Crystal Ball

Welcome to the big Show... Well it took me long enough but I have it ...I have spent the last two weeks huddled up with the NBA scouts (my brother) the analysts ( Mitch and Daniel ) and the Statisticians (My Dad) and I have finally figured it all out... You are about to see something almost super human..I will be the first man to ACCURATELY PREDICT the winner of all 15 NBA playoff series.. I Know the playoffs started yesterday but that has not effected any predictions.. After all I do have a crystal ball...

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons ( 1 vs 8) ... It is amazing how quickly the NBA changes.. Just two years ago no one was giving the Clevland Cavs a chance to beat Detroit and advance to the NBA Finals... Now 24 months and one really botched trade later the Pistons look Old slow and play defense like the Knicks.. Clevland will not lose at home and I don't think they will lose away from home either in this series... Might have something to do with number 23.. ( If I were working for ESPN and trying to sound smart.... I would say that the x factor will be Sasha Pavlovich.. but I am not that smart.. It Will be Lebron James )

CAVS in 4

Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls (2 vs 7) You could imagine my shock when I learned that Kevin Garnett would be out for the remainder of the playoffs.. It is really a shame that the Celtics will not get the chance to defend the title the way it should be defended... To be honest the Celtics probably were not good enough to best the Cavs anyway this year but it will cast a shadow over the Cavs run that they did not go through the champs to get the title...Maybe the Celtics will get a Willis Reid moment and KG will appear from the shadows... Probably not.. Despite the injury I expect the Celtics to bounce back with an easy game 2 win ( if they don't... Someone will have to keep me away from tall buildings) and to eventually defeat Chicago..

Celtics in 7

Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers (3 vs 6) This maybe the most lopsided series, at least talent wise in the playoffs.. I mean no disrespect to Andre Igoudala but when he is your best player your team is in trouble. ( OK... a little disrespect)However, the 76ers are gritty and the Magic are banged up.. I smell an upset in this series and if I was not trying to go perfect I would pick it. It would make me very happy to be wrong in this one..

Magic in 7

Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks (4 v 5) I love this series .. There is something about the 8 vs 9 game in the tournament and the 4 vs 5 series in the NBA Playoffs that excites me.. The teams are just so evenly matched...Atlanta has the better all around team by far but can anyone stop D Wade.. If not for Lebron being , well the king, D Wade would have run away with the MVP this year...Not to compare Wade to Jordan or the Hawks to the Celtics of old, but the series kind of reminds me of the 1986 first round series.. Jordan scored 63 points in one of the games and toyed with the Celtics like they were D Leagues but the teams were not close.. The Celtics swept them.. While these teams are much closer together I have the feeling D Wade will go for 50 twice but the Hawks will prevail in a dramatic game 7 ( Sorry John.. I love the heat )

Hawks in 7

Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers v Utah Jazz ( 1 v 8) For some reason the Lakers have been anointed the champs already.. While I agree they are the best team in the West... I simply don't think they are as far as ahead as everyone else does. The Jazz are a tough team and while they wont win I think they create some match up problems for the Lakers ( Yes I hate the Lakers.. But who doesn't?) The weakest spot on the Lakers to me is the point guard position.. The Jazz have one of the most underrated players in the leagues at the point in Deron Williams.. He can single handedly win two games.. On the other hand the Lakers do have a guy named Kobe , so I will give the Jazz one home game.. probably game 3

Lakers in 5

Denver Nuggets vs New Orleans Hornets ( 2 vs 7) I think I am the only one in the world who actually watched New Orleans play this season.. This was not the same team as a year ago.. They did not defend as well, they had too many injuries and Tyson Chandler is simply not as good as he gets credit for... The Nuggets on the other hand are a much improved team... Chauncey Billups deserves some MVP votes because the turn around since that trade has been enormous.. I like Denver a lot in this series.. I might be the only one.. They are the 2 seed after all

Nuggets in 6

San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks.. (3 vs 6) It is really a shame that Manu Ginobli got injured.. If not for some of the major injuries that took place at the end of the year we could have had a good Western Finals between San Antonio and LA... Unfortunately San Antonio will have trouble scoring down the stretch without Ginobli.. Even with that said and the fact they lost game 1.. I still like the Spurs.. Maybe it has something to do with the small man crush I have on Tim Duncan.. The greatest power forward of all time ( OK Maybe not so small)

Spurs in 7

Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers ( 4 vs 5 ) Strange.. If this series takes place in 2010 I think I pick differently.. I just think Portland is a year away.. Next year at this time with Roy and Aldridge and an improved Oden the Blazers have a real shot to make a run in the playoffs.. However, it is 2009 , and if Yao can stay on the floor for all the games in the series ( IF ) and Artest can refrain from jumping in to the stands ( I'll Never forget this video .. Could not believe what I was watching.. ) Then the Rockets will win this series... They will break the first round curse and further prove that T Mac is overrated..

Rockets in 6

That leaves us with Lakers vs Rockets... Spurs vs Nuggets.. Cavs vs Hawks and Celtics vs Magic

Stay Tuned for second round predictions on Wednesday.. Go Celtics... And Rangers..( there Ezra ..Just for u)

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