Now that the Conference Finals are set, we can go ahead with our predictions and a brief preview of the two series. Devin will have his picks tomorrow and will give an update to the current standings in our ongoing contest as well. Let's get started with the West, so I can stay in a good mood for a least a few more minutes.

Western Conference Finals:
(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) Chicago Blackhawks

The West is going to be determined by a battle of Original 6 teams that both have long and storied histories in the NHL. Detroit has 11 Stanley Cups to their credit and they are also the defending champions. They come into this matchup after defeating the Anaheim Ducks in a 7 game series, which saw a bit of a back and forth struggle as the Wings took games 1, 4, 5, and 7. 5 of the 7 games were decided by just one goal, including a 3 OT thriller that Anaheim took in the 2nd game of the series. Detroit was certainly tested at a much higher level in this series than they were in the 1st round against Columbus who was dispatched in a hurry. Chris Osgood was the question mark entering the post season for Detroit, but he's proven why he has multiple Cup wins under his belt.

Thus far, Osgood has allowed just 2.06 goals per game and has a save percentage of .921. While Johan Hiller was able to shut down the mighty Detroit offense in a few games, they still managed to average just over 3 goals per game for the series. Johan Franzen has lead the way offensively for Detroit thus far with 8 goals in the postseason and "The Mule" also has 7 assists to give him a team leading 15 points. Henrik Zetterburg is right behind him however with 14 points. Add in the best defensemen in the league in Nick Lidstrom who has contributed 11 points and a team leading 26+ minutes per game in ice time and you can see how it's tough to slow down the Detroit Offense. It will be Osgood who is once again the key for the Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals however, as he faces a Chicago team who has dynamite in the offensive department.

Chicago finished 2nd in their division to Detroit and while extremely young and inexperienced, has proven they belong in this postseason. Offensive firepower has definitely been the name of the game for the Blackhawks as they've taken out both Calgary and Vancouver in 6 games each, dashing any chances for a Western Canada Cup celebration. Many, myself included, expected Roberto Luongo to shut down Chicago and send them to the golf course, but instead, the youthful Blackhawk squad lit Luongo up like the 4th of July. They scored just under 4 goals per game in the series, including 6 in game 2 and 7 in game 4.

Their progress in this postseason marks a resurgence for the Chicago Blackhawks, who have finally broken out of one of the darkest periods in the team's history. A team who dominated their division throughout the 70s, Chicago had made the playoffs for an incredible 28 straight years until 1998. Since that time, other than a quick first round exit in 2002, the Blackhawks have been mired in obscurity. Sadly, it took the death of long time owner Bill Wirtz in 2007 to change around the fortunes of the team. Rocky Wirtz, son of Bill, took over the team and immediately began changing much of how things were ran. The Blackhawks were put back on a local TV station, they changed up the front office and made great draft picks along with some splashes via free agency and trades.

It's worked out well for the team as they've built a very solid team, which is still very young and could have quite an amazing run in front of them. At this point, anything the Blackhawks accomplish this year is just icing on the cake, but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt their feelings to have a chance at their first Stanley Cup since 1961, the longest current drought in the NHL. If they are to get that opportunity, it will likely be the offense that has to continue to carry them. Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin hasn't been exactly stellar so far in the playoffs, with a 2.76 GAA and a .896 save percentage. The scoring has come from everywhere though, as 4 Chicago players have double digit points so far, and 4 more have chimed in with 9 in the playoffs. Martin Havlat leads the way at 13 points, and Patrick Kane is right behind him with 12, including a team leading 8 goals.

These teams are certainly familiar with one another, as they are both members of the Central Division. Chicago won both games of a home and home series to finish the season, but dropped the other 4 matchups against Detroit on the season. The first 2 of those games were decided in a shootout however. The Red Wings 2 regulation wins were also a part of a home and home, the 2nd of which was the New Year's Day Winter Classic played at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The best bet for Chicago is going to be to try and win in shootouts, scoring as much as possible against Detroit. I don't think their defense or goaltending is built to try and shut down the Red Wings attack and trying to do so might prove futile. Detroit has the ability to crack down a little more defensively when they need to, but that will be quite the challenge as well considering what Chicago has proven themselves capable of. At any rate, suffice it to say I expect some high scoring games throughout this series.

