Milwaukee Bucks vs Miami Heat April 23, 2013

Tweet

With the first two days of the NBA playoffs in the bag, fans are starting to make series predictions. Some teams are struggling without key players, while some are clicking on all cylinders.

One team that seems to be pretty much unstoppable has to be the Miami Heat.

The Heat are facing the Milwaukee Bucks and seem to have the advantage in every aspect of the series. I bumped into my boy Lance Fresh out in Miami, and we broke down the “swag" matchup going on between the Heat and the Bucks.

We talked “Best Jerseys,” “Best Dressed,” “Best Player Celebrations” and more in a “Best-of-Seven” matchup.

Which team has the most swag? Which category did you disagree with? Comment below.

No. 1 Miami Heat (66-16) vs. No. 8 Milwaukee Bucks (38-44)

Game 1 in Miami: Sunday, April 21, 7, TNT
Game 2 in Miami: Tuesday, April 23, 7:30, NBATV
Game 3 in Milwaukee: Thursday, April 25, 7, TNT
Game 4 in Milwaukee: Sunday, April 28, 3:30, ABC
Game 5 in Miami: Tuesday, April 30
Game 6 in Milwaukee: Thursday, May 2
Game 7 in Miami: Saturday, May 4
Season series: Heat won 3-1.

Points per game (per 100 possessions): Heat 102.9, Bucks 98.9 (Heat 110.3, Bucks 100.9).

Points allowed per game (per 100 possessions): Heat 95.0, Bucks 100.4 (Heat 100.5, Bucks 102.3).

Matchups worth watching: Bucks center Larry Sanders vs. Heat center Chris Bosh, Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings vs. Heat point guard Mario Chalmers.

Scoring leaders: Heat forward LeBron James (26.8 PPG), Bucks guard Monta Ellis (19.2 PPG).

Why Miami will win: The Heat are the best team in the NBA and clearly the best team in this series. James and Dwyane Wade are much better than their Bucks counterparts and shouldn't have issues dominating. And Milwaukee has struggled in April.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Miami Heat April 21, 2013

Tweet

Miami - Everyone has this first-round series figured as a laughable enterprise, barely a bump on the Miami Heat's road to a second straight NBA championship.

Four and out for the Milwaukee Bucks at the hands of the powerful Heat.

Everyone except Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings, who bravely stuck up for his team and said it would win in six games.

The Bucks are a 500-to-1 shot to win the league title, by far the longest odds faced by any of the 16 teams in the playoffs.

Milwaukee is the only playoff team with a losing record, a six-below .500 club playing the 66-victory Miami squad, the defending champion featuring LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

But for the sake of argument, what would it take for the Bucks to shock the world?

Here are five ways the Bucks could make it interesting and provide a few stunning developments in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series that opens Sunday night in Miami:

The Heat ranks 30th and last in the league in rebounding, so the Bucks have a chance to get an edge there.

And Milwaukee has been a strong offensive-rebounding team all season, with Ersan Ilyasova and Larry Sanders getting tips at the rim and keeping plays alive. Milwaukee ranks second in the league in offensive rebounding, grabbing 13.02 per game.

The Bucks will have to contend with the colorfully tattooed one, Chris "Birdman" Andersen, who was signed by Miami to address its rebounding deficiencies and has played a key role off the bench.

"We struggle more against the big power teams," Boylan said. "You look at the Heat and they have three of the top 15 players in the league, but it's not a low-post, physical interior.

"LeBron can play that role but for the most part he's all around the floor in different positions."

Bucks rookie John Henson has rebounded well in the last few weeks, including a 25-rebound game in Orlando, and will get a chance to contribute. He grabbed 18 rebounds in the first meeting with Miami in November.

"They're a little smaller down low but they do have good rebounders in Birdman, (Udonis) Haslem, good-sized bodies down there," Sanders said. "We're pretty long, too.

"We have to stay active on the boards, stay in that paint and get clean rebounds, get out on the break. And let our guards take care of the rest."