When you think about the Eastern Conference playoffs, you think of two teams -- Chicago and Miami. But are the Bulls and the Heat really the clear favorites?
Well, yes and no. If the regular season told us anything, it's that nearly anything is possible. Honestly. Who could have possibly picked Indiana to finish with the No. 3 seed?
Or that Atlanta would have home-court advantage in its first-round series vs. Boston?
Or how about Philadelphia? For a while, the 76ers looked like they could be a force, playing with the passion and cohesiveness of a true postseason sleeper at the beginning of the year. Now, they're the team that ended up having to sweat it out just for the right to tangle with the Bulls in the first round.
So, yes, the experts will tell you it'll be the Bulls vs. the Heat in the conference finals. And it would be hard to argue that prediction.
But as we saw out West last year, when Memphis upset San Antonio, sometimes the safest first-round forecasts don't always pan out. Here's a quick rundown of each Eastern series:
No. 1 Chicago vs. No. 8 Philadelphia
It seems as though a lot of people are quick to dismiss the Bulls' togetherness, depth and defensive-minded approach -- not to mention the star power of Derrick Rose. One such person is Sixers guard Evan Turner, who told the Delaware County Times his team actually preferred the eighth seed. "That means we're dodging the tougher opponent," Turner said, indicating he'd rather play the Bulls than the Heat.
That's just another example of the Sixers being too young, too inexperienced and maybe too gullible to pull off anything worth noting here. Mostly, it's just a matter of the Bulls being too good. Even if a lot of people aren't ready to accept it. Prediction: Bulls in five.
No. 2 Miami vs. No. 7 New York
Miami is the only team entering the playoffs that swept its first-round opponent during the regular season (three games to none). But that doesn't really mean much, considering Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks have been playing some of their best basketball as of late. Then again, the Knicks have also gained a reputation for being easily rattled and quickly suffering a meltdown.
Either way, you can't ignore the matchups in what is likely to be the league's most-followed early matchup. LeBron James vs. Anthony. Chris Bosh vs. Amar'e Stoudemire. Dwyane Wade vs. Landry Fields and Iman Shumpert, two young and hungry Knicks who thrive on defense. If the Knicks make the Heat beat them (as opposed to beating themselves), this one could be worth every bit of the hype. Prediction: Heat in seven.
No. 3 Indiana vs. No. 6 Orlando
Another two weeks, and the Magic may not have qualified. They had to put up with the Dwight Howard situation all season -- then lost their center to a back injury. Even with Howard, they were a mess. Without him, they look worse than the Pacers team that snuck into the playoffs last year.
Meanwhile, the Pacers are an elbows-out, physical bunch that's coming off its best regular-season finish in eight years. The frontline of center Roy Hibbert, David West and Danny Granger is perhaps the league's most underrated. Basically, they have the edge over the Magic at nearly every position and in overall depth. It'd be surprising if more than one game is close. Prediction: Pacers in five.
No. 4 Atlanta vs. No. 5 Boston
This is the story of two teams that may never be the same after this season. The Hawks if they don't win a couple of rounds, the aging Celtics even if they do. The Hawks have been (somewhat) more reliable than in seasons past, marching forward with the same cast, headed by Joe Johnson and Josh Smith.
Then there's the Celtics, who were one of the league's best teams after the All-Star break following a rickety start. And with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, the Celtics are obviously even more seasoned than the Hawks. The key will be whether the Hawks can win one in Boston, because you just know the Celtics will capture at least one in Atlanta. Should be a goodie. Prediction: Celtics in seven.
