The "IF" Factor : Breaking down round 2 of the NBA Playoffs

LOVE HIM OR HATE HIM?

Well that was totally anti-climactic... Kobe Bryant was MIA for game 7 against Phoenix and being the Kobe hater that I am I was thrilled. He came out to play but when he realized his team was not going to be able to pull it off he went AWOL. My theory ... Once the Lakers were down 15 he started passing the ball to the rest of his team, who for the most part don't belong in the NBA and when they lose he can say he got them the shots they didn't make them... blah blah team player blah blah... Youth in the playoffs... But really the Lakers were down on the Raptors by 20 points the day Kobe decided to go nuts on us all and drop 81 points. You tellin me he couldn't even try to win this game on his own somethin he is done all season long?

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Round 2 is underway and I am a little late for a preview (blame the good weather) so I decided to go with the humor approach to break down the series. Every game has some players that are tagged the "X" - Factor so here is my version with my "IF" factor for each team to get to the next round.

(#2) Miami Heat v/s (#3) New Jersey Nets


IF Shaq can arrest Vince for faking an injury
IF Dwayne Wade can stop wearing those pantyhose
IF Jason Williams can go back to being "White Chocolate"
IF Antoine Walker figures out a way to become useful on the court
IF Alonzo Mourning thanks Vince for asking for a trade which in turn got Zo to Miami
IF Gary Payton can stop trash talking and actually start playing ball
IF the Miami Heat never again don the Floridians uniform


... Then the Miami Heat will win this series.


IF Vince Carter doesn't have a graduation to attend...
IF Richard Jefferson can bribe Jason Kidd to pass him the ball from time to time
IF Jason Kidd can keep his manchild of a kid away from the press conferences
IF Nenad Kristic pulls a "Raja Bell" on Shaq
IF Uncle Cliffy would reveal what age defying pills he has been taking
IF John Thomas can enjoy his 15 minutes of fame
IF Lawrence Frank can grow some facial hair


... Then the New Jersey Nets will win this series.

My Prediction: Miami in 6
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(#1) Detroit Pistons v/s (#4) Cleveland Cavaliers

IF Rasheed Wallace can find a way to hide that hideous patch on the top of his head
IF Chauncy Billups shows Larry Hughes how to make a shot in a playoff game
IF Ben Wallace releases the FRO
IF Tayshaun Prince shows Lebron what playing against a real defender is
IF Richard Hamilton admits he uses the mask to hide his ugliness
IF the Pistons fans keep their beer cups away from the players on the court.


... Then the Pistons will win this series.


IF Lebron James can stop making love to Damon Jones long enough to win a game
IF Damon Jones can forget about his 14 seconds of fame and actually contribute
IF Big Z can find a way to make a shot over Big Ben who is 6" shorter than him
IF Donyell Marshall can find his 3 point shot
IF Anderson Varejao gets cast in the role for "Sideshow Bob" in the live action movie
IF the Pistons simultaneously combust
IF the NBA pays off the refs 'cuz they want to see Lebron set new records


... Then the Cavaliers will win this series

My Prediction: Pistons in 5

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(#2) Phoenix Suns v/s (#6) Los Angeles Clippers


IF Steve Nash defects from the NBA to the MLS
IF Sean Marion takes the Red pill and gets transported to Zion
IF Boris Diaw can get his middle name on his jersey 'cuz it sounds cool (Riffod)
IF Leandro Barbosa can decide on a nickname...
IF Raja Bell can get his mom to do some more trash talking
IF Tim Thomas keeps getting paid for showing up only for the playoffs


... Then the Phoenix Suns will win this series


IF Elton Brand starts sounding like an adult male
IF Sam Cassell gets cast for the role of E.T in the remake of the movie...
IF Chris Kaman finds his way to the barbershop
IF Shaun Livingston spends less time designing his corn rows
IF the Phoenix Suns try to play defence
IF Billy Crystal swaps season tickets with Jack Nicholson (Jack is soooo much cooler)

... Then the Clippers will win this series

My Prediction: Suns in 6
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(#1) San Antonio Spurs v/s (#4) Dallas Mavericks


