mcornelio
04-24-2006, 08:22 AM
TWENTY NBA PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS:
Deseret Morning News, Sunday, April 23, 2006
http://deseretnews.com/logos/l_jorg.jpg
1. Kobe Bryant will average 37 against the Suns. Not 37 points — 37 percent shooting on 37 shots per game.
2. Kobe will hit a game-winning shot against the Suns. But he'll also miss two game-winners and the Suns will win in six.
3. Sacramento will be no challenge to the Spurs. And the fresh-swept Kings will wish they had let the Jazz catch them for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference.
4. Memphis will actually win a playoff game. But it won't nearly be enough. The Mavericks will advance in five games.
5. The Clippers will prove they did the right thing by losing to Memphis in the last week of the regular season in order to be the No. 6 seed against the Nuggets instead of the No. 5 seed against the Mavs. In the best series of the first round, Los Angeles will edge Denver in seven games.
6. The Pistons will get a wake-up call in the first round. They've been on cruise control since the All-Star break after lapping the rest of the Eastern Conference field. Milwaukee will win a game, but the Bucks will stop there. Detroit in five.
7. Shaquille O'Neal will Ostertag-slap the Bulls back to reality. Chicago ended the season by winning 12 of 14 games. The young Bulls actually think they can compete with the best. Miami will sweep.
8. The Pacers will play better than a 41-41 team. Indiana was injury-plagued all season. The cancer that was Ron Artest was successfully treated, but the Pacers were still mediocre. They are playoff tested, but the Nets will take advantage of the home-court and win in seven.
9. LeBron James will show why he's the best do-everything player since Magic Johnson. His triple-double in his first playoff game will just be a start. King James will lead the Cavs to the second round over the Wizards in just five games.
10. The Western Conference Finals will be played in the second round, when the West's two best teams — the Spurs and Mavs — play in the conference semifinals. Whichever team survives will be the overwhelming favorite to win the conference title.
11. The Mavs will pull the shocker. Dirk Nowitzki and Co. will down the defending champs in six games. All of Argentina will be sad for native son Manu Ginobili. But don't cry for Tony Parker, Argentina. San Antonio's point guard will have even more time to spend with Eva Longoria after the Spurs are eliminated from the playoffs.
12. Despite the foregone conclusion that the Mavs/Spurs series will be for the Western Conference title, the league will insist that the Clippers and Suns play their second-round series. The Suns will, of course, win. The Clippers can't possibly win two series, can they? They are still the Clippers, right?
13. The Pistons will play the role of the old Celtics, while LeBron will learn all about playoff basketball (while losing) like Michael Jordan did early in his career. James will lead the Cavs to one victory, but Detroit's teamwork will be far too much.
14. Dwyane Wade's star will continue to rise. The Heat certainly will be tested by the Nets, but will survive in six games to set up a rematch of last season's classic Eastern Conference Finals.
15. Reports of the Western Conference Finals being played in the second round will be proven to be untrue. The beat-up Mavs will have exerted so much energy to beat the Spurs that the run-and-gun Suns will win the Western Conference Finals in six games.
16. Shaq, after a season of inconsistency, will become remarkably consistent. The one-two tandem of O'Neal and Wade will push the incredible starting five of the Pistons to the limit — and then some. The Heat will upset the two-time defending Eastern Conference champs in seven hard-fought games.
17. Flip Saunders, who took over the Pistons from Larry Brown, will be labeled the goat. Critics will bring up his many seasons of playoff failures as the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
18. The Suns vs. the Heat matchup in the Finals will cause headline writers across America to think they are clever by pointing out that both teams have "hot" nicknames. Example: Fiery Suns burn Heat
19. Who needs Kobe? Especially when you have Dwyane. Shaq-led Miami will win the NBA title in six games.
20. At least a dozen of these predictions will be dead wrong.
Please, I'm begging you, don't take the rent money out to Wendover with this information.
