2009 NBA Playoffs - The East
by The Stinger on Apr.18, 2009, under Basketball
The NBA Playoffs kick off this weekend and there are quite a number of teams with claims to the title. Let’s have a look at the Eastern Conference matchups.
1-Cleveland v 8-Detroit
Cleveland have one of the most complete players to have ever played the game in Lebron James. He should be named the MVP of the season and comes to play most every night. This year his supporting cast is a bit better. With Williams, West, Varejao, Ilgauskus, Gibson, Wallace and Smith, this is a team that is deep and dangerous.
But speaking of dangerous you can’t discount the experience factor of the Pistons. Their team may have lost a few of the championship players but they still have quality. Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Prince, McDyess and Stuckey are all great players and if they all got going could cause trouble. The big loss is Iverson. If he was healthy Detroit would have a better chance.
2-Boston v 7-Chicago
The Celtics still have the nucleus of last years championship team albeit a little more banged up. The big question mark is can the Celtics cover the loss of Kevin Garnett. By all reports he may be done for the season. So that means that Paul Pierce, Rondo, Allen and Perkins & Co. have to step up another level. Garnett brings an intensity and emotion to the game that is hard to match. They need to find that from somewhere. Stephon Marbury might be the x-factor in this series.
The Chicago playoff teams of old are a thing of the past. This team is still developing and is very inexperienced. Ben Gordon is a star but his supporting cast is very unstable. Thomas, Rose, Noah, Salmons and Hinrich are erratic at best and will all need to be on their games to cause Boston any trouble.
3-Orlando v 6-Philadelphia
It would be easy to say as Dwight Howard goes so goes the Magic but their team is more than just him. No, really. Rafer Alston, Turkoglu and Lewis all are very important pieces of this team and make for a great inside/outside threat. If Howard gets on top early and attracts a double team then the 3-pointers might start raining down in the second half.
Philly lost one AI but still have another one in Andre Iguodala. But after that it’s a little thin on the ground. Andre Miller, Young and Green all have their moments but the consistency is sometimes lacking. They will need to get on top early to have any shot.
4-Atlanta v 5- Miami
This is the most even matchup of the first round as it should be. Speaking of even, the Hawks are probably the most even team in the league. Everyone contributes on a nightly basis and they do not rely on one superstar to win it for them. Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Josh Smith, Williams and Horford all are dangerous and need to be ready to play from game one.
What can you say about Dwyane Wade that hasn’t already been said a million times. The guy is a gun and when he is in the lineup he instantly makes his team look ten times better. He creates his own shot and also everyone elses. Udonis Haslem and Jermaine O’neal both provide good backup to Wade and if everyone else can climb aboard the D-Wade Train then they might get past the Hawks and even further.
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