2013 NBA Playoffs: My Conference Finals Preview

Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs

The Grizzlies locked in on Kevin Durant and knocked out the Russell Westbrook-less Thunder, while the Spurs withstood and wore down Stephen Curry to edge the Warriors, setting up a rematch of a 2011 first round matchup, when the 8th seeded Grizzlies upset the top-seeded Spurs.

I think style of play will be very important in this series. The Spurs can win multiple different ways, but they will want to push the pace of the game and get transition points before the Grizzlies' outstanding half-court defense is set. If they get out early and run, and get role players like Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and Gary Neal involved early and often, it will make it much harder on Memphis, which thrives on slow-it-down, slugfests by pounding the ball inside to Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. 

Although Randolph/Duncan will be a fun match-up to watch inside, I think the Spurs will double team the post early and often and force the Grizzlies to hit perimeter shots to beat them. As a result, Tayshaun Prince, Tony Allen, Jerryd Bayless, and Quincy Pondexter will have to ready and able to knock down open shots for the Grizzlies to pull off the upset and advance to the Finals.

Most key matchup in this series will be at point guard position, with Mike Conley against Tony Parker. Conley has become a dynamic perimeter scorer, and he will have to defend well against the former Finals MVP in Parker, as well as put pressure on him by scoring himself. 

This series really could go either way, but I think this is Memphis' time (sorry San Antonio, yours is up), and I'm going to take the team that would give the Heat the most problem in a championship series, and hope for the best.
Grizzlies in 7









Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat
The Heat survived an early scare from Bulls, before overwhelming the depleted Bulls in 5. The Pacers, meanwhile, won a gritty series with the Knicks, winning Game 6 at home.

Now it'll be a rematch of last year's East semis, with Miami's Big 3 once again going up against the grit and tenacity of Indiana, with a trip to the Finals on the line. Just like last year, Miami is the better team on paper, especially with the hot shooting of Chris Bosh, Ray Allen and Norris Cole. However, if the Pacers slow the pace of the game down by pounding the Heat inside, with David West and Roy Hibbert, something that they did not do effectively last year, Indiana has a chance of pulling off the upset, especially if George Hill, D.J. Augustin, and Paul George are able to hit outside jumpers, and George is able to somewhat contain LeBron James one-on-one, as he did Carmelo Anthony in the last round. In the end, I think Pacers, even though a better team. suffer same fate as last year.

Heat in 6



Last round: 4-0 
Playoffs record: 10-2

2013 NBA Playoffs- Conference Semifinal Predictions

Western Conference
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
OKC may have gotten by my scrappy Rockets, but they paid a price for it, losing all-star PG Russell Westbrook for the rest of the playoffs. Kevin Durant will have to light it up again for the Thunder to get past the #1 defensive team in the league in Memphis, which absolutely stifled and out-muscled the Clippers in winning four straight games. Unless OKC's role players (Kevin Martin, Serge Ibaka) really step it up and contribute, I like the Grizzlies ablility to contain Durant and control the pace of the game effectively by pounding it inside with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.
Grizzlies in 6

Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs
PG Stephen Curry is the hottest shooter on the planet at the moment, lighting up the scoreboard against the Nuggets and leading Golden State to the upset. His matchup with PG Tony Parker will be the one to watch in this match-up. I think it comes down to playoff experience and the front court of the Spurs with a rejuvenated Tim Duncan, Tiago Splitter, and Boris Diaw simply being too much for Andrew Bogut and the Warriors to handle. Plus, Golden State hasn't won a game in San Antonio since 1997.
Spurs in 6

Eastern Conference
Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat
The depleted Bulls simply wanted it more against the Nets. Despite not having Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich for the final two games, Chicago showed its heart by eliminating the Nets in Game 7 last night. Now can the Bulls get healthy enough to stop the MVP and the red-hot Heat in round 2? I think they can make Miami work for it, if they play extremely physical, like the game that ended Miami's 27-game winning streak. But, assuming Dwayne Wade is healthy, Miami is just way too talented.
Heat in 5


Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks
Both teams looked shaky in their opening round series, as the Knicks blew two chances to eliminate the Celtics before withstanding a huge rally in Game 6, while the Pacers looked dreadful in their two road losses in Games 3 and 4, before destroying Atlanta with stifling defense in their closeout Game 6 victory. This series will depend on which team can impose their style on the game. The Knicks want to  run and shoot threes, while Indiana wants to pound the ball inside with David West and Roy Hibbert, and play outstanding defense. In the end, even though the Knicks have the best player on the court in Carmelo Anthony and even though the Pacers have looked so bad on the road this year, I'm picking Paul George and Indiana to advance, just because I think they have a better shot at knocking out the Heat in the East Finals.
Pacers in 7

