NBA PLayoffs (1st round)

Playoff's progress.

I said Celtics over Bulls in 4. Bulls shocked the world by winning the first two in Boston and surprised no one by losing the next two back in Chicago. Celtics in 6 was easy to see after you realized the DWade-Rondo Bulls Renaissance lasted exactly two games. Since I can't stand watching the Bulls I forgot how damn good Jimmy Butler (he's damn good) and the Celtics really had nothing to stop the mighty Robin Lopez but it never felt like Wade, Canaan, MCW, Mirotic, Portis, etc, were ever gonna bring enough offense to counter the Celtics whipping the ball around. The Celtics still have problems but that's not why they dropped those first two to the Bulls.

I said Cavs over Pacers in 4 because Lebron likes to hit the ground running in the playoffs and the Pacers looked done, man, like done being in the same Arena with each other kinda done. It would've taken a super human effort from Paul George and a comet hitting the city of Cleveland for the Pacers to have a random shot of winning even a game in this series. Yup, Cavs sweep was a pretty easy call.

I had Raptors over Bucks in 7, Though the Bucks gave the Raptors an early punch in the face in Game One, the Series kinda went where I thought it would go: the Raptors are the better team but sometimes it takes them a while to remember that. The Bucks are young, dumb, total wild card, they had the element of surprise, but the Raptors are a deep veteran team where everybody knows the role. The Bucks are the coolest sloppy young team this side of Denver. Raptors in 6 (where they really tried to give the game back at the end!) was a slight over achievement to my mind.

I had Wizards over Hawks in 7. I thought the home team would win every game in this series, thought the two teams were close with the Wizards being enough more explosive on offense that they'd take Game Seven. The games didn't go quite the way I thought they would but it was by no means a blowout.Similar to the Raptors, I thought the Wizards over achieved by taking the decisive game early and on the road. Good for Wall and co., they've had playoff success in the past but no one gives them any credit for it.


I had the Warriors in 5, thinking the Blazers would have one lights-out night and the Warriors would rollover for a night up in Portland (probably Game Three). Ehh, didn't happen. Turns out the Blazers playing their best game all year long wouldn't cover the spread against the Warriors even on an off-night. Warriors are getting their groove on, think they're gonna roll over everyone they face.

I had the Spurs in 4 but I also kinda thought it could go 7. My first thought was the Spurs are better than the team that swept the Grizzlies last year, so why wouldn't they breeze through Memphis again?Then again, the Grizzlies had Jordan Farmar (*) starting for them in the playoffs last year.  The Grizz still kinda got grit and grind but isn't the Grit and Grind era spookily similar to CP/Blake/Deandre in LA? I like the new coach with the old players but they were never enough back in the day and they're getting even less enough every year that goes by. The Spurs are the better team and it wouldn't have surprised me if they won in 4, but it wouldn't have surprised me if the Grizz dialed it up and pushed them to Game Seven. Spurs taking Game Six on the road is kind of baller.

I had Rockets over Thunder in 6, they won in 5. OKC had chances of slowing down the Rockets but only enough for a game or two. I thought it'd be 2, it was only 1. I really believe in the Rockets this year, especially in the playoffs, I think they have a chance to get even better in the post-season. And the Thunder were nice but they never consistently did anything, so it isn't that Russell clogs the offense or that the supporting cast isn't any good, it's just that they don't do anything in a dominant fashion so they have to work so hard for everything. Rockets don't have to work that hard, they're gonna score way exerting less effort. I love Westbrook and I'd love for the Thunder to move on but I don't see this team going deep in the playoffs any time soon. Rockets finishing it in 5 was pretty smart for them, an impressive 1st round.

I had Clippers over Jazz in 7 only because the Clippers would be the home team in Game Seven. I went with 7 because I thought the home team would win each game but the Jazz are 2-1 in LA and 1-2 at home, which is kinda surprising and not surprising at all. The Clippers are without Blake (whose absence inspired the Clippers in Game Three but caught up to them in Game Five), but they tend to play better without Blake (my heart goes out to the next Clipper equipment manager who accidentally makes that realization out loud) so I'm inclined to stick to 7 games. Incidentally, I think CP3 and Deandre are juiced in, I can see Doc and Austin hanging around (although I can see them both splitting too), 50/50 on Crawford, but I think Blake, Reddick and everyone else is out of there. (Make room for Melo) Meanwhile, the Jazz are a GM's dream: drafted Hayward, Burks, Gobert Exum, Lyles, got Favors in a blockbuster, craftily added Hill, Ingles, Joe Johnson, Diaw, Mack. Perfect mix of youth and vet, a really well-structured, well-crafted squad. I took the home team in Seven at the beginning, I might as well stick with that now.

* (Jordan Farmar!)