Ten Reasons Why This Could Be the Best Playoffs Ever

column by AJ

Every April, as the madness of the previous month subsides, basketball junkies everywhere dwell in the relative lull of the regular season’s final weeks before settling in for a whole ‘nother kind of playoff hoops. Over the next month and a half we’re treated to the best basketball on the planet; the sport’s finest players fighting for its ultimate prize. Gruelling battles are fought, rivalries are forged, stars and dynasties are born. It’s always beyond entertaining but this postseason has the potential to be among the best in history. From compelling matchups to personal performances and more, here’s a few of the best reasons why amazing will happen this spring:

10. We (hopefully) Won’t Hear Anything about the Sonics or Knicks

These are two sorry-ass teams whose fans are being completely and unabashedly fucked by their owners, one of whom has been secretly plotting to sell the team, the other who only recently has taken the proper steps towards resolving crippling dysfunction within the organization. Even though they’ve been playing gross basketball all year, we’ve been treated to a Sonics and Knicks media barrage all season; stories that would be more gripping if these teams weren’t so irrelevant. With their seasons finally ending and much more important matters at hand, I hope I’m not jinxing anything by saying we shouldn’t be hearing about them ‘til draft night.

9. Dallas’ Defense of their Dignity

Several weeks ago I called out Dallas; basically said their season was over and hinted at the possibility of blowing them up in the offseason. While I still don’t think they’ll win the title (or easily make it out of the first round, if at all), they’ve been putting up more of a fight lately than I thought they were capable of, recently knocking off the Warriors, Suns and Jazz. Dirk’s been playing with an unusual level of inspiration in leading his squad to a playoff berth, so maybe the Mavs can prove me wrong. It’ll be interesting to see if these postseason pushovers, within the very small window the Kidd trade’s presented them, can pull off a deep run. If they can play like they did in the ’06 West Finals and win a few series, it’ll be fun to watch. If they don’t? We can always resort to making fun of them.

8. We’ll See Chris Paul Play More than During the Entire Regular Season

Everyone’s spent this season waiting for the Hornets to flame out and fall from the top of the Western standings, but with less than a handful of games left, Paul’s nothing-short-of-ridiculous play has kept them above the fiercest regular season battle ever. He plays a pure, complete and dominant game that we should all be thankful to see more of after his scarce regular season TV appearances as his team seems set for at least two rounds.

7. Kevin’s Quest

Kevin Garnett spent the first decade-plus of his career playing harder than just about anyone in the league for an organization that gave him little in return. He spent his prime labouring in Minnesota while Duncan won rings, Webber came close and he hardly got a whiff of life beyond the firstround. Years of frustration took their toll on a man who, despite his faithfulness to the T-Wolves was visibly growing weary of carrying a mediocre team. About two seasons too late, he was dealt to a better team in a weaker conference and after a regular season in which consistency and compatibility were never questions among Boston’s Big 3, KG’s primed for his first playoff run as something more than afringe contender. Playing with two more all-stars also seeking their first title, Garnett’s looking to seize what might be one of his last shots at a ring.

6. Upset Central

This season’s playoffs figures to play out more like an NCAA bracket, especially out West where an average of less than a game separates each seed. Every team is dangerous; no team is safe, every matchup will be compelling and potentially upsetting. Even out East, wild cards like Philadelphia and Toronto are more than capable of stinging a team like Orlando or Cleveland, not to mention the Wiz who will bring Gilbert off the bench as the ultimate playoff x-factor.

5. Witnessing

Despite the consistent inconsistency of Cleveland’s 2^nd-12^th men, it’s virtually guaranteed that Lebron James will do something incredible this spring. He could win one, two, even three series with little help, he’ll drop nice dimes, huge dunks, maybe another 25 straight on the Pistons. The man (he can hardly be looked upon as a kid anymore) has never disappointed in the playoffs; his level of play rising along with the stakes. No guarantees that Wally’s game will be on point, but trust the King will bring it and enjoy the show. Lebron’s been playing the best ball of his career this year, and always manages to outdo himself in the second season, so something big’s about to happen.

