Sports Talk with MC

by MC

The teams have been seeded. The hype’s at an all time high.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is finally apt for us to declare that, well, it is PLAYOFF TIME.

Here are the various matchups, and my predictions per pairing:

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Dallas (1) vs Golden State (8)- Fresh off the heels of clinching the 8th seed in the Western Conference on the final day of the regular season, it would be no coincidence that the Golden State Warriors may head into Game 1 of their first round tiff against the top seeded Dallas Mavericks still feeling a sense of euphoria because of the fact that they had managed to clinch their first playoff birth since 1994. In my view, the Warriors will give Dallas a run for its money- not because of collective experience playing on the big stage, or poise under pressure per se. The gladiators from the Bay Area should give the rough riders from Texas fits because of their speed (Don Nelson is their coach after all; mix that in with guys like Monta Ellis and Baron Davis and what you get is something that can range from potent to downright scary), athleticism (add a healthy Jason Richardson to the two aforementioned cagers and what you have is pure, unyielding, basketball, excitement), and a “nothing to lose” attitude. Many analysts have concurred on the fact that as much as GS has an outside chance of making something of this matchup, they do not think the upstart Warriors have enough in the tank to win 4 against the gritty Mavs, who, for all intents and purposes, have assumed a Spurs-like demeanor over the last year or two (in terms of poise and defensive skill). Look for Josh Howard, Dirk, Terry, Harris, and Stack, helped by Dampier and Diop’s interior toughness, to minimize Golden State’s penchant for running, and look for the Warriors to shoot themselves in the feet due to their aversion to defense. Postseason ball is different for regular season ball, and in this case, the more seasoned team will rule.

My Pick–> Mavericks in 5.

Phoenix Suns (2) vs La Lakers (7)- Kobe Bryant is, by far, the league’s most potent scorer. Steve Nash is, by far, the league’s most outstanding point guard. The way things have gone for the Lake Show and the Suns this season, this might end up being the epitome of the TEAM CONCEPT versus the ONE MAN TEAM. As frightening as Bryant can be, I think that the Lakers’ lack of inside muscle, which leads to not so potent rebounding and interior defense, and the Lakers lack of consistent perimeter play, will pave the way for a Phoenix victory. Amare Stoudamire is BACK, and he will wreck havoc in the paint in this series. Shawn Marion will run rings around slower defenders like Luke Walton and Ronnie Turiaf. Lamar Odom will be be asked to shadow Marion, but even he seems to be a little too slow for the Matrix. Kurt Thomas will make for an extra banger inside to box out the much-maligned Kwame Brown, and will be tasked to fluster young Andrew Bynum. As great a coach as Phil Jackson is, I just don’t think the Suns’ speed, perimeter play, transition offense prowess, and improved defense (yes, you heard that right…Amare being back makes a bit of a difference in this case, doesn’t it?), can be matched or done one better by the Californians at this juncture. And oh yes, Raja Bell’s “Clothesline from Hell” is waiting in the wings in case things get ugly.

My Pick–> Suns in 5.

San Antonio Spurs (3) vs Denver Nuggets (6)- At the beginning of the Anthony/Iverson era, Nuggets fans didn’t seem like they were getting their full money’s worth. Later in the season, though, the duo began to click, hence the Rocky Mountain kids being at the 6th spot as of this fortune telling session.

The Spurs are probably the NBA’s most devasting defensive squad, with bigs like Duncan, Oberto, and Elson manning the paint, and great perimeter defenders in Bowen and Ginobili running amuck outside. Don’t forget that this team also has former Mav Michael Finley, who, for all his offensive power, can defend pretty darn well too.

Look for the Spurs to methodically grind the Nuggets into submission. Manu will probably be asked to shadow A.I. at times, and Bowen will logically be put on ‘Melo. Camby will try his best to defend Duncan, but will, in my view, have little to modest success. The Spurs are flexible enough to play the Colorado fastbreak game, and at the same time, can shift, just as quickly, to something slower. That’s how good they are. Tony Parker, aka Mr. Eva Longoria, should be able to have his way as a slasher against a porous Nugs ‘D, and Manu Ginobili, well, should be able to bump and bruise his way to the hoop quite a bit himself.

The Nuggets have a lot of heart (they have Iverson, the epitome of heart; at least he doesn’t need to carry his team all by his lonesome any more), potential (Steve Blake and Linas Kleiza have shown flashes of brilliance), and crazy fans, but the Spurs quiet resolve, and X’s and O’s approach to winning should send George Karl and his troops before you can say, “quack”.

My Pick–> Spurs in 6.

Houston Rockets (4) vs Utah Jazz (5)- First off, let me just say that it’s good to see the Jazz and the Rockets back in the postseason, looking primed to make a deep run. The last time the Jazz looked primed to make it far, men by the name of Malone and Stockton were still in (short) shorts and sneakers. Now, a new generation of hoopsters- Williams, Kirilenko, and Boozer, led by an old teacher in Jerry Sloan, look to make an impact. Houston, on the other hand, looks to follow in the footsteps of the legacy set by men like Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon. Yao Ming and TMac are the bearers of the torch now.

Their late season slide aside, I think the Jazz have their backs against the wall a little bit in this series. As good as Carlos Boozer is, I think he lacks enough of a perimeter game to make too much of a difference against Houston’s stone wall defense. Deron Williams is in his second year and is making his first playoff tryst, and for me, he’s the key to the Jazz’s winning or losing. If he can find seams in the Rockets’ D, if he can get the Jazz to run a little more than they do, if he can knock down his J’s, then the Utah boys have a shot. Andrei Kirilenko should be tasked to shadow TMac. McGrady holds the strength advantage against the Russian, and can run toe-to-toe with him in the speed department. Shane Battier is another X factor in this series. His all around defensive skill and high basketball IQ, coupled with an inside-outside offensive game, should be able to keep the Rockets “stable” on the floor throughout games.

And oh, the Jazz don’t have anyone who can stop Yao Ming. I don’t think any team right now really has an answer for him. Only injuries can slow down, arguably, the NBA’s best pure center at this point. Period.

Jerry Sloan’s Jazz may not be able to stop him completely, but knowing Sloan, he’ll find a way for someone like, say, Jarron Collins, to AT LEAST give him a bit of a beatdown.

Look for this series to go the distance, and for the team who plays the most honest defense, and who works the hardest on ball movement on the O-side, to triumph in a squeaker.

My Pick –> Rockets in 7.

My take on the East to come in a bit. =)

MC. =)