Western Conference Semifinals

5/4 Western Conference Semifinals

 

            With the first round over in the NBA playoffs, both the East and West began round two last night.  The West has produced two exciting match ups for the second round of the playoffs.  They are the Hornets against the Spurs and the Lakers against the Jazz.  Both of these series will be long and grueling for all four teams.  I don’t expect any sweeps for either series, but then again, the playoffs thus far have been very unpredictable.

            (2) Hornets vs. (3) Spurs- The first thing that came to my mind when I saw this playoff match up was playoff experience.  It is the young and in-experienced Hornets going up against the veteran and battle-hardened Spurs.  The Spurs have won an NBA title four out of the last nine years.  This includes winning the title last year as they swept the Cavaliers.  Meanwhile, the Hornets have never made it past this round of the playoffs.  This is a significant factor for this series, and it will make a difference.  Giving New Orleans credit, Chris Paul seems impossible to stop right now.  He picked apart the Spurs defense in game one with thirteen assists.  The Hornets also showed that they can shut down Tim Duncan, in my opinion, the best post player in the NBA.  If the Hornets get contributions from all their starters like they did last night, then the Spurs will have a difficult time defending the Hornets.  However, the Spurs did show some signs of life as three out of their five starters scored in double figures.  When the Spurs regroup and get back on track, this series won’t be as easy for the Hornets.  When both teams are playing their best basketball and when you factor in playoff experience, the Spurs are the better team.  I like the Spurs in seven games. 

            (1) Lakers vs. (4) Jazz- At first glance this does not seem like a series that will last more than five games.  The Lakers are red hot right now as they swept the Nuggets in the first round and the Jazz finally finished off the Rockets two nights ago.  When you really pick apart the Jazz though, you can see how they could make this a six or seven game series.  The Jazz have a solid rotation of guys on their team, but especially their starters.  Their five starters are all easily capable of scoring in double figures.  The Jazz have very versatile players like their point guard Deron Williams.  Not only does he distribute the ball, but he scores in bunches and can hit the outside shot.  It is the players like Deron Williams that will give Utah an edge in this series.  On the other side of the court though, the Jazz have to deal with one of the biggest superstars in the NBA.  Believe me, Kobe Bryant lives up to this title as he is the MVP of this season according to reports.  Kobe is unstoppable.  He hits ridiculous shots from all over the court.  For the Jazz to have a chance in this series there needs to be a couple games where they shut Kobe down.  He will make the Jazz pay for loose and lazy defense.  I like the Lakers in six games.