Predicting the Future ...

(This blog entry is adapted from a column penned for UK-based web site Basketball 24/7):

What in the name of Jimmy the Greek was I thinking when I agreed to do a special column for Basketball 24/7 to predict who will advance of the 2008 NBA Playoffs?

Predicting the winners of seven of the eight series in the first round this season would require a quorum of Nostradamus, Carnac the Magnificent, Kreskin, Merlin and Charles Barkley all assembled at a town meeting with a few cases of Coors Light and, even then, they might shoot air-balls on two-thirds of their picks. It is just that tough.

Never has it been so close. Never has there been so much at stake.

In past years, an upset in the First Round (see GS Warriors over Dallas last season) was a ticket to certain death in the NBA conference semifinals. In past years, an early round series upset winner was delivered straight to the slaughterhouse to see a powerhouse, such as the Boston Celtics or LA Lakers of the 80s, the Detroit Pistons of 1990, the dynasty Chicago Bulls of the entire 1990s or the San Antonio Spurs of the 1999-to-2007 were lurking in the rafters, awaiting the moment to drop a banner and stage a ring ceremony.

This season, one break in the first round might be the E-ticket ride all the way to an NBA championship.

That is what makes the 2008 NBA Playoffs high drama, high intensity, high stakes and a whole load of fun to watch but simply hellish to predict. So, let me now walk the plank to certain ridicule and embarrassment when each of my predictions comes unraveled in the week to come.

The Easy One: We can all agree that the Boston Celtics should dispatch the Atlanta Hawks with the ease of a Ken Rosewall backhand.

Now, the mid-sized match-ups: The Detroit Pistons should dispatch the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers deserve plenty of praise for their second-half rallying cry under coach Maurice Cheeks’ new-fangled running style. However, the Pistons have defense, depth, scoring and Rasheed Wallace to fend off anything that the 76ers toss their way.

Out West, everyone in the State of Nevada is picking the LA Lakers to discard the Denver Nuggets. I agree but must place a giant speed bump at the corner of Hollywood and Vine. The Nuggets’ high-octane offense is just what George Karl will order to play ‘giddy-up’ with the Lakers. Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin must construct a wall of interior defense to counter the fact that Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony will be beaten on the perimeter. The LA Lakers are sure to prevail, although the series might go six or seven.

Now, the impossible: The remaining five series, quite simply, can go either way.

Looking at the Eastern Conference once more, I will give the tip of the hat to the Orlando Magic to upstage the Toronto Raptors and I believe the Utah Jazz will perform the honors of staging the annual T-Mac first-round good-bye party.

The Washington Wizards are calling Lebron James and his Eastern Conference reigning champion Cavaliers every name in the book and have provided the Cavs with enough locker room bulletin board material to last a lifetime. But, I think the Wiz – behind solid play from Antawn Jamison and Brandon Haywood can unseat Lebron and his band. Game 1 will be in the books by the time you read this missive, and that game might be the key to winning the series. Should Washington prevail, the Boston Celtics will face a team that placed three Ls in the Celtics right hand column this season, so beware of the Beltway.

Back in the wide-open, wild-west, the conclusion of this column of dreams or nightmares leaves me to navigate the toughest part of the NBA Playoff first-round bracket – the San Antonio versus Phoenix series and Dallas versus New Orleans portion of the show. I am leaning towards the Phoenix Suns putting an end to the Spurs pseudo-dynasty with an amazing six game upset of the defending NBA champions. The Suns acquired Big Shaq to clog-up the middle and contain Tim Duncan to force the likes of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili to beat the Suns. I believe the Suns can out-score San Antonio, steal a game in Texas and ride off with the series. Parker is the only answer. If he plays at MVP level, the Suns can set.

Dallas is the trendy pick by media types far and wide, thus far, but my instincts tell me that the team with the better front-court will win a tough series. Chris Paul versus Jason Kidd is the match-up of the year at the point guard spot. However, Tyson Chandler, David West and Peja will be the difference-makers as New Orleans shows the _allas Mavericks the exit ramp.

***

So - playing it out:
New Orleans vs. the Jazz in the Western Conference Finals.
Boston vs. Detroit in the East.

Boston over Utah in six to win.