4. Western Promises

Although there’s plenty of uncertainty as to how the West is going to play out, there’s no doubt that many storied rivalries will be stirred up and born anew along the way. Phoenix and the Lakers (whom every playoff team from the early 00’s is still waiting to wax) already hated each other before the Shaq trade, which despite his and Kobe’s insistence otherwise, adds another dimension. Phoenix also has it out for San Antonio, who needed to blow up Steve Nash’s nose, get two key players suspended, and the Tim Donaghy factor to eliminate them last year. Dallas and San Antonio are longstanding powerhouses who’ve squared off many times before, one with something to prove, the other something to defend. With so many upstart contenders fiercely competing among the bitter rivals, almost any series could become a physical contest that escalates into an all-out war.

3. The Maybe Somewhat Not-So-Small Chance of a Lakers/Celtics Finals

Every basketball fan has to feel a little nostalgic that this has a decent chance of happening (even one like me who was cuddling a Cabbage Patch the last time it did). It would be a
boost in Finals ratings and revenue that the league badly needs it after last year’s dud, and would make for one hell of a likely seven-game series. The Big Three vs. Kobe, the former seeking their first ring, the latter what might as well be his, which brings me to:

2. Kobe’s Transcendence

Mr. Michael Jeffrey Jordan was 29 the first time he hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy with the Chicago Bulls. A player who despite his two-way brilliance had once been seen as a selfish scorer who was never able to lead a team to its ultimate goal, he was about to begin a reign as the greatest winner in modern team sports. Kobe Bean Bryant (haha no joke, that’s actually his middle name), now 29, is seeking his first ring without the The Big __________, himself having been called a selfish scorer and poor leader, looking rather lonely since Diesel left. Before this season, the league’s most talented player was faced with a serious crossroads in his career, manning a squad that many penned for the lottery who couldn’t trade him for equal value. So he became it’s most valuable and by trusting his fellow players, pushed the Lakers to damn near the top of the best conference ever through early turmoil and late injuries. Bryant now leads young, deep squad into the playoffs, seemingly on the cusp of truly meriting those Jordan comparisons he’s heard for years, and as is always the case with the Mamba, it’ll be worth tuning in for.

1. It’s Anyone’s Trophy

With no fewer than six teams holding legit claims as contenders and innumerable landmines for them to dodge, we’re going to see some unreal competition. No team will ride the shoulders of a star to the finals and be swept this year; that shit won’t fly. Whoever wins the title this year will have triumphed over a wide-open field full of both young and experienced, fast-paced and half-court, high-scoring and defensive-minded teams that collectively represent the most interesting title chase we’ve seen in a long time.

There’s plenty more reasons to tune in to these playoffs; it’ll be fun to watch the Nuggets try to drop 150/game for a series, T-Mac try to get out of the first round, or anyone try to steal homecourt from the Jazz. Add it all up, and even if your squad goes down in the first round (God be with the Cavs), everyone’s going to have something to cheer about this spring.

Christians 5 "storylines to watch":

1. The quest for mo' rings: Shaq goes for 5, Horry goes for 8, Sam Cassel goes for 3..Kapono goes for 2?
2. The Utah Jazz, period.
3. T-Mac's inevitable, heartfelt, first round playoff series LOSS.
4. Injured reserve to serious factor? Bynum, Gibson, Stackhouse, Brian Cook?!
5. The Phoenix Suns getting revenge from last year...hopefully THROUGH the Spurs
   

I also found the need to drop this...and no this isn't their starting lineup (God? Hi it's me Pat Riley..thanks for the chip' a couple years back, but I have another favor. What will it take to get me the #1 pick?)

Miami Heat
Updated	Player	Pos	Injury	Expected Return
04/05/2008	Dwyane Wade	SG	Knee	Out for the season
12/20/07	Alonzo Mourning	C	Knee	Out for the season
04/06/08	Marcus Banks	PG	Hamstring	Out for the season
04/05/08	Alexander Johnson	SF	Head	Questionable for remainder of the season
04/03/08	Shawn Marion	PF	Back	Out for the season
04/12/08	Kasib Powell	SF	Leg	Probable for April 13 at Cleveland
03/19/08	Udonis Haslem	PF	Ankle	Out for the season
03/03/08	Dorell Wright	SF	Knee	Out for the season