NBA Play Offs Conference Semi Finals 2013

It has been a tough First Round for a lot of the teams and there have a couple of surprise teams that have made it through to the Conference Semi Finals, mainly the Golden State Warriors who shocked the Denver Nuggets.

However, the main contenders are all in the Semi Finals from the Miami Heat through to the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, although injuries have certainly changed the landscape in the Western Conference.

While the Heat are still the overwhelming favourites to win the Eastern Conference, the loss of Russell Westbrook looks too tough for the Thunder to overcome, especially in the face of a very tough Semi Final against the Memphis Grizzlies. The new favourites in the Western Conference are the San Antonio Spurs who seem to have a roster full of experience and also one with a lot of depth and shooters that can take games away from opponents.


You can see my picks from the NBA Semi Finals series here

Miami Heat (1) v Chicago Bulls (5)

There is nothing bad you can say about the Chicago Bulls who showed all the guts and heart you would want to see in the Play Offs to knock off the Brooklyn Nets in the First Round, but now the level of competition certainly increases.

Chicago are not scared of playing the Miami Heat and I think the latter will also be relishing going up against a rival that snapped the 27 game winning run in the regular season.

I would be surprised if the Bulls are swept in this series, despite the obvious difference in talent and the fact that Chicago are fighting through injuries and illness at the moment. The Bulls have shown they can compete with the Heat, even without Derrick Rose, but this is the time of the season that Miami tend to go into overdrive.

Miami will not take their eye off the ball with this Chicago team and that focus should see them come through fairly comfortably.

Prediction: Miami Heat in 5 games

New York Knicks (2) v Indiana Pacers (3)

This was the tough series that everyone expected to see in the Semi Finals and both the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers have come through tough First Round series to reach here.

The rivalry brings back memories of Reggie Miller and Spike Lee getting into it at Madison Square Garden and this looks like another smash-mouth series that we will be seeing.

New York definitely have the better talent and can get things going a little more consistently offensively, but the Pacers have a solid defense and are going to be tough to score upon. I would be very surprised if this series has a lot of high-scoring games if I am honest.

They were closely matched in the regular season with home court advantage proven to be critical in the regular season as both won their games at home. I think that will be the case in this series too and I think the Miami Heat could be rubbing their hands together as this has all the hallmarks of a physical series that could take a lot out of the team that progresses to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Prediction: New York Knicks in 6 or 7 physical games.

Oklahoma City Thunder (1) v Memphis Grizzlies (5)

The loss of Russell Westbrook has shown that the Oklahoma City Thunder are very much reliant on his athletic ability to make plays and this series could be edged by the lower seeded Memphis Grizzlies.

Memphis will make this physical, but unlike the Clippers in the First Round, Oklahoma City have the size to take care of themselves. I think the match up with Memphis suits the Thunder, although they do need to get some offensive production from someone other than Kevin Durant, particularly in the Fourth Quarter.

The Grizzlies will feel they can get something going as they have won games in this Arena in recent games here, but the match up isn't the greatest for them.

It will be a lot of tough, physical play involved and there is no love lost between the teams, but it is hard to separate them. I just have a sneaky feeling that the Grizzlies are ready to put down a surprise on the Thunder here and physically out match them to take the series.

Prediction: Memphis Grizzlies in 6 tough games.

San Antonio Spurs (2) v Golden State Warriors (6)

The San Antonio Spurs swept the LA Lakers in the First Round and that has enabled them to give sufficient rest to the likes of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, while I think they will be satisfied that they are playing the Golden State Warriors in the Semi Finals.

It was a very good series for the Warrior against the Denver Nuggets to surprise the Number 3 seed in the Western Conference, but the Spurs is a tougher team with a lot of experience.

The regular season saw the teams split four games with all of the wins coming by the home team, but the Spurs are just about as healthy as they have been all season. The experience that the Spurs have should see them back into the Western Conference Finals to get some redemption for last season, but I don't think the Warriors will go away.

However, I do think the added experience and veteran presence in the San Antonio ranks will see them win a game 6 on the road and move through to the Finals in the West.

