2010 NBA Playoffs Prediction: Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat

It's been a tale of two seasons for both the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat. The Celtics started the season 27-10, but finished 23-22 over the last 45 games of the season. The Heat, meanwhile, found themselves at 29-31 at the end of February, but have gone 18-4 over the last two months of the season.

Boston Celtics 2010 NBA Playoffs Preview

The Boston Celtics came storming out of the gates for the 2010 NBA season, but their age eventually caught up with them. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and free-agent acquisition Rasheed Wallace are all in their mid-thirties, and all three have struggled to find any kind of consistency. Paul Pierce has seen his scoring numbers drop from last season, although he's still shooting well.

The only bright spot for the Celtics going into the 2010 NBA Playoffs is the improved play of Rajon Rondo. Rondo, only 24 years old, has increased his scoring average and is getting 1.5 more assists per game than he did in 2009. Rondo also might be the best defender on an increasingly old Celtics team.

Players on the Boston Celtics have publicly questioned whether they have the fire and passion to play at a consistently elite level. It's bad enough when the media and fans questions a team's passion, but for the players themselves to do so is very troubling and does not bode well for Boston's playoff prospects.

Miami Heat 2010 NBA Playoffs Preview

The Miami Heat gave Dwyane Wade a ragtag supporting cast that includes troubled youngster Michael Beasley, injury prone Jermaine O'Neal, and defensive stalwart Udonis Haslem. Although it took until March for the Heat to start clicking, they've only lost four times since February ended, and only once against a non-playoff bound opponent (Detroit).

On the flip-side, however, only 6 of Miami's final 18 wins have been against teams in the playoffs. They haven't beaten a top-four seed (from either conference) since back-to-back wins against the Lakers and Hawks at the very beginning of March. The Heat have proven that they deserve to be in the playoffs, but have they proven that they're ready to show up and consistently beat a high level opponent?

Celtics vs. Heat Conclusion

On paper, it looks like the Heat should run away with this match up. The Celtics were able to sweep the season-series 3-0, however, and the Celtics are 10-1 over the past three season against the Heat. The way both teams are playing and factoring in Boston's age, the Heat should come into this series in better shape and with enough momentum to pull the series out in the end. It just won't be as easy as it looks at first.

2010 NBA Playoffs Prediction: Heat defeat Celtics, 4-3

Source(s):

All statistics retrieved from ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2010/matchup/_/teams/heat-celtics