It’s that time of year again. The first round of the NBA Playoffs are here, and this year’s edition could prove to be one of the most exciting ever. Well, if you exclude three of the Eastern Conference’s first round series, that is.

Regardless, Jim Byrne and Roosta Da Neezy are here to break down each series:

Eastern Conference

Detroit Pistons (1) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (8)

JB: Why is the first round not best of five any more? That’s the first thing I think of when I look at this oh, so intriguing matchup between the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Fucks (see what I did there!!!11).

But noooo, this damned series has to be dragged out into a best of seven series. And because the Pistons will probably take this series lightly, I could see this one going six games, tops.

The more likely scenario though, is the Pistons ripping into these losers and sweeping them in four games, kicking off their campaign to take the title back and to get Rasheed Wallace’s championship belt back, which is something I really want to see again. ‘Sheed has to be the most entertaining guy in all of sports. Fuck Bonds on Bonds, why can’t we get ‘Sheed on ‘Sheed? I’d pay to watch that shit. Imagine all the stuff there is to learn from one of the greatest minds of a generation.

Really, who wouldn’t watch “’Sheed on ‘Sheed?”

But yeah, back on topic. Bucks-Pistons. Ugh. When was the last time the Bucks were even in the playoffs? Was it back in 2001 when they made it within one game of the NBA Finals? Did that really even happen? I think the world would have imploded if an NBA Finals game was Live from the purple and green glory that is Milwaukee’s home court. A fuckin’ hole would have ripped right through the middle of the court and Vigo the Carpathian would have come crawling out and jumped in a giant spaceship that looked like Sam Cassell’s head or some shit. Strange days.

But, apparently this is the Bucks third playoff appearance in the last four years. Who knew? Well, not unlike this barnburner, the Eastern Conference has been known for some memorable first round matchups since they switched to the best of seven format, like that fabled Pacers-Celtics first round series that went on four games too long in 2004 and the Nets sweep of the Knicks, also 2004, which, as far as I am concerned, never actually happened. Let’s put it this way, if that series were a Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest and the “Knicks” were the hot dogs, Richard Jefferson and Kenyon Martin would have been covered in ketchup in mustard. I mean fucking covered, slathered, drenched, whatever word you want to use. They ate up the “Knicks” like a pack of savage dogs. It was a feeding frenzy. I still get twitches from that series.

Where was I … ah, yes.

Milwaukee actually lost to the eventual champion Pistons in the first round of 2004 in five games, so I’m going to go with history and bet between my above theories.

Jim’s Prediction: Pistons in 5

RDN: This series has the “Wake me up when it’s over” type of feel to it. Who really fucking cares about this series? I could make up some bullshit about how the #1 pick of 2005 will be a thorn in Ben Wallace’s ass, but come on.

The Bucks have no shot, especially in a seven game series. Sure Michael Redd is a great scorer when garbage players are on him, but throw “Rip” Hamilton on him along with “‘Sheed Nasty” and “Big Ben” down low to cover the lane and what do you get? Most likely a 30 percent shooting night and a Pistons victory of about 20.

Not one head to head match-up does Milwaukee actually have the advantage so I’m not going to waste anymore of your time.

Roosta’s Prediction: Pistons in 4 ½

Miami Heat (2) vs. Chicago Bulls (7)

Can anyone say boring? That’s exactly how I feel about this Heat vs. Bulls match-up. Unless some freak accident happens where Shaq and D-Wade are struck by lightning on a sunny day, the Bulls have no shot in this series.

If it wasn’t enough that the Bulls had to figure out how to guard Shaq Diesel and Flash, they also have to figure out what they are going to do about that guy who looks like a giant bobblehead.

You can talk all the shit about Walker you want, but the fact of the matter is he’s actually playing well. His shooting percentage has been over 50 percent for four out of his last five games and he’s been deadly behind 3-point land, which spells trouble for the Windy City.

One of us thinks he is underrated, the other thinks he is the basketball antichrist

The Bulls are nothing more than a young team that’s filled with college stars who are still trying to prove themselves to the league. Besides Chandler and Nocioni, they are stacked with players from the elite colleges in the country. Georgetown, Connecticut, Wake Forest, Kansas, Georgia Tech, and multiple players from that one school with those lacrosse rapists.

The Heat should make quick work of the Bulls, which will be good because Shaq desperately needs to be fully rested for a possible Eastern Conference Championship against the all-mighty Pistons.

