NBA Finals 2017 - Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors

NBA Finals - Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors Volume 3

I didn’t want to write anything for the NBA Finals because I just wanted to enjoy the series as it unfolds, but as the days before Game 1 passed, I was itching to explain how I think the series will go. As we near tip-off of Game 1, more and more thoughts and snippets of why each team should win come to mind.

The Warriors

Kevin Durant is the best player on the Warriors and the main reason they returned to the Finals. I’m not saying the Warriors wouldn’t have made it if he’d still be in OKC or if Kawhi hadn’t been injured, but he was the difference maker of why they dominated through the first 3 rounds of playoffs. KD wants a ring and that’s why he signed with Golden State. This is the whole reason KD came to Golden State, not winning, in my mind would be a total failure. I know some people with counter with, but LeBron didn’t win in his first year in Miami with his “super” team. True, but the 2009-2010 Heat team that LeBron was coming to finished 47-35, 5^th seed, and lost to the Celtics 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs, not arguably the greatest regular season, NBA record setting 73 wins, that was up 3-1 in the Finals, with the back to back, 2016 unanimous MVP team. LeBron also played horrible and uncharacteristically in the 2011 Finals. So for KD and the Warriors to lose would be pretty shocking and inexcusable for them.  To wrap up my Kevin Durant segment, there is no reason he should lose and in my opinion, the 2^nd best player in the world should never “ring chase” by joining one of the greatest teams in my generation. If he wins, he’ll have a ring, but in no way climbs the ladder of greatest player’s rankings.

As for Steph Curry and the rest of Warriors team, nobody likes losing twice in a row, so Steph and the 2016 team has that as one of their main motivations. We’ve seen it countless times where a team loses the year before and then comes back with vengeance to hoist the trophy. LeBron and co. did it last year to the Warriors. Lakers did it to Celtics in 2010. Spurs did it to the Heat in 2014. It’s very, very difficult to repeat in any sport. A lot of people still think that if Draymond Green hadn’t been suspended, the Warriors would have won the next game and been crowned. I’m sure he is extremely sour still. I think last year’s finals loss hurts Steph Curry more than any of the players on the team because, last year was all about him. The MVP, the most 3’s, the record setting wins, the shoes, etc. but out of all the players on team that were supposed to play their best, Steph did not. In fact, Kyrie Irving outplayed him (Curry) and cemented Irving’s victory between the two with his (Irving’s) game winning shot while being guarded by Curry. It really was like a heroic Hollywood blockbuster. We’ll see if Curry and co. come out looking for blood in Game 1 or if the Cavs can slow down the juggernaut. 

The Cavs

Obviously every game is important, but Game 1 is the most overrated game in any series. Game 1 will be won by the Warriors. The Warriors will have all the hype and the crowd and whatever, but Game 2 will be the real test. LeBron has won one game 1 in his NBA Finals career and that was against the Dallas Mavericks, who LeBron eventually loss to. So if history repeats itself, the Warriors will win and I’m ok with that. When game 2 starts, all bets are off. Unlike last year when Cleveland started down 0-2, this year they will steal a game on the road. My thought is that KD will have a great game 1 and people will think the series is over, KD and the Warriors are looking ready to roll, but that’s when Cleveland strikes back and steals game 2. Then we will have a series.

Bench and Role Players

Last night I was watching The Jump’s NBA Finals Preview and either Paul Pierce or Scottie Pippen said that the Cavs didn’t improve their bench. That’s insulting. They picked up Kyle Korver, who has struggled as of late, but everyone knows he is one of the deadliest 3 point shooters in the NBA. They upgraded from Matthew Dellavedova with Deron Williams, who has proved through these playoffs that he can still play quality minutes, when Kyrie needs a rest. Not only are these bench upgrades valuable, Tristan Thompson is a full time starter and key player instead of a below average center in Timofey Mozgov. Channing Frye played only 29 minutes in the Boston series, but I would expect him to play some valuable minutes, spacing the court with his deadly 3 point range in this series. Frye has shot 30/55 on FGs, 69% of those shots being 3’s, making 20/38 for 52.6 %. I’m not exactly sure why he didn’t play much against Boston, but I’m sure coach Lue will find time for him in this series. JR Smith is one of my dark horses in this series. He has been unusually quiet in these playoffs and since he has returned from his knee injury that he suffered earlier this season. I think we’re all waiting for him to have one his games where explodes from 3. Although he’s been relatively quiet, his net rating for this season’s playoffs is a crazy 19.1 and his +/- is better than last year’s +/-. So although no offensive explosions, his value on the court has been recognized.

Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving

In year 3 since LeBron has returned, the "Big 3" is gelling better than they ever have before. After nearly disappearing in last year's playoffs and finals, Kevin Love is back on top of his game. Just 3 years ago he was arguably the top PF in the NBA. The last 2 years he did struggle fitting into the Cavs, but he's back to his peak form. Kevin Love will have a breakout game during these finals to seal at least 1 victory for the Cavs.

Kyrie has had a quiet playoffs for Kyrie. He seemed to find his shot during the Boston series and get back into that "Uncle Drew" mode. He's healthy and better than he was a year ago, so I foresee him have a couple of 30 point performances to take the load off of LeBron. If Kyrie can outplay Steph Curry once, he can do it again.

LeBron

Where do I even begin. 7 straight Finals. 7 straight Finals. In a few years, we're going to say 10 straight finals and be bored with it. So let me get this straight, the best player in the world, is playing the best basketball of his career and people are doubting him and picking the opponent in 5 games??? (Insert Nick Young meme). Did people not watch the last 2 NBA Finals? We thought LeBron was Superman in the last two finals and now he is playing better than that. The only other thing to compare him to now is the ultimate player, Michael Jordan. I’ve watched LeBron for years and when I watched him toy with defenders this post season, he looked like MJ, when MJ used to make defenders look silly. 11/13 games he has scored 30 or more, last season’s playoffs, he didn’t score 30 until game 6 of the Toronto series in the ECF. LeBron has learned how to control the game and not in a one-on-on isolation from the left wing way. (See 2015 Finals). He's doing it with his passing and efficiency. His 3 point shooting is at a career best, where teams aren't allowed to go under screens on PnRs, forcing James to shoot. He has proved this post-season that he will destroy teams if they dare him to shoot from deep, connecting at 42%. I'll take LeBron James playing at his best over any team and like Tom Brady, I will never bet against LeBron.

*side note: Mike Brown being the coach might have a bigger impact than we can determine.

Game by game prediction:

Game 1:  Golden State

Game 2: Cleveland

Game 3: Cleveland

Game 4: Golden State

Game 5: Golden State

Game 6: Cleveland
Game 7: Cleveland

Cavs in 7. Lebron gets ring #4 and Finals MVP.

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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 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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2015-2016 NFL SEASON PREVIEW AND PREDICTIONS

NFC EAST:

The NFC East is a 2 team race again this year. The Cowboys and Eagles will be neck and neck to win the division. With DeMarco Murray changing teams and Chip Kelley moving players left and right the Eagles are a project everybody has their eyes on. If Bradford can stay healthy and play close to how he did in pre-season, I think this is the year the Eagles finally make a legitimate playoff run and not get the door shut on them.

Though I like the Giants’ receiving core of Cruz and OBJ, there is something about them that doesn’t give me a good feeling that they will have good year. Average at best is my prediction for them.

The Redskins are as one analyst said “the Kardashians of the NFL.” This is spot on. This team is so dysfunctional. They will at best win 5 games and will be looking for a new QB to draft next year after they ship RG3, which is sad considering all the talent they have at skill positions.

NFC SOUTH:

This division can’t be much worse than they were last year. My guess is that the Panthers and Saints will duke it out again for the division crown, but both teams lost their best offensive threats before the regular season even started. The Saints sent Jimmy Graham to the Seahawks and the Panthers just lost Kelvin Benjamin to an ACL tear. This is hard to pick a winner because the Panthers can play defense, but their offense is so sad it hurts to think about their options besides the Cam Newton triple-option like he’s at Auburn still. I want to see somebody from this division emerge as the leader, I just don’t see it.

The Falcons will be the sleeper of the division. They have a really good, high scoring potential offense. With Julio Jones getting an extension this off season, I expect him to even be better than he was in the past. Hiring Dan Quinn from the Seahawks wasn’t a bad move either. Keep your eye on them and don’t be surprised if they are competing for the division title in week 17.

As for the Bucs, it will be interesting to watch the progression of Jameis Winston. I personally watched him play this pre-season in a game against the Minnesota Vikings. To his credit it was his first pre-season game, but it was not pretty. He looked like a rookie QB in his first game. He made some good scrambles including a TD rush and a good end of the half drive, but other than that, he has a lot of work to do. I want him to do well and be a star in a few years, but I don’t see it and the lack of a defense is not going to help his confidence.

NFC NORTH:

This division belongs to the Green Bay Packers, but don’t count out 2 of the other teams for a wild card spot. I think it’s the consensus that the Packers are going to win this division unless Aaron Rodgers has a catastrophic injury. Even with Jordy Nelson being out for the season, the Packer’s offensive system is very versatile, allowing new players to step up and become known. They also have a legitimate running back, which they have been missing for some time now.

