"Second Round Preview" or "How the Bulls Played Guaranteed Victories the First Two Rounds"

Get used to seeing a lot of this.

First off, I would like to thank the Grizzlies for taking care of the Spurs in six, so I could write this second round post before any of the second round games actually started. A San Antonio-Memphis game seven would have thrown a total wrench in my plans. Also, I would like to thank Derrick Rose for keeping it going for the Bulls despite a feistier Pacers team than most thought, most fools anyway. My plan here is to first analyze the predictions from last round, then move onto Round 2.

Jeremy's Round One Predictions Revisited

East

1) Bulls vs. 8) Pacers
My Prediction: Bulls in 5
Actuality: Bulls in 5
I was dead on with this one. Pacers were rough and the Bulls persevered in five games. Bulls move on and get some time to rest Boozer's foot, Rose's ankle.

2) Heat vs. 7) 76ers
My Prediction: Heat in 6
Actuality: Heat in 5
Well, I basically got this right, but I gave the 76ers too much credit. LBJ and DWade move on to a real challenge.

3) Celtics vs. 6) Knickerbockers
My Prediction: Celts in 6
Actuality: Celts Sweep in 4
What we learned here: Knicks are not as good as we thought. Celtics awoke in this series and after escaping with a win in Game 1, they pretty much just took the series over and Stoudemire got hurt, and now the Celtics are focusing on the Heat, and the Knicks are already out of the NorthEast and getting drunk in Florida.

4) Magic vs. 5) Hawks
My Prediction: Hawks in 7
Actuality: Hawks upset in 6
Bad Luck for the Magic, who seem to have no way to beat this not so grand Hawks team. Also, Hinrich helps the Hawks win and gets hurt with two minutes left in the series. God must be a Bulls fan.

West

1) Spurs vs. 8) Grizzlies
My Prediction: Spurs in 5
Actuality: Grizzlies in 6
This is my only wrong series pick of the first round. But to be fair, I did say that I knew nothing about the Grizzlies, and I do know that the Spurs are totally weak sauce.

2) Lakers vs. 7) Hornets
My Prediction: Lakers in 5
Actuality: Lakers in 6
I was close, Chris Paul willed them to one more win than I had thought. I wonder where he will end up one day, actually playing winning basketball.

3) Mavs vs. 6) Blazers
My Prediction: Mavs in 7
Actuality: Mavs in 6
Dirk is getting ready for Kobe, because the Mavs and Lakers will be meeting for the first time in the playoffs. It's going to be off da hook. Blazers just didn't have enough.

4) Sonics vs. 5) Nuggets
My Prediction: Sonics in 5
Actuality: Sonics in 5
Everything I said came true, Durant, Westbrook, and Perkins are just too good. Nuggets and Carmelo share a plane to Florida for cocktails.

Second Round Predictions

East

1) Bulls vs. 5) Hawks
The Bulls struggled their way to a series win against the Pacers in five, but can probably breathe a sigh of relief now that the Hawks knocked out Howard. The Bulls own the Hawks (like every other team in the NBA that does not play in Orlando) and now Hinrich is hurt, the only guy who can properly guard Derrick Rose. This should be cake. Bulls in 4

2) Heat vs. 3) Celtics
I cannot wait to enjoy watching these two teams beat the shit out of each other. I have despised LeBron since the days of not shaking hands after being eliminated from the playoffs, then he danced on the sidelines last year, left the free throw line to jaw at Noah on the bench (yet didn't get suspended or fined despite flagrantly violating NBA rule), abandoned his hometown team, did it on tv, didn't realize what the big deal was, and now is a part of this unnatural meld of superstars (him and Wade, Bosh sucks). I despise them with every ounce of my being and would very much like to see a depleted, tired Celtics team in the Conference Finals. Celts in 7

West

8) Grizzlies vs. 4) Sonics
These Grizzlies turned out to be one spunky, talented team. Armed with Randolph and the superior Gasol, they managed to wipe the floor with the Spurs, while the Sonics did the same with the scattered Nuggets. This should be a random dogfight of a series. I imagine that the Sonics are going to end up coming out on top, although I would not be surprised if the Grizz can pull out a second upset in a row. Sonics in 7

2) Lakers vs. 3) Mavs
The Mavs defied the odds by beating a team they should have beat and the Lakers defied no odds by playing lazily through the first four games of the series and winning through sheer talent rather than those unnecessary traits like effort or well run plays or any of that hogwash. Can Dirk take this team to the heights of beating the Lakers? I hope so, because I really would not like to see another Lakers threepeat, talk about boring. However, I find it hard to pick against the Lakers this early, maybe next round. We'll see. Lakers in 6

See Ya in the Conference Finals!