2013 NHL Playoffs - Western Conference Finals

The Western Conference Finals feature the winner of this year's President's Trophy versus the defending Stanley Cup champions. That would be the Chicago Blackhawks and the Los Angeles Kings. You can't get a much better matchup than that. Both teams endured grueling 7-game series in the Semis to get here. The Blackhawks made an improbable comeback against the Detroit Red Wings, winning the final three games of the series to escape 4-3. The Kings traded blows with San Jose before winning 4-3, as the home team won every game in that series. Unfortunately for LA, they don't possess home ice in this series.

      
1 Chicago (-160) vs. 5 Los Angeles (+140)

The Chicago Blackhawks are flying high right now. They trailed the hated Red Wings 3-1 in the West Semis, before rattling off three consecutive wins that included an OT thriller in Game 7. They are one step away from getting back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since they hoisted the Cup in 2010. The LA Kings have been there a little more recently, as they sipped out of Lord Stanley's Cup just a year ago. The Kings are riding their hot goalie, Jonathan Quick. Quick was one of the primary reasons LA won it all last year, and is one of the primary reasons that they have a chance to repeat. Both teams know how to win in the postseason, so experience shouldn't be a factor. The Blackhawks have had the best team in the West all season. They will prove it once again and advance to play for the Cup.

Prediction - Chicago over Los Angeles 4-1

2013 NHL Playoffs - Eastern Conference Finals Preview

The Eastern Conference Finals have been established since Saturday. The Penguins and Bruins will face off for the right to represent the East in the Stanley Cup Finals. Both teams have gotten some much needed rest, as they wait for the West Semis to finish up. Pittsburgh and Boston both got tougher than expected series' in the Conference Quarterfinals but blew through the Semis to reach the Conference Finals.

      
1 Pittsburgh (-210) vs. 4 Boston (+170)

The Boston Bruins are using the strength of their city as motivation, and are now appearing in their second Conference Finals in three years. The Bruins needed a miracle Game 7 comeback to get past Toronto in the opening round, and then dominated the Rangers to get here. Now they are on the brink of getting back to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Penguins have been the best team in the East all season. Now they have the chance to prove it once and for all. They battled through a surprising series with the Islanders, before thoroughly beating down Ottawa. Pittsburgh is a finesse team, while Boston likes to punish you. The team that plays their style of hockey should come out of this series. I think the Penguins have too much fire power for the Bruins to handle and Crosby and company will return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2009.

Prediction - Pittsburgh over Boston 4-1

2013 NBA Mock Draft

1. Cleveland - Nerlens Noel  C/Kentucky
2. Orlando - Ben McLemore  SG/Kansas
3. Washington - Anthony Bennett  PF/UNLV
4. Charlotte - Victor Oladipo  SG/Indiana
5. Phoenix - Otto Porter  SF/Georgetown

6. New Orleans - Alex Len  C/Maryland

7. Sacramento - Trey Burke  PG/Michigan

8. Detroit - CJ McCollum  SG/Lehigh

9. Minnesota - Shabazz Muhammad  SF/UCLA

10. Portland - Rudy Gobert  C/France

11. Philadelphia - Cody Zeller  C/Indiana

12. Oklahoma City - Kelly Olynyk  C/Gonzaga

13. Dallas - Michael Carter-Williams  PG/Syracuse

14. Utah - Dennis Schroeder  PG/Germany

15. Milwaukee - Sergey Karasev  SF/Russia

16. Boston - Steven Adams  C/Pittsburgh

17. Atlanta - Mason Plumlee  PF/Duke

18. Atlanta - Jamaal Franklin  SF/San Diego St.

19. Cleveland - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope  SG/Georgia

20. Chicago - Gorgui Dieng  C/Louisville

21. Utah - Tony Mitchell  PF/North Texas

22. Brooklyn - Jeff Withey  C/Kansas

23. Indiana - Shane Larkin  PG/Miami

24. New York - Dario Saric  PF/Croatia

25. LA Clippers - Allen Crabbe  SG/Cal

26.  Minnesota - Tim Hardaway Jr.  SG/Michigan

27.  Denver - Tony Snell  SF/New Mexico

28. San Antonio - Lucas Noguiera  C/Brazil

29. Oklahoma City - Giannis Adetokunbo  SF/Greece

30. Phoenix - Archie Goodwin  SG/Kentucky

2013 NBA Playoffs - Eastern Conference Finals Preview

The Heat have been in a class of their own throughout the 2012-2013 NBA season. It has been speculated that nobody would be able to beat Miami in a 7-game series. Many thought that if there was a team in the East that could challenge them, it would be the Indiana Pacers. Well, here we are. The Pacers have a chance to prove their worth. Indiana actually held a 2-1 series lead over Miami in last year's Conference Semis before losing in six. They also won the season series 2-1 this season. Indiana can hang with Miami, but can they close the deal? We will find out starting Wednesday. Here is how I see it shaking out, with a breakdown of who holds the advantage in some positional matchups.

