Another round is over in the NBA playoffs as we head towards the inevitable Lakers/Cavs showdown in the Finals. Sorry Denver and Orlando, it just isn’t in the cards this year. It was pre-determined before the playoffs even started that it would be a battle between Kobe and Lebron (and the other eight starters on the court). Before I get to my picks for the Conference Finals (even though I just made them), I have a few thoughts about the second round:

- Boston has been valiant in defending their title. They had an absolutely grueling season and post-season last year and followed it up this year with an even tougher slate. They battled through some horrendous injuries and found ways to win with Glen “Big Baby” Davis as the starter. Having an undeniable flair for drama, the Celtics feel inclined to take every series to a seventh game. While their season is over, I think it’s fair to applaud them on their effort. At least they defended their title with honor, something most teams don’t do.

- How can a league suffer through a referee/gambling scandal and still continue to trot out horrible officials for playoff games? It’s true that most sports suffer from spotty officiating, but they usually learn from their mistakes. The NBA continues to ignore the fact and everyone suffers. The Mavericks were screwed in Game 3 of their series which makes me wonder… Mark Cuban continues to bash the refs and draw the ire of David Stern, so is it really a coincidence that his team gets the brunt of this officiating? Also, the refs need to forget about the Pistons/Pacers fight and treat Ron Artest like any other player. I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw more overreacting than I saw from the officials in the Houston/LA series.

- During the regular season I would’ve said with quite a bit of confidence that LA could beat Cleveland in the Finals. Hell, I sat here and defended Kobe in an argument with Scott even though it was probably a dead end conversation. When the Finals take place, I’ll still pick LA because that’s who I’ll be rooting for and I’m not going to take back my words from previous blogs. But I will say right now, it probably won’t be pretty. The Cavs look like a fine oiled machine while the Lakers are a coin flip. One game they thrash the Rockets by 40, the next game they find themselves in a 17-1 hole in the first quarter. I was unaware that was even possible. Then again, who knows how the Cavs will do once they actually play an NBA team. So far they are 8-0 against the WNBA’s best this post-season.

Before we get to the picks, here are the standings after two rounds.

Devin (Cleveland, Denver, LA, Orlando in 7) –65 Points

Scott (Cleveland, LA, Orlando) – 45 Points

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs Orlando Magic (3)

Like I previously stated, the Cavs have literally steam-rolled through the playoffs so far. Not only have they gone 8-0, but none of the games have even been a contest. While I think most of this is due to how good Cleveland is, some of it has to do with the garbage competition they have faced. Not many things in life are worse than the NBA’s Eastern Conference. Well, the Dave Matthews Band does rank pretty high on that list.

The Magic took Boston all the way to 7 games before finally ending their season. One could argue that Orlando should’ve ended that series in 5 games, but I guess it’s a moot point now that the series is over. I do find it funny that Patrick Ewing is trash talking and living vicariously through Dwight Howard, you know, since Ewing was such a championship player during his days.

This prediction is short and sweet, much like the series.

My Pick: Cleveland in 5

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs Denver Nuggets (2)

Just like the Eastern Conference, the top two teams in the West contain everyone’s favorite to win the Conference. The top two teams remain in the West which goes to show that regular season performance does matter in some sports. Somewhere someone in San Jose just started to cry again. The Denver crowd is surely going to harass Kobe to no end because of his...um…checkered history in the Colorado region. Call me crazy, but I don’t think it’s the best idea. Kobe is one of those players who seem to feed off of things like that. Don’t pour gasoline on the fire Denver.

The Nuggets have rolled through the post-season much like Cleveland, only they beat a few NBA teams along the way. Some people really thought Dallas would’ve put up more of a fight, although things could’ve been much closer had Game 3 been called correctly. I personally did think Denver would win, but I also didn’t think it would end in five games. Even more interesting than the games was the battle between Dallas owner Mark Cuban and Kenyon Martin’s mom. I’m not a fan of anything Dallas, but I have a ton of respect for Cuban. He is a great owner. What’s so bad about an owner actually giving a crap about his team? I see absolutely nothing wrong with it.

