Who Can Stop Them?

    With less than 10 games left in the NBA regular season, it's time to start thinking about the playoffs. The biggest question on my mind is: Will anyone be able to slow down the top seeds in each conference, or are we destined for a Finals matchup between the Atlanta Hawks and the Golden State Warriors.

If the season ended today, the first round matchups in the Eastern Conference would look like this:
(1) Atlanta Hawks v. (8) Boston Celtics
(2) Cleveland Cavaliers v. (7) Miami Heat       

(3) Chicago Bulls v. (6) Milwaukee Bucks.

(4) Toronto Raptors v. (5) Washington Wizards

    The Hawks would make quick work of the Celtics as they don't have the depth or size to hang with Atlanta. Then, the second round matchup would likely be Atlanta v. Washington. This is a matchup that Hawks fans should be worried about. Despite being fifth seed, Washington has one of the most complete starting lineups in the league with the addition of Paul Pierce. One year ago, I said that the one thing standing between the Wizards and a championship was a solid small forward, which they now have thanks to Pierce. Washington's quickness up and down the floor might also cause problems.

    If the Hawks make it out of Washington, this would likely set up a conference finals matchup with Cleveland. However, don't automatically place the Cavs in the conference finals just yet. They will likely have a tough road. LeBron James has struggled against his former team this season, and their likely second round opponent, Chicago, should have former MVP Derrick Rose back from injury by then.

    

    I am still predicting a conference final between Atlanta and Cleveland, and with the injury to Anderson Varejo, the Cavs' only true center, and the fact that Kevin Love still doesn't seem to be fitting in with his new club, it doesn't seem like Cleveland has the size to compete with the combination of Al Horford and Pero Antic for the Hawks. Send Atlanta to the Finals.

If the playoffs began today in the Western Conference, the first round matchups would look like this:

(1) Golden State Warriors v. Oklahoma City Thunder

(2) Memphis Grizzlies v. (7) Dallas Mavericks

(3) Houston Rockets v. (6) San Antonio Spurs

(4) Portland Trailblazers v. (5) Los Angeles Clippers

    The road to the NBA Finals in the West is a must harder road than in the East. Golden State's first test comes in the first round against Oklahoma City. In this matchup of MVP candidates, the absence of reigning MVP Kevin Durant will prove too large an obstacle for the Thunder to overcome.

In the second round however, the Warriors would do battle against the defending champion Spurs. Last night, Golden State won their franchise-record 60th game, and under the leadership of head coach Steve Kerr and the Splash Brothers Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, the boys from the bay have seemed unstoppable in the regular season. However, the playoffs are a different animal and the Spurs have seen it all before. In the end, I think that the experience and skill of the Spurs will be the downfall of the Splash Brothers. The Spurs will also likely find their way to the finals again.

There you have it. The Hawks will make the NBA Finals and the Warriors will fall short, and the Spurs will win the West to force a date with Atlanta. While I am not ready to predict a winner in a Spurs-Hawks Finals matchup, it should be interesting nonetheless. Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer was an assistant coach for Gregg Popovich and the Spurs just three short years ago. This classic teacher vs. pupil matchup would certainly be entertaining.

    With that, I leave you. See you next time and enjoy what is certain to be a fantastic NBA playoffs.

2013 Postseason

The Commissioner's
Trophy-awarded to
the winner of the
World Series

    Yes, it's that time of year again: time for playoff baseball!!! It's the time of year when eight teams all fight to reach the one goal that every ball player dreams about for their entire lives: winning a World Series title. That being said, here are my predictions for the 2013 postseason:

ALDS: Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics- It seems as though Detroit seemed to back their way into the playoffs, losing 5 out of their last 7 games, including a 3-game sweep by the Miami Marlins to end the regular season. Oakland won the AL West for the second year in a row and defeated Detroit 4-3 in the season series. That, combined with the fact that Detroit did back into the playoffs, leads me to believe that Oakland will win this series in 5 games, ensuring that neither of the teams that played in last year's World Series will be returning.

ALDS: Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays- Tampa Bay definitely earned their spot in the ALDS, after winning two winner-take-all games on the road. Tampa Bay's pitching is as good as always with Matt Moore and David Price heading up their rotation. It also helps that Evan Longoria is at his best when the games matter most. It's also important to note that Joe Maddon, the Rays manager, is a genius and a wizard in the dugout. However, Boston did finish with the best record in baseball (97-65), and did defeat the Rays 12 out of 19 times during the regular season. It also helps that Boston ranks either first or second in the league in runs, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. That being said, Boston will win this series, although it will be a close, five-game series, and I believe the Fenway faithful will be the difference makers.