      
1 Miami (-700) vs. 3 Indiana (+500)

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

Miami has been simply dominant in the postseason. They have posted an 8-1 record to this point, and have rarely been challenged. Miami has been lead by the world's best player LeBron James, but his supporting cast has contributed their fair share. Indiana has used more of a collective effort to advance to this point for the first time since 2004. Ultimately, I don;t see how the Heat will lose this series. While Indiana has a lot of good pieces, they don't have the star power to compete for a full seven games. The Heat will look to confirm their greatness and win the East for a third consecutive season.

Prediction - Miami over Indiana 4-2

2013 NBA Playoffs - Western Conference Finals Preview

The Western Conference playoffs have had their fill of surprises, in large part due to injury. That's not to diminish what the two finalists have done to get here, but if all of the major players were healthy, who knows who would still be alive. Nonetheless, we end up with San Antonio and Memphis. The Spurs are making their second consecutive trip to the Western Conference Finals. They breezed through the Lakers in the Quarters, and grinded out a 6-game victory over the Warriors in the Semis. The Grizzlies are making their first Conference Finals appearance in team history. They have gotten to this point by playing their brand of basketball, and punishing to teams seeded better than them. This is a compelling battle of old versus new. Here is how I see it shaking out, with a breakdown of who holds the advantage in some positional matchups.

      
2 San Antonio (-130) vs. 5 Memphis (+110)

PG - Tony Parker vs. Mike Conley Jr.
SG - Danny Green vs. Tony Allen   
SF - Kawhi Leonard vs. Tayshaun Prince
PF - Tim Duncan vs. Zach Randolph
C - Tiago Splitter vs. Marc Gasol
Bench - San Antonio vs. Memphis
Coach - Gregg Popovich vs. Lionel Hollins

The Spurs have had their share of ups and downs in the playoffs, but this isn't their first postseason. They find themselves playing deep into May yet again. They have a fantastic blend of youth and experience that knows how to get the job done. They are now tasked with beating the bruising Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis is currently playing better ball than perhaps anyone. Though Tim Duncan can still play with the best of them, San Antonio is now a Guard-oriented team. Whereas the Grizzlies want to pound you in the paint. This is an interesting contrast of styles, and whichever team is able to dictate the style of basketball being played will advance to the NBA Finals. In the end, I like the Spurs experience to allow them to make Memphis wait their turn.

Prediction - San Antonio over Memphis 4-2

2013 NHL Playoffs - Conference Semifinals Preview

The puck drops on the Conference Semis tomorrow night when Pittsburgh hosts Ottawa and the defending champion Kings play San Jose in LA. The lower seeds had some success in the Quarterfinals, but I was able to correctly pick 7 of 8 series. San Jose completely annihilated Vancouver 4-0, to give me my lone Quarterfinal loss. I like the way my picks have unfolded thus far, let's see if my winning ways continue in the Semis. Here is a look at who I see advancing to the Conference Finals.

Eastern Conference Semifinals

      
1 Pittsburgh (-280) vs. 7 Ottawa (+220)

The Ottawa Senators thoroughly dismantled the Northeast Division champion, Montreal Canadiens in five games in the opening round. Ottawa has a stingy defense, but the Senators are running into an offensive buzzsaw in the Penguins. They can't expect to shut down Pittsburgh so they will need to find some offense of their own. The Penguins got a tougher fight than many expected against the Islanders. The name of the game is survive and advance and that's exactly what they did. The Pens have the best team on paper, they will prove it on the ice against the Sens.

Prediction - Pittsburgh over Ottawa 4-1

      
4 Boston (-120) vs. 6 NY Rangers (+105)

The Bruins and Rangers both went the distance by winning a Game 7 in their Quarterfinals series'. The Bruins used an improbable 3rd period rally to beat Toronto and avoid blowing a 3-1 series lead. The Rangers embarrassed the Capitals on their home ice. Both of these teams are very dangerous and could easily represent in the East in the finals. It is always exciting when Boston and New York square off in any sport. This should be no different.

Prediction - NY Rangers over Boston 4-3

Western Conference Semifinals

      
1 Chicago (-320) vs. 7 Detroit (+260)

The playoffs are all about getting hot at the right time. Chicago has been hot all year long, and Detroit is playing their best hockey of the year. The Blackhawks dominated their series with the Wild, and got plenty of rest over the last several days. The Red Wings needed to win Game 7 on the road in Anaheim and will only have a couple days off for their aging bodies to recover. Chicago won all four regular season games between these clubs, but the rivalry here suggests that this series won't be as easy. Detroit will battle, but I picked the Blackhawks to hoist the Cup and nothing I've seen has changed my mind yet.

Prediction - Chicago over Detroit 4-1

      
5 Los Angeles (-145) vs. 6 San Jose (+125)

When you think of states that love hockey, California is far from the first that comes to mind. But here we are in a California Civil War for hockey supremacy. The defending Stanley Cup champion, Los Angeles Kings represent southern California while the ultra-consistent San Jose Sharks represent northern California. These teams are no stranger to success and one of them will get one step closer to winning the Stanley Cup. The Kings are looking to become the first team to repeat since the Red Wings did it in 1997 and 1998. And while the Sharks are in the postseason every year, they have never played in the Stanley Cup Finals. I like LA to outlast San Jose in a long, grueling series.

