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1/17/09 Wolves at Suns Recap
Game 38- Minnesota Timberwolves 105 at Phoenix Suns 103 (12-26)
1/17/09 1:00 am
Before we get into the game, here were my keys to the game for the Wolves to beat the Suns that were listed in my game preview.
-Get to the free throw line 20+times (Attempted 19 free throws)
-Create turnovers (Suns had 13 turnovers, Wolves 9)
-Win the bench battle (Love 13 points and 14 rebounds, Carney 17 points)
-Big Al needs to bounce back after a rough game against Miami (Al had 22 points and 12 rebounds and hit several big shots)
-Control the boards (Outrebounded the Suns 50-43, Love had 7 offensive rebounds)
-Limit Nash and co. on the fastbreak (Nash had 6 points and 6 assists)
-Shoot 45% from the field (Shot 43.3%...close enough)
The Wolves checked off everyone of my goals tonight with about 95% accuracy, they did all the little things to beat a more talented team in the Suns.
It still is mind boggling to me that a team of Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Amare Stoudemire, Shaquille O'Neal, Grant Hill and Leandro Barbosa is not winning more games. How much more talent do you need? In tonight's game, the Suns had the Wolves outmatched in practically every position. But this is the beauty of basketball, the most talented team does not necessarily win. In the end, the team that plays with the most confidence, chemistry and makes the little plays will get the win.
The Wolves looked like a long shot on the road versus the Suns but something is different about the 2009 Wolves. They are playing with passion and most importantly they are having fun out there on the court. Teams can easily overlook the Wolves like Suns did tonight. We have no size and no big names. But we have one thing the Suns don't have right now and that's chemistry. This team is clicking on all cylinders right now from the starters to the bench.
Another big thing for the Wolves lately has been consistency. That word has haunted this team the last two seasons. Guys like Foye, Telfair, Carney, Love, Cardinal have given the Wolves reliable play as of late which has taken a lot of pressure off of Big Al. These guys are coming in game after game and doing their thing whether it's shooting, rebounding or bringing toughness. Foye has established himself as the #2 guy on this team and he put on another "4th quarter Foye" performance tonight. Foye hit a ridiculous 21-foot fadaway jump-shot as the shot clock expired with 1:58 to give the Wolves 102-101 lead.
Love and Carney have officially become a duo off the bench combining for 30 points tonight and electrifying the team through offensive rebounds(Love) and dunks(Carney). It's too bad that Carney didn't get things going sooner because he would have been a shoe in for the dunk contest. Carney once again had a few dunks tonight that simply had me in awe. The way this guy flies to the rim reminds me a lot of young Dominique Williams. He just throws it down with absolute power. How jealous do you think McCants is right now that a guy that was sitting behind him at the start of the season is now getting all the attention at the guard position? Something tells me he may be the jealous type, just a guess based on his attitude. Don't forget about Brian Cardinal too. Cardinal may not put up a lot of numbers but his impact has been just as big. He has turned into a reliable player off the bench that simply just gives the Wolves good play.
Telfair outplayed Steve Nash tonight in almost every aspect of the game. That was a complete shocker to me. Something tells me that Nash is maybe getting worn out of being a Sun. Frankly I think he is sick and tired of the inconsistency this team has faced while he has been in a Suns uniform. With all the trade rumors surrounding him as of late, I think it's starting to affect his play as he is maybe thinking of playing for another team, especially the Raptors. Back to Telfair, this guy once again put up productive numbers as the starting points guard. The turnovers are still an issue but they are standing out less because Bassy is finally hitting his open shots. Bassy scored 6 points in a row for the Wolves in the 4th quarter to help them go from 81-83 to 87-84.
