Orlando did exactly what was expected of them in sweeping Charlotte, despite not getting much scoring from Dwight Howard [Note: I do not believe that Howard played poorly - the man had 20 blocks in four games]. Atlanta struggled against an undermanned and less talented Bucks team, needing a full seven games to advance. Granted, the Bucks were better than the Bobcats. Regardless, based on first round results, Orlando should beat Atlanta easily.
But then I remember, as always, that the NBA Playoffs are all about the matchups. On paper, this is a very close series. Horford is big and athletic enough to handle Dwight's limited offensive game. Joe Johnson should be able to lock down Vince Carter. Josh Smith can take Rashard Lewis. Mike Bibby is old, but still effective. And Jamal Crawford is the well-deserved Sixth Man of the Year.
So we take into account all of the available information. Doing that, I'm going to have to say Orlando in 6.
Arguably, that's because the big difference is coaching.
ReplyDeleteOr... Atlanta is weak on 3 point defense while Orlando is money.