The Lakers haven’t exactly been world beaters in the playoffs so far, but I’m thinking they are just saving themselves up for the Finals. I figure if I tell myself that enough times, it might actually be true. I must say I love all the crap Kobe gets when the Lakers get beat, even though it’s usually because his surrounding cast sucked more “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”. Much like the movie, the Lakers supporting cast has one role and doesn’t know when to step it up. Ah, good times.

My Pick: Lakers in 7

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Another round of the NBA Playoffs is in the books and we now know the last 4 teams standing. Devin will post his predictions in the next day or two, as well as give an update on the standings of our contest thus far, so be sure to check back for that. We have some intriguing matchups upon us as the Lakers and Nuggets do battle in the West, and in an exact opposite scenario from the NHL, instead of 2 of my least favorite teams doing battle in the East, the only 2 NBA teams I really give a damn about are going head to head with the Cavaliers facing off against the Magic. Let's get started shall we?

Western Conference Finals:
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Denver Nuggets

Well, it only took until Game 7 before the Lakers realized that they were the far superior team in their series with Houston, but they got the job done with ease in that game and are moving on. Despite winning with ease, the Lakers really didn't impress me too much in Game 7 as they still didn't play to the level they are capable of, but instead, relied on Houston to meltdown and play some truly terrible basketball. If the Lakers would play up to their abilities, this shouldn't have been a series, even before Yao Ming was lost to injury. One of the biggest problem with the Lakers, and perhaps the reason a lot of people really dislike Los Angeles as a team, is the fact that have a high tendency to just take games off and coast through. I dislike this fact in the regular season, but really can't stand it in the playoffs.

Denver on the other hand has played some of the best basketball I've seen from any team in the postseason. I will freely admit at this point that I vastly underestimated their abilities and was a bit surprised at how they took care of Dallas with relative ease. I've gone on record before as not being a very big Carmelo Anthony fan, but he's been playing extremely well and looks more comfortable in his revised role with more help around him. Chauncey Billups is the biggest difference in this Denver team and past versions however. He runs the offense very effectively and can score the ball when it's needed as well. He has a calming veteran leadership quality to him that was severely lacking for the Nuggets the last few seasons. If their level of play keeps up against Los Angeles, we could have one heck of a series on our hands.

I've been thinking about this series since yesterday afternoon, and the more I analyze it, the more reasons I see why Denver could very well and maybe even should win a trip to the NBA Finals. First off, just look at the performances of the two teams coming into the series. Denver is on top of their game, playing fantastic basketball. Los Angeles on the other hand is playing Jekyll and Hyde, struggling against a team they should have put away with ease.

Next, most of the matchups seem to favor Denver. Derek Fisher and the revolving point guard crew for LA couldn't handle Aaron Brooks from Houston, and I think it goes without saying that Chauncey Billups is a fair amount better. Carmelo Anthony has been playing some of his best basketball to date, and while Trevor Ariza is a quality role player who does some of the intangible things very well, he's not going to shut down Anthony. On the other hand, Kobe Bryant should be primed to go off in this series. He hasn't played up to his capabilities so far in the playoffs and he's going to have Dahntay Jones on him this round. Jones is not a threat on the offensive end, so Kobe isn't going to have to play hard on defense, which means he'll have all sorts of energy when he has the ball in his hands.

Where it gets most interesting to me is with the big guys. Los Angeles has Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol up front, with an injured Lamar Odom thrown in the mix as well. Bynum has largely been invisible as of late, and Gasol, while a solid scoring threat, has been playing horrible defense. After Yao went down, Luis Scola went off in Games 5 and 6 with Gasol guarding him. No offense to Scola, but Kenyon Martin, Nene, and Chris Anderson would concern me more than him. None of those guys are offensive powerhouses, but they are hustle players who get easy baskets from time to time because of their effort. They also chase down rebounds and all three are monsters defensively. I see Gasol and Bynum struggling mightily in this series.

I really do think it's going to come down to Kobe, and the Lakers aren't usually at their best when Bryant is jacking up 30+ shots a game. As I said, I have a laundry list of reasons why the Nuggets should win this series... except their is a big, fat, hairy BUT lurking. Before the playoffs began, I said Lakers vs. Cavs in the finals, and I can't change that now. Television wants that matchup, fans want that matchup, and you know damn well that David Stern and the NBA want that matchup. Kobe vs. LeBron has been all over advertisements and everything else as of late, and the ratings for that series would probably top anything the NBA has mustered since that Jordan guy left the league.

