NBA Playoffs Preview

That time of year has finally arrived. The NBA Playoffs are set to get underway and we got great matchups in this years playoffs to open things up. The Miami Heat are the defending NBA Champions and once again have the best record in basketball. One thing of surprising note about the teams in the playoffs is that the 8th seed in the east the Milwaukee Bucks were under 500. Milwaukee finished the year 38-44. So with that thought in mind lets now look at the playoff matchups for the opening round of the playoffs.

First up is the #1 seed Miami Heat vs #8 the Milwaukee Bucks. For the Bucks this is their first trip to the playoffs since 2010. Milwaukee has been in the NBA finals twice, winning a title in 1971 and losing to Boston in seven in 1974. As a franchise, the Bucks are 105-113 all time in the playoffs. With the Heat, they are the defending NBA Champions, the 2nd title in team history (the first one was in 2006), In the history of the franchise the Heat are 87-75. These two teams have never faced each other before in the playoffs, and during the regular season Miami won three of the four meetings. This series may be the easiest one of them all to predict. Milwaukee may get lucky to pick up a win at home but the Heat are going to dominate and take the series in four straight.

So next up in the east is the #2 New York Knicks vs #7 Boston Celtics. Boston has won 17 NBA Crowns, their last one coming in 2008. Last year Boston lost to the Heat in the East finals. Celtics are 8-6 all time against the Knicks in the Playoffs.Boston is 339-245 in post season play. As for the Knicks, this is the third straight year in the playoffs for them, and two time NBA Champions, winning titles in 1970 and 1973.All time the Knicks are 180-179 in the playoffs. This is going to be one of the tighter series in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks took three of the four meetings during the regular season, and that trend will continue in the playoffs. Boston is going to make things a tight series, that will not be a question. Boston is going to put up a pretty good fight but the Knicks take the series in six games.

Next up we look at the #3 Indiana Pacers vs the #6 Atlanta Hawks. This is the sixth straight year for the Hawks in the NBA playoffs. Atlanta is 2-2 all time in the playoffs against the Pacers, with  the Hawks winning the last meeting in 1996 in five games. All time the Hawks are 145-187 in playoff basketball. As for the Pacers they are making the playoffs for the 3rd straight year, and the 7th time winning their division. Indiana is 3-2 all time in the finals, their last appearance being a loss in 2000 to the Lakers. During the regular season this year, the Hawks and Pacers split the series at 2-2. Interesting to note is that during the season, the home team won every game played between the two clubs. If that trend is going to continue during the playoffs then the series favors the Pacers, who have home court advantage. Indiana is going to take the series and they will do so in seven tough games.

Now we look at the final series in the East as the #4 Brooklyn Nets take on the #5 Chicago Bulls. For the Bulls, this is the sixth straight years they've made the playoffs, with their third straight division title in the bag. The Bulls have played the Nets only once in the playoffs, with the Bulls coming out on top in 1998. Chicago has won six NBA crowns, with their last title coming in 1998.As for the Nets this is the first appearance in the playoffs since 2007, and first one in Brooklyn. The Nets are 89-96 all time in the playoffs, with two ABA crowns, but no NBA titles. Since moving to the NBA the Nets have made the finals twice, losing in both 2002 and 2003. This series is going to be a fun one to watch and a back and forth battle. Chicago will put up a good fight, but I'll take the Nets to win in six games.

