By Justin Powell
ProBasketballNews.com
(Editor's note: This is the second of Justin Powell's two-part NBA playoff preview)
The other day we took a look at the first-round matchups in the Western Conference, talking about what’s most likely to unfold in each scenario along with a key player to watch.
For a little flavor, I also threw in the food the predicted winner most reminds me of. If that doesn’t sound like it makes any sense, you’ll have to read part one of
my playoff previews to see the reasoning behind it. (Of course, it still won’t make any sense, but reading it is a somewhat decent way to waste 10 minutes of your work day).
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Celtic-Hawks
The Celtics have steamrolled through every
challenge they’ve faced this year. A lot of
preseason predictions had Boston winning its
division and even winning the East, but few people predicted the team would be quite this good. They’ve beaten the Hawks all three teams they’ve faced this season, each time by at least 10 points. And they look like a lock to reach the conference finals.
Key player: Rajon Rondo, G, Celtics.
I don’t think any one player will have much of a bearing on this series, so I’m most interested to see how Rondo plays, simply because he’s a huge key as to whether the Celtics will win the title this season. I like what he brings to the team -- especially on the defensive end -- but with no playoff experience, it’ll be important for him to get off to a good start against Atlanta so he’ll have some confidence against more experienced players in the next few rounds.
Prediction: Celtics in 4.
Food: Crab cakes.
I actually prefer crab legs, but I think Boston is more famous for the cakes. The only thing I don’t like about crab legs is the work-to-meat ratio. You can work so hard to get those suckers open and then discover there’s just a tiny morsel of meat in there. It can be agonizing. Last Christmas my family had crab legs as one of the dishes for the main meal. I hadn’t eaten all day in preparation, so when dinner rolled around I was starving. I started ripping through those crab legs, and my hands ended up bleeding in about three different places. And to top it all off, I was still starving because the work-to-meat ratio was so poor.
Pistons-Sixers
The Pistons are a year older, but they still have some good years left. At least a couple. The Sixers, on the other hand, clearly are on their way up, but they just don’t have all the pieces to be a playoff contender yet. The trade of Kyle Korver opened up some cap space, so Philadelphia could be a real player in the East in another year or so, but despite their strong finish, this roster doesn’t figure to get the job done against the clearly superior Pistons.
Key player: Rasheed Wallace, F, Pistons.
Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince are pretty consistent. They’ll have some slight ups and downs, but for the most part, you know exactly what you’re getting from them night in and night out. Wallace, on the other hand, can be a bit more unpredictable. He’s probably the most talented of the four, and if he’s hitting his jump shot, playing with passion on the defensive end and keeping his head on straight, Detroit will make quick work of the 76ers.
Prediction: Pistons in 5.
Food: Broccoli.
Sorry, Pistons fans, but Detroit is my least-favorite city in the country. I’ve been there twice -- once on my way to Windsor when I was denied admission to Canada because one of my friends on the trip never bothered to tell us he was a felon on probation who couldn’t leave the country. So we spent a very awkward night in Detroit trying (and failing) to have fun. My other Detroit experience came when I was on a return trip from Europe. All our luggage was lost at the Detroit airport, and our connecting flight was canceled. We had to wait in line about five hours just to get a rental car to drive home. So Detroit reminds me of my least-favorite food -- broccoli.
Magic-Raptors
No one is talking about the Magic as a legit contender in the East, and I’m not sure why. They got wiped out in four games by the Pistons last year, but this is a different team. Dwight Howard has progressed a lot since last year, Hedo Turkoglu is the most improved player in the league, and Rashard Lewis (while overpaid) is a great No. 3 player for any team. Still, the Raptors can be dangerous when they’re hitting their shots. But Orlando’s offensive firepower should be enough over a long series.
Key player: Hedo Turkoglu, F, Magic.
This is the Magic’s go-to-guy on offense. Plays flow through him. He’s the guy asked to hit big shots at the end of the game, and when he’s hitting on all cylinders, there are very few guys in the league capable of slowing him down. He’ll be the difference in the series, and I predict he’ll hit at least one game-winner along the way.
Prediction: Magic in 7.
Food: French hamburgers.
That sounds like an oxymoron, I know. But my most vivid memory of Orlando is of going there during a childhood trip to Disney World. My family went to Epcot one day and we ate lunch at the French restaurant -- whatever it’s called. I was like 9 or 10, so I obviously wasn’t about to order any French cuisine, so I got a hamburger. It got the ole stomach tossing and turning pretty good. I ended up vomiting several times at the Country Bear Jamboree later that night, and then I puked again at McDonald’s the next day -- the mere sight of hamburgers was enough to put me over the top.
Cavaliers-Wizards
Danny Ferry’s roster shakeup experiment appears to have had mixed results, at best. At the time of the trade, Magic general manager Otis Smith said it’s not a great idea to completely overhaul a roster that late in the season, and I tend to agree with him. So despite the fact the Cavs have the best all-around player in the league, I don’t see this team getting past the second round, if they even get that far. But as sad as it is to say, one LeBron James might be better than one trio of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler. LeBron should be enough to carry them to victory in a close, chippy series.
Key player: LeBron James, F, Cavaliers.
You know you’ll get production from LeBron, so maybe it sounds stupid to tab him here. But the reason I’m doing so is because these teams are so evenly matched, there figure to be a lot of crucial late-game situations, and in those instances, the Cavs’ only option is LeBron. If he makes enough late-game plays, they’ll move on to face Boston. If he doesn’t, Washington figures to win this series.
Prediction: Cavaliers in 7.
Food: Stouffer’s frozen dinners.
I actually live in Cleveland, so the town reminds me of what I cook the most when I‘m at home. And Stouffer’s frozen dinners take the cake. Their lasagna is wonderful, and their other pasta dishes -- especially chicken fettuccini and shrimp scampi -- are excellent as well.
Justin Powell is the assistant editor of Pro Basketball News. He can be reached at pkmpowell@yahoo.com.