In the end, one of the major keys could be penalties, as Chicago can not afford to allow Detroit's Power Play unit to go to work, they've been amongst the top in the league all year long and have too many weapons to hope to stop if the Blackhawks continuously find themselves in the box. I'm a big fan of how Chicago has gone about rebuilding their franchise and I think they will be the team to deal with over the next few years, but I'm afraid this is the end of the line this season. Detroit will head to yet another Stanley Cup Final in my opinion.

Detroit in 6 Games

Eastern Conference Finals:
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes

I suppose I have to talk about this series too, though it pains me to do so. I think it's been made abundantly clear by now that I do not like either of these teams at all. I guess that makes it easier to talk about this series objectively however since I have no real bias from one to the other, as I hate them both. Pittsburgh looks to make a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals after last year's quick dismissal by Detroit, while Carolina, back in the playoffs for the first time since winning the Cup in 2006, looks to keep it's amazing string of come from behind victories going.

The Penguins head in to the conference finals after taking out the Washington Capitals in a 7 game battle which saw 5 of the games decided by a single goal, including 3 overtime games. In game 7 however, the team from Pittsburgh would not be denied as they stomped the Caps, 7-2. Sidney Crosby earned at least some of his reputation in the series as he put up 8 goals and 5 assists through the 7 games. Crosby has 21 points to lead all players in the postseason thus far, and Evgeni Malkin is right behind him with 19. The two have also combined for 17 points on the powerplay so far in the playoffs, with a combined 9 goals. Marc-Andre Fleury has been solid, but not spectacular so far with a 2.72 GAA and a .901 save percentage. The Pens will need him to step up his game against Carolina in order to move on.

Carolina must have went to magician's school sometime in the last year as they have managed to pull one rabbit out of a hat right after another. They also seem to have a supply of horseshoes stuck somewhere, but I'll stop short of actually saying where I think they might be stashing them. For the second straight series, Carolina managed to win a 7th game on the road to knock off a higher seed, ousting Boston with just over a minute left to go in overtime. This series was much unlike the Pittsburgh/Washington one in the fact that both teams essentially traded easy victories for the most part, excluding Game 7 of course, as well as Game 3, which Carolina also won in OT. Just days after sucker punching Boston Defensemen Aaron Ward in the eye, Scott Walker became the hero for the Hurricanes as he scored the game winner in Game 7. As Devin mentioned to me, I think it would have been fitting if Ward decked Walker in the post series handshake line for good measure.

The key to Carolina's success lies with goalie Cam Ward. A former Conn Smythe winner, he has a tendency to show up big in big games. Thus far in the playoffs, he has allowed 2.22 goals per game and has a save percentage of .927. Carolina does not have the firepower that the other 3 remaining playoff teams can muster and instead relies on Ward to keep the game close while they manage to score goals at clutch times. Eric Staal and Jussi Jokinen have provided the majority of the Hurricanes scoring with 13 and 10 points respectively. Staal has scored 9 goals thus far, while Jokinen has added 6. The Canes are only averaging 2.37 goals a game, and they figure to need more than that to keep up with Pittsburgh.

The obvious question that presents itself when looking at this series is who is going to stop Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The answer for Carolina is that Cam Ward is the only one with any chance, and that's probably too much to put on him. The Hurricanes lack any real shut down defenders who will have the ability to deal with those two, and they also don't have the offense to keep up with them. Pittsburgh has been quite successful on the power play so far in the playoffs as well, largely due to those same two guys, however Carolina has a fantastic penalty kill and tends to stay out of the box for the most part to begin with.

Conversely, Carolina has scored only 5 times on the power play so far in the playoffs and that won't get them too far. At the end of the day, Carolina's luck has to run out at some point and I think this is the time. Pittsburgh just has far more skill on the ice than Carolina at any given point in time and the Hurricanes best player is going to get bombarded with pucks flying at him. The Penguins have a tendency for let downs here and there, and Carolina has proved themselves to be gritty and determined... nice compliments to luck, so the series will stay competitive, but ultimately the skill prevails.

Pittsburgh in 7 games.

--Written By: Devin Dombrowski--

With the news yesterday that Manny Ramirez is the latest star to get suspended for a banned substance; I finally realized that I just don’t care about baseball anymore. I was nearing a sports crossroads and this latest news just shoved me over the line.

