Looking At The Second Round of the NBA Playoffs

#1 Chicago Bulls vs. #5 Atlanta Hawks
This will be the least interesting series of the second round, though it is not without its storylines. Kirk Hinrich, if he's healthy, will get a chance to take a shot at the team he spent 7 years on. But the Bulls are 20 years removed since the first championship of the Jordan era. The key for the Bulls is Carlos Boozer. The Bulls were fortunate that they won the previous series against the Pacers considering how poorly their prized free agent played. He will have to up his game against another long team in the Hawks. The key for the Hawks is Kirk Hinrich. They will need him to be healthy because I doubt that back-up Jeff Teague can cover Derrick Rose. Hinrich is a premier defensive point guard who can give Derrick Rose fits all series long. The key match-up will be Luol Deng/Keith Bogans/Ronnie Brewer vs. Joe Johnson/Jamal Crawford. Johnson and Crawford are elite shooters, but they will be going against very good perimeter defenders. Expect Bogans to cover Crawford and Deng and Brewer to split time against Johnson. Bulls win in 5.

#2 Miami Heat vs. #3 Boston Celtics
This is hands-down the most interesting series in the playoffs. This series may not determine the NBA champion, but it matches two very interesting teams. Will LeBron James finally conquer the Boston curse? Is Boston too old to win another championship? These questions and more will be answered in this series. The key for Miami is post scoring. If Shaq does not play, the Celtics will once again be vulnerable in the post. With Pierce on James and Rondo likely on Wade, expect a tight game on the perimeter. It will be up to Chris Bosh to attack inside against another great defender in Kevin Garnett. The key for Boston is Rajon Rondo. The Miami Heat seem to have an answer for everybody. The Celtics bring Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. The Heat bring Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh. But the Celtics have All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo, one of the best facilitators in the game. If he gets going early, the Celtics could take control of the series. The key matchup is LeBron James vs. Paul Pierce. I would like to cite Game 7 of the 2008 playoffs. It was watching two superstars trade blows. These are the game changers for each respective team. This will be a very tight series, but I say Celtics win in 7.

#8 Memphis Grizzlies vs. #4 Oklahoma City Thunder
I hate to say that the Grizzlies win against the Spurs was a fluke, but I don't see this going well for the Grizzlies. The Thunder seem to be firing on all cylinders and Kevin Durant is reminding everyone why we all had him as the pre-season MVP. The key for the Grizzlies is Zach Randolph. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins are better younger defenders than Antonio McDyess and Tim Duncan, so Z-Bo won't have the same success. But the game for the Grizzlies must go through the post if they have any chance of upsetting the Thunder. The key for the Thunder is Russell Westbrook. Kevin Durant is a superstar and he will get his shots. But Durant cannot win the series on his own. Westbrook needs to be a good second option for the Thunder, especially because Shane Battier can lock down on Durant. The key match-up is Kendrick Perkins/Serge Ibaka/Nazr Mohammed/Nick Collison vs. Zach Randolph. Zach Randolph is the MVP of the San Antonio and Memphis series, so in order for the Thunder to win, they will have to stop Randolph. I predict that the Thunder win in 6.

#2 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #3 Dallas Mavericks
This is another interesting matchup. Both teams are very good and well matched. The size up front for the Mavericks can match Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, two intimidating 7 footers. But how do you deal with the Black Mamba? The key for the Lakers is Pau Gasol. Gasol is likely to be matched against Dirk Nowitzki, so it is crucial that he not only keeps Nowitzki from taking over the game, but that he does not get pushed around on offense. The key for the Mavericks is Jason Terry and Jason Kidd. Jason Kidd is one of the best playmakers in the game, so he will have to get his top guns in the game. Jason Terry has to be a big contributor off the bench. The Lakers have Lamar Odom, and in order to lessen the blow of his production, Terry has to play well. The key match-up is whomever guards Bryant (likely Shawn Marion) vs. Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant is at his best in the playoffs. In order to have any chance of thinking about winning the series, Bryant has to be limited. The Mavericks have to play him physically. But Kobe Bryant has to trust his teammates, especially Andrew Bynum, who can overpower Tyson Chandler. I predict Lakers in 7.