Indiana Pacers (1) vs. Atlanta Hawks (8)
Mark: The way the Pacers have been playing, it wouldn't be shocking if the Hawks makes this a seven game series. To quote a great philosopher "It's not impossible. It's just highly improbable". Pacers in six.
Lovell: Remember the days when everyone claimed the Pacers were going to beat the Heat in the eastern conference finals…
… Anyway, the Pacers are in shambles at this point. They seemingly can only “get up” for games against the Heat. The Hawks are clearly not the Heat, which could make this a very interesting series. All that said, The Pacers will win in five.
X-Factor for this series:
Lovell: The x-factor for this series would have to be Paul George and his nonexistent jump shot. Hopefully Larry Bird has George searching for his jump shot like that missing Malaysian plane. What… too soon? Jeez everyone is a critic.
Mark: Wow? Really? Anyways, Can Jeff Teague play like he did before his injury? Can Lou Williams give them anything? Probably not, but it's the only chance Hawks have.
Lovell: Yeah if Hawks fate rest in the hands of Teague and Williams the Hawks are going to have a bad time.
Miami Heat (2) vs. Charlotte Bobcats (7)
Lovell: There are going to be some people (points at Mark) who are probably going to pick the Bobcats. You know, because they are insane. This writer is not insane. The Heat will beat the Bobcats in no more than five games.
Mark: If one bold and slightly foolish prediction in the first round is going to be made (and more than likely mocked * Points at Lovell *) it's the Charlotte Bobcats upsetting the Miami Heat in seven games. The Bobcats are an underrated defensive team. Players one through twelve can defend their position well and they will put the clamps on Miami's bench. Also, I don't think Miami has an answer for Al Jefferson. Lastly, Miami's over confidence is going to be their downfall. Don't be shocked if Charlotte takes game one. Charlotte in seven.
X-Factor for this series:
Mark: Gerald Henderson can put up points in bunches. He did so while Walker was injured. If he can put up twenty a game and continue to do the intangibles he can keep the pressure on Miami.
Lovell: Dwyane Wade’s health. As long as Wade is healthy there are not many teams the Heat can’t beat.
Mark: Wade has never been healthy. He was born with kneepads on. There has to be another way to describe Wade's "Health status".
Lovell: Wade’s Facebook status says his health “Is complicated”.
Toronto Raptors (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6)
Mark: This is going to be the most fun series in the east in round one. The Raptors win games with fast pace and points and the Nets like to slow the tempo down and get their offense set up. Veteran savvy is going to win this series. The Raptors aren't ready to defend Paul Pierce or Joe Johnson in playoff mode and Kyle Lowry isn't playoff ready either. Look for DeMar DeRozen to try and make a name for himself in this series. Nets in six.
Lovell: DeRozen has definitely stepped his game up. DeRozen owes Raptors GM Masai Ujiri a fruit basket or something for shipping Rudy Gay out of town. As soon as the deal went through DeRozen balled out of control, as the kids say. He is going to finish up the season with 22.7 ppg, 4.3 reb and 4 ast. Great numbers to rap up an awesome season. The Raptors will give the Nets trouble, but in the end they will fall to the Nets in no more than five games.
X-Factor for this series:
Lovell: Can Kevin Garnett give the Nets anything? He has sat for most of the season it seems. Best-case scenario is he wasn’t really hurt and they were just resting him for the playoffs. Worst case is he is really hurt and he will be trying to get his legs back during the playoffs. That never works out well (see Jameer Nelson in the 2009 NBA Finals).
Mark: Will Kyle Lowry show that he is a big time point guard or will he show that it was just a fluke?
Chicago Bulls (4) vs. Washington Wizards (5)
Lovell: This is a tough one. At this point it is hard to bet against the Bulls. Joakim Noah will make first team NBA. Furthermore, he has been getting some buzz as a MVP candidate. On the other hand the Wizards can heat up with the best of them. The Wizards backcourt is hilariously better than the Bulls, but on the other hand the Bulls front court and defense is head and shoulders better than the Wizards. In the end, The Bulls will win in six extremely low scoring games.
Mark: John Wall is going to have field day in this series. Wall responds in big game situations and the playoffs are a big stage waiting for big performances. Unfortunately, it isn't going to be enough to beat the Chicago Bulls. Joakim Noah is going to motivate this team to a level they didn't know was possible. The Bulls weren't supposed to make it this far and they made it. Taj Gibson is going to lock down Nene and D.J. Augustin coming off the bench and giving the Bulls quality minutes is going to be the deciding factor. Bulls in five.
X-Factor for this series:
Lovell: Can Bradley Beal and John wall coexist? Beal seems to play much better when Wall isn’t playing and vice vers
Mark: Kirk Hinrich tends to show up during the playoffs. Let's see if he can keep this streak going and make Wall exert a little more energy on the defensive end.
Lovell: You may be on the right track with your Hinrich point. He is sneaky good. Doesn't get enough credit.