Al Jefferson, Craig Smith and Kevin Love...Outsized Down Low
These three guys proved a lot to me tonight by playing against a bigger and more experienced player in Shaquille O'Neal. All three of these guys were outsized against the Diesel but that did not slow them down from putting up huge numbers. Offensively, Big Al did work on Shaq in the block, Smith was everywhere and Love grabbed a few offensive boards over Shaq. Defensively, both Al and Love held their ground limiting Shaq to 22 points and Smith did a good job on Amare using his strength to cause problems. So if there was ever a question if these guys can play against bigger opponents...the answer is yes. For these three guys to play as well as they did tonight, it says a lot about their determination and confidence in their abilities.
I can't imagine what a shock it must be for Kevin Love to play against Shaq as I'm sure he has never had to guard someone so big in his life other than the other time he faced him this season. 6'8 260 versus 7'1 325 is quite a difference. 20 year old versus 36 year old is also quite a difference. Often times you forget about the age differences in the NBA. Here is a guy a year out of his teens guarding a grown man in one of the most difficult tasks that you could ask from an athlete. All I can say is what an incredible display of effort by the young rookie.
Craig Smith Quietly Good
Know who had the second most points tonight? Craig Smith. Smith put up a very encouraging performance with 18 points and 7 rebounds and was just impressive as Big Al and Love. I noted before the game that Smith would need to have a big game if the Wolves were to win because they need more scoring other than from Al and Foye. Smith answered the call tonight shooting 7-10 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line.
Kevin Love...New Nickname...."Glass"
I'm calling him "Glass" for now on because this guy is simply everywhere on the glass. I've never seen such an active rebounder on both sides of the ball from a rookie.
Things are finally going our way.....
I don't know about you but when J-Rich's 3-point shot went up with 1.6 seconds left I thought to myself, oh man here goes another crushing defeat. But when it clanked off the rim, I almost didn't believe it. Did the Timberwolves finally win a game when the other team had the last shot? Yes! It took me about a minute to settle in because I am so used to being crushed in the final minutes. Another sign things are turning around, we played the role of 4th quarter spoilers. We outscored the Suns 32-24 in the 4th quarter instead of being the ones getting outscored. We did not let a 11 points Suns lead get in our heads but instead we stayed focused and kept plugging on. Finally, you can't talk about things finally turning our way without mentioning Randy Foye's miracle shot as the shot clock ran out with 1:58 left. Last time I checked, other teams are supposed to be making shots like that against us. Way to go Randy, I'm sure you had every Suns fan with their hands in the air after that one.
1/17/09 1:00 am
Before we get into the game, here were my keys to the game for the Wolves to beat the Suns that were listed in my game preview.
-Get to the free throw line 20+times (Attempted 19 free throws)
-Create turnovers (Suns had 13 turnovers, Wolves 9)
-Win the bench battle (Love 13 points and 14 rebounds, Carney 17 points)
-Big Al needs to bounce back after a rough game against Miami (Al had 22 points and 12 rebounds and hit several big shots)
-Control the boards (Outrebounded the Suns 50-43, Love had 7 offensive rebounds)
-Limit Nash and co. on the fastbreak (Nash had 6 points and 6 assists)
-Shoot 45% from the field (Shot 43.3%...close enough)
The Wolves checked off everyone of my goals tonight with about 95% accuracy, they did all the little things to beat a more talented team in the Suns.
"Outsized, Outmatched......Does Not Matter To The 2009 Wolves"
In case you missed this one, this team continued to play anti-Randy Wittman style of ball and in return, they continued their winning ways.It still is mind boggling to me that a team of Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Amare Stoudemire, Shaquille O'Neal, Grant Hill and Leandro Barbosa is not winning more games. How much more talent do you need? In tonight's game, the Suns had the Wolves outmatched in practically every position. But this is the beauty of basketball, the most talented team does not necessarily win. In the end, the team that plays with the most confidence, chemistry and makes the little plays will get the win.
The Wolves looked like a long shot on the road versus the Suns but something is different about the 2009 Wolves. They are playing with passion and most importantly they are having fun out there on the court. Teams can easily overlook the Wolves like Suns did tonight. We have no size and no big names. But we have one thing the Suns don't have right now and that's chemistry. This team is clicking on all cylinders right now from the starters to the bench.
