NBA First Month Thoughts

About a month of the NBA season has already gone by. The typical powerhouses are around the top of the league, with a few surprises. I am going to touch on a few that I like or didn't see coming.

LA Clippers: The LA Clippers have the best record in the NBA as of right now at 10:00 AM on 11/18/2016. Now that's really not a big deal, being that it's so early in the season, but maybe we are seeing the Clippers finally putting the pieces together to make it to the WCF. I bet is that they'll slip on and choke in the playoffs as they normally do. I would love to see them knock of the Spurs or Warriors, but I won't give them the benefit of the doubt until they do.

Golden State Warriors: After their embarrassing loss to the Spurs on opening night, the Warriors are right where they left off last season, dominating. They are currently on a 5 game winning streak and play the Boston Celtics tonight, the team that ended their 54-game regular season home winning streak. That was last year, but don't think the Warriors core hasn't forgot about that loss. I think it will be a close one tonight in Boston.

One thing I wanted to touch on was the drop in PPG by Klay Thompson. Everybody knew that with the signing of KD, somebody would be losing some touches/shots per game. I think it's most noticeably Klay Thompson. Yes, it's early in the season, but he is currently averaging 18.5. Last year he averaged 22.1. I had a discussion with my basketball minded friend Erik Sandberg (@Esands6) regarding what possibilities GS could do with Klay and KD. One scenario was to sign KD long term and trade Klay Thompson for some solid defenders and role player that would make an immediate impact. I don't think that is too improbable, but probably won't happen.

James Harden moving to point guard might be the best move a coach has ever made for his usage. He already has 3 triple-doubles this season. Although his defense hasn't seemed to improve, his offensive play and mindset has the Rockets poised to return to the playoffs after missing them last year.

LA Lakers: Similar to the Clippers, but in a different position, both are starting off really well and are surprising everyone with their success thus far. Like the Clippers, they will have to prove they are legit before anybody even considers them a threat, but as of now, they look like they could be on the edge of a #8 seed. I personally don't think they can sustain this success and make the playoffs, but I love how the young players like Russell and Julius Randle are playing.

As for the East:

The Cavs look like they will be the #1 seed at the end of the year. The Hawks seem like they built the perfect nest for Dwight Howard to flourish. They are currently tied for the best record in the East. The Hornets have to be the biggest surprise with their early success. Kemba is really becoming a superstar that can control the game. I hope they continue to win and be a top 5 seed in the playoffs. The "super-team" Knicks are a laughing stock right now. It seems KP is coming around and starting to score more. The Celtics' struggles are disappointing. Obviously it's early, but I for sure thought they would end up as Top 4 seed. Lastly, DeMar DeRozan is on Jordan like scoring terror.

Those are just some of my thoughts at this point in the season. I'm always up for discussion. Tweet me @jpsweets and @basketballguy61 and make sure to like my Facebook page Basketball Guy JP.

NBA Friday Night on ESPN 10/28/2016

NBA Friday Night on ESPN

This Friday night, ESPN will be broadcasting 2 very intriguing games between 4 very exciting teams. First, the Cavs head to Toronto to have a rematch of last year's ECF. This will be the better of the two games in my opinion. Both teams had strong opening night performance, which is why I think this game is going to come down to the wire. The Raptors are looking for revenge from last season and the Cavs look like they are still in championship mode. I'll take the Cavs in a close battle tonight.

The 2nd match-up in the double-header is between the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans. The Warriors are coming off one of the most embarrassing opening night losses that I can remember, compounded by Kevin Durant's season debut. On the other side, we were blessed with the return of a healthy, improved, and dominant Anthony Davis, who put up 50, points, 16 rebounds, 7 steals, 5 assists, and 4 blocks, but some how the Pelicans lost the game to the Denver Nuggets. My prediction is that AD will have another big game. Probably not 50 again, but I'm thinking a double-double finishing with 30+ and 12 rebounds. The real pressure will be on the Warriors to bounce back and I believe they will. I expect Curry, Thompson, and Durant to all hit over 20 points, with one of them going for close to 40. The real difference will be their defense. I see this game turning into a blowout, Warriors win by 15+.

