Fresh off my championship season in Fantasy NBA, I’m here to bring you my first round picks along with some real in-depth analysis.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs Detroit Pistons (8)

This series is going to be a massacre. I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I know everything about the NBA, or anything for that matter, but there is no way Detroit is winning this series. The Pistons had their one fun season and have been slowly falling apart ever since. The trade for Allen Iverson was a miserable failure this season which hurt the team more than ever. I’ve read on several sites that they made the trade to clear cap room for the summer of 2010, but I don’t see it happening. Handicapping your team for two seasons just for the chance to possibly sign a big free agent is probably the worst strategy I’ve ever heard. I know several teams are employing this strategy so I don’t mean to pile on Detroit, but quite frankly, I don’t like Detroit.

As for the Cavs, David Stern should just reward the Eastern Conference Championship to them now. This season reminds me of those seasons during the Chicago Bulls glory years where everyone in the conference just competed to see who could lose to the Bulls in the most games and put up the biggest fight against Michael Jordan. The only difference between the Cavs this year and the 90’s era Chicago Bulls; the Bulls actually won the title while the Cavs aren’t winning it this year.

My Prediction: Cleveland in 4

Boston Celtics (2) vs Chicago Bulls (7)

The Celtics effectively went from worst to first last season en route to winning another NBA Title. This year, things are a little bit different. They do still have the number two seed, but they are a hurting team. Kevin Garnett is most likely gone for the rest of the season and that is going to kill Boston. It’s not just his stats, but it’s his presence. That guy is a leader and losing him is something that they won’t be able to fully replace.

Lucky for the Celtics, they draw the Bulls in the first round and shouldn’t lose this series. The Bulls are a young and talented team, but the Celts are the defending champs and they aren’t going down in the first round.

My Prediction: Boston in 7

Orlando Magic (3) vs Philadelphia 76ers (6)

The Magic round out the big three of the Eastern Conference with their first round match-up with the Philadelphia 76ers. I have a rule of thumb when picking games in the playoffs, and that rule is to not pick teams that made the playoffs and didn’t finish above .500. This is always prevalent in the Eastern Conference and the NFC during the NFL playoffs.

The Magic have a strong chance at facing Cleveland in the conference finals now that the Garnett injury has been leaked to the media. Dwight Howard had yet to prove himself in the post-season so it will be interesting to see how he responds with a legit chance to make a run this spring.

The Sixers…well…they don’t stand a chance in this series. If I were a Philly fan I’d be totally invested in the Flyers or the Phillies right now.(And by the looks of it, they might want to head to the ballpark pretty soon)

My Prediction: Orlando in 5

Atlanta Hawks (4) vs Miami Heat (5)

This might be my favorite series of first round…in the Eastern Conference. D-Wade has been absolutely amazing this season and if I were voting, he would be co-MVP with Lebron. Starting with the Olympics in the summer and extending all the way through the NBA season, D-Wade has proven himself to be elite after an injury marred season last year.

I’d also like to take this time to thank Wade for his great production this season because I had him on my fantasy team that dominated the entire season en route to my first championship in Fantasy NBA. I’d also like to thanks the Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, for writing a fantasy draft article that hinted about Wade being a stud this year. Thank you all.

My Prediction: Miami in 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs Utah Jazz (8)

The Jazz have a pretty solid roster so it’s somewhat of a shock to me that they are the eighth seed this season. Then again, I haven’t seen a single Jazz game this year so maybe I shouldn’t be so shocked.

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Kobe Bryant and I’m all out rooting for the Lakers to win the Championship this season. I could really care less that most of the general population outside of L.A. can’t stand the guy, but you have to respect the guy. His workout routines are nothing short of amazing and I’ve read several theories that both D-Wade and Lebron owe their great seasons to Bryant because he drove them to be better during the summer.

My Prediction: Lakers in 4

Denver Nuggets (2) vs New Orleans Hornets (7)

It’s a role reversal this season as the Nuggets are the high seed and it’s the Hornets that are limping into the playoffs. New Orleans has had an interesting season. They attempted to trade away Tyson Chandler, only to have the trade fail, and it was the failed trade that basically propelled the Hornets into the playoffs.

The Nuggets on the other hand fleeced Detroit in the Iverson/Billups trade and it’s been great for them this season. Getting rid of a ball hog like Iverson for a true team guy like Billups was just what the doctored ordered in Denver. This not only instilled some veteran leadership in the locker room and on the court, but it allowed Carmelo Anthony to take over instead of worrying about whether or not he’ll upset Iverson by taking too many shots.

My Prediction: Nuggets in 7

San Antonio Spurs (3) vs Dallas Mavericks (6)

I think this match-up is pretty deceiving. The Spurs have been a staple in the NBA playoffs for so many years that it’s almost commonplace to see them in the first round and just pick them to win. However, I think this year is different. They have had several injuries this season and Tim Duncan is starting to show some wear and tear on his body that is going to hurt them going forward. It reminds me of the years when David Robinson started to slow down and stepped into a lesser role when Duncan came to town. I’m thinking something similar has to happen very soon or San Antonio won’t even make it in the coming years.

Dallas was on the fringe of not making the playoffs earlier in the year but they caught fire at the right time and I think they are primed to at least advance to the second round. Jason Terry has been great for them and if he plays well, the Mavs are going to do well.

My Prediction: Dallas in 6

Portland Trail Blazers (4) vs Houston Rockets (5)

Despite blowing the Oden/Durant draft pick, the Blazers have a solid foundation built and are going to be a dangerous team. Brandon Roy has been a force this season and Rudy Fernandez has been nothing short of solid coming off the bench. Is that even a compliment? The Blazers are a fun team and it should be interesting to see how far they are going to advance this post-season.

Houston had a chance at a higher seed to close the season but blew that opportunity and now start the playoffs on the road against a young, upstart Portland team. The Rockets have several players like Shane Battier and Ron Artest that have that drive to lead a team, but I don’t think it will be enough to overcome Portland. The Blazers just have too much raw talent to defend.

Portland in 7