With the Packers winning the division, 2 other teams will be very competitive within the division. The Lions have been on the cusps of beating the Packers for a while now, but can’t get over the hump. I could see them taking one at Ford Field to give Green Bay fans a scare.

My sleeper to grab a wild card spot is the Minnesota Vikings. This team is doing everything right to keep progressing and get closer to a championship. They finally found their franchise QB in Teddy Bridgewater. AP is back. They have a hard-nosed coach that won’t deal with non-sense and a young defense that continues to get faster and better. This team has looked great and can compete with any team in the league. Yes, competing and winning are two different things, but going into season 2 with coach Zimmer, the Vikings are a scary team to play against. They are underrated with low expectations, but have the ability to win some games and grab a wild card spot.

The Bears, much like the Redskins, are in a bad spot. Hiring John Fox is not going to solve their problems. Cutting 2 proven defensive players (Tim Jennings and Ray McDonald) isn’t going help improve an already abysmal defense. I think the Bears should cut their losses, start focusing on next year’s draft and reboot the roster. They will win 4-5 games at best.

NFC WEST:

Much like the NFC North, the Seahawks own this division. They are loaded all over the field and got an upgrade to their passing game acquiring Jimmy Graham from the Saints this off-season. The rich get richer. Like the NFC North, this division will be very competitive with 2 other teams competing with each other to get 2^nd place in the division and a possible wild card playoff spot. Arizona Cardinals were last year’s surprised, but this season they are on everybody’s radar and won’t be taken lightly. They still have a top 10 defense and with a healthy Carson Palmer, they could hit the 10 win mark to grab a wild card spot. Chris Johnson was a good addition as well, but he isn’t the Chris Johnson of 2009, let’s just remember that before we give him the benefit of doubt.

The St. Louis Rams are much like the Vikings. Acquiring Nick Foles for Sam Bradford was like free bacon for them. They also have a top 10 defense, which is why they can stay in most games and ended up beating the Seahawks last year.  I’m very interested in how Todd Gurley is going to pan out. I believe he is better and will do better than Melvin Gordon, but it’s always hard to come back from a major knee surgery, unless of course you are Adrian Peterson, but he’s a football demi-good.

Poor 49ers. Ever since the 2013 Super Bowl loss and 2014 NFC Championship loss, the 49ers have gone spiraling in to a black hole and this off-season made it worse. They lost their head coach, a majority of their defense, and their QB regressed after giving Kaepernick a huge contract extension. Their situation is one of the worst in the entire league. With Willis and Borland retiring due to health issues, it seemed that other players lost interest and decided to do whatever they wanted.

Not much will change among the top of the NFC, but look for some upcoming teams to make a post season bid.

AFC EAST:

Could this be the year the Patriots get knocked off their throne in the AFC East? PENDING Tom Brady’s suspension ruling, the Patriots are in serious threat of starting the season down 1-3. IF no TB12, the Patriots will have 2 very tough games to start the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the redefined, defensive minded, Rex Ryan led Bills in week 2. They catch a break hosting the miserable Jaguars, but then head to Dallas after a bye week. If the Tom Brady’s suspension holds up, the Patriots are going to have some digging to get back on top. The benefit for them is that even starting down 1-3 or 2-2, they can win the division without a doubt, resulting in hosting a playoff game in Foxborough, where they are nearly unbeatable.

The Bills will be drawing a lot of eyes towards them this year. After a very successful defensive campaign last season, the Bills have continued right where they left off and picked up a treasure in Shady McCoy. Though they picked up McCoy and have Sammy Watkins, the Bills still are searching for a true starting QB. As of now (9/1/2015) the Bills have named Tyrod Taylor their starting QB. (WHO?) The Michael Vick like, Virginia Tech, dual threat QB, whom was drafted in the 6^th round and has never started an NFL game. That Tyrod Taylor. Don’t get me wrong, the guy was awesome in college, but that obviously hasn’t transitioned into the NFL. The Bills brought in Matt Cassel to play QB and he can’t even beat out Taylor or EJ Manuel, who is my personal favorite, but obviously hasn’t made the jump to be an NFL staring QB yet. The QB position will be their Achilles heel all season, which will cost them a few games, say when they need to beat the Patriots in Foxborough week 11.

It seems like all the attention in this division has been on everybody except the Dolphins. The Dolphins made a huge splash signing Ndamaukong Suh to add to their defense. He is a top 5 player and probably the second best defensive player behind JJ Watt. He is going to upgrade an already decent Miami defense and get them closer to capturing a division title. Though no easy task knocking off the Patriots, the Dolphins have a legitimate chance of stepping up to the occasion and being crowned AFC East champs. I’ll wait to see it before I believe it though.