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2016-17 NBA Season Predictions

PLAYOFF PREDICTION

Regular Season MVP: Kawhi Leonard

Western Conference Playoffs

1. Golden State Warriors

2. San Antonio Spurs

3. Los Angeles Clippers

4. Portland Trail Blazers

5. Oklahoma City Thunder

6. Dallas Mavericks

7. Utah Jazz

8. Memphis Grizzlies

Eastern Conference Playoffs
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Toronto Raptors
3. Boston Celtics
4. Indiana Pacers
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Washington Wizards
7. Chicago Bulls
8. Atlanta Hawks

Western Conference Playoffs Round 2
Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers: GS wins 4-1
San Antonio Spurs vs Los Angeles Clippers: SA Wins 4-2

Eastern Conference Playoffs Round 2
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers: CLE wins 4-2
Toronto Raptors vs  Boston Celtics: BOS wins 4-3

Western Conference Finals
Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs: SA wins 4-3

Eastern Conference Finals

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics: CLE wins 4-2

NBA Finals

Cleveland Cavaliers vs San Antonio Spurs: CLE wins 4-3

Cleveland Cavaliers repeat as NBA Champions 

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NFL Week 2 Predictions

NFL Week 2 Predictions

Away Team	Home Team	My Pick
New York Jets	Buffalo Bills	Bills
Baltimore Ravens	Cleveland Browns	Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals	Pittsburgh Steelers	Steelers
Dallas Cowboys	Washington Redskins	Redskins
Kansas City Chiefs	Houston Texans	Chiefs
Miami Dolphins	New England Patriots	Pats
New Orleans Saints	New York Giants	Giants
San Francisco 49ers	Carolina Panthers	Panthers
Tennessee Titans	Detroit Lions	Lions
Seattle Seahawks	Los Angeles Rams	Seahawks
Tampa Bay Bucs	Arizona Cardinals	Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons	Oakland Raiders	Raiders
Indianapolis Colts	Denver Broncos	Broncos
Jacksonville Jaguars	San Diego Chargers	Chargers
Green Bay Packers	Minnesota Vikings	Packers
Philadelphia Eagles	Chicago Bears	Bears

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings

By far the best game of the week is Sunday Night Football's match-up between the Vikings and Packers. Last year, Green Bay absolutely crushed the Vikings, even with all the momentum the Vikings had. This year's Vikings team is better than last, but now they have the handicap of missing their starting QB, Teddy Bridgewater. Meanwhile, Green Bay looks full strength, including the return of Jordy Nelson and a healthy Aaron Rodgers. Of course my heart wants the Vikings to win and there would't be too many things sweeter than beating your arch rival in the inaugural regular season home opener at US Bank Stadium, but I'm a realist and think Green Bay will spoil Minnesota's night. The adrenaline and crowd will be able to keep the Vikings in for most of the game, but Rodgers and the Packers will seal the deal. Packers spoil the night 24-17.

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2016-2017 NFL SEASON PREDICTIONS

2016-2017 NFL SEASON PREDICTIONS

MVP

Aaron Rodgers

NFC Playoffs

1. Seattle Seahawks

2. Green Bay Packers

3. Carolina Panthers

4. New York Giants

5. Arizona Cardinals

6. Minnesota Vikings

AFC Playoffs

1. New England Patriots

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

3. Indianapolis Colts

4. Kansas City Chiefs

5. Cincinnati Bengals

6. Houston Texans

Wild Card Playoff

Carolina Panthers vs Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants vs Arizona Cardinals

Cincinnati Bengals vs Kansas City Chiefs

Indianapolis Colts vs Houston Texans

Divisional Round

NFC

#1. Seattle Seahawks vs #5. Arizona Cardinals

#2. Green Bay Packers vs #3. Carolina Panthers

AFC

#1. New England Patriots vs #5. Cincinnati Bengals

#2. Pittsburgh Steelers vs #3. Indianapolis Colts

NFC Championship

Seattle Seahawks vs Green Bay Packers

AFC Championship

New England Patriots vs Pittsburgh Steelers 

SUPER BOWL

New England Patriots vs Green Bay Packers

SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS

New England Patriots

My Week 1 Predictions

Week	Away Team	Home Team	My Pick
1	Carolina Panthers	Denver Broncos	Panthers
	Buffalo Bills	Baltimore Ravens	Ravens
	Chicago Bears	Houston Texans	Texans
	Cincinnati Bengals	New York Jets	Jets
	Cleveland Browns	Philadelphia Eagles	Eagles
	Green Bay Packers	Jacksonville Jaguars	Packers
	Minnesota Vikings	Tennessee Titans	Vikings
	Oakland Raiders	New Orleans Saints	Saints
	San Diego Chargers	Kansas City Chiefs	Chiefs
	Tampa Bay	Atlanta Falcons	Falcons
	Miami Dolphins	Seattle Seahawks	Seahawks
	Detroit Lions	Indianapolis Colts	Colts
	New York Giants	Dallas Cowboys	Giants
	New England	Arizona Cardinals	Cardinals
	Pittsburgh Steelers	Washington Redskins	Steelers
	Los Angeles Rams	San Francisco 49ers	49ers

