NBA Playoff Predictions, 2023-2024

After boldly (and often incorrectly) making my NBA Predictions at the start of the season, I thought I would update this now that the playoffs are set up:

Eastern Conference:

Play-ins:

• Philadelphia 76ers defeat the Miami Heat
• Chicago Bulls defeat Atlanta Hawks
• Miami Heat defeat the Chicago Bulls

First Round:

• Boston Celtics defeat Miami Heat, 4 games to 2
• Phialdelphia 76ers defeat the New York Knicks, 4 games to 3
• Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Indianapolis Pacers, 4 games to 2
• Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Orlando Magic, 4 games to 3

Second Round:

• Boston Celtics defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 4 games to 1
• Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 2

Conference Finals:

• Boston Celtics defeat the Milwaukee Bucks, 4 games to 2

Eastern Notes:

• The Celtics have been dominant, and I expect that to continue, as long as they remain healthy
• Outside of the Celtics, it's a weird division.  The most dangerous teams might be the 7 and 8 seeds, as the 76ers are finally healthy and the Heat always get into gear in the Playoffs
• I love my Cleveland Cavaliers- and I hope they grow as a team and defeat Orlando.  I can't see them or anyone else beating Boston in the Eastern Conference

Western Conference:

Play-ins:

• Los Angeles Lakers defeat New Orleans Pelicans
• Golden State Warriors defeat the Sacramento Kings
• Golden State Warriors defeat the New Orleans Pelicans

First Round:

• Oklahoma City Thunder defeat Golden State Warriors, 4 games to 1
• Denver Nuggests defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 1
• Minnesota Timberwolves defeat the Phoenix Suns, 4 games to 3
• Dallas Mavericks defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, 4 games to 3

Second Round:

• Oklahoma  City Thunder defeat the Dallas Mavericks, 4 games to 2
• Denver Nuggets defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 4 games to 2

Conference Finals:

• Denver Nuggets defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 4 games to 1

Western Notes:

• There's no way the Lakers and Warriors don't win the Play-In Games, right?
• The best teams are real young and inexperienced (OKC, Minnesota).  The veteran teams have not played well (Lakers, Warriors, Suns).  But I do think the young teams have too much firepower...
• Until they run into Denver, who is a nightmare for anyone.

NBA FINALS:

At the start of the season, I went with Boston.  They've been the best team with the best record.  I love Denver, but I think they have a tougher road to make it to the finals.  Everything is set up for Boston to win, and I think they pull it off, 4 games to 2

Project 190: Update 16

Weight (2024-04-14):  216.6 lbs

Change since last week:+1.4 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -6.4 lbs

Overdid it yesterday- was down in the morning.  I'm noticing a bad tendency to feast or famine on the weekend.  

Rush Retrospective: Album 12- Hold Your Fire

 

Album:  Hold Your Fire

Year Released:   1987

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – bass guitar, synthesizer, vocals
• Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic guitar
• Neil Peart – drums, percussion

Overall Thoughts:

The twelfth album, Hold Your Fire, Rush continues expanding their musical styles.  It's the first album that is designed for CDs rather than records (at over 50 minutes, it was too long for a LP), and the first album with a guest singer (Aimee Mann on "Time Stands Still" and also performed backing vocals on other songs).  

The lyrics continue to be outstanding, growing more introspective over the years.  A couple of examples- first, from "Open Secrets":

I find no absolution
In my rational point of view
Maybe some things are instinctive
But there's one thing you would do
You could try to understand me
I could try to understand you
You could try to understand me
I could try to understand you

Or from "Time Stands Still":

I let my skin get too thin

I'd like to pause,

No matter what I pretend

Like some pilgrim

Who learns to transcend

Learns to live

As if each step was the end

Most of the songs are excellent ("Tai Shan" is an exception- an attempt to add in Asian influence to their music.  It doesn't work).  

After every four albums, Rush released a live album and then would go in a different directiona musically.  Hold Your Fire is the last album of this direction; while there were stumbles along the path, it took them in a different direction (less rock and more pop with more synthesisiers; less progressive with shorter, more introspective songs).  By Hold Your Fire, they had completed this leg of their musical journey.