IF Tim Duncan grows a personality and shows some emotion
IF Manu Ginobili admits Balki from "Perfect Strangers" is his twin
IF Tony Parker stops drooling at his woman and concentrates on his extreme layups
IF Robert Horry can make about 100 more clutch 3's
IF Bruce Bowen admits to playing "dirty" defense
IF Eva Longoria flashes the Dallas Mavericks team


... Then the Spurs will win this series


IF Dirk Nowitzki can lay off the Booze
IF Jerry Stackhouse can make more 3's than Robert Horry
IF Devon Harris breaks Tony Parker's record for fastest end to end layup
IF Avery Johnson throws a fit at a post game press conference
IF Desagana Diop can stay out of foul trouble
IF Mark Cuban claims to "own" Greg Popovich


... Then the Mavericks will win this series

My Prediction: Dallas Mavericks in 7

Oh yeah... The NHL Playoffs are going on as well - Preview: Round 2

Honestly... I missed hockey initially, but gradually I ended up watching more basketball and began to watch full baseball games. Before I knew it I had forgotten what it felt like to make my Saturday night plans around Hockey Night in Canada. So when the NHL lockout came to an end and the 2005-2006 season was ready to get underway I had no idea what to expect. Suffice to say I was pleasantly surprised with the new and improved product but the jury is still out on the use of the shootout to decide the end of a tied game. As a Toronto Maple Leafs fan the shootout was our enemy for the most part but it did help solve the problem of "sporting events should never end in a tie." The "new" NHL as the media tagged it, is fast paced and the new rules implemented greatly benefit the offensive skilled players as with more open ice to work with we have seen scoring averages go up all around from previous years. At seasons end I decided to ask people around me what they thought of the new and improved NHL and most of them were pleased with the game as it definitely has added more excitement for the fans. With Sidney Crosby as the poster boy for this new NHL, parity between teams with the new salary cap and a new TV deal with OLN (Outdoor Life Network) the league boasted record level attendance numbers around the league for the regular season.
Dominik Hasek hasn't started a playoff game for the Ottawa Senators, the Detroit Red Wings got eliminated in the 1st round for the 3rd year in a row, Jaromir Jagr was injured in game 1 and effectively took out the Rangers from contention... yes the NHL playoffs are underway. The first round is over and in the west it was all about the underdog and in the east it came down to goaltending.

Western Conference: The Underdog comes out on top
The top 4 teams in the west were all eliminated in the first round including the Detroit Red Wings who held the best regular season record in the NHL.


When you mention the names Jonathan Cheechoo and Joe Thornton you automatically think of a high powered offense. Add in a Patrick Marleau and you are looking at a lethal powerplay which might be the difference in this series. In the Nashville series the two main offensive players were shut down but others were able to step up, but to get past a very deep Edmonton Oilers team, the Sharks will need their big guns to step up and should hope for a solid contribution from role players like Alyn McCauley and Mark Smith. In the first round against the Nashville Predators the defense stepped up for the Sharks and not just on offense, the San Jose sharks entire defensive unit boasted a plus rating and they received solid goaltending from Toskala who will have to remain consistent against a very well balanced Oilers team. The first round was a tough matchup for Edmonton but players like Fernando Pisani and Ales Hemsky elevated their game to bolster the offence headed by Ryan Smyth and Defensive Unit led by Chris Pronger. The Edmonton Goaltending situation was a big question mark but Dwayne Roloson stepped up and is a major reason the Oilers are still alive going into the second round. In the regular season the Oilers were victorious 3 of the 4 times these two teams faced each other but this is the first time the teams are meeting in the playoffs. This years playoffs have been a display of power play skills and the team that can stay out of the penalty box in this series most probably will be the one going on to the Western Conference finals.
Prediction: San Jose Sharks in 6


The Anaheim Mighty Ducks were the only team that had to go to a 7th game in order to advance to the second round of the playoffs. They were able to do this on the strength's of the defence led by Scott Niedermayer and superb backstopping of rookie goaltender Ilja Bryzgalov. My initial reaction when watching a game between Calgary and Anaheim was: "WHO??? Where is Jean Sebastian Giguere??" but looking at his stats Bryzgalov is their guy with a 2.29 GAA and even managed to get a shutout in the first round. Teemu Selanne had an outstanding regular season and with an Olympic silver medal to boot he has been leading this Anaheim team with toughness and offensive contributions. This team is very well rounded and will be a bit of a challenge for the Colorado Avalanche who will be relying primarily on offence to take them through to the next round. 2 Months ago Jose Theodore was sitting on a couch Montreal with a broken foot and now he is in net for the Av's while the Montreal team is already on the golf course. All season long the Avalanche remained one of the top scoring teams in the league and the first round of the playoffs was no different with Joe Sakic, Alex Tanguay, Andrew Brunette and Milan Hejduk on the roster.The saying goes Offence wins games but defence wins championships" and this is going to prove important for the Avs to consider they are going to need their defensive unit to step up if they want to get to the next round. Regular season has the Ducks in front winning 3 of the 4 games against the Avs but this is the post season and the experience on the Colorado Avalanche roster will most definitely be a factor. Selanee will be playing against his old team which might give him an extra boost and Jose Theodore has a chance to prove that Montreal made a mistake by shipping him out.
Prediction: Colorado Avalanche in 7

Eastern Conference: 3 Rookies and Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils has more playoff experience than all the other 3 goaltenders in the eastern conference semi-finals.


Ottawa Senators window is closing on them. When they signed Dominik Hasek they believed he was the final piece they needed to get to the Stanley Cup Finals. Things did not quite work out that way as during the Olympics Hasek was injured and they had to rely on a young goaltender in Ray Emery to take them as far as possible. The Buffalo Sabers on the other hand were probably one of the most surprising teams in he NHL this season. Their fast paced style of play worked well with the new rules enforced in the league and this series promises to be an offensive delight. For the Senators they finally have their lineup healthy and are very deep on offence with players like Daniel Alfreddson, Martin Havlat, Jason Spezza and Danny Heatly being just some of the names on their roster. Heatly found a new life in Ottawa who had a rough year before the lockout season and has been a great compliment to the other offensive players already in a Senators uniform. Havlat only played 18 games all season but looks healthy now and through the first round the Senators managed to score at will as they eliminated the defending Stanley cup champions in 5 games. The blue line for the Sen's is solid as they have two all-star caliber defencemen in Zdeno Chara and Wade Redden who are very effective on the power play. The senators are not a very big muscle type team but probably more so than the Sabres who have won a lot of their games during the season with their lightning quickness on the ice. They managed one of the better road records in the regular season and so home ice advantage tot he Senators might not be much of a factor in this series. The Sabres scored the most goals from all the teams in the first round of the playoffs as their offensive unit is led by players like Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. The Sabres much like the Senators got through the first round with the help of a rookie goaltender as Lindy Ruff went with Ryan Miller for all the games against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Senators were the top team in the east for the regular season and were fairly dominant over the Sabres during that time winning their series 5-3 but as mentioned before its a whole different ballgame in the post season. This series will come down to the battle of the rookies in net and the powerplay. The Senators were one of the best power play teams and the Sabres one of the best penalty killing teams. Bottom line.. Will it be Emery or Miller who can handle the pressure of an offensive barrage, stand tall and carry their team to the next round.
Prediction: Buffalo Sabres in 7


The New Jersey Devils head into this series on the heels of a 15 game win streak which included a 1st round sweep of the new York Rangers. Martin Brodeur has ample big games and playoff experience under his belt and he will look down the sheet of ice at a rookie in Cam Ward who was put into net for the Carolina Hurricanes after they lost their first two games of their series against Montreal. Carolina was solid through the season but went into the playoffs on a losing skid but after shaking off the first two losses against Montreal coach Laviolette took a chance by putting the rookie in net and he helped get the team 4 straight wins to get to the next round. The Hurricanes also have one of the young stars of the NHL playing on offence as Eric Staal has had an All-star type season and he was complemented with veterans like Rod Brind'Amour and Mark Recchi. The New Jersey Devils have the most experienced goaltender in the playoffs and Martin Brodeur only allowed the New York Rangers to score 4 goals through the 4 games they played. Playing in front of him the Devils have a team with plenty of playoff experience and a few Stanley Cup rings. Patrik Elias leads the charge on offense and is helped by Jamie Langenbrunner, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta. The Devils also have John Madden on their roster who is one of the best two way players in the game. His defensive style of play and the likes of Brian Rafalski on the blue line make them a very tough team to beat and Carolina will need to have all their lines clicking in order to get past the Devils who can adjust their style of play as they have so many weapons on the team. The hurricanes will also have to improve their penalty kill in order to give them a chance against one of the better power play teams in the NHL. These two teams split the season series but this is a lot of pressure for a young goaltender who will be facing his childhood idol in Martin Broduer and if the Hurricanes come out slow the way they did against Montreal I don't think they have a chance as the Devils will pounce on them and the series will be lost.
Prediction: New Jersey Devils in 5

Best in the West: NBA Playoffs - Round 1 Analysis

#1 San Antonio Spurs v/s #8 Sacramento Kings (Series 2-2)
"Mike Bibby will not be able to keep up with Tony Parker." This was just one of the knocks put on this Sacramento Kings team who are on a mission to knock out the reigning NBA champions. The beautiful part about the NBA is that its not about one game, its a series where a team can make adjustments, they can play the matchup game and they can on any given night throw a blow to a team that might have looked poised and ready to bulldoze over them the previous night. The 05-06 Spurs are deeper and more experienced than the team that won the championship the previous season. With the additions of Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel, this group has a vastly improved Tony Parker leading their offence but injuries have plagued this team all season long. Tim Duncan has been dealing with plantar fascitis and Manu Ginobli has been in and out of the lineup with back problems. Everywhere I was reading that the Kings didn't have much of a chance against the Spurs but right from the get go we were treated to some vintage Ron Artest and as a repercussion to an elbow thrown out at Manu, Ron Artest was suspended by the league for game 2. Mike Bibby and Brad miller who are a big part of the Kings offence struggled through the first two games but if it wasn't for a Brent Barry buzzer beater this series would be 3-1 right now in favour of the Kings. They have had great support from their off-season acquisitions of Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bonzi Wells and Ron Artest has managed to pretty much eliminate Manu from the game with his smothering defense. A pleasant surprise for the Kings has to be the play of second year player Kevin Martin who turned out to be the hero in game 3 as he hit the game winning shot at the buzzer. For a kid who was left of the active roster in the previous years playoffs he has shown a lot of confidence and stepped in when Artest was suspended and given the Kings a boost on both ends of the floor. As for the Spurs, they are not a team that is just going to concede anything but in order for them to get to the Finals they are going to need production from the likes of Ginobli, Finley and Horry and a little healthier Tim Duncan will really help their cause.

#2 Phoenix Suns v/s #7 Los Angeles Lakers (Series 3-1 Lakers)
Mr. I dropped 81 points on the Raptors going against the MVP Steve Nash. I got to admit I am a Kobe hater but this series is just to exciting not to watch. TV remotes have been thrown, foul language has been used at my TV and several creative names have been put on my MSN to express my displeasure over the Lakers. The Phoenix Suns led by Steve Nash were not even expected to make the playoffs this year. Amare Stodamire sidelined for the season after knee surgery, Joe Johnson was traded away for Boris Diaw and a draft pick, Quentin Richardson headed for the Big Apple to play for the Knicks but Raja Bell and James Jones were added and this new look team finished atop their division and looked as deadly as ever ready to make a run to the Finals this year. Kobe Bryant has been a man on a mission in his own right as he averaged over 35 points a game this season and after missing the playoffs last year he was determined to get his team there this year. He took his team on his back and willed them into the 7th spot in the west. With a mix of youth and experience the Lakers starting 5 for the playoffs would have people wondering how this team made it there in the tough west but its been the players surrounding Kobe Bryant that have put the Lakers in a position to eliminate the Phoenix Suns. Kwame Brown has matured tremendously over the course of the season and has made his presence felt in this series in the paint as he is defended by a much smaller Phoenix Suns lineup who use Boris Diaw at Center and the same goes for Lamar Odom who has had a solid playoff series. The Suns sported the highest scoring average in he NBA over the season but have had trouble making shots in this series and a big problem is the lack of production on the part of Shaun Marion. The Lakers have solved them in a way and have greatly slowed down the pace of the game more to their own liking rather than the run and gun Suns who put up on average 10 more shots their their opponents. Boris Diaw who is the leagues "Most Improved Player" struggled for the first few games but is slowly getting it together. Nash the leagues MVP possibly for a second straight year is doing his best but needs his teammates to start making shots in order for them to push this series to a game 7. I avoided talking about Kobe but you can't talk about the Lakers without mentioning him and he has changed his role quite a bit during this series. He has been a playmaker more than a scorer but it was his buzzer beater in game 4 that put a dagger through the hearts of the phoenix Suns players.

#3 Denver Nuggets v/s #6 Los Angeles Clippers (Series 4-1 Clippers)
In the words of Sir Charles Barkley... "This aint yo daddy's Clippers." Over 500 regular season games played, yet Elton Brand had never tasted the post season. This year was different with the addition of key players like Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley and the emergence of Chris Kaman the Clippers were poised to be a part of basketball in May. Carmello Anthony on the other hand has made it to the second season in the NBA in every year that he has been in the league (3) but each time his team was handed an early exit from the playoffs which has left him hungry. In a weaker division of the western conference the Nuggets secured their division but did not hold home court advantage even in the first round. Home court is not what came to bite them in the ass though, it was the lack of any kind of offensive production from anyone not named Carmello Anthony. Marcus Camby had an outstanding season but he is not a guy who contributes consistently on offence same goes for Reggie Evans who was a nice addition at the trade deadline but he never addressed the problem the Nuggets have had for 2 straight seasons. Earl Boykins is the only jump shooter on the team and he had a broken wrist at the end of the season but was not at 100% heading into the playoffs. The Clippers had the Nuggets figured out pretty quick and took away their fast breaks and lob passes which is what got Denver a lot of their wins as Andre Miller is one of the best passing point guards in the league. With the inability to spread the floor as the Nuggets have no 3 point threats, the Clippers had a solid gameplan just double team Melo and let the rest of the guys try to win the game and clearly they were unable to do that as the Clippers with the leadership of Sam Cassell and the talent of Elton Brand rolled over the Nuggets to make it to the next round potentially setting up and a Lakers v/s Clippers series with the clips having home court.

#4 Dallas Mavericks v/s #5 Memphis Grizzlies (Series 4-0 Dallas)
Note to Pau Gasol: I think the playoff beard thing only works in hockey. The Grizzlies have been swept every year that they have made the playoffs and right now this year was no different. The Grizzlies are known for the defence but seem to have gotten away from what got them into the playoffs and their lack of offence surely didn't help their situation. A healthy Damon Stodamire might have been a key here to provide some of that much needed offence but he has been sidelined for the 2nd half of the season after having surgery. From watching this series I kept getting the feeling like I was watching a team of really good role players playing against Dirk Nowitzki and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks. In the post season you need to have one or two guys really step up but the Grizzlies never got that on a consistent basis. I won't get into too much detail about this series as it was one and done but I do want to point out that the Mavs looked great in the first round and seemed to have figured out a way to play on both sides of the court. Their defense has been shored up and the elevated play of Josh Howard along with the shot blocking presence of Diop has set them up to go deep in the playoffs this year and I personally have them pegged as the team who will come out victorious in the west.

Random quotes and stats from the first round...
- Ron Artest was given a 1 game suspension following the incident where he threw an elbow at Manu Ginobli.
- Shareef Abdur-Rahim of the Sacramento Kings played in over 700 regular season games before getting a chance to play in the post-season. Only one other player in history has played more games without going to the playoffs.
- Just straight up funny: Steve Nash's new Trophy
- The LA Clippers won game 5 to eliminate the Denver Nuggets from the playoffs and move to the second round. For the first time in 30 years.
- Kenyon Martin was also suspended but not by the NBA. The team suspended him indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team after he refused to play in the 2nd half of the first game against the Clippers.
- On the eve of game 5 in the Lakers series new was released the Kwame Brown is being charged for sexual assault.
-"I've never seen that in all my years in basketball, that someone (would) do that before. I don't think it has anything to do with basketball at all. It's totally ridiculous for someone to do that in a game. I don't care one way or another what happens to him." - Chris Kaman after being groped by Reggie Evans. (Denver Post)
- Saquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant became fathers of baby daughters six minutes apart last week.

Last time I checked this is what we call a "CHARGE!!!"

Beast in the East: NBA Playoffs - Round 1 Analysis

#1 Detroit Pistons v/s #8 Milwaukee Bucks (Series 2-1 Detroit)
I have a confession to make.... I despise the Pistons and the last thing I want to see is a Detroit v/s San Antonio matchup for the NBA finals. That said... I don't think the Bucks are going to be the team that eliminates the Pistons from the playoffs over a 7 game series. This is a case of experience v/s youth and in the playoffs where mental toughness is a big factor, I don't think the young Milwaukee Bucks team has enough power and depth to roll over the seasoned vets who are trying to make their third straight appearance in the NBA Finals. Looking purely in terms of matchups by positions Billups is far superior in all facets of the game over TJ Ford. Michael Redd is a pure shooter but having to run around screens on the defensive end to keep up with Richard Hamilton is tiring him out, but with RIP playing with a bum ankle, Redd was able to rest up on defense some and broke out with his offense and lights out shooting in Game 3. An ailing Bobby Simmons doesn't help when the guy you have to defend is Tayshaun Prince and the MIP from last year has had a rough transition to his new team. Andrew Bogut playing in his first NBA season has his hands full with Rasheed Wallace. Bogut's game is closer to the basket but he has to spend his time on the outside defending Sheed and the 3 point line, thus giving a major edge to Wallace. The battle on the boards between Magloire and Ben Wallace is a good matchup for both teams. Magloire is not as quick on his feet but he is a wide load to handle down low and if used properly he can be more of an offensive threat. Looking at the benches of both teams on paper, I think the Bucks win it but if you add in years played then the Pistons bench, even though they might lack the talent have the experience and mental make up to know their roles. The Pistons are like a well oiled machine and it may take a tank like Shaq to bulldoze over them in the later rounds.

#2 Miami Heat v/s #7 Chicago Bulls (Series 2-2)
Building though free agency v/s building through the draft. This is what this matchup brings forth in the first round and an intriguing one it is. The baby Bulls have little to no experience in the post season and at times during a game the oldest person on the floor in a Bulls jersey is 25 years of age and has played a grand total of 6 playoff games. In contrast the average age of the Miami Heat is close to 29 years and their roster has a cumulative total of 624 playoff games under their belt. Looking at the matchup's there is really no one the Bulls can throw out on the floor to stop the Shaquille O'Neal and coach Scott Skiles has tried playing multiple players at the C position to find the best matchup. Shaq has not been as effective as he has been in his past playoff series and a lot has to do with the abundance of offensive fouls being called against him. This takes him out of the flow of the game and foul trouble has become an issue when we talk about Shaq all season long. Question is though is Shaq getting to slow for the game? or, is it that the players defending him are not close to his strength and a little spin move by Shaq sends his defender flying? Either way this is just one story line of this series... Another being Udonis Haslem's suspension. The refs have kept the players on a short leash this post season and technical and flagrant fouls are being handed out atleast once a game on average in this series. Haslem was furious over a missed foul call and in reaction tossed his mouthguard over at the ref and the NBA will not tolerate that... Completely understandable. James Posey on the other hand shoves a shoulder and an elbow into a driving Kirk Hinrich in a game that the Heat were getting blown out in and he gets thrown out followed by a suspension. I understand a lot of frustration mounts up and a 7 game series builds a lot of animosity but the Heat players need to focus right now because if they keep letting their emotions control the outcome of games they will be on the outside looking in. Wade needs to step up his game come game 5 and in game 6 this whole "he chokes when he plays in Chicago" notions needs to be shed if the Heat want to make any kind of statement to the Pistons who I think will end their series with the Bucks tonight.

#3 New Jersey Nets v/s #6 Indiana Pacers (Series 2-2)
I am a raptor fan so seeing Vince Carter flourish with another team has not been an easy pill to swallow but I cant deny the man has talent. One problem... In the post season the mind has to be as strong as this becomes a mental game over the course of a series along with the physical game for the 48 minutes on the floor. If History is any indicator, then the post season is the last place Vince Carter will succeed. Lucky for him he is just one part of the three headed monster down in the swamp. Jason Kidd is playing like he went back in time 5-6 years and a healthy Richard Jefferson adds to that lethal trio. As a bonus they have gotten significant contributions from Nenad Kristic in his first playoff series. The Indiana Pacers have been a constant fixture in the eastern conference playoff picture over the last decade but this is the first time they had to head into it without Reggie Miller. During the season the Pacers made their biggest move by trading away Ron Artest to the Sacramento Kings in return for Peja Stojakovic. They were looking to remove a cancer from their team and at the same time they acquired a player with a deadly 3 point shot which would help spread the floor out in turn creating more space for Jermaine O'Neal down low. After stealing game 1 the Pacers did not have Peja for game 2 and foul trouble rendered Jermaine O'Neal ineffective for the most part. A $15,000 fine later Jermaine O'Neal was back on track dropping 37 points and 15 rebounds securing a victory for his team. This series is probably the most even in terms of matchups but the Nets have the advantage at PG and the Pacers have that advantage at PF but if the pacers want to take this one they are going to need a healthy Peja and a significant contributions from Danny Granger and Stephen Jackson. Looking at the Nets they have a good mix of youth and experience, Cliff Robinson (uncle Cliffy) has played in the NBA almost as many years as Nenad Kristic has been on the planet. In order to win the series they are going to need solid games from Robinson and Kristic to support the big three of Kidd, Carter and Jefferson and if it comes down to the final shot... Just make sure anyone but Vince Carter takes it.

#4 Cleveland Cavaliers v/s #5 Washington Wizards (Series 2-2)
He wears the #23 on his jersey now he has the opportunity to show us more of why he holds the title of King James. Lebron James' first post-season appearance did not disappoint as he ended the night with a Victory and a triple double that got them there. I am not ready to call him the next Michael Jordan of our time because until he has more rings than fingers on a hand ... All he will be is Lebron James. He was the youngest player to be the MVP of the all-star game, he averaged over 30 PPG during the regular season... but this is the playoffs and here he is a rookie. His supporting cast has been less than stellar in the 4 games that I have watched and aside from game 1 where Donyell Marshall stepped up and Game 3 where Drew Gooden took charge the other players have not fulfilled their roles very well. The Cavs have been unable to move the ball effectively and even with Gilbert Arenas and Jamison for the Wizards having bad nights they are now looking at a best of 3 situation. We all know what Lebron can do but this is a team sport and the team needs to play as a unit being led by him. Just watching the last game it was pretty obvious that those isolation plays are getting old and a lot easier to defend as that's all that is being run with no ball movement. Larry Hughes has been a non factor for the most part and even though Flip Murray was a good piece they added heading into the post season the guy who needs to step up his game is Big Z. He is a matchup nightmare on paper and if he was able to get into the flow of the game early his 7'3" frame would make more room for other things to happen besides Lebron trying to go through 3 levels of defence before getting to the rim. The Wizards have gotten great support from their role players and they have needed every bit of it as Gilbert Arenas has struggled into he early games but they are giving the Cavs fits right now and I think they have the right gameplan in order to win this series. In hindsight... If only the traveling call was made on the buzzer beater by Lberon in game 3, we might have been looking at a 3-1 series in favor of the wizards but I think the "STAR" factor worked to the advantage of Lebron and the NBA needs him to be playing well into may and June to keep raking in the "green".

Random quotes and stats and links from the first round...
- 2 Miami Heat players have received a 1 game suspension: Udonis Haslem & Antoine Walker.
- $40,000 in fines have been paid by players after they criticized the referee's following losses. Shaquille O'Neal ($25,000) and Jermaine O'Neal ($15,000)
- The Indiana Pacers have made the post season 15 out of the past 16 years yet this is the first time the roster does not have Reggie Miller on it.
- Lebron James became the third player in NBA history to register a triple-double in his playoff debut, joining Johnny McCarthy (1960) and Magic Johnson (1980).
- "If (they) want to come to South Beach and have some fun, they all have the money to do that in the summer. . . . Now is not the time for that." - Coach Scott Skiles (East Valley Tribune)
- "Back in the day, the guy would have just bounced up, got two free throws and went about his business. Nowadays, it's not like that. You breathe on somebody it's liable to be a foul." - James Posey in reaction to his flagrant foul.(ESPN)
- "(Carter) was out there trying to play tough, which we all know he's not," - Anthony Johnson (New York Daily News)
- Seeing Michael Jordan jump up and down like a crazed fan when the Bulls were about to win game 3 of their series = CLASSIC!!
- Gilbert Arenas changed his jersey, shorts, shoes and tights at the half after going 1-9 in Game 4, saying what he was wearing had brought bad luck. (Sports Illustrated)
- Dwayne Wade has played in 30 playoff games in his 3 year career in the league. In contrast the entire starting lineup of the bulls has played a total of 42 games.

Last time I checked this is what we call "TRAVELING!!!"