2007 NBA PLAYOFFS PREDICTIONS TAKE 3

 

OK. I've had two goes at this this seasons. I made some mistakes first time round, and I made some more mistakes second time round. So now it's two teams left in the East, two teams in the West. What's going to happen in the Conference Finals?

EAST

Pistons vs Cavs: Had this matchup called from the start. The Pistons may bore me half the time but you cannot argue with their stats. This is their fifth trip in a row to the Eastern Conference Finals and given their regular season record, they were always one of the safer bets this season. THe Cavs haven't made it this far since 1992 when they got swept by MJ's Bulls. The current side got here partly due to the help of their high seeding giving them home court advantage this far but they've still got here.

The road to this series for both teams is pretty much identical. Both swept their first round opposition. Both won their Conference semis series in six games. Both got embarrassed in the home Game 5 of their respective series. I want the Cavs to win this series but given this generation's relative lack of playoff experience, that probably won't happen. The Pistons will get a fight, they'll get a Game 7 level fight. I still expect the series to go to homecourt advantage though. Pistons to win that Game 7.

WEST

Spurs vs Jazz: Messed this call up serverely. Oops. The Spurs are back in the Western Conference final for the first time since '05 when they went on to win the Championship and they had a solid enough regular season. The Jazz are here for the first time since '98 when "Stockton hit the three and Utah goes to Chicago". While the core of the '05 Spurs team is still around, this is a very different Jazz team to that of the late 90s and by my reckoning Stockton, Malone and crew would trash this lot.

The Spurs made it through the first round in five games. The Jazz needed seven so that's one good omen for the Spurs. Of course Jazz fans can claim that they won their Conference semi series in five games while the Spurs needed 6. However, bear this in mind. By rights, the Jazz should have faced the Mavs in the Conference semis and they would have been whacked. They did not face the Mavs though, they faced the freak Warriors and in that they got lucky. Spurs in five.

So if it were to play out like that, what would happen next?

NBA FINALS

Pistons vs Spurs: This would be a rematch of the '05 Finals. The Spurs won Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio. The Pistons replied by winning Games 3 and 4 in Detroit to level the series. Game 5 in San Antonio was a piece of awesomeness which the Spurs won in overtime. The Pistons then dodged a bullet to win Game 6 in Detroit and force Game 7 in San Antonio which the Spurs won for their third title in ten years. Neither side made the Finals last year.

Well there'd a lot of '05 veterans on both sides here. The Pistons would have home court advantage in their favour though with the Spurs not really dominating the regular season. As things stannd the Spurs have played 11 playoffs games while the Pistons have only played 10. However, if the Cavs do manage to take the Pistons to Game 7 then the Pistons would be in worse shape for the finals and the Spurs are the classier team anyway. Spurs in six.

Here we go again.

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