[jjgold]

I am going with Spurs and Detroit as my first choice


Spurs and Heat second choice

Spurs and Cavs third choice

[bigboydan]

I too like the Spurs coach. However, I'm still undecided in the East.

[GatorFan]

If Gator played, I would have picked them for the champ. Dallas is gonna get Champ this year folks

[KC]

If you can get Dallas at 2-1 bet it
the officials robbed them last year...this year even the leagues dislike of mark cuban will not stop them

[SBR_John]

Spurs VS Cavs

The cavs are the best value play on the futures board at +1600

[GatorFan]

If you can get Dallas at 2-1 bet it
the officials robbed them last year...this year even the leagues dislike of mark cuban will not stop them

I gonna ALL IN for Dallas this year. However, I still waiting on my 4k withdraw requested on 3/19 from f*cking sportsbetting.com

[ShamsWoof10]

SUNS!!!!!! they look unbeatable this year although I agree Cavs are the best value...

[GatorFan]

SUNS!!!!!! they look unbeatable this year although I agree Cavs are the best value...

SUNS are really on offense. However, they could not play defense to become the Champ. Dallas is good on both offense and defense. Dallas is the real Champ this year

[Dark Horse]

Suns and Pistons in finals.

Defending champs out in first round.

[gridironguy]

For many reasons, too many to name right now, I am going with Phoenix and Cleveland, and the Suns to win it all.

[tacomax]

Why do the Harlem Globetrotters never make it to the NBA finals? They're the best team on the planet.

[rjt721]

Doesn't matter who comes out of the East. SA/Dallas in the WCF will be the real NBA Finals. I think the Spurs are by far the best team in the league.

[Junkyard Dog]

Heat and Suns

[BadAzz]

Detroit - Dallas

And this time the refs will not steal it from the Mavs.

[buztah]

Detroit v Suns and Suns win it all.

[cincy_1]

CRAZY PICK: Suns/Toronto

REAL PICK: Mavs/Heat (again)

[Kaps]

detroit/ spurs

[jjgold]

We start tomorrow, great basketball now for the next couple of months.

[onlooker]

Cavaliers vs Mavericks.

Cavs....Mavs...sounds cool.

[tevari]

houston detroit!

[abacus30]

I've never been a favorites kind of guy, but these playoffs remind me of the NCAA tournie - year of the favorites. Mavs vs. Pistons in the Finals... Mavs win it all and Cuban buys the whole team porsche 911 turbos

[gridironguy]

Food for thought: Since 2001, out of the 12 total teams that made the NBA Finals (6 West teams and 6 East teams), only 3 of them have been #1 seeds going into the playoffs. Just 25% of the teams making the finals were #1 seeds.

My theory is two-fold:

1) Teams that earn #1 seeds have expended the most energy during the regular season in achieving their lofty records.

2) Teams seeded #2 or lower are usually teams that have been close to winning in recent years and are ready to turn the proverbial corner, ie, they are hungry.

I'm picking the Suns to make the Finals because they have just enough defense now with Stoudamire finally healthy. I believe Dallas is still somewhat hungry from last year, but might be overconfident after the incredible regular season. San Antonio has already won a few titles with the same cast pretty much and cannot be as hungry as in year's past. They are also aging.

In the East, speaking of aging, the Pistons have been. Just like last season, they are a great reg season team, but will probably not excel past the Orlando series. Flip Saunders is a nice guy but not a big game, big series coach.

I'm going with Cleveland, who played 6 very close games vs. Detroit last season before succumbing in the 7th game.

I have Chicago knocking off the defending champion Miami Heat in 7 games.

Phoenix over Cleveland in 6 games in the Final.

Nash finally gets his ring. That's the way I see it shaking out.

Enjoy the games everyone.

[Dark Horse]

The road through the East to the NBA finals is so much easier than through the West, that I would give the Pistons (or Heat) about a 60% chance of winning the NBA title against the far more exhausted opponent from the West.

[gridironguy]

I've never been a favorites kind of guy, but these playoffs remind me of the NCAA tournie - year of the favorites.

Completely unrelated. The reason that the NCAA Tourney was top heavy with favorites winning is because it was quite apparent in the regular season that the "haves" were more stacked than the "have nots" this year. There is one huge reason for this:

The "Age 19 Rule" in the NBA whereby HS players must be 19 years old to enter the draft OR must have played at least one year in college before leaving.

This rule caused many top players at top schools to stick around one more year with the knowledge that the 2007 draft would be very thin as it is devoid of HS seniors. In fact, the draft is so thin that the only PG of note is Conley, Jr out of OSU who is a freshman.

The talent that stuck around to take advantage of the new rule prohibiting HS players from jumping to the NBA is what made NCAA hoops so much better this year.

It is completely unrelated to the NBA playoffs and will have no impact on the amount of "upsets" that occur. Detroit went 64-18 last season which was the best record in the NBA and went down in flames. #1 seeds in the past 6 seasons are 3-9 in terms of reaching the Finals. Only three #1 seeds in 6 yrs.

I've explained my theory a few posts ago in this very thread.

[sabe]

Detroit vs Phoenix
or
Detroit vs Dallas (if Nellie doesn't upset them)