Eastern Conference Playoffs: First Round Predictions

I have now done my Western Conference preview, so now we're heading East!!

#1. Indiana Pacers (56-26) vs. #8 Atlanta Hawks (38-44)

As weak as the Pacers played down the stretch, they still hung on to the #1 seed in the East, which I think saved their season. As far as this series is concerned, I don't see the Hawks giving the Pacers much trouble. If the Hawks had Al Horford, this would be a different story, but then if they had Al Horford, they wouldn't be an 8th seed, either. The Pacers are simply much more talented and deep than the Hawks are. Now with that being said, the Hawks went 2-2 against the Pacers this season, so there is some cause for concern. In their 2 wins over the Pacers, Roy Hibbert stunk up the joint big time. He had 2 points in both games combined. If the Hawks want a chance to take out the Pacers, they need Roy Hibbert to be quiet, and the possibility of that happening isn't terribly low judging by how Hibbert has played recently. But even so, the Hawks' best player right now is Paul Millsap and the Pacers' best player is Paul George. Paul George has the edge over Millsap and then in addition to Hibbert, he has Lance Stephenson and David West to help him out as well. Millsap simply doesn't have that same kind of supporting cast to get the Hawks over the hump in this series. I expect the Pacers to win this series in 5 games.

#2. Miami Heat (54-28) vs. #7 Charlotte Bobcats (43-39)

Like the previous series, I don't think this series will be terribly close. On paper, the Bobcats could take 2 games off the Heat since Al Jefferson is playing as well as any big man in NBA, averaging 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per contest. In addition, he has a great point guard to play with in Kemba Walker, who is averaging 17.7 points per game and 6.1 assists per game. However, the reason why they won't win this series is because the Heat have LeBron James, who averages 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. LeBron James is the best player on the planet, and no team has an answer for him except the Thunder who have Kevin Durant. The Bobcats have quality players, but nobody who can answer LeBron James. If you want me to further break things down, I can tell you that the Heat have Ray Allen, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Michael Beasley, Chris Andersen to throw at the Bobcats and the Bobcats have Gerald Henderson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cody Zeller, and Josh McRoberts. The Heat win the supporting cast battle as well as the battle of stars. I do want to give the Bobcats more respect though. They do defend well and the play of Al Jefferson has been fantastic. But they simply don't have the horses to win this series. I've got the Heat winning this series in 5 games.

#3. Toronto Raptors (48-34) vs. #6 Brooklyn Nets (44-38)

This series is a tough one to call. The Raptors have home court advantage and probably have the more talented team since DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are easily the best two players in this series. However, they are inexperienced and the Nets have more depth and playoff experience on their roster since they have Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, and Andrei Kirilenko. These two teams split their season series, which further illustrates my point that this series is so hard to call.

What's ultimately going to decide this series in my opinion is how DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry play in crunch time as opposes to the veterans of the Nets. All these games will be close and so what's really going decide this series is whether a star is born in DeMar DeRozan or Kyle Lowry. I'm looking at DeRozan to be the guy here since he leads the team in scoring with 22.7 points per game, but don't be shocked if Lowry takes over instead of DeRozan since he was having an all-star level season all year with his 17.9 points and 7.4 assists per game. Both guys are capable, but will either of them step up is the question. The role players for the Raptors are solid. I expect Greivis Vasquez to be solid at the point guard position and Tyler Hansbrough has playoff experience with the Pacers. He should always be good for a hard foul or two and some rebounds. But the bottom line is this comes down to the play of DeRozan and Lowry. Most people don't know a lot about these guys, but I have full faith in their ability to step up in this series and get the job done. I got the Raptors winning this series in 7 games.