San Antonio Spurs (1) vs. Dallas Mavericks (8)
Lovell: The first thing that needs to be said is Rick Carlisle is probably the most underrated coach in NBA history. He took a so-so Mavs team to an NBA championship. Of course having "The Big Wiener Schnitzel" on your team doesn't hurt. This year what the Mavs have done is nothing short of amazing. Most analysts didn't have the Mavs even in the playoffs this year. The only problem is they have the unenviable task of going up against a Spurs team that is on a mission. Coach Popovich spent the year preparing his team to win the championship they left on the table last season. The Mavs practice probably resemble a "Rocky" training montage. This writer would pay good money to see Tony Parker running with a log on his back while Tim Duncan punches big slabs of meat. Seeing as how you can't beat a good "Rocky" reference, the Mavs will not beat the Spurs. The Spurs get the job done in four games. Get the brooms ready!
Mark: Dallas doesn't stand and snowballs chance in Hades. Dirk, Monta Ellis, and the combined forced of their role players just aren't going to be enough. San Antonio is a complete team. They score and defend and play as a team. Like Lovell said, the Spurs are on a mission. Dirk will get the Mavs one win, but he can't do more than that. Spurs in five.
X-factor for the series:
Mark: Rick Carlisle. As Lovell said, he is the most underrated coach in NBA history. Maybe, just maybe, he can put on a legendary coaching performance and pull out two wins against the Spurs.
Lovell: Kawhi Leonard. If he plays well the Spurs are almost unbeatable. Just ask all the teams they faced once he came back from injury.
Oklahoma City Thunder (2) - Memphis Grizzlies (7):
Mark: Don't let the Grizzlies record fool you. This has the potential to be a great series. The injury to Marc Gasol put Memphis at a disadvantage, but when he came back they were back to normal. The thing that is going to make this series exciting is the fact that it will answer the question that is always asked in the playoffs: What wins games offense or defense? Can the offensive proficiency of Durant and Westbrook defeat the defensive dominance of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph? The key to this will be the Thunder's supporting cast. Durant and Westbrook are going to do what they do. Reggie Jackson, Jeremy Lamb, and Serge Ibaka have to step their game up to take some of the pressure off of the Thunder's dynamic duo. Unfortunately for the Grizz, if Durant needs to score fifty a game to win, he will. Thunder in seven.
Lovell: Can't argue with most of what Mark said on this one. Well except for the preposterous notion that the Grizzles will manage to make this a seven game series. They are great defensively but they can't score to save their lives. They are ranked 27th in ppg while the Thunder are ranked 5th. The Grizzles have managed to hold their opponents to 94.6 ppg, but I seriously doubt they can do that to this Thunder team this year. Thunder in five.
X-factor for the series:
Lovell: Can Westbrook continue to defer to Durant at the end of games?
Mark: Can Westbrook defer to Durant? Does Mutombo NOT like blocking shots? Anyways, the Grizzles role players should be the real x-factor here. Does Mark Miller and Tayshaun Prince have anything left in the tank to help the Grizz win a couple of games?
Lovell: The answer to that question is no Mark... Just... No.
L.A. Clippers (3) vs. Golden State Warriors (6)
Lovell: This matchup is something everyone wants to see. These teams have a healthy distain for each other. Why? Who knows, but man does it lead to some entertaining games. The only thing is the injury to Bogut pretty much kills any chance the Warriors had to win. This is not the Clippers team of old. Doc Rivers has turned Blake Griffin into the player everyone thought he could be. Doc also has DeAndre Jordan walking around thinking he is the next Bill Rus... Ok, typing those words is still blasphemous but as long as Jordan believes it he will play as hard as possible. A wise man once said, "Confidence baby, confidence!" Clippers in six.
Mark: If you like scoring, this is the series for you. If the score of each game isn't in the 90s or more it will be a shocker. Last month, this was a series that could have gone seven games. The loss of Andrew Bogut is going to hurt their chances dramatically. Good news for the Warriors is it will be Andre Iguodala guarding Chris Paul and not Steph Curry. Unless David Lee and Klay Thompson have the series of their lives or the Clippers completely fall apart, this is gearing up to be a quick series. Clippers in five.
X-factor for the series:
Mark: Klay Thompson has to help Steph Curry in more than on game. He absolutely has to step his game up and play better than the Clippers shooting guards. In addition to that, the corpse of Jermaine O’Neal also has to try to fill the shoes of Andrew Bogut
Lovell: Can Jordan knock down some late costless throws?
Houston Rockets (4) vs. Portland Trailblazers (5)
Mark: There will be more three pointers taken in this series and less defense played than any series in NBA history. In the end it will come down to stops. Who can prevent the other team from scoring in bunches when they go on a run? The Rockets have the best offensive shooting guard in the league in James Harden, Patrick Beverly defending Damian Lillard, and a rebounding/shot blocking machine in Dwight Howard. The Blazers have the best scoring role players in the league and if Lamarcus Aldridge is healthy he is going to put up big numbers in every category. *Flips a coin* Rockets in seven.
Lovell: Flips a coin? Really? This writer has a much better way of determining this insanely hard to predict series:
*shakes magic eight ball*
Lovell: Who will win between the Rockets and Blazers?
Magic eight ball: Reply hazy. Try again.
*Shakes magic eight ball*
Magic eight ball: Concentrate and ask again.
*Shakes magic eight ball*
Magic eight ball: Save the cheerleader, save the world.
Lovell: Err... Blazers in six?
X-factor for the series:
Lovell: Apparently, someone needs to save Claire from Sylar...
Mark: The x-Factor is flipping a coin is way more reliable than a magic 8-ball that gives you a "Heores" reference.
Lovell: