NBA Playoff Preview: Western Conference

1) Spurs vs. 8) Grizzlies- Tony Allen and Shane Battier will shut down Manu Ginobili. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol can contain Tim Duncan and Dejuan Blair. The Spurs got very unlucky with this draw and this series is going to wear them down.
Pick: Spurs in 7

2) Lakers vs. 7) Hornets- Chris Paul is the best PG in the game, but no way Lakers come close to losing this series. Kobe, Bynum, Gasol and crew are way too much to handle.
Pick: Lakers in 4

3) Mavericks vs. 6) Blazers- The Blazers have all the right players to cause problems for the Mavericks. LaMarcus Aldridge can guard Nowitzki and who else do the Mavs really have? Gerald Wallace was a huge addition for Portland and him as well as Aldridge Batum and Miller will help Portland win.
Pick: Blazers in 7

4) Nuggets vs. 5) Thunder- This will be the best series in the Western Conference. The Nuggets have the deepest bench in the league and have been committed to defense since Anthony left; but, the Thunder are legit. Kendrick Perkins toughened this team up and although this series will wear on them, they'll get through with the toughness and defense of Perkins and Ibaka and scoring ability of Durant and Westbrook.
Pick: Thunder in 7

Semifinals

1) Spurs vs. 4) Thunder- The Thunder are athletic, better offensively, and have two of the best one on one defenders in the league. No way the Spurs will win this series, they are too reliant on three point shooting and have become less defense oriented.
Pick: Thunder in 6

2) Lakers vs. 6) Blazers- Lakers are the best team in the West, don't see how the Blazers will win. They will put up a fight, but they don't have an answer for Gasol, Odom, and Bynum.
Pick: Lakers in 5


Conference Finals

2) Lakers vs. 4) Thunder- This series is very similar to the Heat and Bulls series. Either team can win but the Lakers have a slight edge. Perkins can stop Bynum and Ibaka can stop Gasol. Sefolosha can contain Bryant and Durant can contain Odom. Every matchup that the Lakers have an advantage over against other teams, the Thunder have an answer for. The Lakers' experience is their biggest advantage and they should win, but don't be surprised if the Thunder pull it out.
Pick: Lakers in 7

NBA FINALS

Lakers vs. Bulls

In this series, the Lakers' size will be too much to handle and although Tom Thibodeau can think of every defensive scheme there isn't really a scheme to stop two fundamentally sound 7 footers and a 6'10" point forward. Phil will get his last three peat and 12th championship and go out on the high road.
Pick: Lakers in 7

NBA Playoff Preview: Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference

1) Chicago vs. 8) Indiana- Indiana should just be happy to be here. They are 10 games under .500, and will be lucky to win one game.
Pick: Chicago in 4


2) Miami vs. 7) Philadelphia- Doug Collins deserves credit for turning Philadelphia around and they have a very strong defensive team; however, they don't have an answer for both Wade and James.
Pick: Miami in 5

3) Boston vs. 6) New York- New York will give Boston a tough time and put more minutes on the aging Pierce, Garnett and Allen; but, Garnett will contain Stoudemire and Jeff Green and Paul Pierce can keep Anthony in check. Ultimately, great team defense is better than a strong offense.
Pick: Boston in 6

4) Orlando vs. 5) Atlanta- Orlando has Dwight Howard. Jameer Nelson is a decent point guard, but besides that Orlando really doesn't have too much. However, the Hawks have less. Joe Johnson is one of the most overpaid players in the league and just looks bored when he plays. Al Horford is a great player, but he can't do everything. Bottom Line: the Hawks have no one to stop Dwight Howard.
Pick: Orlando in 5

Semifinals

2) Miami vs. 3) Boston- This is going to be one hell of a series. Boston hates Miami on and off the court. The X factor is Rajon Rondo, but he seems lost after the Kendrick Perkins trade. I just don't see how Boston can guard Lebron and Wade and still be strong offensively. Ultimately, Lebron's athleticism and size plus Wade's ability to get to the rim and score in crunch time will be too much for the aging Celtics.
Pick: Miami in 7

1) Chicago vs. 4) Orlando- Chicago has got a ton of big bodies to put on Howard and Thibodeau shut down Howard last year on the Boston bench. So, he will do it again, Orlando has no answer for Derrick Rose and Chicago has an answer for Howard.
Pick: Chicago in 6

Finals

1) Chicago vs. 2) Miami- Lebron and Wade have been here before, Derrick Rose has not. Every matchup between the teams this year have been close with Chicago winning at the end. I really could see this going either way. When Lebron and Wade go off and have that look, you can't stop them. Is Chicago's defense going to be able to contain these two? Thibodeau knows how to draw up every defensive scheme in the book to stop these guys. If Lebron and Wade go off, Miami will win, but I don't see that happening.
Pick: Chicago in 7