As for the Jets, at least they got Revis back. Signing Brandon Marshall was a good move too, but with Geno Smith their top QB, their offense will seriously struggle. Geno getting sucker punched and breaking his jaw is the epitome of the NY Jets. That sucker punch might be a blessing in disguised because now the Jets will be starting Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is the smartest QB in the league off the field, but not so much on the field. They also have the Alex Moran (Blue Mountain State reference) of the NFL with Matt Flynn in their back pocket. If it was up to me, I would have none of the above play and start Baylor sensation Bryce Petty, hopefully finding a QB for the future and not a back-up stand in while the Jets endure another painful season of losing.

UPDATE: this review was written on 9/1/2015, as of 9/3/2015 Tom Brady’s suspension was dropped. With Brady back, the Patriots have a very good chance at starting 4-0, starting with a win in Foxborough on Thursday to kick off the NFL season. Though Buffalo will be tough to be in Buffalo, the Patriots will be able to come through with a win. After a breeze against the Jaguars, they will face a true test against a playoff bound Dallas Cowboys at Dallas. No easy feat, but I have confidence that they can beat them.

AFC SOUTH:

The Colts are my pick to represent the AFC in this season’s Super Bowl. They added key guys to help solidify their run to the Super Bowl. They signed Andre Johnson and Frank Gore. 2 proven stars of the league, that have a just enough gas in them to make one more run at a championship. This is exactly what the Colts need. Andre Johnson will easily replace Reggie Wayne, barring an injury, and Frank Gore is always good to replace a non-existent running game. Their defense got help with the signing of Trent Cole, which will possibly get them over the Patriots hump from last year. Luck is the real deal and is a Super Bowl victory away from being the face of the NFL. My guess is that he will knock off both legends (Tom Brady and Peyton Manning) this season to reach the Super Bowl.

Yes, the Colts pretty much have the division locked up, but that won’t come without some battles from the second best team in the division, the Houston Texans. The Texans are featured on this year’s HBO Hard Knocks series. The Texans look hungry after taking a step back last year, due to QB issues, injuries, and other minor problems. This year, we will finally get to see the 2014 #1 pick Jadeveon Clowney play opposite of the best defensive player in the league, JJ Watt. Their defense looks promising, it’s their offense that scares me. Between Arian Foster hurting his groin and not having a solid starting QB, the Texans are going need some help on that side. I hope JJ Watt can accumulate a few pick-6s, return a few strip-sacks, and maybe even play some tight end. O wait, he did do all that. The guy is literally unstoppable and will do everything he can to help his team win. Unfortunately, even that is not enough to get the Texans to the playoffs.

I probably shouldn’t skip over the #2 pick, but the Tennessee Titans are in for another long year of rebuilding. I hope and believe Marcus Mariota is going to turn into a much more complete QB than Jameis Winston. He has looked and played better this pre-season, but with the team and talent he has, they will be lucky to win more than 4 games. Maybe next year they will get game changing defensive player. The same goes for Jacksonville. They seem to have found their franchise QB in Blake Bortles, but can’t find anyone else around him considering Justin Blackmon is M.I.A. and Julius Thomas has to sit out due to injury. I hope for the franchises sake they can grab a top pick again next year and finally get out of the gutter.

AFC NORTH:

The AFC North is always one of the most competitive divisions in the entire league and this year is no exception. The Ravens and Steelers will likely battle for the crown while the other will have to settle for a wild card spot. Did I forget the Bengals? Yes, this is the year their playoff streak ends and they save themselves the misery of getting bounced in the first round. The Steelers seem to be just an inch ahead of the Ravens due to the Ravens letting go of some key defensive players, Haloti Ngata and Pernell McPhee. They also lost their best offensive threat in Torrey Smith to the 49ers. As they have for so long, their defense can keep them in low scoring games. Which is why I think the Steelers have the advantage over them due to their potent offense and tough defense.

The down fall to the Steelers is that 2 of their stars will start the season suspended (Le’Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant) and the health of Ben Roethlisberger is always an issue. Luckily for them when they open against the Patriots, they most likely won’t have to face Tom Brady as QB. That game is going to mean a lot to that team if they can win and should win.

The Browns are still the laughing stock of this division and will be for a while. Maybe Johnny Manziel will figure it out this season. He already dropped the $ sign so maybe he is maturing. The Browns are in for another tough year. I will give them some credit for who they drafted. Danny Shelton will be a stud, Duke Johnson is a steal if he pans out, and drafting Ifo Ekpre-Olom could be the best reward of all their picks.

