bottom of the playoff standings. It’s been a tough year for all these teams with poor play and injuries, especially the Lakers and Mavericks. The Mavericks were missing former finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki early in the season and now with him, the team is clicking on all cylinders at the right time. The Lakers, on the other hand, have had a very Jekyll and Hyde type of season, battling through countless injuries and a coaching change. All excuses aside, these teams still have a chance to make the playoffs with fewer than ten games left in the season. Here is a look at each team’s upcoming schedules as the season comes to an end:

Utah Jazz (Current #8 seed): vs. Portland, vs. Denver, vs. New Orleans, at Golden State, vs. Oklahoma City, vs. Minnesota, at Minnesota, at Memphis

Los Angeles Lakers (1/2 game back): vs. Dallas, vs. Memphis, at the Clippers, vs. New Orleans, at Portland, vs. Golden State, vs. San Antonio, vs. Houston

Dallas Mavericks (1 1/2 games back): at Lakers, at Denver, at Sacramento, at Portland, vs. Phoenix, vs. Denver, at New Orleans, vs. Memphis, vs. New Orleans

Portland Trailblazers (4 1/2 games back): at Utah, vs. Memphis, vs. Houston, vs. Dallas, vs. Lakers, vs. Oklahoma City, at Denver, at Clippers, vs. Golden State

As of right now, the Utah Jazz hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers and, despite equal records, the Jazz would be the 8 seed. The Blazers are a long shot to make it being behind more than three games and with such a difficult schedule but you never know. It looks like it will end up coming down to the Jazz, Lakers and Mavericks with each team playing crucial games against each other. It is hard to say which team has the “easiest” schedule since each play different types of teams. For example, the Jazz and Mavericks have more “should win” games than the Lakers but they both have more road games; which in the NBA are always a toss up. The Lakers only have two road games left this season with one of them being played on the Clipper court in Staples Center but they have a tough close to the season playing the Warriors, Spurs and Rockets to close out the year. The Lakers have been struggling recently since Pau Gasol has come back from injury.

I can’t believe that after all this time, Mike D’Antoni still has no clue how to use both Gasol and Howard in his offensive schemes, plus the no defense thing doesn’t help either. Unless the Lakers miraculously win the title this year, I expect D’Antoni’s short stint with the Lakers to come to an end. That being said though, there really isn’t a clear candidate to take the eighth seed. It could be any of these teams since the playoffs is all about being the hot team at the right time and none of these teams is as hot as the Mavericks, winning 11 of their last 16 games.  Out of their last nine games, the Mavericks have five “should win” games, the Jazz have four in their last eight and the Lakers have two which includes one in Portland, a place the Lakers always seem to have trouble in.

I still believe that the Lakers will edge out the eighth seed in the Western Conference because of the abundance of home games they have remaining. It’s tough for me to pick them since they have been struggling but I have picked them all year long, but I am sticking by them. I think the Mavericks will give them the most trouble in the standings but the Lakers find a way to edge it out. It won’t be easy with all the injuries including the most current ones to Metta World Peace and Steve Nash. Even if the Lakers make the playoffs and get bounced, it’s still better than not making it at all, especially since their draft pick would go to the Suns. As long as they don’t run into the Thunder or Nuggets in the first round, I still believe the Lakers can do some damage if they can figure a few things out. This Laker fan still believes that any team with Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash running it is scary and no team wants to face them in a seven game series.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU6UHBYJOUw

You never know what will come from the “German Moses” and his Mavs.

Predictions in sports can be just as fun as what actually happens and a lot of time many people do it. Every person has their own unique way of predicting outcomes, some go through the purity of stats or some use just the heart and will of a team or player. Either way, predictions can be a way for a fan, analyst or gambler to have and feel like they are involved with the actual games being played. As for me, I have made many predictions throughout my life. Some have come true and some haven’t, and I will be the first one to admit when I am wrong. On that note, here is my prediction for the Eastern Conference when the season comes to an end in April, a small breakdown of each team and some playoff predictions with a little over half the season complete:

1.    Miami Heat:

The reigning NBA champions have looked like the champions…when playing at home. They are 18-3 at home but only 11-11 on the road. Winning on the road is what the playoffs is about and the Heat have yet to prove they can do that. This team improved from last season, but I’m not so sure I trust them.

If Derrick Rose comes back healthy, the Bulls have a real chance to go to the NBA Finals. By Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA, via Wikimedia Commons

2.    Chicago Bulls:

The Bulls and coach Tom Thibodeau have done an incredible job thus far without former MVP Derrick Rose. Getting him back will only make this team that much better. They are ranked third in the league in points allowed, only allowing 90.9 PPG. Defense is what this team is all about and its something that will help them come playoff time.

