25 replies to this topic

[Drew in Abilene]

SirThursday already got us started on win total prognostications in another thread, but I wanted to try zeroing in on the playoff picture. For this thread, let's try to break it down by who grabs what seeds in each conference, and which teams advance to the next rounds, and finally, who you think will play for/win the NBA Championship. Winners in bold. (Yes, I'm a huge homer. I've also been characterized as the most optimistic person my friends know.)

 

East

1 Miami Heat

8 Detroit Pistons

 

2 Indiana Pacers

7 Cleveland Cavaliers

 

3 Chicago Bulls

6 Atlanta Hawks

 

4 Brooklyn Nets

5 New York Knicks

 

West

1 Houston Rockets

8 Portland Trailblazers

 

2 San Antonio Spurs

7 Minnesota Timberwolves

 

3 Los Angeles Clippers

6 Memphis Grizzlies

 

4 Oklahoma City Thunder

5 Golden State Warriors

 

Semi-Finals

1 Miami Heat

4 Brooklyn Nets

 

2 Indiana Pacers

3 Chicago Bulls

 

1 Houston Rockets

4 Oklahoma City Thunder

 

2 San Antonio Spurs

3 Los Angeles Clippers

 

Conference Finals

1 Miami Heat

2 Indiana Pacers

 

1 Houston Rockets

3 Los Angeles Clippers

 

Finals

2 Indiana Pacers

1 Houston Rockets

[2016Champions]

SirThursday already got us started on win total prognostications in another thread, but I wanted to try zeroing in on the playoff picture. For this thread, let's try to break it down by who grabs what seeds in each conference, and which teams advance to the next rounds, and finally, who you think will play for/win the NBA Championship. Winners in bold. (Yes, I'm a huge homer. I've also been characterized as the most optimistic person my friends know.)

 

East

1 Miami Heat

8 Detroit Pistons

 

2 Indiana Pacers

7 Cleveland Cavaliers

 

3 Chicago Bulls

6 Atlanta Hawks

 

4 Brooklyn Nets

5 New York Knicks

 

West

1 Houston Rockets

8 Portland Trailblazers

 

2 San Antonio Spurs

7 Minnesota Timberwolves

 

3 Los Angeles Clippers

6 Memphis Grizzlies

 

4 Oklahoma City Thunder

5 Golden State Warriors

 

Semi-Finals

1 Miami Heat

4 Brooklyn Nets

 

2 Indiana Pacers

3 Chicago Bulls

 

1 Houston Rockets

4 Oklahoma City Thunder

 

2 San Antonio Spurs

3 Los Angeles Clippers

 

Conference Finals

1 Miami Heat

2 Indiana Pacers

 

1 Houston Rockets

3 Los Angeles Clippers

 

Finals

2 Indiana Pacers

1 Houston Rockets

I like this. Only thing I would change is Heat beating Pacers. 

[Buckko]

Disagree, everyone is a year older and wades knees are a year worse. While Pacers get a better bench, grangers back, and all their young players get better including PG. Great minds think alike, I've been predicting a pacers rockets final for some time with a cavs and rockets final in 2015 when lebron goes home.

[Buckko]

I have the east bottom 3 at cavs 6th because their talent, improvement and depth. Wizards with gortat now and pistons 8th due to their spacing issues. I just really want to see a Monroe, Jennings and picks for rando and Avery bradly trade. Would be a killer defensive unit and assists all day for rando.

[timetodienow1234567]

The Pacers are better than the Heat. But the Heat has Lebron so it's very close. I guess it all depends on how much Lebrons improved this year. If he pushes it up another notch I don't see how I can pick against him.

[Buckko]

Roy Hibbert had something to say about getting in lebron's way. Even the best player can't carry a team to a championship.

[blakecouey]

East:

 

1st Round:

 

1 Miami

8 Washington

 

2 Chicago

7 Atlanta

 

3 Indiana

6 Detroit

 

4 Brooklyn

5 New York

 

2nd Round:

 

1 Miami

5 New York

 

2 Chicago

3 Indiana -They may be the popular pick, but I just don't see it happening.

 

Conference Finals:

 

1 Miami

2 Chicago

 

West:

 

1st Round:

 

1 Houston

8 New Orleans

 

2 Oklahoma City

7 Minnesota

 

3 San Antonio

6 Memphis

 

4 LA Clippers

5 Golden State

 

2nd Round:

 

1 Houston

5 Golden State

 

2 Oklahoma City

3 San Antonio

 

Conference Finals:

 

1 Houston

2 Oklahoma City

I'm just not convinced that we can make the jump to the Finals in just one season.  Of Course I'd be thrilled if I was wrong(and hope that I am).

