NBA Playoffs

10 Storylines Entering the 2010 NBA Playoffs

10. Unfamiliar faces- both the Charlotte Bobcats and Oklahoma City Thunder are making their first playoff appearances in franchise history. This might be where the fun stops for these two new comers. With rosters filled with young, inexperienced players, the Bobcats and Thunder are not expected to make much noise in the playoffs. The Thunder are stuck playing the defending champion L.A. Lakers while the Bobcats are matched up against the defending Eastern Conference champions Orlando Magic. Nobody is giving either one of these underdogs a change, but we will see how these two series play out.

9. Aging Celtics- its seems as though age is finally creeping up with Boston. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen are two years removed from their championship in 2008 and it has begun to show this season. Garnett has been injured much of the last two years and appears this could be the last chance at another title for him. With much of the league getting younger, the window of opportunity seems to be closing on Doc Rivers’ team.

8. Portland without Roy- in a season full of misfortune, the biggest blow to the Trail Blazers playoff run came with the loss of Brandon Roy. He decided to get surgery on his right knee which he injured in the last week of the regular season in a win vs. the Los Angeles Lakers. Without Roy and starting center Greg Oden, veterans Andre Miller and Marcus Camby will need to step up in a big way. The news does not get any better for Portland as they face a red hot Phoenix Suns team in the 1st round.

7. Same Ole’ Spurs- they may not play the most exciting brand of basketball, but the San Antonio Spurs are back to make another run in the postseason. Dampened by injuries for much of the season, the Spurs are finally healthy and at the right time. With the addition of veteran forward Richard Jefferson and rookie DeJuan Blair, the Spurs have the potential to advance deep into the playoffs.

6. Red Hot Mavs- the Dallas Mavericks have to be considered a legitimate contender to dethrone the Lakers as the champion of the west. The key midseason additions of Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShaun Stephensen helped the Mavs close the season with an 8-2 record. Dirk Nowitzki is still searching for his first NBA title and finally has the supporting cast that he has hoped for.

5. Potential for a Lakers/Nuggets semifinal- this matchup would be a rematch of last year’s intense Western Conference Finals. Last year the Lakers defeated the Nuggets in a very physical and exciting series en route to the NBA Championship. With Andrew Bynum coming off injury and a hungry Denver Nuggets team, this matchup in the 2nd round would be very interesting and great for ratings.

4. Wild Wild West- all eight Western Conference playoff teams won 50 games or more in the regular season, which should provide for an exciting and unpredictable few months. Seeds 2 thru 8 are only separated by 5 games, which show the balance in the Western Conference. These teams have been battling each other for seeding and home court for the past several weeks. Other than the 1 vs. 8 matchup in Los Angeles, none of the other outcomes should be considered as true upsets. The only sure thing is the Western Conference is that the winner will have to show up every night and come ready to play, or expect an early exit.

3. Magic Men- can Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic once again prevent King James from winning and a ring. Orlando started off the season slow, but has entered the postseason winning 9 of its last 10 games. Vince Carter has done a great job in filling Hedo Turkuglu’ shoes and the rest of the team seems to be firing on all cylinders. This team is talented, very deep, and has one more year of experience under their belts. All roads seem to be leading to a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals…Superman vs. The King.

2. Can the Lakers Repeat as Champs?- this will be a remarkable task if Kobe can lead his team to back to back titles. He has already shown the ability to accomplish this feat back when the Lakers won 3 consecutive titles (2000-02). The Lakers have virtually the same team as last year, other than the swapping of Trevor Ariza for Ron Artest. Los Angeles does have the talent to repeat, but the rest of the country seems to be doubting the defending champs. Some are predicting the Thunder to give them some trouble in the 1st round and many like the Mavs to come out of the west. You can be assured that Phil Jackson will have his team ready in search of another championship.

1. Kobe vs. Lebron- can the NBA and the rest of the world finally get what they want? There is no beating around the bush in this one; a Lakers vs. Cavs NBA Finals will be one of the most watched NBA Finals in history. Two of the greatest players in the history of the game, Kobe and Lebron would be able to display their talents on the grandest stage of them all. Not to mention, their teams are pretty good as well. The Cavs and Lakers each won their conference and have been two of the most impressive teams throughout the course of the season. With his future in Cleveland up in the air, King James is hungrier than ever to win a ring. This is by far the most talented team that Lebron has had around him. We will see how this situation plays out, but I am sure to expect some type of Nike puppet commercial regardless.