NLDS: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates- The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the playoffs for the first time since 1992, and the city of Pittsburgh is fired up. Unfortunately, the Cardinals have home-field advantage and already have a 1-0 lead in the series. The Pirates have fought valiantly this season and deserve to be where they are, but their season will come to an end but, much like the other series in this postseason it will be close. In the end however, the Cardinals' stellar young pitching and their league best .330 team batting average with runners in scoring position will lead them to the NLCS.

NLDS: Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers- With Clayton Kershaw giving the Dodgers a 1-0 series lead with a 12-strikeout performance in Game 1, that makes Game 2 all the more important. I believe that Atlanta will win Game 2 and eventually the series in 5 games. The Braves have a better

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw
went 16-9 with a 1.83 ERA and 232
strikeouts in the regular season

rotation as a whole and the team that went 96-66 and won their division by 10 games will show up. It also helps that the Atlanta Braves have home-field advantage in this series and a 56-25 home record this season. The Braves also put up a +140 run differential to the Dodgers' +67. In a series highlighted by great starting pitching, the Braves will win in 5 games and move on to face the Cardinals in the NLCS.

ALCS: Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics- These two teams were very competitive in the regular season. They split their season series and had the two best records in the American League. When all is said and done, I believe two things will factor in Boston's favor: 1) They have home-field advantage and 2) the Athletics are a very young team and have significantly less playoff experience than the Red Sox. Therefore, I believe the Boston Red Sox will advance to their third World Series since 2004.

The Cardinals hold the best
record in the National League (97-65)

NLCS: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves- Much like the other LCS, the Cardinals and Braves had the top records in the National League. The Braves won the season series 4-3. You could say that this is the beginning of a nice rivalry because of the fact that the Braves have a bit of a score to settle. Last season, the Cardinals defeated the Braves 6-3 in the first ever Wild Card game, and the year before, St. Louis was rewarded with Atlanta's Wild Card spot after a 9-18 September caused the Braves to cough up a seemingly definite playoff appearance. Unfortunately, for the Braves, I see this series being one-sided in the Cardinals' favor. Only the Minnesota Twins and the Houston Astros struck out more often than the Braves and the Cardinals pitching staff has the 5th-best earned run average in baseball. The Braves actually do have the best ERA in the league, but St. Louis' .269 team batting average is the second best in the national league. Not to mention, St. Louis is very good at manufacturing runs any way they can and Atlanta is very much a all-or nothing, free swinging team. The fac
t that these two teams are opposites as far as offensive strategy will tip in St. Louis' favor. They will defeat the Atlanta Braves in six games and advance to the fourth World Series in 9 years.


2013 World Series: Boston Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals- Highlighted as a rematch of the 2004 World Series, which was won by the Red Sox in 4 games, this particular Fall Classic will feature two teams will a lot of playoff experience under their belts. Since 2004, either the Red Sox or the Cardinals have been participants in four of the last nine World Series, including their 2004 match-up against each other. Boston finished with the league's best record at 97-65. The entire series will see good pitching versus good hitting. After all, there is a reason why these are the two best teams in baseball. There doesn't seem to be a clear edge, so I see this series going no less than six games, and with a prediction based purely on feeling, the Boston Red Sox will win their third title since 2004 and their eighth World Series title in franchise history.

    Seeing as last year, neither of my predicted World Series participants even won a game, I have a good shot of having a better year. Happy playoffs baseball fans!!!

There Can Only Be One

  It's playoff time people!!! 162 games have gone past, and now we have the best baseball left to look forward to. All ten of these teams have done what it takes to get here, and now it's a dogfight to the finish, as there can only be one champion. As there will be two Wild Card play-in games, I am here to analyze and predict each match-up until I have selected a champion. Let's get started.

AL Wildcard Play-In game: Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles
  Even though the Rangers have stumbled as of late and fallen out of first place in the last calender year, and the Orioles are the surprise, feel-good team of the season, I believe it will be the Rangers' playoff experience that will win this game. The have won the American League Championship, yet come up short in the World Series two years in a row. This team is hungry and they will not let themselves lose this game. The Orioles are a young, talented team with the runaway Coach of the Year, Buck Showalter. They will be back, but their inexperience in the playoffs will cost them. But again, they'll be back. They're talented.

NL Wildcard Play-In Game: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves
  The defending champion St. Louis Cardinals have something to prove as they try to repeat as champs, but in my opinion, this will be no contest. For one thing, the Braves have defeated the Cardinals 5 out 6 times this season. Not to mention that the red hot Kris Medlen will get the ball for the Braves, and the Braves have won the last 23 games Medlen has started. The Cardinals are a good team, but they will not be repeating.

