Playoff predictions
[The last time I made a prediction on any sort of blog was about that season of Survivor and what would happen with the difference “races.” Fortunately/unfortunately, I was massively wrong.]
West: Jazz (very unfortunately) over the Warriors in 7. Suns over Spurs in 6.
East: Pistons over Bulls in 4 (that Gasol trade looks pretty good right about now). Cavs over Nets in 5.
And then.
West: Suns over Jazz in 5.
East: Cavs over Pistons in 5.
Which ends in.
Finals: Suns over Cavs in 6.
Walking away from it, what the post-season will show:
#1. Winning teams will run and play finesse ball where people do what it is that basketball set out to do: everybody should know how to pass and shoot. No more (or dramatically less) mauling people in the paint and going the way of the NHL and having people in the game just to bruise other players.
#2. Lebron’s leap to the top is going to happen a lot sooner than folks expected. He has enough to get to the near top, but he is way short of pulling it all off. They’ll look to consolidate talent and make big Z the third best player on the team, not the maybe-fourth (if they don’t trade him in the first place).
#3. The Pistons’ window has closed. Chauncey is on his way out, Rasheed, Chris and Antonio are old and now all you’ve got is Shawn Marion Jr. in Tayshaun.
#4. The Bulls, realizing #3 and being a little upset at their humiliation by the Pistons, will finally go after Jermaine O’Neal.