NBA Playoffs: Conference Finals Preview & Predictions

Here is a preview of the Conference Finals of the NBA playoffs, along with a recap of my 2nd round picks.

My 2nd round picks and the results

• Thunder in 7 – Grizzlies in 5
• Spurs in 6 – Spurs in 6
• Heat in 6 – Heat in 5
• Knicks in 7 – Pacers in 6

Western Conference

Yet again I underestimated the Grizzlies, even though Russell Westbrook was out for the Thunder, I still picked OKC to win in 7. Memphis lost a tough game one on the road in Oklahoma City then came out and won four straight. Kevin Durant definitely needed some more help, as he was constantly frustrated by a tough Memphis defense. Fortunately I was able to pick the Spurs series correctly, winning in 6 over Golden State. The Warriors have a nice team with a ton of potential, (Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes) but offensively the Spurs were just too much to handle. Considering how dominant Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol were in the post agianst OKC, the Spurs will have their hands full. San Antonio comes off an entertaining 6 game series against Golden State, a team that pretty much plays completely different than Memphis. The Spurs were tied in that series at 2-2, then won the final two games in San Antonio and Golden State, finishing off the upstart Warriors. The veteran Spurs will be in their 8th Conference Finals over the last 15 seasons, an incredible accomplishment. On the other hand, this is the first Conference Finals appearance for the Memphis Grizzlies. Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter have the job of defending the Memphis front-court that seems unstoppable at this point. While the Battle of Mike Conley vs. Tony Parker will be the key to victory for either team. I expect Tony Allen to guard Tony Parker often in this series, slowing down Parker, means slowing down the Spurs. Tayshaun Prince has really been a great pickup by the Grizzlies and is bringing some nice energy to the team starting at Small Forward. If there are two teams in the NBA that have the best chance of potentially knocking off the defending champion Miami Heat, it’s these two with their size and defense. I’ve gone against the Grizzlies twice now, I can’t do it a third time. Memphis in the NBA Finals?

• 2. San Antonio Spurs vs. 5. Memphis Grizzlies, Grizzlies in 6

Eastern Conference

The Miami Heat lost a stunner in game one at home against a motivated Bulls team, then won four straight easily for the most part. Dwyane Wade isn’t even playing at 100% and the Miami Heat are still rolling, due to the fact of unreal play by MVP LeBron James and quality minutes from roll players like, Chris Anderson, Norris Cole, Shane Battier etc. Of course Chris Bosh, the other part of the “Big 3” is doing his part as well. As I mentioned in the 2nd round preview of the Knicks – Pacers series, whoever took a game on the road, likely was going to win the series. The Pacers did just that, winning game one at New York and frustrating Knicks fans around the world after taking the series in 6. Maybe Carmelo Anthony isn’t an elite player, but just an elite scoring threat? That’s a different discussion for another day. Knicks will have some trouble improving that team in the off-season though, their time to win was now. Indiana won that series without Danny Granger, one of their star players. Lance Stephenson instead stepped up for them, piling up huge numbers after being just a bench player last season. Indiana gets a shot at redemption versus Miami, after being up 2-1 in the Conference Semi-Finals last season, the Pacers fell 4-2. The Pacers will certainly pose problems for the Miami Heat, a defensive minded ball club with the likes of Roy Hibbert down low in the post, and Paul George, Lance Stephenson guarding the perimeter. This team probably has the best shot in the East of defeating the Miami Heat (Aside from a healthy Bulls team) so maybe the Pacers can pull off the upset. Paul George gets the job of defending LeBron James and Lance Stephenson likely guards Dwyane Wade. Last season, this series was really fun to watch, but no Granger for Indiana this time around. David West really has to carry the load offensively if Indiana wants to succeed against Miami. LeBron and Wade will probably go right after Hibbert, looking to get him in foul trouble. It’s tough picking against the Heat, they’ve been on a complete tear over the last 50 games they’ve played.

