Your NBA 07 Playoffs prediction/bracket

[LuNaR]

ok heres mine

ROUND 1

west

dallas wins in 4
clippers (golden state has hard schedule)

utah
rockets wins in 6

san antonio
lakers wins in 7 (ok im biased)

suns wins in 5
denver

east

detroit wins in 5
orlando

toronto wins in 6
cleaveland

miami wins in 4
wizard

chicago wins in 6
new jersey

ROUND 2

west
i cant do it cause im too biased toward the rockets and lakers

east

detroit wins in 6
toronto

miami
chicago wins in 6

SEMIFINALS

east

detroit wins in 6
chicago

FINALS

whoever is the west team wins in 5

[milKBoi]

Its still too early to tel who plays who yet.

Especially in the EAST, where there are still alot of sorting out to do.

As for the west, its pretty stagnent for the top 7 teams. So yeh there still could be some surprises for the number 8 spot.


i hope miami wins AGAIn.


If i was a betting man, dallas will be a hot favorite to take it out. I dun wanna SA to win it since they are so boring > zzzZZZZ

we wait and see.

[duguxiaojing]

My dream match up would be Phoenix and Miami.(I want LA to win but in reality they have no chance this year playing in the west).

I'm pretty sure Dallas will make the finals, they are playing at such a high level right now, although their D is not as strong or consistent as the Spurs. I feel sorry for SanAntonio who proboally will beat Phoenix, but that Uptempo style will wear them out right before they play Dallas.

Out of the east I would take Miami over Detroit assuming they make the east finals. They will proboally have to play Chicago in the second round, and the Bulls play real well vs Miami though...soo tough to call.

Just hope it wont be another Spurs vs Pistons finals =(...the one in 05 almost killed me...

[duguxiaojing]

Getting worried after last nights lost 2 clips...they have to win 2 out of next 3 to clinch(proboally). IIRC they have 1 game vs seattle, anther vs a below 500 hundred team(dont remember) and one vs Phoenix which is almost a guranteed lost. Fortuantly, the clips also have one game vs Phonenix and Golden State has one vs Dallas. New Orleans has two tough games left vs Denver and Houston. So they are out it seems...but anything can happen =(.

[wang23]

Getting worried after last nights lost 2 clips...they have to win 2 out of next 3 to clinch(proboally). IIRC they have 1 game vs seattle, anther vs a below 500 hundred team(dont remember) and one vs Phoenix which is almost a guranteed lost. Fortuantly, the clips also have one game vs Phonenix and Golden State has one vs Dallas. New Orleans has two tough games left vs Denver and Houston. So they are out it seems...but anything can happen =(.

Yeah, the Lakers should've put last night's game in the bag. I guess the good thing is that no matter who comes out, there's going to be an LA team making the playoffs. But I'm guessing your primarily a Lakers fan so that won't be much of a bonus for you. The Lakers play Phoenix tonight and I don't like their chances. They play the beaten up Seattle Supersonics and should be able to take that game. Without Watson, the Sonics are letting Mike Wilks handle the point. To be honest, if the Lakers can't beat an injured Seattle team who has nothing to play for in a crucial game, they shouldn't be in the playoffs. But knowing Phil Jackson's style and Kobe's winning mentality, the Lakers should be ready and be able to knock off Rashard and company. Their last game is against Sacramento...the worst thing is it's at Arco, a place that really doesn't appreciate the Lakers constantly eliminating them in their earlier years in which they very well could have gone on to win a championship. Although the Kings have had a disappointing season, they can be dangerous at any time. It all depends on which Sacramento team that shows up. If Kobe can get Artest into early foul trouble that'll be a bonus.

