2012-2013 NBA Playoff Projections

(8) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (1) Miami Heat (Miami wins 4-1)

The athleticism of The Heat will be on display in a classic mismatch.

It won’t take us long to see The NBA’s newest rivalry on
the big stage that is The NBA Playoffs. New York City will be buzzing
in a gritty series that will captivate the city, but it will be Nets
point guard Deron Williams showing his leadership to get The Nets past
The Knicks.

(6) Chicago Bulls vs. (3) Boston Celtics (Celtics win 4-1)

The
Bulls will be trying to get All-Star point guard Derrick Rose back on
track, but don’t expect The Celtics to feel sorry for them in this
series.

(7) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (2) Indiana Pacers (Pacers win 4-3)

This
will be one those series where you put the women and children to bed.
Two up and coming centers in Andrew Bynum for The 76ers and Roy Hibbert
of The Pacers will be on display in this one, but I expect Pacers
forward David West to have the final say in this series.

(5) Brooklyn Nets vs. (1) Miami Heat (Heat win 4-2)

The Nets will be game, but Heat forward LeBron James will be too much for Brooklyn to contain in this series.

(3) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Indiana Pacers (Celtics win 4-3)

This
will be a tightly contested defensive series where you might not see
one team score 100 points in any contest. This game will come down down
to the floor generals and the advantage goes to The Celtics with
All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo.

(3) Boston Celtics vs. (1) Miami Heat (Celtics win 4-3)

Coming
into the season Heat shooting guard Dwayne Wade was worried about
Miami’s lack of size on the interior and that will be on display in a
war of attrition with The Celtics. The Celtics have been the tougher
team over the past few seasons, but they ran out of gas in The Eastern
Conference Finals in 2012. This is no longer Paul Pierce’s team, but
Rondo will pick up the slack.

(8) Portland Trailblazers vs. (1) Oklahoma City Thunder (Thunder win 4-1)

It
will be a building block for The Trailblazers to be back in the
postseason, but they are clearly not on the same level as Oklahoma City.

(5) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (4) San Antonio Spurs (Spurs win 4-3)

In
2011, the young Grizzlies ran The Spurs out of the gym in the first
round of the playoffs and San Antonio has not forgotten. The Spurs are a
little older, but their experience will allow them to squeak by
Memphis.

(6) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (3) Denver Nuggets (Nuggets win 4-3)

Clippers
point guard Chris Paul has been a premier player in this league, but
this will be the series when everyone remembers the name of Nuggets
point guard Ty Lawson. Lawson’s numbers have improved in each of his
three seasons in The NBA, and he is ready to take his game to the next
level.

This will be an up and down season for The Mavericks and
they will not receive any sympathy from The Lakers. The Mavericks have
always had a problem stopping Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant and
point guard Steve Nash as that will once again be the case in this
playoff series.

These
two teams met in last year’s Western Conference Finals in which The
Thunder spotted The Spurs a 2-0 series lead before they kicked it into
fifth gear and won the series in six games. The Spurs ran out of answers
on how to stop the duo of forward Kevin Durant and guard Russell
Westbrook and in another calendar year Spurs head coach Greg Popovich
still won’t be able to produce the formula to defeat them.

(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (2) Los Angeles Lakers (Lakers win 4-3)

The Lakers are finding out that The Nuggets are not
ready to lie down for them. After pushing The Lakers to seven games in
the first round in 2012, they will do it again in 2013. Bryant, Nash,
and center Dwight Howard will have just enough to get The Lakers to The
Western Conference Finals.

This
is one of those series that will keep fans glued to the television as
there will be plenty of All-Stars on display, but The Lakers do not have
a guard on the roster capable of stopping Westbrook who will be the
difference maker in this series. With the likes of Serge Ibaka and
Hasheem Thabeet in the middle, The Thunder will have enough big bodies
in the middle to throw at Howard to slow him down and get Oklahoma City
back to The NBA Finals.

The
Celtics are a tough and gritty team that finds a way to win when the
chips are on the table. The Thunder and Durant got a taste of The NBA
Finals experience last season in losing to The Heat, but Boston with
aging players such as forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett see the
urgency and they know what it will mean for them to capture a second NBA
Championship together and the 18th for the franchise which has more
titles than any other NBA franchise.