PLAYOFFS ARE ON FIRE AND THERE'S NO EXTINGUISHER IN SIGHT

by user DRE-LO

AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT THINKS THAT THESE PLAYOFFS ARE GENERATING DRAMA SIMILAR TO WHAT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT BROUGHT THIS PAST YEAR? LAST YEAR, THE FIRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS BROUGHT A HUGE COLLECTIVE YAWN FROM THE BASKETBALL WORLD. THE HEAT SWEPT THE NETS, THE SUNS SWEPT THE GRIZZLIES AND THE ONLY EXCITEMENT CAME FROM THE DALLAS-HOUSTON SERIES IN WHICH DALLAS RALLIED AFTER LOSING THEIR FIRST 2 GAMES AT HOME. NOW IT'S A COMPLETE 720 IN THE 05-06 PLAYOFFS. THE CLIPPERS EASILY DISSECTED THE NUGGETS IN 5 GAMES AFTER THE NUGGETS PUT UP THE WORST EXHIBITION OF SHOOTING IN THE HISTORY OF PLAYOFF BASKETBALL. IT GOT SO BAD THAT THE CLIPPERS JUST LEFT GREG BUCKNER AND EARL BOYKINS OPEN KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THE SHOT WOULD END UP IN THE NOSEBLEED SECTION. THE PISTONS TAUGHT THE YOUNG BUCKS A PLAYOFF LESSON IN 5 GAMES. {BUCKS STILL HAVE SOMETHING TO BUILD ON} THEN THERE WERE THE MAVERICKS WHO SWEPT THE GRIZZLIES. I GUESS IT'S BECOME A TRADITION FOR THE GRIZZLIES TO MAKE THEIR YEARLY PILGRIMAGE TO THE PLAYOFFS IN ORDER TO GET SWEPT BY THEIR OPPONENT. {SAN ANTONIO, PHONEIX, DALLAS} THE DRAMA OUTWEIGHS THE TEDIOUS SWEEPS AND 5-GAME SERIES THIS YEAR. THE SPURS ARE GETTING ALL THEY CAN HANDLE FROM THE KINGS AFTER A 123-88 SPANKING IN GAME 1. BONZI WELLS HAS BEEN A MONSTER THIS SERIES, AVERAGING A DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR THE SERIES. NO MATTER WHAT GOES DOWN IN THIS SERIES, THE KINGS HAVE A BETTER OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE THEN THEY DID BEFORE ARTEST ARRIVED. THE LAKERS HAVE A 3-2 EDGE HEADING INTO A CRITICAL GAME 6 AGAINST THE SUNS WITHOUT RAJA BELL. HOW WILL THE SUNS STICK KOBE WITHOUT THEIR BEST DEFENDER? FURTHERMORE, HOW STUPID WAS RAJA BELL FOR ATTEMPTING A CLOTHESLINE ON KOBE WHEN THE GAME WAS ALREADY DECIDED? JUST PLAIN STUPID. IT'LL BE A LONG OFF-SEASON FOR BELL IF THE GAME GOES IN THE LAKERS FAVOR. LAMAR ODOM HAS BEEN HUGE FOR THE LAKERS AND IS NOW ASSUMING HIS SCOTTIE PIPPEN-LIKE ROLE FINALLY. MARION, ON THE OTHER HAND....INCONSISTENT. FOR ONCE, THE CLIPPERS FANS WILL BE LAKERS FANS FOR A NIGHT BECAUSE AN EVENTUAL LAKERS-CLIPPERS 2ND ROUND MATCHUP HANGS IN THE BALANCE. 2 TEAMS FROM THE SAME CITY IN THE NBA'S 2ND LARGEST MEDIA MARKET. CAN YOU SAY KA-CHING FOR THE NBA? DAVID STERN'S DOING A 2-STEP ON HIS WAY TO STARBUCKS.

