SPURS VERSES BLAZERS SECOND ROUND PREVIEW

Spurs

The Spurs come into this series coming off of seven game series with the Dallas Mavericks. The speed of the Mavs caused the Spurs some trouble as well as their duo of Ellis and Dirk. The Spurs had the best record in all of the NBA and every year everybody thinks that the Spurs will fall apart and every year they keep preforming well and surprising people. They have a older big three that keeps preforming well including on of the most underrated point guards in the NBA. One thing to keep in might with them is how their starting shooting guard and small forward preform throughout the series. These two player will have to play well for them to move on in the playoffs.

Blazers

The Blazers would of had a seven game series of their own if it was not for the heroics of their up and coming point guard Damian Lillard making a game winning three pointer at the buzzer to win game six. The Blazers are led by Lillard and their start power forward Aldridge. Aldridge was on fire in this series especially for the first two games of the series where he averaged 45 points. The other players like their shooting guard for example will have to preform well in this series if they want to win this series and move on.

BACKCOURTS:

Spurs

The Spurs starting backcourt consists of one of the most underrated points guards in the NBA in Tony Parker. Parker is an experienced veteran who knows how to win and is both great at both passing and scoring. Their shooting guard is great at shooting threes but sometimes goes into cold spurts. He could be one of the x-factors in determining who wins this series and moves on.

 Blazers

The Blazers backcourt is one of the up and coming back courts that is good now but could turn into one of the top 5 in the NBA. Lillard is already one of the better point guards in the NBA and could turn out to be top 5 in the NBA. Their shooting guard plays good defense and shoots the ball fairly well. He will be an x-factor for the Blazers. One of the things to look at is which starting shooting guard plays better in this series. 

FRONTCOURT

Spurs

The Spurs front court consist of one two up and coming player which are their small forward and center. The other player in their starting front court is Mr. Fundamental in Timmy Duncan. He has been one of the best players in the league ever since he has drafted a long time ago. You can basically put him down for a 10 points and 10 rebounds every game. His position battle with Aldridge will be a fun one to watch. However it will be important to see how their 3 and 5 do and they will need to do well to win this series.

Blazers

The Blazers are often looked over especially their power forward Aldridge. He played like a superstar in the first round series against the Rockets and if he keeps playing like that it will be hard for the Spurs to guard him and will open it up for the rest of his teammates. Lopez the center was a underrated pick up in the offseason. Also their small forward is a veteran that is good for a mostly young team. They will have to have good play from him as a role player to win this series.

Bench

Spurs

The Spurs have two of the best bench players in all of the NBA in Ginoblli and Mills. Ginoblli is the third part of their big three and is really good at getting to the rim and also has a good jumper. Mills has been stuck on the Spur's bench for a few years but the past couple years has finally been given a chance and is making the most of it. The thing to watch for is do the Spurs have a third and fourth player off of the bench that is contributes consistently throughout the series. 

Blazers

The Blazers do not have a very deep bench at all at will need at least 2 to three player to contribute throughout this series. The best player on their bench is probably Mo Williams and he isn't really that good. They will need him and the rest of their bench to show up if they want to beat the Spurs who made the finals last year.

PREDICTION: The Spurs have better players, a better bench, more veteran leadership, and a better and deeper bench. This is not saying that the Blazers are a bad team they are really good they are just a year or two away from being able to get to the finals. Blazers get a few good players either from the draft or free agency and you will be in contention to make the finals, but right now you just aren't deep enough. Spurs in 6.

HEAT VERSES NETS SECOND ROUND PREVIEW

HEAT
The second seeded Heat made easy work of the Bobcats who posed no threat to the reigning champs. There was really only one player on the Bobcats who semi caused some problems for the Heat but other than that it was easy sailing for the Heat who won their opening series in four games. The Heat and their big three, which consists of Lebron, Wade, and Bosh, carry this team. However when they are at their best is when their supporting cast is playing well. In this series, they will need their role players to play well in order to win this series against a veteran led Nets squad.

