NBA Rapidfire Report: Top Writers Talk Up the Playoffs

The 2007-08 NBA season is buzzing with subplots and marquee matchups. With so much intrigue I rounded up some of the Bleacher Report's Top Writers to drop in their two cents on the topics of the day. Make sure to look for more Rapid Reports coming every week, each time with new questions and fresh writers, and please chime in with your own comments!

In the tightest West ever, who takes the No. 1 spot and how important is seeding?

Andrew Kneeland (Senior Writer, 58 articles): The popular pick would be Houston, but I'm going to have to say Los Angeles. The Lakers just have too many play makers on their team to be bested by the Rockets. Granted, Houston is on an extremely long streak, but weren't they out of the playoff picture before it started? I don't expect "the streak" to continue much further, and you should see the Houston Rockets come back to earth. Right about that time, Gasol will be back and healthy, and Kobe and Bynum should both be 100% by then. As for seeding, I don't think it really makes that much of a difference. Sure, teams want the highest seeds they can get, but, obviously, they have to play everybody if they want to make it to the Finals. All eight of the potential playoff teams can play extremely good at times, and I don't think you can tell when a certain player is going to have a great game. Seeding shouldn't be that big of a factor this year.

Chad Ridgeway (Contributor, 5 articles): In a West where the top 8 seeds have been separated by a week’s worth of games all season (and the grip only tightening) it's impossible to pick a #1 seed, even this late in the season. The Lakers haven't played good defense. The Rockets can't keep up their pace. The Spurs are surprisingly unsteady but are still boringly good. The Mavs and Hornets could get hot. It's all arbitrary at this point. Seeding, however, is more important than ever.

Erick Blasco (Senior Writer, 82 Articles): As has been the case all season, there are way too many excellent teams in the West to accurately predict the number 1 seed with any degree of certainty. The team that gets healthy and peaks in April will be the number 1 seed in the playoffs.

Seeding is crucial this year, to some teams more than others. The Spurs and Suns are veteran teams that know how to play on the road. Getting low seeding won't cripple those teams in the playoffs. However, teams like Dallas and Utah struggle so much on the road that getting a high seed and home-court advantage is imperative for their playoff successes.

Also, teams that are new to the postseason (New Orleans) are best served by having their first postseason games at home to help adjust to getting acclimated to the physicality and intensity of playoff basketball. With that said, the Spurs and Suns can succeed at any spot while Dallas and Utah need to be at home to win playoff series.

Joe Willett (Columist, 41 articles): I think that the West is going to go to the Lakers.  Andrew Bynum is ready to come back in about a month, Pau is taking some days off which could drop them a little.  The Rockets have to go through a tough schedule over the next few games which will hurt their record, also, they aren't as much of a force without Yao, but the Rockets will definitely make some noise in the playoffs.  San Antonio is also going to be tough to beat and they will be in the race for home-court advantage, but I think, in the end, the Lakers will take home the prize.

Which Western team is the odd man out of the playoffs?

Andrew Kneeland: I'm going to say Denver on this one. I think the Western Conference will stay the way it is right now, and the ninth team right now is the Denver Nuggets. I think that Phoenix will find a way to stop their slide, and the Texas teams, Dallas and San Antonio, will either gain ground or remain where they are in the standings. Golden State is currently (as of Monday the 17th) leading the Nuggets by one and a half games, and are riding a hot streak (8-2 in the last ten games).

Chad Ridgeway:  A month and a half ago it was a battle between Houston, Denver, and Golden State. Now that Houston has rocketed it's way to the top it comes down to the Nuggets and Warriors, and it's a shame that one of these teams won't make an appearance on the big stage. However, Denver hasn’t made a strong case for themselves lately, so they’re out.

Erick Blasco: No team is safe from missing the playoffs, but Denver has the steepest mountain to climb to get in. The Nuggets defense loses focus for prolonged stretches, and they are woeful on the road. Golden State is more consistent and is a tougher defensive team.

