The Lakers took long enough, but they finally dispatched of the pesky Houston Rockets, and were able to advance to the Western Conference Finals. And now that they've gotten there, they'll face a team that has been patiently waiting for them over the last six days: the two-seeded Denver Nuggets.
Denver has arguably been every bit as hot in the post-season as the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers. But their style of play is simply a bad matchup for this Lakers team.
For all of the Cavaliers' success this year -- both posting the league's best record and winning their first eight games of the playoffs -- the Magic have actually held their own in head-to-head matchups, winning two of three games in the regular season and seven of 10 the last three years.
Much like your 401k, though, past results do not guarantee future performance, but at least the Magic won't come into this series questioning whether they have what it takes to win a single game against the vaunted Cavs, which was exactly the situation the dysfunctional Pistons and the injury-depleted Hawks faced in the first and second rounds, respectively.
It took longer than we thought it would, but here we are. The upstart, high powered, trigger-happy Magic versus the battle-tested, battle-weary, battle-loving Celtics. And the winner takes on the King for a chance at the crown (assuming Atlanta aren't actually members of C.O.B.R.A.). The Celtics just got through a brutal seven-game series with Chicago (you may have heard about it on the news programs), and the Magic just shook off the cobwebs and downed Philly without Dwight Howard. All signs point to a changing of the guard. But as we've come to expect with this Celtics team, it doesn't take lightly to plans being made without their say so. Comes with that whole "defending champs" things.
Believe it or not, Boston's 62-win season this year might be even more impressive than their 66-win campaign a year ago, especially when you consider the world champs had a target on their back the entire season and Kevin Garnett played a mere 57 games. The Bulls, meanwhile, made the jump from winning the lottery to getting back into the playoffs despite losing Luol Deng for the last two months of the season. The Celtics are favored, and for good reason, but Chicago's athletic young core will make the champs work for every inch.
If Cleveland-Detroit is the Rolling Stones, and Utah-LA is the Beatles, then Atlanta-Miami is the Velvet Underground. You're not going to catch it on the radio, but if you dig music, it's essential that you take a listen.
This is the matchup that will get the least publicity but features what may be the closest matchup. The Hawks shocked everyone by actually, (gasp) improving on last year's success. What's more, they finished with homecourt advantage in the first round. And next to the Heat, they're the playoff experienced club. It's a crazy world we live in. Meanwhile, the Heat are a reclamation project. Dwyane Wade 2.0 is a one-man army and the world is his enemy. Something's gotta give.
Is there a series in the 2009 Playoffs -- outside of Lakers v. FearMongers Jazz, that seems less likely to end in an upset? Because I'm pretty sure the answer is "no." (See our predictions, if you don't believe me.) I'll justify the other sweeps like this: Detroit is still Detroit, Boston doesn't have Kevin Garnett and we're all to scared to pick against Dwyane Wade. Of course, a certain post-powered, caped-crusader is the same reason that I'm not even contemplating a Philadelphia win, so maybe it evens out.
Expectations were sky high for the Hornets the season after crashing the conference gates, but injuries and a still-weak bench sunk N.O.'s hopes for true Best of the West contention. Denver meanwhile, picked by many to watch the postseason from the couch, pulled off a coup by landing Chauncey Billups and the No. 2 seed ... a spot where New Orleans expected to land. Can Denver confirm its regular season, or will the Hornets renew their status as elite?
The Lakers versus the Jazz was a competitive and physical second round series a season ago, but this year it looks to be (on paper) one of the most lopsided matchups of the first round. So what's changed? Well, while the Lakers have gotten better with the return of Andrew Bynum, injuries and a lack of continuity have sent the Jazz limping to the finish line.
The Pistons and Cavs have a lot of history together, which is fortunate, because that's the only thing that makes this series the least bit compelling. The Cavs finished the season as the most dominant team in the NBA, leading the league with a franchise record 66 wins and terrorizing opponents with an 8.9 point differential. The Pistons, on the other hand, posted their first losing record since 2001, winning just 18 times in their last 50 games. This could get ugly.
Stick any two teams in a playoff series this season and it will feel glorious. Stick two well-matched teams with star power, stunning talents, opposing strengths, and raucous arenas in a playoff series and the glory has no bounds. Such is the situation with the West's 4-5 battle between Portland and Houston.
FanHouse previews every round of the NBA Playoffs.
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