 

 

Finals: 

 

1 Miami

2 Oklahoma City

Finals finish in 6, Lebron with his 3rd Finals MVP.

[ale11]

I tried to envision what it would look like, but it's basically impossible. Players can get injured, or massive trades could be in order. Honestly, I don't think we should be ready to get past WCF, but we could really beat any team in a 7 game series....huge homer alert, but also there isn't any team who has something special that we can't counter somehow.

 

If we are good enough to make the Finals, I see us beating Indiana, and maaaaaaybe Chicago (no obvious strategy to contain Rose), but losing against Miami (those three are in my mind, and in most of yours, the only three that can get there in the East). But given some great streak and a bit luck, OKC, San Antonio, Houston and LAC could get there, but I don't see any of those other three having great chance of beating the Eastern champion like we do.

[Buckko]

The problem I see with OKC beating us is how are they going to stop Howard, and in my opinion SA could beat OKC with leonard and green on KD and westbrook all day. Which could shut them down because they don't have any other source of offense.

[blakecouey]

I disagree, I believe OKC can beat SA based on sheer talent and energy.  I've also thought San Antonio was too old to make it deep the last few years, and they've continually proven me wrong.  

 

And Ale, you're right.  It's a 1:1000000 chance of having it exactly right, but it's fun to look at it and see what others think may happen as well.  I also believe that even after enduring injuries that the core of my picks could hold true.  We won't know for a long while but it'll be fun to see who may be right.  

[tombrokeoff]

id participate in this, but i cant pick against the rockets and that might cost me a realistic chance of winning.

[Cooper]

The problem I see with OKC beating us is how are they going to stop Howard, and in my opinion SA could beat OKC with leonard and green on KD and westbrook all day. Which could shut them down because they don't have any other source of offense.

The only time Perkins is worth having on a basketball court is against Howard he plays Tough and Howard gets rattled.

[Cooper]

1.CHICAGO
8. Toronto

2.MIAMI
7.Washington

3.INDY
6.Detroit

4.BROOKLYN
5.New York

2nd round
1.CHICAGO
4.brooklyn

2.MIAMI
3.indy

CF
1. Chicago
2.MIAMI

West
1. SAN ANTONIO
8. Minnesota

2. OKC
7. Dallas

3.HOUSTON
6. Memphis

4. GS
5. Lac

2nd round
1. SAN ANTONIO
4. gs

2. Okc
3.HOUSTON

CF
1.San Antonio
3.HOUSTON

Finals
2.MIAMI
3.Houston
Too much Lebron, Wade takes it easy in the regular season to keep healthy.

[Buckko]

Perkins only plays good post defense, he won't be able to do anything against the best PnR in the game.

[Sir Thursday]

I'm going to start my playoff brackets on the basis of the predictions made in the other thread and go from there. I'm expecting the following brackets:

 

East:

 

Miami vs Detroit

Chicago vs Atlanta

Brooklyn vs New York <-- That would be fun, huh?

Indiana vs Washington

 

Miami vs Indiana <-- Shock horror!

Chicago vs Brooklyn

 

Chicago vs Indiana

 

West:

 

OKC vs New Orleans

LA Clippers vs Minnesota <-- Got to have one upset, right?

Houston vs Memphis

Golden State vs San Antonio 

 

OKC vs San Antonio

Minnesota vs Houston

 

OKC vs Houston <-- This is where we tap out for the year.

 

And in the final, OKC beats Chicago.

[Drew in Abilene]

I find it fascinating how many people are believers in Chicago. Not in a condescending way, but in a "I never really watched them much while Rose was healthy, will they seriously be this good?!" kinda way. I may be underestimating Rose and his supporting cast, but my feeling was that in the later rounds when he would face stiffer one-on-one defense as well as swarming team defenses like Miami and Indiana, the rest of the Bulls wouldn't be able to score enough to win the series.

