First Round NBA Playoff Predictions and My Team to Watch

Team To Watch:

OKC Thunder: I love this team. I believe they have the ability this year to win it all. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant may be the names that immediately come to mind when you hear about the Thunder, but they aren’t the only good players on this team. I think the combination of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins is the best combo of big men in the playoffs. Perk is the type of player defensively that can go one-on-one with a guy, leaving Serge to block shots (which he is known for doing: 2.4 blocks per game) or grab rebounds (7.6 per game). On offense this duo may not be as good as they are on defense, but they will be consistent. Thabo Sefolosha is a major piece to the Thunder’s future in the playoffs. He is a very good defender (he held Kobe Bryant to 36% shooting from the floor, 8-22 in shots, 17 points), but the question is will he be able to carry those numbers into the playoffs? This team has depth. Any team that can bring James Harden, Nate Robinson, Nick Collison, Nazr Mohammed, Cole Aldrich, or Daequan Cook off the bench is ready for a deep playoff run at least. Perkins is the key. His health is always questionable, and if he gets injured this team will lose more than just his size, they will also lose his experience, something the Thunder need. I also like the Denver Nuggets and believe this is the best matchup in the playoffs. The Nuggets have the momentum coming off a great end to their season, while the Thunder have talent. I think the Thunder will still win, but in 5 or 6 games.

First Round Predictions:

CHI over IND

MIA over PHI

ATL over ORL

BOS over NYC

SAS over MEM

LAL over NOR

POR over DAL

OKC over DEN

The Fresh Final Four

UCONN vs. Kentucky

            Will Kemba finally become tired? That is the key question to this game. We know how Kentucky plays: a fast offensive system with a couple of big guys clogging the lane defensively. They can all be stopped by Kemba, but will Kemba ever show signs of slowing down. Kemba Walker is a fantastic player, but he carries this team too much. Other guys NEED to help him. There is a point-per-game differential of 12.8 points between Kemba and the next best shooter, Jeremy Lamb. Jamal Coombs-McDaniel could be a surprise because he has been streaky and hasn’t had a very good game since February 16^th against Georgetown. I like Brandon Knight for Kentucky, but he has to assert himself and take over this game if Kentucky will win. I am not as impressed with Terrence Jones as I was at the beginning of the season, I believe he has kind of faded behind Knight. I believe UCONN will win. I don’t see Kemba Walker getting tired yet and I think Roscoe Smith, Alex Oriakhi, and Shabazz Napier will help him contain Kentucky. The key is Kemba Walker. If he finishes the game with less than 20 points, they have a good chance of losing the game against a John Calipari team hungry for the finals.

Butler vs. VCU

            First let me state that I believe Butler will win. Butler’s unfaltering patience and depth will win them this game. I have believed since the beginning of the tournament that they are the best defensive team in the country. Howard, Mack, Smith, Vanzant, Marshall, Nored, Hahn, and Stigall. All of those guys have the ability to stop VCU. For VCU, the key is defense. If they can defend Butler better than Butler defends them, they have a good chance of winning. We know that Skeen, Burgess, and Rodriguez can score, rebound, and assist, but can they defend? I don’t believe so. At least, not well enough for Butler, the experienced team. Expect Butler to outduel VCU.

My Finals Prediction: UCONN vs. Butler