Conference Finals Predictions

1^st Round Record (6-2)

Conf Semi’s Record (4-0)

 

Eastern Conference Finals

Indiana Pacers Vs Miami Heat

When the playoffs began The Indiana Pacers are the only team that I thought would be able to even compete for The Eastern Conference Title against The Heat and here we are the two best teams out in The East ready to battle it out. The reason why I think The Pacers are the only team from The Eastern Conference who can beat them is not only because of their play in the paint defensively and against the boards, but they have a deep bench. But their biggest weakness is their turnovers and that’s the last thing you want to do against The Heat because they will take advantage and 9 times out of 10 will score off of that turnover.  The Heat are a much better team this year than they were last year when they won the Championship, they have a much improved bench and added a couple pieces with Ray Allen and Birdman who have made some big plays when they needed to.  Overall I think the deciding factor in this series will be Dwayne Wade’s overall play because he has been injured all season and hasn’t played well at all because of it, if he can step it up even in the smallest capacity they shouldn’t have a problem, but if not this might be a tough series for The Heat. In my opinion this is going to be the first decent opponent for The Heat in the playoffs thus far so they might be caught off guard when the series starts but I have a feeling in the end they will snap out of it and win what should be a hard fought series. Their experience, Lebron having another dominant season and The Pacers turnovers will probably come back to haunt them.

Heat over Pacers 7 games

Western Conference Finals

Memphis Grizzlies Vs San Antonio Spurs

This is going to be one hell of a matchup! Both of these teams are almost identical to eachother the only difference is The Grizzlies are a younger team, but as The Spurs have shown all season long that their age is not a problem. Greg Poppovich is having one of his greatest seasons of his career as a coach, I believe, and has his team ready physically and mentally to beat every team they face no matter what the circumstances are. The Grizzlies have also been quietly dominating all season and it’s started with their play inside the paint by dominating the boards and playing great defense. I have a feeling the majority of the games in this series will be low scoring mostly dominated by the defense. Where I think The Spurs will have the edge is with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, they are more reliable in the clutch as opposed to Conley for The Grizzlies, hell even Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner are just as reliable in the clutch. The fact is The Spurs are just a deeper more experienced squad and I think that will be to their advantage in the series.

Spurs over Grizzlies 6 games

NBA Conference Semi's Predictions

1^st Round Record: (6-2)

Eastern Conference

Chicago Bulls Vs Miami Heat

The Bulls are coming into this series beat up and that’s not good since The Heat have been sitting back relaxing and preparing for their next opponent. Nate Robinson has carried The Bulls this season and looked great in the first round against The Nets, but outside of him everybody else is hurting and not playing consistent. The Heat on the other hand are looking strong, Lebron is playing well, Chris Bosh is also playing well and The bench is stepping it up. Even though Dwayne Wade has been battling injuries throughout the season everybody else has been able to step it up in his absence when he’s had to sit out. I have a feeling this will be a quick and easy series for The Heat because The Bulls are not deep enough to last an entire series against The Heat.

Heat over Bulls 5 games

Indiana Pacers Vs New York Knicks

This is going to be one hell of a matchup! Carmelo Anthony got beat up in the first round of the playoffs but it doesn’t look like it’s bad enough where it will really be effecting his play. It does look like some of the other guys on The Knicks ego’s got in the way and they did get exposed by The Celtics in situations where they shouldn’t have. Hopefully they learned from that and figured out they haven’t accomplished shit until they actually win something like a fucking Championship!! The Pacers dominated The Hawks in the first round and I believe will come into this round hungry and ready to beat The Knicks. Both of these teams can light you up on the offensive side but where I think The Pacers have the edge is on defense and in the paint. Tyson Chandler is a good player but dude is hurt and old, as well as most of the guys on The Knicks, where as The Pacers are the exact opposite they are healthy and young and will be tough to keep up with. This should be a fun series to watch, but I think The Pacers will walk away with the win.