To get the full picture, I feel the need to explain a little about myself in terms of the teams I root for. The most obvious is my Buffalo connection. I love the Bills and Sabres more than any other team and I follow those respected sports more than all the others. If Buffalo had a MLB or NBA team, I’d be fully into them as well. Explaining my history with the Buffalo teams would basically just waste everyone’s time, so I’ll skip right past them.

When it comes to NCAA football, I follow the Miami Hurricanes, which is actually an easier explanation than one might think. I’m only 24 years old so in my youth Jim Kelly was huge in Buffalo and was easily my favorite player. One of the first real books I read was his biography “Armed & Dangerous”. So being young and impressionable, I chose to follow Miami because that is where Kelly attended college. This was without knowledge of their past championships and I’ve followed them since then, witnessing the Ken Dorsey led Hurricanes win another Championship. I’ve also been privy to their epic downfall under Larry Coker and their subsequent revival with Randy Shannon. Can someone say ACC Champs for this season? Yes, I’m pumped.

In MLB baseball, I’ve always followed the Atlanta Braves. It was during their second consecutive World Series loss that I was watching Toronto celebrate and distinctly heard the announcer say “The Braves are the Buffalo Bills of baseball”. I was in either first or second grade at the time so I had no idea that it was most likely meant as an insult rather than a compliment, but it didn’t matter to me. Since that day I decided the Braves were my team. One could argue that I hopped on their wagon because they had just won the NL twice, but I swear on my future child’s grave that this isn’t the case. It was really as simple as that. They are the Buffalo Bills of baseball? Cool, I think I’m going to root for them.

Baseball was never that big for me in comparison to the other sports. I could always watch the games on TBS and often did, but I was never fully invested in them. When they were in the playoffs I always watched all the games and usually shut the television off in disgust as they choked away yet another division title. Even through the steroids scandal, I didn’t let it really bother me. I read Jose Canseco’s book “Juiced” and none of it shocked me. Then the news broke about Ramirez yesterday and I took some time to really think about it (along with deciding what to do on my fantasy team). I have finally had enough.

I finally realized I just don’t care that much about baseball. I love the statistical portion of it and I’m currently running four different fantasy teams, including two keeper leagues. I did quite a bit of research on it and for the most part I know what I’m talking about. That isn’t going to change anytime soon. I caught the two Braves games that ESPN has shown, but other than that I just get the scores text messaged to me and that is that. It’s nothing like the other sports. Not only do I watch every single Bills and Sabres game, I go absolutely crazy if I don’t know what is going on with them at all times. The comparison between those teams and the Braves is night and day.

I thought about the Braves winning the World Series this season… I’d watch, I’d root and I’d be happy if then won. But it wouldn’t alter my life. Then I thought about either Buffalo team finally capturing a championship. I literally got goosebumps on top of goosebumps at the mere thought of them winning. Like I said, the difference is night and day.

(Quick Rant: Hey, I like the Braves, but could the fans in Atlanta be more annoying? Nobody shows up to games anymore and when they do they just sit around lifeless until the scoreboard tells them to do that horribly annoying tomahawk chop. Good lord, knock it off people. One reason I rooted against the Rays last year was the annoying bandwagon fans and you guys aren’t doing much better. Ok, I’m done ranting for now.)

When listing my teams/sports I follow in order it always went like this:

1(a). Bills

1(b). Sabres

2. Miami Hurricanes

3. Atlanta Braves

4. --Insert NBA Team--

What, no NBA team? Let me explain. When I was much younger I wanted to get into the NBA. I refused to root for the Bulls because I was literally surrounded by kids wearing Michael Jordan jerseys and I wasn’t about to hop on that wagon. I decided to root for the expansion Charlotte Hornets because I took an interest in Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, Dell Curry and Mugsey Bouges. Plus they were an expansion team so nobody could really accuse me of just picking a winning franchise (Like LA, Chicago or Boston).

