After 66 regular season games, it comes down to 16 teams, and it takes 16 games to win the NBA championship. Welcome to the 2012 NBA Playoffs. Let's look at the eight first round series that will be played over the next two weeks.
Eastern Conference
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers
Regular Season: Chicago won 2-1
The Bulls made it to the playoffs atop the NBA standings even as Derrick Rose limped throughout the year with a bad ankle. The Sixers started strong, then saw their Atlantic Division title hopes fade late, and had to settle with the eighth seed in the end. The Sixers did beat the Bulls at home early in the season, but the Bulls cranked it up and then stole the series with a pair of gut-wrenchers at home and away. Did the Sixers pick the wrong opponent, or did the Bulls feel poised about facing an opponent with a history of wild mood swings?
Regardless, this series will be rough and tumble similar to what the Pacers did last year to those Bulls. Derrick Rose won't be 100% healthy, but the bench, which had lifted the Bulls all season long, will be up to the task. Philly's Andre Iguodala is an all-star, but doesn't have the closer's mentality that Rose possessed. The frontcourt of Elton Brand, Spencer Hawes, Nik Vucevic, Lavoy Allen and Thaddeus Young is an inexperienced and hurting group, which may not match up well with the Bulls' imposing frontline of Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, Omer Asik and Taj Gibson. The lack of a closer affected the Sixers down the stretch, and unless they can prove that they can win a close game, it may end up as a short series.
(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
Regular Season: Boston won 2-1
This is it for the Celtics. The final go-around for the trio of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. And how appropriate to begin the final run is to face an opponent which pushed them to the limit the first time around in their 2008 championship season. The Atlanta Hawks began their return to prominence with that seven-game first round series with the eventual champions, and they never stopped since, though their history of second-round misery remains a mystery in Atlanta.
The Celtics won the season series 2-1 at the right time, facing the Hawks just as they are getting hot in March and April. Then again, the Hawks are a different team from 2008, though some holdovers remain like Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and the injured All-Star Al Horford. The Hawks under Larry Drew like to pour it on offensively, unlike in Mike Woodson's defense-first approach. The Celtics also changed a lot from 2008, but there's still the Big Three and Rajon Rondo, the lead dogs from that team, and coach Doc Rivers. The hopes for both teams will now rely on their lead stars and their otherwise inconsistent supporting crew, as they look to party like it's 2008 all over again.
(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks
Regular Season: Miami won 3-0
The most physical and 'push to the limit' rivalry in NBA history returns to the big stage after a 12-year absence, but the guys involved are no longer named Mourning, Hardaway, Brown, Ewing , Houston and Johnson. Instead names like LeBron, D-Wade, Bosh, Melo, Amar'e and Linsanity are dominating both cities' headlines. The Knicks and the Heat hate each other, and this year's playoff confrontation mirrors that of their brawling 90s ways.
The Heat have had the Knicks' number for much of recent history, and though Anthony and Stoudemire have attempted to turn it around, the Knicks had bad chemistry, underachieving players and even ugly offensive schemes. That of course was early on, until Mike Woodson arrived and the Knicks were starting to play the right way. Even as Jeremy Lin went down hurt the Knicks' lead supporters Baron Davis, Landry Fields, Iman Shumpert, Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith and Steve Novak were able to pick up the slack. If the Knicks' good play continues into the playoffs, then the Heat will be in a world of trouble. Unless of course, if you're LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh, whose All-Star form speaks to itself, and the Heat's formidable defense being its asset. However, they need LeBron to be at his best closing out games, which didn't work out in last year's playoffs. The Heat need their supporting crew of Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem, James Jones and Shane Battier more than ever if they were to overcome the Knicks, otherwise the ghosts of Allan Houston's 1999 upset axe will continue to haunt Miami.
(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic
Regular Season: Orlando won 3-1
Orlando won three of four in the regular season, but all four of them involved Dwight Howard. Now with Howard on the shelf following season-ending back surgery, how much does Orlando have left? As for the Indiana Pacers, they will try to prove that they are not a one-hit wonder in the playoffs. Last year, they gave Chicago all they could handle before folding in five, and then they continued that impressive performance this year, as they finished with their best showing in eight years.
With Howard out, the Magic decided to play from outside, after leading the league in three-pointers. However, the lack of inside power will be huge for Orlando, as the Pacers boast a three-headed rebounding monster of Roy Hibbert, David West and Tyler Hansbrough, who are willing to mix it up in the paint. Glen Davis is undersized while Daniel Orton and Earl Clark are unproven, so the Magic will need to rely on outside gunners Ryan Anderson, Jason and Quentin Richardson, J.J. Redick, and Hedo Turkoglu (provided he returns from a facial injury) to carry the scoring. The Pacers have two-way offensive guns in Paul George (inside) and Danny Granger (outside), and with George Hill giving a boost as the starting point guard, the Pacers ran roughshod late to finish third in the East. It will be a hard and trying series for the Magic as they try to win without Howard.