Roosta’s Prediction: Heat sweep and Pat Riley takes his hair plugs out

JB: First off, I want to say FUNK Antoine Walker, that guy is the basketball antichrist. Proof of this came in a game I saw him playing for the Atlanta Abyss last year. Here’s the scenario, Abyss down by two with a few seconds left, and ‘Toine is at the line for two shots. Of course, he misses the first. But here’s the kicker. On the second attempt, he intentionally tries to miss it so his team can get the rebound, but ends up making the shot!

Man, that guy blows. If him and Stephon Marbury ever end up on the same basketball team, we all might just wake up one day and not even know what basketball is any more. The sport will spontaneously combust and all records of it will cease to exist.

As you may be able to tell, I’m trying to avoid talking about this series, which could end up being the Suckfest Of 2006. What is there to say about the Bulls? Sure, they do a good job of raping Isiah Thomas and the Knicks with a dildo every offseason, but when it comes to playoff basketball, they are still paying back karma for all of the glory of the 90’s. They have Kirk Hinrich, Tyson Chandler, Ben Gordon and a host of other young talents like Luol Deng , but they are lacking that one superstar player. Here’s some advice. In the offseason, package a bunch of these guys together and try and bring in a big-time star to play alongside Hinrich and Chandler. Maybe Kevin Garnett? Whoever. Just do it or risk ending up like an Eastern version of the Memphis Grizzlies. Lot’s of B-talent, but no superstar to take the team to the next level.

As for the Heat, I really don’t like these guys. I don’t like Walker, I don’t like Jason Williams, I don’t like Gary Payton and Shaquille O’Neal ain’t the same dominant force we one knew. Not even close. So, they’re left with Dwayne Wade, who could end up being the best player out of the LeBron-Darko-Carmelo-Bosh draft after being picked fifth. This team will obviously be good enough to get out of the first round and maybe even past the Nets in second, but they invested way too much in Shaq, whose best years are long gone.

Jim’s Prediction: Heat in 5

New Jersey Nets (3) vs. Indiana Pacers (6)

RDN: On paper this looks like a very intriguing match-up. You look at the Pacers and you see a MVP candidate from two years ago in Jermaine O’Neal, a 3-point shooting champ in Peja, and a former NBA champion in Stephen Jackson.

The Nets have one of the best point guards in the league along with a re-born Vince Carter. Add in two breakout years from Richard Jefferson and Nenad Krstic and you get a very dangerous Eastern Conference team.

The one thing that the Nets have that the Pacers lack heavily is chemistry. They’ve played all year long with each other and battled minimal injuries to their main core of players. The Pacers, however, recently acquired Peja in a blockbuster trade not too long ago.

Now Peja has stepped up his game in Indiana, increasing his scoring average to nearly 20 points a game after he struggled in Sacramento, but that was mostly without Jermaine. He went down with a groin injury right before the trade went through. This is going to play a key role in this series.

When Artest went to the Kings it took the whole team awhile to get used to the change of style Artest brings. Once they all gelled together, they became a tough team to beat. The Pacers are still in the gelling phase. They don’t have a consistent point guard to control the game like Jason Kidd and they don’t have a player who can make their own shot. When you take an attention whore, ball hog in Stephen Jackson and throw him with Peja and Jermaine, you have problems.

Even if the Nets weren’t one of the hottest teams in the league right now the Pacers still wouldn’t be able to handle them. The way Jason Kidd orchestrates that offense is unreal and the fact that Vince Carter isn’t just about nasty dunks anymore, really makes the Nets scary this year.

If Krstic can get double-digit rebounds in every game and fight off Jeff Foster, then the Pacers are cooked. Krstic lacks intensity at times so it should be an interesting match-up. I’m predicting Stanford alum, Jason Collins, to be the deciding factor in this series. He should give Jermaine O’Neal all he can handle on the block. “Throw it down big fella!!” (in my Bill Walton voice)

Roosta’s Prediction: Nets in 6

JB: With the best winning streak in the NBA all season at 14 games in a row, the Nets come into the series flying high and looking to lay the smack down on Ian Valentine’s favorite team.

The last time these two teams met was in the first round of 2002, the first of two straight years that the Nets made trips to the NBA Finals. It was a thrilling series that lasted a full five games, with Reggie Miller providing his last great playoff heroics in sending the deciding game to OT with a 3-point bomb and then to double OT with a running dunk down the lane as time expired.

