Croker's sports blog.: NBA 2013 Western Conference Preview

Croker's sports blog.: NBA 2013 Western Conference Preview: With four very intriguing matchups with superstars, rivalries, fallen stars, and players with plenty to prove, every series has a right to b...

NBA 2013 Western Conference Preview

With four very intriguing matchups with superstars, rivalries, fallen stars, and players with plenty to prove, every series has a right to be able to call itself the best to watch in the West. And just to rub it in how tough these teams have it, the team’s 3-8 would arguably all be fighting for the two seed if they were playing in the pitiful Eastern Conference (Eastern Conference Playoff Preview)

 Oklahoma City Thunder (1) v Houston Rockets (8).

Jeremy Lin and Harden will have to be beyond their
best to make this series competitive.

The beard that is James Harden will be looking to show his former employers just what they are missing. After trading Harden to the Rockets, the Thunder actually has a better winning percentage this year (72%) compared to last year (71%). Harden will be playing run and gun to try and outscore the Thunder, but Serge Ibaka will help the interior defence, and the Thunder will have no trouble scoring either, with the Rockets offering very little in perimeter defence to stop Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The Thunder will roll

Thunder 4-1.

 San Antonio Spurs (2) v Los Angeles Lakers (7)

This is not a typical two v seven series. The amount of experience in this series is huge, and it will be a chess match. The Lakers look like they have finally found a way to play (funny that it took Kobe to get injured to happen), and the Spurs have been very rusty in April. If Dwight Howard can look after Tim Duncan – which I think he will, this series will rest on Tony Parker and Steve Nash. Parker has been slow to come back from injury, and Nash just needs to stay on the floor. I can see this going to the seventh game, but with Mike D’Antoni taking a full season to figure out how to use Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol (one of the most gifted, unselfish big men to ever play the game) together, I can’t see D’Antoni out coaching Gregg Popovich in a game seven in San Antonio.

Spurs 4-3.

Denver Nuggets (3) v Golden State Warriors (6)

Curry will be the key to
this series.

What is the over/under for total points each game? I would say the line is about 227-228. This should be a really fun series. The Nuggets will look to take advantage of their ridiculous good home court record and the Warriors will look to ride on Stephen Curry’s great form. Let me put my case forward for the Warriors. The Nuggets have a great home record because of their altitude – teams aren’t used to it. In a seven game series – you get used to it. Usually the best player in the series is on the winning team. Unless Ty Lawson can evolve or Andre Iguodala can show he is the man, Steph Curry is going to carry the Warriors and the crazy Oracle crowd into the second round.

Warriors 4-2.

Los Angeles Clippers (4) v Memphis Grizzlies (5)

After an epic seven game series last year, we are back again for a blood bath! This should be an extremely physical series, played by two very good teams. It is hard to call with Memphis having such a strong front court in Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, not to mention Tony Allen being a great one-on-one defender to try and stop Chris Paul. Chris Paul. He’s going to be just too good in the closing stretches. These games are all going to be close, and to have such a great decision maker in CP3 deciding these outcomes, it’s hard to go against the home team and CP3. Hack a griffin maybe?

Clippers 4-3.

Conference Semi-finals.

Thunder (1) v Clippers (4).

This should be a more competitive series than the Thunder endured against the Rockets. The Clippers will be fired up after outlasting a great Grizzlies team. The Thunder will be looking to take advantage of Blake Griffin’s inefficiency from mid-range by forcing him out of the paint. Westbrook will be doing his utmost to try and curtail CP3’s play. The Clippers will try and get Ibaka into foul trouble early so Griffin can dominate down low. Unfortunately, I don’t think the Clippers have enough to stop Durant, and I think their gruelling first round series will take its toll in the end. The Thunder will roll.

Thunder 4-1.

 Spurs (2) v Warriors (6).