Then the Hornets took off for New Orleans and I was left without a favorite team. I refused to root for New Orleans and was left without a team. I decided at that time I would just follow the sport half heartedly for a little while. Then the Bobcats came to Charlotte as an expansion franchise. Perfect. I was a fan of Charlotte basketball and they now have another team. I tried my hardest to get into them but I just couldn’t do it for the long haul. It was at this point that I read this little passage from Bill Simmons:

19. Once you choose a team, you're stuck with that team for the rest of your life ... unless one of the following conditions applies:

The owner of your favorite team treated his fans so egregiously over the years that you couldn't take it anymore -- you would rather not follow them at all then support a franchise with this owner in charge. Just for the record, I reached this point with the Boston Bruins about six years ago. When it happens, you have two options: You can either renounce that team and pick someone else, or you can pretend they're dead, like you're a grieving widow. That's what I do. I'm an NHL widow. I don't even want to date another team.

(Link: Rules For Being A True Fan)

So this is what I did. I divorced from the Charlotte Bobcats before this season and I’ve been an NBA widow since. Not only do I think the ownership in Charlotte is doing NOTHING to build a winning franchise, I fully expect that team to be gone in the next 3-5 years. The only way I’d root for them now is if they moved to Buffalo (not in a million years will this happen).

But lately I’ve been watching quite a bit of NBA. It somewhat stemmed from me capturing the championship in my fantasy NBA league and partly because of the Celtics/Bulls first round series. It was in that series that I watched more basketball than I have all season. I started getting that itch like I enjoy watching basketball and could keep doing this. It continued into the second round as I’ve caught several different games so far. I started getting that itch that I should have a team to root for. Am I allowed to pick another team? How do I pick that particular team without hopping on the wagon?

I will in no way root for Lebron and the Cavs. In fact, I hope they lose the Finals to Kobe and the Lakers. For one, I like Kobe better, and two, I don’t want Cleveland winning a championship because that will leave Buffalo as probably the most depressing sports city in America.

I then stumbled upon the fact that Bill Simmons is petitioning to become the GM of the Minnesota Timberwolves, one of the most irrelevant franchises in the NBA right now. I think this is a great idea. Consider the following:

- What better way to put yourself back on the map then make a splash in the hiring of a GM. That would no doubt be the leading story on Around the Horn, PTI and Sportscenter. From obscurity to national spotlight in seconds.

- Simmons has said he will work the first year for free as long as he can write a book about his experience. So Minnesota is hurting in this economy and now they can save themselves anywhere from 5-10 million next season just by doing this.

- Simmons just got finished writing a 600+ book about basketball so simply put, the guy knows what the hell he is talking about.

- This would finally make writers responsible for what they write. How many times has someone within a front office said that the media really doesn’t know what is going on and the media has acted like they know it all? Well, this is putting their money where their mouth is. Hire a sportswriter and see how much he really knows.

I sent the Sports Guy this e-mail but in case it never sees the light of day, I want to put this in writing on a more open forum.

I have no NBA team right now. I want an NBA team. I want to become more involved in the sport. If the Minnesota Timberwolves hire Bill Simmons for the GM, I will fully throw myself into Minnesota Basketball. I’m talking about buying merchandise, attending games when they are in the area and possibly even purchasing the NBA package to watch their games.

I’m sure I’m not the only person with these thoughts. This could quite possibly be the smartest thing Minnesota could do as an NBA franchise to salvage what is left of a dying product.

If this happens, my sports list will now look like this:

1(a). Sabres

1(b). Bills

2. Miami Hurricanes

3. Minnesota Timberwolves

4. Atlanta Braves

I think this would finalize my list for a good portion in my life. The only way it would possibly change is if Buffalo either gained another professional franchise (not likely) or they lost one (very likely). If that happens, a definite re-order will be needed.

What was the point of the article? Well quite simply I wanted to vent a little bit about how MLB baseball has been sucking my will to live lately and I don’t see it improving anytime soon. I also wanted to discuss how the NBA is definitely coming back strong and has the potential to attract a ton of new fans. I’m one of them. Of course, the odds of Minnesota hiring Simmons are a bigger longshot than Trent Edwards leading Buffalo to a Super Bowl this season, but anything can happen. If they hire someone else, I’m back to the drawing board. I might be stuck without a team for the upcoming season, which will suck, but it’s the way it goes.

