You seriously underestimate the 62-63 win defending champions who are FINALLY starting to get healthy this season. NO WAY do the Mavs get past SA.
I picked Spurs to win, because of the playoff/championship experience BOTH for players and the coach. Piston will be outplayed not due to the talents of the players, but due to the mismatch of their coach. Between Miami and Detroit, I would say 50/50 for both teams assuming that both teams are healthy. Pat might have a slight edge over Flip, but Pat hasn't coached playoff for a while so it's hard to say. I would like to see Shaq win another ring, just to show big man is more important for a championship team, and because Shaq has shown tremendous respect to Yao.
Detroit. Too talented. Billups is too clutch. Sheed is as efficient as TD. Rip is going to run Bowen into screens all day to get his favorite shots off. Tayshaun Prince is so ugly that he'll lock down ginobili or atleast make it hard, plus Ben Wallace will negate Nazr, or Td when and if need be. Miami....too erratic. Payton's not going to be slowing anyone down if he keeps starting especially against parker who ate his lunch few years back. Miami just doesn't fit properly IMO. S.A. just not healthy enough to win, especially TD with plantar fasciatias. Relying too much on Parker won't get them far although, S.A. will win the west. Dallas. nothing inside going on except the beast that is Dampier. B 2nd best in the Nba right behind Chris Kaman. Dallas won't get hot since playoff basketball is slower, more methodical and better defended. Phoenix won't amount to **** with elite defenders. S.A. can hold them, so can Detroit and Miami assuming that they make it that far.
Did I hear that the Pistons have had the same starting 5 for all but 1 game this year? Of course, the 1 game was when Sheed was suspended. This is their year. I say they beat the Spurs in 6 games.
3 teams have a good chance, Det, SA and Mia in that order. Dallas has a very outside chance. No one else has a prayer. I think the Pistons will win. I think the only teams that can beat them are the Heat or Spurs. The Nets and Suns don't have the inside game and defense, neither is built like a playoff winner. The Suns would have had a reasonable chance with Amare.Phx should have a fairly easy time to the WCF, but they almost certainly will faulter there. SA will probably take the West, but it will not be easy. Sac is not a good team at all for them to draw in the 1st round, Artest and Bibby and role players make them formidable. Dallas at #4, likely to draw Memphis, is a much better draw. My gut says SA and TD will wear down, coming through that not so great #8 western seed (Sac than Dal), their challenge will be getting to the WCF. Detroit on the other hand doesn't even have to extert themsleves until the ECF, major leg up going into the ECF and probable NBA finals not only with home court but likely much fresher than their opponents.
nets are also going to be pretty good contenders imo. theyve been hot the last games.. and i think they can beat miami, not so sure about detroit but they are capable of goign to the finals.
I'll say Detroit over San Antonio in seven games, returning the favor from last year. Detroit/San Antonio will become the new big rivalry that nobody cares about. Now if only their style of basketball was more "exciting" then maybe more people would care.
I don't know how i picked Detroit since I thought the Mavs and Miami were going to the finals with the Mavs winning it all. However I think Miami will win it. I even have a 20 dollar bet with a friend saying that the Mavs were going to win it. Oh well. It is what it is.