Pacers over Knicks 7 games

Western Conference

Memphis Grizzlies Vs Oklahoma City Thunder

Well here The Grizzlies are yet again playing the role of spoiler in the playoffs. They have been doing this the past couple of seasons in the playoffs, they take on the underdog role and just straight dominate teams and take everyone by surprise and they just did it in the first round to the high powered Clippers. The Clippers aren’t a chump squad either and The Grizzlies just straight up dominated them and here they are ready to take on The Thunder. The Thunder took a major hit to their team with Russell Westbrook getting injured, now everything is on Kevin Durant and hopefully some role player can step up and help him out, but I was not convinced with what happened in the first round against The Rockets. The Thunder look like a completely different team without Westbrook and I feel like this is something The Grizzlies can take advantage of because they are on fire and are not afraid to step up and beat the best teams in the league. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol are dominating in the paint and will have the advantage here against The Thunder, they also have enough fire power to keep up with The Thunder’s high powered offense and have enough defense to contain Kevin Durant. If Westbrook was playing in this matchup I’d take The Thunder no question, but The Grizzlies are a hot team right now and I think are going to surprise people and pull the upset.

Grizzlies over Thunder 7 games

Golden State Warriors Vs San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs came out strong against The Lakers in the first round and even though The Lakers played like absolute garbage that still doesn’t take away anything from how bad The Spurs kicked their ass! Tony Parker has been balling uncontrollably this year and continues to do so in the playoffs, Manu Ginobili looks to finally be healthy and Tim Duncan is still playing strong even though he is 108 years old! Duncan absolutely killed it in the paint against two seven footers, so it is going to be interesting to see if The Warriors have an answer for all The Spurs weapons on offense and defense. In the paint is where The Spurs should really dominate, especially now that David Lee is hurt, but even if he was healthy I will take Tim Duncan any day over what Golden State has going on in the paint. Stephen Curry is also having an insane year, he has really stepped up his game and has become the leader of this Warriors squad! I really like what Mark Jackson has done with The Warriors over the last couple of seasons, he has made them a tough, competitive team who really believes in what they do. But I don’t think they have enough to beat The Spurs. The Spurs have a ton of playoff experience on their team, guys with multiple rings and Coach Pop is one of the best in the game. I think this should be another quick series for The Spurs.

Spurs over Warriors 5 games

NBA First Round Playoff Predictions

Eastern Conference

Miami Heat Vs Milwaukee Bucks

This will probably be the most boring matchup of the playoffs because The Bucks have absolutely no chance against The Heat! Hell I bet Coach Spo could sit Lebron, D Wade and Chris Bosh for the entire series and it would still be a sweep!

Heat over Bucks 4 Games

New York Knicks Vs Boston Celtics

The Celtics have spent most of this season injured and have really had a pretty shitty season compared to seasons in the past few years. It seems everytime they get it going they get hit with another injury and they start to slump again. The Knicks on the other hand have had a great season despite all their injury problems. Carmelo has been playing out of his mind and is having the best season of his career and even through his own injuries he’s led this team straight into the playoffs as a legitimate contender. The Knicks have a solid bench too which has been a big help and JR Smith is also having a career year. The Knicks have been on a tear since The All Star Break and are probably the healthiest they’ve been since the beginning of the season and with all The Celtics injury problems I don’t feel like this is even going to be a competitive series. I think The Knicks will run away with it!

Knicks over Celtics 5 games

Indiana Pacers Vs Atlanta Hawks

The Pacers have been one of the surprise dominant teams out in The East, they’re young, fresh, fast, can score a lot of points, and play well on the defensive side. I feel like this team is a legitimate threat to The Miami Heat in The Eastern Conference because they’re overlooked and are deep enough to keep up with the best. Atlanta has been up and down all season and basically just backed their way into the playoffs. This should be a quick and easy series for The Pacers they own The Hawks in just about every single category.

Pacers over Hawks 5 games

Brooklyn Nets Vs Chicago Bulls

This is going to be the only good matchup in The First Round from The Eastern Conference. The Bulls haven’t missed a beat even though their team leader Derrick Rose has been out all season since he tore his ACL about a year ago and he still isn’t back. There’s a possibility he could make a return sometime in the playoffs but there is no need to rush him back since the team is playing so well. Carlos Boozer is having a great season and The Bulls are still one of the top defensive teams in the league, the thing that will hurt them is Joakim Noah’s injury. Him being out does hurt them defensively and if they don’t get him back I don’t think they have a shot at a Championship. The Nets have had a much improved season led by Derron Williams who is also having a great season. If Noah comes back strong I feel like The Bulls should win the series easily, but if he does not that will make things a lot more interesting. If The Bulls allow The Nets to get on a roll offensively they don’t have a chance. I think The Bulls are a better team, especially on the defensive side, and will win the series in the end.