Prediction: San Antonio Spurs in 6 games.

NBA Play Offs First Round Preview 2013

It is that time of the season when the NBA removes less than half of the teams in the League and gets into the Play Offs as teams start looking towards June and winning the big prize. It is no real surprise to suggest that the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder, the two Finalists from a year ago, are going to be the teams to beat in the Eastern and Western Conferences respectively and both will be heavy favourites to move into the next Round.

There are a couple of dark horse contenders- the New York Knicks have certainly finished the season on a high and can trouble the Heat if they get hot, while it is never wise to rule out the San Antonio Spurs who continue to perform as one of the better teams in the West.

Of course we have those teams that I can't see going all the way like the Milwaukee Bucks, a team that limped into the Play Offs and even the Atlanta Hawks look like they are going to have a near impossible task to knock off the Indiana Pacers, the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat just to get to the NBA Finals.

I think it could be a fun two months all the same and it is certainly going to be a busy period of basketball with games coming thick and fast.

Miami Heat (1) v Milwaukee Bucks (8)

There really isn't a lot to say about this series as the Miami Heat look head and shoulders above a lot of teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Milwaukee Bucks were a fortunate team to even be playing in the post-season after a late season collapse.

However, there has been some spice added to the series with Brandon Jennings stating he believes the Bucks will win in 6 games despite going 1-3 against the Heat in the regular season. Jennings says Milwaukee match up well against Miami, and he is right to some extent, but their consistency is not even close to what the Heat put together and I think they will do well to avoid a sweep.

Milwaukee have played Miami close at times over the last couple of seasons, but any chance that the Heat play them unfocused is surely gone after Jennings' comments and I think Miami will want to get this over with as soon as possible and begin preparing for the winner of the Chicago-Brooklyn series.

Pick: I think it'll end up being Miami in 4

   

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

This is an interesting series as the New York Knicks can certainly make a statement by knocking out the Boston Celtics, a team that has regularly been involved in the Eastern Conference Championship talk over the last few seasons.

Injuries have certainly taken a toll on the Celtics squad this season, although the veteran presence of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett will make them a dangerous prospect. However, the likes of Tyson Chandler are back in the rotation for New York, while both Carmelo Anthony and JR Smith provide enough scoring to make life difficult for the Celtics.

Over the last month, the Knicks have blown out Boston twice and that will give them confidence, but the Play Offs are a different matter and Anthony in particular has to show he can take his regular season form into the period when it matters most. Boston are certainly wily enough to make this a fight, but the home court advantage should be crucial for New York.

Pick: I think the New York Knicks will win this one in 6 games

    

 Indiana Pacers (3) v Atlanta Hawks (6)

A lot of people are surprised that the Atlanta Hawks didn't do their utmost down the stretch to avoid dropping to face the Indiana Pacers and I think it will prove to be a mistake for a squad that is likely to have some big changes in the off-season.

Josh Smith is unlikely to be in Atlanta next season and those hoping for Chris Paul and Dwight Howard to join forces here are probably clutching at straws with both of those players expected to sign in Los Angeles.

The Pacers may still be missing Danny Granger, but they look to have too much defence for the Hawks in this one, although it is true to say that Indiana didn't finish the regular season on a high and are no longer the trendy pick to be the team to upset the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference. Home court advantage is also huge for Indiana in this series and I think the Pacers will be moving through.

Pick: Indiana in 5 games

Brooklyn Nets (4) v Chicago Bulls (5)

This, in my opinion, is by far the most intriguing of the First Round matches in the Eastern Conference and a fairly tough one to split. The Chicago Bulls are about as healthy as they have been at any point in the last few months, while Brooklyn have certainly got the bit between their teeth as they ended the regular season in fine form.

I'd be surprised if Derrick Rose is back for the Bulls in this series though and there is a feeling that he is unlikely to play again this season, and I think his absence does make the Nets a better set of players.

