There was a definitely a few surprises in the first round. Thoughts on each series.

For one, the Spurs got whacked by the Mavs 4-1. They might be done. Parker was trying to carry the load, with some help from the hobbled Duncan, but to me it looked like they simply didn't have the firepower. Spurs, you had a good run, now step aside for a team like the Trailblazers.

Speaking of the Trailblazers, it looked like they got the short end of the stick. They were tied with Denver and San Antonio for 2nd in the West, but due to a new rule implemented this season, they dropped to 4th (with last year's tiebreakers, they would have finished 2nd). The the one team they didn't want to face, the Houston Rockets, dropped to 5th (the lowest seed possible) on the last day, due to losing a 14 point second half lead and a late game Hornets collapse in San Antonio. The Blazers fought hard, but couldn't overcome the terrible matchup problems. Too bad, they would have beaten the Hornets or Spurs in 5, which were the two other possible opponents.

Another team we need to say bye to is the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons had been to 6 straight conference finals, went to two NBA Finals, and won the title in 2004. Then they decided Iverson was the Answer. They got swept by the Cavs in the first round. At least they got the cap room. Cavs look good, really, really good. LeBron looks focused and ready to win a championship. Warnings out Kobe!

How 'bout those Nuggets? They steamrolled the Hornets in the most lopsided 4-1 series win I've ever seen. The one loss was by 2 points. Their 4 wins were by an average of over 30 points, including the historic 58 whipping in New Orleans in Game 4. Impressive.

The Lakers-Jazz series was pretty boring. The one notable was how absolutely horrible Andrew Bynum played. I'm not a big numbers guy, but 5 points and 3 rebounds per game! Ouch! Anyways, the Lakers looked bored at times, and a little soft too. Are they a different team than last year?

The Magic got down 2-1, but quickly woke up to win in 6. Courtney Lee played great, but could be out for the series against Boston. That hurts. Orlando stepped up on the road in Game 6 without the suspended Howard. It was a dirty play, but I liked seeing some fire from Dwight. He's been criticized for being too nice. They would have made the Cavs a little nervous if they still had Jameer Nelson.

That series between the Hawks and the Heat might have been the worst 7 game series I've ever seen. It was 7 blowouts. All 7 were decided by double digits. I don't have a lot to say about this one, it wasn't extremely excited or relevant.

Finally, the classic 2-7 matchup between the Bulls and the Celtics! Wow, was this a series! The series had everything. 7 overtimes. 5 games decided by 3 points or less. Two young point guards going at it. A battle between a young, hungry team and an old, tired, defending champion team. The games just seemed epic when you were watching them. The two teams continued trading blow after blow. Everytime you thought one of the two were down for the count, they got right back up and knocked the other flat on its back. I mean, this is what playoff basketball is all about. This series personified everything right about the NBA. Both teams just battled and battled, through intense, unbearable physical and mental fatigue, legs about to collapse. Using every ounce of energy, with every muscle in the body screaming at you to give up. But they kept on going, kept on playing and competing. One of the best series, and the best first round series, I have ever seen.

Overall, the first round was a good one. A lot of good matchups and games. The second round looks to be even better.

Conference Semi-Finals Predictions

Eastern Conference

(1)Cavs over (4)Hawks in 5
Hawks are a great home team and the Cavs are suspect on the road, so the Hawks will be able to pull one out in Atlanta. But that's it.

(3)Magic over (2)Celtics in 6
Celtics barely got past the Bulls, now they have Dwight Howard and the Magic. Plus, they have to be absolutely exhausted. Magic take one in Boston and take care of business at home.

Western Conference

(1)Lakers over (5)Rockets in 5
Rockets got lucky by drawing a fantastic first round matchup, but they match up horribly with the talented Lakers. I'll give them one game in Houston.

(2)Nuggets over (6)Mavs in 5
Nuggets swept the Mavs in the regular and are peaking at the right time. They roll over the Mavs to advance to the Conference Finals.

Breaking Down the East

Not too long ago, it appeared there was three title contender in the East. That's no longer the case.

