By Flint Wheeler
The NBA Playoffs is a totally different ball game. After a long 82-game season, fans think they know the teams enough and turn into experts who make predictions as to who they think would win a series or win it all. I’m no different. It’s been a game that I keep on playing with myself over the years. This year, I’ve found that I made my picks too hastily and read too little (or too much, as in the case of the Bulls) about the teams and their matchups during the regular season.
Midway through the first round of the Playoffs, here are some of the surprises that have made me question my basketball knowledge:
Oh yeah, Atlanta has professional basketball players too!
I listed the Hawks as easy prey against the Pacers. Most people did. So everyone was surprised when the Hawks pulled off an impressive win in their first game. Even Jeff Teague couldn’t understand what was going on and could only shrug at the ridiculousness of them dominating Game one. The Hawks are making the Pacers work for every win in this series.
Uh Oh, Mavs have nothing to lose
The Mavs clinched the 8th seed by a hair-thin margin, and it seemed to me that they were happy just getting back to the Playoffs. Add the fact that the Spurs look ready to beat just about anyone in the league. Then the Mavs beat the Spurs. Then Vince Carter drained a game-clinching three. And suddenly, the Mavs look like they actually have a chance to upset the Spurs. They’re now 2-1 up against the mighty Spurs team, with Game 4 to be played in Dallas.
The Wizards Illusion
The fourth-seeded Bulls are down three games to one against the Wizards, dropping the fourth game despite Nene not playing. The only game the Bulls won needed Mike Dunleavy Jr. (!) going crazy from three. Nobody gave the Wizards a chance, except for hipsters and true fans. The Bulls were favored mainly because of two people the Wizards can’t possibly match – Coach Thibs and Joakim Noah. The media hyped them up as defensive juggernauts so much that they looked unbeatable especially against the offense-reliant Wizards.
Spicy Curry and the Racist Owner
Andrew Bogut is out of commission, which led me to believe that the Warriors aren’t going to beat the Clippers. After losing Game 1, the Clips absolutely destroyed the Warriors in Game 2. However, in light of a racist controversy that owner Donald Sterling is facing, the Clips looked lost in Game 4. With the series heading back to LA and the players thinking of a bigger statement than upside-down shirts, are their minds still in this series? What looked like the year that the Clippers get over the hump is fast turning into a fairy tale where the baby-faced Curry plays the lead against the evil owner.
Oh Canada!!
Toronto is probably the most excited city who’s in the Playoffs right now. After years of having a guaranteed seat at the lottery, they finally have a team that’s worth cheering for. The Raps tied the series up against Brooklyn in Game Four, and it looks like they could go further. The Deron Williams-Shaun Livingston backcourt looks awesome because both distribute the ball well and both of them are able scorers. I had Brooklyn winning this as a seed upset, but apart from being in the awful East, the Raptors may actually have a valid claim on why they’re the third seed.
Iverson, Dominique, Mcgrady and, oh yeah, Harden
This is probably the most unpredictable series to read. Aldrige dropped 47 and 43 in the first two games of the series, but slowed down a bit in the next couple of games. Most had the Rockets winning this series, but it seems nobody saw Damian Lillard being Playoffs-ready. James Harden is channeling his 2011 Finals Form. Kevin McHale’s last day is nearing soon.
Humans were not made to be 7 footers
Big Al is having a great year with the Cats, but in the first half of their game against the Heat, he injured his foot, and looked like it’ll bother him the rest of the series. Seems he just can’t catch a break in his career. Charlotte had one of the best defensive ratings in the league during the regular season, but it looks like it doesn’t mean anything against the Heat. Bring out the brooms.
Grit and Grind Never Gets Old
Defense wins in the playoffs. OKC has the best player in the series on their side, and he might be on his way to finally winning a season MVP award. However, the Grizzlies are playing the only way they know how. It’s not flashy, but it’s pretty effective. With the Grizzlies’ tough D and Westbrook giving me migraines every time I watch, I can see the Grizzle fo’ shizzle pulling off the (so-called) upset.
