This year's NBA playoffs have been one of the most exciting in years, with the parity and crazy competetiveness in the West and the Celtics return to glory in the East, there are just so many fantastic storylines and close battles to follow. To start things off, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol have lead the Lakers to a 2-0 lead over the Denver Nuggets early in their series. The Nuggets' inability to focus and play hard on defense have just killed them, as we all knew it would. They have loads of star offensive talent and some good overall depth, and they play at a blinding pace that puts up big points in a hurry, but their lack of defense just makes it almost impossible to win games. Teams are putting up 120 on them on a regular basis. Kobe also came out big time in Game 2 with a fantastic 49 point performance, and Gasol had 36-16-10 in Game 1, so L.A. is getting huge contributions from both superstars. The Lakers play great defense, they have great depth around Kobe, and last of all, they have the best player in the NBA in Kobe Bryant, just a vicious and unstoppable scoring machine. Pau has been the big difference, scoring plenty in the post and helping the offense flow with more fluidity thanks to his pretty passing. Lamar Odom has provided his usual versatility on the offensive end and Derek Fisher has been a great leader. Luke Walton is a valuable glue guy off the bench, along with Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf. Allen Iverson has poured his heart out and put up great scoring numbes as usual for the Nuggets, and JR Smith has been a huge scoring boost off the bench, but noone is playing defense. Melo has been good, not great, and Kenyon Martin has been up and down. Denver's next game at home will determine who wins this series...it's already a known fact that the Nuggets can score, but if they don't buckle down on defense in Game 3, than Denver will be going home in the 1st once again and the heat on George Karl's seat should be pretty hot. Melo might also be on the trading block, as he hasn't been able to lead this team and get them to play over the top. We'll see what happens, at least these games should be entertaining.

An undermanned Houston team lead by Tracy McGrady, who actually hasn't ever gotten out of the 1st round, just in case you haven't heard that one before:), is down 2-1 to the Utah Jazz after gutting it out for a surprising victory at Energy Solutions Arena last night. The Jazz are a better overall team because the Rockets are lacking their dominate center, Yao Ming, but Tracy has been elevating his game to the superstar standards we are used to seeing from him and the role players have stepped up to make the team competetive. Houston really missed Rafer Alston in the first two games in Houston, where the Rockets lost both, but Houston got him back for the 1st one in Utah and he made a huge difference, running the offense well and hitting outside shots. T-Mac got a lot of blame for sub-par 4th quarters in the 1st two home losses, but with the talent difference between these two teams everyone on the Rockets has to play a near-perfect game to have a chance to win. McGrady did pick it up majorly in the 4th, with 7 points, in the win at Utah. The Jazz have a deadly pick and roll combo going with unstoppable point guard Deron Williams and the strong Carlos Boozer, who also has an effective mid-range shot. Utah also has a bevy of players I like to call assassins, or otherwise average guys who can shoot and seem to always hit the big shots that just kill the opponent's momentum. Mehment Okur is a matchup nightmare with his size and his three point shot, Matt Harping is a bully of a player who always muscles his way around for 10-12 points, Kyle Korver has one of the prettiest shots in the NBA, and even high octane backup point Ronnie Price has hit some backbreaking three pointers. Utah also has a great inside bench player in Paul Milsap and a rising star in super-athlete Ronnie Brewer. They are just a deeper and better team, but Houston gets by with excellent defense and fantastic efforts from bench players to complement the scoring of T-Mac. Luis Scola and Carl Landry are two draft surprises picked up in the 2nd round this year, and both have been huge. Scola is a deadly scoring threat and he plays harder than anyone, while Landry is one of the strongest finishers in the league. Rafer has played the best ball of his career, especially during that amazing 22-game winning streak, and he's a vital leader for this team. Bobby Jackson gives the team a frenetic source of energy and outside shooting off the bench, Shane Battier is the team's best defender and a deadly spot-up shooter, while the amazing Dikembe Mutombo has found new energy in his old bones and been an incredible inspiration to his teammates, blocking shots and getting boards like the old days. It will be a tough task to win two in a row on the road in Utah, but with the heart and toughness this Houston team shows I think they have a good shot. They finally got Utah for the 1st time in 5 tries, and with T-Mac getting started in the 4th I see this as going to 7 and Houston pulling out an amazing comeback win.

The San Antonio Spurs already have a 3-0 lead on a Phoenix Suns team that was really hopin that this would be the season they came over the top and had a shot at the title; that's why they got Shaq, to battle big men like Tim Duncan on defense. The Suns haven't played poorly overall in this series, but after losing Game 1 in double overtime, which was perhaps the best Game 1 of all time, it just seemed like that was a punch in the gut and they have had a tough time recovering. That, and the Spurs have played some absolutely amazing basketball, the kind they usually do come playoff time. The way they are brutally efficiently murdering the Suns, I can easily see them putting up another championship banner. Duncan hitting a three to send Game 1 into double overtime really set the tone here. Parker has had his best playoffs as a pro, continuing the beautiful show he put on in last year's Finals and scoring at will with his speed and elusive moves. Duncan has been Duncan, consistent domination in the low post, while Manu Ginobli has been doing the usual scoring and big shot hitting. Steve Nash appears to be finally wearing down, and I have a sad feeling his time in the league is running out. He still has an amazing mastery of the court and a great outside shot, but physically he's having a tough time. Grant Hill and Leandro Barbosa have been offensive no-shows, while Raja Bell has had some difficulty guarding Ginobli. Amare Stoudemire is dominating like usual, but is the only one player consistently scoring big points. And Shaq hasn't made that much of an impact because he's been in a lot of foul trouble and Phoenix players haven't been hitting enough outside shots, so his production and surprisingly decent free throw shooting have been negated. I don't think the Suns have enough left, and their role players aren't playing well enough, to come back and even win a game in this series, let alone win the whole thing.

