Will Gasol and the Lakers emerge from one of the deepest playoff fields in history? Not without some drama. (Pic via laweekly.com)
The NCAA Tournament is known as the Mecca of postseason tournaments. The 2010 Big Dance featured an amazing first week of action, but things quickly went downhill. Sloppy games, bad execution, and the tendency of teams not advance by playing slightly less crappy than their opponent made the final rounds of the tournament a disappointment. The Final Four lacked intrigue—no matter how the National Media tried to spin it.
Under normal circumstances, the NBA playoffs would never be able to match the entertainment value of the NCAA Tournament. The 2010 NBA playoffs could be a different story.
There is no shortage of compelling storylines heading into the postseason. In the Eastern Conference, LeBron meets Chicago—a team that should make a strong push to acquire his services this summer—in the first round. The Bobcats, a team with a stunning collection of knuckleheads, including Stephen Jackson, look to pull a huge upset on Orlando. They have the talent and the swagger to pull it off, much like when Captain Jack’s Warriors shocked the top-seeded Mavs in 2003. Atlanta gets little love, but should be a factor in the East with Jamal Crawford and Josh Smith as the catalysts.
The Western Conference features eight teams with 50 wins in what is perhaps the deepest postseason field in NBA history. An abundance of interesting matchups highlight the parity—and uncertainty—of the West. Kevin Durant leads the upstart Thunder against the slumping Lakers. Phil Jackson has already started to play mind games against Durant, a sign that he is worried. The Lakers signed Ron Artest as a designated defender against the best wing players in the NBA. After an inconsistent season, Ron-Ron faces a huge challenge. Durant seems poised to take the next step to superstardom; he could author an upset if Kobe isn’t 100%.
Utah and Denver collide in what should be a high-scoring, thrilling series. Portland faces Phoenix without Brandon Roy. Nobody has played better than the Suns in recent weeks, but the Blazers are feisty and experienced. A First Round win could produce a Willis Reed moment, with Roy attempting to return just weeks after knee surgery. Finally, Dallas and San Antonio meet in what looks like mismatch on paper. The Spurs played the regular season to get to the postseason, now is when they will turn up the heat. The Mavs could make a run at the NBA Title—or they could lose in the First Round.
The Playoffs figure to feature upsets, close games, and plenty of drama. And unlike this year’s NCAA Tournament, the quality of play should be consistently high.
Things could get ugly this summer, but for right now at least, basketball fans will be treated to one of the most entertaining NBA Playoffs in a long, long time.
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