Chicago / Atlanta
Memphis / OKC

Chicago / OKC

I never bet on OKC as a contender because i think Scott Brooks is a terrible coach but i think this time around they are just too talented for him to mess it up.

I dont trust Bogut to be healthy so GSW are out. If healthy they could come out of the West, but he won't be. I'd also question San Antonio's drive at this point.

Obviously whoever wins the West will win it all.

And obviously GSW, SA, Memphis, OKC could all easily win the west if healthy. Then you have the Mavs and Blazers who can't really defend but are still contenders. This is the most stacked the West has ever been in the history of the league.

Ruling out Chicago in saying the West winner will take it? They have a decent roster and Noah and Rose aren't at their best.

I like Memphis too. Wonder if the Spurs are coasting and being caught out on a few results? Their record on the road and within their conference isn't very impressive.

Warriors have done OK without Bogut. In the mix at least.

Spurs have beaten Dallas, Atlanta, Clippers, Warriors, Cleveland, Memphis, Houston and New Orleans. They've had a seriously tough start to the schedule, and had injuries to quite a few players/inconsistent line up. I suspect an easier back-end to the schedule + players back and well rested will help get the Spurs to a top 4 position and in contention to win it all. OKC & Warriors are major road blocks though.

Chicago are like the Pacific ocean, big and deep. If Rose has a good playoffs no one has a chance in the East. Except maybe Raptors. Or if Nba and Ncaa allow Kentucky to enter as 8th seed.
If Lebron had a rough relationship with Waiters wait until Jr Smith starts firing up at any opportunity. Lebron will be ringing Pat Riley begging to come back to Miami.
And there's normally one Cinderella team that loses in first round, sorry Atlanta.

West is a lottery. Health (Golden state, Spurs), Cohesiveness (Okc with Waiters on board,Rockets with Josh Smith, Clippers), trades(?) and just good old fashioned luck and getting hot at the right time (Portland, Memphis). Will be heading to TAB to put down some cash on a few long shots in conference final, Memphis and Houston should pay off the credit card.

I know i'm a homer as i'm a Blazer fan, but if you say we can't defend...

We're a top 3 defensive team ffs.

Chicago has seriously regressed on the defensive end. Watch how many open layups they concede in halfcourt sets as well as the secondary break.

They're still top 10, and they've improved drastically on the offensive end, but they aren't world beaters on the defensive end like they once were. Playing guys like Pau and Mirotic big minutes doesn't help, but it balances out the other end of the floor. Rose is also not what he was on the defensive end. I think it's pretty clear now that Rose will never return to the player he was before he got hurt. I also hate it when they give him the ball in crunch time instead of Jimmy Butler. They need to swallow their pride and sort that out because Butler is the better option and it's lost them a couple of close games. You also would think that certain guys on that team will turn up the defensive effort come playoff time and they should be good to go. But they aren't beating whoever comes out of the West unless Derrick Rose really turns back to his old self and fixes his shot selection.

And I don't trust Thibs to keep that offense grooving throughout the playoffs. He's got better at offensive playcalling, and they have better personnel, but it still gets really stagnant when Derrick Rose is dominating the ball looking for ugly long twos.

Rockets are no chance. They have a terrible coach and Josh Smith has looked even worse than he did in Detroit.

Portland aren't deep, but they are the third best defense in the league right now to go along with their offensive prowess, after turning in a terrible defensive season last year. That is a massive improvement that no one is talking about. They could make noise, especially with a guy like Lillard who lives for the big moments.

I don't think Dallas will be able to guard anyone welllenough to even win a series.

The Spurs have had so many injuries it's hard to tell. But you would be stupid to write them off, obviously.

The Warriors can win the regular season without Bogut but we saw what the inferior Clippers did to them last offseason with the Big Fella out. They need him come playoff time. He's their most important player not called Curry.

Look out, Pistons are 6-0 since waiving Smith.

Laughing at all you guys forgetting the Cavs, especially in a conference such as the East.

Warriors Spurs in West
Cavs Bulls in East

Warriors Bulls - Warriors in 7

West is way too hard to call though anything can happen and ill enjoy the west match-ups better than the actual finals series.

Ps. Mick - I agree with you RE bogut, but GSW D has been better without him

The Cavs aren't getting out of the first round, at least not as presently constructed.

They just don't have any rim protection.

If the playoffs started today they'd be playing Washington. Nene and Gortat would go for 25 each, every single game.

I think the comments about the west being the run away favourites to win it all are a bit off the money. Yes the west has some tough teams but the top 4 in the east have virtually identical records to the top 4 in the west.

The Bulls are looking like serious contenders. D Rose is starting to get his groove back driving to the basket and running the pick'n'roll with Butler. Since start of December they are 14-4 and have won 13 of there last 15 games. In that time they have beaten Houston, Portland, Memphis, New Orleans, Toronto and Washington. They lost to Atlanta and GSW. GSW was on there longest winning streak in franchise history and Atlanta was a close game on the second night of a back to back with Noah our injured. I think assuming D.Rose continues to be healthy the Bulls have as good a chance of any in the league to take it out.

Most of the wests top teams are jump shooters. In the playoffs and finals that is going to be hard to win a 7 game series with as scouting comes in and your easy screen play to set up shooters becomes more difficult and the open shots aren't so open! You still need size and hustle which the Bulls have. The Grizzlies are a bit undersized, GSW with Bogut out will stuggle and the Rockets need Dwight to man up. Harden is too ball dominant and when he is scouted or comes up against an all league defender (such as JB last night) he will get shut down. I think the Spurs will be tough to beat in 7 in any round in the west. Portland has no inside game and I wouldn't be surprised if they got rolled in 5 in the first round.

Toronto, wow...

I will go with Mavs v Cavs

Warriors vs Bulls

Bear no disrespect but do you even watch NBA? Raptors are a tough out and been top 4 in the east all year. They would also have been top 4 in the west with there record so not "wow raptors". As for the cavs they may not even make to playoffs the way things are going and today's trade probably won't help them a whole lot.

Uhh Mick, rim protection isn't the full stop when it comes to defence. Heck look at Golden state right now without bogut - there defence is better?

The spurs don't have any superior rim protectors either...

1) trust me the cavs will sign a defensive centre soon either by trade or FA
2) They have Lebron James
3) and Kyrie and Love
4) perimeter defence is vitally important if not just as important as rim protection.. lebron and now shumpert will give the cavs that

would love to have a wager with you about that ridiculous 1st round claim

Also raptors are solid, behind cavs and bulls they are 3rd

Hawks and wizards arent a worry...

East finals - Bulls Hawks
West finals - Warriors Spurs

NBA finals - Bulls Spurs

Champions - Spurs in 6