Atlanta Hawks

How many games did you think the Chicago Bulls or Philadelphia 76ers would win in their first playoff match ups? Many NBA fans seen Boston and Orlando having an easy time in the first round; yet each team has lost a game to this point in the series. The 76ers are a very talented bunch of kids and they are a lot like the Portland Trail Blazers. The Trail Blazers and 76ers may just advance to the 2nd round and some people may have thought these 2 teams were too young. Factor in the youth for the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks and you have 2 more teams with a lot of youth in the 2009 NBA playoffs.

I’m not sure if it is a surprise with all of these young teams playing so well. The NBA has become a much younger league over the years and perhaps we are starting to see that this year. I think the teams sporting experience isn’t a cherish commodity right now in hoops and most NBA franchises want the next Kobe Bryant or Dwayne Wade. You can build teams around players like these and they both have the ability to carry a team on their back. If anyone seen Brandon Roy or Ben Gordon playing lately; you will see that the young guys can carry a team well too. Brandon Roy is playing great basketball right now for the Portland Trail Blazers and every team in the league would love to have this guy. If you watched Derrick Rose in Game 1 for the Chicago Bulls or seen Ben Gordon’s performance in a losing effort in Game 2, you will quickly realize that the Bulls have a legitimate playoff team. The Boston Celtics do not have home court advantage anymore in their series with the Bulls and Chicago may just advance to the 2nd round.

Before we start handing out championships to the young and talented teams around the league; let’s keep in mind that the best team this year (record wise) is the Los Angeles Lakers. They are in firm control with their playoff series against the Utah Jazz. They have veterans Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, and Lamar Odom leading them to the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs in strong fashion. A few young guys like Bynum and Ariza are chipping in for the Lakers but look for the veterans to continue to step it up out in LA.

The San Antonio Spurs is another veteran team that you can’t count out right now. They are playing the Dallas Mavericks and the winner of this first round series has a shot at a NBA title this year. Manu Ginoboli is not going to be around for the Spurs this year, but they do find ways to get things done and no big surprise if they beat the Mavs in this series. The Dallas Mavericks have their own talented core of veterans playing well for them, so this is one of the better first round match ups we have going on right now. I think the winner of this series will be a team that could give the Lakers a run for their money. I’m sure Chauncey Billups isn’t done in Denver yet and he has that unique ability to carry a team on his back. You don’t have to do a lot of carrying when Kenyon Martin and Carmelo Anthony are on your team. The Nuggets are another team that will be tough to beat in a 7 game series and it won’t be a easy task for the team that does it.

The Western Conference is lacking Tracy McGrady and Manu Ginoboli in this year’s playoffs. We also have no Steve Nash, Shaquille Oneal, or Amare Stoudamire because the Phoenix Suns didn’t even make the playoffs this year. In the Eastern Conference you are probably aware that the Boston Celtics are playing without Kevin Garnett. It seems this is a touchy subject for Doc Rivers and he has already stated boldly that he won’t answer no more KG questions; which only leave fans and reporters with more questions. In an unrelated matter, Danny Ainge even suffered a mild heart attack and isn’t feeling too well for the Celtic’s brass.

Are there surprises in this year’s NBA playoffs? Or is this just the excitement we get every year from the professional league of basketball that we like to watch so much? I think David Stern and company have to be pleased with all the action to this point and I know they hope to see a couple of teams keep advancing. It’s no secret that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers would be the perfect championship game for the NBA this year. I’m not sure either one of these teams can make it the full distance with so much competition that remains. I do see the Lakers in the final series of the season, but too many hungry teams in the East, are ready to take LeBron James and his team down. I don’t think the Cavs will represent the East this year and we may see an upset coming soon.

Who are the final two teams you see in the 2009 NBA Championship Series?

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