Another big thing for the Wolves lately has been consistency. That word has haunted this team the last two seasons. Guys like Foye, Telfair, Carney, Love, Cardinal have given the Wolves reliable play as of late which has taken a lot of pressure off of Big Al. These guys are coming in game after game and doing their thing whether it's shooting, rebounding or bringing toughness. Foye has established himself as the #2 guy on this team and he put on another "4th quarter Foye" performance tonight. Foye hit a ridiculous 21-foot fadaway jump-shot as the shot clock expired with 1:58 to give the Wolves 102-101 lead.
Love and Carney have officially become a duo off the bench combining for 30 points tonight and electrifying the team through offensive rebounds(Love) and dunks(Carney). It's too bad that Carney didn't get things going sooner because he would have been a shoe in for the dunk contest. Carney once again had a few dunks tonight that simply had me in awe. The way this guy flies to the rim reminds me a lot of young Dominique Williams. He just throws it down with absolute power. How jealous do you think McCants is right now that a guy that was sitting behind him at the start of the season is now getting all the attention at the guard position? Something tells me he may be the jealous type, just a guess based on his attitude. Don't forget about Brian Cardinal too. Cardinal may not put up a lot of numbers but his impact has been just as big. He has turned into a reliable player off the bench that simply just gives the Wolves good play.
 MVPKevin Love 13 points 14 rebounds 2 steals STAT OF THE GAME Nash limited to 6 points and 6 assists |
Telfair outplayed Steve Nash tonight in almost every aspect of the game. That was a complete shocker to me. Something tells me that Nash is maybe getting worn out of being a Sun. Frankly I think he is sick and tired of the inconsistency this team has faced while he has been in a Suns uniform. With all the trade rumors surrounding him as of late, I think it's starting to affect his play as he is maybe thinking of playing for another team, especially the Raptors. Back to Telfair, this guy once again put up productive numbers as the starting points guard. The turnovers are still an issue but they are standing out less because Bassy is finally hitting his open shots. Bassy scored 6 points in a row for the Wolves in the 4th quarter to help them go from 81-83 to 87-84.
Al Jefferson, Craig Smith and Kevin Love...Outsized Down Low
These three guys proved a lot to me tonight by playing against a bigger and more experienced player in Shaquille O'Neal. All three of these guys were outsized against the Diesel but that did not slow them down from putting up huge numbers. Offensively, Big Al did work on Shaq in the block, Smith was everywhere and Love grabbed a few offensive boards over Shaq. Defensively, both Al and Love held their ground limiting Shaq to 22 points and Smith did a good job on Amare using his strength to cause problems. So if there was ever a question if these guys can play against bigger opponents...the answer is yes. For these three guys to play as well as they did tonight, it says a lot about their determination and confidence in their abilities.
I can't imagine what a shock it must be for Kevin Love to play against Shaq as I'm sure he has never had to guard someone so big in his life other than the other time he faced him this season. 6'8 260 versus 7'1 325 is quite a difference. 20 year old versus 36 year old is also quite a difference. Often times you forget about the age differences in the NBA. Here is a guy a year out of his teens guarding a grown man in one of the most difficult tasks that you could ask from an athlete. All I can say is what an incredible display of effort by the young rookie.
Craig Smith Quietly Good
Know who had the second most points tonight? Craig Smith. Smith put up a very encouraging performance with 18 points and 7 rebounds and was just impressive as Big Al and Love. I noted before the game that Smith would need to have a big game if the Wolves were to win because they need more scoring other than from Al and Foye. Smith answered the call tonight shooting 7-10 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line.
Kevin Love...New Nickname...."Glass"
I'm calling him "Glass" for now on because this guy is simply everywhere on the glass. I've never seen such an active rebounder on both sides of the ball from a rookie.