I don't think you should be relying on Dallas to take a win away from Golden State. The Warriors have had a history of beating Dallas and they proved it again this year even to the extent of snapping the Mavs' long streak earlier this season. Dallas is an all around team that only has troubles against certain teams...teams with a lot offense and athletes. Teams like Phoenix, Golden State, Utah, Milwaukee, Chicago and even Toronto(at home) will give Dallas some trouble. Golden State has four scorers that were each star players on their own respective teams. Baron Davis(former slam dunk contest competitor=great athlete) used to be the franchise player in New Orleans. Jason Richardson(former slam dunk champion=athlete) was of course the star player in GS after Antawn Jamison left. Stephen Jackson(great defender and former NBA champion) and Al Harrington(athletic big man who can shoot from the perimeter) were the top two scorers from Atlanta. Golden State has a great combination of offense and athleticism. In addition, the Warriors are playing for the playoffs and the Mavs are waiting for the playoffs. You never know what Avery will start doing. Dirk and Josh Howard are a little banged up so you don't know for sure if they'll actually suit up against GS. But from last I heard, they should be playing tonight which is a good sign....although for some reason Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse and Erick Dampier are all sitting tonight. Golden State also plays at Sac, at Portland and at home against a Big Ticketless T-Wolves. Realistically they might have a chance at a sweep. But I'm actually hoping the Lakers will come through and make the playoffs.

I feel sorry for SanAntonio who proboally will beat Phoenix, but that Uptempo style will wear them out right before they play Dallas.

To be honest and hopefully I don't sound biased to the Suns, but I think the Spurs won't be able to beat Phoenix. After some injuries, Tim Duncan doesn't seem to be the same anymore, although it could very well be due to the emergence of Manu, Michael and Tony taking some weight off his shoulders. With all that said, he's still a force and arguably the best power forward in the game today. I think the key to the series for Phoenix is that they have homecourt advantage which becomes extremely crucial in a close battle between two titans.

[LuNaR]

i dont think the spurs can beat the suns either. spurs are too inconsistent offensively. although phoenix has like no d, their mass offense will power them thru SA easy. but dallas on the other hand...

[duguxiaojing]

(In addition, the Warriors are playing for the playoffs and the Mavs are waiting for the playoffs. You never know what Avery will start doing. Dirk and Josh Howard are a little banged up so you don't know for sure if they'll actually suit up against GS.)

Err...damn...good point. I dont think Avery Jhonson will play his starters hard now that they have home court wrapped up. I'm still confident that LA will make it...but i'll sleep better after golden state loses a game. They just killing the kings tonight =( up by 19 at the moment.

( don't think you should be relying on Dallas to take a win away from Golden State. The Warriors have had a history of beating Dallas and they proved it again this year even to the extent of snapping the Mavs' long streak earlier this season. )

Haha IIRC, miracle shot by J-rich goin court 2 court =P.

(To be honest and hopefully I don't sound biased to the Suns, but I think the Spurs won't be able to beat Phoenix. After some injuries, Tim Duncan doesn't seem to be the same anymore, although it could very well be due to the emergence of Manu, Michael and Tony taking some weight off his shoulders. With all that said, he's still a force and arguably the best power forward in the game today. I think the key to the series for Phoenix is that they have homecourt advantage which becomes extremely crucial in a close battle between two titans.)


Phoenix is a well oiled offensive machine, but playoff basketball as we all know is a very diffrent temp. IMO San Antonio has all the tools to slow down Phoenix's offense, or at least get the stops when they need to =p. Nash has difficulty guarding quick guards on isolation, and Duncan and Ginobili can pretty much score at will vs Phoenix's D. So controlling the tempo and getting stops is really the key(I know easier said then done =P but SanAntonio has all the tools.)

( dont think the spurs can beat the suns either. spurs are too inconsistent offensively. although phoenix has like no d, their mass offense will power them thru SA easy. but dallas on the other hand... )


hmm..I actually find that the Spurs match up better against Phoenix then Dallas does..just my opinion.

Anyways, West is going to be pretty competitive and exciting this year. Pretty much a matchup to look forward to every round. Plus the teams are all very good, I would not be surprised if Utah pulled an upset off in the second vs Dallas either. They seem to be very well disciplined(credit to Sloan) and well run half court team.

[LuNaR]

there is no way utah can beat rockets. nadda, 0 %

[duguxiaojing]

hmm, it will be a tough first round series, but assuming Utah maintains home court, I say that they take it in 6-7. I'm considering wether or not I should take that bet up with a friend for $40. But im down $170 this year =(...130 lost over 3 bets cus those bastard Raptors played so damn well this year =(.

[douggilmour]

Its not really surprising for the Raptors success. They hired the same guy that built the Nash Suns team to what it is now, Brian Colangelo.

He has a knack for picking european guys like Leandro Barbosa for the suns, and Anthony Parker, Garbajosa, and #1 pick Bargnani.

