The NBA Playoffs

Danny and I will disagree on this but I will come out and say it, I love the NBA playoffs. I love the intensity of the games. I love that they have 3 or 4 games on in a day sometimes. I even love how long they are and the drama that builds with each game. At the end of the day its more basketball and you won't find me complaining. As I watch the Jazz-Lakers game, here are some thoughts I have about the playoffs so far:

-I feel bad for Utah, but as I watch this game I've said to myself, "am I wasting my time?" This Lakers team looks incredible. They're playing horrible right now and are only down 1 in the fourth quarter. Watching this series is almost like watching the older brother play the younger the brother. The older brohter lets the younger brother get a basket every now and then to make them feel special and so theyll feel like they have a chance. Once he builds them up, he pulls out the full arsenal of moves and leaves the little one in the dust. Unfortunatley for Utah, they can't pick up their ball and go home.

-Since consistency is important, and baseball players get accused of this all the time, I'll just come out and say it, Chauncey Billups must be on steroids. Don't get me wrong, I've always thought he was a great player, but this guy has put up over 30 points in back to back games, hit jumpshots, going to the basket, and spinning around the league's BEST POINT GUARD! He's done all that, and made Chris Paul look human. Maybe he's one of the 103 players that wasn't named on the infamous list that A-Rod was on? Whatever the case, I'm enjoying watching him. It also warms my heart that the man he was traded for, Allen Iverson, told the Pistons he would rather retire then play on the bench (when they were clearly better without him) and how his team looks like a JV team against the Cavs, while Chauncey Billups is leading the 2nd best team in the West (a much tougher confrence), is teaching Chris Paul how to play playoff basketball, and yet, you haven't heard one word from Billups about it. He just goes out there, and plays his game. AI could learn something from Mr. Big Shot.

-Orlando may be one of the most overrated teams I've seen in quite some time. I keep hearing things like "Dark Horse of the East" but every time I watch them I think "is this really it?" I really feel like Dwight Howard's lack of a post game has been exposed against Philly. Here's what's wrong with that sentence, Philly isn't in the playoffs if they play in the Western Conference. I've also heard the whole, "well he doesn't get the ball enough!" argument. Here's my issue, the great big men who have played in the NBA were able to get the ball in the post and went to work. They weren't great because they had 15 dunks every game. Until I see a few more drop-steps, hooks, etc. the Magic might be in trouble. And so here is the controversial statement of this article, on the offensive end, I think Dwight Howard is overrated.

-I'm not sure if people understand how good Brandon Roy really is. The man just put up 42 points against two of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, Ron Artest and Shane Battier. With that, he's basketball's version of a five-tool player. He drives, he can drive and pull up, hit the 3, play some D, handles the ball, and can play the 3, 2, or if need be the 1. This Portland team will be in the playoffs for a long time to come.

-It's looking like we're going to see a Cavs-Lakers Finals, which I think could be a good one. The Kobe-Lebron matchup is always a fun one, although I think Mo Williams will be the X-Factor of that series if it happens. I've still got the Lakers winning it all, but I'm hoping for something different. Let me know what you think.....