Things are finally going our way.....
I don't know about you but when J-Rich's 3-point shot went up with 1.6 seconds left I thought to myself, oh man here goes another crushing defeat. But when it clanked off the rim, I almost didn't believe it. Did the Timberwolves finally win a game when the other team had the last shot? Yes! It took me about a minute to settle in because I am so used to being crushed in the final minutes. Another sign things are turning around, we played the role of 4th quarter spoilers. We outscored the Suns 32-24 in the 4th quarter instead of being the ones getting outscored. We did not let a 11 points Suns lead get in our heads but instead we stayed focused and kept plugging on. Finally, you can't talk about things finally turning our way without mentioning Randy Foye's miracle shot as the shot clock ran out with 1:58 left. Last time I checked, other teams are supposed to be making shots like that against us. Way to go Randy, I'm sure you had every Suns fan with their hands in the air after that one.
1/16/09 Wolves at Suns Preview
| Game Preview 1/16/09 8:00 PM CT KSTC-45 US Airways Center Phoenix, AZ Wolves (11-26) | 7-3 Last 10 | 97.7 PPG | 101.7 OPPG | Road 5-13 | Suns (22-14) | 7-3 Last 10 | 104.6 PPG | 102.7 OPPG | Home 12-7 | Suns lead season series 1-0 | |||
| Pos. | Timberwolves | Phoenix Suns | |
| PG |  TelfairPts: 7.2 Reb: 1.8 Ast: 3.9 |  NashPts: 14.7 Reb: 3.0 Ast: 8.7 | Edge: Suns Despite a drop in production this season, Nash should have no problem handling Telfair. Nash is the league's best tempo setting point guard. |
| SG |  FoyePts: 15.7 Reb: 3.4 Ast: 4.8 |  RichardsonPts: 15.9 Reb: 4.9 Ast: 2.5 | Edge: Wolves Foye is coming off another outstanding performance after scoring 29 points against the Heat. We will go with the hotter player here but J-Rich is a weapon waiting to explode. |
| SF |  GomesPts: 11.0 Reb: 4.2 Ast: 1.7 |  HillPts: 10.4 Reb: 4.4 Ast: 1.9 | Edge: Even Gomes gets another small forward past his prime in Grant Hill after playing Marion a few nights before. Both players put up similar numbers for their teams. |
| PF |  SmithPts: 8.9 Reb: 3.5 Ast: 1.3 |  StoudemirePts: 21.6 Reb: 8.4 Ast: 2.2 | Edge: Suns Amare should have no problem winning this battle. The Wolves need Smith to have a big game if they want to have any chance of winning this game. |
| C |  JeffersonPts: 22.2 Reb: 10.4 Ast: 1.6 |  O'NealPts: 17.7 Reb: 9.0 Ast: 1.7 | Edge: Even If Shaq plays, his size will be a problem for Big Al who often struggles against bigger opponents. Expect both to put up double-doubles for their teams. |
| Ben. | Key Players Carney SG Love PF Miller SF Cardinal SF McCants SG | Key Players Barnes SG Barbosa G Lopez C Amundson F Tucker G/F | Edge: Suns The Suns have one of the most electric benches in the league lead behind Barbosa and Barnes. At home these guys are tough to contain because they get the crowd into the game with their energy plays. |
| Watch out for..... | Mike Miller...Can he get out of his shooting slump? The Timberwolves will need shooting tonight if they want to keep up with the high scoring Suns. It's a long shot, but we may see a McCants appearance tonight. | ||
| Keys to the game.... | -Get to the free throw line 20+times -Create turnovers -Win the bench battle -Big Al needs to bounce back after a rough game against Miami -Control the boards -Limit Nash and co. on the fastbreak -Shoot 45% from the field | ||
