NBA Playoff Predictions (1st Round)

East:
Heat over Bucks (4-0)
Celtics over Knicks (4-2)
Bulls over Nets (4-2)
Pacers over Hawks (4-1)

West:
Thunder over Rockets (4-0)
Spurs over Lakers (4-0)
Clippers over Grizzlies (4-3)
Nuggets over Warriors (4-2)


East:

Heat vs. Bucks:
Miami will skate through the first round through Milwaukee. The Bucks stops with the Heat.

Celtics vs. Knicks:
Even though Carmelo won the scoring title, I believe that Boston's defense will neutrailize New York's ballstopping. The Knicks live by outside shooting, and during the playoffs, teams that live by that more often than not will die by that. Even with Rondo out, Boston will find a way to rally and regroup.

Bulls vs. Nets:
Tough series for me to call, but I see Chicago finding a way to regroup after that humiliating loss in Game 1. Even with their franchise player (Derrick Rose) out for such a long time, the Bulls have proven that they can be a down and dirty team that will fight even harder with their back against the wall. Noah has been battling injuries, while Deng, Hinrich and Gibson fell flat in Game 1. Boozer led with 25, while Nate Robinson came off the bench with 17, along with Marco Belinelli had 13. The Starters have to raise their game to give Chicago a stronger chance. Meanwhile, the Nets had six players in double-figures: Deron Williams (22), Brook Lopez (21), Joe Johnson (16), Gerald Wallace (14), Former Bull C.J. Watson (14), and Andre Blatche (12). If Chicago's nucleus can pull their own weight, this will be the blue-collar matchup that will be right in their favor.

Pacers vs. Hawks:
Indiana's nucleus of Danny Granger, Paul George, Roy Hibbert, David West, George Hill, and Tyler Hansborough will be too much for the Hawks to handle. The Pacers have been a more proven playoff team for the past two years. In 2011, they were a tougher matchup for the Bulls than the Hawks were. In 2012, they put Miami against the wall in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Pacers are too physical for the Hawks to overcome.

West:

Thunder vs. Rockets:
This will be a very interesting matchup, with former Sixth Man James Harden facing his former team as a star for the Houston Rockets. This storyline will be the focus of the series. In the season opener, Harden made his own statement versus the Thunder, with a career-high 46 points in Houston's only win against Oklahoma City during the season. The Duo of Harden and Jeremy Lin have led the Rockets to the 8th Seed in the West. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City will zero in on James Harden, after Harden hit a wall in the Finals against the Heat, costing them the series. James Harden has averaged 25.9 ppg in his first season as a starter. Meanwhile, the Thunder have not missed a beat with new addition Kevin Martin (the very player they traded Harden for). Kevin Durant led the team in Scoring (28.1 ppg- 2nd in NBA), with Russell Westbrook finishing 2nd on the team in Scoring (23.2 ppg). Kevin Martin sacrificed his scoring, with 14.0 ppg, while Serge Ibaka put in 13.2 ppg. The games themselves will be pretty tough, but Oklahoma

Spurs vs. Lakers:
Both teams have been battling health issues. Clearly, the Lakers lost their franchise player for the next 6-9 months. However, San Antonio has proven to be a more effective and devastating team, when both are healthy. The Lakers have greatly underperformed all season long, with the team that they have assembled. (Kobe, Dwight, Nash, Pau Gasol, Artest) San Antonio's chemistry and Basketball IQ will exploit that massive weakness. However, I see the Lakers pulling out at least 1, as they will find a way to move the ball around more without Kobe. The Spurs will pick them apart with their superior ball movement, defense, and other strategies.

Clippers vs. Grizzlies:
I see this series being more of the same from last year's series. In Game 1, the Clippers had their way with Memphis (112-91), with Chris Paul leading the way with 23 points, Eric Bledsoe with 15, Chauncey Billups with 14, Caron Butler and Jamal Crawford both with 13, and Blake Griffin and Matt Barnes both with 10. Memphis has the advantage inside (Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol), but the Clippers perimeter will find a way to neutralize them.

Nuggets vs. Warriors:
This will be a battle of two great small ball teams. Led by 3-point marksman Stephen Curry along with the likes of David Lee, Klay Thompson and co. Golden State will be a very intriguing matchup for Denver. However, the Nuggets have a  more well-rounded team in my view. Denver has a very dangerous combination of guards (Ty Lawson, Andre Miller) star wingman (Andre Iguodala), along with an interior presence (Javale McGee). The Nuggets can not only run the table on fastbreaks, but can dominate inside as well. As I have said about the Knicks, teams that live too much by the three will die by it in the playoffs. I see this happening with the Nuggets using their size to take great advantage as well.