My First Round Record: 6-2

2013 NFL Draft

First Round 
1. Kansas City Chiefs: Eric Fisher (OL) Central Michigan
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Luke Joeckel (OT) Texas A&M 
3. Miami Dolphins* (from Oakland):  Dion Jordan (OLB) Oregon
4. Philadelphia Eagles: Lane Johnson (OT) Oklahoma
5. Detroit Lions: Ezekiel Ansah (DE) BYU
6. Cleveland Brown: Barkevious Mingo (DE) LSU 
7. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Cooper (OG) UNC
8. St. Louis Rams* (from Buffalo):  Tavon Austin (WR) W Virginia 
9. NY Jets : Dee Milliner (CB) Alabama 
10. Tennessee Titans: Chance Warmack (OG) Alabama 
11. San Diego Chargers: D.J. Fluker (OT) Alabama 
12. Oakland Raiders* (from Miami): DJ Hayden (CB) Houston 
13. NY Jets* (from Tampa Bay): Sheldon Richardson (DT) Missouri 
14. Carolina Panthers: Star Lotulelei (DT) Utah 
15. New Orleans Saints: Kenny Vaccaro (S) Texas 
16. Buffalo Bills* (from St. Louis): EJ Manuel (QB) Florida St 
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jarvis Jones (OLB) Georgia 
18. San Francisco 49ers* (from Dallas):  Eric Reid (S) LSU 
19. NY Giants: Justin Pugh (OT) Syracuse 
20. Chicago Bears: Kyle Long (OG) Oregon
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Eifert (TE) Notre Dame
22. Atlanta Falcons* (from St. Louis via Washington): Desmond Trufant (CB) Washington 
23. Minnesota Vikings: Sharrif Floyd (DT) Florida
24. Indianapolis Colts: Bjoern Werner (DE) Florida St.
25 Minnesota Vikings* (from Seattle): Xavier Rhodes (CB) Florida St.
26 Green Bay Packers: Datone Jones (DE) UCLA
27 Houston Texans: DeAndre Hopkins (WR) Clemson
28 Denver Broncos: Sylvester Williams (DT) North Carolina
29 Minnesota Vikings* (from New England): Cordarrelle Patterson (WR) Tennessee 
30 St. Louis Rams* (from Atlanta): Alec Ogletree (ILB) Georgia
31 Dallas Cowboys* (from San Francisco): Travis Frederick (C) Wisconsin
32 Baltimore Ravens: Matt Elam (S) Florida
*denotes trade

2013 NBA Playoffs- First Round Predictions

It's the most wonderful time of the year! NBA Playoff basketball begins today, and my Rockets are actually in this year! Here are my first round predictions.
Western Conference
Thunder in 5 over Rockets: James Harden and my young Rockets against Kevin Durant and his former 'mates in OKC. Should be an up-tempo series between the two highest scoring teams in the league, but in the end, Thunder are just way too talented. I'd be thrilled if my Rockets win more than 1 game.
Clippers in 7 over Grizzlies: Here we go again. After last year's epic 7-game series, the Clippers and Grizzlies are at it again. And it should be the same type series, with Memphis trying to outgrind the Clippers with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, while the flashy Clippers will try to get out and run, using their superior depth to overwhelm Memphis. It comes down to Chris Paul and his duel with Mike Conley. Give the edge to CP3.
Nuggets in 6 over Warriors: Mark Jackson has done a great job with the Warriors this season, guiding them to playoffs for the first time since 2007. Stephen Curry, David Lee and Golden State have a bright future, but I don't see them keeping up with the more experienced run-and-gun Nuggets.
Spurs in 6 over Lakers: The Lakers kept it together to make the playoffs without Kobe Bryant, and have a favorable matchup against the banged up Spurs. If Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard can dominate inside consistently, and Steve Blake can continue his hot shooting, LA has a shot. In the end, though, I think Gregg Poppovich will guide ageless wonder Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and company onward.

Eastern Conference
Heat in 4 over Bucks: Brandon Jennings and Milwaukee has played the Heat tough in the past, but LeBron, D-Wade and co. are on a mission to repeat. Should be a quick series.
Bulls in 6 over Nets: The Nets are clearly the more talented team, with three All-star caliber players in Brook Lopez, Deron Williams, and Joe Johnson. However, I think the defensive tenacity and heart of the short-handed Bulls, led by big series from Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer will be enough to pull off the upset.
Pacers in 6 over Hawks: Great front court matchup with Roy Hibbert and David West going up against Al Horford and Josh Smith. In the end, though, I see Paul George and the smothering Pacers defense eliminating Atlanta.
Knicks in 6 over Celtics: An age-old rivalry pits New York against Boston in the first round. The aging Celtics are well-coached and play good enough defense that they'll win a game or two, but Carmelo Anthony, JR Smith and the Knicks just have too much firepower for the Celtics to pull off the upset minus Rajon Rondo.