However, the Bulls certainly know how to grind down teams and make it awkward for them to win games and this is clearly the series that I am struggling to get a read on. The Bulls did win the season series between the teams, but a couple of late collapses cost the Nets and they may have just learned their lesson with Deron Williams playing the best of his basketball this season at just the right time.

Pick: This is tough, but maybe home court advantage is enough to see the Brooklyn Nets advance in 7 tight games.

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

I don't think the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to be too disappointed that they have drawn the Houston Rockets in the First Round as the latter is almost the perfect opponent for them to face.

Both teams like to run the floor with a lot of pace and the Thunder are the better defensively so I do think they will come through fairly comfortably.

The big story around this series will be the fact that the Thunder will be facing James Harden, but they will find a way to slow down his production and that should allow Oklahoma City to come through the series with a lot of room to spare.

Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games

San Antonio Spurs (2) v LA Lakers (7)

This is a fascinating series between two teams that have been at the fore-front of the Western Conference over the last 13 years, but both are expected to yield to the younger and more athletic Oklahoma City Thunder.

The absence of Kobe Bryant is really tough for the Lakers to overcome, especially with Steve Nash a little worn down too, and I think it will be very hard for them to make this a really close series.

Getting into the Play Offs was one of the first goals for the Lakers who had a tough start to the season, but losing Bryant so late in the year was always going to be tough to overcome in the post-season with the Spurs or the Thunder First Round opponents. Pushing this to 6 games would be an achievement in my opinion, but it is more likely that the Lakers are seen off sooner than that.

Pick: San Antonio Spurs in 5 games

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

Around six weeks ago, I though the Denver Nuggets were going to be a real dark horse in the Western Conference, especially with their home court record this season. However, the injury to Danilo Galinari has taken away one of the better scorers on this team, while Ty Lawson has been dealing with a few injuries of his own.

However, I think they will still be able to see off the dangerous Golden State Warriors, who do hit a lot of three pointers which is one aspect where the Nuggets struggle. However, the athletic ability of Denver means they can gas their opponents at home in the altitude of Colorado and I think they will be able to run the Golden State players a little ragged.

There will be times when the Warriors get hot from the three point range and that will give them a chance to stay in games, but I do think it will be Denver who can sneak a road win and then use their home record to get through to the Semi Finals.

Pick: Denver Nuggets in 6 games

LA Clippers (4) v Memphis Grizzlies (5)

This was a great series a year ago that was decided by a seventh game and took out a lot of energy from the LA Clippers who were eventually swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

I have little reason to doubt that this will be another fantastic series and it wouldn't be the biggest surprise in the World if this one also goes to seven games.

However, I think the LA Clippers winning in Memphis towards the end of the regular season to secure home court advantage and I think that confidence will inspire them to find a way to get this done before the seventh game and perhaps get a little bit of rest before the Semi Final series against, most likely, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Memphis will have a chance if they can impose their tempo on the games in the series, but it is a tough mental burden to overcome after some big losses to the Clippers over the last twelve months and Los Angeles are in a rude state of health.

Pick: LA Clippers in 6 games

That is my thoughts for the First Round series and I do see a couple of routine wins and a couple of tough series. It should be a fun two months coming up and check out my page where I will be making picks throughout the Play Offs. You can access that page here

NBA Play Offs Semi Final Preview

At the time of writing, we are still to see which two Semi Final line ups we are going to get in the Western Conference, but I think the long nature of the Clippers-Grizzlies and the Lakers-Nuggets definitely gives the edge to the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder who both swept through the First Round and have had plenty of rest, while also having home court advantage.

The Eastern Conference saw the demise of the Chicago Bulls in the most awful of circumstances as Derrick Rose was injured in the first game of their series with the Philadelphia 76ers. The only positive I can take is that the medical advances means an ACL injury like the one Rose suffered is not the destructive force of old and I have full faith the best Point Guard in the NBA will be back to his best after a long, arduous recovery.

Rose seems to have the character to really focus, work hard and the will to get back to being the very best he can- I might not know him personally, but you can see what Rose is all about from his on court demeanour and the way he conducts himself with the press.

