2012 NBA Playoffs - Eastern Conference Semfinals

The Quarterfinals are not quite over yet, but the Conference Semifinals will tip off tomorrow with Boston and Philadelphia. Boston is making what could be their final run for a title, while the upstart 76ers are appearing in this round of the Playoffs for the first time since 2003. The favorite to win it all - Miami - and the surprising Indiana Pacers round out the remaining field in the East. The West still has two spots to be claimed, while the Spurs and Thunder continue to rest after their Quarterfinals sweeps. Below are the positional matchups of each series with the person/team with the advantage in bold. Here is how I think things will play out.
Eastern Conference Semifinals



4 Boston (-225) vs. 8 Philadelphia (+185)

PG - Rajon Rondo vs. Jrue Holiday
SG - Avery Bradley vs. Evan Turner
SF - Paul Pierce vs. Andre Iguodala
PF - Brandon Bass vs. Elton Brand
C - Kevin Garnett vs. Spencer Hawes
Bench - Boston vs. Philadelphia
Coach - Doc Rivers vs. Doug Collins

Boston's opening round with Atlanta was no walk in the park. The Celtics blew the Hawks out once, but Atlanta made them work hard for every other victory. They escaped Rondo's suspension and appear to be primed for another title push. The 76ers had luck on their side, as they defeated a depleted Bulls roster to advance in the postseason for the first time since 2003. Andre Iguodala, Spencer Hawes, Jrue Holiday, and Evan Turner all played outstanding against the Bulls. They will need to do so again if they want a chance in this series. I don't think Philly has what it takes to pull this series out, but once again they will make Boston work for every victory.

Prediction - Boston over Philadelphia 4-2



2 Miami (-900) vs. 3 Indiana (+600)

PG - Mario Chalmers vs. George Hill
SG - Dwayne Wade vs. Paul George
SF - LeBron James vs. Danny Granger
PF - Chris Bosh vs. David West
C - Udonis Haslem vs. Roy Hibbert
Bench - Miami vs. Indiana
Coach - Erik Spoelstra vs. Frank Vogel

The path to the Finals got a lot easier for the Heat once Derrick Rose went down with a torn ACL. Miami was impressive against the Knicks, but certainly did not look unstoppable. They get to take on the Pacers, who exceeded all expectations during the regular season. These teams are definitely made up much differently. There are 3 players on the Heat who are probably better than any single player on the Pacers roster. The Pacers are made up of an entire cast of good players, but none that are superstars. Ultimately, I don;t see there being any way that Miami loses this series. The Heat seems primed to play in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year.

Prediction - Miami over Indiana 4-1