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NBA Finals - Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors Game 6

NBA Finals - Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors Game 6

Could tonight be the last night of the NBA season or will LeBron and the Cavs stay alive? Either or, tonight will hopefully be as entertaining of game as Game 5 was. The Cavaliers played with a sense of urgency that had been missing all series. I guess when your season is on the line, there might be a little more fire in one's chest. The Cavs should have that same drive tonight, but using that kind of effort in Game 5 could have some fatigue effects in Game 6.

As I noted in my original NBA Finals preview, Kyrie Irving's rise in level of play will be a huge factor for the Cavs' success, he is truly showing he is a premier PG in the NBA and giving Steph Curry a run for his money. Kyrie's performance in Game 5 is exactly what they needed in that game. Now, I'm not saying he's going to score 40+ again, but if he can just have a slightly above average game, say maybe score 25 or more, while LeBron has near 30, the Cavs' chances of winning grow exponentially. Which brings me to my next topic...Kevin Love.

Kevin Love had a miserable offensive night in Game 5 scoring only 2 points in 33 minutes. He was nearly a non-factor, but he was second on the team, only to Kyrie in +/- of +18. This is why I don't always like the +/- stat. It's deceiving sometimes. In Game 6, Kevin Love should and needs to have a better game. The fact that the game is in Cleveland should boost his confidence somewhat. If he can step up in a way Kyrie did last game, the Cavs will win this game.

The Return of Draymond Green; this has to be the biggest story line of the night. Green and Warrior "fans" claiming they would have won if he'd played. It's all gibberish talk. With the game Kyrie and LeBron had, the Cavs weren't going to lose even if Green had played. Yes, Draymond will have an immediate impact on the game, but his presence alone is not going to be the reason why the Warriors win or lose. The Warriors lost because of their lack of defense and poor bench performance. I could see Speights getting some more playtime tonight due to Andrew Bogut being out and his offensive attributes. A few other things I want to mention with the return of Green and Andrew Bogut being out. This will totally switch up their rotation. The Warriors "DEATH" line-up will be playing even more minutes than usual tonight, due to Bogut being out.

Klay Thompson and Steph Curry

Thompson had an outstanding offensive night, almost as well as Kyrie Irving, but if you look in the box score, he had the worst +/- posting a -21. That is a direct correlation in his defensive ability. I get so frustrated when I hear somebody call him "an elite defender." You don't just go from horrible one on one defender to elite defender in 1 season. Some may think I'm totally wrong about Klay, but I will wait to hear and better yet see a counter argument. As for Steph Curry, once again he looked average having a below par shooting night, after having his huge 38 point game in Game 4, he was over-shadowed by Kyrie's 41 points in Game 5. He has only played like the MVP once in this series. I think he will have another average night again tonight and wait to explode for Game 7.

Cavs win tonight and keep the series alive because LeBron will have another near triple double, Kyrie will have an average game, Kevin Love, JR Smith and the bench will be the difference. My special stat to watch is the number of 3's JR Smith makes. 5 or more and the Cavs win. For the Warriors, I think Klay will have a bad game, Steph will start hot and cool off, and my X factor for the Warriors tonight is Iggy and Livingston. Both need bounce back games. Cavs still win in a very tight game.

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NBA Finals 2016 - Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors - Game 5

NBA Finals - Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors Game 5

Game 4 was the most competitive, down to the last minute game so far in the series, 11 points was the margin of victory for the Warriors, but it was by far the most compelling game to watch thus far. The Cavs had so many missed defensive assignments that were compounded by Steph Curry finally showing up and having a memorable performance, finishing with 38 points. Curry played like the MVP, while his counterpart Klay Thompson came to play as well finishing with 25 points.