Bulls over Nets 6 games

Western Conference

Oklahoma City Thunder Vs Houston Rockets

There’s a lot of hype surrounding this game because James Harden was traded before the season from The Thunder to The Rockets. This turned out to be a great thing for The Rockets because dude is having a career year, but The Thunder obviously have not suffered so far from this trade. Kevin Durant is having yet another great season and so is Westbrook and I think the Thunder are ready for another run at The Championship! I really don’t think this is going to be a good series and I think The Thunder will run away with it, The Rockets aren’t even in their league right now.

Thunder over Rockets 5 Games

San Antonio Spurs Vs Los Angeles Lakers

This season has been one of the worst seasons for me as a Lakers fan to watch. All the injuries, the switching of coaches, the horrible play, the drama surrounding Dwight Howard’s contract, and the final straw was the injury to Kobe Bryant! I honestly didn’t give a shit if The Lakers made the playoffs because I really just want this season to be over with. I mean come on without Kobe this team is in no way a Championship calibur team. I know a lot of Lakers fans are getting their hopes because we’re playing The Spurs who have been struggling lately, but come on people let’s not kid ourselves…our Lakers are done! A lot of people are counting The Spurs out right now because of their current struggles, but honestly I think that’s the way they like it and I think when they’re under the radar they play better and want to prove people wrong. Tim Duncan is having a great season and I will never count The Spurs out when this guy is out there playing at such a high level. Tony Parker is having a tough time coming back from his ankle sprain and Manu has also been dealing with injury issues, which is why this team is slumping, but I think they have lucked out by playing The Lakers because The Lakers are lucky if they can win two games in a row. This should be a decent series but The Spurs will win it.

Spurs over Lakers 6 games

Denver Nuggets Vs Golden State Warriors

The Warriors have been one of the surprise teams out West, they have been lighting up teams on offense and Stephan Curry has been having a career year! The Nuggets have silently been beating down teams and even had their own winning streak going, but ESPN was too busy hanging on The Heats nuts to even notice. This should be a fun matchup to watch with two teams that can get it going on the offensive side, but I think where The Nuggets have the edge is on the defensive side. The Nuggets are a team with scrappy guys who go hard in the paint and I think that is where they will beat The Warriors in this series.

Nuggets over Warriors 6 Games

Los Angeles Clippers Vs Memphis Grizzlies

This is probably going to be the best matchup in The Western Conference in the first round. Both of these teams matchup well against eachother especially in the paint. Memphis has been going strong since the start of the season, even with the trade of Rudy Gay they are still playing well. The Clippers have also had a great season and look like a team that is ready to contend for a title, Chris Paul has this team looking great and Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan have been holding it down in the middle on offense and defense. The Clippers have looked like a team on a mission this season and I feel like they could win The West if they continue to play at this high pace. The Grizzlies have been hit by injuries and I feel like it will hold them back in the series. I give the edge to The Clippers in this matchup but it will be a fun one to watch, The Grizzlies over the last couple of seasons have made the playoffs very interesting and I expect them to do the same this year as well.

Clippers over Grizzlies 7 games

NCAA Basketball National Championship Prediction

Michigan Vs Louisville

This year’s NCAA Torunament has been full of some crazy moments and great games and now here we are at The National Championship. Both of these teams have had great seasons and played the most consistent basketball compared to all the other teams ranked in the Top 25. Louisville has been dominant during this tournament by owning each and every opponent that they have faced up until the Wichita St game. Louisville’s strength is on offense but they can lock it down on defense when they need to, while Michigan is the opposite their strength is their defense but their offense can catch fire. Michigan has the player of the year a spectacular point guard, Trey Burke, who has led this team in scoring and is the obvious leader of the team. I think the edge in this matchup will go to Louisville because their overall schedule from the regular season up until this point has been more tough than Michigan’s. Louisville dominated more teams in the Top 25 during the regular season and have been extremely focused and dominant during this tournament. Also Rick Pitino is a great coach and seems to have his team focused and ready to win it all. This should be a good matchup since these teams are similar, but Louisville has had to overcome a lot this season and I think they will end up with the win.

