The 2012 NBA championship is up for grabs, and in a lockout season upsets should be expected. Both the East and West have multiple contenders and dark horse teams which should make for drama and excitement for basketball fans worldwide.

eastern conference 


The Eastern conference leading Bulls have been consistent all season with or without 2011 MVP Derrick Rose in the lineup and expectations should be high for a team that plays as hard as Chicago. To win the east they will need to establish Rip Hamilton and Carlos Boozer as complimentary scorers to Rose, with Luol Deng chipping in with defense and offense from the wing. Without the offensive support of his teammates the Bulls will struggle, especially against teams like Miami, Boston and even the New York Knicks being that these teams each have more than one proven consistent scorer. But if they are to score in the clutch, while playing their typical excellent defense and rebounding dominance, they have a strong shot at winning it all.

The Miami Heat have more pressure than any other team in the League to win a championship this season, with their big 3 coming together in 2010, the disappointing loss to Dallas in last years finals as well as Lebron James claim that the team will win "not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six……" championships. With Wade, James and Bosh this team should expect to win multiple titles but if they have another failure this postseason there will be a lot of questions heading into the summer. The Heat beat themselves at times, and they need to mentally become tougher heading into the playoffs, if they aren’t hungry and focused they will end this season with their heads down, mumbling through a lame press conference trying to explain why they lost a playoff series again to a less talented team. BUT, if they play the way we expect a team with three elite talents to perform .. They should be the team holding up the Larry O’Brian trophy In 2012…but it is in Lebron’s hands.

The Boston Celtics are looking to get one more shot at the title with their Big 3+1… They will need strong performances from their starting 5 in each playoff game.. They have a very weak bench other than Avery Bradley or Ray Allen (which ever one does not start). With the Celtics age and lack of depth, Rajon Rondo will need to score around 18 to 20 points per game consistently. This team knows what it takes to win a title and they will give their all for coach Doc Rivers, they will be scary for any opponent and should not be overlooked.

The Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks are two teams that have a nice combination of youth and veterans. Indiana has no true star, but their depth and athleticism make them very difficult to defeat. Atlanta on the other hand is led by two all star caliber players in Joe Johnson and Josh Smith which have playoff experience. The key for Indiana is to use their depth to tire teams out, while also throwing together different lineups on the court depending on their opponent. While Atlanta will rely on the one-two punch of Johnson and Smith, and a possible break out series by Jeff Teague. These two teams are very capable of reaching the second round but they will have difficulty if they have to face Chicago or Miami. Again, this season is up for grabs so the right chemistry can cause some unlikely winners.

With Dwight Howard’s season ending injury, their are not high expectations for the Orlando Magic. Stan Van Gundy is a proven winner in the playoffs and with his teams ability to shoot the 3 anything can happen.

The Philadelphia 76ers had a great start to their season but really hit a wall toward seasons end. Without a proven scorer and offensive chemistry it’s hard to imagine this team getting past the first round, when they will probably face The Bulls or Heat. They defend very well and will go down without a fight. Expect them to play very hard, and it should give them a good feeling heading into next season with the young talent on their roster.

Finally we come to the New York Knicks, a team that has been nothing but drama all season. Off season signings, Linsanity, losing streaks, injuries, more losing streaks, the firing of Mike D’antoni and then finally a strong finish to the season which included excellent play from Carmelo Anthony. With no Jeremy Lin and a low seed in the playoffs it will be difficult for the Knicks to get past the first round this season, but with Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and a new found defense anchored by Tyson Chandler they are will be a serious threat. Mike Woodson has done a very good job and expect the Knicks to be a very scary first round opponent.

western conference

 The top of the NBA’s Western conference standings is filled with some familiar faces as well as some young rising stars as we head into the 2012 postseason.

Gregg Popovich has done another excellent coaching job this season with the San Antonio Spurs. As Tim Duncan has aged the Spurs have surrounded him with young athletic talent and the usual suspects in Manu Ginobili and MVP candidate Tony Parker. As the top seed in the West, one would expect this team to be considered the favorite but with an early knockout last season to Memphis and the talent of the Lakers, Thunder and Clippers the Spurs still seem to stay under the radar. Their depth mixed with the experience of their Big 3 make this team very dangerous, and an aging Duncan will be very motivated as this may be his last chance at winning another championship. The Spurs role players will need to match the speed and athleticism that some of the other elite teams will throw at them, while allowing Parker and Ginobili to make all the big plays. Beware of the Spurs, they understand what it takes to win it all.

