The Finals are upon us. LeBron James leads the Heat in their title defense against Tim Duncan and the Spurs. The Heat have the stars, but San Antonio has the rest. Indiana did give Miami all they could handle and then some, so what could a wily group of veterans like San Antonio do?

Either way, it looks to be a difficult series, with all our experts picking it to go the full seven games. The Heat are favored, but the well-rested Spurs are getting attention as well. That will make for an exciting final round, for sure.

In addition to the usual scoring categories, we’re also picking the Finals MVP for this last round, and in addition, all point values are doubled!! Therefore, picking the winner of a series is worth four points, while picking how may games each series will last is worth two points. Picking the MVP is also worth two points.

Also, in the event any of our experts finish tied in the final standings, we’re also picking the combined point total of Miami’s Big Three (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh) in the final game of the series. Whoever guesses closest, above or below, will get the nod.

So check below for everyone’s picks, and come back once the Finals are complete for the final results and standings. Continue reading 2013 NBA Playoffs Expert Picks: NBA Finals »

The third round is complete, with San Antonio sweeping Memphis and getting plenty of rest while Miami had to resort to Game 7 to take down Indiana. Whether the rest will help remains to be seen, but for now, the results of the third round are in.

With the picks all being for Miami and Memphis, not much was able to change in the standings. In fact, only one point overall was awarded for a correct guess of Miami’s series going seven games.

Still, updated standings are below along with the results from this past round. Feel free to refresh yourself on how everything is going, and check back Thursday night for the NBA Finals picks. Continue reading 2013 NBA Playoffs Expert Picks: Third Round Results »

The Conference Finals are now underway; it’s San Antonio vs Memphis and Miami vs Indiana. While Miami remains rested after cruising, Indiana was late in finishing off New York. San Antonio dispatched the upstart Warriors, while the Grizzlies manhandled the heavily favored Thunder.

In our panel, that extra rest for Miami, not to mention their Big Three, has kept them as the favorite, while Memphis’ win over a powerhouse contender has earned them respect as well.

As before, picking the winner of a series is worth two points, while picking how may games each series will last is worth one point.

So check below to find out how precisely how our panelists believe the next two series will go, and come back once the Finals are set for the results. Continue reading 2013 NBA Playoffs Expert Picks: Third Round »

The NBA is now down to its last four teams of the season. It’s now Miami vs Indiana and Memphis vs San Antonio. Memphis and Miami each cruised to five-game victories, while Indiana took their sweet time winning in six games and San Antonio also held off Golden State in six.

The lower seeded Pacers and Grizzlies were a bit of a surprise against the star-studded Knicks and Thunder respectively, but Miami and San Antonio’s victories kept our panelists close in the standings.

It’s still anyone’s game with two rounds left to go, so check below for the complete results so far, and check back later for the third round’s picks. Continue reading 2013 NBA Playoffs Expert Picks: Second Round Results »

The NBA is down to its final eight teams, and it was a fun first round to get to this point. Three lower seeded teams won their series, despite all eight losing Game 1. New York and OKC were given scares, while San Antonio and Miami (with 2013 League-MVP LeBron James) rolled to sweeps.

The second round looks to be very competitive, so we’re here to bring you our picks. The aforementioned, well-rested Heat and Spurs are picked to once more roll on to the final four. The Thunder and Knicks are also favored, but their resilient Round 1 opponents have cost them a bit of favor in the next round.

As before, correctly guessing a series winner is worth two points, while guessing how many games a series will last is worth one point.

So check below for the picks, and come back once the Conference Championships are set for the results. Continue reading 2013 NBA Playoffs Expert Picks: Second Round »