As for the Cavs, LeBron had a near triple-double finishing with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists, but those 25 points and near triple-double are misleading in my opinion. He did have 11 points in the 4th quarter, but 6 of the points were scored on nearly uncontested layups with under a minute left, otherwise known as "padding one's stats," while the Cavs were exchanging layups for near automatic free-throws by Curry and Thompson. On top of his misleading stat-line, LeBron had 7 TO because of careless passes and his reluctant aggressiveness. Kyrie Irving had a big game, scoring 34 points, but that was overshadowed by Curry's 38. So besides James and Irving, the Cavs were pretty flat offensively, especially in the second half.

What's next? Game 5 in Oakland at Oracle Arena on Monday night. Will the Warriors close out the series and become back to back NBA Champions or will the Cavs stay on life support for another game? My gut says it's over on Monday, but the LeBron die hard in me hopes for the latter. I guess all we can do is watch. I hope the LeBron of Game 5 vs Detroit in 2007 comes out to play, but who knows.

Now with the suspension of Draymond Green, I believe Cleveland's chances of winning improve dramatically, mostly because of Green's versatility and his ability to defend LeBron. Yes, Iguodala is very capable of guarding LeBron and fulfilling Green's spot, but his absence will not only affect Golden State's substitutions, but their defensive capabilities. I expect this game to be a lot closer now that Green is out and maybe LeBron explodes for a huge game.

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NBA Finals 2016 - Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors - Game 2

NBA Finals - Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors Game 2

Game 1 was not quite what everyone was expecting. Lebron was Lebron, but the other showcased stars of the match-up were not themselves, including the MVP Steph Curry. 11 points for Curry was not quite the Curry we're used to, but he was the reason for many wide open layups/dunks that his teammates were the recipients of, most noticeably that Draymond Green dunk when Lebron and Shumpert messed up and doubled Curry instead of switching. So yes, he had a pretty awful offensive game, but his presence was felt and effected the game. Curry and Thompson's struggles did seem to spark the Golden State bench to compensate for their struggles by outscoring the Cleveland bench 45-10. Shaun Livingston stole the show and as of now is the leading candidate for Finals MVP. Now it it's pretty improbable that he will have another performance like that, but he will most definitely play a huge role in the series, especially when Curry is resting.

As for Cleveland, their bench was invisible and downright horrible. Curry's kryptonite last year, Matthew Dellavedova, was awful and looked scared. He posted a team worst +/- of -19 and didn't help the Cavs at all. I expect him to have a better series after getting those Game 1 jitters out. A lot of people are asking "what happened to JR Smith?" He did have an awful offensive game, but that may have correlation to his outstanding defense on Klay Thompson. It will only be a matter of time before he goes off for 5+ 3's in a game. One last note: When James went out with 34.1 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Cleveland trailed 71-68. When he returned 2:23 into the 4th, the Cavs trailed 84-70.

My Game 2 Prediction

This is a must win game for Cleveland. Going down 2-0 will be nearly impossible to comeback from. I think Cleveland's bench will out play Golden State's or at least be near even. Yes, I do think one of the Splash Brothers will have a big bounce back game, my guess is Steph, but Kyrie and K-Love will also have much better games, leading to the X-Factor of JR Smith and Cleveland's bench against Golden State's role players and bench. Besides those factors, LeBron is undefeated since 2009 in Game 2 after a Game 1 loss. So if history repeats itself, which I think it will, Cleveland will be heading home with the series tied 1-1 like I thought it would be.

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NBA Finals 2016 - Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors

NBA Finals - Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors Rematch

It's Christmas in June for NBA fans around the world. Tonight kicks off the final playoff series of the NBA season and will end with the crowning of a champion. Review last year's prediction and results made this year's prediction seem clearer. Before I begin my breakdown, I want to comment on each team's path to the NBA Finals. 

Cleveland had a much shorter path, but they were still tested (See John Schuhmann tweet). From the outside, it does seem like the Cavs had a cakewalk to the Finals due to the Eastern Conference being perceived as weak, but I would beg to differ and say the East was much better than it was last year and the #8 seed was six games above .500 unlike the Western Conference, where the #8 seed was .500.

As for Golden State, earning the #1 seed by owning the best regular season record in NBA History is pretty cool to witness. To say the least, they had an amazing season, even though my Timberpups beat them in Golden State. *Proud T-Wolves fan* Besides those 9 losses, Steph Curry was even better than he was last year, which is pretty crazy to think about, considering he broke the 3 point record last year that was held by nobody else besides himself. So he broke his own record, last year to break his old record this year, not by a little, but by 116 more made 3's or 348 more points to his points scored. That's an extra 4.41 additional PPG by 3's. Get the picture. His unanimous MVP voting results really seems as obvious as the outcome. As for the playoffs, the Warriors have gone through a bit of adversity. Losing Steph for a few games in rounds 1 and 2, to being down 3-1 against an OKC team that just knocked off arguably the best Spurs team ever. Their run has been something special.

