Analyst Jon Barry Covers The NBA Playoffs
NBA Analyst Jon Barry joined Grant to talk about the NBA playoffs. First, Grant and Jon talked about the Clippers and Grizzlies game 6 on Friday night. Jon said he expects Memphis to win game 6 because they are just the better team. They're even better with the Clippers having Chris Paul and Blake Griffin possibly sidelined with injuries. He also said that the Clippers aren't built to be a playoff team yet, with weak perimeter shooting and a weak half-court game.
Jon also talked about the Lakers and Andrew Bynum going to a game 7 against the Denver Nuggets. Grant and Jon discussed Bynum's actions of late, and said that there's no chance he and the Lakers could flourish with him as the team's franchise player. Jon then talked about game 7, which he expects the Lakers to win. He said that they've been bad on the road all year, but must respond in game 7 at the Staples Center. The Lakers will have to get the ball low early, slow down the tempo, and not let Denver take an early lead.
Grant also asked about the recently eliminated Chicago Bulls, who were bounced in six games by the number 8 seed Philadelphia 76ers. Jon pointed out that CJ Watson should not have passed to Omar Asik late in the game when he could have pulled the ball out, run time off the clock and gotten fouled. Jon said that it was just one of many mental mistakes by teams throughout the post season.
Next, Grant and Jon looked ahead to a potential Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs matchup in the Western Conference Finals. Jon said that Oklahoma City would beat the Lakers in 5 games, and San Antonio would beat either Memphis or the Clippers in 5 or 6 games. The matchup between the Thunder and Spurs would be, "awesome" according to Jon. Grant asked about the advantage of the rest the Spurs and Thunder are getting right now, and Jon said that it isn't always advantageous because it can throw players off as far as timing is concerned.
Finally, Jon and Grant discussed a potential Eastern Conference final between the Heat and the Celtics. Jon said that this is the last run for Boston with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen all aging. Despite their age, Jon thinks that Boston will put up a good fight, but Miami would win the series in 6 games.
