NBA Pre All-Star Weekend Finals Prediction

So for the last two years I have been priding myself with correctly predicting the NBA Finals teams and the result. Last year, I even managed to predict the number of games in which my C's murked the Lakers. The trick is that I have to do it before All-Star Weekend... and lucky for y'all, it's the first day of All-Star Weekend in Phoenix.

There's no formula, as a friend asked me the other day when I told him that I've done this in the past, there's no money down, hell... I don't even tell people that I made the prediction. But I thought that I would put myself out there this time and see if I have a knack for seeing how this game unfolds. So let's do a mini analysis of the top 3 teams in the East and all top 9 teams in the West.. because let's be honest, no other team has the chance of making it to the finals stage. There will be no 1999 8th Seeded Knicks repeat this year... unless the Jazz are the 8th seed, Boozer comes back 125% and they can torch the likes of the Lakers/Spurs/Hornets/etc.

Let's start with the easy part, the West. Sounds funny that the division that has 9 contenders is the easy part but it is. For one simple reason; Kobe Bryant. All of these teams are good and you can make a case for all of them going to the Finals but they have to get by Bryant's Lakers. The Lakers that are one of the most dominating teams to play the game. I mean, they're nothing like the Jordan-Pippen-Rodman Bulls but pretty close; Jordan/Kobe and a bunch of really good role players. The West standings right now are in this order: Lakers, Spurs, Nuggets, Trailblazers (whaaaat?!), Rockets, Hornets, Mavs, Jazz, Suns. First of all, I can't believe young man Brandon Roy is leading his team right now to a home playoff game --in the first round?! Baller, to say the least. But if any of these teams have a chance to derail the lakers, I'll say the Spurs. They know how to control a game and just demoralize a team. Most Likely Lakers-Spurs again... Lakers in 6...?! Who knows.

Now the tough part. The East. Any of these top 3 teams can go to the Finals. The top 3 being the Celtics, the Cavs and the Magic. The Magic took a big blow when Jameer Nelson was injured putting him out for.. probably the rest of the season. He's neccessary to the Magic if they plan on making it to the Finals. They're a good team without him but they are championship caliber with dude. So what will probably end up happening is that the Cavs murk the Magic in 5 games without Nelson.. if he's there, 7 games. Looks like a repeat Eastern Conference Finals with the C's and the Cavs. The Cavs are hungry this year.. very much unlike they've been in the past. Watch when Delonte West comes back from his injury how well they play and they will probably steel the top place in the East from the C's for more than half a week. Ultimately, however, the C's will reclaim 1st place and home field advantage. The Cavs also have All-Star point guard Mo Williams and are not relying on young dude with the bad haircuts Daniel Gibson as the point guard. Making it really, really hard for me to say that they upset the C's in 7 games. :-(

Dude needs homies to tell him that his
hair ventures are not ok. smh.

The Finals are set, Lakers v. Cavs. Let's not get too much into it but let's just say one future hall of famer does not get another ring and one future hall of famer gets his first. This time 6 games.

I'm telling y'all. The Cavs are hungry. And even if Bynum makes it back for the playoffs, which is highly unlikely, Big Z will give him a clinic.

two times.