Joe Willett: I keep jumping back and forth between the Nuggets and Warriors as the team that will be stuck out of the playoffs.  Looking at the Nuggets, I think that they have a better chance at the playoffs because of the way that either Allen Iverson or Carmelo Anthony can completely take over a game or keep you in games that you shouldn't be in because of bench play or other reasons.  The Warriors face plenty of playoff teams and have a tougher schedule which will also cost them come the end of the season.  So the Warriors will be stuck out of the playoffs this season.

Which under the radar team in the East should we be watching out for in the playoffs?

Andrew Kneeland: The Cleveland Cavaliers. I don't know if they're really "under the radar", but they have quite a few great players on their team now after the blockbuster that sent them Wallace, West, Smith, and Szczerbiak. Oh, and they also have a player named LeBron James. Do I even need to talk about that character? While Cleveland isn't exactly thriving after the big trade, I think the main reason to blame is how little they've played with each other. These are some big name players who are joining one team. I think they will be a lot more comfortable with each other come playoff time. Oh yeah, and the fact that LeBron can rack up 40 points any night is another reason why I like them in the weaker East.

Chad Ridgeway:  None. There will be no first round upsets and, in fact, there will only be two good series in the east. Cavs/Boston in round 2 and then the winner playing the Pistons in the ECF. However, I will say this; with all the hype and melee around the Western conference it's important to remember that Boston and Detroit are just as good as any Western conference contender, and for all the pu’pu’ing that the east takes, the NBA champ could easily come out of that conference.

Erick Blasco: None of them. Boston is clearly the class of the East and Detroit is second. Orlando is much better than Washington and Cleveland shouldn't be fazed by Toronto in the first round. If Philadelphia captures a six seed, they have a chance to knock Orlando out in the first round, but that's the only surprise with a reasonable chance of coming to fruition.

Joe Willett: Look out for the Raptors to surprise a lot of people come playoff time.  They are barely over .500, but they have Chris Bosh dominating the inside, and Jamario Moon is surprising everybody after not even getting drafted.  Andrea Bargnani is scoring in double digits but needs some help when it comes to rebounding, but in the East, anything is possible.

The Rockets went undefeated in February and half of March. What will be their record in the playoffs in April and May?

Andrew Kneeland: As I said before, I don't expect "the streak" to continue much farther. Don't get me wrong, I have absolute and total respect for their team, their players, and their coach for pulling off such a feat. I expect the Rockets to receive the number two seed in the West, and I also expect them to get into the second or even their conference finals. I do not expect, however, to see Houston in the NBA Finals, as they just don't have the depth and experience needed for the Big Game. Were Yao to play again this season however, I reserve the right to change my answer.

Chad Ridgeway:  There has never been, and there never will be, a pro team that wins 22 games in a row yet is still so divisive among fans and analysts alike. Any other playoff team in either conference on such a streak would immediately be considered the favorite to win it all, but since Houston is doing this without their best player they are the most enigmatic team in the playoffs. They are playing like a team of destiny but reality will catch up. They fall to the #7 seed in the playoffs and get outted in 6 games.

Erick Blasco: This depends on a number of factors, including Houston's first round matchup, their health, and whether or not they can reach a higher level when an opponent matches their intensity. With Yao out, the Rockets are woefully undersized to combat the Western Conference's length, and they don't have the post presence to generate open shots by overpowering single teams and forcing double-teams. Also, Tracy McGrady has never had the mindset to initiate contact and finish plays; a trait all other superstars have.

Still, the Rockets play hard and smart every night and never beat themselves. Any postseason team that doesn't bring playoff-level intensity will be smothered in the playoffs.

Joe Willett: As I mentioned earlier, the Rockets are going to be a force come playoff time.  They have Dikembe Mutombo blocking shots like a madman inside, and Tracy McGrady has been a beast and can score at will.  They don't really have any weaknesses because everybody plays their role perfectly on this team.  I would be scared to see what they would be like if Yao hadn't gone down with an injury.  The Rockets will probably make it to the Western Conference Finals, and they could take the whole prize, but I don't like how they match up with the Lakers.

Want to ask a question for next week’s NBA Rapidfire Report? Interested in being on the panel? Email Chad Ridgeway at [e-mail]