Adam Scott Wins Masters

Australia finally has its green jacket.

After fellow countryman Jason Day, who was up two shots with three holes to play faltered down the stretch, Adam Scott won his home country of Australia its first ever Masters title, by beating Angel Cabrera on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff in the rain at Augusta National in Georgia.

Cabrera, who was going for his third major and second Masters, had the lead for most of the day until his approach shot fell into the water hazard at the 13th hole Sunday, leading to a bogey. However, he rallied down the stretch as he birdied the 16th and 18th holes to force the playoff with Scott, who birdied the 13th, 15th, and 18th holes while fellow countrymen Jason Day (birdied 13, 14, and 15, before bogeying 16 and 17) and Marc Leishman (shot just even-par 72 on the day) faltered down the stretch.

In the sudden death playoff, Scott and Cabrera matched each other shot for shot, as they both made par on the first hole at #18. In the second playoff hole, at #10, both Cabrera and Scott reached the green in two. But Cabrera's birdie putt just missed by a foot, while Scott holed his putt, to win his first ever major championship, after finishing 2nd at the 2011 Masters and 2nd at last year's Open Championship.

2013 NCAA Championship Preview

#4 vs. #1 8:23 PM CT CBS

Tonight, at the Georgia Dome, the 2013 NCAA Basketball champion will be crowned. In a tournament which has truly been unpredictable and a crazy end to a crazy season, the madness will be finally settled.

On one side, Michigan, a team so young, yet so talented. Led by sophomore Wooden award winner Trey Burke, the Wolverines have conquered every team that has come at them, overwhelming VCU's Havoc, coming back from 14 down to beat the top seed Jayhawks, lighting up Florida, and executing and hanging on against the 2-3 zone of Syracuse. 20 years after the infamous Chris Webber timeout call in the 1993 National Championship team, this team of young Wolverines (freshmen Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson III, Mitch McGary, and junior Tim Hardaway,Jr. are the core) is ready to win it all.

On the other side, Louisville, the #1 overall seed, and my pick to win it all at the beginning of the tournament. Riding experience, athleticism, and outstanding defense, the Cardinals have looked the team to beat in this tournament, taking out Colorado State, Oregon, and Duke (after the devastating leg injury to Kevin Ware) handily, before rallying late against Wichita State on Saturday. Led by junior guard Russ (diculous) Smith, junior forward Gorgui Dieng, and senior guard Peyton Siva, new Hall of Fame inductee Rick Pitino has this team in position to earn the school its first title since 1986.

The key in the game will be Michigan's ability to deal with Louisville's physical defense, and not crack under the pressure which they bring. The Cardinals thrive on forcing turnovers and creating a breakneck pace for the other team, so the Wolverines will have to play composed, something they did not do well down the stretch against Syracuse on Saturday night. In the end, I don't think they will be able to, as the defense and experience of the Cardinals will earn them their third championship. Plus, I can't go against my bracket.
My pick: Louisville

2013 Final Four Picks

Saturday, April 3

#9 Wichita State vs. #1 Louisville 5:07 PM CT CBS

My pick: Louisville

I didn't even have Wichita State winning one game in the West Region, but they took out the top two seeds in the West, in beating Gonzaga and Ohio State, to reach their first Final Four. But Louisville is the top seed in the tournament for a reason, and their pressure defense overwhelmed Oregon and Duke in the Midwest Region. Key of the game is whether or not the Shockers can protect the ball against an overwhelming favorite and play physically enough to frustrate the Cardinals offensively. In the end, I think talent level difference is just too much, as my national championship pick advances to Monday.

#4 Syrcause vs. #4 Michigan 7:47 PM CT CBS

My pick: Michigan

Great match up in second game with national player of the year Trey Burke and the Wolverines taking on the stifling Syracuse 2-3 zone. The Orange advanced out of the East on the strength of that 2-3 zone, as they completely overwhelmed Indiana and Marquette. Key of this game will be whether Michigan can move the ball effectively and penetrate the zone to get open shots. Wolverines definitely have the shooters to break the zone in Nik Staukas, Tim Hardaway, and Burke. Key will be whether they can find them by swinging the ball from side to side and extending that zone. In the end, I think Michigan will be able to do that, and the Orange's lack of consistent offense ends their season.