#4. Chicago Bulls (48-34) vs. #5 Washington Wizards (44-38) 

It may come as a surprise to some, but the Wizards did win the season series against the Bulls 2-1, which is why everybody shouldn't exactly pencil in the Bulls as advancing to face the Pacers. The Wizards have a really good back court with John Wall (19.3 points and 8.8 assists per game) and Bradley Beal (17.1 points per game and 3.3 assists per game) that should give the Bulls a lot to handle. And then in the front court, the Wizards have Nene (14.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game) and Marcin Gortat a.k.a. The Polish Hammer (13.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game). With both a solid front court and terrific back court, the Wizards are much better than people realize and they definitely have the horses to knock off the Bulls.

What the Bulls have over the Wizards is playoff experience, better coaching, and better defense. Their front court of Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, and Taj Gibson also gives them an edge over the Wizards' front court. But their back court is suspect. D.J. Augustin has been ok for them as has Jimmy Butler and Mike Dunleavy, but it doesn't look too good next to Wall and Beal.

What probably hurts the Bulls the most in this series is that they don't have the best player in the series, and that is always a huge factor in every playoff series. The best player in this series is John Wall hands down. He's the one legitimate all-star in this whole series and if he plays like an all-star, the Wizards will win this series. Ultimately, I think he will, which is why I think the Wizards win this series in 6 games.

--Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

Southeast Division Preview

My preview of the 2013-14 NBA season continues as I move on to the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference. This division is home to the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, and Orlando Magic. As has been the case with all my previews, I will address each team in order of where I see them finishing in the division.

Miami Heat: As if there was another team I was going to pick to win this division! Yes, it will be the Miami Heat, but whether or not they take the division isn't what people are interested in. It's whether or not they can win a 3rd straight NBA championship. My answer to that question is I think they can provided they stay healthy. I know I've said health is the key for a lot of teams, but it's really true, especially for the Miami Heat. LeBron James may be the best player in the NBA, but that doesn't mean he doesn't need help to win a championship. Ray Allen bailed him out in Game 6 of the NBA Finals last season, and Dwyane Wade has been LeBron's guide to winning a championship much like how Virgil was a guide for Dante as he went through the seven degrees of hell. LeBron James needs these key teammates to be healthy and playing their best ball in order to win a third straight championship. Especially with teams like the Bulls and Pacers knocking on the door. It should also be noted that the Heat have made some key additions to their team that might be of great use in their quest for a three-peat. Those additions namely are Michael Beasley and Greg Oden. Beasley is a talented player and former lottery pick of the Heat from a few years ago. He has since been a disappointment everywhere he has been, which explains why he's back with the Heat playing for a little over one million dollars. But like I said, he is talented, and if he can harness his talent and keep his head straight, then he really could be a huge addition to this team. Especially as a scoring threat off the bench. As for Greg Oden, we all know he's a former #1 overall pick, taken ahead of Kevin Durant. We also know that he hasn't been healthy in 4 years, which makes his contributions to this team much tougher to gage. But if the best possible scenario happens, which is that he doesn't get hurt and he provides some sound minutes off the bench, then he too could make a big impact since his strengths (interior defense and rebounding) are the Heat's biggest weaknesses. The bottom line for the Heat is that they should win the NBA championship should all go according to plan. That is, LeBron James has another MVP season, Dwayne Wade and Ray Allen stay healthy, Chris Bosh continues to fly under the radar as one of the better big men in the game, and the additions of Oden and Beasley turn out to be quite beneficial. The pieces for a three-peat are there in Miami, and now all we need to see is if they can deliver the goods.