• 1. Miami Heat vs. 3. Indiana Pacers, Heat in 6

End of an era, Red Wings – Blackhawks

The Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks meet one more time as members of the Western Conference starting on Wednesday in a best of seven, semi-finals, series. This rivalry started way back in 1926, the inaugural season for both franchises and according to detroithockey.net, Wednesday night will be the 800th meeting all time between the two clubs. Chicago and Detroit have the most regular season meetings in NHL history, only the Canadiens and Bruins have more games played, including playoffs. This upcoming series between Detroit and Chicago will be their 16th playoff appearance against each other, 7th and final series as members of the Western Conference.

The two teams are tied at 3, in terms of head-to-head in the playoffs since being put together in the west back in 1981. The winner of this 2013 series holds some bragging rights and also earns a trip to the Conference Finals against San Jose or Los Angeles. Unfortunately the Red Wings haven’t been able to defeat Chicago this season, losing all 4 games (3 in overtime/shootout) by a combined 14-5. At this point that record doesn’t mean much for either team, this best of seven is a fresh start for Detroit, coming off a game 7 road victory over Anaheim. Chicago took care of the Minnesota Wild in 5 games.

The Red Wings will have to score a lot more than 5 goals in four games if they want to beat the NHL best Blackhawks and Jimmy Howard will certainly have to play incredible between the pipes. It should be plenty fun though, watching these rivals go at it one more time as Western Conference foes.

A lot of great memories being in the Western Conference, winning multiple Championships and developing fantastic rivalries, but new challenges await Detroit in the Eastern Conference. Both teams started this Central Division (Formerly, Norris Division and Campbell Conference) rivalry in 1981. After this season, it all ends, and if the Blackhawks and Red Wings ever meet again in the NHL playoffs, it’ll be in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Derrick Rose ruled out for game 3, should he return?

Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls warms up before a game against the Miami Heat

According to multiple reports, Derrick Rose has been ruled out for game 3 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Miami Heat. The Chicago Bulls will also be playing without Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich as the series shifts to Chicago. LeBron James and the Miami Heat played angry, looking for revenge and destroyed a tired, frustrated Bulls team in game 2 by 37 points. With the series tied at 1-1, and the Bulls searching for answers, should Derrick Rose make a return?

We’ve seen players from multiple sports bounce back from serious ACL injuries (Adrian Peterson of the NFL & Iman Shumpert of the NBA) after being cleared by doctors to play. For some reason, it’s very different with Derrick Rose. According to @MySportsLegion on Twitter, Rose was cleared to play in March of this year, so what’s the hold up?

Derrick Rose has continuously said he wants to play when he feels 100% again, but maybe he already is up to full speed? My feeling with the situation is that Rose might be worried or nervous about potentially re-injuring his knee. You can clearly tell how devastated he was after the injury happened last year in the NBA playoffs. Some players have a different mind-set and don’t let previous incidents affect them too much, they get right back to work, but this might not be the case with Derrick. A lot of people have the idea of not rushing him back, because the Bulls have gotten this far without him, plus everyone is thinking about the future of Rose. A former MVP and at only 24 years old, nobody wants to rush him, some are looking toward the future instead of right now.

Luol Deng and Derrick Rose

Ultimately it is Rose’s decision in the end and he will do what’s best for him, not the team. With the stellar play of Nate Robinson, the Bulls haven’t been as desperate at point guard, but they might need a boost at this point. Miami will most likely come out with the same mentality as game 2 and try to take care of business again, realizing they are facing a diminished Bulls team. Everyone wants whatever is best for Derrick Rose, but I would sure like to see him make an appearance off the bench in game 4, playing very limited minutes, it would give him and the Bulls a much needed boost. Will the return of D.Rose happen during these 2013 NBA playoffs, or will it happen next season?

• The Miami Heat take on the Chicago Bulls tonight at 8:00 PM EST on ESPN