NETS
The Nets come into this second round matchup coming off of a tough seven game series with the Toronto Raptors. Joe Johnson was a big reason why they won game seven as he scored 26 points. Another reason they won the series was the veteran leadership of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Both players had at least 10 points and Paul Pierce had the deciding block on the final shot by the Raptors to try to win that game. The Nets will need their veterans as well as Johnson and Williams to play well in this series if they want to upset the Heat and go on to the Eastern Conference Finals.

BACKCOURTS:
HEAT
The Heat's backcourt consists of a decent point guard who is good at making corner three and an aging shooting guard who is one of the better players in the NBA when healthy. When healthy, this is one of the better backcourts in the NBA. Though their point guard does not really have to do much except sit in the corner and wait for one of the big three to pass it to him in the corner for a three. Wade, their shooting guard and one of the Heat's big three, is good at taking it to the rim. You want to Heat to be shooting jump shots if you can. One thing to watch for is what Wade shows up. If he shows up being one of the best players in the NBA the Nets will be in trouble.
NETS
When the Nets backcourt is doing well and on track, they are one of the better ones in the NBA. However sometimes they get off track and tend to slack off. I do not think that they will be doing that because off the veterans on this team and because they are facing the defending champs. Also their shooting guard has a back for preforming well in the forth quarter at the end of games. He usually is the one to make big shots and usually he makes them. He will have to be making shots throughout the game though if the Nets are to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
FRONTCOURT
HEAT

The Heat's front court consists of the other two thirds of the big three as well as a decent player that pays well with the big three. When you have the best all around player on you team it usually means good things for you. How to Heat use him though will be interesting to watch will he mainly be behind the three point arc or will he be in the post and making drives to the basket and getting to the free throw line. Also the other players on the team will have to have some impact for the Heat to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals.

NETS

The Nets front court consists of two very experienced veterans who help this team especially in the playoffs. These are players who have won the championship before and also have beaten the Miami Heat before. They know what it takes to get to the top and win it all which is what they were brought in to do. They play the best when the pressure is at its highest and they will have to show up now that they are playing the reigning NBA champs.

Bench

HEAT

The heat's bench has a lot of veterans who bring a number of different things to the team. Some are really good at shooting threes. Others are really good at playing defense and playing at the rim on the offensive end. The Heat's bench will just have to play decent enough to keep the score differential at what it is at so that the Heat can win and move on to the Eastern Conference Finals.

NETS 

The Nets bench has a number of players that shoot threes at a decent rate as well as a few players that play good defense and do not produce much at this point on the offensive side of the ball. Their bench will have to do better than the Heat's bench if they want to win this series and move on.

PREDICTION: 

Somehow the Heat had trouble with the Nets during the regular season as the Nets were the only team in the NBA to beat them every time that they played them. The Nets somehow found a way to get passed the Heat during the regular season. However, the playoffs are a different story. The Nets will have to prove that the regular season games were not a fluke and that they can beat the Heat in the playoffs. I do not think that they can beat the Heat 4  times out of 7. I think that it will be closer than people think it is though. Heat in 6.

CLIPPER VS THUNDER SECOND ROUND PREVIEW

THUNDER
The 2nd seeded Thunder had a tough seven game series that they barely got through with the Memphis Grizzles. They are led by two of the best players in the NBA including the probable MVP of the league in Kevin Durant. Durant had the second highest average (29.9) during the first round of the playoffs. During the last series against the Grizzles, the pace of the game was a huge factor as well as the time of the game that each team had the lead. During the games that the Thunder had the lead for at least two thirds of the game, the Thunder won. The games that they had the lead for less then 10 minutes they lost. Now they face another team that has a good front court. This time on the other hand they are not as conventional in their approach. However that does not mean that the Thunder's front court can take it easy. They will need their role players to pick up the slack as sometimes Durant and Westbrook do most of the work as the role player stand in a corner and watch. Players like Ibaka and Jackson will have to play well in this series if they want to move on to the Western Conference Finals.

