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Well, I've gotten all five of the series completed thus far from the last round correct, but I'm not too optimistic about getting all eight right again this year. Injuries have essentially decimated the Clippers (that and the Steph Curry injury being the inspiration for the subtitle here, which was used three years ago) and the Heat are currently one game away from elimination. And Toronto will always be Toronto, so all bets are off there. This is what I get for playing the favorites though.
All of that said, there's little reason not to continue playing the favorites. I've caught occasional moments of the NBA Playoffs thus far, as the first round was deemed as rarely being worth my time. Things are bound to get more competitive now (in some of the series in this round).
The second round will begin this weekend although only two of the four series have been determined. So much like my recent NHL picks, I'm going to have to update my picks later. In one series, I'm going to have to wait until we know any of the four possible participants.
Again, I really don't see myself taking in a full basketball game until the Western Conference Finals, but the Spurs-Thunder series certainly has potential to be the first really great one of these playoffs.
It is, of course, sad times around these parts as I've been forced to convert the image of Jonathan Toews to the film grain black and white tone after the elimination of the defending champion Blackhawks. First-round exits aren't exactly unprecedented for this team, but we fans have come to expect having rooting interests in games well into May and usually June. And Lord knows everybody has come to expect the Blues to choke away series leads.
Instead, the season has ended in April. And my predicted champion this year was also eliminated. As it currently stands, I've gotten half of my picks in the last round right. The total might increase to five if Anaheim does not piss away a Game 7 at home for once.
It seems that in years past, the second round did not begin until the first was completely over. Yet the first series of the conference semifinals will begin even before the puck drops on the final game of the opening round tonight. So I'll have to revise this graphic later on.
For the time being, I'm still adjusting to the possibility that a team other than Chicago or Los Angeles will be hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup this June. Part of me is inclined to believe that an Eastern Conference team is going to once again take advantage and emerge victorious in the Final, but another part of me is legitimately fearful that maybe the Blues really have finally put it all together this year.
And then another part of me is simply rooting for the Sharks. Because that would be hysterical.
My NBA pre-season predictions were once again more accurate than my NHL ones, as I got 11 of the 30 teams in their correct final spots in the standings for the second straight year. I also correctly identified 11 of the 16 playoff teams (five in the East and six in the West). My predicted Finals is still alive, and I'm feeling pretty confident that I was right about which four teams in the Western Conference will be advancing in this round.
As is what always seems to be the case with the NBA Playoffs predictions, I see no point in not playing it safe as there is usually very little in the way of surprises in basketball. Hell, after a 73-9 season, I've seen only one observer thus far who isn't picking the Warriors to repeat as champions in June.
Like many others, I clearly overestimated the Bulls this year—but I'm fairly relieved that I will not have to endure any further embarrassing displays from that garbage fire this season, In all likelihood, there's maybe two suspenseful series in this round (involving four teams in the Eastern Conference that all finished with the same record).
Last year was the first year I can remember ever going a perfect eight for eight in opening round predictions (NBA or NHL), and I kind of like my chances of doing that again this year. However, my pick of the Clippers over the Spurs last season was something of an upset that came to pass and I'm not really about to pick anything outside of popular opinion this time around.
As is so often the case when the Stanley Sup Playoffs begin, I get to look back on my preseason predictions and basically make everything red. For the second straight year, a mere five of the teams in their correct spots in the final standings—although I has the top three teams in the Central and the Metropolitan right, just in the wrong order.
I correctly guessed seven of the eight Western Conference playoff teams, but only five of the eight Eastern Conference playoff teams. (FULL DISCLOSURE: I originally entered that predicted Lightning opponent as "Red Blue Jackets," which I'm assuming was intended to be Columbus and not Detroit—even though the Wings would've counted as another correct guess.) At least both of my final two teams are still alive this year—although both seem rather vulnerable from the outset.
While I'll certainly be rooting for the Blackhawks to repeat and win a fourth Cup in seven seasons, the team's defense is still somewhat of a concern. Of course, the most pressing issue this year may be how much hockey I get to watch. The hope is that holding a sleeping child while watching late-night playoff games goes over well with the wife, but the child's newfound love of the kid's apps on my phone could pose problems if I'm forced to rely on the NBC Sports app.
I'm fairly confident I'll find one way or another to watch as much hockey as I can consume, and I'm expecting surprises along the way.
Let me just begin by saying that I really have no idea. I didn't do so well on my baseball picks last year, and probably haven't done well since I don't know, 2004. So there's nothing this year that makes me feel especially confident about what I'm about to forecast.
I'm immediately skeptical because of the number of people picking the Cubs to win the World Series this year—a bad sign if there ever was one. Still, the Cubs are deserving favorites in the National League, although there's certainly any number of possible contenders.
The American League, on the other hand, strikes me as being fairly wide open. I don't particularly like any of the teams to win their respective divisions, so I'm sort of of holding my nose as I post those picks.
Anyway, as is so often the case with these beginning of the year predictions, I'm pressed for time and will be forgoing commentary for each division. Not that I would have offered anything terribly insightful.