LINK (http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635201903,00.html)
Deseret Morning News, Sunday, April 23, 2006
http://deseretnews.com/logos/l_jorg.jpg
1. Kobe Bryant will average 37 against the Suns. Not 37 points — 37 percent shooting on 37 shots per game.
2. Kobe will hit a game-winning shot against the Suns. But he'll also miss two game-winners and the Suns will win in six.
3. Sacramento will be no challenge to the Spurs. And the fresh-swept Kings will wish they had let the Jazz catch them for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference.
4. Memphis will actually win a playoff game. But it won't nearly be enough. The Mavericks will advance in five games.
5. The Clippers will prove they did the right thing by losing to Memphis in the last week of the regular season in order to be the No. 6 seed against the Nuggets instead of the No. 5 seed against the Mavs. In the best series of the first round, Los Angeles will edge Denver in seven games.
6. The Pistons will get a wake-up call in the first round. They've been on cruise control since the All-Star break after lapping the rest of the Eastern Conference field. Milwaukee will win a game, but the Bucks will stop there. Detroit in five.
7. Shaquille O'Neal will Ostertag-slap the Bulls back to reality. Chicago ended the season by winning 12 of 14 games. The young Bulls actually think they can compete with the best. Miami will sweep.
8. The Pacers will play better than a 41-41 team. Indiana was injury-plagued all season. The cancer that was Ron Artest was successfully treated, but the Pacers were still mediocre. They are playoff tested, but the Nets will take advantage of the home-court and win in seven.
9. LeBron James will show why he's the best do-everything player since Magic Johnson. His triple-double in his first playoff game will just be a start. King James will lead the Cavs to the second round over the Wizards in just five games.
10. The Western Conference Finals will be played in the second round, when the West's two best teams — the Spurs and Mavs — play in the conference semifinals. Whichever team survives will be the overwhelming favorite to win the conference title.
11. The Mavs will pull the shocker. Dirk Nowitzki and Co. will down the defending champs in six games. All of Argentina will be sad for native son Manu Ginobili. But don't cry for Tony Parker, Argentina. San Antonio's point guard will have even more time to spend with Eva Longoria after the Spurs are eliminated from the playoffs.
12. Despite the foregone conclusion that the Mavs/Spurs series will be for the Western Conference title, the league will insist that the Clippers and Suns play their second-round series. The Suns will, of course, win. The Clippers can't possibly win two series, can they? They are still the Clippers, right?
13. The Pistons will play the role of the old Celtics, while LeBron will learn all about playoff basketball (while losing) like Michael Jordan did early in his career. James will lead the Cavs to one victory, but Detroit's teamwork will be far too much.
14. Dwyane Wade's star will continue to rise. The Heat certainly will be tested by the Nets, but will survive in six games to set up a rematch of last season's classic Eastern Conference Finals.
15. Reports of the Western Conference Finals being played in the second round will be proven to be untrue. The beat-up Mavs will have exerted so much energy to beat the Spurs that the run-and-gun Suns will win the Western Conference Finals in six games.
16. Shaq, after a season of inconsistency, will become remarkably consistent. The one-two tandem of O'Neal and Wade will push the incredible starting five of the Pistons to the limit — and then some. The Heat will upset the two-time defending Eastern Conference champs in seven hard-fought games.
17. Flip Saunders, who took over the Pistons from Larry Brown, will be labeled the goat. Critics will bring up his many seasons of playoff failures as the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
18. The Suns vs. the Heat matchup in the Finals will cause headline writers across America to think they are clever by pointing out that both teams have "hot" nicknames. Example: Fiery Suns burn Heat
19. Who needs Kobe? Especially when you have Dwyane. Shaq-led Miami will win the NBA title in six games.
20. At least a dozen of these predictions will be dead wrong.
Please, I'm begging you, don't take the rent money out to Wendover with this information.
LINK (http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635201903,00.html)