Well, Miller is no longer around to provide the drama. Instead, you have a team in dire need of a blow up and rebuild process. Let’s face the facts. Jermaine “Babyface” O’Neal is not a franchise player, and he never will be. If you are a so-called “franchise player” and you can’t dominate in the East, well then you ain’t a franchise player. At best, O’Neal is the kind of player that needs to be part of some type of 1 and 1a basketball partnership, similar to what he had with Ron Artest. He will never carry a team on his back to an NBA Title, he needs another B+ star to share the load.

Sorry, Jermaine, but you ain’t doing shit in Indy

Indiana claims they have a chance because they have their own big three that can compare with New Jersey’s Richard Jefferson, Vince Carter and Jason Kidd.

Yeah, right.

The Nets’ Big 3 are all either better or a little worse (RJ) then the best of Indiana’s Big 3, O’Neal. Then for the Pacers you have Peja Stojakovic, who I remember most for choking on the biggest of stages. Like how he threw up an air ball in that famous Kings-Lakers series in 2002. Yeah. And finally, you’re trying to tell me that Stephen Jackson is part of any Big 3? Maybe a Big 3 of craziest motherfuckers in the league, but not most talented guys on a team. No way.

Kidd is going to eat up Anthony Johnson, VC and RJ will light up Peja and Jax, and the Nets underrated bigs will take care of the Pacers’ overrated O’Neal.

Jim’s Prediction: Nets in 5

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. Washington Wizards (5)

JB:This matchup is really the only intriguing one in the entire Eastern Conference first round, and the only one in the whole NBA where there is a chance of a true upset.

Right now, somewhere, Commissioner David Stern is licking his chops and salivating over what this series means. LeBron James, his new Golden Boy and the latest heir to Michael Jordan’s throne, has finally made the playoffs in this, his third year in the NBA.

With that in mind, be ready to watch James get the most preferential treatment from the refs since Jordan got his royal ass kissed on a game-to-game, minute-to-minute basis during his three runs in the league. It’s not to say that The Kid doesn’t deserve to get the benefit of the doubt from the refs, because he is in fact a bonafide stud and a man-child with the potential to bring the NBA back to the promised land. But, like anything, when the product is forced, it tends to get a bit annoying and nauseating. And that is exactly what is happening in this day and age of the talking heads. James is a GOD before he has even won one single playoff game.

Well, despite Gilbert Arenas’ Wizards’ best efforts, James and the Cavaliers will in fact win four games and move on to the second round. This series will certainly be the most exciting first round set in the East, and has all the potential to go a full seven games. The duel between James and Arenas should be fantastic, and the added storyline of Cleveland’s Larry Hughes playing against his former Washington mates is one to follow. But, in the end, the league’s lust for LeBron, LeBron’s actual talent, the rest of the Cavaliers and their homecourt advantage in Game Seven of the series will spell the eventual demise of the Wizards.

Jim’s Prediction: Cavaliers in 7

RDNCouldn’t agree with you more Jim, about your LeBron and the refs comment. It’s just like Jordan and his push off in the NBA Finals vs. Utah. LeBron will get favorable calls in this game just because the whole league wants another “Jordan” and shit.

Don’t even think of breathing on The Golden Boy

It is going to be tough for him to carry his team past the Wizards. If the Cavs want to win this series they have to work their offense around Ilgauskas and not LeBron. If they establish a low post threat it would open shots up for Larry Hughes and James, and not to mention Damon Jones who is a deadly 3-point shooter.

The Wizards really have no answer down on the block, so they are going to have to rely heavily on their three-headed monster. This trio is arguably one of the best in the NBA. Gilbert, name says it all, can throw up 40 points at the blink of an eye. Jamison can be lights out from 3-point land and Butler is always making his own shot and working his way to the line where he excels.

ESPN loves this story line … Larry Hughes, former Washington Wizard, going head to head against his old teammate Gilbert Arenas. ESPN sucks, because odds are Hughes won’t even be on Gilbert, he’ll be guarding Butler instead. Hughes is the key to the Cavaliers success in this series. If he can hold Butler in check, that would really hurt the trio and force Arenas and Jamison to have unreal games.

I’ve watched plenty of Wizard games this year and all of their games come down to one factor and one factor only: being able to stop one part of that three-headed monster.

