NBA Conference Finals Predicitions

I picked two of the winners, but the two series where I got the number of games right, I got the winner wrong. Go figure.

Boston vs. Detroit: So the Celtics still haven't won a road game in the playoffs. What's actually more troubling to me is that they would build these big leads at home, then kept letting the Cavs creep back into the game. I caught the end of game 7, and let me tell you, that was some smooth offense the Celtics demonstrated. Let Pierce dribble the ball for 18 seconds, then drive clumsily into four Cavs, then hoist up an ugly shot. Yeah, that's some good basketball. Christ, what a mess. The Pistons seem pretty comfortable right now. They've got a set rotation (as opposed to Boston, where Rivers seems to be pulling guys in and out the game with abandon), all their starters are capable of taking over and being the big difference maker (except maybe McDyess), and they don't seem to be letting things slide as much. When the Magic would gain an advantage, the Pistons would actually seem to work hard to force Orlando into turnovers and sloppy offense, letting Detroit retake control.

I want the Celtics to win. Well, I want Kevin Garnett to win, to shut up all the people saying he doesn't come up big, because he plays at the same level all the time. What's wrong with that? I don't like some of these guys that just coast along, half-assing it until the postseason, and then they get serious. On the other hand, Garnett probably does defer too much, but who knows, maybe guarding Rasheed Wallace will be enough of a challenge to help him find another, even greater level of play. Just imagine it, Kevin Garnett, turned up. . . to 13. It would be staggering. Old women would fall to their knees and weep with joy. In all seriousness though, I haven't seen any indication the Celtics can even be competitive on the road against Detroit, and I figure the Pistons, being better rested, and with playing time less in flux, can get at least one in Boston. Rip Hamilton is a different defensive challenge for Pierce. less physical, but all the running off-screens, it must be like chasing a hyper-active five year old through a crowded room (is "hyperactive five year old" redundant?) I figure Detroit in 7. Or maybe Pierce guards Tayshaun, he's not as much of a focal point, but can Allen stay with Hamilton? Or maybe Rondo, being younger, has the legs to chase Rip, and Allen tries to keep Billups from getting open shots. I think the Celtics have more problems guarding the Pistons than in the reverse. Pistons in 7. {Actual result: Boston in 6. Damn, the Celtics learned to win on the road. And all it took was Billups and Rip being dinged up. Seriously though, I'm impressed that after they fell in the 3rd quarter, they actually came back and won. When I saw they'd blown their lead, I figured Game 7 for sure. So, good for Boston.}

Los Angeles vs. San Antonio: Well, the Spurs did it again. Faced the team that actually plays in a manner I find entertaining, and beat them. They're clutch, they're experienced, they're gritty, they play tough D, they're smart, blah, blah, blah. I'm so sick of the Spurs. In fact, fuck the Spurs. Fuck that flopper Ginobli, fuck Bowen and his sticking his foot under the feet of guys coming down from a jump, fuck Horry's getting 7 rings when he does absolute jack shit for 98% of any given season, fuck Duncan and constant bitching about being called for fouls, fuck Popovich for apparently teaching Avery Johnson to be a defense-obsessed control freak that sucked the fun out of the Mavs. Now I've got to root for Kobe fucking Bryant?! Fuck! Hey, Kobe's a great player, no doubts, he's just not a favorite of mine.

OK, I've marginally calmed down. So let's see. Do the Lakers have anyone who can guard Duncan? ESPN lists their PF as Vlad Radmonovic, so I'm thinking it'll fall to Odom, unless they want to risk getting Gasol in foul trouble (and I doubt he can do it). Odom has the length, but he probably lacks the mass, so maybe Vlad is primary defender, but Odom comes off Bowen to try and swipe the ball/cut off passing lanes? Kobe's a pretty good defender, so he'll probably be assigned Manu, so on the plus side, Manu probably won't get many calls. Ha! Hey, I onyl said I'd marginally calmed down. Can Derek Fisher stay with Tony Parker? Probably not, but maybe that's where Odom comes in. Really, whoever is guarding Bowen (and to a probably equal extent, Oberto) should be help defending. Of course, then there's Finley to worry about, and Barry, and Horry. Maybe someone could elbow him in the teeth.

For the Spurs' D, well, you know Bowen will be guarding Kobe. Bryant had some back issues last series, correct? So I imagine we'll see lots of "inadvertent" elbows to that region. So who guards Odom? I don't think Duncan has the speed, does Oberto? They can't use Manu, can they? I guess Oberto probably guards Gasol, and Duncan will guard Radmonovic, to the extent he needs to. Again, I think the Spurs have the edge, where they have more matchups in their favor, and I wonder if Kobe will try to do too much, so Spurs in 6. {Actual result: Lakers in 5. Oh, I am so happy to be wrong, though I can't believe I'm saying that about a Lakers victory. Barry did get totally screwed at the end of Game 4 though. I don't buy that line about, if he really wanted the foul, he should have gone up immediately. So he should just pin everything on getting the call, rather than going ahead and trying to get the best shot he can under the circumstances? Of course, all that ignores the issue of why Brent Barry was the one shooting, but that's something else entirely I imagine. Anyway, the Spurs are dead. Until next year, anyway.}