3.    New York Knicks:

The Knicks started 6-0 and haven’t slowed down, as they are tied with the Heat for the number one seed at the moment. They have already beaten the Heat twice, once without MVP candidate Carmelo Anthony (in Miami). This team looks like a complete team and coach Mike Woodson has them firing on all cylinders. The oldest team in the league is also one of the best.

4.    Indiana Pacers:

With the emergence of Paul George, the Pacers have continued their winning ways from last season. Despite not having former All-Star Danny Granger, the Pacers seem to be doing just fine. If he can come back into the lineup and fit-in smoothly, this can be a dangerous team. Who doesn’t remember that physical playoff series last year with the Heat? And being the second ranked team in points allowed with only 89.9 a game, the Pacers can do some damage.

5.    Boston Celtics:

Like the Lakers, the Celtics aren’t normally this low in the standings but injuries and poor play have put them here. My pre-season pick for the finals from the Eastern Conference suffered a huge blow last week, losing all-star point guard Rajon Rondo to a season-ending injury and then yesterday lost rookie Jared Sullinger to injury. But they still have hall of famers Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett who, if anything have heart and will — something you can never bet against.

6.    Brooklyn Nets:

After a hot start and then a coaching change, the Nets seem to have finally gotten things together. Big man Brook Lopez and point guard Deron Williams lead the Nets and look to have this team poised for a playoff run. New look, new city, new players — can it all lead to new winning ways for the Nets? Both them and their new Brooklyn fans hope so.

7.    Milwaukee Bucks:

I really like this team and what they have done this season. They have beaten the Celtics three times and the Heat once and they look ready for the playoffs. Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis make a good backcourt duo for the Bucks and give them a tandem that teams don’t like to play against. The Bucks get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Fear the Deer!

8.    Philadelphia 76ers:

In a hard decision, I think the 76ers beat out the Atlanta Hawks for the eighth and final seed. The Sixers have hovered around the eighth seed all year and will be getting back big man Andrew Bynum after the all-star break. Bynum is a game-changer and I believe will really help the Sixers out. Although the Hawks have been very good this season, I think the Sixers will overtake them when it’s all said and done.

Notable Mentions: Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors

PREDICTIONS:

First Round:

1. Miami Heat vs. 8. Philadelphia 76ers: Heat in six

2. Chicago Bulls vs. 7. Milwaukee Bucks: Bulls in six

3. New York Knicks vs. 6. Brooklyn Nets: Knicks win the battle for New York in seven

4. Indiana Pacers vs. 5. Boston Celtics: Celtics in six

Semi Finals:

1. Miami Heat vs. 5. Boston Celtics

In the best series of the playoffs, I have this hard fought, mentally grinding series going to seven games with the Boston Celtics knocking off the reigning champions. Yes I know this is a crazy accusation (especially for a Laker fan), but I believe that the road struggles for the Heat will be the downfall of this years squad. I believe the Celtics can go into American Airlines Arena and still a game or two. This will be very difficult to do without Rondo, but these Celtics have a will to them, that you can’t describe. I may be wrong but Celtics in seven.

2. Chicago Bulls vs. 3. New York Knicks

Finally the Knicks get out of the first round, but its short served. I have the Bulls taking out the Knicks in six games. But it’s a promising sign for the Knicks to even win a playoff series. The Bulls head back to the Eastern Conference finals where they have a date with the green machine.

Conference Finals:

2. Chicago Bulls vs. 5. Boston Celtics

After the hard-fought series against the Heat, the Celtics finally run out of gas against a younger Bulls team, so I’m picking the Bulls in six. Kudos to the Celtics for making it this far without Rondo but the Bulls make it back to the finals for the first time since the Jordan era.

2013 Eastern Conference Champions: 2. Chicago Bulls

In my prediction, the Bulls make it back to the NBA Finals where they will meet up with the Los Angeles Lakers. Their defense, the return of Derrick Rose and the help of the Celtics knocking off the Heat, are what propel the Bulls back to the championship series. As I said for the Lakers, I’m not saying the Bulls will win the NBA title but they will be one of the last two teams standing.

