San Antonio Spurs [1] vs Utah Jazz [8]
The Jazz aren’t going to win, but they’ll make this more interesting than you may expect. I’m not even going to say they take more than one game, but the match ups in Salt Lake will be close (this team has a way of ending up involved in thrilling finishes, especially at home). Utah has a youthful team full of fresh talents and under-appreciated studs (Paul Millsap should be on an All-NBA team), and I suggest that you watch this series and enjoy the thought of their potential. The Jazz could be a serious threat in years to come if they make the right personnel moves. They can’t see the Spurs just yet, though.
NBA247365.COM Guaransheed: Spurs in 5.
Oklahoma City Thunder [2] vs Dallas Mavericks [7]
The fact that the Thunder led the NBA in turnovers while finishing 30th in assists certainly concerns me, as does their undersized frontcourt. That being said, I’ve given up hope on the Dallas Mavericks. The Dirk Nowitzki we’ve seen this season isn’t the basketball god from last spring, and the Mavericks don’t beat the Thunder and advance to the Finals if Dirk doesn’t play like he did. So, they’ll lose this time, although OKC will probably throw a game or two away.
NBA247365.COM Guaransheed: Thunder in 6.
LA Lakers [3] vs Denver Nuggets [6]
The is the series in which a lot of folks seem to be calling for an upset. As much as I’d love to see it, I certainly don’t expect to see it. Honestly, I don’t even consider it a possibility. Look, the Nuggets played pretty well against the Lakers this season. They beat ‘em in Denver and would’ve beaten ‘em in LA if Danilo Gallinari and Nene could’ve made a couple of uncontested layups. The Lakers simply have too much size for the Nuggets to handle, though. I think Denver’s speed, athleticism, and hustle make them a threat to win a few games, but over the long haul LA will end up pounding them into submission. I recall Timofey Mozgov having one good game against Andrew Bynum, but he’s not going to contain that monster for the duration of a series. The other guys–Faried, Koufos, McGee–they aren’t big enough. Denver’s only hope is to get crazy hot on the offensive end while the Lakers simultaneously self destruct. I suppose that could happen, but I wouldn’t bank on it.
NBA247365.COM Guaransheed: Lakers in 6.
Memphis Grizzlies [4] vs LA Clippers [5]
Here’s my lone first-round upset! Chris Paul’s groin and a two-game losing streak have left me feeling a little less confident, but assuming CP can move I still believe the Clippers take this series. Marc Gasol will take a dump on DeAndre Jordan, but with Z-Bo in his current state the Grizzlies have no answer for Blake Griffin. Chris Paul has been playing at an MVP level and I think he’s been this season’s finest performer under pressure. My reasoning for calling the upset basically centers around Paul. I think he’s going to put his team on his back and take them to the second round. He’s done some incredible things in the past with virtually no talent at hand, and I think he’ll recognize this opportunity and seize it. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Grizzlies win, especially if they get big bench production. This should be a hard-fought battle that goes seven games. Tony Allen has already begun praying to the basketball gods, hoping that they’ll give him strength…
Note: I think Eric Bledsoe could be an “X Factor” in this series. Can he come in and change the tempo? Can he make those athletic, energetic plays that swing the momentum when the Clipps are stuck in a rut? He’s done it somewhat regularly over the past few months, and I think it would be huge for LA if he could carry that over to the postseason.
NBA247365.COM Guaransheed: Clippers in 7.