It’s going to be interesting to see two of the league’s top scorers battle each other out. They both have proven that they can take over any game by their penetration ability. This series will be LeBron first test in his early career, but I think he’s going to have to live and learn with this one. Too much Gilbert and Jamison and not enough support from Cleveland’s bench and role players.

Roosta’s Prediction: Wizards in 7

Western Conference

San Antonio Spurs (1) vs. Sacramento Kings (8)

JB:Along with the Suns-Lakers series, this is the battle that I am most looking forward to in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Like Bill Simmons said in his column Friday, the Kings may be the best eighth-seeded team to come along since my beloved 1999 New York Knickerbockers, a team that made a run to the Finals that year. Yes, the ’99 Knicks that Larry Johnson deemed, “a bunch of rebellious slaves.”

Unfortunately for Sacramento however, they will have to go toe-to-toe with the world champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round, a tough challenge for any team, never mind one seeded eighth. But, with that said, I think they have the chance to do the impossible here, and it’s all thanks the acquisition of Ronny Artest.

These are not your Chris Webber-Peja Stojakovic Kings of yesteryear. They won’t fold in the clutch like those two players are notorious for, and it’s all because of the tough, hard-nosed mentality that Artest has brought to the table. Before he arrived in early 2006, this team was a rudderless one with a playoff destination seemingly not in cards. But since Ron Ron’s arrival, they have put together a 27-14 run and are ripe for posting a shocking first round upset against the Spurs.

The Kings got just what they needed, a dose of crazy

Sac-town matches up extremely well for a series with San Antonio, and could give them fits. With Artest on lockdown against Manu Ginobili, Brad Miller devouring any of the Spurs’ piss-poor centers and Mike Bibby bringing his playoff-tested clutch game against Tony Longoria, the Kings have a three-pronged attack that is perfect for assaulting San Antonio.

Of course, you may have noticed that one name did not appear in that previous paragraph. The Spurs have this guy named Tim Duncan, you might have heard of him. Much to the chagrin of SA fans everywhere however, this is not the same Duncan. The guy has been riddled by injury all year, and is playing nowhere near 100 percent. Without a healthy Duncan, who could win MVP every year if he wasn’t classic Duncan (which is cool in my book in the style over substance NBA), the Spurs are treading in dangerous territory.

San Antonio may have the rings, respect, experience and depth, but I believe that these Kings are going to pull off the impossible. And Ron Ron is crazy enough to believe it and get his teammates to believe in it.

Jim’s Prediction: Kings in 6

RDN:This is hands down going to be the most exciting match-up in the first round. The defending champs, mostly all who are banged up, against the hottest team in the league.

It only took the Kings like six years to realize that their all offense no D scheme doesn’t work, but hey, better late than never right? Just Ronny’s presence alone has not only made the Kings a better all-around defensive team, but it’s also made players like Bibby and Miller focus on their D more.

If the Spurs can stay healthy, and that’s a big if, then they have a pretty good chance of knocking off the Kings. Ginobili has had about five different injuries this year and “The Big Fundamental” has had the same ankle problems that forced him to miss some games last year.

The match-up I’m looking most forward to watch is Ginobili vs. Artest. I know Artest is the best defender in the league, but it won’t be an easy match-up for him when he has to guard Manu. Manu’s foreign, hard-nosed style of play is very unique and it’s going to be interesting to see if Manu can still be effective.

If Manu can manage to get to the free-throw line ten times a game then the Spurs should be in good shape. Speaking of free-throws, the games will most likely be decided by a couple points and the Kings will probably steer towards the “Hack a Timmy” method to watch his 60 percent ass get to the line. If he’s able to step up and take that percentage to even 70 percent, the Spurs should win.

There are also some very big role players that need to step up for both teams, especially the Kings. We all know what “Big Shot Rob” can do, and we’ve seen Michael Finley at his best, but what we haven’t seen is Shareef Abdur-Rahim in the playoffs.

For the Kings to win this series Shareef, Kevin Martin, and Kenny Thomas are all going to have good games. Kenny’s rebounding will be clutch for a Kings victory and is Martin is able to hit open shots produced by Bibby then the game will favor Sac-town. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if Shareef is all he was cracked up to be on Atlanta or if he’s just a virus that needs to be destroyed.

This match-up is going to be a great series and I’m torn on who I think will prevail. When it comes down to it, I think experience is going to play a key role here.

