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After a busy (by this site's standards in recent years, at least) couple months, this will presumably be my last post for a couple more months. Who knows, maybe I'll finally feel compelled to write about something other than sports predictions.
As we prepare for the last basketball series of the year, we're getting the Finals that pretty everybody expected when the playoffs began. That was kind of implied in the subtitle to my picks for the last round. I've gone 12-2 this year in the playoffs, indicative not so much of my prognosticating prowess as just how much these series have played out exactly as expected.
There's been relatively little in the way of surprises this year, and the only series that went seven games both involved the Clippers. Both conference finals were over almost as soon as they started. While there's some muffled expectations of hope for these Finals, I'm not really going to hold my breath.
In fairness, we are probably getting the two teams that are fair representatives of the best clubs in their respective conferences. That said, in a rather injury-plagued playoffs (by NBA standards, at least), the Finals is probably not the must-see appointment TV it would be had both teams been fully healthy.
I will not be the least bit surprised if the NBA Finals starting one night after the first game of the Stanley Cup Final gets decided before the NHL season officially ends.
Alas, I am perfect no more. I only got half my pricks right in the last round, bringing my total in the playoffs to 10-2 with three series having the correct number of games.
The last round was somewhat painful on two levels. One is obviously the Bulls doing what I fully expected them to do: get eliminated in six games. Still, this was perhaps the best chance that team's ever going to have, what with Kevin Love out for the Cavs and Kyrie Irving ailing. Now Chicago will probably have to extend a max deal to Jimmy Butler and be locked into the league's most expensive backcourt that prevents the team form making any more meaningful additions. My hopes for the future are not very high, and the effort displayed in the Game 6 elimination was especially revolting.
The biggest surprise in the last round had to be the evening I went to bed thinking the same Clippers team I picked at the beginning of the year to win the title were on their way to the conference finals when I awoke to learn this. And then yesterday their collapse became complete.
The Atlanta Hawks moving on was also technically a surprise since I picked the Wizards, but that ouster of Washington was not totally unexpected. I guess I can't complain too much since we'll be getting a champion this year that we haven't seen in at least two decades (it would have been more than three had the Clips hung on).
I can't remember the last time (if ever) I went eight-for-eight in first round playoff series predictions for the NBA (or hell, the NHL), but that's exactly what happened with the last round's picks. It almost makes me wish that I had tracked the picks of other experts, not that there would have been enormous differentiation since everybody had largely the same predictions except for maybe one or two series. OK, I only had the number of games each series would take right in two of the eight series, but let me have my moment.
All of that said, the first round was largely a colossal bore. I barely peeked in on much, with only the Spurs-Clippers seven-game series really living up to expectations. I can't see how things don't dramatically improve in the second round, what with most of the teams now having to play much better competition.
Once again, the West seems like the most attractive viewing, although this Bulls fan certainly will have a rooting interest in seeing if his favorite basketball team can knock off a suddenly vulnerable Cleveland squad. Am I optimistic about those chance?
Let's see.
In comparison to the train wreck that was my NHL predictions, my NBA predictions were a bit better. Of course, it's a bit easier when there's two more divisions with less teams. But hey, at least my title series is still alive in this sport. Not that I'm overly confident in its likelihood.
Truth be told, my picks for this first round of the NBA playoffs are pretty much going to be the exact opposite of what I was anticipating in the NHL. In other words, I'm playing it on the so-called "safe" side here and picking nearly all favorites.
Trust me, I didn't think this would be the story when I was looking at the Western Conference standings a few weeks ago and thought there was a very real chance that all the lower seeds might advance (this, obviously, was when Kevin Durant was still presumed to be participating in the playoffs). The West is just so loaded with talent that I can't deny that three so-called upsets would not surprise me.
Either way, I'm anticipating a very lively and exciting first round of basketball. Well, in the West at least. I'm not terribly likely to rip myself away from any hockey for any series in the East. Probably not even the Bulls. Wake me when LeBron is playing Chicago, thank you.
While the Bulls season tips off tonight, the regular season technically began last night. So again, my apologies for being a day late in posting these picks that are largely reprints of what I had last year.
The major exception this time around is that for the first time in some five years, I don't have the Miami Heat winning a division and coasting into the NBA Finals once again. While the loss of LeBron will certainly be devastating, the Heat should still be able to hang around in the one division in the East that has a little bit of doubt. But the debate in the East essentially boils down to which one of the two teams in the Central you like more: the Bulls or the Cavs.
The West remains an absolute freak show of talent, with some 10 teams having a realistic shot at making the playoffs. I had a hard time deciding which one of last year's teams I wouldn't pick to make it again this year.
It's still somewhat amazing for me to see the Spurs as such predominant favorites in most of the picks I've seen thus far, not because I don't think they're not talented and able to repeat but more because I've grown so used to them being dismissed as "too old" year in, year out. Still, I know we're bound to get (at least) one major injury that screws everyone's picks and possibly eliminates a very popular title favorite.
All of that said, I'll still take a stab at how I see every team finishing and which one will be hoisting the Larry O'Brien next June.
And please forgive me for the spacing and font size issues as I'm posting this while
I'm
on
my
lunch
break.
