Onto the 2nd Round

It's funny that out all of the supposed competitive series the NBA had in the 1st round that the only one that is going 7 is the Celtics and Hawks. Can the Hawks pull off the biggest upset ever? I don't think so but hey I didn't think they would win a game. The last conference semifinal prediction will come Sunday or Monday after that Game 7.

I believe the 2nd round this year is due for some memorable moments like the one above (Fisher 0.4). Onto the predictions.

Eastern Semifinals

1st round performance in parenthesis
2. Detroit Pistons (4-2 over Sixers) vs 3. Orlando Magic (4-1 over Raptors)

This is a very interesting series. Detroit seemed to wake up during halftime of Game 4 and completely dominated the Sixers from that point on. The Magic handled the Raptors with ease even though they didn't shoot the three well besides the 1st quarter of Game 1. The Magic are clearly a lot better than Philly but Philly only caused problems when the Pistons were sleeping. I think the Pistons will be more mentally prepared this series. Dwight Howard is going to cause a lot of problems for the Pistons especially if they don't double him. But the only two Magic players really having a good series are Howard and whoever Prince doesn't guard between Turkoglu and Lewis. The Pistons don't like the double and they will prevent the Magic from getting a lot of open 3's. I believe the Pistons' offensive versatility will be the key. If Billups gets everyone involved and the team moves the ball I don't believe the Magic can stop them defensively. The Magic also don't have someone like LeBron who can completely dominate from the perimeter inward and expose the Pistons' unwillingness to double team. The Pistons' arrogance could cost them a game or two but not the series. Pistons in 6

Western Semifinals

1. Los Angeles Lakers (4-0 over Nuggets) vs 4. Utah Jazz (4-2 over Rockets)

This could possibly the best series of the entire playoffs. Both teams have a lot of offensive firepower with some questions on the defensive end. Both teams run their offenses very efficiently. Utah has clear advantages at PG and PF with Deron and Boozer. Los Angeles has clear advantages at SG and C with The MVP and Gasol. SF could go either way as Kirilenko is known for his defense and Vlad Rad is known for his shooting. I believe the benches could be very important. Both teams bring scorers and bangers off the bench.

I believe there are a few keys to this series. Can the Lakers contain Deron Williams? They can't allow him to score at will and get others involved. They must guard the pick n roll well. Can Utah slow Kobe down at all? Kobe has torched them during the regular season even though they have some good defenders like Brewer and AK-47. Kobe is going to get his regardless but if they let him do it very efficiently then they are in trouble. I'll believe the Lakers having the best player in the series and homecourt advantage will lead to victory. Lakers in 7

2. New Orleans Hornets (4-1 over Mavs) vs 3. San Antonio Spurs (4-1 over Suns)

Both teams easily handled their first round opponents who had made major trades during the season. The Hornets simply outclassed the Mavs while the Spurs simply outexecuted the Suns. The Hornets showed that talent can trump playoff experience while the Spurs showed that you have to TAKE out the champs instead of expecting them to go away quietly. Although the Spurs have not repeated following a championship they have lost to the Shaq-Kobe Lakers in '04 and the Mavericks (who should have won the title) in 7 games in '06. In '00 Duncan missed their 1st round loss with an injury. It's safe to say that they will not go away quietly. I do believe the Hornets have the talent to take it away from them. I do not believe they are mentally ready to do so. I believe teams must experience tough playoff games along with some heartbreak before they are ready to defeat a great veteran team.

There are some great matchups. Cp3 is the best point guard in the game while Tony Parker might be the quickest. Neither is a great on the ball defender so I can see them both having ridiculous numbers. Duncan might the best power forward of all time but I can see Chandler and West doing a decent job on him. They also will not allow the pick and roll with Parker and Duncan to work as well as it did against the Suns. If I'm a Hornets fan I worry a lot about Ginobili. Neither Peterson nor Peja can guard him and I think he will be the X-factor. The Hornets have impressed me a lot this season but the Spurs are most definitely not the Mavs. Spurs in 6