NBA Finals Prediction in Western Conference Preview

Great Piece about Buster Posey

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs/2011/04/14/postgame-notes-buster-poseys-picture-is-worth-1000-words-dodgers-are-tone-deaf/

Stephen Curry vs. Monta Ellis

Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. Fans tend to think that they have to pick one and trade the other; that isn't true. However, the organization needs to make this Stephen Curry's team, if Monta can't deal with that, then he should be traded. As for the who is better argument, it is clear and simple: Stephen Curry. The following link (http://basketballvalue.com/teamplayers.php?year=2010-2011&team=GSW), shows that Monta Ellis has a two year adjusted +/- rating of -6.17 and Curry has a +/- of +5.19. There is a difference of around 10 points in there which is quite substantial in basketball. Also, Stephen Curry's PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is 19.45 while Monta's is 18.48. Stephen Curry has a TS% (True Shooting Percentage) of 59.5 % while Monta has a 53.2 %. Curry is a better shooter, better passer, better dribbler, and has a higher basketball IQ. On the defensive end, they are both pretty weak defenders with no real edge going to either. However, Steve Nash is a very weak defender but his strong offense offsets his weak defense. This is very similar to the situation with Stephen Curry. Furthermore, it is clear that Stephen Curry is the better player and needs to be the leader of the team. Monta is a very good secondary player but cannot be the primary ball handler and is better when he is getting the ball passed to him in open spots and shooting. In 2007-2008 Monta Ellis had a PER of 18.92, his highest ever, and that was when Baron Davis was playing PG and distributing. That is the best role for Monta Ellis and if the Warriors go back to that they will be very successful.

Along with changing the roles of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis, firing Keith Smart and hiring a coach who rewards and preaches defense, as well as getting a much stronger bench and back to the basket Center should be the main objectives for the Warriors in order to be more successful and fun to watch next season.

Can they do it again?

With the looming lockout in the NFL, the Warriors playing like the Warriors, and the Sharks in the midst of a playoff run, yet still unable to get to the Stanley Cup Finals, the focus in the Bay Area is on the 2010 World Series champion San Francisco Giants. The biggest question that comes up for the Giants is can they repeat? Yes, if the offense plays like it did the last half of last season, if the pitching is amazing once again and if Pablo Sandoval hits and fields like the Pablo of 2009. Last year, Buster Posey woke up the clubhouse and led the team on a tear after being called up going 67-48 and finishing the season 92-70. Aubrey Huff had a career year, Pat Burrell went back to his old National League self, and Cody Ross was unstoppable in the playoffs. Ultimately, the SF Giants offense needed some luck and caught lightning in a bottle to win the world series.

This year, all the talk is about the Phillies and their legendary pitching staff; however, the Giants staff is also pretty darn good and most of America tends to forget about that. Tim Lincecum is a two time Cy Young winner, three time All-Star and is arguably the best pitcher in the league. In the NLCS, he pitched better than Halladay and in the World Series he pitched better than Lee. Matt Cain is the most underrated pitcher in the majors and could be the ace of half of the pitching staffs in the majors. Although he lacked control throughout parts of the regular season and late in the playoffs, Jonathan Sanchez is one of the nastiest lefties in the game when he is on. Madison Bumgarner's World Series performance speaks for itself and as long as his innings are limited he will be a great pitcher this year. Barry Zito is an afterthought at this point; but, for a fifth starter is decent enough and he will give the team the innings it needs. In 2009, the pitching staff had an ERA of 3.55 and a WHIP (Walks and Hits/Innings Pitched)of 1.28. Many claimed that the staff couldn't get much better than that; however, in 2010, the staff had an ERA of 3.36 and a WHIP of 1.27. Unfortunately, without a capable offense, the Giants won't make the playoffs. It is up to Buster Posey and company to be an average offense and help this team make the playoffs once again. If they are able to do that, this pitching staff is capable of remarkable things and they will carry them once again to a title.

David Lee

He was brought in here to be a double double machine and turn the rebounding woes of the Warriors around. So far this season David Lee has not been worth 80 million dollars but, last night, his performance was worthy of his contract. The 23 points were nice; but, his season high 19 rebounds were what stood out. The Warriors had 14 more rebounds than the Thunder with a total edge of 47-33. Joe Lacob and Larry Riley expected David Lee to have this impact on the glass every night when they brought him here. They didn't expect him to get 19 rebounds every night; but, they certainly thought he would lead the Warriors to have an edge in rebounding every night. After the game, Lee mentioned that after the embarrassing loss to the Suns, they needed to improve. Lee said that, "One of the ways we can improve is by controlling the paint better, playing better interior defense and rebounding the basketball and out-rebounding teams." If Lee takes this approach to every game, the Warriors will certainly be a better basketball team. They aren't a contender yet, but with the addition of some defensive minded bench players and a defensive center with a post game, this team will definitely be playoff bound.