CLIPPERS
The Clippers come into this series coming off of a seven game series of their own. They just had a seven game battle with the Warriors and the "Splash Brothers". Also they Clippers have had to deal with the racist remarks of their owner who was just banned from the all NBA activities by the NBA commissioner. They got by the Warriors by the leadership of their coach and their star point guard Chris Paul. Chris Paul lead the regular season as well as the first round of the playoffs in assists per game. They have many players on their team that are good at shooting especially beyond the three point arc. Also they are known for their high tempo offense that loves to get up and down the court for high flying dunks which got them the nickname "Lob City". The have one of the highest scoring offenses in the NBA if not the highest. Defense will be of the area that will have to be looked at if they want to move on to the Western Conference Finals. 

BACKCOURTS:
THUNDER
The Thunder have one of the best scoring point guards in the NBA in Westbrook. He can light up the scoreboard on any given night. However, he need to be more of a passer and get his other teammates involved if he wants to get better as well as get his team to the Western Conference Finals. When he is starts out the game getting his teammates involved in the Game, the Thunder have a better chance of winning. As much as their point guard is great, their starting shooting guard is average at best. He is good for what the Thunder need him to be, but it would help the Thunder out a ton if they either drafted a good shooting guard or got one in free agency.
CLIPPERS
The Clippers also have one of the best point guards in the NBA, but he is more of the conventional style of point guards. He is a pass first point guard, and statistically he is the best in assists in the NBA both in the regular season and in the playoffs up to this point. This match up feature a battle of the two main different styles of point guard play, pass first verses shoot first. Both are great point guards but Paul is the better passer by a mile. Also the Clippers shooting guard is not the best and they have two or three better shooting guards on their bench that they could have starting which would make their starting lineup better, but I am not their coach so I cannot make that change.

FRONTCOURT
THUNDER
The Thunder's front court is one of their weaknesses with the exception of their MVP in Kevin Durant. Durant is one of the best players in the NBA scores over 30 points per game on most nights and can make almost every shot on the floor. However the rest of the Thunder's front court is less than spectacular. Their power forward is really a back up that is starting and is getting older by the minute. Their Center/power forward Ibaka is improving though and is one of the best shot blockers in the game with and improving medium range jump shot. Ibaka will have to have a great series especially on the defensive end when guarding either Blake Griffin or Deandre Jordan.
CLIPPERS
The Clippers have a great front court with the exception of their small forward. Their starting small forward will have a handful with the probable MVP in Durant. He should not be much of a problem for him. However the rest of their starting front court is one of the best and most exciting. The main parts of "Lob City" in Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan. Blake Griffin needs to be a dominate force in this series if they want to move on. He needs to average at least a double double and stay out of foul trouble if they want to move on.
Bench
THUNDER
The Thunder have an improved bench with experienced veterans. They need to have a good series and average at least 35 points a series if they want to move on. Butler and Fisher will have to have a good series as well as Jackson. 
CLIPPERS
The Clippers have a deep bench that can score 50 points a game if they are on their game. They have a bunch of scorers on their bench with a ton of three point shooting. They have one of the best bench players in the league and the probably 6th man of the year in Jamal Crawford. How their bench does they little things such as rebound and play defense could be the difference in the series.

PREDICTION: 
The Thunder do not have enough bench play even though it has gotten better to win. If Durant and Westbrook help the role player to do better and get involved they have a chance to win this series. The Clippers have a better bench but will have to play defense if they want to win this series. Clippers in 7.

PACERS VS WIZARDS SECOND ROUND PREVIEW

INDIANA 

The top seeded Indiana Pacers struggled with the smaller line up of Atlanta and surprisingly Atlanta pushed the series to seven games before falling in to the Pacers. Atlanta's point guard, Jeff Teague has a big part of this averaging 20 points and 5 assists a game during the series. Indiana overcame their star center playing terribly during the first six games of the series averaging only 4 points per games during the series including zero points in games 5 and 6 before having his best game of the series in game 7, scoring 13 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. Atlanta's smaller faster lineup gave Indiana's larger slower lineup fits during the series until Indiana prevailed in game 7. Moving on Indiana will have to deal with one of the best backcourts in the NBA when they struggle with controlling Atlanta's less powerful backcourt. Their front court will have to come back and have a great series as well especially Hibbert, who had a less then spectacular series against the smaller Hawks, who he should have been able to dominate. The front court matchup will be tougher for the Pacers, and their fans will have to hope that the tougher matchup helps them to play better in this series.