In a contrast in style, the Spurs will look to control the tempo of the series throughout. Parker, Duncan, and co will try and slow down the up-tempo Warriors. I can see the Spurs getting slightly sucked in to the Warriors style for certain periods of time, with Parker and Manu Ginobili having a bit of fun in this series. Pop and Duncan will see this doesn’t last into crunch-time though. I can see the Warriors stealing game two at the AT & T and then going 2-1 up in the series after winning their first game at the Oracle. However I think the Spurs win game four, game five at home, and then they might even clinch the series away in game six. If not, it’ll be an easy home win in game seven.

Spurs 4-2.

Conference Finals.

Thunder (1) v Spurs (2).

Durant and Westbrook will again represent the Thunder and
the Western Conference in the NBA Finals.

In a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals, the Thunder will be looking to repeat their victory from last year. Last year the Spurs held home court and went 2-0 up, the Thunder were able to roll off the next four to reach the NBA Finals. This year the Thunder have home court and there is no reason to think this series will go any other way, The Spurs have had two tough series while the Thunder have rolled their way into the Conference Finals. The Spurs will need to be at their offensive best to keep up with the Thunder and Parker will have to have his best series yet. The Thunder are just too strong on offence and defence, and they will make their second straight trip to the NBA Finals where Lebron, Wade, and the rest of the Miami Heat lie in wake. The Thunder will roll.

Thunder 4-2.

NBA Playoff Preview 2013.

Before we begin, let’s break this down. We all know the Heat is the best in the East. We all know that the Thunder and Spurs are the favourites to win the West. But what will happen in each series? Which players will become stars? Which players will lose their tempers? Which ref will blow a big call?

Eastern Conference first round:

Miami Heat (1) v Milwaukee Bucks (8)

This will be a fun series. With Monta Ellis doing what he does and Brandon Jennings having one 40 point game this series, it should be entertaining. Milwaukee loves to run making it enjoyable to watch. Unfortunately, the Heat also love to run. Over/under Lebron to get 5 alley-oops this series?

Heat 4-1.

New York Knicks (2) v Boston Celtics (7)



This should be a feisty series with emotions running high.

This is a pretty hard series to call. Carmelo has been on fire recently, adding to that J.R. Smith has actually been relatively efficient for his standards, and Chandler in the middle, the Knicks have a great nucleus. The Celtics are hard to predict – with the tragedy at the Boston Marathon yesterday, it is hard to know whether the players will be mentally all there. I think they will, however the Knicks just have too much firepower.

Knicks 4-2.

Indiana Pacers (3) v Chicago Bulls (6)

With a group of Paul George, Roy Hibbert, and David West, the Pacers will be competitive in every series they go into. They play extremely good defence and play well as a team. That last sentence could be repeated for the Bulls. If you are a defensive die-hard, please watch this series. Otherwise stick to the Western Conference. Pacers should have just enough on the offensive end.

Pacers 4-3.

 

Brooklyn Nets (4) v Atlanta Hawks (5)



Are the Nets really this boring now?
Jay-Z realising Reggie Evans and
Kris Humphries just don't cut it!

All the hype about the Brooklyn Nets. Where has this gone? Jay-Z is reportedly selling his shares, Deron Williams is the dullest player in the league (albeit very good), and Brook Lopez is a rich man’s Brian Scalabrine! In saying this, Joe Johnson is clutch and he will be fired up taking on his old team. The Hawks will try and go low with Al Horford and kick it out to their shooters in Kyle Korver and ex Sixer Louis Williams. It should be a fascinating series. Joe Johnson will make the difference in this one. Series tied 2-2, he hits the winner in game 5 allowing the Nets to go to Atlanta and clinch game 6.

Nets 4-2

Conference Semifinals.

Heat (1) v Nets (4).

The Nets will be exhausted after a close fought series against the Hawks while the Heat will be well rested after an easy first round series win over the Bucks. Game 1 is the key for the Nets. I think

they will go close to stealing it. If they do we have a series. If they don’t, the Heat will win in 5. Far too much offensively for the Nets to match. I think they will steal game 1 however, being full of confidence after beating the Hawks. Still not enough in the end though. No one to stop Dwayne Wade this series.

Heat 4-2.

Knicks (2) v Pacers (3).