Prediction - Los Angeles over San Jose 4-3

2013 NBA Playoffs - Conference Semifinals Preview

The Conference Quarterfinals officially come to a close tonight and the Semifinals tip off tomorrow afternoon. Miami is still the clear favorite to win their second consecutive title. Injuries are playing a huge role right now. The biggest one is probably the loss of Russell Westbrook for the Thunder, which has shifted the power in the West. It is the healthiest team that wins the title just as often as the most talented. Luckily for Miami, they appear to be both of those at the moment. Who is going to rise up and prove to be a contender other than the Heat? We will find out soon enough. 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

      
1 Miami (-1400) vs. 5 Chicago (+1000)

PG - Mario Chalmers vs. Kirk Hinrich
SG - Dwayne Wade vs. Marco Belinelli
SF - LeBron James vs. Luol Deng
PF - Udonis Haslem vs. Carlos Boozer
C - Chris Bosh vs. Joakim Noah
Bench - Miami vs. Chicago
Coach - Erik Spoelstra vs. Tom Thibodeau

Miami swept through Milwaukee in the opening round with relative ease. The Bucks were able to keep it close for a half in most games, but the Heat proved to be far too talented in the end. They are the clear cut favorite to win another NBA title. The Bulls showed what strength and determination can do for a team. Their roster has been decimated by injury, and they still found a way to sneak past the Nets and advance. Chicago got major contributions from Nate Robinson and Marco Belinelli last round to help them make up for the losses of others. They will need to contribute even more if the Bulls have any prayer at getting past the Heat. I don't think the Bulls have what it takes to get past the Heat this season. But their strength and determination will be enough to make the Heat sweat a little more than they did last round.

Prediction - Miami over Chicago 4-1

      
2 New York (-200) vs. 3 Indiana (+170)

PG - Raymond Felton vs. George Hill
SG - Pablo Prigioni vs. Lance Stephenson
SF - Iman Shumpert vs. Paul George
PF - Carmelo Anothony vs. David West
C - Tyson Chandler vs. Roy Hibbert
Bench - New York vs. Indiana
Coach - Mike Woodson vs. Frank Vogel

Knicks versus Pacers brings back good memories of Spike Lee and Reggie Miller. The Knicks looked like a team that could challenge Miami through the first three games of their series with Boston. They fell back down to earth a little, but still managed to make into the Conference Semis for the first time since 2000. Indiana is playing in the Conference Semis for the second year in a row. Paul George is an emerging star and will need to go tit for tat with Melo if the Pacers want to advance to the Conference Finals. This is going to be a knock down, drag 'em out series. I see the Knicks using the homecourt advantage to ultimately continue their postseason run.

Prediction - New York over Indiana 4-2

Western Conference Semifinals

      
1 Oklahoma City (+110) vs. 5 Memphis (-130)

PG - Reggie Jackson vs. Mike Conley Jr.
SG - Thabo Sefolosha vs. Tony Allen
SF - Kevin Durant vs. Tayshaun Prince
PF - Serge Ibaka vs. Zach Randolph
C - Kendrick Perkins vs. Marc Gasol
Bench - Oklahoma City vs, Memphis
Coach - Scott Brooks vs. Lionel Hollins

The title hopes of the Oklahoma City Thunder took a severe hit when it was announced that Russell Westbrook required knee surgery for a torn meniscus. After a scare, they were able to hang on and advance past the Houston Rockets. The Thunder looked like they were on a collision course to face the Heat in the Finals again, but things have changed a bit. The Grizzlies have looked superb in their last four games. Memphis has the best big man tandem in the league in Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Believe it or not, a lot of people are now expecting the Grizzlies to win this series. I am one of those people. The loss of Westbrook will be too much to overcome for OKC against a team so solid all around like Memphis.

Prediction - Memphis over Oklahoma City 4-3

      
2 San Antonio (-700) vs. 6 Golden State (+500)

PG - Tony Parker vs. Stephen Curry
SG - Danny Green vs. Klay Thompson
SF - Kawhi Leonard vs. Harrison Barnes
PF - Tim Duncan vs. David Lee
C - Tiago Splitter vs. Andrew Bogut
Bench - San Antonio vs. Golden State
Coach - Gregg Popovich vs. Mark Jackson

 The Spurs have been overlooked for much of the season, thanks in large part to how they bowed out last season. The Warriors have been overlooked simply because they are the Warriors. San Antonio did some of their aging bodies a favor by making quick work and sweeping the Lakers in the Quarters. The Spurs feel confident that they can win their first title since 2007. The Warriors had no expectations coming into the year, but now they do. This team has no fear and feels like they can make some franchise history this year. The Golden State Warriors have made the Conference Finals three times, all in the 70s. This team is on the verge.

Prediction - San Antonio over Golden State 4-2