Now to my analysis of how the series will play out. The Cavs have played 14 games to the Warriors 17. Steph has been injured and missed some games, while the Cavs roster looks very healthy. Cleveland swept 2 series and got ample rest. Golden State just finished a brutal 7 game series. Just these few statements makes it clear that the Cavs are in good position to win the series. Here are my reasons to why the Cavs will be crowned champs.

1) Last year was like everyone on the team meeting each other for the first time. It takes time to gel and play at max potential. With one full year of playing together and most importantly every player healthy, the Cavs are in much better position to win than they were compared to last year's NBA Finals.

2) Statistically, the Cavs are #2 to the Golden State in PPG this Post-season, while they lead the post-season in point differential. They are #1 in 3PM while GS is #2. GS has a slight edge in rebounding and APG, but the Cavs are giving up 10 points less than the Warriors. Read this if you like in-depth stats NBA Finals Statistical Preview.

3) I talked about health and team chemistry in reason 1, but to add to that, I think Kyrie has taken a huge step in these playoffs. His offensive dominance has taken a load off a LeBron's shoulders and allowed their whole team to succeed. His NBA Finals debut got shut down early last time because of injury, so I expect him to have extra motivation and show he can stick with Curry.

4) LeBron James: do I need to say more? 6 straight finals. That's ridiculous and unprecedented besides the Boston Celtics. Here is a graphic of his performance last year, those are video game numbers. Though he won't have near those numbers, he will have teammates to help him.

Now, do I think Golden State can win? Of course. There are plenty of reasons to why they can, could, and should win, but I think the Cavs are ready for them.

Game by game prediction:

Game 1: Cleveland

Game 2: Golden State

Game 3: Cleveland

Game 4: Golden State

Game 5: Cleveland

Game 6: Cleveland

Cavs in 6. Lebron gets ring #3 and Finals MVP.

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NBA Playoffs 2016 Conference Finals

Western Conference Finals

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Golden State Warriors

Although I was very shocked the Thunder beat the Spurs, the Thunder are playing their best basketball and have a legitimate chance to beat the Warriors. After giving up a dozen fourth quarter leads during the regular season, the Thunder were the complete opposite against the Spurs, closing out every game with great defense against the most potent offense in the NBA. Their series win was especially impressive after their Game 1 blowout vs San Antonio. After that game, I thought the Spurs were going to blow by the Thunder maybe losing a game in OKC, but then walk into the Western Conference Finals to face-off with the Warriors. Much like the Trailblazers, the Thunder were written off by just about everyone. Bill Simmons had one of most popular tweets after the game (Coach Simmons?) questioning Billy Donovan's coaching. To Bill's point, I think most people were questioning the Thunder and their effort. They bounced back after Game 1, by stealing Game 2, and the same after Game 3, with a Game 4 win. If the Thunder can steal one of two at Golden State, I think they can make this into a seven game series. I won't say they will win Game 7 at Oracle, but I think they belong in it. I am going to take the Warriors in 6, which means the Thunder will steal one, but also lose on their home court. There is just no way I can bet against a Warriors team with a decently health Curry, playing in all games.




Eastern Conference Finals

Toronto Raptors vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Congrats to the Toronto Raptors on advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. It is such an accomplishment for that franchise. Unfortunately, they have to face the smoking hot, undefeated in this post-season, Cleveland Cavaliers on 1 day of rest. There is always the argument that they will keep the momentum from the last series and the Cavs will be rusty, but I think rest is very important, especially playing in back-to-back seven game series. The Raptors have played almost twice as many games as the Cavs (14-8). Besides the fatigue, the Cavs have been playing unstoppable with their 3 point shooting, which is never something a team should rely on, but if it works and wins games, then keep doing it. The Raptors offense is in no way able to keep up with the Cavs' offense, so their best bet is to grind them out and beat them up inside, because when the Cavs go "small" I think the Raptors are going to be in serious trouble of allowing big runs. 2-3 three pointers and an easy bucket in a row is all the Cavs need to open up the flood gates. Before the playoffs started I picked the Cavs over the Raptors in 6, but with how the playoffs have played out and how the Cavs have been playing, I'm taking Cleveland in 5 to advance to the NBA Finals again to face the Golden State Warriors.

