How the NBA playoffs are shaping up...

[Direckshun]

The East (who cares):

1 Celtics
8 Hawks
The Hawks never score more than 75 in any game during this sweep. Write it down.

4 Cavaliers
5 Wizards
The defending Eastern champ Cavaliers may not even get out of the first round if Arenas gets his groove back.

3 Magic
6 76ers
Am I crazy for thinking the 76ers are streaky enough to upset the Magic?

2 Pistons
3 Raptors

The West (really freaking subject to change):

1 Hornets
8 Nuggets
The Warriors would looooove to overtake the Nuggets, but the Nuggets are going to be an insanely difficult 8 seed to beat.

4 Jazz
5 Rockets
Nightmare matchup for the Rockets. They'll have home court advantage, but if they lose one game at home, they're done. The Jazz are unbeatable at home.

3 Lakers
6 Suns
Nightmare matchup for the Suns, who lost their only decent Kobe defender to the Heat. The Suns reeeeally want the Spurs here.

2 Spurs
7 Mavericks
Actually, considering how well the Mavs are playing now and how much the Spurs are struggling, the Mavs could pull this one off.

[kcxiv]

The West Matchups are insane. I cant wait for the play offs to start. April 19th is the start of the play offs.

They are going to be pretty legendary with tons of awesome games.

[BIG_DADDY]

GO LAKERS!!!! They get Bynum back and deep into the playoffs look the **** out.

**** the Celtics

[Deberg_1990]

Spurs will formidable again in the playoffs...

But honestly, i dont think they make it to the finals this year.

[Stinger]

Spurs will formidable again in the playoffs...

But honestly, i dont think they make it to the finals this year.

I can still hope, but given the stregth of the West and this years season you are probably right... but two-three weeks ago everone was giving up on them and some had them not making the playoffs. Got the 2nd seed (as of now) so never count them out.

[BIG_DADDY]

Spurs will formidable again in the playoffs...

But honestly, i dont think they make it to the finals this year.

Who's going?

I want to see a Lakers/Celtics final.

[Deberg_1990]

Who's going?

I want to see a Lakers/Celtics final.


That would be my pick. IM sure the NBA would love that matchup as well! hahaha


But i wouldnt count out New Orleans and the Jazz.

[Deberg_1990]

. Got the 2nd seed (as of now) so never count them out.


True..

If Duncan, Parker and Manu are playing at the tops of their games, they will be tough, tough to beat.

[BIG_DADDY]

That would be my pick. IM sure the NBA would love that matchup as well! hahaha


But i wouldnt count out New Orleans and the Jazz.

Be interesting to see how effective Bynum can be and what they will look like with the twin towers. Sound familiar?

[Deberg_1990]

Be interesting to see how effective Bynum can be and what they will look like with the twin towers. Sound familiar?

haha

Yea, true. They are going to be tough, no doubt.

[Mr. Arrowhead]

Im so glad Dirk is back and playing like him old self. I think My mavs are starting to figure things out with J kidd, I honestly think any team in the West can win the championship. It gonna be fun to watch.

GO MAVS!!

[RustShack]

Lets Go King James and the Cavs!

[BIG_DADDY]

Lets Go King James and the Cavs!

He needs to leave Cleveland. That place is a shit hole.

[KurtCobain]

The bulls will steal the 8th seed from atlanta, beat the Cs, and go on to thrash Kobe and the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

[MIAdragon]

The west may be better over all this year but the champion will come from the East.

[Rain Man]

Wow. Has the NBA season started already?

[kstater]

Wow. Has the NBA season started already?

Starts April 19th.

[Direckshun]

Be interesting to see how effective Bynum can be and what they will look like with the twin towers.
Garnett will terrorize the twin towers.




























Too soon?

[Psyko Tek]

Anybody in the west can come out on top

but they are gonna beat the holy hell out of each other

while the east is gonna be resting


GO SUNS

[RustShack]

He needs to leave Cleveland. That place is a shit hole.

Cleveland is way better now than they were when he got there, they are heading in the right direction. He needs to stay!

[BWillie]

Cleveland is way better now than they were when he got there, they are heading in the right direction. He needs to stay!

That trade they did was pretty worthless. Why you would want to pay Wallace for three more years of a max contract is beyond me. The guy is done, put a fork in him. A shell of his old self. He gives them somewhat of a inside presence on defense, but I'm not sure it was worth getting rid of Drew Gooden.

[chiefqueen]

The west may be better over all this year but the champion will come from the East.

Agree completely. The West will be beating each other up for 2 months while the East winner (Bos. or Det. IMO) will only have 1 tough series.

[UteChief]

Since no one else is saying it, GO JAZZ!!!

[Deberg_1990]

Garnett will terrorize the twin towers.






Garnett never won sh*t when he was in the West all those years. WHy would it be any different now??