Kevin Durant is having an MVP season, and Russell Westbrook has become one of the most dynamic guards in the NBA. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been a favorite all season to win the championship, though there are some doubts about their maturity and decision making in crunch time. James Harden is extremely important to the Thunder’s success, and in close playoff games it will fall on him to make the right decisions during crunch time. This team has all the weapons to win the title, but they must play intelligent basketball while also utilizing the overwhelming talent that Durant and Westbrook bring to the table. This team can beat anyone, if they can find the right leadership when it counts, it will be no surprise if they win the west and the NBA Championship.

The Los Angeles Lakers have had a soap opera type season, with the strange relationship between coach Mike Brown and Andrew Bynum, inconsistent play and the recent Metta World Peace elbow incident on James Harden. With all that being said, the Lakers have played some of their best basketball at the end of the season despite Kobe Bryant being sidelined for multiple games in April. The Lakers will not win without Bryant’s heroics in the playoffs, but losing World Peace for the first round will hurt the Lakers, he is still a great defender and brings energy and toughness that doesn’t show in the box score. With Bryant, Gasol and Bynum this team is a matchup nightmare and will be a formidable foe for any opponent.

The first round matchup between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Clippers will be very exciting and competitive. The Grizzlies had a very strong showing in the 2011 Playoffs, knocking off the top seeded Spurs and taking the talented Thunder to a seventh game in an evenly matched semi-finals series. All this without their 2012 leading scorer Rudy Gay, this season they have their entire team intact though Zach Randolph is still getting back into shape after his early season knee injury. Memphis has come on very strong, and is a dark horse to win the Western Conference, balanced scoring and tough interior play will make this team very difficult to defeat. They will need Gay, Randolph and OJ Mayo to score clutch baskets late in games, while using Marc Gasol to get them going early on in the paint. The Clippers have had a great turnaround considering they have been a lottery team for a majority of their existance in the NBA, but Chris Paul has changed all that and there is no doubt he has been the NBA’s best point guard this season. Blake Griffin has been one of the most exciting players in basketball since he came onto the scene in college at Oklahoma, and he will get his first playoff experience this year. Along with Paul and Griffin, the Clippers have multiple three point shooting threats in Mo Williams, Nick Young, Randy Foye and Caron Butler. They will rely heavily on these players when Paul penetrates and Griffin is double teamed, but the series will come down to Chris Paul’s playmaking ability and Memphis defense. This series is likely to go the full 7 games, Paul will be the best player on the court, and if he dominates the way that he normally does, The Clippers can survive this series.

The Denver Nuggets did not have one All-Star in 2012, but with a combination of good young talent, depth and team work they were able to qualify for the playoffs again under head coach George Karl. Led by Ty Lawson, Arron Afflalo, Danilo Gallinari and Al Harrington the Nuggets have a balanced scoring attack, with strong bench play. They will have difficulty in their first round matchup as they will face one of the NBA’s elite. They are another deep team and should provide serious problems to their first round opponent. This is a team that may not be ready to take the next step this season, but we should expect to see them battling for the Western conference crown in years to come.

The defending Champion Dallas Mavericks did not have a great regular season, but none of that matters come playoff time. In the 2011 playoffs they won big road games and played excellent defense, while shutting down some of the NBA’s best players enroute to their first championship. Dirk Nowitzki had an below average season for his standards, but expect him to step his game up once the postseason begins. The loss of Tyson Chandler to free agency will effect the Mavericks against teams who have depth in the frontcourt, Shawn Marion has been excellent on defense, but the Mavericks will need to rely heavily on their perimeter scoring and defense to advance in the postseason. If Dirk can dominate late game situtation like he did in 2011 the Mavericks have a shot at a repeat, but it will be a long and difficult road.

