In the hopes of saving at least some of the suspense, I'm going to start off with my conference finals picks for each conference. That way at least it won't just be me jumping to the finals.
The East is going to be a heavy weight fight with the top 4 teams. Miami, Chicago, Brooklyn and Indiana all have a shot to come out of the East, with the rest of the conference a notch below. New York is probably at the 5 seed with the 6, 7 and 8 seed in the air.
2014 Eastern Conference: Miami vs. Chicago
Miami doesn't go without saying this year like they have in recent years. They've made it to the Finals every year since LeBron and Bosh joined in 2010, but it's likely they will either face Chicago, Brooklyn or Indiana in the 2nd round. So they really have to play two title contenders just to get to the Finals. This will without a doubt be the toughest road to the Finals that LeBron, Wade and company have ever had, but I still like their chances.
As for Chicago, it was tough to pick them over Brooklyn and Indiana. What made the decision for me was really one person; Derrick Rose. He is an MVP, and the heart and soul of one of the toughest teams in the NBA. This team is quietly loaded with talent and potential. Rose, Deng, Boozer and Noah are all-stars in their own right, and gel on the court when Rose is healthy. They are a powerhouse on defense, with an up and coming Jimmy Butler who guards his position with the best of them. Taj Gibson (who had a legendary dunk on Dwyane Wade which resides in my favorites bar on Chrome) and Kirk Heinrich, who are great energy guys, along with vets like Mike Dunleavy and Nazr Muhammad. Rose is the one that makes this team a champion, who can outplay Deron Williams (the one thing that stopped me from picking Brooklyn) and shut down the Pacers with suffocating defense. Brooklyn upgraded and Chicago got Rose back, while Indiana stayed the same. In this heavy weight bout that is the Eastern Conference, I like Chicago as the team that will dethrone Miami in the east.
Eastern Conference Champion: Chicago in 7
This is a case of my head saying the Heat in 7, but my gut saying the Bulls, so I'm going with my gut feeling. They can match the defensive intensity of the Heat, with Rose running the offense on the other end. The Bulls live for defense and have balance. They come at you with everything for 48 minutes, and have a defensive visionary in coach Tom Thibodeau. Just think of how many problems the Spurs gave these guys with Parker at the point and Duncan down low. Derrick Rose should have his way with Mario Chalmers, and Boozer and Noah banging down low with Bosh and Birdman should be a cake walk. Jimmy Butler on Wade and Luol Deng on James will at least make them work for points, and hopefully wear them down. Top to bottom, this team has the best chance at beating the Heat, and if all goes well, I think they will.
Western Conference Picks: Spurs vs. Thunder (Spurs in 6)
The Spurs lost Gary Neal and immediately replaced him with former Bull Marco Bellinelli. They continue to stand the test of time with Duncan, Manu and Parker, and have turned Kawhi Leonard into a star. With a western conference so wide open, I'm going with the team that has 3 future hall of famers and a hall of fame coach. Experience, excellence and motivation from losing the title makes me think this team has one shot left. Like I said, I counted out every year and they prove me wrong, and I won't get fooled again.
The Thunder have the best duo in the league with Westbrook and Durant, and the swat team of Ibaka and Thabeet, play team defense and that should get them at the very least to the conference finals. The problem is the lack of scoring aside for Durant and Westbrook. It's scary to think that if James Harden started out somewhere else and ended up with Durant and Westbrook, we would declare them title favorites for the next 10 years. They knew how good Harden was and traded him anyways. Last year during the playoffs, they might have missed Harden just as much as Westbrook, showing how much help Durant had in 2012 when they went to the Finals. However, that was then and this is now, and the Thunder need to make a trade for a 3rd option if they want to get back to the Finals. That could happen, but as of right now, I don't think the have enough fire power to match the Spurs combination of youth and experience.
Finals: Bulls vs. Spurs (Spurs in 7)
These teams almost mirror each other. Tony Parker vs. Derrick Rose, Duncan vs. Noah, Kawhi vs. Luol Deng. It screams seven games to me, and I hope it happens. I'm probably wrong but dammit their my picks and this is a perfect Finals match-up for me. Two of the Spurs big 3 goes out on top, Duncan and Manu retire after the championship. I love both of these teams, but only one can win. The Bulls will have plenty of chances down the road. Last year was no fluke, the Spurs are going back and winning the Finals.
No comments:
Post a Comment