NBA Playoffs Second Round Preview

[NJTank]

Here is a partial preview of the Second Round

NBA Second Round Preview

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[NJTank]

http://sportsecyclopedia.com/tank/nba08/nb...econdround.html

Posted Celtics vs Cavs

Comments

[gingerbreadmann]

I pretty much agree though I think the Celtics series will probably go at least 6, the Spurs-Hornets will go 7 and the Lakers won't take that long to win. Nice job.

[PittsburghSucks]

The C's over the Cavs in 5.

It took the C's 7 to get by a sub .500 Hawks.

Cavs know how to win on the road in the playoffs.

They also know how to close out a series on the road.

Atlanta exposed Boston for the frauds they are.

Cavs wrap this up in 6 games.

[TFoA]

If the Cavs run on Boston like the Hawks did, it's over in 5. The Celtics have pretty much proven that if they can't beat a sub-.500 team on the road in the playoffs, then they aren't going to beat the LeBrons in Cleveland.

[Starchild]

I'm cautiously picking the Cavaliers in 6 on this one... only because LeBron is good enough to at least grab 1 game in Boston by himself. I agree 100% with the TFoA in that Boston has proven that they're incapable of winning on the road thus far in the playoffs. It's already inexusable to go to Game 7 against Atlanta (no disrespect to ATL... they really impressed me), but to ALSO go 0-3 on the road in a 7-game series against the worst team in the playoffs? Really now.

I say I'm cautiously predicting Cleveland only because, just b/c LeBron is good enough to grab a game on the road, doesn't necessarily mean the Cavs will steal one. And since Boston, again, has home court, they've got 4 games at home, so even if Cleveland makes it a competitive series and wins all their home games, Boston has their mental edge of being 4-0 thus far in Boston in the postseason. As soon as LeBron and Co. steal one in Boston, it's Cleveland in the driver's seat barring any kind of Celtics onslaught (which, as we've seen, is totally plausible).

[Audiodrama]

One series and everyone is already predicting the Celtics' demise. This is gonna be great.

[DG_YouKnowWhatThatMeans]

One series and everyone is already predicting the Celtics' demise. This is gonna be great.

It's not like the Celtics impressed anyone or anything. If they were taken to seven by a crap Hawks team, I think it's just as reasonable to pick the Cavs as it is the C's.

But if the Celtics had a competent coach, I would happily pick them for the Finals. As it is, you're stuck tying your fate to Doc Rivers. That's not a place I'd like to be.

[Starchild]

One series and everyone is already predicting the Celtics' demise. This is gonna be great.

It's not so much predicting the Celtics' demise as it is stating their vulnerabilities. They killed the competition in the regular season, but as it stands now, they haven't impressed much in 7 post-season games as a unit. Individually, none of the big three have been to the Finals, and all three have had great difficulty getting to late conference rounds in the past. Meanwhile, the Cavs defeated the Pistons last year and at least got to the Finals. As it stands, they're more experienced and have the top superstar in the series in LeBron, if for no other reason than King James single-handedly took them past Detroit, which was and still is, the top team in the East.

The Celtics haven't won a road game in the postseason thus far and are vulnerable to the running game - something the Cavaliers are capable of pulling off, especially with a guy like LeBron who excels in the open court. On top of that, Cleveland has capable defenders in the paint like Z and Big Ben (whether they show up, that's another story, but at least looking at these teams, Big Ben is the kind of guy I want anchoring my playoff defense) - something the Hawks lacked (Josh Smith aside), yet that still did not prevent them from winning 3 home games.

If the Celts win the series, it's not really a surprise. They're supposed to, according to everyone. But if they lose, it shouldn't be that much of a surprise either considering how the Hawks did a favor for every potential opponent that Boston faces until the end of the playoffs... they exposed the Celtics glaring weaknesses both on the court and on the bench. The only question is if that 7-game series scared the Celtics straight... if it did, then there's a good chance they could absolutely decimate the competition from here on out. That's all mental though, and judging by some of the lapses during the first round, I don't know if that whole team is mentally on point. After such a physical series against Washington, I think it's safe to say that LeBron is mentally ready, and you have to assume the Cavs, after going to the Finals last year and taking 2 games in the regular season against Boston are going to be ready.