 

Apparently y'all are the only ones buying in on Chicago. Simmons just released his #2 team ranking as the Heat, leaving Rose and the Bulls left as their top team of 2013/14. Several other pundits have weighed in as thinking Chi-Town boasts the best team. Guess I'll have to tune in to see what all the hubbub is about. Good thing Heat vs. Bulls is tomorrow night!

[jorgeaam]

I'm doing my brackets based on my predictions in ST's post too, here we go:

 

EAST

 

1.Miami vs 8.Atlanta

2.Chicago vs 7.Toronto

3.Indiana vs 6.Washington

4.New York vs 5.Brooklyn <-Insert upset here

 

1.Miami vs 5.Brooklyn

2.Chicago vs 3.Indiana

 

1.Miami vs 2.Chicago <-Opening Day matchup by the way.

 

West

1.OKC vs 8. New Orleans

2.Houston vs 7. Minnesota

3.LAC vs 6. Memphis

4.GSW vs 5.San Antonio

 

1.OKC vs 5.San Antonio <-I still think Timmy-D and Co. will prove me wrong

2.Houston vs 3.LAC

 

1.OKC vs 2.Houston

 

FINALS

 

Miami vs Houston <- If this matchup happens, there's no way Miami's D will keep up to Howard and Harden.

Edited by jorgeaam, 29 October 2013 - 12:29 AM.

[Sir Thursday]

I find it fascinating how many people are believers in Chicago. Not in a condescending way, but in a "I never really watched them much while Rose was healthy, will they seriously be this good?!" kinda way. I may be underestimating Rose and his supporting cast, but my feeling was that in the later rounds when he would face stiffer one-on-one defense as well as swarming team defenses like Miami and Indiana, the rest of the Bulls wouldn't be able to score enough to win the series.

 

Apparently y'all are the only ones buying in on Chicago. Simmons just released his #2 team ranking as the Heat, leaving Rose and the Bulls left as their top team of 2013/14. Several other pundits have weighed in as thinking Chi-Town boasts the best team. Guess I'll have to tune in to see what all the hubbub is about. Good thing Heat vs. Bulls is tomorrow night!

 

I watched some of their pre-season games and they didn't just look good, they looked dominant. Their defence was stifling as usual and Derrick Rose just seems to rip through the opposing team like they're not there sometimes. I think they match up really well against both Indiana and Miami in terms of being able to shut down their areas of strength. Less so against Brooklyn, but I think they've probably got just enough juice to get by them. That's why I have them making the finals (where I think they'll fall short against Durant and co.).

 

ST

[Drew in Abilene]

Definitely some good points. If nothing else, this seems like the most exciting playoffs in a few years. A top-heavy East with four strong yet wildly different teams on one side of the bracket, a deep West with dangerous teams up and down the docket on the other side. Even if the Rockets weren't a true contender this year, I think I'd be more excited for this season than recent seasons.

 

All that, and the Lakers should miss the playoffs? Count me in for this season. I can't wait!

[Freebird]

OK, I guess I'll weigh in.  I know it's late, but some of us have to work around here!  <Sez the guy posting at 1:30 EST on a Wednesday>

 

EAST

1.Brooklyn vs 8.Detroit

2.Miami vs 7.Cleveland

3.Indiana vs 6.Washington

4.Chicago vs 5.New York

 

1.Brooklyn vs 5.New York

2.Miami vs 3.Indiana

 

1.Brooklyn vs 2.Miami

 

West

1.Houston vs 8.Portland

2.LAC vs 7.Minnesota

3.OKC vs 6.Memphis

4.San Antonio vs 5.GSW

 

1.Houston vs 4.San Antonio

2.LAC vs 3.OKC

 

1.Houston vs 3.OKC

 

Finals

 

Brooklyn over Houston

 

Bear with me - I like what Brooklyn did.  Outside of the D12 move, this offseason would have been all about the moves they made.  They should be thanking Morey for overshadowing them.  

 

I really don't like Chicago as much as other.  I understand that their D is great, but finding that groove again is gonna take some time.  Not sure it comes back this year.

 

I think Portland will come along, and will beat out that Laker bench for the 8 seed.  Crapshoot out East, so went with the talent.  PLus, it's too juicy to not have a LeBron vs Cleveland matchup at some point.