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. Moving Pictures
2. 2112
3. Permanent Waves
4. Fly By Night
5. Rush
6. A Farewell to Kings
7. Hemispheres
8. Hold Your Fire
9. Power Windows
10. Signals
11. Caress of Steel
12. Grace Under Pressure

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Tom Sawyer", Moving Pictures
2. "Working Man", Rush
3. "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
4. "La Villa Strangiato", Hemispheres
5. "Freewill", Permanent Waves
6. "2112", 2112
7. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
8. "YYZ", Moving Pictures
9. "Red Barchettta", Moving Pictures
10. "Making Memories", Fly By Night

Project 190: Update 15

 Weight (2024-04-07):  215.2 lbs

Change since last week:+0.4 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -7.8 lbs

Lesson learned for this week:  I may now be lactose-intolerant, but I'm definitely lactose-sensitive.  Trying to remove as much cheese, ice cream, milk, and butter as I can...

Rush Retrospective: Album 11- Power Windows

 

Album:  Power Windows

Year Released:   1985

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – vocals, bass guitar, bass pedals, synthesizers, production, arrangements
• Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic guitars, production, arrangements
• Neil Peart – drums, percussion, electric percussion, production, arrangements

Overall Thoughts:

The eleventh album, Power Windows, continues the journey they started with Signals.  They brought in a new co-producer, Peter Collins, for the album.  The songs remain shorter, and are heavily influenced by the early 1980's musical styles.  But with Power Windows, Rush does a better job merging both their newer synthesiser based sounds with the older guitar and drum styles.

The theme of the album is power, in various forms.  With songs such as "Big Money" (financial), "Manhattan Project" (weapons), "Territories" (Nationalism), Rush explores deep ideas in their songs.  Neil Peart continues to be outstanding at writing thoughtful lyrics within the framework of a song.  

There are no bad songs here- it's their strongest album since "Moving Pictures".  It has very good songs ("Mystic Rhythms" is excellent).  Of this era of Rush, it's my favorite album.

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. Moving Pictures
2. 2112
3. Permanent Waves
4. Fly By Night
5. Rush
6. A Farewell to Kings
7. Hemispheres
8. Power Windows
9. Signals
10. Caress of Steel
11. Grace Under Pressure

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Tom Sawyer", Moving Pictures
2. "Working Man", Rush
3. "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
4. "La Villa Strangiato", Hemispheres
5. "Freewill", Permanent Waves
6. "2112", 2112
7. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
8. "YYZ", Moving Pictures
9. "Red Barchettta", Moving Pictures
10. "Making Memories", Fly By Night

Project 190: Update 14

Weight (2024-03-31):  214.8 lbs

Change since last week:-1.4 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -8.2 lbs

Super low (hardly ate anything after noon yesterday).  But it's nice to break the 215 barrier finally.

Rush Retrospective: Album 10- Grace Under Pressure

 

Album:  Grace Under Pressure

Year Released:   1984

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – bass guitar, synthesizers, vocals, production
• Alex Lifeson – guitars, synthesizers, production
• Neil Peart – drums, percussion, electronic percussion, production

Overall Thoughts:

With their tenth album, Rush left (on good terms) with their longtime producer Terry Brown, as the band wanted to explore different directions musically.  The direction that started with Signals continues- the songs were shorter (every song is between 4-6 minutes), keyboards continued to take a prominent role (though not as much as Signals), and they added more world music (ska and reggae) to their overall sound.  This album also features no ballards or slow songs; even "Afterimage", a dedication to a friend who had passed in a car accident, is fast-paced.

Dystopic future is a major theme of the album- "Distant Early Warning", "Red Sector A" and "The Enemy Within" all evoke fears of a nuclear holocaust (a common theme of the early 1980's, at the height of the Cold War).  My favorite song on the album is "Between the Wheels", a song about pressure, where the synth are a dramatic setup to contrast with Lifeson's great guitar work.  

It's not an awful album- but it sounds dated (heavy synths and fears of nuclear war were major themes of the early 1980's).  And the band was still adjusting to both the change in producers and adding new styles and sounds to their repetoire.  

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. Moving Pictures
2. 2112
3. Permanent Waves
4. Fly By Night
5. Rush
6. A Farewell to Kings
7. Hemispheres
8. Signals
9. Caress of Steel
10. Grace Under Pressure

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Tom Sawyer", Moving Pictures
2. "Working Man", Rush
3. "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
4. "La Villa Strangiato", Hemispheres
5. "Freewill", Permanent Waves
6. "2112", 2112
7. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
8. "YYZ", Moving Pictures
9. "Red Barchettta", Moving Pictures
10. "Making Memories", Fly By Night