Hey, maybe someone will move to Buffalo. (Yeah right)

Some relative links in regards to this article:

- The Book of Basketball (Facebook Group)

- Simmons for GM (Facebook Group)

-- Written by Devin Dombrowski --

Just an update before we get to the picks for the Eastern Conference. With the first round wrapping up yesterday, we finally have the tally of points for the first round predictions between Scott and me.

Devin: (Cleveland in 4, Boston in 7, Orlando, Lakers, Denver and Dallas) = 40 Points

Scott: (Cleveland, Boston, Orlando in 6, Lakers and Dallas) = 30 Points

I’m not sure what to make of this. I don’t watch much NBA so I guess we could argue that it’s somewhat more predictable than other sports. How else can you explain that I picked 6/8 series correctly, missed one series by a single game (ATL/MIA) and picked the winners of two and missed by a game (Lakers/Mavericks).

On a similar note, Scott got 5/8 series correct. So basically we both did better with our NBA picks than we did with the NHL picks. I have no way of explaining this. I watch a TON of hockey and I know Scott does. Is it possible that we don’t know the game as well as we think? Or is it possible that we over thought our first round picks for the NHL? Or that the NBA is just easier? I’m willing to listen to suggestions.

And with that, here are my round two winners for the Eastern Conference…

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (4) Atlanta Hawks

Uh oh, someone needs to wake Cleveland up and remind them that they have three more series to go before the season is actually over. I’m no expert, nor have I done an ounce of research on this, but the Cavs layoff has to be close to a record.

In the first round, Cleveland disposed of Detroit like they were playing the games on Xbox 360 and the level was set to beginner. This came as a surprise to nobody. Even the Pistons’ players weren’t surprised by this at all. Then again, Detroit is pretty much tanking it until the summer of 2010 when they hope to splurge on the free agent buffet and once again be competitive.

Atlanta had a tougher time in the first with their series going the full seven games. I personally picked Miami in seven games so I was close, but missed out completely. I really thought D-Wade had enough to carry Miami for a series or two, but I guess Atlanta just has a better overall team. Good for them. I hope they enjoyed it because their season is about to end.

My Pick: Cleveland in 6

(2) Boston Celtics vs (3) Orlando Magic

This goes without saying, but the Celtics just finished off the best first round playoff series ever. Honestly, when I’m tuning in for games and watching them, you know it has to be good. I’m not going to rehash much more about that series right now because chances are A) you already watched it B) you don’t care and didn’t watch it or C) you have seen/visited ESPN in the last few days and had it slammed in your face.

The Magic disposed of Philly in six games and I’m not sure what to make of that. I definitely thought they were much better than Philly, so I’m a little surprised that the series even went for six games. The only thing I really know about this series was the suspension of Dwight Howard, which didn’t seem to affect Orlando one single bit.

I’m picking Orlando to win this series for a few reasons.

1. Boston doesn’t have anybody to really match up with Howard

2. Boston has to be tired. It’s a long season, they are somewhat old, and just went through the longest seven game series that I can remember.

My Pick: Orlando in 7

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-- Written by Scott Lunn --

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks

Cleveland absolutely breezed through their series with Detroit, proving that the Pistons are do for some major overhauling at this point and are no longer the team that sat amongst the top of the East for the past several years. The biggest concern for the Cavaliers at this point has to be the 8 days in between games they will face before their series starts on Tuesday. I'd expect them to start off a little slow, but it won't take them long to find their legs again.

Obviously LeBron James leads this team in every way imaginable, but he has a lot more support now than in years past. Mo Williams has capably taken over at the point guard spot and adds a legit second punch in the scoring column, which eases some of James' burden. Additionally, Delonte West, Anderson Varejao, and Big Z all play their roles very well and for good measure throw in veterans Ben Wallace and Joe Smith off the bench, and there's little doubt why Cleveland is expected to be contending for the title in June.

Atlanta comes in fresh off knocking out Miami yesterday in a very bizarre series where not a single game was decided by single digits. The Hawks are talented, but lacked consistency in the 1st round, and that will be something they simply can't afford against Cleveland.

I'm trying to find a way that Atlanta can make this series competitive, but I just don't see it. They don't really match up all that well at any position with Cleveland, least of all at the small forward slot. I would think the Hawks would have to put somebody other than Maurice Evans on LeBron James defensively, but it's really not going to matter in the end.