Predictions in sports can be just as fun as what actually happens and a lot of time many people do it. Every person has their own unique way of predicting outcomes, some go through the purity of stats or some use just the heart and will of a team or player. Either way, predictions can be a way for a fan, analyst or gambler to have and feel like they are involved with the actual games being played. As for me, I have made many predictions throughout my life, some that have come true and some that haven’t and I will be the first one to admit when I am wrong. On that note, here is my prediction for the Western Conference when the season comes to an end in April, a small breakdown of each team and some playoff predictions with a little over half the season complete:

I’m predicting Russell Westbrook and the Thunder losing to the Lakers in the NBA Finals.
By Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA, via Wikimedia Commons

1.    San Antonio Spurs:

The Spurs have been one of the best and classiest teams in the West for years and with the core of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili still together and still playing well, you can never count out the four-time champions

2.    Oklahoma City Thunder

The reigning Western Conference champs haven’t stopped dominating the West as they did a year ago. The move to swap James Harden for Kevin Martin was a highly talked about one but I liked the trade very much. Kevin Durant is now forced to control the ball more, something I feel the Thunder need to do if they want to get better.

3.    Los Angeles Clippers

I know we are all used to seeing the Lakers around this spot but the tables have turned this year and congratulations to the Clippers for that. I think they are the team with the most depth in the NBA and can be a scary matchup come playoff time.

4.    Golden State Warriors:

In the biggest turnaround of any team this season, the Warriors make my fourth seed in the West and I believe they can do some damage. They are a great shooting team and the health of Stephen Curry has boosted them to an unusual (for them) level. Could it be possible that San Francisco and its surrounding areas can get all three major sport titles? The 49ers play in the Super Bowl this Sunday and the Giants have already won the World Series.

5.    Denver Nuggets:

18-3 at home, that’s the first stat I will throw out for the Nuggets. This is one of the best home teams in the NBA and they can be one of the most dangerous. They took the Lakers to the brink last season in the playoffs and have learned from that experience. I liked the move to bring in Andre Iguodala as he adds defense and explosiveness, which was the strength of the Nuggets before the move.

6.    Memphis Grizzlies:

This team started out hot and has cooled down since. They are the best defensive team in the NBA with only allowing 89.5 points per game and have one of the best starting lineups with Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley. Look for the Grizzlies to make a run or even make my predicted Clipper matchup to be the best of the first round as it was last season.

7.    Houston Rockets:

The Rockets barely missed the taste of the postseason last year. Since then, they’ve traded for all-star James Harden and point guard Jeremy Lin. This is a very young team but the leadership of Harden and Lin will guide them to the playoffs. I don’t trust Harden in the clutch, something that is so important as the star player of a team. He is a marvelous player but needs to work on that aspect of his game.

8.    Los Angeles Lakers:

Yes, I know that this team has been in the gutter of the standings all season but I believe they will turn it around but only as the eighth seed. Led by Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard the Lakers will push their ways into the playoffs and from there you never know what can happen. They dug a steep hole for themselves but this is a whole new season especially for this team.

Notable Mentions: Utah Jazz, Portland Trailblazers and Dallas Mavericks

PREDICTIONS:

First Round:

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 8. Los Angeles Lakers: Lakers in six (upset)

2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 7. Houston Rockets: Thunder in five

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 6. Memphis Grizzlies: Clippers in seven

4. Golden State Warriors vs. 5. Denver Nuggets: Warriors in seven

Semi Finals:

4. Golden State Warriors vs. 8. Los Angeles Lakers:

Lakers win the Pacific division showdown in five games. The Lakers size and experience are too much for the young up and coming Warrior team. The Lakers take on the Thunder in a playoff series re-match from last season.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 3. Los Angeles Clippers:

The Thunder win this exciting and back-n-fourth playoff series in seven games. The Thunder make it to their third consecutive conference finals and look to go back to the NBA Finals but standing in their way is the 32-time conference champion Los Angeles Lakers

Conference Finals:

2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8 Los Angeles Lakers:

This is where it gets interesting since I believe these are the two best teams in the Western Conference despite the difference in records. This will be a physical and fast-paced series, which favors the Thunder but I can’t count out Kobe and company. The Lakers match-up very well against the Thunder. If the Lakers can even mildly contain Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrok, they can win as they did the other night. I look for this to be the best series of the Western playoffs with the Lakers coming out on top in this hard fought and mentally draining seven game series.

2013 Western Conference Champions: 8. Los Angeles Lakers

I’m not saying the Lakers will win the NBA title but I do believe they will make it back to the NBA Finals after what seemed like a hopeless season. It won’t be easy as the West is scary-good, but Kobe Bryant is in search of another ring and won’t be denied by the likes of anyone in the West. I’m sticking with my pre-season pick, the Los Angeles Lakers.