| Prediction | The Suns are coming off a tough loss to Denver last night in OT so they will come into this game with a chip on their shoulder. The Wolves will also have something to prove after their 5 game winning streak was snapped by Miami. Can the Wolves beat their 2nd team with a winning record this season? Not tonight, the Suns are too good on their home court. This should be high scoring game but the Suns will prevail. SUNS 116 WOLVES 107 | ||
NBA Playoff Preview
2007-08 NBA Playoffs
1st Round Western Conference
1. Los Angeles Lakers vs 8. Denver Nuggets
Pick: Lakers in 6 games
2. New Orleans Hornets vs 7. Dallas Mavericks
Pick: Hornets in 6 games
3. San Antonio Spurs vs 6. Phoenix Suns
Pick: Suns in 7 games
4. Utah Jazz vs 5. Houston Rockets
Pick: Rockets in 7 games
2nd Round Western Conference
1. Los Angeles Lakers vs 5. Houston Rockets
Pick: Lakers in 6 games
2. New Orleans Hornets vs 6. Phoenix Suns
Picks: Suns in 6 games
Western Conference Finals
1. Los Angeles Lakers vs 6. Phoenix Suns
Pick: Suns in 6 games
1st Round Eastern Conference
1. Boston Celtics vs 8. Atlanta Hawks
Pick: Celtcs in 4 games
2. Detroit Pistons vs 7. Philadelphia 76ers
Pick: Pistons in 5 games
3. Orlando Magic vs 6. Toronto Raptors
Pick: Magic in 6 games
4. Cleveland Cavaliers vs 5. Washington Wizards
Pick: Wizards in 7 games
2nd Round Eastern Conference
1. Boston Celtics vs 5. Washington Wizards
Pick: Celtics in 5 games
2. Detroit Pistons vs 3. Orlando Magic
Pick: Pistons in 6 games
Eastern Conference Finals
1. Boston Celtics vs 2. Detroit Pistons
Pick: Celtics in 7 games
NBA Finals
1. Boston Celtics vs 6. Phoenix Suns
Pick: Celtics in 6 games
Team Logo Design's From Yahoo Sports
It's that time again NBA fans to get your popcorn ready and set your TV to playoff basketball. With the Celtics reborn in the East and the deep Western Conference this season's postseason is sure to be a crazy ride all the way til the end.
1st Round Western Conference
1. Los Angeles Lakers vs 8. Denver NuggetsPick: Lakers in 6 games
Last season we got one hell of a 1 vs 8 seed series with the Mavs and Warriors and this year's matchup shouldn't be any different. This series is loaded with all-star players, Kobe, Pau, Melo and AI so there shouldn't be a dull moment. At the end of the day the Lakers are too deep for the Nuggets and have Kobe playing at an MVP level. However, as crazy as it sounds we could have another 8 seed beat a 1 seed for the second year in a row if the Nuggets can limit Kobe's production and steal one of the first two games in LA.
Key player to watch: Pau Gasol- How dominant will Gasol be in the playoffs?
Key player to watch: Pau Gasol- How dominant will Gasol be in the playoffs?
2. New Orleans Hornets vs 7. Dallas MavericksPick: Hornets in 6 games
My head is still hurting from thinking of who is going to win this series. Do you go with the playoff tested Mavs or the hot Hornets led by Chris Paul. In a typical playoff season it's a no brainer to go with the 2 seed but with the Western Conference being so deep this season anything is possible. I'm going to go with the Hornets because they are playing better team basketball right now than the Mavs. Dirk and the Mavs are no where near last season's level and the Jason Kidd trade only seemed to cause more chemistry problems. Sorry Mavs fans but you will have to watch another 1st round exit this year.
Key player to watch: Jason Kidd- Will Kidd live up to this season's trade and give the Mavs a ring?
Key player to watch: Jason Kidd- Will Kidd live up to this season's trade and give the Mavs a ring?
