NBA ROCK

So the Celtics have been on an absolute tear of late. Their record, as of today, stands at an impressive 41-9. However, we all kind of saw that coming, didn’t we? Nobody should’ve had any doubts about the Big Three in Boston. But would you have predicted that the Detroit Pistons would be trailing Boston by only 4 games, hot off of a tear of their own? How does a 10-game winning streak sound? I can tell you that the Pistons are one of my favorite teams, and I sure as hell didn’t see it coming. If the cards are played right, can we be anticipating an Eastern Conference Finals matchup between the Pistons and the Celtics? If the playoffs were to start today, it would look something like this:

Celtics vs. Sixers:

I love Andre Iguodala, but man the Sixers would get absolutely trampled by the Celtics in this matchup. At least Iggy Pop would be getting some playoff experience, though.

Pistons vs. Nets:

I’ve already shared my thoughts on the Pistons, so I’m not worried about the Pistons being able to pull off a series win against the Nets.

Magic vs. Wizards:

Since we’re pretending the playoffs would be starting today, then both Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas would be injured and therefore the Wizards would only have one major weapon in Antawn Jamison to stand tall against the mighty Magic. This would result in another trample.

Cavs vs. Raptors:

Lebron is developing that killer instinct. I’m not worried about his performance. Though I am worried about the rest of the Cavs. If my inner Miss Cleo serves me correctly, Larry Hughes is going to come out of the gate with a couple of solid performances and then proceed to get injured. So the Cavs are going to need someone else to step up to the plate (as usual) to help Lebron. It’s Booby time now! I’m on the fence with this one.

Hornets vs. Nuggets:

I’m surprised that the Nuggets are the 8th seed right now. I feel that they have more talent than they’re letting on. But not enough to top the Hornets — unless Carmelo Anthony starts to turn it on as if he were Lebron James or Kobe Bryant.

Suns vs. Warriors:

The Warriors upset the living crap out of the Mavericks last year. Can they repeat? Perhaps if they were matched up with the Mavericks again, I’d say probably. But since they’re going head to head with the Suns there’s no chance for the Warriors.

Lakers vs. Mavericks:

If the Mavericks get their trade for Jason Kidd to come through for them, this will be a gooooood series. Hell, it’ll be a good series even if they don’t get Kidd. I feel that both teams would match up very well with each other, even though I feel the Mavericks are under-performing this year. Key players: Dirk & Kobe (obviously). But this year Dirk is going to have to deal with Gasol and vice versa.

Spurs vs. Jazz:

I don’t think the Jazz have enough experience to overcome the Spurs at this point in time. Look for the Spurs to turn it on. You can’t tell me Tony Parker doesn’t want to repeat and get the Finals MVP again with Eva all over him. Though I’m pumped about seeing what Deron Williams is going to do come playoff time.

Dwayne Wade got eliminated first round! I was worried about his jumper, which did hurt him, but I think he lost a lot of hope after losing his handle weaving through the dummies.

I was pulling for him, too. But it was Deron Williams who emerged victorious, setting a new Playstation Skills Challenge record of 25.5 seconds — shattering Steve Nash’s old record. Deron really surprised me in the second round by nailing everything perfectly. All of his passes went through first attempt as well as his jumper. So congrats to Deron Williams!

I took a shot when I predicted Daniel Gibson winning the 3-point shootout and bricked it. He did come in 2nd place, though. 1st place went to Jason Kapono, who now holds the titles to the 2008 and 2007 3-point shootouts. He’s got such a smooth shot. It’s no wonder he’s hitting an impressive 51% of his 3-point attempts in games this season. And did you see the arch on Dirk’s shot!? Ridiculous…but I suppose it’s necessary when you’re a 7-footer!

Yes! Dwight Howard is superman! I’m glad I got at least one prediction right! Sadly, Rudy Gay’s dunks were a bit uncreative and disappointing. But MAN Dwight has hops for a 7-footer (nearly). But the absolute best part of the dunk contest, without a doubt, is Kenny “The Jet” Smith. He gets SO excited about it and it just rubs off on you every year. I ended up looking forward to his reactions more than I looked forward to the dunks! Half of the time, at least.