NBA - 1st ROUND PREDICTIONS

Seti Matua
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This week the NBA opens the first round of the play-off’s with some intriguing match-up’s along with a few long-standing rivalries. There are a few series’ that have already been determined depending on which fans you ask (UTAH-LAL) while others may turn out to be as competitive as they’ve always been (SPURS-MAVS). Here are my predictions. Take ‘em for what they’re worth.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Chicago Bulls – Boston Celtics
With the revelation that head coach Doc Rivers may sit Celtic Center Kevin Garnett for the post-season, the Bulls’ chances of moving beyond the first round just got better. But the advantage is not significant enough for Bulls to outpace Boston. The Celtics won the season series 2-1 and even without their star Center, they still have enough talent to yield the same result. The defending champs will be pushed, but the Bulls will eventually succumb thanks to experience and an ample amount of weapons. BOSTON in SIX

Detroit Pistons – Cleveland Cavaliers
This series will last as long as the Cav’s want it to last. LeBron “King” James and crew torched the Pistons during the regular season 3-1. The Pistons will miss the contributions of Guard Allen Iverson and their ailing and aging trio of Tayshaun Prince, Antonio McDyess and Rasheed Wallace are no match for James, Anderson Varejo and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. CAVS in FIVE

Philadelphia 76ers – Orlando Magic
Another quick one as long as the Magic live up to their 59-23 regular season record that put them atop the Southeast. The X-Factor in this game is Hedo Turkoglu. With a lot of the Sixers’ attention focused on Dwight Howard, Turkoglu’s inside-outside abilities will be too much for reliable defender Andre Iguodala. But you may want to factor Turkoglu’s ankle injury. MAGIC in SIX.

Miami Heat – Atlanta Hawks
This series is a toss-up. Even though the Hawks got the better of the Heat during the regular season (3-1), you can never count out the tenacity of Dwayne Wade. The Hawks pushed eventual champs Boston in their meeting last year and have steadily improved ever since. The Hawks have to put up a lot of shots to make up for their sporadic offense but their defense has been consistent. HAWKS in SIX.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas Mavericks – San Antonio Spurs
It’s the rivalry in the Lone Star State that has provided great play-off moments in the past. They split the regular season 2-2 but the Spurs have a slight edge with Tony Parker’s speed and Tim Duncan’s solid inside presence. The Mavs’ Jason Kidd has had his moments of brilliance against Parker but for the most part the Spurs’ guard has been the better of the two. SPURS in FIVE

Houston Rockets – Portland Trailblazers
It’s the battle of the four and five seeds but I still think the Rockets have the slight edge in this contest. Yao Ming is the only significant injury (foot). It will be interesting to see the match-up between Yao and Portland’s Greg Oden, the latter being the more athletic in this contest. The Rockets have experience and history on their side, but the young Trailblazers have been surging and will make things difficult for the Rockets. ROCKETS in SEVEN

Utah Jazz – Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers absolutely demolished the Jazz in their last meeting (125-112), setting the precedent for things to come. Ronnie Brewer is an emerging talent but he has to be spectacular in this series to contain Kobe Bryant. Carlos Boozer has struggled in the play-off’s and I’m willing to wager that he’ll do the same this year. The Jazz will be on vacation before long. LAKERS in FIVE

Denver Nuggets – New Orleans Hornets
This game will come down to the backcourt. The Hornets’ Chris Paul is their biggest offensive threat but Denver’s Chauncey Billups is every bit as lethal and distributes the ball evenly to his big scorers Carmelo Anthony and Kenyon Martin. The Hornets have a number of injury concerns with Center Tyson Chandler the biggest worry (ankle). The Hornets will provide a few scares for the Nuggets, but in the end, Denver will be too big and too experienced for Paul and crew. DENVER in SEVEN.

3 REASONS WHY UNC WILL WIN (AND 3 REAONS WHY THEY WON’T)

Okay, I think I’ve taken sufficient time to gloat this past weekend when the team I have as my favorite to win the NCAA Mens Basketball title slipped past Villanova on Saturday into the final. I do want to make it clear though that if the Tar Heels win it all, that I reserve the right to wallow in my brilliance for at least another year from atop my perch as March Madness Guru Extraordinaire.

But the Tar Heels still need to shore up a few mistakes before they trot onto the court in a couple of hours against the Spartans. Let’s not forget that compared to Michigan State, UNC has had a few scares on the way to the title game. I’m sticking by my guns (as all honorable winners do) and believe that the ‘Heels will pull through to give Tyler Hansbrough a bit of hardware to take with him to the NBA and here are three reasons why they will win:

1. Inside-Outside Game: Hansbrough is a legitimate inside threat who has given UNC more than a fair share of Tim Bebow-esque speeches in the locker room and in the media. After bowing out early in last year’s title run to Kansas, the Senior immediately informed the press and anyone who was listening that he would do everything within his power to get his team back to the finals. And here they are with a lethal inside presence and a backcourt with a shoot-first-ask-later mentality. If they get shut-down on the inside, Hansbrough and teammate Deon Thompson have only to pop the ball back outside to Ty Lawson, Danny Green or Wayne Ellington. They have been lethal throughout the tournament and hit the big shots when the ‘Heels need them most.

2. Ball Control: No one has been up to the task in a match up against Ty Lawson. Except for a few exceptions throughout the tournament, UNC has taken care of the ball, had minimal turnovers and has even defended the ball quite admirably considering their best defender Marcus Ginyard, has been unavailable during the tournament. If Lawson and Co. have a repeat of the same performance they had against Villanova, a team that pushed them all the way into the dying minutes of the second half, they will have great success against Michigan State tonight.

3. Attacking Style: UNC has shown a lot of pressure and when their defense holds, they cause turnovers and plenty of them. Their ability to throw a team’s rhythm off is initiated by Hansbrough’s awkward, yet relentless style of play and then opposing teams have to deal with the speed of Lawson and the consistency of guys like Ellington and Green. The conditioning on the UNC team is superb and they’ll need every ounce of courage, tenacity and grit to beat the Spartans.

3 REASONS WHY THEY’LL LOSE

1. Boards: UNC will have to rebound the ball better than they ever have this season if they hope to get second-chances on the offensive side of the court. The Spartans have a knack for rebounding (they are the best rebounding team in the nation) the ball and they are persistent and stubborn inside the key. If there is a ball in the air the Spartans will find it and the Tar Heels will have to limit their opportunities on the glass.

2. Defense: UNC was always a couple of three-pointers away from losing in the semi-final game against Villanova. If ‘Nova had hit just a handful of three’s throughout the game the outcome would have been much closer and a little more uncomfortable for the ‘Heels. UNC must find a way to stop penetration and guard the perimeter as if the championship depended upon it.

3. Inside-Outside Game: UNC’s strength can and will easily become their weakness against the Spartans. Raymar Morgan absolutely dominated the inside against UConn in their semi-final and the Spartans have their own speedy guard in Kalin Lucas, a guy who can take anyone off the dribble but also has a knack for finding the open man in transition and when the ‘tree’s are thick in the paint. If Lawson, Ellington and Green cannot stop the ball, Michigan State will end up the victors tonight.

Prediction: UNC by 8