Beast Mode: Round 1 Eastern Conference Preview

I have work to do, but I’m procrastinating as long as possible here today. With the NBA regular season wrapping up last night, let’s do an Eastern Conference 1st Round preview…I’m doing this assuming I will be able to do a Western Conference preview tomorrow. Knowing how this blog usually operates, don’t hold your breath though. And then you will see that my East Coast bias is in full effect.

Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Heat in 5)…If this was an old school best-of-5 1st Round series, I would give Miami the sweep easily, but I see the Bucks stealing 1 game. If it goes anywhere past 5, I will be stunned though. One of the things the Heat have traditionally struggled with is little quick guards, and Milwaukee has that in spades with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. I can see them making a ton of 3’s one night maybe, but this is still Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis after all, and Miami just finished probably the best regular season since the Jordan-Bulls.

Finish your breakfast, Miami.

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics (Knicks in 6)…Even with their age, injuries, and dependency on the 3-point shot, the Knicks should win this series easily. Boston always seems to sandbag going into the postseason though, and even without Rondo I suspect they are probably going to be a better playoff team than they showed throughout most of the regular season. Also, New York hasn’t won a playoff series in forever, and this isn’t Pierce and KG’s 1st rodeos. I think that’s worth a couple of wins at least.

Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks (Pacers in 6)…Ladies and gentlemen, your 2013 NBA TV 1st round series! The Pacers, limited as they are in some areas, are built for playoff basketball. The Hawks, per usual come playoff time, are just good enough to make it interesting while still losing. That’s really all I have for you on this one. I would actually just rather watch Paul George and David West play a best-of-seven 2-on-2 series against Josh Smith and Al Horford (hence my NBA TV comment).

Seriously, can we just skip ahead to what will probably be a testy, physical, contentious Knicks-Pacers series in Round 2?

Brooklyn Nets vs. Chicago Bulls (Nets in 7)…Their contrast in styles would make the Bulls a much tougher 2nd Round matchup for the Heat, but on the other hand I think the Nets matchup pretty well with these Bulls. On the other other hand, I think Brooklyn will get smoked by Miami in Round 2. It just goes to show that styles really do make fights. You just have to wonder how the dynamic would have changed if a supposedly physically ready but mentally not ready Derrick Rose had returned a month or 2 ago. It increasingly looks like we will never know though.