[LuNaR]

hmm, it will be a tough first round series, but assuming Utah maintains home court, I say that they take it in 6-7. I'm considering wether or not I should take that bet up with a friend for $40. But im down $170 this year =(...130 lost over 3 bets cus those bastard Raptors played so damn well this year =(.

bet on the rockets to win in 5-6, trust me i dont let u down!

[milKBoi]

bet on the rockets to win in 5-6, trust me i dont let u down!

u should up the ante and make it 200 so tat means u win 30$ this yr.

Trust meeH >>> im right

hey whats the worst case scenario aye >> only lose another 200$ but slim chance.


BTW rox have home court adV

[duguxiaojing]

(et on the rockets to win in 5-6, trust me i dont let u down!)

Hahha, thanks but can't do it. My friend is a huge Yao fan..there's no way that he'll give me Houston even if I wanted them. It's Utah or nothing and I think Utah has a very good shot..soo we'll see once the standings are down. He also wants Raptors in the second vs Chicago assuming both go through. If Chicago keeps home court, then I'll definetly take the bet. If not...not too sure, Raptors are definetly less expierenced than the bulls, but they're a very strong home team...


(He has a knack for picking european guys like Leandro Barbosa for the suns, and Anthony Parker, Garbajosa, and #1 pick Bargnani)

Yeah, I think he deserves to be GM of the year again. With the exception of drafting tucker, he has a pretty golden track record with TO. I thought the guy went crazy when he traded villineuve for ford, or when he turned down the O'neal for number 1 pick+villenueve, but the guy is just hitting those trade out the ball park. Even those D-league and european player pick ups have turned out great.

At the beggining of the year I was pretty sure they would not make it, then 2months(?) ago, in their toughest stretch of the season where I was sure that tehy would drop below 500, they won (.700+) percent of their games.

The east was pretty banged up this year(jersey,boston,bucks,heat, ect..). But IMO Raps proboaly would have made the playoffs anyways given the way they are playing.

Re:Mini T-mac

Na, Utah is one game up at the moment, and IIRC they own the tigh breaker(2-1?) vs houston this year.

[wang23]

Nash has difficulty guarding quick guards on isolation, and Duncan and Ginobili can pretty much score at will vs Phoenix's D.

Very true. Nash has troubles against offensive point guards like Baron Davis, Mike Bibby and Tony Parker. The best way to stop him is to tire him out on defense and Parker is definitely a handful. I actually hope San Antonio plays more of Bowen since I think it'd be ideal for Nash to guard him instead of Parker. I think Bell or especially Barbosa matches up well against Mr. Longoria. Although Bruce has a huge size advantage, his post game doesn't strike me as anything spectacular and if the Spurs decide to base their offense on taking advantage of Nash with Bowen down in the low blocks, I'd be more than happy to see that. :d Hopefully Poppy won't play Finley that much as he can definitely assault Nash with his post game.

hmm..I actually find that the Spurs match up better against Phoenix then Dallas does..just my opinion.

I tend to think the same. With the three best teams in the NBA, the Spurs, Suns and Mavs, we basically have a case of rock, scissors and paper. :d The Spurs match up well against the Suns, the Suns match up well against the Mavs and the Mavs match up well against San Antonio. LOL.

Anyways, West is going to be pretty competitive and exciting this year. Pretty much a matchup to look forward to every round. Plus the teams are all very good, I would not be surprised if Utah pulled an upset off in the second vs Dallas either. They seem to be very well disciplined(credit to Sloan) and well run half court team.

Utah's a dangerous team and I think they very well could beat the Suns tonight. I do believe AK47's back. Although his stats deem him none existence, he is still a huge defensive presence on the court. One team I don't want to see make the playoffs is Golden State....their record doesn't nearly reflect how good of a team they actually are. They made a fantastic trade before the deadline that bolstered their team greatly.

[wang23]

(et on the rockets to win in 5-6, trust me i dont let u down!)

Hahha, thanks but can't do it. My friend is a huge Yao fan..there's no way that he'll give me Houston even if I wanted them. It's Utah or nothing and I think Utah has a very good shot..soo we'll see once the standings are down. He also wants Raptors in the second vs Chicago assuming both go through. If Chicago keeps home court, then I'll definetly take the bet. If not...not too sure, Raptors are definetly less expierenced than the bulls, but they're a very strong home team...