The New Orleans Hornets, the surprise team of the NBA this year, take on the 7-seed Dallas Mavericks, who finally came together to end the regular season and played the best ball they had played since the controversial Jason Kidd trade. A lot of people were picking Dallas because of the playoff inexperience of the Hornets, but Dallas is not a complete team mentally and they don't have a great big man. I just think New Orleans has more talent, and Kidd doesn't stand a chance guarding Chris Paul, who I think is already the best point guard in the league. Paul is so fast and unstoppable off the dribble, he controls the floor like Steve Nash, has consistent 12-18 assist games, and can take over games with his scoring and outside touch as well. He needs to work on his outside shooting a little bit more but is already the best point guard in the NBA, and Kidd doesn't have the legs anymore to guard him. He is the reason I'm picking New Orleans to finish what they have started in grabbing a 2-1 series lead and put Dallas out, because he has not played like this is his 1st playoffs. The Hornets destroyed Dallas in the 1st two games, but the Mavs responded at home, where New Orleans hasn't won since '98, and Dirk played fantastic to lead them to a victory. David West needs to score about 20 with his midrange excellence, Tyson Chandler needs to play with a ton of energy as far as blocking shots and getting dunks, and Peja needs to drain the open threes he is sure to get. These are all things NO did in the 1st two games but didn't do in Game 3. The bench scoring of Bonzi Wells and Jannero Pargo is also vital for New Orleans, because they don't have a whole lot when the starting 5 goes out. Dallas needs Dirk to play like a superstar everynight, like he did in Game 3, and for Jason Kidd to push the ball and get the team easy buckets like the J-Kidd of old. Josh Howard needs to snap out of his slump and start scoring, and Jason Terry needs to hit his outside shots. Whether it's the strong Erik Dampier or the undersized but quicker Brandon Bass, Dallas also needs a big man to step up and play well against Chandler and Hilton Armstrong, who will play some for the Hornets just to match the bulk of Dampier. I think this will be a pretty even series but Chris Paul won't let his team lose.

I'll breeze quickly through the Eastern Conference, where I see Boston coming out, just not so particularily unscathed after dropping one in Atlanta in Game 3. I thought the Celtics would blow by the Hawks easily; they are an inexperienced, undisciplined, and can't shoot the ball consistently. Boston has the best big three in the NBA, led by the super-intense Kevin Garnett, sharpshooter Ray Allen, and all-around scorer Paul Pierce. The offensive emergence and increased confidence of Rajon Rondo has also been huge in Boston's breakthrough, along with the improved play of big man Kendrick Perkins and bench guys like Leon Powe, Glen Davis, and James Posey. They are a complete team that has a balanced offense that can score in a variety of ways, fantastic defense, and the best leadership of any team around. Lots of playoff hunger, and I just didn't think Atlanta would be able to match the execution and the bodies Boston would send at them. For the 1st two games, Boston dominated exactly as I thought. But the athletic and energetic Hawks, led by sky walker Josh Smith, who has emerged into an amazingly entertaining player, came back and flat out controlled the intensity in one of the best crowds to see a Hawks game ever. Should be an entertaining series now, but with all the good vets on this team Boston will regain their form and control the rest of the series. Cleveland relies way too much on Lebron, the rest of the supporting cast is inconsistent at best, but the Wizards don't play consistent defense and they have too many selfish one-on-one players. Neither of these teams is elite, especially with Washington having a hobbled Gilbert Arenas, but just to see Lebron is reason enough to watch. Cleveland has a 3-1 lead, and Lebron won't let them lose it. The most irrelevant series in the entire playoffs is Orlando versus Toronto, where neither team has a legit shot at the title. Dwight Howard is the best young big man in the game, a vicious rebounder and monster finisher around the basket, but Chris Bosh should give him a run for his money with his offensive skills and exceptional quickness and length. Should be an entertaining individual matchup, but the series will probably depend on the point guard battle, between Orlando's Jameer Nelson and whoever plays for Toronto (TJ Ford or Jose Calderon). Hedo Turkoglu will also have to continue his very impressive scoring. Neither of these teams is very complete or consistent, but some talented young big men are on display. Orlando is up 3-1, but if Toronto can push it and get Orlando out of their post up game they can get back in it. And finally, the Philadelphia 76ers are tied 2-2 with the aging Detroit Pistons. The Pistons are viewed all over as a team that has a bad habit of playing nonchalant basketball, but they can turn on the switch at any time. They still have tons of veteran experience and clutch talent/chemistry, but the young, athletic 76ers are eager to overtake them. So far, Phila. has played with a reckless energy and at a blinding pace that has made Detroit look like they are playing in quicksand. Turnovers and careless offense/defense have hurt Detroit, and they are far from the same team that they were a couple years ago, but the 76ers are also far from perfect and they struggle to shoot and score in the halfcourt, lacking a true offensive big man. Detroit should be able to pick it up and control the rest of this series, they have more talent and valuable playoff experience. They are not the elite team they used to be though, and I see them losing in the 2nd round.