The Eastern Conference has been unanimously considered the weaker conference. Never before has one conference been perceived as so inferior. This, despite the fact that the top four seeds arguably have a chance of winning an NBA championship and despite the fact that a plurality if not majority of experts are picking the Celtics to win it all. Still ShotsHeard does have to dub the Eastern Conference a semi-pro league that Will Ferrell himself would feel comfortable playing in.The envelopes please:
#1 Boston Celtics vs #8 Atlanta Hawks
Pick: Boston Celtics
This match-up could end up like the 1993 playoffs match-up between the #1 Suns and the #8 Lakers. The Suns like the Celtics had the best record in the league and the Lakers like the Hawks came into the playoffs with a losing record. The Lakers were poised to do damage if the Suns didn't come out strong.
The Lakers had the right core to compete with a complacent super power with the likes of Sedale Threat, Ladee Dadee Vlade Divac, James Edwards, AC Green, James Worthy, Byron Scott and Elden Campbell. The Lakers were just a better officiated game three away from the sweep before succumbing and losing 3-2 to the easily better Suns team who had swept the Lakers during the regular season.
The much better 2008 Celtics swept the Hawks during the regular season. But the Hawks are a vibrant bunch that like the 93 Lakers knows they won't win it all but can play a supreme spoiler role to notoriety. Mike Bibby, Al Horford, Joe Johnson, Josh Childress, Josh Smith, and Marvin Williams are even more talented than those 93 Lakers.
Unlike the Suns, the Celtics seem less inclined to take opponents for granted and have had a strong focus all year long. Also the seven game format gives them more breathing room in the event that Hotlanta comes out scorching and steals a couple games early in the series.
#2 Detroit Pistons vs. #7 Philadelphia 76ers
Pick: Detroit Pistons
AI2 (Andre Iguodala) is like a Scottie Pippen. But although Andre Miller has been playing like a superstar during the last two months of the season, he is no Michael Jordan. He could make a case for maybe a baby Magic though.
This Sixers team has a nice young core, but they have not arrived yet and I don't see the guy on that team that can really take over for a few minutes when the rest of the team starts struggling. Expect the Pistons to dispatch the Sixers in no more than six games.
#3 Orlando Magic vs. #6 Toronto Raptors
Pick: Orlando Magic
The Magic better be worried if they let the Raptors stick around in any game and Chris Bosh has the chance to take care of business from the elbow of the key. Besides that though, the Raptors are part of the inspiration for the semi-pro concept in the opening of this blog entry.
Go ahead and prove me wrong Andrea (Bargnani). Oh did I say semi-pro or WNBA? Or maybe Andrea thought he was in the Cops Midnight Dunkin Donuts League after he put up three donuts of scoring in the last month of the season.
Turkey-Glue (Hedo), Rashard Lewis and David Howard seem to play well enough off each other that they can smugly tell the Raptors from experience, where the best golf courses are to go to in April.
#4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #5 Washington Wizards
Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers
So much is made about Arenas coming back and how much better the Wizards will be. But the Wizards won 43 games this year without him, which is more than the 41 and 42 marks set the past two years with the trio core of Arenas, Butler, and Jamison.
The reality is they all three have somewhat finesse games and that only one of them can have the ball at the same time. And yes the Wizards did come close to beating the Cavs the last two years in the playoffs, so I don't write them off easy, especially given that outside of Lebron James, the Cavs are looking pretty mediocre this year.
In fact if it weren't for LBJ, I'd have no rooting interest in this series at all. I mean I love Caron Butler's game. I love Arenas's ability to dominate at times. I have always liked the versatility of Antawn Jamison's game. But there's no rhyme or reason to this Wizards team. They have less ability to sustain chemistry in a series than even the Hawks and Sixers. If I were the Celtics, I'd be rooting for a second round match-up with the Wizards, even though they are the only team the C's lost to three times this year.
Other 2008 NBA Playoffs Predictions
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