Now we shift our focus over to the Western Conference and start it off with the #1 Oklahoma City Thunder taking on the #8 Houston Rockets. For the Rockets, this is their first playoff appearance since 2009. The franchise has made it to the NBA Finals twice, winning the crown in both 1994 and 1995, but the Rockets haven't made it out of the 2nd round of the playoffs since 1997. All time the Rockets are 115-121 in the playoffs. As for the Oklahoma City Thunder, this is the fourth straight year that the club has made the playoffs, and third straight division title. The last time the Thunder were the best team in the West before this year, was back in 1996 as the Seattle Supersonics when they lost to the Chicago Bulls in the finals. As a franchise the Thunder have played in four NBA finals, all while they were still in Seattle, and once while in Oklahoma City. They lost in 1978 to the Washington Bullets, beat the Bullets in 1979 and lost to the Bulls in 1996, while losing in last years finals to the Miami Heat. In the playoffs the Thunder franchise is 131-129. Head to head the Thunder hold the edge in the playoffs, winning five of the six meetings in the post season. The only series the Rockets won, was the last meeting between the two in 1997. As it relates to this season, the Thunder won two of the three regular season meetings. If the past has shown anything for the Thunder/Sonics franchise its this: only one time when the team has won their division have they failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs. The only time they have won the division and been bounced in the first round was 1994. That will not happen this year. Houston is going to put up a fight, and this series will go at least five games but I'll take the Thunder to handle their business and they will move on to round two.

Next up in the West we have the #2 San Antonio Spurs taking on the #7 Los Angeles Lakers.  For the San Antonio Spurs, this will be the 15th straight year they have made the playoffs. The last time the Spurs missed the playoffs was 1997. San Antonio lost in the conference finals last year, and have played in four NBA finals winning all of them (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007). In the playoffs, the Spurs have a record of 170-144. As for the Los Angeles Lakers, this is the 7th straight year in the post season. The team has played in 29 NBA finals, winning the championship fifteen times (their last title coming in 2010). All time in the playoffs the Lakers are 437-293. Head to head, the Lakers are 9-2 all time against the Spurs in the playoffs. San Antonio has beaten the Lakers in 1999 and 2003. During this years regular season, the Spurs took two out of three from the Lakers. LA is going to have a tough go of it in the opening round without the services of Kobe Bryant, but even with him in the lineup the Spurs would have been too much. LA may get a game at home but I'll take the Spurs in five in this one.

Next we look at the #3 Denver Nuggets taking on the #6 Golden State Warriors. This is the tenth year in a row the Nuggets have made the playoffs. During that span, only once (2009) have the Nuggets made it out of the first round of the playoffs. Every other year it has been one and done for the Nuggets. Denver has never made it to the NBA finals in their history, and have an overall playoff record of 115-162. As for the Golden State Warriors, this is the first time since 2007 they have made the playoffs. Golden State has played in the finals four times, winning the title twice (last title coming in 1975). In the playoffs the Warriors are 104-121. Head to head the Nuggets and Warriors haven't played each other in the playoffs, so this should make things a little interesting.m During the regular season Denver won three of the four meetings between the two. Golden State surprised a few people this year by picking up the 6th seed in the West. I think their luck is about to run out. Their a good team, there's no denying that, but Denver is just better. Golden State may pick up a game at home but I'll take Denver in five.

Finally we take a look at the last playoff series, the #4 Los Angeles Clippers going against the #5 Memphis Grizzlies. The Los Angeles Clippers are making a playoff appearance for the 2nd year in a row and the 3rd time since 2000. Historically the Clippers haven't done very well in the playoffs, as they have never been able to get out of the 2nd round. Los Angeles has made the playoffs nine times in franchise history and made it to round two three times, including last year. All time the Clippers are 24-34 in the playoffs. As for the Memphis Grizzlies, this is the 3rd straight year in the playoffs. This is the 6th total appearance in the post season for the Grizzlies and they have made it to the 2nd round only once in franchise history, and that was back in 2011 when they lost to the Spurs. Memphis has a record of 10-22 all time in the playoffs. These two clubs have met only once before in post season play and that was last year when the Clippers won the series in seven games. During the regular seasons, Los Angeles won three of the four meetings between the two teams. This may be the most even matchup of the opening round. Some think that there is an upset brewing in this round. If there is any upset in the opening round this one has the potential for it, even more so since Memphis still has the sting of losing to the Clippers in the playoffs last year. Its going to be a hard noised series that will easily go seven games. Memphis is good but the Clippers by comparison are the better basketball team. Memphis puts up a fight but I'll take the Clippers in seven games.

So there you have it my predictions for the opening round of the NBA Playoffs!

(Authors Note: All of these predictions were made BEFORE the start of play in the first round)