I actually think if the Jazz vs. Rockets bet is offered to you, go all in with the Jazz. I too believe Utah will pull it out in 6 as I'm still not sold on Houston having enough offense. I think Wells is out for the season, so he's out of the picture. Mehmet Okur is a great match up for Yao. Okur's arguably the second best shooting big man behind Dirk Nowitzki and will be a handful for Yao to handle. Okur can definitely draw Yao out of the paint which is his comfort zone with his great shooting. If Yao doesn't honor his shot, expect Okur to be dropping bombs all over the court. Next person to worry about, Tracy McGrady. In my honest opinion, if AK47 plays, he can definitely shut down T-Mac. He sizes up extremely well against the 6'8 T-Mac at 6'9. Not to mention Kirilenko's great athleticism and defensive capabilities. I think second year guard Deron Williams definitely has an advantage over Rafer Alston and Boozer will dominate Howard. Derek Fisher's another defensive stopper that can make his share of big shots. Regardless I have honestly yet to see both T-Mac and Yao at their best together. It seems like McGrady struggles shooting most of the time he's playing alongside Yao. They are both great players individually, but I have yet to see their chemistry fluorish into greatness like Drexler and Olajuwon, Kareem and Magic or Shaq and Kobe. I think it'd be a great chance for you to at least draw even with your buddy for the season if not, win some extra cash. But that's just my own $0.02 and is definitely not worth much.

[LuNaR]

yao vs okur
both can shoot outside shot, but honestly (no biased involve) yao > okur, shooting and defensively wise. yao also set up the pick and roll, okur rarely does that. yao wins

deron vs alston
deron is definitely better, he makes his team better and gives out tone of assist. alston dose the same, but shoot low %, but alston gets hot like once every 6 games and he can shoot the 3. but still deron wins.

boozer vs chuck hayes
boozer wins

mcgrady vs derek fisher
no contest here. mcgrady wins

battier vs harspring
i honestly think battier is better than harspring. har can shoot the perimeter shots, but battier can shoot the 3. and battier is such a better defensive player. battier win

rocket bench vs utah bench
utah got ak47 and mishap, but thats about it. and ak47 is big time overrated too. hes not as dominant as before. all he does is get a few block shots here and there. houston bench got mutombo (great big man for rebounds + block), howard (old veteran, former franchise player), and luteran head (very good 3 point shooter). so im going with rocket bench

so in the end, rocket > jazz

[duguxiaojing]

I actually think if the Jazz vs. Rockets bet is offered to you, go all in with the Jazz. I too believe Utah will pull it out in 6 as I'm still not sold on Houston having enough offense. )

haha, i'm definetly considering it. Unfotuanatley im still in school and only working part time..I can't afford to lost any more money =p, especially since I have a bet against another friend on the Mayweather vs Delahoya fight.(It might have been stupid but I have 50 against Mayweather...his mouth absolutly irratates the ish out of me =().
Mini T-mac was correct in his last post in that Houston would have homecourt...my bad, Utah has better seeding because they are #1 in their division, but Houston would have homecourt because of their rec.. I may just wait till the dust clears before going in.

( I do believe AK47's back. Although his stats deem him none existence, he is still a huge defensive presence on the court)

hmm...what happened to kerilinko? IIRC, last season or the season before he was very close to reaching all star status, at one point he was even leading the L in both blocks and steals. Then he got injured came back and even though Jazz are winning I haven't heard anything about him.


Oh, and what's your take on Chicago vs Toronto if Raps have home court Wang?


(both can shoot outside shot, but honestly (no biased involve) yao > okur, shooting and defensively wise. yao also set up the pick and roll, okur rarely does that. yao wins)

Okur can shoot 3's, Yao isn't exactly a thread from the outside =p. I will agree with you that Yao is a more capable scorer though, but not neccessarily because of his range. As for pick and rolls go, I haven't watched enough of the Jazz to comment, but that's Sloan's bread and butter. But i'm assuming that it's usually run through williams and boozer?