With the Bulls out, it looks like the path has really opened up for the Miami Heat to at least get back to the NBA Finals. I was a little surprised to hear them saying that this season is a successful one even if they don't win the NBA title, but that is so far wrong it is ridiculous- the Heat need to win this year to take away all the angst from 'The Decision', otherwise there could be some major work going on in South Beach in the off-season, starting with Eric Spoelstra as the Head Coach.

Eastern Conference Semi Finals

Miami Heat (2) v Indiana Pacers (3)

This was the series that most people would have expected as both the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers came through in five games in the First Round. That is where the agreements will end, as many are then split down the middle as to whether this is a tough series for Miami or another walkover.

Most will still agree that this is going to be a Miami series win (personally I can't see any team in the Eastern Conference that wins a best out of seven game series against the Heat now that the Bulls are done), but the manner could be all important.

You just know Indiana want to make this a tough, physical series- Miami were expecting that and saying as much after game five was concluded against the New York Knicks, while Frank Vogel has fired the first shots for the Pacers by calling the Heat the 'biggest floppers in the League' and also putting some pressure on the officials by openly wandering what kind of series they are going to allow.

The likes of Roy Hibbert and David West will cause big problems in Miami's interior, while the Pacers also have the perimeter shooters that the Heat have generally struggled to defend all season. The three point has been particularly problematic to defend for Miami and that is an area the Pacers will look to exploit by banging the ball down the middle with their bigs and kicking it out to the likes of Danny Granger, Darren Collison and Paul George.

Indiana's biggest problem is that they don't always shoot well from the field and that is going to be magnified against one of the best defensive teams in the League... Then they have to deal with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on the offensive side of the court.

Miami won the season series 3-1, blowing out the Pacers in the first two games before recording a close win in Miami and losing in Indiana by 15 points (the last of those was on a back-to-back play).

Prediction: Not going to be easy, but I think the Heat pull it out in 6 games.

Boston Celtics (4) v Philadelphia 76ers (8)

The Philadelphia 76ers are the biggest surprise at this stage of the Play Offs (writing before game seven of the series between the LA Lakers and the Denver Nuggets), but they still have a lot to prove with murmurings of them being 'lucky' to face a Chicago Bulls team that missed Derrick Rose after game one and was also missing Joakim Noah for the last three games.

Both of these teams needed six games to knock off the Atlanta Hawks and the Bulls, and this series is bound to be fascinating as both are Atlantic Division rivals.

Boston looked good at times in their series with the Hawks, but they have been dealing with injuries and fatigue is also an issue for the Big Three. Paul Pierce played through an injury on Thursday night as they closed out the Atlanta Hawks, but he won't have much time to rest with this game set for Saturday to open the Semi Finals.

Ray Allen at least is back in the fold, but Kevin Garnett had to put in a huge shift and tiredness could indeed be a major factor. This is where the Philadelphia 76ers need to try and steal home court advantage as the first two games of the series are scheduled for Saturday and Monday.

I just don't know how much belief the 76ers have that they can get through this series, but they can at least point to the fact that they have won 2 of the 3 games the teams played in the regular season. However, I think the Celtics have too much talent and too many game changers that can score quickly when the going gets tough.

When I look at Philadelphia, I don't know who is going to take a game by the scruff of the neck when they are struggling, while they are far too hot and cold from the field. The 'eye test' says they struggled to beat a Bulls team missing not one, but two key components and I think they will do well to extend the Celtics in this one.

Prediction: Philadelphia need to get one of the first two games scheduled in Boston, else they could be given gentleman's sweep out of the Play Offs- if games one and two are split, Boston in 6, if not, Boston in 5.

Western Conference Semi Finals

San Antonio Spurs (1) v LA Clippers (5)

The San Antonio Spurs are well rested, playing some of the best basketball in the NBA and have home court advantage in this series... Can I make a case for the LA Clippers to spring a surprise in this one? Errr, no!

I think the Spurs have the depth in their rotation that is going to make them extremely tough to beat by any team, and I think the banged up Clippers will see this as a bridge too far in their first post-season since 2006.

