It’s very early, but here are a couple observations from this year’s NBA Playoffs so far: The Celtics could lose in the first round The defending champs pulled out game 2 against the Bulls yesterday, but Chicago has home-court advantage as the series heads to the Windy City. Without Kevin Garnett, the Celtics lose a lot of their points in the paint advantage. But the most troubling sign for Paul Pierce and co. is that the stifling defense that was the champs’ calling card last year has yet to show up this postseason.It’s not just the Celtics who are struggling, but the Bulls who are playing their best basketball at the right time. They’ve been able to get out and run against the Celtics and the young team doesn’t look wet behind the ears at all.Last year, the Celtics got stretched to seven games in the first round and that turned out alright for them. But the Celtics could find themselves in a heap of trouble if they can’t clamp down on the Bulls’ offense.The Lakers and Cavs seem destined for the FinalsFrom the early going, it doesn’t look like there’s a team in the West who can knockout the Lakers, and the same goes for the Cavaliers in the East. The Bulls and Philadelphia have exposed weaknesses in the Celtics and Magic respectively. Meanwhile, Atlanta looks strong against the Heat, but most teams in the league could beat Miami without breaking a sweat. In the West, the Spurs are too old, Rockets too prone to collapse and Nuggets too one-dimensional to pose a serious threat. The bigwigs at the NBA are probably licking their chops at the prospect of a Kobe vs. LeBron final because that series has the highest ratings potential.What are your thoughts?
Nba Playoffs
2 min read
