There are two sides to every NBA Power Ranking: the Fanalytical and the Fanatical. As a Miami HEAT blogger living on the east coast, MHI plays the snarky fanatic for the Western Conference Playoffs. As a Denver Nuggets fan living west of the Mississippi River I play the fanalyst. The roles are reversed for the Eastern Conference Playoffs that can be found HERE.
1. OKC Thunder: LAL fans are as delusional as Andrew Bynum if they believe they can out-play the young, skilled, talented, less insane Thunder. Also, they have a back-to-back for Game 3 and Game 4 in L.A. Do you think the Lakers will do well in that front?? If Denver was able to take LAL to game 7, Lawson was able to drill Sessions, what do you think Westbrook, Harden and Durant will do?
MHI: Well, well, well… Look at the bitter Nuggets fan with a front seat on the Russell Westbrook bandwagon. According to nbastuffer.com, OKC went 14-6 in back-to-backs this season. This week’s back-to-back will give them a 3-1 series lead over the Lakers.
2. San Antonio Spurs: Spurs are ready to eat some Clippers for lunch. Clippers *may* get one win this week, but that’s me just over thinking.
MHI: The Spurs will be up 2-1 after the 1st week of the conference semifinals, but that back-to-back will give them trouble. If the back-to-back gives them an injury, then it’s BIG trouble.
3. L.A. Clippers: Yeah, they were able to beat the Grizzlies, but it can be viewed that the Grizz let them win. So shut your yap, MHI, you were right….kinda.
MHI: Are you accusing the Grizzlies of TANKING a playoff series? Chris Wallace may have been a dumb GM in the past, but I think he knows tanking in the playoffs doesn’t improve the team’s draft position!
4. L.A. Lakers: Lakers are becoming predictable. You know how the offense is going to run, you know what Bynum and Pau are going to do. This is going to be one chippy series, but OKC will be victors.
MHI: The Lakers went 10-9 on back-to-backs this season. Unless Metta World Peace drops double bows on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, that back-to-back will put the Lakers in a 1-3 hole this week.
5. Denver Nuggets: Sure I may be a fan of a #ChildrenOfALesserGodTeam, but MHI knows Denver saw a Game 7 in which he never predicted. At least they had a shot in making the next round. Too bad, Gallo was tossing brick after brick.
MHI: So let I get this straight… If there was a loser’s bracket for the NBA playoffs, the Nuggets would beat the Grizzlies? LMFAO!
6. Memphis Grizzlies: They had homecourt advantage and LOST?? That’s the greatest epic fail if I have ever seen one.
MHI: As a Nuggets fan, you’ve seen some epic fails. I saw Melo in NYC yesterday and he told me to ask if you were looking forward to four more years of 1st round exits?
7. Utah Jazz: It’s the Utah Jazz and they were swept. Is there anything else I can say?
MHI: Yeah, you can say you’ll be devastated when the Jazz sign Andre Miller and finish with a better record than the Nuggets next season.
8. Dallas Mavericks: Cuban set up this bunch for failure when he was saving cap space for this season. With that being said, perhaps Jason Terry could get another trophy inked on the side of his face so they may have a shot at a title next season. No?
MHI: Deron Williams will be the Mavs’ worst player personnel since… Lamar Odom.
