The Bizniz, Volume 2, Issue 5 ARCHIVE

4/25/06

Please allow me to belatedly throw down an NBA Playoff Preview. As you'll see from some of my picks, I'm no front-runner, either.

Western Conference

I like the Mavs over the Warriors. Despite taking all three match ups this year, I think Golden State is overmatched by the best team in the league, Dallas (Shout to two of my favorite players, though-Baron Davis and Jason Richardson.) I like Phoenix over L.A. Kobe is MONEY but the Suns are too good (Amare was out last year.) Spurs over the Nuggets. Love the Melo/A.I. combo, but the Spurs are still as dangerous as any squad and well-freaking coached. The 4/5 is usually the best match up. I like the Jazz over the Rockets. Again, love the two man combo of T-Mac and Yao, but Utah's 1-5 can run with anybody in basketball. Deron Williams is a top-5 NBA point.

I like the Mavs over the Jazz in round 2. Dirk and Co. are on a mission. Phoenix over San Antonio in a tightly contested, helter-skelter series. Too much firepower (and depth, for once.)

I'm a Suns dude through and through, but Dallas is too good, too experienced, and too pissed from last year. My heart says Suns, and my head almost does, too. Mavs in 7.

Eastern Conference

Pistons over the still-a-year or two-away Magic. LeBron and the Cavs over the Agent Zero-less Wizards. I'll go with popular sentiment and say New Jersey, and their three headed monster of Kid/Carter/Jefferson, over the very green Raptors. And I like the Heat to…well…get hot and beat a really good Bulls team.

Detroit is great but it always seems like they're missing something. I'd pick Miami in an upset if D. Wade was 100%. Alas, he isn't, so the Pistons stumble through and win the series. Cavs/Nets would make for some great television. Jersey is experienced and talented and the Cavs are a little thin. I love LeBron but I'll say he gets cold; the Nets get hot, and take the series.

I like the Pistons, who finally realize their potential, to defeat the upstart Nets. Well-coached and loaded, Detroit puts it together.

NBA Finals

Mavs v. Pistons

Yeah, it's kind of lame to pick both #1 seeds but hey, sue me. The best team in each conference makes it through, though not without being tested. Obviously, the West is head and shoulders above the East. But we all said that last year, too. I picked Dallas last year and they let me down. I'm picking Dallas again this year. To quote our great President, George W. Bush: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice….we won't be fooled again." Dirk Nowitzki leads the Mavs to the crown. It's déjà vu all over again.

Award Winners

The only real question is MVP. Is it Steve Nash or is it Dirk Nowitzki? That's been the query all year. Dirk is the best player on the best team. Dirk went for a Dirk-like 25 and 9 boards. Dude's super-nice, no doubt about it. A silky 7 footer who can fill it up anywhere. Pretty rare. Steve Nash did 19 and 12 dimes per, leading the top offense in basketball. Dirk is certainly indispensable. I still think Nash makes everything run for the Suns. Because he runs the point and makes everyone better directly, he's still the most valuable player in my mind. I think Nowitzki will win it, and you really can't complain. But 3 in a row for a little white Canadian would be pretty cool.

Quote of the Week:

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."
-- Albert Einstein