West
#1 Warriors over #8 Rockets in 4.
The Warriors are a juggernaut. The Rockets are a mess. Daryl Morey might as well start looking for a new job. My only wish is that there will be a camera in Kevin McHale's house throughout the series. Nobody would blame him if he chuckled a little. The way the Rockets treated McHale is almost as despicable as James Harden's defense, and I will feel no sympothy watching them get waxed by Steph and the boys.
#2 Spurs over #7 Grizzlies in 5
San Antiono is a far superior team, but I just have a gut feeling that Memphis will sneak in a win during this series. Memphis has a good group of players that will give it their all, but the Spurs are just too good for them to handle.
#3 Thunder over #6 Mavericks in 5
KD and Russell Westbrook will ball out, while Dallas will fall out. Dallas's time has passed, and the Thunder shall handle them with ease
#4 Clippers over #5 Blazers in 6
This series is actually somewhat compelling, but LAC has more depth than Portland does, and I just don't trust that the Blazers will get much production aside from Daminan Lillard and CJ McCollum. The Clippers are a talented team that can get production from several guys, and they will survive a fairly challenging 6 game series.
The East
#1 Cavs over #8 Pistons in 6
I think this series will go a little farther than people think. Detriot has a tough, well coached team led by Andre Drummond, but they are still an #8, and I don't think they will be much different from most other #8's. I expect them to battle Lebron and company, but the Cavs will be too talented in the end.
#2 Toronto over #7 Indiana in 6_
Similar story with the #1 vs #8 matchup, the Pacers will not roll over easily. Paul George is one of the best players in the world, and any team that has him on the roster has a chance to do great things, especially if Indiana can play defense the way they are capable of. However, Kyle Lowry is equally as good as George. and DeMar Derozan is terriffic as well. The Raptors have a genuine shot to win the East, and the Pacers will not stop them.
#4 Celtics over #5 Hawks in 7
This is the most intriguing series to watch from either conference. The Celtics have been a surprise team this year, as the tough two-way guard play of Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas and the brilliant coaching of Brad Stevens have made them one of the better teams in the East. The Hawks will not be an easy out, as Paul Millsap, Al Hortford and Jeff Teague can take over a game at any time. It will be a hard-fought series that will go down to the wire, but I think the defense and grit of Boston will send them to the quarterfinals.
#6 Hornets over #3 Heat in 6
Finally, an upset. Kemba Walker is a absolute stud, and I have a feeling that he will completely take over this series. Walker will carry the Hornets to a 6-game victory. I don't really have a deep analysis on why this will occur, just my gut. We'll see how right my skinny gut is.
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