The Utah Jazz are a young and gritty team that has a very active and quick front court with Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, and their up and coming guard Gordon Hayward. This is another team that is playing their best basketball at the right time, which helped them recently clinch a playoff spot. Again, it is very difficult to advance in the playoffs as the 8th seed, but with their depth down low and Haywards playmaking ability this team will be a scary first round matchup. The Grizzlies were able to move past the first round as the 8th seed, and the Jazz should at them as inspiration because it is possible. This team has a bright future, and the 2012 playoffs will be a learning experience for the players and coaches.

predictions


EAST

In the Semi-final Bulls will face the Celtics, this will be a very physical and long series. These teams have met before in 2009, when a very young Baby Bulls team took defending champions Boston to 7 games. This time it will be different, The Bulls are grown up now, they are veterans and they are deeper. The Celtics still have 4 of the best players in the NBA, but their bench is very weak and the Bulls Bench Mob will be to much for them. The matchup of Rose vs Rondo will be epic, and Deng has shown in the past he can defend Paul Peirce better than most. Bulls win 2-4.

The Miami and Pacers will also battle in the second round, The Pacers have an interior advantage with Hibbert, West and Hansbrough with Paul George chipping in with his height on the wing and in the paint. Chris Bosh will need to play big and establish himself, while pressure will be heavy on Joel Anthony and Ronny Turiaf to defend and rebound. Lebron James will be to much for George and Granger, while though deep in the backcourt the Pacers will not have enough for Dwayne Wade. Heat win 1-4.

The Heat will win the Eastern conference, the series between the Bulls and Heat will be very similar to the Eastern Finals in 2011, to much Wade and Lebron in the 4th quarter. Depending on Rose’s health he should still excel in this series, and the Bulls bench will be a major factor, but the Heat are rested and ready for a run. Heat win 4-2.

WEST

The Spurs will play the Clippers in the second round, coming off of a very difficult first round series with the Grizzlies, Los Angeles will be exhausted. The depth of the Spurs will wear them down, plus the athletic role players of the Spurs will be able to minimize Blake Griffin, while Tony Parker will make CP3 work hard on both ends of the floor in each game. This again will be a battle, but experience and depth will benefit the Spurs. Spurs win 2-4.

The Lakers and Thunder will battle in the second round, which is probably going to be the best second round matchup. This series will be very dramatic and physical, expect to see pushing, shoving and scuffles. Metta World Peace will return and expect Harden to step his game up for this one. Kobe will be Kobe, but with the interior defense of OKC and the trio of Durant/Westbrook/Harden The talented Thunder will find a way to win this series despite some late game theatre provided by Mr. Bryant. This series will go the distance and in the end Durant will prove his worth. Thunder win 3-4.

Spurs vs Thunder, battle of the two southwestern powers. The Spurs have the athletes to run with the Thunder and Ginobili and Parker are savvy vets that will be able to confuse Westbrook. This is a series where Harden will be the biggest factor for the Thunder, he will need to make big late game decisions and create scoring opportunities for Durant and Westbrook. The Spurs will fight to the very end, but their youth is not as good as the Thunders youth, and again it will be in Durants hands in the final moments of the 4th quarter. Thunder win 4-2.

The NBA FINALS

Heat vs. Thunder

This is the series that basketball fans have been waiting for all season, each team with their own respected Big 3, each team with elite perimeter players, and each team with something to prove. This will be one of the best NBA finals ever, but again as mentioned earlier the championship will be determined by Lebron James. He is the best player in the world, and if he plays the way he is capable of playing the Heat will win this series. But, it is not that easy… The Thunder are hungry and talented, Dwyane Wade will have his hands full defending either Harden or Westbrook, and expect Lebron and Battier to take on Durant a majority of the time. The series will come down to Durants defense on Lebron and vice versa, Lebron can score on Durant easily, but with Ibaka and Perkins on the front line he will not be able to get to the basket with any ease. Lebron will need to utilize the high post, which we have seen glimpses of during the season, while Durant on the other hand will be able to play his normal game but unfortunately, Lebron is one of the most versatile defenders in the history of basketball. Regardless of how good a defender Lebron is, if Durant is locked in he will get his buckets, the key is to get him off him game by not allowing him to get into his comfort areas, and Lebron and Battier will need to use their strength to bully Durant. Chris Bosh was very good for Miami in last years Finals loss to Dallas, he will need to provide the same impact against the Thunder, his ability to face up and shoot jumpers will bring Ibaka and Perkins out of the paint which will create some space for James and Wade to cut to the basket for layups and Dunks. This is going to be a close series and Lebron James legacy is truly on the line, it will make or break it. Heat 2012 Champions over The Thunder 2-4.
 

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