NBA Playoff Predictions

Ok, here are my playoff predictions.  Have at them.

First Round:
Expect Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles to sweep.  Portland is the only upset I see happening (4 games to 2) but I expect New York to take Boston to at least six games and an upset would not shock me.  With Manu Ginobili's injury I see San Antonio as vulnerable and Memphis should give them a tough series.  Denver could take two games from Oklahoma City, same thing with Atlanta versus Orlando.

Second Round:
Chicago should see a tough challenge out of Orlando.  Noah is a solid player but Dwight Howard is out of his mind lately.  Derrick Rose will have just received the MVP award days earlier and a bitter Howard  should be expected to pull a '95 Hakeem and show the world who is really best.  Chicago will take the physical series in seven games behind its superior supporting cast.
The Celtics and the Heat will go six games.  I see Boston taking Game 2 in Miami and closing the series out at home.  Wade has struggled against the C's all season and Garnett owns Bosh.  A healthy Boston will pull it out but an injury to one of the O'Neal's could spell danger.
Oklahoma City should sweep San Antonio.  The injury bug has plagued the Spurs' big three in the second half of the season and they seem vulnerable.  The Thunder, with the addition of Perkins, are too tough on both sides of the ball and should coast.  If healthy, the Spurs could take a game but it is unlikely.
Assuming Bynum is healthy, which he says he should be, the Lakers should get by the Blazers.  Portland is a sneaky team and if Brandon Roy steps his game up they could give Los Angeles a run for their money.  With Bynum I see Portland taking a game maybe two.  If Bynum is out then I see it going seven games and possibly a Portland upset.

Conference Finals:
Chicago-Boston should be a great series.  The two teams put in a classic performance two years ago on route to a Boston win in seven games.  Chicago's young core has never won a playoff series and Boston's core has only lost one (last year's NBA finals).  I see this series as a concrete changing of the guard.  Rose versus Rondo will be the primary matchup but I expect Ray Allen to be the key for Boston.  Deng and Pierce, as well as Garnett and Boozer, match-up nicely against each other so the burden will fall on Bogans and Korver to keep Allen in check.  Expect Boston to push the Bulls to six or seven games before succumbing.
In last year's playoffs the Thunder sent the Lakers, and the rest of the league for that matter, a message, "We're coming."  Save for an inability to box Pau Gasol out at the buzzer in Game 6, OKC would have taken the eventual champs to seven games in a great match-up.  Oklahoma City has not only improved through experience, they have also added the biggest difference maker in the series, Kendrick Perkins.  The Perkins trade was great for Oklahoma City as a whole but it was a move made to counter Los Angeles.  The Lakers size hurt the Thunder last season and Perkins was continually the key for Boston in its match-ups with LA.  Artest plays Durant well and the Lakers will throw Brown, Barnes, and Bryant at Westbrook.  This series should go seven and an upset would not surprise me but expect Kobe's willpower and Odom's length and versatility to be the difference.

NBA Finals:
The Lakers have face the Bulls one time in playoff history, it did not go their way.  In 1991, Chicago beat LA four games to one behind the force that was Michael Jordan.  You can expect Chicago's new force Derrick Rose to make this into a difficult series.  Chicago will have home-court advantage and expect them to take Games 1 and 2 at home before being swept out in six.  Los Angeles's length should be the difference.  Give Kobe Bryant his 6th ring and his 3rd consecutive Bill Russell award.