Taking Stock of the NBA Playoffs as the Conference Semifinals Begin

So the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs are finally over and what did we learn?

Series that go seven games can be thrilling like the Bulls and Celtics or they can be dreadful like the Heat and Hawks.

The Nuggets look like a serious contender in the West and it is possible to win a road playoff game by 58 points.

The Lakers are held to the highest standard of all of the playoff teams.  Their two point loss in game three to the Jazz created much speculation about what is wrong with the Lakers when there is not anything wrong with them.  The Jazz are tough to beat in Utah and the Lakers were still one shot away from a sweep.

The Piston team that went to six straight Eastern Conference Finals and the one that got swept by the Cavs are not the same squad.

The Bulls and Blazers are going to be hard to handle next season.

The Spurs are closer to rebuilding then they are to their next title run.

The Mavs are the next team heading into the Denver buzz-saw.

The Rockets can go to the second round of the playoffs.

The Magic can make their three point shots for a game or two and the Sixers are a player or two short.

And the NBA Finals will be Cleveland and LA.

So, how were my first-round picks?  There was one upset, and that was the Mavs over the Spurs in five games.  I picked the Mavs in five over the injury-riddled Spurs.  I also picked the Celtics over the Bulls in seven but had no idea that it would be such a great series. 

I said the Lakers would win but that it wouldn't be a sweep.  I also picked the Rockets to win their series in six games, so if you count the Laker pick as being right on both counts, then I picked four of the series exactly right.

Of the other four, I picked all of the winners (Cavs, Magic, Nuggets and Hawks), I just missed on the number of games.  I thought the Pistons would take one of the games against Cleveland.  I figured the Magic would only lose one time to the Sixers, and that the Hornets would push the Nuggets to the limit and it only went five games.

I also thought that the Hawks would win the series in five or six games, but figured if it went seven that the Hawks would win a tough clincher at home.

Well, they did win Game Seven at home but it, like the whole series, was not close.

So now is the time when I prognosticate the Conference Semifinals. I am a day late with these picks as the second round did start on Sunday with the Nuggets thumping the Mavs.

The Nuggets are deeper then the Mavs and although both teams are playing great ball right now, the Mavs do not have the depth to compete in this series.  They might win game three, like the Hornets did against the Nuggets in the first round, but the Nuggets will win in five games.

If you can get the Mavs and 60 in Game Four then take it.

The Celtics host the Magic in game 1 tonight.  The Celtics were pushed to the limit in the first round and the Magic found out a lot about themselves in their series with Philly.

The safe pick here is the Celtics with their home court advantage and the Magic's youth in these big games.  I'm gonna go with the opposite of safe pick here, the dangerous pick I guess and say that the Magic win it in six games.  It has to be the Magic in six because if it goes seven then that game is in Boston and the Celtics will win it.

That might look like two picks so I want to clarify that the Magic will win it six games.

Unless the series goes seven games.

Oops, did it again.

The Lakers-Rockets series is a good matchup.  The Rockets might have the better big man and they have two great perimeter defenders in Ron Artest and Shane Battier.  The Lakers did win all four in the regular season but this won't be a sweep. 

Look for the Rockets to make this a fun series by stealing game one and pushing it to six games.  In the end, the Lakers just have too much for the Rockets to win this series.

The Cavs and Hawks should have a pretty uninspiring series.  The Cavs will win it in five and if any of the games are good that will be the lone surprise.  Look for four blowout wins by the Cavs and one blowout win by the hawks in Atlanta.

There is my next batch of picks; I am pretty pleased that I picked the eight winners in the first round but do realize I only picked one upset.  I also only picked one upset in the second round.

Unless that series goes seven games, that is.