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19

NBA First Round Predictions From Slam Dunk Central Editor Jeff Sack

Posted by Jeff Sack under NBA PLAYOFFS

This should be a very intriguing first round as the Association heads in the Playoffs for 2008. Yes some old familiar faces, some with different teams, and some new blood as Atlanta, New Orleans, and Boston return to the second season. I have decided to make my predictions round by round this year. I already have my Finals match-up in my head, but will not reveal it in this column. So lets take a look at the first round match-ups for the NBA Playoffs 2008.???

First Round
Eastern Conference

(1) Boston
(8) Atlanta

Prediction: Boston in five

Key Match-up: Mike Bibby vs Rajon Rondo

What Atlanta needs to do to win this series: Pray for Boston injuries. This should be one of the most lopsided series in the first round. Boston’s front court will tear up the Hawks, and Ray Allen should negate Hawks star Joe Johnson.

What?Boston needs to do to win this series: Stay focused, and stay healthy. The game changes in the Post Season, every thing is magnified. Boston can not look past the Hawks, or it will hurt them.

(4) Cleveland
(5) Washington

Prediction: Washington in six

Key Match-up: Brendan Haywood vs Zydrunas Ilguaskas

What?Washington needs to do to win this series: First of all stay away from injuries, the Wizards fragility is really their only downfall. If Arenas, can augment Butler and Jamison, this team could go deep in the Playoffs.

What?Cleveland needs to do to win this series: First and foremost play defense, the 2007 Cavaliers could play that “lockdown D” I’m not sure this edition can. Cleveland also needs to exploit the height advantage that they have in the front court. If they can get Z involved early it’s always a good sign. Wallace has to be the rebounder he was with the Pistons, not the one he was?with the Bulls. If LBJ has to score over 35 a night to keep Cleveland in the game, the Cavaliers have no hope, somebody else has to step up.

(3) Orlando
(6) Toronto

Prediction: Orlando in six

Key Match-up: T.J. Ford vs Jameer Nelson

What?Toronto needs to do to win this series: Orlando has one of the top two or three centers in the Association in Dwight Howard. Turkoglu and Lewis have been a terriffic tandem all season. Where the Magic’s weak link is their backcourt. Stan Van Gundy keeps rotating his starting point guard mainly between Nelson and Carlos Arroyo, if Ford and Jose Calderon can come up big it increases their chances.

What?Orlando needs to do to win this series: Chris Bosh will get his, you have to give him his propers, and concentrate on Nesterovic and Moon.?Nelson, Arroyo or Keyon Dooling do not have to score but they do have to be abale to distribute the ball.?

(2) Detroit
(7) Philadelphia

Prediction: Detroit in five

Key Match-up: Antonio McDyess vs Samuel Dalembert

What?Philadelphia needs to do to win this series: Get inside Rasheed Wallace’s head. The main difference between Detroit last year and this year is that?Wallace has stuck to his preseason committment to Flip Saunders to be a good soldier. But the pressure increases in the playoffs, will Rasheed’s new attitude change?

What?Detroit needs to do to win this series: Iguodala and Miller will get theirs, but the X factor for the Sixers is Samuel Dalembert.? This would be the only spot where Detroit may be at a disadvantage in the starting five. McDyess is going to have to play enforcer, and take away any confidence Dalembert may have going in.

Western Conference

(1) LA Lakers
(8) Denver

Prediction: Lakers in five

Key Match-up: Carmelo Anthony vs Lamar Odom

What?Denver needs to do to win this series: Get one more?player to contribute double-figures, on a game by game basis, along with A.I. and Melo. Camby has to be dominant defensively?

What?Los Angeles?needs to do to win this series: Basically keep doing what they were doing the last couple of weeks of the season. The Lakers finished on a tear to wind up the number one seed?in the Western Conference. Kobe learned to trust his teammates in the regular season, will he continue to do it in the Playoffs?

(4) Utah
(5) Houston

Prediction: Utah in five

Key Match-up: Mehmet Okur vs Dikembe Mutumbo

What?Houston needs to do to win this series: The Rockets keep losing key players to injury, latest is Rafer Alston who will miss at least the first few games. McGrady, Battier, and Deke would have to be close to perfect.

What?Utah needs to do to win this series: Just keep everyone focused and healthy. The Jazz have the better player at every spot except for shooting guard. McGrady?is one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. But he alone can not beat all the weapons Utah has.??

(3) San Antonio
(6) Phoenix

Prediction: San Antonio in seven

Key Match-up: Tony Parker vs Steve Nash

What?Phoenix needs to do to win this series: Control the tempo. This was the series that Phoenix got Shaq for. So now they can say legitimately they have a half court game when the fast break is shut down.

?What?San Antonio?needs to do to win this series: This has the makings of a classic series. Realistically this could go either way. The Spurs have to do the same thing Phoenix does control the tempo and the flow of the series.

(2) New Orleans
(7) Dallas

Prediction: New Orleans in six

Key Match-up: Jason Kidd vs Chris Paul

What?Dallas needs to do to win this series: J-Kidd has to outduel Chris Paul, Nowitzki, Howard, Terry and “Old Reliable” Jerry Stackhouse have to step up big time.

What?New Orleans needs to do to win this series: CP-3 has to outduel Jason Kidd. David West, Peja Stojakovic, and especially Tyson Chandler will be key. Chandler is the biggest mis-match that the Hornets have on the Mavericks. The more alley-oops, from Paul to Chadler the greater the odds of winning become.

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Comments

3 Responses to “NBA First Round Predictions From Slam Dunk Central Editor Jeff Sack”

Russ Loede on April 19th, 2008 1:39 pm

WCF: Hornets/Jazz – Paul vs. Williams/West vs. Boozer

ECF: Classic – Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics

1st Thought: PISTONS/JAZZ – We’ll see how the 1st Round Plays out first…
LBJ Lets His Game Do The Taking Cavaliers Take Game One Over Wizards 93-86 » Slam Dunk Central on April 19th, 2008 5:50 pm

[...] scored 32 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal. In my series prediction column NBA First Round Predictions From Slam Dunk Central Editor Jeff Sack?I said the key match-up for this series would be Zydrunas Ilgauskas vs Brendan Haywood. Big Z won [...]
Howard Has 20-20 Game As Magic Put Spell On Raptors; Win Game One 114-100 » Slam Dunk Central on April 20th, 2008 6:57 pm

[...] 22 boards, 5 blocks 2 assists, 1 steal.? When I broke down the first round series in my column NBA First Round Predictions From Slam Dunk Central Editor Jeff Sack?I wrote this as the Key Match-up: T.J. Ford vs Jameer Nelson What?Toronto needs to do to win this [...]