On Saturday, April 16 the NBA playoffs 2011 are starting. Predictions made at the start of the season have been kept up to a certain point with a few surprises. To understand which team is the favorite for the title what happened last month should be taken with a grain of salt because there were teams that were definitely saving their energies for the playoffs and others that could reach them anymore so they had no more motivations. These things happen every season but this year more than usual.

Let’s have a look at the teams with the best positions in the two conferences.

Eastern Conference

Chicago Bulls

They’re the biggest surprise. I honestly didn’t think they could do better than Miami and Boston however they have the best record in the league. My mistake. Derrick Rose played as MVP and Carlos Boozer integrated into the team well. Players don’t have the same experience as their opponents for the title but they proved to have great intensity in the playoffs and this is a key element. It might not be enough but keep an eye on the Bulls should be monitored closely.

Miami Heat

After a hesitant start the Heat seem to have found a good team chemistry at the end of the season. There are still some doubts because not all of the opponents they played during the last month gave 100% and now the real pressure for Miami is coming. The playoffs are a different sport from the regular season, ask LeBron James, who has already suffered bitter disappointments in recent years and now is once more expected to lead his team to victory. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he got disappointed again.

Boston Celtics

They traded Perkins for economic reasons and now they’re betting on the two O’Neals as a substitutes for the starting big men. After a regular season that was great for several months the Celtics have slowed dramatically in recent weeks and lost the second place in the conference. They may have to play a decisive game in Miami and / or Chicago and even if they have the means to win it that wouldn’t be easy.

Orlando Magic

Despite their big trades in late 2010 they failed to particularly improve their situation and they closed the regular season fourth in the conference. They play the first playoffs round against Atlanta, a team that often gives illusions of greatness but then end up disappointing therefore they should reach the conference semi-finals where however I see the Chicago Bulls as favorites.

[ad name=”AmazonSports468″]

Western Conference

San Antonio Spurs

Despite Duncan and Ginobili’s age the Spurs ended an excellent regular season where they were almost deliberately losing a lot of recent games to allow their stars to have some rest. They have the first place in the conference and might need it because their opponents are ready for the fight. Particularly in recent years they showed they have problems against the Lakers, with whom they have lost recently.

Los Angeles Lakers

The defending champions had a regular season with ups and downs. Andrew Bynum had some physical problems in recent days but he looks ready for the playoffs. If he can give a constant contribution to his team it will be bad news for all opponents considering that the last year in the playoffs he could play very little yet the Lakers won the title. They lost some games because many players didn’t want to play them but now the playoffs are starting and certainly everything’s changing. I still see the Lakers as favorites for the conference and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they won the title again.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks played well in the regular season but in recent years they have often disappointed in the playoffs, giving the impression that the team lacks something to be truly successful. They should win the first round against Portland but I think they’ll lose their conference semifinal against the Lakers.

Oklahoma City Thunder

We expected a lot from them, maybe too much. On the other hand they won 55 games in the regular season, certainly not a small number. Now however they’ll play the most interesting first playoffs round against the Denver Nuggets, who are playing well since they traded Carmelo Anthony. The Thunder have won the last two regular season games between them and have the homecourt advantage but it should be a close series. If they win the first round there will be a very interesting conference semi-final with a matchup between their freshness and the Spurs’ experience.