Tonight's Predictions

I don't for a minute believe that the Detroit-Chicago margin is as big as it appeared to be during Game 1, but Detroit is still a somewhat better team playing at home against an inexperienced Bulls squad so I expect them to win, but anticipate Chicago will make it respectable. In the West, well, what can you say? Utah was so bad down the stretch and Golden State so good that John Hollinger, after doing a little specification-searching to correctly "predict" the first round results now thinks the Warriors will win.

But, of course, Utah looked fine playing against Houston. And this matchup seems terrible for Golden State. The Warriors have no answer for Carlos Boozer, and on the flipside Deron Williams has reasonable size against Baron Davis and Utah has the frontcourt depth to just keep smacking him around all series. Last but not least, I don't see Jerry Sloan getting rattled.

Comments

Detroit's just bigger than Chicago. I don't think this one goes seven. GS-Utah? Who knows? I think it's the best of the available series. The two teams so poetically opposed: offense vs. defense, system vs. free-flow, fun-guy Nellie vs. hard-ass Sloan, the Bay vs. SLC, etc. But they're both pretty athletic teams that were underrated, in no small part, because their best player has injury problems. Boy, I hope its as good a series as I anticipate.

Posted by SomeCallMeTim | May 7, 2007 8:15 PM

Let's be clear: the GS win was widely cited as probably the greatest upset in the history of the NBA. Shouldn't that buy them some stock in the futures market? I'm convinced GS will pull it out if they can just get Jessica Alba to stay home.

Posted by sangfroid826 | May 7, 2007 8:29 PM

"Last but not least, I don't see Jerry Sloan getting rattled."

Well, as long as Jerry Sloan doesn't get rattled and miss open jumpers, they'll be OK.

Go Warriors!

Posted by too many steves | May 7, 2007 9:12 PM

On paper the Jazz look like a huge favorite. Looking at the two teams' head-to-head encounters, not so much. I think Hollinger is full of shit, but hope he is correct nonetheless.

Go Warriors!

Posted by Guy | May 7, 2007 9:42 PM

sangfroid, i know it's been widely cited, but in my estimation, it was another golden state team, the '74-'75 team that swept the bullets in the finals, that pulled off the greatest upset in nba history.

no one, and i mean no one, gave them a chance to win the series, much less sweep it.

Posted by howard | May 7, 2007 9:56 PM

I was 15 in '75, living in Oakland and Howard is right, the warriors totally came from out of nowhere. We were all amazed and shocked. I can even rememeber the starting five and sixth man: Rick Barry, Charlie Johnston, Keith (Jamal) Wilkes, Clifford Ray, jeff Mullin, George Johnston. I can't even rememebr what I had for lunch yesterday, but I can rememebr the 75 warrriorrs starting line-up.

I think they have a good chance against Utah (and I like the Jazz a lot) becasue Utah has a hard time guarding athletic perimiter players. Tonight's game will be a good indicator. The Jazz are as tough at home as the Warriors and htey have home court.

Posted by cw | May 7, 2007 10:13 PM

Your NBA predictions are starting to make me question your political observations.

Posted by JDS | May 7, 2007 10:44 PM

well, cw, as one old-timer to another, i even remember the 7th man on the squad, butch beard, and of course, wilkes was only a rookie that season (although he was rookie of the year).

i further remember about that team that the coach (wasn't it al attles?) actually played 10 deep, at least in the playoffs.

a lot of today's young people only know rick barry as an announcer, but talk about carrying your team to the title....

Posted by howard | May 7, 2007 11:05 PM

Rick Barry as an announcer? I think you're thinking of a different Barry (namely, Jon). Or did Rick used to be an announcer?

Posted by too many steves | May 7, 2007 11:19 PM

Rick Barry was an announcer for many years on the TBS NBA broadcasts.

Posted by Haggai | May 8, 2007 12:05 AM

too many steves: yes, ricky was an announcer at least in the '80s into the '90s, but you make me realize that really, for today's young people, the only way to know rick barry is as jon and brent's dad. (yesterday's young people remember him as an announcer, and cranky old people remember him as a helluva scorer and passer.)

i have a vague recollection, btw, that barry got in some trouble for calling a michael jordan dunk a "chinese dunk" because it "had a slant to it."

Posted by howard | May 8, 2007 12:08 AM

thanks, haggai! btw, i see olmert hangs in there, so we shall see....

Posted by howard | May 8, 2007 12:10 AM

For the young folks:

Rick Barry was the guy who used to shoot underhand free throws.

Fact check:

Barry called a Jordan dunk a "Chinese Superman" because it had a slant to it. He also once referred to Bill Russell as a guy with a "big watermelon smile."

Posted by blah | May 8, 2007 12:42 AM

blah, thankx for confirming my recollection on the barry comment: i knew it was something along those lines. i had either forgotten or missed the russ remark though.

and yes, i should have mentioned that barry was the underhand free throw guy, and because you prompt me to look it up (anything for the young people!), he shot 89.3% from the line for his career.

Posted by howard | May 8, 2007 12:50 AM

Deron Williams vs. Chris Paul is looking a lot more like a draw.

They excel in different areas and I can't figure out which one I would prefer to have running my team.

Posted by goosen | May 8, 2007 1:05 AM

Well, Deron Williams is having a heck of a game tonight. A couple of surprising things - even though the Jazz have a huge advantage off the boards, it didn't really pay off until that final board by Boozer with 17 seconds left. And I'm surprised that Boozer didn't score more inside.

What a great game, though.

Posted by Al | May 8, 2007 1:19 AM

I realize it's bad form to whine about the refs, but...the Jazz did get a lot of hometown calls in those last five minutes.

Posted by Antid Oto | May 8, 2007 1:25 AM

On second thought, I'd take Paul over Williams. But Williams is close enough to make the Jazz pick defensible. Last year it looked like a huge error.

Posted by goosen | May 8, 2007 1:29 AM

al, you make a good point: sometimes a significant rebounding advantage doesn't pay off until the very end of the game. that's why you gotta keep blocking out and working (hell, as you noted, it was grabbing those last 2 offensive boards that clinched the rocket series for the jazz).

Posted by howard | May 8, 2007 1:39 AM

chris paul is amazing...but watching their games, i think deron williams can execute well in the halfcourt and in transition and can post-up, while chris paul is not as good in the halfcourt (although still pretty good; he is chris paul after all). so i guess i'd take deron williams, he's more versatile.

Posted by dtah | May 8, 2007 2:39 AM

"On second thought, I'd take Paul over Williams."

You, sir, are clinically insane.

Posted by Petey | May 8, 2007 8:46 AM

chris paul is amazing...but watching their games, i think deron williams can execute well in the halfcourt and in transition and can post-up, while chris paul is not as good in the halfcourt (although still pretty good; he is chris paul after all). so i guess i'd take deron williams, he's more versatile.

Watching Williams last night, he struck me as a younger, worse version of Billups (however, much better than Billups was at that age). He didn't fade down the stretch. When they needed buckets, he got into the lane and made something happen. I'm a big fan of Williams' game.

Posted by goosen | May 8, 2007 9:26 AM

"Watching Williams last night, he struck me as a younger, worse version of Billups (however, much better than Billups was at that age)."

Yuperoo.

Paul is a very nice player who should continue to improve. But even last year as Paul was justifiably winning ROY, it was still pretty obvious that Williams was the better pick.

Posted by Petey | May 8, 2007 9:30 AM