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PBT predicts 2014-15 NBA playoffs, champion

Oct 28, 2014, 10:00 AM EDT

26 Comments

Finally, the NBA season tips off tonight.

But it’s going to be nearly eight months before we crown an NBA champion… can’t we just skip ahead. Hit the fast forward button and see who gets to hang out with what Clippers owner Steve Ballmer calls “Larry” and the rest of us call the championship trophy?

We here at PBT are trying to help. Yesterday we laid out who we thought would win the end of the year awards. Now it’s time to take a look at who we think makes the playoffs and beyond. Below is a chart of our predictions for 1-8 (and some 9s) in each conference, plus who we think meets and wins each conference finals.

First, the East:

source:

Now the deep Western Conference:

source:

So who wins it all? Here’s our predictions for the NBA Finals:

Kurt Helin: Bulls over Clippers
Brett Pollakoff: Bulls over Clippers
Dan Feldman: Cavaliers over Thunder
Sean Highkin: Spurs over Bulls

Skip to Comments (26)
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  1. ProBasketballPundit - Oct 28, 2014 at 10:05 AM

    Sean Highkin is the most delusional. Neither the Spurs nor the Bulls will appear in the finals.

    The Spurs will be great as they always are but I can’t see them coming out of the west without the passion for vengeance they had last season.

    And the Bulls? Please God somebody explain to me why everybody keeps calling this team a contender? They haven’t had their best player for the last three playoff runs yet he’s the savior? Or is 48 year old Pau Gasol the savior? Or Dougie McBuckets… or some foreign player who might be as terrible as Bargnani?

    • ProBasketballPundit - Oct 28, 2014 at 10:06 AM

      The Spurs will be great as they always are but I can’t see them coming out of the west without the passion for vengeance they had last season.

      And the Bulls? Please God somebody explain to me why everybody keeps calling this team a contender? They haven’t had their best player for the last three playoff runs yet he’s the savior? Or is 48 year old Pau Gasol the savior? Or Dougie McBuckets… or some foreign player who might be as terrible as Bargnani?

      • ProBasketballPundit - Oct 28, 2014 at 2:45 PM

        Oops, PBT make me look silly by blocking and then later posting my comments. My bad.

  2. ProBasketballPundit - Oct 28, 2014 at 10:06 AM

    Please God somebody explain to me why everybody keeps calling the Bulls a contender? They haven’t had their best player for the last three playoff runs yet he’s the savior?

    Or is 48 year old Pau Gasol the savior?

    Or Dougie McBuckets…

    or some foreign player who might be as terrible as Bargnani?

    • frankyt35 - Oct 28, 2014 at 10:37 AM

      I would have expected someone like u to say that U r a fool and a troll im sure u have crybaby Bron Bron and the never played a playoff game Love & Irving and a coach who never coached in the NBA on any level or coached in the United States ever win the east and the championship well keep on dreaming Pro Basketball D bag just don’t bet all your $ on it I agree with the experts the Bulls r going to come out of the East and may win the whole thing.

      • 22yearsagotoday - Oct 28, 2014 at 11:03 AM

        That’s one long sentence you got there.

      • 22yearsagotoday - Oct 28, 2014 at 11:04 AM

        Whoops: comment I was responding to was deleted.

  3. rjthakid - Oct 28, 2014 at 10:44 AM

    Derrick Rose, when healthy, is basically a better version of Russel Westbrook. He’s phenomenal. He’s the most exciting player in basketball. If he’s healthy I think the Bulls can give the Cavs all they can handle and possibly represent the East in the Finals.

    Problem is, he’s had MAJOR injuries (ACL tear, Meniscus tear) to both his knees. Both his knees. This is not good for anyone, but particularly bad for a player whose game is all about explosiveness.

    I trust his game but I don’t trust those knees.

    • reesesteel23 - Oct 28, 2014 at 2:16 PM

      Please tell me how Rose is better than Westbrook? In what ways?

      • reesesteel23 - Oct 28, 2014 at 2:22 PM

        He’s better at unnecessary movements while in mid-air, thats about it.

