Heard in the Cheap Seats

So the first round of the NBA Playoffs is in the books.  The second round has already gotten underway, but my picks were already on paper.  And so far not too bad!  The only pick I missed was the Spurs defeating the Suns.  I have already stated that obviously my pick of the Suns making it to the finals was way off.  I also felt all along the winner of that series would make it out of the West, so that means the Spurs against the Pistons.  Like I said, Pistons in seven.  Let’s do a brief breakdown of how I see this second round playing out.

Pistons vs. Magic

I stated earlier that I saw the Pistons in 6 here.  So far, the Pistons have taken care of the home court.  Since I write this after the series has taken shape, I think maybe the Pistons close the Magic out in Game 5.  They had their wake up call against the Sixers and now they are in high gear,  with Billups being the catalyst.  When his game is on and his shots are falling they are tough to stop.  The Pistons are just too tough defensively and the mismatches they can create on the offensive end are glaring in this one.  The Magic will steal one, but it looks like that is it.

Celtics vs. Cavaliers

So my pick when the playoffs began was the Celtics in six.  I have to stick with it, but I will say I have some reservations about the Celtics after watching them against the Hawks.  Losing all three in Atlanta is not the stuff of a champion.  Also, Boston’s defense has been praised all year, and rightly so, but a defensive weakness was exposed against Atlanta.  The Celtics showed an inability to stop penetration.  Lucky for them, the Cavs offense does not provide a lot of slashers.  But, they do have LeBron James as we know, and the Celtics have no one to match up with him.  I think the Celtics are going to have problems in this one and Garnett really needs to step up.  For a guy that plays with as much passion as he does, the dude sure does seem to crap himself at the end of games.  He does not look to score.  Can’t have that and win it all.  This is going to be a fun one.

Hornets vs. Spurs

Obviously I had the Suns here and had them moving on, and as I write this the Hornets have now dismantled the Spurs in the first 2 games.  They have made Tim Duncan look like Jon Koncak (I know weird reference, but it somehow popped into my head so I went with it).  Chris Paul is just ridiculously good.  It’s scary how good he is.  He has become a favorite player of mine to watch.  I still feel the old-timers will right the ship in San Antonio, even up the series and win this thing in 7.  They cannot guard Paul, but they almost need to let him score.  The Hornets become tough to beat when all their shooters are wide open because the lane has collapsed to stop Paul.  I also think the Spurs will realize they have to get the ball to Duncan as much as possible.  He should touch the ball every possession.  I think they step up, tighten up  the defense and start to frustrate the young Hornets.  Another great series to watch.

Lakers vs. Jazz

Ok, so I have already picked the Jazz in 7 so again I have to stick with it.  For the purpose of full disclosure I must say that I live in Los Angeles and HATE the Lakers.  I convinced myself that they will lose.  I do not want to think of the flip side.  I have made a few bets that may end up making my wallet a bit lighter, but screw it!  That’s my stubborn side.  I have to be honest though.  I think I will end up wrong.  The Jazz simply have no answer whatsoever for Kobe.  I am hoping that in Utah they can ride their fans to victories but we shall see.  Let’s just say I picked the Jazz but have a feeling that I was wrong and the Lakers are going to close this out early.  They have too many weapons.  The chance that the Jazz have is to control the boards and be as aggressive as possible on the offensive end.  Take it to the Lakers.  They have to hit their perimeter shots as well or they are done.  I can’t write anymore on this because I am about to punch myself in the face repeatedly.  Maybe Mehmet Okur will average 52 points a game.  I think I hit myself too hard.  Here’s hoping the Jazz can make me look good, but I am doubting it now.

So that’s how I see it.  I will preview the conference finals when they happen.  And if any one has seen the editor and chief of this site (AKA…my brother), tell him I’m coming for him.  Lazy ass.