THE NETS-PACERS SERIES HAS BEEN INTRIGUING AS WELL. THE PACERS ARE BETTER THAN THEIR 41-41 REGULAR SEASON RECORD. THEY WERE A TEAM BUILT FOR A LONG PLAYOFF SERIES. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR VINCE CARTER OR RICHARD JEFFERSON. WHEN JERMAINE O'NEAL IS ON THE COURT SHOOTING WELL AND NOT IN FOUL TROUBLE, IT ONLY BODES WELL FOR THE PACERS. WHEN HE ISN'T, THE NETS CRASH THE BOARDS AND NENAD KRSTIC GOES OFF. NENAD HAS OUTPLAYED JERMAINE O NEAL IN ALL OF THE NETS VICTORIES. THE BIG 3 IS QUICKLY BECOMING THE FANTASTIC 4. THE MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER IS STILL JASON KIDD EVEN WITH HIS SHOOTING PROBLEMS. WITH VINCE CARTER ON FIRE, KIDD WON'T NEED TO SHOOT AS MUCH. I FEEL THAT THE NETS WILL FINISH THIS SERIES OFF IN GAME 6.

THE MIAMI HEAT ARE NOT THE TEAM THEY WERE LAST YEAR BY A LONG SHOT. THEY WERE DOMINANT LAST YEAR EN ROUTE TO THE HEAT-PISTONS SHOWDOWN. NOW THEY'RE THE TEAM THAT NEEDED A COUPLE OF LOSSES AND TEAM BICKERING TO PLAY INSPIRING PLAYOFF BASKETBALL. ANTOINE WALKER AND JAYSON WILLIAMS ARE NOT CONSISTENT ON OFFENSE NOR ON DEFENSE. SHAQ IS NOT 100% NOR IS HE DOMINANT AS HE USED TO BE. WADE IS DEFINITELY NOT 100%. WITH ALL THAT SAID, THE HEAT SHOULD GET PAST THE BULLS IN 7 GAMES. THEY HAVE TO. A SERIES LOSS TO THE BULLS WOULD BE A CATASTROPHE. BUT AGAIN NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS SERIES, THE BULLS WILL BE A SERIOUS THREAT NEXT YEAR AND 4 YEARS TO COME. HINRICH, GORDON, NOCIONI, DUHON, TWO FIRST ROUND PICKS AND ENOUGH SALARY CAP ROOM TO PICK UP A MAJOR SUPERSTAR IN THE OFFSEASON. THE OUTLOOK FOR THE BULLS ISN'T ONLY BRIGHT, IT'S SCARY. FINALLY, THE DAWN OF THE LEBRON PLAYOFF ERA IN THE NBA. LEBRON HAS A TRIPLE-DOUBLE IN HIS FIRST PLAYOFF GAME AND MAKES NBA HISTORY. THEN HE MADE HISTORY AGAIN BY SCORING 40 IN HIS FIRST PLAYOFF GAME ON THE ROAD. NOT TO MENTION 2 DRAMATIC GAME-WINNERS {GAME 3 AND GAME 5} THE CAVS HAVE A 3-2 LEAD. THIS JAMES VS ARENAS RIVALRY IS DRAMATIC AS WELL AS THEY'VE TRADED BASKETS ALL SERIES. GILBERT ARENAS MAY BECOME THE GREATEST 2ND ROUND DRAFT PICK IN THE HISTORY OF THE NBA. HE'S LED HIS TEAM PAST THE 1ST ROUND WHICH IS MORE THAN I CAN SAY FOR STARBURY. CARON BUTLER IS AN ELITE PLAYER. THIS IS HIS 3RD TEAM AND HE HAS PUT UP SOLID NUMBERS WHEREVER HE GOES. HOWEVER, I FEEL THIS GOES 7 GAMES WITH KING JAMES AND THE GANG COMING OUT VICTORIOUS. THE CAVS DO NEED MORE SCORING.

THERE COULD BE MULTIPLE GAME 7'S BEFORE WE EVEN REACH THE 2ND ROUND. IS THAT ENOUGH DRAMA FOR YOU?

Date
Wed 05/03/06, 9:10 pm EST