      • chicitybulls - Oct 28, 2014 at 3:14 PM

        He’s not a gunner like Westbrook is. He distributes to his team more than Westbrook does. He has a higher basketball IQ than Westbrook does. While both are not viewed by some in the media as “true” point guards, Rose is viewed as more of one than Westbrook. Oh, and Rose did win the MVP award. I’m not trying to knock Westbrook. He’s a really, really good player. They’re both the same athletically, but Rose is the better player….when healthy…which he is.

    • truehooper1421 - Oct 28, 2014 at 2:27 PM

      Rose has NEVER had Westbrook’s intensity and fire on defense. Ever. I’m a fan of both but to say Rose is basically a better version is clearly speaking to their offensive ability.

      • malek773 - Oct 28, 2014 at 4:50 PM

        Are you kidding me? Rose is the best defender at his position in the NBA. He literally shuts down all the star guys hat his position everytime he plays them. You need to go back and watch Rose during the last healthy season he played.

      • lacolem1 - Oct 28, 2014 at 5:29 PM

        “Are you kidding me? Rose is the best defender at his position in the NBA. He literally shuts down all the star guys hat his position everytime he plays them.”

        You’re literally making stuff up.

  4. tackandcover - Oct 28, 2014 at 10:45 AM

    What’s the over/under on how many games the Bulls get out of Rose before there is another injury. I’ve got 25.

    • nickjackalson - Oct 28, 2014 at 2:23 PM

      Gosh this is awfully horrible..yet so true
      knees just don´t get better
      I wish Rose all the luck in the world, hope he wins his title soon..

    • chicitybulls - Oct 28, 2014 at 3:05 PM

      Whats the over/under on the number of d-bags that comes on here and comments (seemingly wishing) that Rose injures himself instead of wanting him to be healthy all season and compete? Well, we have 1 already and at least 14 more.

  5. wittenisgod - Oct 28, 2014 at 10:53 AM

    Probasketballpundit!!

    You contradict yourself in your own statement!!

    You say they haven’t had him for 3 playoff runs!!

    Think about what you just said they made the playoffs comfortably without him and now they have him just let that sink in of how that makes a difference

  6. toycannoni - Oct 28, 2014 at 11:39 AM

    wow, such disrespect for the heat and just total abandonment of the great laker organization

    didn’t you guys get the memo that kobe was back?? the blasphemy of it all

    according to laker fan kobe won 2 championships all by himself, yet not one of you guys even have the lakers in the 9 hole

    only one person with a higher seed than 7 for the heat when they only lost lebron, yet added mcroberts, granger, and deng…..did lebron really mean that much to the team in leading them to 4 straight finals and 2 rings?

  7. edon8334 - Oct 28, 2014 at 11:47 AM

    Clippers or Thunder are going to be in the finals for the West, Bulls or Cavs for East

  8. andrewwiggins22 - Oct 28, 2014 at 12:29 PM

    It will go down to Cavs vs Thunder.

  9. chicago240 - Oct 28, 2014 at 1:56 PM

    Let’s see: Can Thunder hit the playoffs strong when and if Durant Comes back. Can Rose hold up and return to form with talent around him that Thibs needs to mesh. Can a new coach to the NBA really galvanize the stallions he has into a T-E-A-M when, as good a coach as he’s been, has to make the transition to NBA excellence. And Can the Spurs stay healthy and surprise once again. All good storylines. Gonna be a great season and don’t count out some of the other teams as well.

  10. eddie0710 - Oct 28, 2014 at 3:00 PM

    The Bulls should be the strongest team in the east. They always have one of the best defenses in the league and with Rose back and the addition of Gasol, there offense should improve. The west is just too difficult to predict, but I think the Warriors are going to make it out of the west. If there starting lineup can stay healthy, they are a team to look out for.

  11. nolahxc - Oct 28, 2014 at 3:12 PM

    I just wish the Pelicans could play in the East this season. :(

  12. lacolem1 - Oct 28, 2014 at 5:31 PM

    I don’t understand what reason these fools buy into this Bulls team against another equally-if-not-more talented team with the best player in the world. The Bulls have a lot to prove too.

  13. 2drunk2dunk - Oct 28, 2014 at 9:18 PM

    agreed. there’s no basis to think that the bulls are gonna win the championship
    as good as they are, they still have to figure out how they are going to acclimate pau gasol
    plus, lebron is pretty good at shutting rose down

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