The NBA Strikes It Rich

Where will amazing happen this year? This has been the clever marketing ploy for the National Basketball Association over the last couple of years to drum up interest for the playoffs. However, the league does not need a campaign slogan to spark nationwide interest. With a dazzling array of young stars, the NBA is in spectacular shape. In the past two years, we have seen the two greatest first-round playoff series of all time (Celtics-Bulls, Spurs-Suns), a return to the Finals for two storied rivals (Celtics-Lakers), and the emergence of the best basketball player on the planet (LeBron James). The 2009 race to the finish is now down to four, and the two conference finals will make for must-see television.

In the West, you have the Nuggets and the Lakers. It will be fun to see the clash in personality between these two teams. The Lakers always maintain an arrogant calm, while the Nuggets carry a tough, edgy determination. Much like the Rockets, Denver will not put up with any lame attempts at intimidation by Los Angeles. Occasionally the Lakers suffer from horrid lapses of complacency, but despite my burning hatred for Phil Jackson's gang, I'd be lying if I said they didn't have championship talent. The Nuggets, on the other hand, are playing near-flawless basketball, and Chauncey Billups, Chris "Birdman" Andersen, and Carmelo Anthony are going to pose serious problems for the Lakers. I desperately hope that Denver trounces L.A. , and this time I think my dreams will come true. But no matter what happens, this will be a fascinating series, and a test case of which style produces the best results.

In the East, you have Cleveland and Orlando, a compelling matchup that features two of the most prominent faces of the NBA: LeBron James and Dwight Howard. James, of course, is the best player in the game, while Howard is the best center in the game. Both men possess remarkable charisma, as both play with a heedless sense of joy. One is a King and one is Superman, and their dual presence on the court should provide great drama. I fully expect Mike Brown's Cavaliers to advance, assuming that the supporting cast of Mo Williams, Delonte West, Wally Sczerbiak, Anderson Varajao, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas continue to perform at a high level. But the Magic will undoubtedly give Cleveland their first real test of the postseason. With an excellent point guard in Rafer Alston, and two streaky sharpshooters in Hedo Turkoglu and J.J. Redick, Orlando is always in the game, no matter the score. They will push the Cavs to at least six games, possibly even a seventh, and it will be interesting to see how the Cavs respond in the face of adversity.

Somewhere, David Stern is smiling. His league is thriving, and starting tomorrow night, his league will provide nightly playoff drama that will feature more excitement than a Stan Van Gundy rant, and that's saying something. Yes, the NBA playoffs are indeed amazing.