NBA: Second Round Preview
The First Round is in the rear view mirror, and now we are preparing for the Second Round, where we will see four matchups of the eight best teams in the league. Our NBA Staff of Tunde Aduroja (7-1), Caleb Henderson (5-3), Charles Post (7-1), Blake Stoll (7-1), Chinedum Wejinya (7-1), and Chase Zayac (6-2) will predict who moves on. The Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Utah Jazz are all still alive.
No. 1 Boston Celtics (53-29, 4-2) vs. No. 4 Washington Wizards (49-33, 4-2): The Celtics looked a little vulnerable in the last series, and we saw that they struggled to rebound the basketball in Games 1 and 2 against the Bulls. Watch out for that. Boston can't afford to give a team with such a potent offensive attack extra possessions. John Wall's ability to get into the lane, create for the shooters on his team, and finish at the rim promises to give the Celtics headaches. That last part (finish at the rim) might prove especially problematic for a team that lacks a traditional rim protector like Boston. Offensively, Boston will be able to score on Washington. Isaiah Thomas will be able to get into the lane and use his craftiness to finish at the rim, per the usual. However, Boston's offense has been a mess whenever Thomas sits. Boston's help defense will be key in this series. While Thomas is an offensive maestro, he's also a defensive sieve, and his team will need to ensure that they rotate correctly to cover for him. The only problem? Washington has a gaggle of shooters, and once Wall (or anyone, for that matter) gets into the paint, Boston's defense will be forced into a very tough decision. Do you cut off the drive and leave a shooter open? Do you stick to the shooter and leave a big to try and protect the rim? Boston could try going without Thomas for stretches, but their offense was a mess when they did that in the regular season, and against an offense like Washington, you can't afford prolonged scoring droughts. The Celts will probably try to hide Thomas on Otto Porter, but Washington can just run Porter off of screens or run pick and rolls with Thomas as the screener. I don't really see any place where IT4 will be able to hide in this series on defense. I think the Wizards will pull the upset in this bitter rivalry.
Tunde Aduroja: Wizards (4-2)
Caleb Henderson: Celtics (4-2)
Charles Post: Celtics (4-3)
Blake Stoll: Celtics (4-2)
Chinedum Wejinya: Wizards (4-1)
Chase Zayac: Celtics (4-1)
No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31, 4-0) vs. No. 3 Toronto Raptors (51-31, 4-2): Cleveland's offense runs through two guys: Lebron James and Kyrie Irving. The ball is in their hands for the majority of the game, and they attempt to make plays for themselves, and are surrounded by a plethora of shooters in case of emergency. James spreads the ball around, while getting his, for the first three quarters, and then he and Irving take the game over in crunch time. And even though it's not the best offensive set in the league, it was good enough to win the championship last season. Toronto is one of the few teams in the NBA that still play from the inside-out, even though their best players are Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, both of whom are guards. The reason Toronto works the ball inside is because Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas are competent scorers, as well as good passers. If they have a post-up for an easy inside shot, they'll take it, but if a double-team comes, Lowry, DeRozan, and DeMarre Carroll can create on the drive and from the perimeter. All in all, the Cavaliers will come away on top because at this time in the season, James turns it up a notch and his teammates follow suit.
Tunde Aduroja: Cavaliers (4-2)
Caleb Henderson: Cavaliers (4-0)
Charles Post: Cavaliers (4-2)
Blake Stoll: Cavaliers (4-1)
Chinedum Wejinya: Cavaliers (4-2)
Chase Zayac: Cavaliers (4-1
No. 1 Golden State Warriors (67-15, 4-0) vs. No. 5 Utah Jazz (51-31, 4-3): Will Rudy Gobert be healthy? If so, this series could be really fun. His mere presence changes everything defensively. When you have a shot blocker of that caliber on your team, perimeter defenders can afford to be more aggressive on the ball. Having a top-notch shot blocker also enables wings and guards to stay home on shooters, which is critical against a team like the Warriors. Utah also loves to play at a slow pace, which will make it hard for the Dubs to get out in transition. Joe Johnson's ability to score in isolation gives this Jazz team another difficult dimension to stop. Utah can push the Dubs a little in this series. Only a bit, though. The Warriors are still the favorites here, and for good reason. Johnson will find the going tough against Golden State's numerous wing defenders, and Gordon Hayward will be forced to work a little harder than before to get his points. The Dubs pull this one out, but only after receiving a bit of a scare.
Tunde Aduroja: Warriors (4-1)
Caleb Henderson: Warriors (4-1)
Charles Post: Warriors (4-1)
Blake Stoll: Warriors (4-0)
Chinedum Wejinya: Warriors (4-2)
Chase Zayac: Warriors (4-0
No. 2 San Antonio Spurs (61-21, 4-2) vs. No. 3 Houston Rockets (55-27, 4-1): San Antonio has great balance, as they always have, and the ball is spread all around the court to a number of players. Tony Parker has lost a step, but as he showed against Memphis, he's still got the ability to get into the lane. Danny Green is a knock down shooter from the outside. Kawhi Leonard dominates in all aspects of the game. Lamarcus Aldridge has a great mid-range game. And Pau Gasol is a solid passer and rebounder from the paint. It's tough to defend the Spurs because they don't run a lot of set pieces, they're all just unselfish players that move the ball until something opens up. Houston on the other hand is James Harden and a bunch of shooters. Harden, the best isolation player in the NBA, looks for his first, and if it's not there, he can draw-and-kick to all of the deep threats around him. A couple years ago, this may not have worked, but now that Haden has developed a great passing game including legitimate point guard vision, it is very effective. Although the Rockets have finally seemed to find a way to win, it won't be enough to dethrone the Spurs in the Battle of Texas. I'll take the Spurs in a tight Game 7.
Tunde Aduroja: Rockets (4-2)
Caleb Henderson: Rockets (4-3)
Charles Post: Spurs (4-3)
Blake Stoll: Spurs (4-2)
Chinedum Wejinya: Spurs (4-3)
Chase Zayac: Spurs (4-2)
Photo Credit: Bleacher Report.
