Post by Jahallstar on Feb 28, 2009 22:20:09 GMT -5
#1 Golden State Warriors
vs
#8 Portland TrailBlazers
Key Match-up : Brad Daugherty vs Benoit Benjamin
Injuries : None
Season Series : Warriors 3-1
WARRIORS 111, Trailblazers 86
TRAILBLAZERS 96, Warriors 86
Warriors 85, TRAILBLAZERS 81
WARRIORS 102, Trailblazers 80
Outlook : The Warriors have had a great season so far. They come in flying high into this series. They should be on upset alert though. If they do not come out with their A game they will lose. Benjamin is a great defensive center and he could give the Warriors leading scorer Brad Daugherty fits. Clyde Drexler can also provide the scoring punch needed to pull an upset. The Warriors have the best pure PG in the game though in John Stockton and he will make it very hard for the Blazers. Along with a strong front-court the Warriors could hold serve.
Prediction : Warriors in 7
#2 San Antonio Spurs
vs
#7 Utah Jazz
Key Match-up : Arvydas Sabonis vs Patrick Ewing
Injuries : NONE
Season Series : 2-2
JAZZ 92, Spurs 80
JAZZ 101, Spurs 86
SPURS 95, Jazz 78
SPURS 85, Jazz 74
Outlook : How much of a rookie is a rookie during the playoffs. That will be the story of this series. Sabonis has had a great rookie season since coming over seas to play for the Jazz. He runs into a monster though in Patrick Ewing. While Rodney McCray has been looking good over the past two seasons I think that Reggie Lewis is the better of the #2 men in this series. I think the Spurs will probably prove to have to much for the upstart Jazz.
Prediction : Spurs in 5
#3 Seattle SuperSonics
vs
#6 Los Angeles Clippers
Key Match-up : Roy Tarpley vs Waymond Tisdale
Injuries : Sea - Dale Ellis (Games 1-4) , LAC - AC Green (Games 1-4)
Season Series : Sonics 4-0
SUPERSONICS 104, Clippers 94
Supersonics 105, CLIPPERS 89
SUPERSONICS 103, Clippers 92
Supersonics 103, CLIPPERS 84
Outlook : The Sonics rely big time on Roy Tarpley and during the season he lived up to the expectations. He is going to have a big series but the match-ups favor Seattle. The Clippers biggest weapons are Tisdale and Porter. Porter will have to go head to head with perhaps the best defensive PG in the league in Gary Payton while Tisdale goes head to head with Tarpley. This series can go either way and injuries could play a big factor for the first 4 games. Overall I think Tarpley will be the X-Factor.
Prediction : Sonics in 6
#4 Sacrameto Kings
vs
#5 Houston Rockets
Key Match-up : Kevin Duckworth vs Robert Parish
Injuries : Kings - Magic Johnson (Games 1-5)
Season Series :
KINGS 116, Rockets 113
Kings 121, ROCKETS 106
KINGS 113, Rockets 104
Kings 108, ROCKETS 105
Outlook : If it wasn't for Magic being hurt this would be over in 4. The Kings are legit. They have a real chance at going all the way this year if they can get by this round. Harper, Manning and Parrish will do their best to hold the fort down until the Magic man returns. The Rockets do have a lot going for them. They have a very balanced team and any of their 5 starters could lead the team in scoring on a given night. they just don't have that one go to guy to put them over the top in the playoffs.
Prediction : Kings in 6
vs
#8 Portland TrailBlazers
Key Match-up : Brad Daugherty vs Benoit Benjamin
Injuries : None
Season Series : Warriors 3-1
WARRIORS 111, Trailblazers 86
TRAILBLAZERS 96, Warriors 86
Warriors 85, TRAILBLAZERS 81
WARRIORS 102, Trailblazers 80
Outlook : The Warriors have had a great season so far. They come in flying high into this series. They should be on upset alert though. If they do not come out with their A game they will lose. Benjamin is a great defensive center and he could give the Warriors leading scorer Brad Daugherty fits. Clyde Drexler can also provide the scoring punch needed to pull an upset. The Warriors have the best pure PG in the game though in John Stockton and he will make it very hard for the Blazers. Along with a strong front-court the Warriors could hold serve.
Prediction : Warriors in 7
#2 San Antonio Spurs
vs
#7 Utah Jazz
Key Match-up : Arvydas Sabonis vs Patrick Ewing
Injuries : NONE
Season Series : 2-2
JAZZ 92, Spurs 80
JAZZ 101, Spurs 86
SPURS 95, Jazz 78
SPURS 85, Jazz 74
Outlook : How much of a rookie is a rookie during the playoffs. That will be the story of this series. Sabonis has had a great rookie season since coming over seas to play for the Jazz. He runs into a monster though in Patrick Ewing. While Rodney McCray has been looking good over the past two seasons I think that Reggie Lewis is the better of the #2 men in this series. I think the Spurs will probably prove to have to much for the upstart Jazz.
Prediction : Spurs in 5
#3 Seattle SuperSonics
vs
#6 Los Angeles Clippers
Key Match-up : Roy Tarpley vs Waymond Tisdale
Injuries : Sea - Dale Ellis (Games 1-4) , LAC - AC Green (Games 1-4)
Season Series : Sonics 4-0
SUPERSONICS 104, Clippers 94
Supersonics 105, CLIPPERS 89
SUPERSONICS 103, Clippers 92
Supersonics 103, CLIPPERS 84
Outlook : The Sonics rely big time on Roy Tarpley and during the season he lived up to the expectations. He is going to have a big series but the match-ups favor Seattle. The Clippers biggest weapons are Tisdale and Porter. Porter will have to go head to head with perhaps the best defensive PG in the league in Gary Payton while Tisdale goes head to head with Tarpley. This series can go either way and injuries could play a big factor for the first 4 games. Overall I think Tarpley will be the X-Factor.
Prediction : Sonics in 6
#4 Sacrameto Kings
vs
#5 Houston Rockets
Key Match-up : Kevin Duckworth vs Robert Parish
Injuries : Kings - Magic Johnson (Games 1-5)
Season Series :
KINGS 116, Rockets 113
Kings 121, ROCKETS 106
KINGS 113, Rockets 104
Kings 108, ROCKETS 105
Outlook : If it wasn't for Magic being hurt this would be over in 4. The Kings are legit. They have a real chance at going all the way this year if they can get by this round. Harper, Manning and Parrish will do their best to hold the fort down until the Magic man returns. The Rockets do have a lot going for them. They have a very balanced team and any of their 5 starters could lead the team in scoring on a given night. they just don't have that one go to guy to put them over the top in the playoffs.
Prediction : Kings in 6
