Playoff Preview

The NBA playoffs tip off in a couple of hours. Sam Smith said today in the ‘Chicago Tribune’ that these playoffs are the greatest event in sports. While I understand his argument, I strongly disagree. No sport with a best of 7 format can be considered the best, though I will say that a game 7 in the NBA or MLB playoffs can cause some serious excitement for fans all across the country. Anyways, here are my picks for the first round of the playoffs.

WESTERN CONFRENCE:
1) Spurs vs 8) Kings
I actually like this matchup for Sac-Town. Ron Artest will shut down whomever he’s playing against, Mike Bibby is clutch, and Brad Miller, Bonzi Wells and Shareef Abdur-Rahim are all very good players. Still, the defending champs have too much…Spurs in 6

2) Suns vs 7) Lakers
I think the starting five of Jon Blakely, G-Watt, Dan White, Austin Brown and Mike McKinney could play better D then Phoenix does. And though that five did face a current NBA playoffer (Shaun Livingston), they never faced somebody as dominant as KB-8 is this season. Steve Nash is a baller, but it won’t be enough for the fading Suns…Lakers in 7



3) Nuggets vs 6) Clippers
OK, this one is tricky. The Clippers are the six seed, but they have the fifth best record in the West but they have home court because they have a more wins then the three seed Nuggets. I like L.A.’s lineup, plus they have home court. But there still the Clippers…Nuggets in 6

4) Mavericks vs 5) Grizzlies
Memphis is really good. They have some nice players, and Pau Gasol is a real beast. Unfortunately, they are facing the one of the three best teams in the league. Dirk Nowitzki is a real scorer now, not just a shooter. Jerry Stackhouse, Jason Terry and Josh Howard are great compliments on the perimeter, and Dallas actually has a D in front of it now…Mavericks in 5

EASTERN CONFRENCE
1) Pistons vs 8)Bucks
The Bucks have as good of a chance of beating the Pistons as Terrell Owens does in running for the mayor of Philadelphia…Pistons in 4

2) Heat vs 7) Bulls
This is a very interesting match up. The Bulls strength is the Heat’s weakness and vice versa. So the key to winning this series will be what will be more dominant, the Bulls backcourt or the Heat’s big men? I really want to pick Chicago, but the key is Dewayne Wade. He will be the best player on the court, and that will give them the win…Heat in 7

3) Nets vs 6) Pacers
When they are playing well, the Nets look like NBA champs. When they can’t shoot, it’s ugly to watch. I don’t know who on the NJ will stop J-O’Neal, but I really like the Jason Kidd/Jamal Tinsley match up for the Nets. Plus Kidd, Jefferson and Vince are so much fun to watch…Nets in 5



4) Cavaliers vs 5) Wizards
Is LeBron James the next Michael Jordan? No, but he may be the first LeBron. If he can carry his team and not get nervous and start chucking air balls like Kobe did in his first playoff series, then I think Cleveland can handle Gilbert Arenas and the Wiz…Cavaliers in 6


Finals Picks:
Dallas Mavericks over Detroit Pistons in 6 games