3. San Antonio Spurs vs 6. Phoenix SunsPick: Suns in 7 games
I get goosebumps just thinking about how great this series is going to be. If I were to tell you before this season started that these two teams would be playing each other in the playoffs you would probably guess it would be in the conference finals but in this crazy season these two teams will be playing each other in the 1st round. There will be plenty of bad blood from last season's series which was nothing but intense the whole way through. I can't believe that I'm picking the champion Spurs to exit the playoffs in the first round but I have a gut feeling that this is the Suns year to make it to the NBA Finals. This should go 7 games as both teams are very evenly matched.
Key player to watch: Shaq- Can Shaq be his dominant self and help Nash and company get over the hump?
Key player to watch: Shaq- Can Shaq be his dominant self and help Nash and company get over the hump?
4. Utah Jazz vs 5. Houston RocketsPick: Rockets in 7 games
This year's 4 vs. 5 matchup will once again feature the Jazz and Rockets but this season the Rockets will come out of the first round and they will do so even without Yao. Tracy McGrady has the Rockets playing at another level this season and the Rockets will come out seeking revenge from last season's playoff loss. Despite their recent poor play after their remarkable 22 game win streak, I think the Rockets still have enough left in them to make a run in the playoffs. The Jazz are very solid basketball team led by Jerry Sloan and have playoff experience but have been playing too inconsistent this season to be a finals contender.
Key player to watch: Rafer Alston- Someone has to step up in Yao's absence and Alston has to be that guy.
2nd Round Western Conference
1. Los Angeles Lakers vs 5. Houston RocketsPick: Lakers in 6 games
Kobe versus T-Mac, you can't get too much better than that. I have the Rockets run ending here against the Lakers as once again the Lakers are too deep for their opponent. The Lakers exploit the Rockets hole in the middle with Pau and possibly Bynum if he is back which is doubtful.
2. New Orleans Hornets vs 6. Phoenix SunsPicks: Suns in 6 games
In a battle of two of the most exciting point guards in the league, it is Steve Nash and co. who moves onto the conference finals not Chris Paul and his Hornets. What a matchup that would be as both players have identical roles on their respective team's and are ultra competitive. In the end, the Suns have too much talent than the Hornets do and the team with more experience at this point in the playoffs usually wins.
Western Conference Finals
1. Los Angeles Lakers vs 6. Phoenix SunsPick: Suns in 6 games
Three words that say enough about this series.... Kobe vs. Shaq. These two team's meet in the conference finals in what would be one of the most exciting Western Conference finals in a long time. Two loaded teams with two great coaches, it is hard to say who would win this series but I think with the duo of Amare and Shaq down low, the Suns would have an advantage in the post as these two teams are pretty even around the perimeter. While Shaq is nowhere near his prime, his presence prevails the Suns into the NBA Finals.
1st Round Eastern Conference
1. Boston Celtics vs 8. Atlanta HawksPick: Celtcs in 4 games
In by far the most lopsided series in the playoffs, the Celtics should have no trouble defeating the young Atlanta Hawks in 4 games. The experience of this Celtics team will be tough for the Hawks to overcome, as they are very inexperienced. The Hawks have a lot of talent but they are a few years away from becoming a contender. It wouldn't surprise me if the Celtics win each one of these games by 15-20 points.
Key player too watch: Josh Smith- This young star will have to make a lot of plays for the Hawks to be competitive.
Key player too watch: Josh Smith- This young star will have to make a lot of plays for the Hawks to be competitive.
2. Detroit Pistons vs 7. Philadelphia 76ersPick: Pistons in 5 games
The 76ers were one of the pleasant surprises this season but unfortunately for them they have to face the Detroit Pistons in the first round. The Pistons in my opinion have been playing their best basketball since they were champs a few years ago. Like the Celtics, the Pistons shouldn't have too much trouble in their first round matchup but I see the 76ers getting one game from them in Philly. This series should be full of low scoring games as both teams play at a very relaxed pace and don't have one star scorer who can take over a game.