 

Our first upset of the playoffs. Carmelo suddenly gets a little too excited about the prospect of beating Lebron in the Conference finals. J.R. Smith starts playing like J.R. Smith. The pacers steal game 2. Pacers are 2^nd in points allowed and 1^st in rebounding. No second chance points for the Knicks meaning they have to make the most of every possession. I’ve not seen enough of Carmelo in the playoffs to be convinced he can get his team over the line.

Pacers 4-2.

Conference Finals.

Do I need to write anything here? This has 4-2 Heat all over. The only chance they have is if Lebron gets injured, Chris Bosh gets in a fight with Dwayne Wade, and Ray Allen decides to clank a few for his old teammates in Boston. Good effort by the Pacers to get this far, but too much from the Heat. If the pacers could acquire Dwight Howard, we might be talking.



Here they go again. Becoming all too easy in a weak conference.

Heat Eastern Conference Champions  defeating the Pacers 4-2.

Western Conference preview to come on Thursday.

2013 Masters Preview

Tiger Woods - clearly the man to beat.

I will try not to mention his name as we all know he is the heavily deserved favourite. There are three other players though who may not be household names like Phil Mickelson or Rory McIlroy, who I think have a very good chance of finishing high up the leaderboard on Sunday night.

 

Bill Haas may have a more illustrious father in Jay, but his form this year makes me think that he has a very good chance at finishing in the top five at Augusta. Haas has played eight tournaments this year, has made seven cuts, four top tens, and one top three. That sort of consistency makes him a threat for the Masters. Haas is listed 6^th on the PGA Tour this year in greens in regulation, and 21^st in eagles/hole. These two stats make me believe that Haas will be able to hit greens and sink a couple of eagles throughout the week to put him in contention.

 

Olesen is on track for a high finish at
this years first major.

Thorbjorn Olesen. Yes that Danish golfer who none of us have heard of. This is a golfer who may take Augusta by storm this year. Olesen has been having a very good year, having a T2 and a T3, and is yet to miss a cut. Olesen is driving over 300 yards this year, giving him good opportunities on the par 5’s at the Georgia layout. In his two majors last year, he finished a very respectable T9 and T27th, giving confidence that he will not only make the cut, but go one further and secure a top five finish.

 

The final player who may not be so obscure, but I think if, 'you know who' doesn’t win this year, this is our man. Louis Oosthuizen is a player who finished runner up last year and was very unlucky not to win. Remember Bubba's 9 Iron? Oosthuizen has only played four tournaments this year, but his form has been very good. Yet to miss a cut and a win under his belt, I can only assume the lack of tournaments this year (four to date), is due to an extensive preparation for Augusta to go one better than last year.

Is England really any good?

Just over a year ago, I wrote a blog (England Number One?) questioning the credentials of England’s number one test ranking. I questioned whether they could go and beat other test nations away from home in a series. Credit to England – they went and beat India in their own backyard. But are India really what they were five years ago? No Rahul Dravid, no Sourav Ganguly, a declining Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman only plays against Australia, and Tendulkar on his swansong tour.

Now this is no fault of England’s, but it does demerit from their tour victory. Looking at the present, England has barely had the better of a number eight ranked New Zealand team. The pitches and weather have not been conducive to result cricket, but shouldn’t a top team be able to win a series like this? They may still lose it after a stellar day one from NZ.

England are a very good team who may take over their number one status again from a very good South African team when it hosts a NZ team who won’t have a chance against England in England, and an Ashes series against an Australian team in meltdown.

Their team is very reliant on three or four outstanding players surrounded by good players. They desperately miss Graeme Swann’s quality on this NZ tour. Monty Panesar has been woeful, not having a clue how to bowl on flat decks. Alastair Cook is their best batter, and if he is to go out early, you now have Nick Compton, and one Jonathon Trott wicket (who has had a bad year) away from joining Jonny Bairstow. Not so formidable anymore without KP.

I’m not saying this team isn’t good, but compared to the great test teams (Australia of the 2000’s, West Indies in the 80’s, or England in the late 50’s), England are fortunate to play in a weakened time.