WIZARDS

The 5th seeded Wizards made quick work of the Chicago Bulls, winning the series in five games. I thought that this series would be a closer one than this, but the Wizards proved me wrong. The Wizards and their offense proved to be to much for the Bulls great defense as the Bulls offense just could not keep up to the superior Wizards offense. In the first four games of the series, the Wizards scored around 100 points per game against one of the best defenses in the NBA. Their front court  players will have to show that they truly can play well against one of the better front courts in the NBA when they are playing good in the Pacers.

BACKCOURTS

INDIANA 

Indiana's backcourt is not the best in the NBA but is improving. Their point guard is a serviceable point guard that runs the game and keeps the offense moving and running the correct plays. He passes the ball decently for a starting point guard but still is not the greatest at it. Their shooting guard is improving every year and getting better in many areas of the game. Lance Stephenson is very athletic and likes to attack the basket for rebounds, layups, and dunks. His shooting has been an improving part of his game as well as his defense. Their backcourt will have to show up especially on the defensing end of the court because they are facing one of the better backcourts in all of the NBA in the Wizards.

WIZARDS

Their back court is one of their strengths and as the Pacers struggled in their last series against a lesser back court, unless the Pacers change how they defended and improve all of a sudden. The Wizards starting point guard, John Wall, is once of the up and coming point guards in the league and in a year or two he will be one of the best in the league if he is not already. What is scary is that the Wizards backcourt is already good and they will just continue to get better over the next few years. Their shooting guard Beal has a good jump shot especially from deep shooting 45% in the series with the Bulls.
ADVANTAGE: Wizards

FRONTCOURTS:
INDIANA 
Indiana has one of the best front courts when they are playing at their best. When their small forward, Paul George, is playing at the top of his game he is one of the best players in the NBA. Though the Pacers had a bad series collectively against the Pacers, George still averaged 24 points per game on 46% shooting so it was not much of his fault. He should be able to dominate his matchup because the Wizards starting small forward is not that good of a player. The Pacers power forward as a lot of NBA experience and is one of the glue pieces that brings the Pacers together. When he is doing well the Pacers usually do well. Though he did not have a great series against the Hawks, he will have to come up big against the Wizards who have a taller, stronger, and better front court. Another player that will have to preform considerably better than he did the last series is Roy Hibbert, their starting center. He basically did not show up in the last series against the Hawks only averaging 4 points in games 1-6 and scoring 0 points in games 5 and 6. Hibbert will have to show that he is one of the best centers in the NBA against the Wizards if the Pacers want to win this series. He has to opportunity to prove that the last series was a fluke and show that he is a great center in this league. 

ADVANTAGE: Pacers

BENCH:
INDIANA 
The Pacers bench has improved over last year where there was a great difference between the quality of their starters and their reserves. This year they got better players on their bench and it helped them get the top seed in the East. They have an underrated back up center in Mahinmi. They have four to five quality players off of their bench who can come in and contribute at any time.
WIZARDS
The Wizards do not have as deep of a bench as Indiana. The Wizards has basically three players that their bench is consisted of that play. Their backup guard, Andre Miller, has a ton of experience which is extremely beneficially with the inexperienced Wizards. Overall the Wizards next year should improve their bench if they want to go farther on in the playoffs then they already are right now.
ADVANTAGE: Pacers

PREDICTION:
This depends on which Pacers team shows up. If the team that showed up in the beginning of the regular season shows up, then this could be a series that they win in 5 or 6 games. However, If the Pacers that showed up in the Hawks series shows up, then they could lose this series in 6 games and have an unwanted early exit from these playoffs. I think that the Pacers will have more of the team that they were in the beginning of the year instead of the team that we saw in the Hawks series with the Pacers winning in 6 or 7 games. Pacers in 7.

UPCOMING POSTS

Once the second round match-ups for the NBA playoffs are known, I will be posting my previews for the upcoming series so you all can look forward to that. Also if you have any ideas for upcoming posts leave a comment below. I want to hear from my readers so that I can make this blog better and better.