Western Conference
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Utah Jazz
Regular Season: San Antonio won 3-1
The Spurs have once again defied time and age to take over the first seed in the West. The Utah Jazz returned to the playoffs after only a year out, but they were a different team than they were two years ago. This is a mismatch, right?
The Spurs still have Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, but they also have players whom they are grooming for the future in Gary Neal, Tiago Splitter, Kawhi Leonard, DeJuan Blair, James Anderson and Danny Green. The addition of Boris Diaw did work wonders, as he worked splendidly with his French national teammate Parker. The Spurs have extensive playoff resumes throughout their roster. Meanwhile the Jazz were flirting with both the lottery and the playoffs during the season before Al Jefferson rescued them in the final week. Jefferson, like some of his Jazz teammates, have little or no experience at all in playoff ball; Jefferson's last playoff minutes were as a Boston rookie. C.J. Miles, Paul Millsap and Raja Bell all have extensive playoff resumes, which will help the Jazz grow as the games go on. Still, the lack of playoff exposure won't help the Jazz in their playoff run, which may last just four or five games depending on performance.
(4) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers
Regular Season: L.A. Clippers won 2-1
Chris Paul's addition boosted the otherwise mediocre Clippers, and enjoyed their best season since their 70s Buffalo heyday. The Grizzlies followed up last year's impressive playoff run by finishing with their best record yet as a team, and will start at home for the first time in their playoff history.
The Grizzlies play a basic and deliberate brand of ball, while the Clippers play razzle-dazzle, thanks to Paul's on-court wizardry. Either way it worked for both, but in the playoffs, only one style will prevail. Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen will serve as foils for Paul, Mo Williams and Randy Foye, while the inside war will pit Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Caron Butler against Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay. The absence of Chauncey Billups will be felt for the Clippers, as he is their ultimate clutch performer per se. Both teams will undoubtedly push themselves to the limits, as this series have the makings of a six or seven-game masterpiece.
(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks
Regular Season: Oklahoma City won 3-1
Last year, the Mavericks rode the broad shoulders of Dirk Nowitzki to a five-game win over the upstart Thunder, en route to the NBA championship. This year is a different story, however, as the Mavs limp to the playoffs while the Thunder gained valuable experience to clinch the second seed. Will the underdog role suit the defending champions well, or will the Thunder write a different script this time?
The absence of Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea was noticeably felt for the Mavericks, and neither Brandan Wright nor Roddy Beaubois was able to fit the bill. Nowitzki was hurt for much of the year, while Jason Kidd had extended trips to the disabled list. Lamar Odom didn't work out and Vince Carter wasn't Vinsanity from '05. The Mavericks are an eyesore from top to bottom, and any hope of repeating may vanish too soon with this kind of roster. The Thunder had little problems whatsoever, though they weren't able to seal the top seed in the West later in the season. They have youth at their side (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden), experienced warriors with rings (Derek Fisher, Kendrick Perkins) and good role players (Nick Collison, Serge Ibaka, Thabo Sefolosha, Daequan Cook). The Thunder's growth will be put to the test against the slumping champions, as they look to erase the memories of last season.
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Denver Nuggets
Regular Season: L.A. Lakers won 3-1
The Lakers put to rest notions of their demise by once again finishing atop the Pacific Division. Kobe Bryant had injury problems for a few games, but still wound up second to Kevin Durant for the scoring lead. Speaking of scoring, the Nuggets led the league in scoring, despite the lack of an All-Star scorer. George Karl knows how to push the right buttons, and the Nuggets, for the ninth straight year, are in the playoffs.
Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are the Lakers' big three, though Gasol slumped during the season while Bynum blossomed to All-Star status before a reported feud with coach Mike Brown diminished his image a bit. The addition of Ramon Sessions gave the Lakers a younger, faster point guard, and he blossomed under the tutelage of Bryant. Though Metta World Peace's suspension will affect the Lakers, Matt Barnes and Devin Ebanks are more than willing to fill the void. The Nuggets lost Nene to the Wizards in a mid-season trade, leaving the door open for Kenneth Faried to blossom. However, the Nuggets frontline will be inexperienced, with Kosta Koufos, JaVale McGee and Timofey Mozgov having logged little or no playoff minutes. Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari, Al Harrington, Arron Afflalo and Andre Miller will again lead the Nuggets' offense, but the lack of capable closers may spell doom for the starless Nuggets. Five or six games may be enough to decide the series.