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NBA Playoffs 2016 2nd Round

Western Conference Semis

Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs

This series could turn into a classic. Both teams looked great in their first round series, although I would say the Spurs played better and didn't have any bad games, while OKC had that one blunder in Game 2. The teams split their regular season series 2 wins a piece, the home team winning each time. I think the Thunder are very capable of winning in the nearly impossible AT & T Center, but I don't think they will. If the Thunder can steal one game on the road, I think they have a chance. Spurs win 4-1. Mental toughness will come into play in this series.

Portland Trail Blazers vs Golden State Warriors

The whole Blazers team has the Lillard mindset now and I love it. As Birdman would say "put some respek on my name." Seems like Lillard and the Blazers have been yelling this to the media all year, now it's time they should. The Blazers have earned my respect, but I don't think they can pull of the upset even with Curry questionable to return. The Warriors are deeper and can win without Curry in this series. I think the Blazers will keep the series competitive and even win a game at the Moda Center, but the Warriors shouldn't have a problem. If the series is tied after Game 4 and Curry has yet to play, I think he would return for Game 5 and finish off the series. Warriors win 4-1 and go on to play the Spurs in what could be the best Western Conference Finals in the last 10 years.

Eastern Conference Semis

Atlanta Hawks vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Props to the Hawks for finishing off the Celtics and not allowing the upset I called, but they have their hands full with the Cavs. The Cavs have looked like the best team in the playoffs so far after sweeping the Pistons, in a series that many people thought the Pistons could win at least 2 games. I didn't think that though. Lets hope for the Hawks sake, they play better than they did in last years's ECF, where they were swept and looked terrible. I can't see the Hawks getting swept again, but they are nowhere close to beating the Cavs in a series. The series against Detroit showed a lot of maturity from Irving as well. I was highly impressed that he lead the team in scoring and I think that is a great strategy for the Cavs to succeed. Have LeBron get Love and Irving points rather than each of them going one on one in isolation plays. Cavs win 4-1.

Miami Heat/Charlotte Hornets vs Indiana Pacers/Toronto Raptors

What a treat! Two game 7s on the same day. Regardless of who wins, the underdogs (Charlotte & Indiana) have been great. Unfortunately, I think the higher seeds will win in both series, but who knows, that's why they play the game and we write about it. My biggest concern is the Toronto Raptors. Are they going to fold again? I honestly thought they were over the hump after their great regular season, but Lowry and DeRozan can't buy a shot and haven't played well at all. The reason I think the Raptors will win is because Demarre Carroll will be the difference and one or both Lowry and DeRozan will actually have a good game and of course because Views came out on Friday and Drake will be hyping them up.

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NBA Playoffs 2016

2016 NBA Playoffs

Western Conference

#1 Golden State Warriors vs #8 Houston Rockets

This will be a sweep for the Warriors. The Rockets sneaked into the playoffs by beating 3 sub-par teams to end the season. The Warriors did the complete opposite, beating 2 playoff teams twice in their last 4 games to get the record for most wins in regular season history (73). GSW wins 4-0. Dwight Howard might play his last ever game as a Rocket.

#4 LA Clippers vs #5 Portland Trail Blazers

As always, the 4/5 match-up will be one of the best series in the first round of the NBA playoffs. I think a lot of people are just writing off the Blazers, but most people, including myself, wrote them off before the season even started. Props to them, but I think the playoffs will show their youth and inexperience. Lillard will have a big game almost every game, but the Clippers are a much more, well rounded team built to go past the first round. I'll give the Blazers a game, maybe 2 if Lillard makes a game winner to keep the series alive. Clippers win this series 4-2 and move on to face their hated rivals, the Warriors. Side note: Blake Griffin isn't back to where he was before the quad and hand injury. I am very curious to how he will play in this first round. 

#3 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #6 Dallas Mavericks

This series has blowout written all over it. The Mavs don't match-up well against the Thunder. The Mavs aren't much better than the Rockets. A more complete team, but not as deep and Dirk isn't the same Dirk as 2011. Also, with Parsons out, their chances are even smaller than if they were fully healthy. I can see Dallas winning once at home on an OKC 4th quarter slip up like they did in the regular season, but no chance the Mavs win more than one. OKC sweeps 4-0.