NLDS: Cincinnati Reds vs. San Francisco Giants

  The Reds are coming in with the second best record in the entire league, and are hosting this series, but this will not help them win. I believe the Giants will pull the upset and defeat the Reds in 7 games. Even though the Reds have a Cy Young candidate and a former NL MVP in Johnny Cueto and Joey Votto, the San Francisco Giants have ace pitcher Matt Cain and the likely 2012 NL MVP Buster Posey. The Giants have also had one of the best starting pitching rotations in the league. The Giants also have the sixth best starter ERA in the major leagues (3.75), so runs will also be at a premium. This, and the Giants' solid defense will win them this game and send the to the NLCS.

NLDS: Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves

  This will probably be the tightest and most competitive match-ups of the playoffs, because these teams are division rivals and are VERY familiar with each other. The Nationals are the league's best team and have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. However, this is the first playoff appearance by a Washington team since World War II, and this team is full of young players with little to no playoff experience. Even though it wasn't a problem during the remainder of the season, I believe this is when Washington will really feel Strasburg's absence. Despite all that, I think there is one crucial factor working for the Braves in these playoffs: Chipper Jones. This is his last playoff run, and I believe the Braves will play their most inspired baseball of the season. Braves Nation wants to send their beloved third baseman out as a champion. Plus, with Chipper leaving, Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward are out to prove that they can be the faces of this franchise for years to come after Chipper. Their great pitching, stellar defense, and solid hitting, combined with the fire in their bellies to win for Chipper, will send them past their division rivals to the NLCS.

ALDS: Oakland Athletics vs. New York Yankees

  Let's keep this short and sweet.The Athletics are this year's Cinderella team, as no one expected them to be here. but all good things must come to an end, and the ALDS will be the end of the road for Oakland. The Yankees are simply better and will move on. Nothing against Oakland, but I wouldn't be surprised if this 

series didn't make it to Game 6.

ALDS: Texas Rangers vs. Detroit Tigers

  This will be a 7-game series, as these two teams are evenly matched: good pitching, a lot of power, and solid defense. Yes, the Tigers have Prince Fielder, Justin Verlander, and probable MVP Miguel Cabrera (who won the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967), but as previously stated, the Rangers have a goal: get back to the World Series for a third straight year, and, unlike the previous two years, win it. Painful memories of the last two years, a squad full of talent, and pure want will fuel them into the next round.

NLCS: Cincinnati Reds vs. Atlanta Braves 

  This series will be one where runs truly must be earned, and I'm not just talking about good pitching. The Braves and the Reds are first and second in the National League in fielding percentage, as they don't make many errors. Therefore, there won't be any free runs. I think it will be the Braves' power, the consistency of Kris Medlen and Craig Kimbrel. and the playoff experience of Tim Hudson and Chipper Jones that will send the Braves to their first World Series since winning it all in 1995. Plus, closer Craig Kimbrel had 42 saves (second straight year with 40+ saves), and a ridiculous 1.01 ERA. If the Braves have the leading heading into the ninth inning, they will win.

ALCS: Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees

  Even though both of these teams struggled to close out the regular season, this should be a great series. I expect it to go at least 6 games. However, the Rangers will make it to the World Series for the third straight year when all is said and done. I know I keep saying it, but the Rangers are on a mission to wipe away the scarring memories of two World Series losses in a row, and nothing will stand in their way.

2012 World Series: Texas Rangers vs. Atlanta Braves

  Okay, so I know that everyone, including myself, thought that last year's World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and these Texas Rangers was the best in history, but if this was the World Series match-up, as I believe it will be, it could become just that. These are the two teams in this year's playoffs that have the most to lose. As has been stated, the Rangers are trying to avoid a third straight World Series loss, and the Braves want to send Chipper out on top. This potential match-up would be one of the most passionate and intense match-ups in history and would be about as good as a World Series could get. In the end, I believe the third time will be the charm for the Texas Rangers, defeating the Atlanta Braves in 6 games to win the 2012 World Series, finally accomplishing the ultimate goal for the first time in franchise history. Yes, I know, that will put a bitter end to the stellar career of future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones, but he'll be able to ride into the sunset knowing that he was one of the best switch hitter's to ever play the game. Not to mention that he has that one World Series title from 1995 on his Cooperstown resume.

  So there you have it. With the 2012 MLB Playoffs just around the corner, it should be a great couple of weeks as we begin the battle for a new champion. Tune in Friday at 5:07pm, to see it all begin. Ten teams, one goal, but only one can be crowned the 2012 World Series Champion. Let's do it!