[Mr. Arrowhead]

Well the mavs got closer to clinching a playoff berth as they did something the Nuggets couldnt do and that is beat the Sonics 99-83

[Direckshun]

Garnett never won sh*t when he was in the West all those years. WHy would it be any different now??
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Better coaching.

Better supporting players.

Other All Stars to carry the load.

Deeper bench.

More rest by the time the Finals come around.

[BWillie]

I think the Hornets will come out of the West, but in reality it's all anybody's guess. All the teams 1-7 are pretty evenly matched. The chances of any given team to make it to the finals cannot be over 6/1

[Ultra Peanut]

Due to the weakness of the East, Memphis has accepted a bid to take the 7th seed.

Tigers, not Grizzlies.

[Bill S Preston]

Big game tomorrow night with the Suns facing the Spurs.

[ClevelandBronco]

The Avs have a decent chance of taking Minnesota to six games, IMO.

[Miles]

Garnett never won sh*t when he was in the West all those years. WHy would it be any different now??

He only had a supporting cast for one playoff run and made it to the western conference finals.

[Miles]

Due to the weakness of the East, Memphis has accepted a bid to take the 7th seed.

Tigers, not Grizzlies.

The grizz would easily take em down.

[RealSNR]

Man, that's a ****ed up playoff seeding system

[Mr. Flopnuts]

GO LAKERS!!!! They get Bynum back and deep into the playoffs look the **** out.

**** the Celtics

There would be something so beautifully nostalgic for the Lakers and Celtics to play for the title this year. I hate the Lakers, but I hope it happens.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Garnett never won sh*t when he was in the West all those years. WHy would it be any different now??

Paul Pierce > Stephon Marbury or Latrell Sprewell
Ray Allen > Wally Szcerbiak
Kendrick Perkins> Rasho Nesterovich
Rajon Rando > Troy Hudson or Trenton Hassell

Sam Cassell and PJ Brown are great depth.

No Shaq and Kobe combo to monopolize the West anymore.

Flip Saunders isn't coaching him. Kevin McHale isn't his GM.

Other than that...nothing.

[1adam1238]

Since no one else is saying it, GO JAZZ!!!

I'm with you.....GO JAZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CupidStunt]

The Lakers are going nowhere. Depending on the matchup, they might not even win a series.

[milkman]

4 Jazz
5 Rockets
Nightmare matchup for the Rockets. They'll have home court advantage, but if they lose one game at home, they're done. The Jazz are unbeatable at home.

Is there a new rule I'm unfamiliar with?

How does the lower seed have HCA?

[CupidStunt]

Is there a new rule I'm unfamiliar with?

How does the lower seed have HCA?

Seeding is for matchup purposes. HCA is entirely based upon record. 5th seed getting HCA over the 4th seed is quite common, and 6th seed getting HCA over the 3rd seed isn't out of the question.

[milkman]

Seeding is for matchup purposes. HCA is entirely based upon record. 5th seed getting HCA over the 4th seed is quite common, and 6th seed getting HCA over the 3rd seed isn't out of the question.

I haven't followed the NBA much in quite some time, so I wasn't aware of this.

[kcxiv]

The Lakers are going nowhere. Depending on the matchup, they might not even win a series.

You can say that about ANY team in the West right now. They can all lose in the first round.

Also, lets not forget Lakers are getting 2 players back for the play offs.

[CupidStunt]

You can say that about ANY team in the West right now. They can all lose in the first round.


You could say they all have a shot at losing first round, but I wouldn't. There's no way San Antonio is losing to Dallas/GS/Denver. And I certainly wouldn't say that other teams in the West "aren't going anywhere," either. L.A., Golden State, Denver, Houston, New Orleans and Dallas, though - I'd say it about them. (New Orleans should win a series but will be no match for a second round opponent, imo.)

[chiefqueen]

The top four seeds are based on records first but the divison winners must be among the top four seeds. (a division winner could be seeded 4th) Home court goes to best record. This setup is to prevent what happen 2 years ago when 2 teams were playing for the fifth seed in the conference, but it actually behooved both teams to lose the game because being the 6th seed that year meant getting home court in the first round.

[kcxiv]

You could say they all have a shot at losing first round, but I wouldn't. There's no way San Antonio is losing to Dallas/GS/Denver. And I certainly wouldn't say that other teams in the West "aren't going anywhere," either. L.A., Golden State, Denver, Houston, New Orleans and Dallas, though - I'd say it about them. (New Orleans should win a series but will be no match for a second round opponent, imo.)

San Antonio isnt as strong as they have been in the passed. I still think they make it to at least the semi finals, but the only team it hink that cant beat them in a 7 game series out of the teams you mentioned is Golden State.

[Amnorix]

Who's going?

I want to see a Lakers/Celtics final.


I'd love to see that too. Nothing better than pounding down that old nail.