Key player too watch: Andre Iguodala- This series will prove if Iguodala is a franchise type player or if he is best suited to be a #2 man in this league.
Key player too watch: Andre Iguodala- This series will prove if Iguodala is a franchise type player or if he is best suited to be a #2 man in this league.
3. Orlando Magic vs 6. Toronto RaptorsPick: Magic in 6 games
The Orlando Magic have worked themselves back into the top of the Eastern Conference after a stellar season. The Magic get the Raptors in what should be a very good series. Both teams have young star power forwards in Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh. The Magic have the advantage though as they have more firepower around Dwight Howard than do the Raptors around Chris Bosh. The scoring trio of Howard, Lewis and Turkoglu should be enough to get the Magic out of the first round. However, the Raptors are a very deep team and are able to play almost anyone of their bench, so they can hurt you there but they are lacking another elite player next to Bosh.
Key player too watch: Jose Calderon/T.J. Ford- These two point guards need to step up big to give the Raptors reliable scoring options throughout the series.
Key player too watch: Jose Calderon/T.J. Ford- These two point guards need to step up big to give the Raptors reliable scoring options throughout the series.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers vs 5. Washington WizardsPick: Wizards in 7 games
In what should be the most exciting and evenly matched series in the East, the Wizards with the recent return of Gilbert Arenas will knock off the former Eastern Conference champs. The Cavs are still lacking a reliable scoring option other than Lebron and the trade still seems to be causing chemistry issues, which is not a good thing come playoff time. The Wizards are too balanced and have more scorers than do the Cavs but the Cavs will push this one to 7 games with their tough defense.
Key player too watch: Anyone not named Lebron James on the Cavs- Someone has to step up this postseason if this team is to have any chance of advancing.
Key player too watch: Anyone not named Lebron James on the Cavs- Someone has to step up this postseason if this team is to have any chance of advancing.
2nd Round Eastern Conference
1. Boston Celtics vs 5. Washington WizardsPick: Celtics in 5 games
This second round matchup would be a battle of "the trio's", the trio of Garnett, Pierce and Allen however gets the best of Arenas, Jamison and Butler. While I really like the Wizards this season, the Celtics are too deep of a team to be knocked out in the 2nd round. The Celtics roster is loaded with playoff experience while the Wizards roster is full of first and second round exits. Arenas is still not at his A-game and the Wizards struggle to keep up with the balanced attack of the Celtics.
2. Detroit Pistons vs 3. Orlando MagicPick: Pistons in 6 games
This battle will be one of the most underrated matchups in the playoffs if it occurs. The Magic should be able to keep up with Pistons but still being an unproven team, the Magic falter in 6 games. The Pistons defense will be tough come playoff time and I'm not convinced the Magic are ready for what is in store for them. However, Dwight Howard could completely dominate this series and give the Pistons problems.
Eastern Conference Finals
1. Boston Celtics vs 2. Detroit PistonsPick: Celtics in 7 games
I am praying for a Celtics and Pistons conference finals matchup as it would feature two storied franchises in what would be one of the most competitive series' in the last few years. KG versus his former coach, Flip Saunders, which one will get to the finals first? I'm going with KG and co. as they have a bit more hunger than do the Pistons this season to get a ring. This is the year for KG to get his ring after having an MVP season but this will be a big hurdle to get over as the Pistons are one of the toughest teams to play in the playoffs. The Celtics prevail in game 7 in dramatic fashion and move onto the NBA Finals for this first time since 1987.
NBA Finals
1. Boston Celtics vs 6. Phoenix SunsPick: Celtics in 6 games
The NBA Finals features two teams that are long overdue to get a ring but unfortunately it is once again not the Suns year. The Celtics with the addition of KG and Ray Allen get their first ring in over 20 years and do so in convincing fashion beating the Suns in 6 games. The defense of the Celtics wears down the Suns who struggle to play in Boston in what will be one hostile environment.
Team Logo Design's From Yahoo Sports