AFC WEST:

I’m not going to chalk up the Broncos too fast to win the division. They are going to have to earn it from the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers. I do think the Broncos will win the division, but it won’t be as easy as the past. Peyton Manning is aging more and more. He is losing it. They also have a new head coach, Gary Kubiak. They still have a very talented offense and defense, but so do the Chiefs. My bet is that KC and Denver will split their series.

As for the Chargers, I think they will be the Charges as we have come to know. They start hot, then lose some games, then get hot again. Their inconsistency kills them. I imagine them being competitive as they usually are, but that doesn’t mean winning a division title. I can’t wait to see if Melvin Gordon will live up to the hype.

The Black Hole, aka The Oakland Raiders Stadium is exactly that for players and coaches careers. A black hole for careers to die. See ya later Christian Ponder and Trent Richardson. That has to be the saddest place in football right now. Sending the “get well soon” card as we speak.

NFC Playoffs

1. Seattle Seahawks

2. Green Bay Packers

3. Philadelphia Eagles

4. Carolina Panthers

5. Dallas Cowboys

6. Minnesota Vikings

AFC Playoffs

1. Indianapolis Colts

2. Denver Broncos

3. New England Patriots

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

5. Baltimore Ravens

6. Kansas City Chiefs

Wild Card Playoff

Philadelphia Eagles vs Minnesota Vikings

Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys

New England Patriots vs Kansas City Chiefs

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens

Divisional Round

NFC

#1. Seattle Seahawks vs #5. Dallas Cowboys

#2. Green Bay Packers vs #3. Philadelphia Eagles

AFC

#1. Indianapolis Colts vs #5. Baltimore Ravens

#2. Denver Broncos vs #3. New England Patriots

NFC Championship

Seattle Seahawks vs Green Bay Packers

AFC Championship

New England Patriots vs Indianapolis Colts

SUPER BOWL

Indianapolis Colts vs Green Bay Packers

SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS

GREEN BAY PACKERS

Game 3

I honestly thought Game 3 was the worst performance the Miami HEAT had ever shown in the Big 3 era. I was so amazed by how badly they were getting beat in the first half that I couldn't even say a word every time the Spurs scored again, I just sat there in silence wondering if this was the NBA Finals Game 3 or a scrimmage of the Varsity against the Freshman "B" team. It was all bad, but of course the HEAT made a comeback to cut it to 7 points, 7! After letting a team shoot close to 90% and give up 41pts in the first quarter and being down 20+, they got it back to 7. I thought maybe when Lebron re-entered the game, the HEAT would make one last final push to make it a battle til the horn went off, but no, they ended up losing by 19. In the mix of all this, Kawhi Leonard had the game of his life, LITERALLY! He hadn't scored that many points in an organized game since High School.
As for the Heat, Lebron played like the 2011 Finals vs Dallas even though his numbers were ok, they weren't LEBRON like numbers. His 7 TO's were career high as well, basically canceling his assists.
Wade was Wade, an average game at best but nothing that stood out. He did lead that 3rd Quarter comeback that cut it to 7, but couldn't get any closer than that.
Bosh was basically just out there, not protecting the rim and not playing much offense, a mere 12 touches could say something about his 9PTs and 3 Rebounds.
Rashard Lewis actually played the best of anyone knocking down his 3's when he was asked to.
Mario Chalmers should be benched after his last 3 games. I hope and suspect he will have a big game in Game 4, big for him meaning 13-19 points, 2 3's and decent defense on Tony Parker.
The bench went missing in Game 3 but I believe they will have a breakout game in Game 4, somebody is bound to go off.
Let's see what happens Thursday night in South Beach!
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Kobe's Future and an Epic Finals Matchup

I'm writing this on May 31st 2014

After seeing the fact that Kobe or LeBron have been in the Finals every year since 2007 but have yet to face each other, I came to the thought that the Heat will hopefully win another Championship adding to the legacy of LeBron and reducing the gap between Jordan and Kobe as the Greatest Of All Time.

I absolutely see the Lakers landing 1 if not 2 huge free agents this off season, providing Kobe some star power teammates like he once had (Shaq) and a good supporting cast like the early 2000's teams had. Being likely that it will be Kobe's last full, whatever is left in the tank season, I expect him to make a heroic playoff run hopefully meeting the Miami Heat in the Finals as the Heat go for their 4th straight championship and making it the premiere NBA Finals match up everybody dreams of. Kobe vs LeBron.

-Josh Pella