Boston is without KG, playing bad basketball, and appears tired from last year. It seemed so long ago when Boston was going into that big Christmas day game in LA against the Lakers. Celtics were riding a 19 game win streak. They had played 29 games. The best 29 game start in the history of the NBA, no one even tied with them. A ridiculous 27-2. But it seems it has been all downhill from that dominating start.

Orlando was looking pretty good, too. They were up near the top of the NBA. Howard was the by far the best center in the NBA. Their point guard Jameer Nelson was having an all star season. (He did make the all star team). Then Nelson got injured. Out for the season. Getting Rafer Alston helped, but he wasn't an all star. The Magic slowly faded. They were below .500 in the last month of the season, April.

And so the East now begins and ends with the Cavs. They should have a cakewalk. LeBron is on a mission and is really closing the gap on Kobe. They are unbeatable at home. They are the best defensive team in the NBA. It's early in the playoffs, but it appears they are the class of the East. Boston and Orlando both lost at home in game one.

Outside of an Atlanta team getting hot or Wade turning into MJ, there isn't any real competition for Cleveland other than Orlando and Boston. And those teams won't be much of a challenge, either.

This Cavs team is for real. If there's a chink in their armor, I'm not aware of it. LeBron is in a great place mentally right now. They will lose 2 or 3 games on the way to the Finals to play Kobe and the mighty Lakers in a showdown for the ages. This could be the best Finals matchup in a long time. Kobe vs LeBron is enough to sell me, but these two teams are clearly on a different level than the rest of the league too.

Breaking Down the West

Even though the Lakers haven't been dominate, it is clear that they are the class of the West. Before the postseason, most Lakers fans worried more about Portland than any other team, mostly because of the Laker's lack of success in Portland. Luckily, for them, I doubt they will make a trip up to the Northwest. The Rockets appear to be a terible matchup for the young Blazers. Houston hasn't had any success against LA, so the Lakers should cruise.

The team that may be the most dangerous is the Nuggets. They have played lights out and Billups has been nothing short of incredible. Chauncey seems to give the Nuggets what they have lacked. Maturity, a steady player, and a leader. Billups has a ton of playoff experience and the Finals MVP he got was a thorough pounding of Kobe and the Lakers.

Spurs appear too old. Parker just has to do too much without Ginobli and an unhealthy Duncan. They will get past the Mavs because Mavs aren't tough enough and don't play good defense. But I just don't see them getting past Chauncey and the Nuggets.

I say Lakers will face the Nuggets in the West Finals. Just like last year, they will raise their game in the conference finals. Denver won't be able to hang. Lakers will win in 5.

Playoff Predictions

First Round
(1)Cavs over (8)Pistons in 5
(2)Celtics over (7)Bulls in 6
(3)Magic over (6)Sixers in 5
(4)Hawks over (5)Heat in 7

(1)Lakers over (8)Jazz in 5
(2)Nuggets over (7)Hornets in 6
(3)Spurs over (6)Mavericks in 7
(4)Blazers over (5)Rockets in 7

Conference Semi-Finals
(1)Cavs over (4)Hawks in 5
(2)Celtics over (3)Magic in 7

(1)Lakers over (4)Blazers in 7
(3)Spurs over (2)Nuggets in 6

Conference Finals
(1)Lakers over (3)Spurs in 5

(1)Cavs over (2)Celtics in 5

NBA Finals
(1)Cavs over (1)Lakers in 7

Don't Sleep on Champs

How long ago does it seem that record breaking 27-2 start was for Boston? It seems like a different year, yet it was these same Celtics. The same team everyone is writing off because Cavs have the better record and will most likely get homecourt advantage. Cleveland and L.A. are getting all the attention, but the championship is still in Boston. To me, it just seems like everybody is sleeping on the Celtics, who might still be the best team in the NBA. Cleveland's too inconsistent on offense and don't have enough around LeBron still. The Lakers are too inconsistent on defense and Andrew Bynum can't stay healthy. Celtics are no longer the favorites in the public's eye, but should they be?

First Post

Hey, my name is Alex and this is my first post on my new blog "NBA Stuff". I think the title speaks for itself, in this blog I'll go over anything NBA. My favorite team is the Portland Trailblazers. I'm a diehard Blazer fan and I love the NBA. So, although I will talk a lot of Blazers, I'll also go over everything else, too. I hope you become a regular visitor to the blog