Atlanta Hawks: The Atlanta Hawks ought to be the number two team in this division, but there is quite a gap between them and the Miami Heat. The Hawks have lost swingman Josh Smith to the Pistons, which marks the end of a rather disappointing era of basketball that was headlined by Joe Johnson's ridiculous contract. The Hawks are moving forward with Paul Millsap and Al Horford as their foundation along with a solid back court featuring Lou Williams, Jeff Teague, and rookie point guard Dennis Schroeder. I think the addition of Millsap as a replacement for Josh Smith is actually pretty solid. He's more of a traditional power forward who plays tough down in the paint and grabs rebounds. He and Horford ought to work well together and help the Hawks win a good chunk of games this season. Also, the Hawks have added Kyle Korver to the mix to help hit some threes as well as another former Jazz player DeMarre Carroll, who will hustle, play good defense, and rebound. The bottom line for the Hawks is that they should make the playoffs given their one-two punch of Horford and Millsap, but they won't contend or be any sort of threat to win a series. Probably the most interesting thing to watch will be the development of Dennis Schroeder, who might end up being the best point guard in the entire 2013 NBA draft class. If he can turn into a star point guard, then the Hawks might have something to really build upon for years to come. But for now, they remain a decent team that will make the playoffs and then proceed to lose in the first round.

Washington Wizards: The Washington Wizards have just locked up their star point guard John Wall to 5 year extension worth around $80M. They are putting all their faith in him to turn them into a contending team. Wall likewise wants to prove that he is worth that money, which means that this season is a big one for the Wizards in terms of proving that they made the right decision to pay John Wall so much money. In addition to Wall, the Wizards have a terrific young shooting guard in Bradley Beal, a promising rookie small forward in Otto Porter, Jr., and a solid veteran center in Nene Hilario. The key for this Wizards teams is of course health. Wall, Beal, and Nene have all had their share of injuries over the years, and Porter, Jr. is in the process of getting an MRI on his hip. The pieces to be a playoff team are there, but the injury factor is why I don't have the Wizards ahead of the Hawks right now in the standings. If healthy, the Wizards should be a playoff team given their balance. They have the back court, they have the front court, and they have the versatile swingman. They got it all. They just need the time to stay healthy so they can figure out how to make it all come together. My prediction for the Wizards is that they will make the playoffs IF they can stay healthy. If Wall, Beal, and Nene are each sidelined for 20 games a piece, then the Wizards won't be a playoff team. It's that simple.

Charlotte Bobcats: Throughout their mediocre history, the Bobcats have been just that. Mediocre. But thankfully, they are changing their name to Hornets next season, which means that this is the last season in which "Bobcats" will be the name of a franchise in the NBA. Most people expect the Bobcats to be awful this season, but I actually think they could end up being pretty good. All that point guard Kemba Walker has needed is somebody to feed the ball to in the paint, and that need seems to be addressed thanks to the addition of Al Jefferson, whom they acquired in free agency. Jefferson last played for the Utah Jazz, and proved to be one of the better centers in the NBA. He has also proven himself to be one who can play well with point guards of the likes of Kemba Walker, which is why I think his presence will make Kemba Walker a much better player. In addition to seeing how Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson play off each other, watching the development of second year small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will be a key thing to watch this season in Charlotte. If he can prove that he was worth a top three pick in the draft, then the Bobcats may have good reason to feel good about their team as they enter their era as the Hornets. The bottom line for the Bobcats is that if Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson hit it off, they might make an interesting run at a playoff spot. I don't see them making the playoffs, but not every team has a center like Al Jefferson, either, which is why one must at least entertain the possibility of the Bobcats being a playoff team this upcoming season.

Orlando Magic: The Orlando Magic are coming off one their worst seasons ever (20-62), and I don't expect them to be a whole lot better. Rookie shooting guard Victor Oladipo will be fun to watch, but he won't make them that much better in terms of how many wins they get. I like his game and I think he has the talent to be really good in 2-3 years, but right now, he doesn't have the ability to make any sort of seismic impact on this team. As for the rest of the team, they don't have anybody who can be a star or consistently lead out on a nightly basis. Center Nikola Vucevic (acquired in the Dwight Howard trade), is a solid center, but not one who can be relied upon to make you anything competitive. The same goes for power forward Glen Davis and power forward Maurice Harkless. They have some nice role players, but no stars in Orlando, which is why they will lose a lot of games. Luckily for them, the 2014 NBA Draft is stacked with talent that can turn their franchise around much quicker than this past draft. To say the least, it'll be a long season in the Magic Kingdom.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord