(1) Cleveland vs. (8) Chicago
This series is one of the easiest ones to predict in the whole lot. The Cavs have this year's MVP and one of the greatest big men of all time (although he isn't half of what he used to be). While I think this one is going to be a sweep, there is a chance that Derrick Rose's sheer athleticism, Joakim Noah's heart, and the great fans of Chicago can allow the Bulls to steal one. However, this series is all Cleveland.
(2) Orlando vs. (7) Charlotte
The Bobcats reaching the post-season is one of the best stories of the whole year. Larry Brown has done a great job this year leading this deep team to the playoffs. Only problem is they are playing the best defensive team in the league with the best defensive player and big man in the league, Dwight Howard. This combined with the newly acquired Vince Carter and a bench full of very good roll players are going to make trouble for the Bobcats.
(3) Atlanta vs. (6) Milwaukee
This is one of the most intriguing series in the East. If Milwaukee continues into the playoffs playing how they did since acquiring John Salmons from the Bulls at the trade deadline, they have a legit shot at knocking off the Hawks. Jerry Stackhouse and Kurt Thomas will give this team the veteran leadership they need if they want to pull the upset. The Bucks will have to find an answer for Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, and leading candidate for sixth man of the year, Jamal Crawford. This will be one of the most fun series to watch.
(4) Boston vs. (5) Miami
The Celtics have had a disappointing year for the most part, despite reaching 50 wins. The additions of Rasheed Wallace at the beginning of the season and Nate Robinson at the trade deadline have not helped the aging big three very much. Even though they will be considered favorites, the Heat have a chance to creep up on them and cause trouble, led by their star Dwayne Wade, one of the five best players in the league.
Western Conference
(1) Los Angeles vs. (8) Oklahoma City
The Lakers have the 1 seed in the West, which isn't that great of a surprise to anyone, considering they are the defending world champions. What is a surprise, however, is who they are playing. The Thunder have had one of the great turnarounds in recent years, improving to a 50-32 record from 23-59 last year. Kevin Durant is the scoring champion of the league, averaging just over 30 ppg, and a legitimate MVP candidate. The rest of the young players like Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook are having breakout seasons. It might be crazy to pick the Thunder to upset the Lakers, a team with Kobe Bryant, but this series is going to be better than many people probably think.
(2) Dallas vs. (7) San Antonio
This is going to be yet another good series. Dallas have been talked about all year as one of the teams who could beat the Lakers. Some think that they have a good chance to win the championship. And why not? The team has Dirk Nowitzki, a 7-foot power forward with as sweet a shot as anybody in the league. There is Jason Kidd, a veteran who will go down as one of the greatest point guards of all time by the time he retires. Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and Deshawn Stevenson came to Dallas from Washington in the middle of the season and have only helped. Contributions from Shawn Marion and Jason Terry will likely help them get past the Spurs. But anyone who has watched the NBA over the past decade knows to never sleep on the Spurs. This team has been there many times and even though they won't be the favorite in this series, they know how to win playoff games and series. And they have Tim Duncan.
(3) Phoenix vs. (6) Portland
Good thing the Suns didn't get rid of Amare Stoudemire before the trade deadline, as many thought they would. I don't know if all the trade talks fueled his fire, but Amare has been playing inspired basketball since then and has been arguably the most valuable player for the past two or so months. He has been getting plenty of help from his Canadian point guard, who led the league in assists this year, and a strong supporting cast consisting of Jason Richardson, Leandro Barbosa, and rookie Robin Lopez. The devastating news that Brandon Roy will be missing the series is bad news for the Trail Blazers and makes their chances of competing in this series not great. Marcus Camby, acquired at the trade deadline, and Andre Miller, who has been a solid point guard for his whole career, will not be enough for the Blazers to pull an upset. The only way that they have a chance to take a game or two from the red hot Suns is if Nate McMillan, who has been one of the best coaches in the league all year, can out coach Alvin Gentry.
(4) Denver vs. (5) Utah
Ever since coach George Karl left the team to receive treatment for cancer, the team has been on a seemingly downward spiral. The team have had problems meshing since his departure and it just doesn't seem like they are capable of winning a seven game series at this point. If they are going to win, they are going to need Chauncey Billups to take the leadership roll and psych up his teammates. As great of a story it would be if they Nuggets could advance without Karl, it doesn't seem likely. The Jazz present a strong team, led by Deron Williams, one of the three best point guards in the league. If Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozer can be outstanding, Utah have a very good chance to win this series and advance.
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