NBA Playoffs Quick Thoughts

Some thoughts as the NBA playoffs get started on Saturday...

• A year after being ousted from the playoffs as the number one seed, look for the Mavs to get some redemption and knock out the number 2 seed in the first round - Mavs in 6
• Hornets have about as much playoff experience as the Charlotte Bobcats - Peja has more playoff games played than the rest of the guys combined. AND they don't match up with the Mavs well at all - Dallas has to be happy.
• Lakers in 5 - Denver has no one who can contain Kobe. Look for AI to go off a few times (he scored 51 against the Lakers earlier in the season), but that's really it.
  
• Most exciting first round series - Suns at Spurs. I'm taking Spurs in 7 given the home court, but this series may wear them down.
  
• I'm pulling for the Rockets in there matchup with the Jazz - I want the Jazz out of the playoffs.
  
• Am I the only one who thinks the Wizards will knock off the Cavs? I think they will - in 6 games.
  
• Am I also the only one who thinks that the Pistons can and likely will knock off the Celtics in the Easter Conference Finals? Pistons have too much experience and too much chemistry (although they lack a consistent go-to guy to win a game) - the Celtics' hopes will ride on their role players - Rondo, Glenn Davis, Eddie House, James Posey, etc. - those guys HAVE to continue to play at the same level they have throughout the year.
• Although not a spectacular "team" matchup, the Chris Bosh vs. Dwight Howard matchup could be hugely entertaining. Howard has continued to improve each year he's been in the league, but this year's playoffs will tell us a lot about his growth.
  
• Look for Boston to roll past Atlanta in 4 games - and win those games by an average of 15-20 points. May be the least-watched playoff series in a long, LONG time.
• John Hollinger of ESPN has the Jazz beating the Lakers in the second round and then going on to face the Celtics in the finals. Talk about trying to stand out for standing out's sake. Look, if Utah has home-court advantage (which they won't against the Lakers) I would pick them over just about any opponent. Buuut, they don't. No way the Jazz get through the Lakers, Spurs or Suns without home court.
  
• Not playoffs related, but are folks seriously considering giving the ROY to Horford over Durant? Dumb, dumb, dumb. I've said it before, Horford has had a great year on a pretty bad team, but to say he's had an equal year to Durant is nuts. And don't give me the "the Hawks made the playoffs" crap - they're in the East. In the West they'd be a lottery team. With that said, Horford will have a tremendous pro career, but he's no Kevin Durant.
  
• How many folks had the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals at the start of the season? A lot.
  

That's what I got folks. Enjoy the games - heck of a lineup on Saturday.

In The Driver Seat

With a mere 2 days left in the season, we're still not 100% set on the NBA playoff picture, although we're close. And at least we've got it narrowed down to the 8 teams in each conference - the next two days are all about positioning.

First and foremost, the Atlanta freaking Hawks made the playoffs while the Indiana Pacers did not. What a crazy conference the east is. The crazy thing? The Warriors, who were officially ousted last night, will end up with either 48 or 49 wins while the Hawks are 6 games below .500. That's just wrong.

And speaking of being in the driver seat, how about those Lakers?? Big win over the Spurs on Sunday with a dominant 3rd period. Although, the Spurs were playing with Manu, but I'll take it. All of a sudden the Lakers can clinch the #1 seed and home court throughout the playoffs with a win over an injury-depleted Kings team at home tonight. Of course let's not forget these same Kings just beat the Hornets on Saturday night so let's not go too crazy just yet.

Here's what the current matchups would be if the season ended today.

WEST:
1 Lakers vs. 8 Nuggets
2 Hornets vs. 7 Mavs
3 Spurs vs. 6 Suns
4 Utah vs. 5 Houston (home court still up in the air in this one)

EAST:
1 Boston vs. 8 Hawks
2 Detroit vs. 7 Sixers
3 Orlando vs. 6 Toronto
4 Cavs vs. 5 Wizards (track meet series)

For the east - it's Boston and Detroit and that's really it. I can't imagine anyone else coming close to matching those guys. Honestly, I know Boston has been much better this year, but in a conference finals that one is a toss up in my book.

For the west - any one of these teams can win any series against any of the other teams and that's what makes this so compelling. It doesn't matter who finishes second, fourth or sixth - these matchups will be great. The good news for my Lakers is that if they get Utah in the second round (assuming they get by Denver), they'll have home court advantage. If Utah gets home court against anyone they may be impossible to beat (they're like 37-4 at home this year). I imagine Dallas is thrilled to get New Orleans over the LA.

Quick Observations from the World of Sports:

• On Saturday morning I was watching sportscenter and saw one of the best hockey highlights I've ever seen - it was the playoffs and I have no idea who was playing , but Overcheckin (sp?) came in and single-handily stole the puck from two different defenders and scored a goal - ended up being the winning goal. I'm serious, no clue what team he was on or who they were playing.
  
• Was it me or did Tiger Woods carry a look like he didn't want to be playing golf on Sunday? It was weird. I kept thinking, even into the back nine, that he was going to make a move and that Immelman would crumble. Kudos to the South African, he played a hell of a round of golf and Tiger...well, didn't. The amazing thing is as poorly as he played on Sunday, he still got second (thank you Snedeker).
  
• Hold on to your seats folks, but I think the NFL draft is coming up this weekend - start making your watching plans now. Oh wait, NBA playoffs are on too. Never mind.
  
• I picked the Spurs to win it all coming into the year - I'm starting to wonder if they'll get out of the first round. They pull Phoenix, who will be playing the revenge factor (and they have Shaq now), or Utah...who no one wants to play.
  
• Am I really supposed to believe that the first 15 or so baseball games of the year, in a 162 game season, means anything at all?
  
• Newsflash - Michael Beasley is heading to the NBA. I think most of us knew that the day he committed to Kansas State. I still say he's the best all-around player in the draft - he'll be head and shoulders above Love and Hansbrough as a pro. And I think Miami is itching to get him.
  

That's all I got folks. I do have some bad news though for you American Idol fans - tonight is "Mariah Carey night". Why in the world would Fox do that to the contestants, the judges and the viewers. This my friends is going to be a train wreck of mass proportions.