Los Angeles in 7 games

Eastern Conference Finals:
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (3) Orlando Magic

As I mentioned at the top of this post, this series is like the exact opposite of what is going on in the NHL's Eastern Conference. I've never been a big NBA fan and I haven't really followed any one team since my far younger days. I do however follows a few players in the league, and the 2 at the top of that list are LeBron James and Dwight Howard. I love both these guys and the energy and skills they bring, but mostly I love their enthusiasm and the fact that they both look to truly be enjoying the hell out of what they get paid a ton of money to go do. I doubt I'll miss a game of this series and those two are the main reason why.

Cleveland has plowed through the competition thus far and appears to be very focused on their goal of an NBA title. 8 games, 8 wins by double digits thus far. Their average margin of victory so far in the playoffs is nearly 17 points per game. Mr. James is currently averaging a mind boggling 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists per game and has shown no signs of slowing down at all. While he has been the main ingredient without doubt, the rest of the team has fulfilled their roles nicely as well, with Mo Williams and Delonte West both scoring in double figures. Add in Big Z and Anderson Varejao in the front court, and it's not hard to see why Cleveland is making it look so easy. I do believe they are in for a least a little bit of a challenge in the East Finals however.

Orlando has looked a little shaky at times through the first two rounds, but they've proven that they are contenders as well now. Knocking off the defending champions in a Game 7 on the road is not an easy task, but Orlando kind of made it look like it was. The Magic pulled out their best game of the playoffs just in time and ensured that there would be no repeat champion this year. They went to Dwight Howard in the middle early and when Boston shifted their defensive attention to him, the Magic started lighting it up from the outside. When Orlando is hitting the 3's at the level they are capable of, you'd be hard pressed to find a team that can stay with them. That's the problem with them however, it's hard to be consistent in draining shots from the outside night in and night out.

The Cavaliers have not been tested yet at all this postseason, and while I'm probably in the minority, I don't think the long layoff heading into this series with Orlando is going to help them much. Orlando just got themselves a big dose of momentum and they might be able to parlay that into stealing a game in Cleveland, which is obviously a difficult feat, considering the Cavs were 39-2 at home during the regular season.

Like in the West, the matchups by position in this series are interesting, and will ultimately tell the tale I believe. Rafer Alston has done an admirable job since taking over the point guard spot for Jameer Nelson at the All Star break, but I'd give the nod to Mo Williams heads up. Williams is a superior scorer and won't be relied on to run the offense as much as Alston does. Delonte West should be able to handle J.J. Redick with relative ease as well, and while Redick did a solid job on Ray Allen against Boston, West is tough to stop from getting to the basket. In the front court, Ilgauskas and Varejao have played well, but they will have their hands full with Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis. It'll be interesting to see how Cleveland decided to defend the pair, as Varejao has the energy to go at Howard and is a good defender, but he could find himself in foul trouble pretty easily as well. Howard is far more atheletic than Ilgauskas, but Z has size on his side too. As for Lewis, he likes to shoot from the outside, so one of those guys will have to step out on him, and I don't see Ilgauskas being able to do so.

Then of course there is the small forward matchup. Hedo Turkoglu was the star for Orlando in Game 7 against Boston. He shot the ball very well and was also able to create going to the basket and get to the foul line. That might be a little harder to do against LeBron James however. James is bigger, stronger, and more physical than anybody Hedo has faced so far in the playoffs. For all James talents, his defense sometimes gets underestimated, but look for him to shut down Turkoglu in this series. On the flip side, while Hedo is 6'10", that's about the only advantage he has in trying to guard James. LeBron is decidedly quicker and stronger and should be able to create shots for himself with relative ease. James is at his best going to the basket and there are few in the league that can slow him down. As long as he doesn't try to settle for being a jump shooter, he's going to get his.

Ultimately, while Lewis and Howard might create some problems for Cleveland and at least make the series interesting, the Cavaliers backcourt, along with LeBron will prove too much for the Magic to handle. I can see Orlando stealing 2 games in this series, but not much more than that. I believe this Cavs team is one of destiny, and it's not going to end in the East Finals.

Cleveland in 6 games.

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