(no contest here. mcgrady wins)

I wonder if they will keep fisher in the starting line up vs Mcgrady...maybe it would be more beneficial to throw a kirelinko against him. Although it would take a team effort to stop Mcgrady, Kirelnko's reach would at least slow him down somewhat.

(battier vs harspring)

Whoa, i'll have to admit that Battier definetly has improved...somewhere along the line he became an elite defender, definetly a contender this year for all-defensive team and D-player of the year award. As one writer put it who else can stop D-Wade for a whole month hahahah=p.

(utah got ak47 and mishap, but thats about it. and ak47 is big time overrated too. hes not as dominant as before. all he does is get a few block shots here and there. houston bench got mutombo (great big man for rebounds + block), howard (old veteran, former franchise player), and luteran head (very good 3 point shooter). so im going with rocket bench)

Like I said before, I havent seen enough of the Jazz to comment. But I think it'll come down to wether Houston can score enough against the Jazz.

I just checked their schedules and they'll play each other wednesday. It'll be interesting to see how they matchup!!

[LuNaR]

fisher vs mcgrady actually isnt that bad. fisher is a pretty good defender imo.

ak47 probably wunt even play, hes injured.

and for okur, hes just like yao ming on the boards, but even worst.

and doooooo noooooooot gooooooooo alllllllllll innnnn wiiiithhhh theeeeeee jazzzzz
, uuuuuuu willllllll regreeeeeet itttttttttt.

[duguxiaojing]

(fisher vs mcgrady actually isnt that bad. fisher is a pretty good defender imo.)

Ya, I used to be a big fisher fan back when he was in LA. One of the best guys for taking charges, spot on 3 point shooter. He seemed to have peaked in that series vs Philly in the finals...he was unconcious from the 3 and everyone thought he would become their legitimate 3rd man...but it never came to be.
Anyways, Tmac is may be too tall for Fisher(5'12-6'0).


Kirilenko should be back by playoffs from what I read.

(and doooooo noooooooot gooooooooo alllllllllll innnnn wiiiithhhh theeeeeee jazzzzz, uuuuuuu willllllll regreeeeeet itttttttttt.)

LOL. Your extreme confidence in Houston plus Utah's subpar performance of late(minus yesterday's big win) is scaring me away from the bet =P.

[wang23]

hmm...what happened to kerilinko? IIRC, last season or the season before he was very close to reaching all star status, at one point he was even leading the L in both blocks and steals. Then he got injured came back and even though Jazz are winning I haven't heard anything about him.

Kirilenko's been rumored to be on his way out a couple times this year. He claims that he's not getting the ball enough and recently he's been sidelined with a fractured thumb. He's expected to play on Monday though so he should be ready for the playoffs.

Oh, and what's your take on Chicago vs Toronto if Raps have home court Wang?

Honestly, this is a close match up that could go any way. As far as which team has more talent, I think I have more faith in Chicago. But the only problem is a signicant member of the Bulls in Andres Nocioni just came back from an injury and hasn't played in months. If Nocioni recovers enough to be effective, I like the Bulls to win. The last game in Air Canada Centre saw the Raps walk all over Chicago, but I don't think that's a reasonable indication of how close the match up will be.

Okur can shoot 3's, Yao isn't exactly a thread from the outside =p. I will agree
with you that Yao is a more capable scorer though, but not neccessarily because of his range. As for pick and rolls go, I haven't watched enough of the Jazz to comment, but that's Sloan's bread and butter. But i'm assuming that it's usually run through williams and boozer?

I think Okur's ability to shoot the 3 ball is definitely one of his biggest assets. By spotting up beyond the arc, Yao has to honor his shot and thus drawing him out of the paint. It'll make the drive to the basket a much safer one and Carlos Boozer's offensive rebounding task somewhat easier. I also believe Yao will be experiencing difficulties if Okur plays him face up on the perimeter. Not only can Okur shoot the long ball, I think Okur can drive on Ming.

I like match up comparisons too, but at the end I think we shouldn't underestimate team play and chemistry. I just haven't seen T-Mac play well with Yao that often. I still remember drafting McGrady in fantasy and I held onto him for the longest of time but he still struggled. I finally traded him and Yao goes out with an injury and he becomes his old self again. If we go by match ups, Team USA should not have lost to teams like Spain in baskeball. Utah's struggling at the moment, but when healthy I think they function extremely well as a team.