Post by bowtothebill23 on Jul 31, 2014 0:49:17 GMT -6
The playoffs are right around the corner, and while the seedings remain up for grabs, the teams are all but set. I thought about doing a contenders/pretenders but honestly, there's 5 teams with any real shot a winning a title, so let's look at the playoffs as a whole. So sit back and enjoy this writeup as we look at the potential outlook for all these teams.
Eastern Conference
1) Boston Celtics
Why They'll go far: Do we need to answer this? They are the 2 time defending NBA champions. They boast a roster as deep and talented as ever. They have an absolute cakewalk through the Eastern Conference. They have the Olympic starting Center in Zo. They boast the best defense and second best offense in addition to being the second best rebounding team.
Why They'll Fall Short: The injury to Zo caused them to fall off a bit. So it could turn out that the Warriors get a better record and if that were to be the Finals matchup, the Celtics wouldn't have home court. Additionally, they won't be tested through the playoffs. Whoever makes it through the West to face them will be battle tested and ready to go.
Outlook: I would be shocked if this team at a minimum fell short of a Finals appearance. They will likely have homecourt for the Finals as well and be well rested. Boston fans should be disappointed with anything less than a championship.
2) Indiana Pacers
Why They'll Go Far: This team trots out a starting lineup that can compete with almost anyone. They have a high-powered offense, but have the defenders capable of locking opponents down as well. If they can hold onto the 2 seed, they'll have an easy first round matchup most likely and will get a chance to face the (IMO) overrated Knicks for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Why They'll Fall Short: The depth on this team is virtually non-existent. They can very well fall out of the Central lead and end up in a tough first round matchup against the Wizards. They've struggled historically in the playoffs.
Outlook: I think this team is strong enough 1-5 to get through to the second round. I think vs the Knicks they can take it to 7 games and maybe even steal the series. I don't think they can hold up vs the Celtics in any more than 5-6 games tops.
3) New York Knicks
Why They'll Go Far: The Knicks are the second most talented team in the East. They own a top 2 player in the game in David Robinson. Despite being the 3 seed, they'll have homecourt against any Eastern team aside from the Celtics. They lock down teams on the defensive end and don't give up second chances.
Why They'll Fall Short: The Knicks are less talented than last year's teams that lost to the Celtics. They realistically have no shot there. But they may even not get that chance. Their GM is still relatively new and inexperienced when it comes to gameplanning and the playoffs. They aren't very strong offensively and may not be able to keep up with a team like the Pacers.
Outlook: This team on paper should be on course for a rematch with the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. But if they get matched up with the Pacers, look for them to struggle and maybe even drop that series.
4) Toronto Raptors
Why They'll Go Far: Coaching and Defense. The Raptors have one of the best coaches in the business. They're very opportunistic on defense, leading the East in forced turnovers and leading the entire league in turnover margin. They boast a top 5 defense and are a top 10 rebounding team. They're offense, while not spectacular, is formidable enough to win them games. They can win games both home and away which is huge considering they'll be on the road if they can make it to round 2.
Why They'll Fall Short: It's very hard to see this team losing round 1 given the huge dropoff after 4, but they are a very unspectacular team offensively. If they aren't forcing turnovers, they could very easily be outscored. No one in the East is beating the Celtics, and the Raptors are basically a lite version of the Knicks. They are ranked directly behind the Knicks in offensive and defensive efficiency, and are 4 behind them in rebound %.
Outlook: They should make it to round 2, but it would be pretty shocking if they were able to upset the Celtics or Knicks and reach the ECF.
5) Washington Wizards
Why They'll Go Far: This is J2's first time making the playoffs, and you can bet he'll be very active in gameplanning against his opponent. They'll face the second place team in the unspectacular Central division. They have a good balance of scoring in Wesley and Anderson, defense in Causewell and Horry and rebounding. They are an incredibly tough out at home. While not good, they are formidable enough on the road to maybe steal a game.
Why They'll Fall Short: This team just isn't strong enough to compete with the big 4 in the East right now. They don't have the defense to compete with Celtics, Knicks, or Raptors, and there's no way they're winning a scoring contest with the Celtics or Pacers. And they're not a good enough rebounding team to steal possessions away, not to mention they're the second worst team when it comes to turning it over.
Outlook: This team has good pieces, a good coach, and is good enough at home to make the Raptors or Pacers break a sweat, but don't look for this team past the first round.