#2 San Antonio Spurs vs #7 Memphis Grizzlies 

Memphis couldn't be in any worse position, I mean they could lose Z-Bo and really not have a chance, but no Conley or Gasol leaves only a dream for Memphis to win. This will be a good warm up series for San Antonio before they face the Thunder. SA sweeps 4-0.

Eastern Conference 

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs #8 Detroit Pistons

Hats off to Detroit for making it to the playoffs after a little drought. I really like what Stan Van Gundy has done. The trade for Tobias was good and I like their young nucleus. 2 or 3 more years and they might be a top 4 team in the East. Although Detroit did take a couple of games vs Cleveland this season, make no mistake LeBron and Cavs are ready to roll. I give Detroit some credit and say they will win one game, but the Cavs are going to blow them away. Cavs win 4-1.

#4 Atlanta Hawks vs #5 Boston Celtics

This will be the best series of the first round of the playoffs. This is the only series that a possible upset could happen. The Hawks aren't even close to the team they were last year and the Celtics were the #3 seed just a week ago. Add on that comeback by the C's vs Heat in their season finale, I would not be one bit surprised if the Celtics pull off the upset. I am not one to pick upsets, but if there will be one, it will be this series. I'm taking the Celtics in 7.

#3 Miami Heat vs #6 Charlotte Hornets

Don't sleep on the Hornets, they earned this spot and just a few weeks ago, they were the #3 seed. The 3-6 seeds are all so close in talent that the seeding isn't very important, but home court advantage is what will be a huge benefit to the higher seeds. Kemba Walker had a heck of season and is leading this team in the right direction. I don't think they can beat the Heat in a seven game series, but I do think they can be competitive and win a game or 2 in this series. The Heat win 4-1.

#2 Toronto Raptors vs #7 Indiana Pacers

The only reason people are doubting the Raptors is because of their past performances in the playoffs. This team is better than last year and I believe they learned from their last year's blunder. The Pacers and Paul George started off hot, but cooled off way too much. I expect the Pacers to stay competitive, but Toronto is too good to lose this series. Plus the addition of Demarre Carroll is going to pay off. Raptors win 4-1.   

Western Conference Semis

#1 GSW vs #4 LA Clippers: GSW wins 4-2

#2 SAS vs #3 OKC: SAS wins 4-2

Eastern Conference Semis

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs #5 Boston Celtics Cleveland wins 4-2

#2 Toronto Raptors vs #3 Miami Heat Toronto wins 4-3

Western Conference Finals

#1 Golden State Warriors vs #2 San Antonio Spurs: GSW wins 4-3

Eastern Conference Finals

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs #2 Toronto Raptors: CLE wins 4-2

NBA Finals

Golden State Warriors win in 6. 

Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors on TNT 3/3/2016

Tonight is the night the Warriors lose at home. It will be a game of runs starting with a big one from the Warriors, but OKC will climb back and keep it close. The 4th quarter will be when the game is decided. KD will score 30+ and Russell will get a near triple double. I think it comes down to 1 or 2 possession game in the final minute, but this time OKC closes out the game instead of letting Curry haunt their nightmares. Curry will have another 30 points and Green will be good too, but the X Factor will be Klay and Barnes, and I'm thinking one will have an off night that will end up hurting GS in the end. #nbaonTNT

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2016 NBA Season Post All-Star Game Summary

NBA Mid-Season Report

If the NBA season were to end today, this is what the playoff picture would look like:

Luckily it doesn't and we the fans get around 25 more games per team to determine the final outcome of the regular season.

As for me and my pre-season predictions, I'm holding my own. A few surprises so far this season that I don't think a lot of people saw happening. I think the most apparent surprise league-wide has to be the lack of success by the Houston Rockets. How does a team go from the Western Conference Finals, including a miraculous comeback win against the LA Clippers in the previous round, to now out of the playoffs and ready to ship Dwight Howard? That is nearly unexplainable, but my 2 cents is that maybe wherever Dwight Howard goes, trouble comes along. To dove tail off negative surprises this season, the Milwaukee Bucks have to be up there. After making the playoffs last year and acquiring Greg Monroe this off-season, I think many people thought the Bucks were going jump up a level into that 4-6 range for playoff seeding. That is not the case, and now there are rumors about trading Monroe and MCW. I personally thought they would make the playoffs again as a 7 or 8 seed, but they seem to have lost their magic this season.