The real question should be how far the Clippers can push the Spurs ahead of their Western Conference Finals appearance and I think they are good enough to get to game 6 before going down. I might not think they are going to win 4 of the 7 needed to go through, but I don't want to underestimate a team that has Chris Paul playing the way he has been.

I was impressed with the manner they out-gutted the Memphis Grizzlies in the First Round, but the scoring potential of this Spurs team looks too high and I just think they are likely to be far too strong with their experience.

Prediction: Can't see beyond the San Antonio Spurs here, but I am going to respect the Clippers enough to think it may get to game 6 before the series is decided.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2) v LA Lakers (3)

These two teams have reached the Semi Final stage of the Western Conference Play Offs in contrasting fashion. The Oklahoma City Thunder will be well rested following their sweep of the defending Champion Dallas Mavericks in the First Round, while the LA Lakers just scrambled over the line in a seven game series with the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers are the older team, but more experienced, although it is going to be interesting to see how they cope with the schedule that has them down to play the Thunder 5 times in the space of 8 days. They will also not have home court advantage in a series that is likely to be played with a lot of emotion after their last regular season meeting when Metta World Peace decided to lay out James Harden with a vicious elbow to the back of his head.

Denver did show Oklahoma City that the Lakers struggle with their defence in transition and I think the likes of Harden, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are going to cause a multitude of problems for Kobe Bryant and his team.

It took a magnificent shooting night from Steve Blake and Metta World Peace to help the Lakers over the line in game seven against the Nuggets and that is not something that is likely to happen too often. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum also cannot afford the sloppy games they had in the First Round series and I think the Thunder are ready to make a big statement of their intentions in the Western Conference this season.

The condensed schedule is unlikely to help the Lakers and I think the Thunder will progress to the Western Conference Finals

Prediction: After watching plenty of these teams in the First Round, I think the Thunder will be too strong and get through in 6 games

NBA Play Offs First Round Preview

The regular season is over and we have eliminated, well, errr less than half of the teams in the NBA, but this is when the excitement really kicks in as the Play Offs begin.

This will also mean teams are able to get sufficient rest between games and there will be no back-to back-to back schedules which saps energy and entertainment for the fans.

The Eastern Conference looks a little top heavy to me with the likes of Miami, Chicago and Boston rightly the favourites to represent the East in the NBA Finals. Indiana have a good solid team, but lack the real big time player that could turn a close loss into a win.

Atlanta have routinely failed at this spot, although a healthy Al Horford would make them much more dangerous. However, it seems almost clear that the big man is not going to be ready at this stage.

Then we have the likes of Orlando, New York and Philadelphia- of those three teams, the most dangerous is easily the New York Knicks. However, they have been seeded to face the Miami Heat who I believe they match up the worst against and that looks tough for them.

I rule out Philadelphia as they have struggled when playing the better teams all season, while an Orlando Magic team without Dwight Howard is one that would struggle to get into the Play Offs, let alone cause an upset now they are here.

The Western Conference looks a little more loaded with talent and some real dark horses that could cause a surprise.

Like the East, you have to look at three teams when deciding who will be representing the West in the NBA Finals- the Oklahoma City Thunder, the LA Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs.

All three teams have the squads to go all the way, the latter two with a number of years of experience and the Thunder with the experience of reaching the Western Conference Finals last year and having a very good rotation.

San Antonio are the biggest surprise as many thought the shortened season would be hard on their ageing legs, but they have shown a deep rotation and Gregg Popovich has worked wonders to keep all his players fresh.

When you look a bit deeper, the winner of the Memphis/LA Clippers First Round clash look like they could perhaps cause a surprise and reach the Finals of the Western Conference, but a lack of experience and real big time players could account for both. The LA Clippers just don't have the same depth as the best three teams, while Memphis are a solid team yet don't have someone who can really grab the bull by the horns when needed.

It would be unwise to count out the defending Champions, the Dallas Mavericks, but they have had a transitional season and I think they will be much more of a threat once they sign Deron Williams in the off-season (I am 90% sure they will get this done).

