2012 NBA Playoffs Thoughts #1

I am not surprised by how the Chicago Bulls have played the Philadelphia Sixers. They blew them out of their building. However, Derrick Rose is again sidelined with a torn ACL. This is a huge blow for Chicago's NBA title hopes. If Chicago must win a title without Rose, they can, they must rely on their depth of their bench more than ever. C.J. Watson and John Lucas, as well as Mike James will learn how to score points and run transition for the Bulls as the point guards of the team. If I were Tom Thibodeau, I would give the ball more to Luol Deng when the game is on the line. I like Deng's ability to get to the rim and make a layup. I like how the Miami Heat handled the New York Knicks. Lebron James did not let up and played his best game possible. James had 32 points. I am also not surprised by the Orlando Magic series opener against the Indiana Pacers. The Magic won and they were victorious, because even though they did not have Dwight Howard, they are still a dangerous three-point shooting team. After the Magic won, they talked trash, smug and glad. To tell you the truth seriously, the Celtics are a title contender, but inside their minds, I think Boston is falling apart. Rajon Rondo lost his cool and was upset about a foul call and complained to the ref. After much frustration, Rondo was ejected because he bumped into the referee. I am impressed by Kevin Durant's late-game heroics. His foul-line jumper with 1.5 seconds helped OKC win against the Dallas Mavericks by one point. The L.A. Lakers dominated in their series against the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets stated that they wanted to run an up-tempo game against the mid-tempo game the Lakers like to play. However, they ran into Andrew Bynum and his ten blocked shots. My pick to win between the Memphis Grizzlies and the L.A. Clippers are the Clips. I believe the Clips have the personnel and the players to win a playoff series. The Memphis Grizzlies don't look so hot, because they can play well if they want to, but they don't do it consistently. The Clippers have the talent to win, because of point guard Chris Paul. I am not surprised by the Clippers' comeback victory in Game 1. They came back from 27 points down to win. The Utah Jazz are no match for the San Antonio Spurs' whose driven purpose is to win the 2012 NBA title. I like the Spurs' chances of winning the NBA title this year. They are deep and they have a great lineup mixing of youth and experience.