Louisville over Michigan 66-63

Super Bowl XLVII Prediction

Wildcard Record: 3-1

Divisional Record: 2-2

Conf Champs Record: 2-0

Super Bowl XLVII Prediction

Baltimore Ravens Vs San Francisco 49ers

What a matchup this is going to be, both of these teams are evenly matched on offense, defense, special teams and even with the coaches! Both of The Harbaugh brothers have proven to be tough and smart coaches making huge decisions mid season and have ended up in The Super Bowl. Jim Harbaugh had to make the decision in the middle of the season to start Colin Kaepernick at quarterback over Alex Smith and so far it has worked out for The 49ers. Kaepernick has been lighting up defenses in many different ways whether it's through the air or on the ground he gets it done, he's not afraid or intimidated by anything and he obviously has his teammates respect. The 49ers defense is also one of the best in the league and everybody seems to have forgotten how good they are just because Kaepernick has been playing so well. But their front line is stacked and ready to attack any opposing quarterback and have his ass either laid out for a sack or causing a turnover.

John Harbaugh decided to fire his offensive coordinator in the middle of the season and so far that decision has proven to be the correct one. Joe Flacco has been lighting up every defense he has faced so far this post season and hasn't thrown one interception either, so he's not only airing it out and scoring points but not making any mistakes. I can't forget about their beast running back Ray Rice, he is such a huge part of this offense and is always reliable in the clutch. This is Ray Lewis's last game and I have a feeling that every guy on this team will be playing their hearts out to make sure he ends it on top. The Ravens have always been known for their defense and now that they're healthy we've seen why during the playoffs. I picked The Ravens to win it all at the beginning of the season and I have to stick with them until the end. This should be a great Super Bowl and I don't see either team running away with it, but The Ravens have been tested more during the season and I feel will end up winning it all in the end.

Ravens over 49ers 28-24

MVP: Ed Reed

NFL Conference Championship Predictions

Wildcard Record: 3-1

Divisional Record: 2-2

Conference Championship

NFC

San Francisco 49ers Vs Atlanta Falcons

Not only were The Falcons able to score more than 2 points in last weeks playoff game, but they actually got the win too! But I still don't have faith in them, they really wanted to give last weeks game away to Seattle but really just lucked out by getting just enough time on the clock to make a couple big plays to get in line to make the game winning field goal. The 49ers on the other hand had a huge win last week against The Packers, Colin Kaepernick stepped it up and had a great game for his playoff debut and the defense also stepped it up and had a great game and kept the high powered Packers offense in check. I expect this game to be a high scoring offensive shootout and even though The Falcons play the duel threat quarterbacks very well, I still can't pick The Falcons in this matchup. They're notorious choke artists and until they prove otherwise I think The 49ers will be able to come into Atlanta and play a great game and if it comes down to the wire like it did against Seattle, I think The 49ers will come out on top. Kaepernick probably won't have the stats he did last week, The Falcons won't get embarrassed, and Matt Ryan does play great at home, but I'm pretty sure they're going to choke once again.

49ers over Falcons 35-31

AFC

Baltimore Ravens Vs New England Patriots

At the beginning of the season I predicted that The Ravens would win The Super Bowl and so far they are looking like they could do it! They are headed to New England where they already beat The Patriots earlier in the season in a close game. The Ravens at times have looked like a great team and other times look like they have no idea what they're doing, but so far in the playoffs they have really stepped it up, they dominated The Colts in the Wildcard round and had an insane comeback double overtime win in Denver against one of the best teams during the regular season. The Patriots have basically been the same old Patriots, Tom Brady dominates on offense and the defense just manages to get by. The defense is much better than it has been in season's past, but they still aren't that impressive. Ever since Ray Lewis announced he will be retiring after the playoffs, I had a feeling that would give his team a bit more motivation and I feel like this matchup will be perfect for them. The Ravens defense is healthy so they should be on the attack with Tom Brady and have him running around all day. Joe Flacco has been lighting up defenses the past two games so he should a field day with The Patriots secondary, and obviously The Ravens have no problem playing on the road this season. I was pissed at myself for going against what I predicted at the beginning of the season and picking against The Ravens, this week I am sticking by them and I think they're moving onto The Super Bowl!

Ravens over Patriots 28-27