6) Orlando Magic
Why They'll Go Far: Jason Kidd, Eddie Jones, Scottie Pippen. That big 3 can match up with anyone and everyone. This team was 13-2 at one point. They hit the boards hard, and they shoot the 3 ball well. They will most likely match up with the Knicks, and while Robinson may score 50 a game, they can completely handle them 1-3. They're 3-1 against the Knicks this year and if they can pull that upset, what's to stop them from a matchup with the Celtics in the ECF?
Why They'll Fall Short: Depth, Injuries, Depth, Turnovers, and Depth. Their backcourt is very good, but their frontcourt will boast the likes of Greg Foster, Bo Outlaw, Anthony Cook, Dennis Rodman, and spot minutes from Scottie Pippen. The top 4 seeds have frontcourts of Zo and Coleman, Seikaly and Strong, Robinson and Tarpley, Ellison and Grant. And those 4 also have good enough backcourts and depth to keep it close enough so that their frontcourt can take advantage. And only the Wizards turn the ball over more than them out of the 8 Eastern playoff teams.
Outlook: Pippen, Jones, and Kidd will scare the daylight out of whoever they face. Those 3 alone will be worth 2 wins as long as they don't play the Celtics. If they play the Knicks, keep an eye out for the upset. But most likely, this team needs another year or 2 of development and adding depth and getting healthy to compete.
7) Charlotte Hornets
Why They'll Go Far: The Hornets have caught a ton of crap for the Ewing deal, but go look at their team. Ewing, Gugs, Newman, and Mookie doesn't sound like an easy 7 seed. Remember last year when the Hornets swept the Pistons from the 7 seed. Gugliotta is a top 10 player and will have the advantage over every single 4 he is matched up with. They're very good defensively, especially down low. Their perimeter players steal the ball at a high rate. If Newman and Mookie can provide enough offense, Gugs and Ewing may be able to neutralize the Knicks duo and the Hornets could steal that race. They have a core 4 talented enough to compete with the Pacers or Raptors. This is another team where you could see things break their way and they could be looking at an ECF appearance.
Why They'll Fall Short: They struggle mightily on offense. They have the second worst offensive efficiency of anyone in the playoffs. They're not a good enough rebounding team to keep up with any of the top 4 seeds. While their defense is good, the Raptors, Knicks, and Celtics all own better defensive efficiencies while the Pacers are a whopping .1 points per 100 possessions behind them. And let's not forget the Pacers offense. Their lack of depth means they won't be able to take advantage of the Knicks or Pacers. And Ewing against any of the top 4 seeds centers is a loss or draw at best. Can Gugs make up for all that? I don't think so.
Outlook: The Hornets are good, but I don't see them getting out of the first round. Being 10-26 on the road when you're going to have to win 1 on the road doesn't bode well. I see them losing to whoever they face in the first round in 4-6mes.
8) Miami Heat
Why They'll Go Far: They have arguably the best point guard in the NBA in Gary Payton, an efficient 20 ppg scorer in Jim Jackson, and some more scoring in Cliff Robinson. With Perdue, they've got good defense and rebounding down low. Just looking at this team talent wise, it'd scare any of the top 4 seeds outside of the Celtics. They are one of the few teams that has depth at every position. If they can put it together, this is another really scary team. The talent is certainly there for them to make an ECF run should they avoid the Celtics in round 1. If Perdue could limit Robinson, Jackson could feast on offense. Payton could lock down all star Dee Brown and if they can hold their own on the boards, they could beat the Pacers. They've got the talent.
Why They'll Fall Short: They just haven't put it together. They traded away their top talent for future salary relief. They're an average offensive and defensive team and below average at rebounding at turnovers. And that's not gonna cut it when you have to face a team like the Celtics, Pacers, Knicks, or Raptors round 1. They're 4-10 in their last 14 and they are stumbling into the playoffs about to face a giant.
Outlook: Talent is there, but at this rate, they'll be playing the Celtics with no hope. Even if they can avoid Boston round 1, they just haven't shown any reason to think they'll win more than 1 game in the playoffs this year.
That's our Eastern Conference Preview. Comment and let me know what you think. Agree or disagree? Stay tuned for the Western Conference preview which will hopefully happen tomorrow night.
credit loco for photoshop
