Playoffs Heating Up…But of Course!
Phillip Kimpo II May 4th, 2006 (Visited 2565 times)
Quite a lame title, really -- as the going gets tougher and as the title contenders get fewer, nobody expects the NBA Playoffs to slip into a yawn-inducing affair. Nobody.
Maybe you can attribute the unglamorous title to rookie jitters. Phillip Kimpo II (aka Corsarius of Slip of the Pen and Crimson Crux) here, new writer for the country's spankin' new Basketball Exchange. And though it's a bit late, here's my own take on the Playoffs.
The East
What do you get when you smash a muscle car into a deer? Roadkill. That's precisely what happened when the Pistons made mincemeat of the Bucks. Question is, will they repeat their overwhelming performance when they face their next two challengers? Yes, versus either the Cavs or the Wizards. Partly yes, when it comes to the Nets or the Heat. Partly, because they won't be as overwhelming as before. I'd say the Pistons will win the Eastern Finals series in no less than six games.
I said the Nets or the Heat, because I'm betting that these teams would dispose of their rivals in the 1st round. Despite two losses to the Pacers, the Nets are still the team that posted a huge surge in the late season. Predicting Miami's win over the Bulls is a tough act for this writer, as I've been a Bulls loyalist for 16 years. I do hope I'll eat my words, but the Heat are simply the better team.
The West
Despite inflicting a couple of losses on the defending champs, the Kings still don't have the experience needed to beat the veteran Spurs. On the other hand, we can expect San Antonio to race to the NBA Finals to meet the Beast of the East, but not without some challenge from the Mavs in the 2nd round. It'll be either the surprising Clippers, Lakers, or Suns that they'll meet in the Western Finals, and they'll manage to get through.
Kobe Bryant's been playing like a mad dog recently, breaking the hearts of Phoenix fans. While the money's still on the Suns and the MVP-bound(?) Nash to recover and win the series, I'm beginning to think that Kobe won't be denied. Hey, a Lakers-Clippers showdown on the Staples Center should be interesting, after all.
May 5th, 2006 18:53
Alas, I haven't been following basketball ever since I stopped being a Knick fan; that was when they failed to grab the championship title from the Bulls.
But there was a time when I went to most of their home games at Madison Square Garden.
May 5th, 2006 19:09
ahh yes. a knick fan. keep the dream alive. may we find solace in numbers :)
May 5th, 2006 20:10
Second nearest to my heart (after the Bulls) are the Knicks. Maybe because my dad's rooting for 'em, and I was exposed to a lot of NY games. It's a real pity they haven't gotten themselves out of a really deep pit. But give larry brown one more year, i think he's going to turn things around next season. :) Assuming his health allows him to coach.
May 6th, 2006 01:44
[...] My rookie entry was about the NBA Playoffs, and I’ll do my best to regularly share my thoughts on the ongoing cage wars. Hats off to Gary Mercado for putting up the site. Thanks for the invite, sir! [...]