Denver and Utah are both good solid teams, the Jazz being particularly young which bodes well for their future, but I can't see either of them performing well enough to win a best of seven series against the best teams in the First Round, let alone going all the way.

Below I will write a few words about the individual First Round match ups and who I think will progress in the series.

Eastern Conference First Round

Atlanta Hawks (5) v Boston Celtics (4)

The Boston Celtics have been on an absolute tear since the All-Star break as they shot up the Atlantic Division to take that title and ensure they finished with one of the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference.

Rajon Rondo has really found his mojo, while the injury to Ray Allen as unearthed a real talent for the Celtics in Avery Bradley. With the likes of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett playing great basketball, Boston are an absolute threat in the Eastern Conference.

However, the Atlanta Hawks have players like Josh Smith and Joe Johnson who match up well with this Celtics team.

The key to this entire series in how many games Rajon Rondo can take over- not just in terms of dimes he dishes out, but if he has his shooting up to par. Every time he does that, I will expect the Celtics to win the game and I think they will eventually get this series, but it will be the closest one in the East.

Prediction: Boston Celtics in 6 games

Chicago Bulls (1) v Philadelphia 76ers (8)

The Chicago Bulls wrapped up the Number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and I think they will be very pleased with their First Round match up against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The injury to Derrick Rose has given their second unit players the chance to shine and that experience could really help them in the Play Offs beyond this series, but don't overlook the fact that the Bulls are only going places if Rose is healthy.

Philadelphia don't have the star player in their line up, but they have a solid enough team- however, they have really struggled when playing teams with winning records this season and would absolutely need to play at their maximum, with Chicago a little off their own game, for them to extend this series too far.

Just in case the Bulls were not focused, Chicago native Evan Turner was quoted as saying Philadelphia had drawn the 'easier' team in the East compared with having to face Miami, something that seemed to amuse some of the Bulls players ahead of this one.

Prediction: Can't look beyond the Bulls in 5 or less games

Miami Heat (2) v New York Knicks (7)

The New York Knicks were one of the danger teams in the Eastern Conference, but I have always maintained that they needed to avoid the Miami Heat in the First Round as this team is capable of hurting the Knicks on both sides of the court.

The only real hope for the Knicks is that their three point game heats up (pardon the pun) and can get on a roll for more than one or two games. Defending the three point shot has been one of the Achilles heel for the Heat defence all season and the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire can provide the penetration to leave them open for JR Smith and Steve Novak to knock down threes and keep the Heat off balance.

Miami won't be too concerned with the match up having swept the Knicks in the regular season, and they have the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade who will cause New York all kinds of problems.

As a Knicks fan, I didn't want this First Round match up, although the players, like Tyson Chandler, have been vocal in bigging up their own chances- just can't see beyond a relatively easy Heat progression.

Prediction: Miami in 5 games

Indiana Pacers (3) v Orlando Magic (6)

This could have been a really interesting series if not for one major problem for the Orlando Magic- no Dwight Howard... Superman has caused Indiana so many problems in the past, particularly for Roy Hibbert, but his absence is going to be huge for Orlando and I really don't think this is a Play Off team without Howard playing most of the season.

Other issues are surrounding Stan Van Gundy who is likely to be fired even if they get out of this First Round series and all is not well in this part of Florida.

Indiana have a strong team ethic and will be very pleased with this First Round meeting and a chance to feel their way into the Play Offs after pushing Chicago at the same stage last season. There is a strong rotation here and I think they are going to dominate this series with Hibbert and David West dominating inside.

The Pacers actually lost the season series 3-1, but that was an Orlando team that had Howard in the line up- the Magic have always lived and died by the three pointer too, so there is every chance they take a game and maybe two if they get hot from beyond the arc, but the Pacers are likely to be far too strong.

Prediction: Indiana Pacers in 5/6 games

Western Conference First Round

San Antonio Spurs (1) v Utah Jazz (8)

The San Antonio Spurs have to erase some painful memories from a year ago when they were beaten as the Number 1 seed in the Western Conference by the Memphis Grizzlies, but I don't think the Utah Jazz have the same kind of dangerous talent as the Grizzlies and I expect the Spurs to progress.

