| NBA Basketball Playoffs Rundown | | | | experienced nucleus of stars. Health is really the |
| | | | Spurs biggest obstacle in my opinion, even bigger |
| With the month of March being dominated by college | | | | than the Mavs. |
| hoops, it's easy to lose sight of what's going on in | | | | The east is still up for grabs in every sense of the |
| the big leagues of basketball. With roughly two | | | | phrase. Any team which happens to click when the |
| weeks remaining in the NBA regular season four | | | | playoffs begin is just as likely to catch fire and get to |
| Eastern Conference teams and five Western | | | | the NBA Finals as any other team. Because the east |
| Conference teams have clinched playoff spots. | | | | is so weak, I think you have to make the |
| The Central division shaped up to be the strongest in | | | | experienced teams like the Pistons and the Heat your |
| the east with Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago all | | | | favorites. The Chicago Bulls have the third best |
| securing spots early in the postseason. The Raptors | | | | record in the Central Division but the best record |
| are the other team out east to clinch in the very | | | | against Central Division teams at 11-4 this season. |
| weak Atlantic division. | | | | Detroit is just 7-6 against the Central which is just |
| Out west, the Southwest Division remains the | | | | one-game better than the lowly Pacers in the loss |
| strongest with all three Texas teams making the | | | | column. However, the Bulls are too reliant on |
| postseason. Dallas has a nine-game lead on second | | | | perimeter scoring and haven't shown consistent |
| place San Antonio and a 15-game lead on third place | | | | enough play on the road to have us believe they |
| Houston. Other teams making noise out west are the | | | | could get to the Finals. |
| Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz who are the only | | | | Cleveland also has a better record that Detroit within |
| teams to have clinched division titles already. | | | | the division at 9-5. They won a playoff series last |
| I could talk about the teams remaining who will be | | | | season, and they have an interior scorer in Ilgauskas. |
| fighting for those final spots in each conference, but | | | | However, the Cavs won their first playoff series in |
| I think I'll save my breath as none of those teams | | | | recent memory against one of the worst defensive |
| have a chance with the exception of Miami, and that | | | | teams in the NBA in Washington, and James just had |
| is contingent upon Dwayne Wade's health and | | | | a visit from the injury bug with knee tendonitis flaring |
| performance. | | | | up. The Pistons are a great defensive team with |
| Let's cut straight to the chase. When you last paid | | | | balance and depth who have been there and done |
| attention to the NBA, it was Phoenix and Dallas in the | | | | that. Miami also has unmatched experience and the |
| west and the east was probably still wide open. You | | | | Eastern Conference's most dominant player. And I'm |
| may have penciled in Detroit who owns the best | | | | talking about Shaq. If Shaq wasn't injured for much |
| record in the Eastern Conference by a slim margin | | | | of the first half of the season Washington would be |
| and has tons of playoff experience. Not a lot has | | | | left in the dust by the Heat right now. More injuries |
| changed, but San Antonio and Houston have played | | | | will be the only thing from keeping the Heat away |
| as well as any team in the second half making | | | | from another date with the Piston's in the |
| themselves viable NBA Finals contenders. The most | | | | Conference Finals. |
| dominant team in the NBA this decade decided to | | | | There's your rundown. The same things we thought |
| kick it into gear in the second half and Yao Ming's | | | | heading into the season have held up throughout it. |
| return has greatly benefited the Rockets as | | | | It's Dallas, San Antonio, and Phoenix in the west and |
| expected-much to the dismay of basketball | | | | Miami and Detroit in the east. As compelling as sports |
| know-it-alls who said Houston was better off without | | | | reporters try to make stories like the Warriors' late |
| him. I know Dallas and Phoenix have garnered much | | | | push, I'm just not that interested. It's about these |
| of the attention, but don't count either of the other | | | | teams at the top. One of them will have a chance to |
| Texas teams out in the west, especially San Antonio | | | | win the title while one of the other will make an early |
| who plays the best defense in the league and has an | | | | exit. |