Pleasant surprises to me are the success of the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, and Portland Trail Blazers. I had Boston on the playoff bubble, but not making it in. As of now they sit as the #3 seed and Isiah Thomas made his first all-star game. Congrats! The Mavericks, who got just abused this off-season have bounced back incredibly strong, including a win against the Warriors. I did not having them making the playoffs and am still hesitant to say they'll make it with how competitive the last 4 seeds in the West are. As for Portland, they lost their entire starting line-up except Lillard, yet they sit in the #7 spot. With the starting line-up departure, C.J. McCollum has stepped up his game and is becoming a nice wing-man and second option for Lillard and the Blazers.

Warriors winning 72 or more:
The Warriors will return from the All-Star Game break on a 6 game road trip, including a 2 game streak against west-coast opponents (Portland & LA Clippers) then fly across the country to face Atlanta, both Florida teams, and then finish at OKC all within 1 week (4 games). They get a 2 day break as they return home for a small stint in rematches against the Hawks and Thunder before driving down to LA for a JV "scrimmage" against the Lakers. After their play date with the Lakers, they have a 6 game home stand, where they will win all 6 games. After this home stand, they have 15 remaining games: including 3 against the San Antonio Spurs (2 road, 1 home). Looking at their remaining schedule as a whole, I predict they lose 4 more games total: 3 very competitive games, where all players play, and 1 due to rest. That puts them at 74-8 and becoming the best regular season team record wise in history. Teams I think they will lose to: Thunder at OKC, Spurs at SA, Grizzlies in Memphis, and one random game due to rest.

Cavs Firing David Blatt:
This was one of the most unnecessary moves I've ever seen take place in the NBA. A coach with the best record in their conference, which had just brought his one man team to the NBA Finals, only to lose to one of the best teams to ever play. Even a non-basketball minded person could tell you that is an odd move. It makes LeBron and the whole Cleveland organization look incredibly shallow and heartless. The bottom line in the NBA for coaches is to win championships. I highly doubt that firing Blatt and hiring Lue will make that happen for Cleveland, putting them back to where they were last year.

MVP Rankings:
Steph Curry
Lebron James
Kawhi Leonard
Kevin Durant
Russell Westbrook
Chris Paul
James Harden
Paul George

Rookie of the Year:
Towns
Porzingis

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

Western Conference Playoffs

1. Golden State Warriors

2. San Antonio Spurs

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

4. Los Angeles Clippers

5. Memphis Grizzlies

6. Dallas Mavericks

7. Houston Rockets

8. Utah Jazz

Eastern Conference Playoffs
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Toronto Raptors
3. Atlanta Hawks
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Miami Heat
6. Boston Celtics
7. Indiana Pacers
8. Charlotte Hornets

Western Conference:

The top is pretty much set, besides maybe some flip-flopping between the Clippers and Grizzlies depending how the return of Blake Griffin goes and if Memphis can keep up the pace. The bottom 3 (6-8) is a little tougher to determine. Houston is playing terrible and I don't know what they are going to do about Dwight Howard, but at the end of the day they won't be going past the first round of the playoffs if they make it in. Portland is going to bow out. I just can't see them keeping pace with the other 3 with such a young nucleus and very little experience. The Mavs are a solid pick to make the playoffs and could even give the higher seed they face a scare i.e. the Thunder, Clippers, or Spurs. I really want the Jazz to make the playoffs. They are young and have one of the best defenses in the NBA, especially when Rudy Gobert is in. Like I said in my pre-season predictions, I think it will come down to San Antonio and Golden State and although I said the Spurs would beat Golden State, it's looking more clear every day that the Warriors are going to go back-to-back (Drake Voice).

Eastern Conference:

There is no question the East goes through Cleveland. I think they will have a little bit more of a fight in the ECF compared to last year's sweep of the Atlanta Hawks, but nonetheless they will represent the East in the NBA Finals. As for teams getting in, the 5-8 seed is so hard to determine that by the end of the season, a team like Detroit or the Wizards could very well, turn things around and be the #5 or #6 seed at the end of the season. I had an extremely hard time leaving the Wiz out of the playoffs, but with a below .500 record and being 3-7 of their last 10, I don't trust them to turn it around unless they make some trades like the Pistons are doing.

NBA Champions:

Even though I said the Cavaliers were going to be the NBA Champions at the end of this season, I cannot see them beating Golden State or San Antonio is a 7 game series. That being said, I think the Western Conference Finals will be equivalent to the NBA Finals. I truly did not think the Warriors were going to be as good as they are, but it would be dumb to say they aren't going to repeat. I think they will beat Cleveland again 4-2.


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