NBA Playoff Picks

My picks for this year's NBA Playoffs

1st Round

EAST

Cleveland over Chicago in 5 games
Orlando over Charlotte in 7 games
Atlanta over Milwaukee in 6 games
Boston over Miami in 7 games

WEST

Los Angeles over Oklahoma City in 7
Dallas over San Antonio in 7
Phoenix over Portland in 5
Denver over Utah in 7

Yeah no upsets here... sorry, Denver-Utah would have been a complete toss up but Utah doesn't have Kirilenko and thats the difference in my opinion. I think Boston shows the most heart they have all season and beat Miami in a grueling 7 game series with nothing left for the second round. LA-OKC will be the most entertaining first round series period. Pretty excited to see how KD responds to Phil Jackson.

2nd Round

EAST

Cleveland over Boston in 6
Orlando over Atlanta in 7

WEST

Los Angeles over Denver in 7
Phoenix over Dallas in 7

Yessir, Phoenix is my surprise team out West. They just seem to be really clicking on all cylinders and Steve Nash is playing unbelievable basketball. Amare has been a different player since the trade rumors started up again and is playing at 2005 level. All their players have accepted their roles and Jared Dudley might be a huge difference in the Dallas series. Lakers will have a tough time with Denver but they'll push through based on talent.
Oh yeah, this will be Atlanta's peak as Joe Johnson is likely to leave via free agency... Sorry A-town fans (not that there are a lot of hard core ones anyway).

Conference Finals

EAST

Cleveland over Orlando in 6

WEST

Los Angeles over Phoenix in 7

Cleveland is just on a mission this year. I think LA will have to go full bar to get to the finals as the teams in the West have just gotten better this year and present more matchup problems for the Lakers than last year. Lebron won't be denied redemption against Orlando.

NBA FINALS

Cleveland over Los Angeles in 7

Maybe this is just what I want to see and what most NBA fans want to see. I think LeBron is tired of playing 2nd fiddle to Kobe Bryant and this series will be remembered for a long time as a clash of two great teams and titans of the NBA. Cleveland's history of failure ends this year with the O'Brien trophy. Anderson Varejao is going to be a big time contributor and if the Cavs get anything from Shaquille O'Neal to slow down Pau and Bynum it will be a bonus. Mo Williams is the x-factor for the Cavs once again... I believe he'll come through this year.