They had been ruled out as a genuine contender in this shortened season due to some of the ageing legs of their better players, but Gregg Popovich has found the right balance in giving the likes of Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker enough rest, while they have also shown off some of the depth they have in their rotation, making their second unit pretty dangerous too.

All the experience the Spurs have could make a real difference in this series as they are facing a Utah Jazz team that is very young and most of the players are in their first Play Off series. This all bodes well for the future of the Jazz who are just one year removed from trading away Deron Williams.

The likes of Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson and Derrick Favors gives them size, but they struggled against the Spurs in the regular season, particularly in San Antonio, and I think they will do well to extend this beyond 5 games.

Prediction: San Antonio Spurs in 5 games

Oklahoma City Thunder (2) v Dallas Mavericks (7)

This is an interesting series as it is between the young, up and coming power in the West and the old, jaded Champions who are perhaps looking forward to a new season already.

Dallas were always under pressure when they allowed Tyson Chandler and JJ Barea to leave in the off-season having won the Championship last year and it could a lot worse for them when Lamar Odom did not play anything like the 'sixth man of the year' he was last season.

The Mavericks were clearing space in anticipation of a big off-season this year so this was considered a transitional season for them- they are sure to get Deron Williams, in my mind at least, in the Free Agency market and I expect Dallas to be a real threat again next year.

Oklahoma City can gain revenge for losing in the Western Conference Finals last year and they have two bright stars in Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant that can take games away from opponents when they are on form. With Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, and James Harden (as long as there is no long-term effect from the elbow he took from Metta World Peace), but they can blow a little hot and cold.

That shouldn't effect them in this series, but it is something to consider down the line, especially with the potential Semi Final against the LA Lakers on deck.

Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder in 6 games

LA Lakers (3) v Denver Nuggets (6)

Metta World Peace is going to be suspended for the next six games and the cynic in me thinks the LA Lakers will deliberately extend this series to at least that amount of game with full confidence that they can beat the Denver Nuggets in either a Game 6 or a Game 7 in this series.

At lot of what the LA Lakers are about starts and finishes with Kobe Bryant, but it is Andrew Bynum who has dominated the Nuggets this season, while the Lakers size is a huge advantage for them in this match up.

The signing of Ramon Sessions has also given them a new look at the Point Guard position and all around I think this is a tough series for the Denver Nuggets.

Denver don't rely on one start any more since trading Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks last season, and they will cause the Lakers problems with the speed they can play at- I just don't think they will be able to dictate the tempo in more than a couple of games and I think the Lakers will be happy to see this go to 6 games before getting the job done.

Prediction: LA Lakers in 6 games

Memphis Grizzlies (4) v LA Clippers (5)

This is perhaps the best series of the First Round in either Conference as both teams are ridiculously closely matched.

The Memphis Grizzlies are a tough, hard nosed team that has the Play Off experience after last season when they surprised the San Antonio Spurs in this Round before pushing the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Semi Finals- the issue for Memphis is that they will always hang around in games, but conversely will allow teams to stay close which can be tough to deal with mentally in a long series, something this has the potential of being.

Chris Paul will try and help out his supporting cast at the Clippers as this franchise has not been in this spot for some time, while Blake Griffin, Randy Foye and DeAndre Jordan have not been in this position in their careers.

However, they do match up well with the Grizzlies and I am not sure how much home court advantage will mean in this series considering all three regular season games was won by the road team.

The whole key to the series could be how the Clippers handle their free throws- they are in the lower regions of the NBA, particularly Blake Griffin who is under 60% from the line. Griffin is likely to be fouled every time he tries to posterize an opponent, and even when he doesn't, and that could cost the Clippers the entire series if they don't fix those issues.

Prediction: Toughest series by far, but Memphis in 7 perhaps

That's my thoughts for the First Round of the Play Offs for both Conferences... I will also be making picks for the Play Off series so check those out too.