One thing you can expect from this series is some highlight reel dunks and blocks from LeBron and Josh Smith, both those guys can jump out of a building. In the end, Cleveland has the better starters, the deeper bench, and home court advantage... did I mention they were 40-2 at home this season? I'd say this series might be a touch closer than the Cavs/Pistons, but not much really.

Cleveland in 5

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Orlando Magic

This series is infinitely harder to pick in my opinion. Boston had absolutely all they could handle with Chicago in the first round, and while I got sick of the hype, it's hard to deny what a great series that was. I can't recall the last time I saw two teams so evenly matched do battle in a series like that. The problem for Boston is that they've essentially played 8 games already at this point.

The series with the Bulls pointed out that Boston is clearly a different team without Kevin Garnett in the picture and it's going to cause them to struggle in this postseason. Rajon Rondo has been spectacular thus far and he's had to be too. Paul Pierce has not played up to his ability so far and Ray Allen was hit or miss throughout the series.

Orlando looked like a dominant team for much of the season, but looked surprisingly human in their first round series with Philadelphia. While they managed to take the series in 6, it wasn't the easiest set of games for them by any stretch of the imagination. Orlando's biggest issue seems to be that they are far too willing to rely on shooting jumpers to get their points. They are a true "Live by the 3, die by the 3" team and that usually doesn't work out for the best in the postseason.

They didn't shoot the 3 particularly well against the 76ers, but still made it out alive... they'll have to be better against Boston without question. When Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis are on from the outside, this team becomes a nightmare to handle for the opposition, but if they aren't, the focus quickly moves to Dwight Howard.

Howard should be the key to this series. He is probably the best big man in the game today, but still lacks the consistency needed to be a truly dominant center. He has games where he drops 30 points and 20+ rebounds on you, and then he'll turn around the next night and only give you 14 points. Boston's glaring weakness aginst Chicago was in their front line. Without Garnett, Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis are really all they have, because Mikki Moore and Brian Scalabrine aren't intimidating anyone.

The Magic would be wise to pound the ball into Howard and let him go to work because he is far more talented than anything Boston can counter with. If he can get Perkins or Davis in foul trouble, the Celtics will be in for a world of hurt. On the other side of things, Rafer Alston and a combination of J.J. Redick and Mikael Pietrus are going to have their hands full with Rando and Allen. The loss of Courtney Lee is going to hurt Orlando without a doubt. He's a quiet rookie you don't hear much about, but he's a solid player and especially on the defensive end. If he ends up being done for the postseason, it could be the turning point Boston needs in this series.

In the end, this series is going to be about Orlando's game plan... will Stan Van Gundy continue to have his team bomb away from the outside and risk the series on the hotness of their shooting, or will he feed the monster inside and let Howard rip up Boston's depleted front line? This should be a good battle, but I'm banking on Boston's tired legs and weak frontcourt giving out first.

Orlando in 6

-- Written By Scott Lunn --
(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Dallas Mavericks
I will freely admit that Denver is a better team than I thought they were. They played very well and handled New Orleans without much difficulty, including one of the worst beatings I can recall ever seeing, and a playoff record 58 point victory. Chauncey Billups has really made all the difference in the world for this team by providing the veteran leadership Denver has been lacking. Their defense has been tenacious to say the least with Chris Anderson, Kenyon Martin, and J.R. Smith blocking shots left and right. Carmelo Anthony has been freed up by Billups ability to score as well and he's certainly benefited. Dallas looked impressive in the first round as well, taking out San Antonio in 6 games. The Spurs couldn't overcome injuries and age, despite Tony Parker and Tim Duncan's best efforts. Dirk Nowitzki leads the scoring effort for Dallas, but they also get a huge punch form Jason Terry off the bench. Jason Kidd has also been solid and a bit healthier Josh Howard aids the Mavericks as well.

I'm not sure Kidd can keep up with Billups defensively and that may be a big factor in this series, as most of the other spots are a wash. Denver has lots of big men to send at Dirk, but the problem is Nowitzki can easily extend those guys to the outside with his shooting ability, freeing up the middle for Dallas rebounders to take advantage of. While I definitely underestimated Denver, I'm still not ready to buy in just yet. I'll take the more experienced Mavs to pull out what should be a hard fought series.

