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2008 NBA Playoffs
The NBA has two distinct seasons. One, the regular season, and two, the season that counts, the Playoffs., which start at the end of this week. As always, we can look forward to a two month mini season of do or die hoops until a champion is crowned in June. So let’s kick things off with a preview of the NBA playoffs as we take a look at how things shape up in the East and the West and offer a few predictions along the way.
Eastern Conference Playoffs – 2008
Preview – Predictions
I think we all know what the end result of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs will be with Kevin Garnett and the rest of the Boston Celtics hoisting up the Eastern Conference championship trophy after completely dominating the competition, but like any playoff series in sports nothing is set in stone and anything can happen.
The only problem with this seasons Eastern Conference playoff chase is that most of the eight teams that will make the cut will be God awful teams that will probably get swept easily by the few big dogs in the East, but there are a couple teams in the East that might just make some waves and possibly shock some of the power houses that are favored to crush the underdogs.
It is obvious that there are only really about Four teams out of the eight that make the grade in the East that will actually be able to contend with the almighty West and here they are: Boston Celtics (no brainer), Cleveland Cavaliers (you can never count out King James), Orlando Magic and the always competitive Detroit Pistons.
The clear cut favorite is Boston with a very talented team and the ability to play lock down defense night in and night out, but then you have the Detroit Pistons who have more playoff experience and team chemistry than any team in the East by far. With the Orlando Magic you have a very young team with the ability to beat anyone on any given night, but their inexperience will be their undoing as they wont be able to hang with the veteran teams like Boston and Detroit.
And then there is LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers who are the defending Eastern Conference champs. The Cavs are a very hot and cold team, you never know what team you are going to see every night, one night they may beat the San Antonio Spurs convincingly and then go and lose to the Clippers or the Miami Heat by 20. If LeBron isnt putting up a triple-double or scoring like a madman then the Cavs have no chance.
Besides these Four teams, in my opinion, no one has a chance at getting further than the first round, except for the Washington Wizards with a healthy Gilbert Arenas, but that is a long shot considering the fact that the Wizards coaching staff dont think he is healthy enough to be in the starting lineup.
Western Conference Playoffs
Preview – Predictions
I can almost guarantee that the Western Conference playoffs will be the most exciting roller coaster ride we have ever seen!
Unless you have been under a rock for the past 6 months or so then you know the West has been chalk full of some of the most entertaining Games and compelling match ups that maybe the NBA has ever had.
There have been more major blockbuster trades this season with big time players changing teams into legitimate title contenders this season than ever before from Shaq coming back to the Pacific Division with Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns to Jason Kidd bringing his pass first mentality and unmatched cOurt vision to the Dallas Mavericks alongside Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard and finally the Los Angeles Lakers getting the steal of the century by getting 7 footer Pau Gasol for nothing and giving Kobe Bryant the weapons to make the Lakers major players in the West once again.
The seasons playoff showcases 9 teams that can play with anyone, granted there are some pretty dominate teams in there that will be extremely hard to beat in a seven Game series like the Lakers, Spurs and New Orleans Hornets, but every single team from top to bottom like Baron Davis and the high powered offense of the Golden State Warriors to Tracy McGradys history making Rockets, you cant count anyone out in the West.
If I were to put my money on someone in West making it to the finals or even deep in the playoffs I would have to go with Kobe and company because the Lakers at full strength will be damn near unstoppable and have the biggest starting lineup in NBA history with Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom dominating the paint.
As we come down to the wire though, that final playoff spot will have two of the most entertaining teams in NBA playing some fantastic basketball. It will be an absolute shootout in the final week of the season with the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets fighting to get the 8th spot in the West, so keep your eye on them as you may see some memorable moments in their final Games!
So there you have it. Fasten your seatbelts and sit back and enjoy the ride. Check in with us here at Bettorsworld throughout the playoffs as we preview individual series and offer Our predictions all the way thru the Finals in June.
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