NBA playoffs

So, the NBA playoffs are set to kick off tomorrow at 3pm eastern time. I, for one, can barely contain my excitement. I know a lot of other people aren't that interested in basketball, and haven't been since the advent of the "athletic," high flying, new school game. Sure, players get away with travels that would've probably been called even 15 short years ago. And sure, some of the pretty sky-hooks and mid-range jumpers that were the trademarks of the stars in the Celtics heyday are virtually extinct. But the loss of these spectacles has been supplemented by some equally excellent plays. The near half-court three pointer that you can see Kobe Bryant and Mike James spotting up for regularly is a source of excitement. The dunks are more thunderous. Though the "tricky" plays may be relegated to the likes of defensively challenged players like reigning MVP Steve Nash, the overall athleticism serves me with at very least an adequate replacement. I, for one, can't get enough of Shaq leaning on his man into capitulation. Kobe has elevated his game to almost unprecedented levels. No, we all know the man doesn't have the leadership capabilities of the man he's been compared to throughout his career.


But, he may well have surpassed him in the ability to create a shot anywhere on the floor. Though usual suspects AI, T-Mac, KG, B-Diddy, and the Truth are all absent from this year's competition, there are first timers/MVP candidates Elton Brand and the King, LBJ to replace them. My personal picks to watch: Nowitzki, Carmelo, Arenas, Sheed, Shaq, Kobe, and, of course, crazy RonRon Artest. These games are going to be classics, but there can only be one winner. This year the obvious pick is the Pistons. The slight underdog is the Spurs. The winner will be.................The Pistons. The only team that has a chance to challenge Detroit's comparative youth, offensive firepower and defensive intensity over a five game series: The Dallas Mavericks. People have been calling Nowitzki soft for his entire career. Maybe they're right. But if they say that about the rest of the players on his team, watch out. And enjoy!