Posts Tagged ‘Portland Trail Blazers’

Western Conference

(1) L.A. Lakers vs (8) Oklahoma City
In what would have been otherwise easy series for Lakers, the late season slumps will most definitely translate into a grueling series against an up-and-coming Thunder. Only Lakers unraveling at the seams propel Thunder into the second round. However, I take Lakers due to their home court advantage. Will Kobe Bryant’s finger be an issue?

(2) Dallas vs (7) San Antonio
This one is tricky, just because of the disparity between the second and seventh team in the West is so miniscule, any of those teams has a good chance to move on to the next round.

Mavs midseason acquisitions of Brendan Haywood, Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson bolster their already solid offense. Haywood is the kind of center that Mavs haven’t had in a long time and look for him to be the difference maker.

Spurs have championship experience and they’ve been here time and time again. Gregg Popovich will find a way for his team to win, the question is are Mavs too strong this time around.

I don’t see how Mavs who have the home court advantage and have beaten the Spurs 3-1 in the season series will lose this one. But I wouldn’t totally count out the chances for an upset.

(3) Phoenix vs (6) Portland
Brandon Roy is out for the first round and he isn’t the only injured Trail Blazer. Any way, Blazers are too banged and are missing too many pieces to win this one. Phoenix is playing too well to lose. Nothing here indicates that Blazers will be able to win more than one game in this series.

(4) Denver vs (5) Utah
This would have been a great series if both teams were at full strength. Jazz have four starters that are either battling or are out with injuries: Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilineko.

AK-47 is the x factor in this series. If he comes back from his calf injury and will do a decent job guarding Carmelo Anthony, then Jazz will definitely pull what would be only listed on paper as an upset. Denver isn’t the same team that challenged the Lakers last year, unless Kenyon Martin returns at full strength and they play well under Adrian Dantley while George Karl is out.

What’s new: Tracy McGrady is unhappy with his situation in Houston. Really? It only took 5 years and now it looks like the time to dismantle the duo of Yao Ming and T-Mac. And only if it would have lasted…

There are players that go from team to team and bring success everywhere they go. Even Vince Carter, T-Mac’s cousin, brought more to the teams he played on than McGrady ever did.

Even though McGrady technically did advance into the second round of the playoffs, he did so on a technicality of being on the injured reserve list of the 2008-2009 Houston Rockets that beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, but eventually lost to Los Angeles Lakers who would become champions that year.

Maybe it’s McGrady’s faith to be matched with perennially losing teams that never do much in the playoff and then one day he will be trade, much like Kevin Garnett, to a contender and win the big one. Yet, that remains to be seen because much more deserving players have never had their chance at a championship ring.