On to the Conference Finals...

Okay, so to remain truthful when trying to display my prognostication abilities, I chose not to make predictions for the conference semifinals. It wasn’t because I sucked so much wind in the first round predictions (I promise!). Why do I always to mix up these two basketball prediction mantras? Never pick against San Antonio, never pick Dallas. I have to blame the Celtics, who let the Hawks awkwardly hang around like dinner party guests who can’t take copious amounts of yawning from their hosts as a hint that maybe it was time to call it a night. By the time the Celtics turned off the porch light on the Hawks, the conference semifinals had already started. So, I didn’t have time to post predictions for that round for the good people who I like to pretend actually read this blog. Okay, let’s get to the Picks!

Spurs vs. Lakers
Okay, we’ve got the MVP against the squad that plays the best team basketball in the league. Duncan vs. Gasol! Parker vs. Fisher! Kobe’s thighs and lower back vs. Bowen’s pointy knees and elbows! Ginobli, Radmanovic, and Vujacic vs. thin air and the phantom fouls resulting in flops that they bring! This looks to be Kobe’s year. Offensively, he couldn’t be on a team more suitable to maximize his talents. Gasol and Odom are long and athletic. They are both highly skilled at hitting the open shot, catching passes in stride, as well as finding the open man. Meanwhile, Fisher is one of the most underrated players in sports when it comes to hitting big shots in crunch time. Each bench guy knows his role. When everything is rolling, this team is the best in the NBA.

However, the Spurs always seem to have a way of making sure things don’t roll smoothly for the other team. Despite a lack of team quickness, they play excellent help and team defense. While Duncan is not the force he use to be, he can still take over a game when needed the most. Nobody on the Lakers team can guard Parker except for Kobe, and I doubt Phil Jackson will waste so much of Kobe’s energy on the defensive end. Ginobli is the epitome of the guy you love to have on your team, but would want to punch his lights out if he was on your opponent’s team. Either way, he’s clutch. The bench is solid.

In a conference where so many teams were so close in terms of records, its amazing how crucial having home court advantage has been in the playoffs. I suspect that will be the deciding factor here as well. Despite all of their success, the Spurs have yet to win back-to-back titles. They won’t do it this year, either. I know, I know. I'm violating my own rule. I can't help it. Lakers in 6.

Pistons vs. Celtics
Has there been a more exasperating team during these playoffs than the Celtics? After the colossal collapse of the Patriots, you know the Boston area fans have to be sweating like a dude in Maury Povich’s green room right now. Breaks my heart. Really. Even as a casual observer, however, they tend to annoy me. It seems as if they’ve got about as much of a chance surviving on the road in this series as a three-legged turtle. And much like a turtle, two of the “Big Three” seem to sink into their shell when things aren’t going well. I’ve always liked Kevin Garnett and admired him for sticking it out in Minnesota while surrounded by teammates with my ability level. However, he’s just not a “clutch” guy, no matter how hard he carries on to make us think that he is. Ray Allen, on the other hand, I’ve never liked. How could he cheat on Rosario Dawson with those two jock sniffing skanks? Also, he took way too long to forgive his father for accidentally killing his mother. Paul Pierce was, is, and will always be the heart of that team.

As much as the Celtic’s ineptitude has proven to be irksome to me, the Piston’s general malaise towards this whole “playoff deal” has annoyed me more. However, when properly motivated, they still have the toughest starting 5 in the league top to bottom. The question is, can Flip Saunders finally show that he has the ability to motivate them? He hasn’t yet. Maybe he can offer them some type of deal. Say, if they win the championship, they can cut his pseudo-mullet. I dunno. Just an idea. The scary thing about the Pistons team is that they now have a formidable bench. Maxiell, Stuckey, and Hunter are gamers. Again, this team has the potential to win it all.
Boston fought long and hard all season for home court advantage. They’re going to need it to have a chance in this series. I can see them losing at home a lot easier than I can see them winning in Detroit. Pistons in 6.