Dallas in 7

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Houston Rockets
The Lakers dispatched of the Utah Jazz with relative ease, needing just 5 games. They even won in Utah which is no simple task. LA seems very determined this season behind Kobe Bryant's leadership and anything short of an NBA Championship will be a disappointment for them. The Lakers will be well rested coming into the series, and that just means Andrew Bynum should be evern closer to 100%. Trevor Ariza has stepped up his game as well and provides an explosive presence at the small forward spot, proving he can be counted on when the team needs him. Houston struggled a little bit with a very young Portland team, but ultimately proved to be too much for them to handle. The Rockets actually seemed to be an improved team with out Tracy McGrady, and overcame his curse with him gone by actually winning a series in the postseason. Ron Artest has taken his game to another level and Yao Ming has been nothing but solid. Even young point guard Aaron Brooks has faired well so far, despite his playoff inexperience.

Ron Artest may be able to slow Bryant down a bit, and Yao will be a touch matchup for the combination of Gasol and Bynum on defense, but simply put, the Lakers have far more when it comes to scoring options. Bryant is going to get his 20 plus and the Lakers will get enough out of a secondary player in either Gasol, Bynum, Ariza, or even Lamar Odom to push them by a slightly overachieving Rockets squad. Houston may steal a game or two, but not enough to worry Los Angeles.

Los Angeles in 5

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--Written By Devin Dombrowski --

(2) Denver Nuggets vs (6) Dallas Mavericks

While both Denver and Dallas won as I picked, both teams did it in a much easier fashion than I had thought. Then again, I don’t watch a ton of NBA games so there is a good chance that I don’t know what I’m talking about.

Denver throttled the Charlotte Oklahoma City New Orleans Hornets, including one of the worst beat downs in NBA playoff history. Honestly, there was no excuse for the way New Orleans played. The only logical thing I can think of is the team quit on coach Byron Scott. Of course, I had help coming up with that theory (Thanks Sports Guy!). Regardless of the circumstances, my image of Chris Paul has been sullied a little bit after that series.

But I have to give props to Denver for playing their part. They have finally come together and have probably the best Nuggets team that Denver fans have seen this decade. I can’t say it enough times, but the trade for Billups was so huge for this team. Without him, they are golfing right now; with him, they have a legit shot at the title.

With Dallas knocking San Antonio out of the playoffs in the first round, they have helped close the window for the Spurs. In fact, the window is completely shut right now. Let me explain. Each team has a window to win a championship or multiple championships. Detroit’s window was open for two seasons and they got their ring, then the window shut. Boston’s window was open last year and they took advantage. In hockey, Buffalo’s window was open two seasons ago but they failed to take advantage and now their window is shut. Well with old age, injuries and a first round exit, San Antonio’s window is officially shut.

I don’t see Dallas having such an easy time this round; in fact I don’t see them winning at all. They have a good team and good chemistry, but what Denver did in the first round cannot be ignored. Carmelo Anthony and company are finally making the leap and ready for more playoff stardom.

My pick: Denver in 6

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs (4) Houston Rockets

If anyone else reads articles by Bill Simmons, they will know what I’m talking about in this next paragraph. Bill once wrote about the Milton Berle game. To put it simply, there were rumors long ago about Milton Berle being very…well…very large shall we say. Anyways, there is this story about someone challenging him, losing and Berle saying simply that he “pulled out just enough to win”. This basically explains the Lakers first round series with the Jazz. There was no way Utah was winning that series. The Lakers knew it and the Jazz knew it. But LA didn’t sweep. They didn’t blow them away. Simply put, they pulled out just enough to win.

The Rockets stunned me and I’m guessing most NBA fans by knocking Portland out so easily. I definitely didn’t expect it. Although I didn’t pick Houston, I’m somewhat enjoying the fact that their recent success has been with Tracy McGrady on the bench. He is a notorius choker when it comes to clutch games and I find it so ironic that the Rockets are now advancing in the playoffs while he is sitting and watching. It strikes a solid 97.4 on the irony scale.

This series could very well go six of seven games if Houston really brings it, but they aren’t winning the series. This is the Lakers year as far as I’m concerned and the only team that can stop them play ball in Ohio.

My Pick: Lakers in 5