Cavs and Mavs Look Good as Playoffs get Under Way

The Cavaliers have the easiest route through the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Cavs to brush aside Bulls

With a little help from a Chris Bosh injury, the Chicago Bulls overcame their own internal adversity to make the 2010 NBA playoffs against the odds. After four games that journey will come to an abrupt end and Vinny del Negro will probably by shown the door in Chicago. The Bulls have spared viewers the torture of watching the dismantling of a Toronto team without Chris Bosh but this will still be far from pretty. It’s not just about LeBron, there’s a returning Shaq and Antawn Jamison to worry about as well. Cleveland has delivered the weapons King James required to gain the championship he yearns for. The Bulls may have charged down the stretch but Chicago will make a hasty exit from the post-season.

Battered Lakers to struggle through

There are plenty of reasons to be down on the Lakers in the post-season. Despite adding Ron Artest to the roster, LA’s win total dropped this season. Instead of showing more diversity on offense with a broader array of weapons, the Lakers have reverted to leaning on Kobe. Then there’s the poor finish down the stretch, winning just 4 of their last 12 games. Given the Lakers still picked up a #1 seed these factors shouldn’t be too much of a concern. The mounting injury worries of LA are another matter entirely. With so few healthy players available LA will lose some confidence in NBA betting and the Lakers will need to dig deep to fend off the challenge of the upstart OKC Thunder.

The Thunder live and die by Kevin Durant and in 2010 this has seen the NBA Scoring Champion bring OKC to the post-season for the first time since the franchise moved from Seattle. The Thunder can win a game or two against the Lakers, possibly even forcing a full seven game slate. Over the course of a full series however I can’t realistically see the Thunder, who were more lukewarm than hot down the stretch, topping the Lakers.

Mavs to top Spurs

The retooled Dallas Mavericks possesses the blend of talent and experience normally associated with their first round opponents. Dallas looks to Dirk Nowitzki for points, Jason Kidd for leadership, and Brendan Haywood for defense. Throw in Caron Butler and Shawn Marion, and this is a team with ability all over the court. On the other hand the Spurs have looked old this season, in fact not just old but beat up as well. Manu Ginobili has shown flashes of his past brilliance but he’s not the player he once was, the same goes for Tim Duncan. Neither star is past it but both are aging and being forced to carry a team that simply can’t intimidate the way it did en route to four championships from 1999 to 2007. The Mavs will win in five or six games.

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XVII: Gabriel Morency previews the first round of the NBA Playoffs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NkslnYO_iU