Roosta’s Prediction: Spurs in 7

Phoenix Suns (2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7)

JB: Without a doubt, the trendiest pick out there right now is picking Kobe Bryant and his No. 7 seeded Lakers to upend the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. Those that are pushing this line are telling us all these things like “Phil Jackson has never lost in the first round” and that “Kobe Bryant is better than Michael Jordan.”

Well, first off, I just want to say FUCK KOBE. Mark Jackson has been the one touting him as “better than Jordan,” and the only conclusion that I can draw from that is that he must be sniffing white-out prior to filming sessions of NBA Fastbreak up in Bristol.

Better than Michael Jordan, give me a fucking break. I’m not even going to waste any more words on such an erroneous statement.

On the subject of Phil Jackson and never losing in the first round, I have this to say: Jackson did not come back to coach the Lakers to add a second thumb ring. He came to add some more cash to his wallet. Just like any Zen Master would. Therefore, it is high time for Jackson to fall in the first round. I, and pretty much everyone else that has a basic understanding of the NBA, have always said that it would be interesting to see what Jackson would do with a shitty team.

Well, here it is … here is that shitty team. It’s Kobe Bryant and nobody else, if only because Kobe doesn’t believe in passing the ball. Kobe is all about Kobe, and that never gets you far in the NBA Playoffs or in any sport’s playoffs for that matter.

And when Kobe’s Lakers face off against Phoenix, it will be proven that once again, a great team always tops a great player.

When it was Jordan and his Jordaneers in the pre-dynasty days of the Bulls, the case was the same. And again, Kobe is no MJ. Jordan eventually understood that he needed his teammates’ help to get those rings. Kobe’s career is essentially the backwards version of Jordan’s.

Another interesting note about this series is that you have Steve Nash, the best guy in the NBA in terms of making his teammates better, going against Kobe, who is the antithesis of Nash. Some crackheads out there are arguing that Kobe is the MVP, and it is true that his team might have done jack shit without him, but Nash is by far, BY FAR, more of an MVP candidate than Kobe. Having Kobe as MVP would be a disgrace to the concept of basketball.

JB’s Prediction: Suns in 5 games.

RDN: I couldn’t agree with you more, and that’s not just me being a biased Suns fan. It’s like ESPN has a spoon full of Kobe and they are holding our noses until we open our mouths so they can shove that rapist cock sucker down our throats.

Now I’m not going to say Kobe isn’t good, because he is fucking nasty. But Jordan?! Give me a break. It’s too early for that comparison. Sports analysts have been comparing everyone from Isiah Rider to Harold Minor, to Jordan. Maybe in five years Kobe and Jordan can be said in the same sentence without argument, but not right now.

As for the series, the Lakers just don’t match-up at all with the Suns. The Suns took three out of four games this year and the one game they lost it was without Nash and Raja Bell. It’s almost like the “experts” are overlooking the fact that the Suns have not one, but two MVP candidates on their team.

Oh, fuck you.

Nash vs. Smoosh should be an interesting match-up. Smoosh is very quick and should be a thorn in Nash’s ass for the whole series. It won’t stop Nash from getting his 11 assists a game, but Smoosh should average 3 steals per game, which is damn good.

Raja is a hard-nosed defender who should be able to hold Kobe to about 35 percent from the field and that’s all the Suns are really asking from him. If Kobe goes out and scores 50 points but shoots 16-45 then that’s a win for the Suns.

There are a couple of ‘X’ factors in this series and one of them isn’t Marion AKA “The Matrix.” Boris Diaw has to play a solid overall game much like how he’s been playing all year. If he gets hit with the playoff jitters then the Suns are in trouble.

The main ‘X’ factor though is none other than Eddie “Shoot No Pass” House. He controls the tempo of the whole game. The Suns generally come out hot and once Nash goes to the bench it’s up to House and Barbosa to keep the pace of the game fast and much like it is when Nash is running the point.

Having six players capable of throwing up 20 points or more means trouble for L.A.

Roosta’s Prediction: Suns in 5 games

Denver Nuggets (3) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (6)

Probably one of the better first round match-ups this year; Clippers vs. Nuggets should be highly entertaining. Two of the biggest surprises in the league are thrown together in this 3-6 seed battle.

The Clippers really put all the pieces together this year with the additions of Mobley and Cassell. Sure Cassell looks like a cracked out Alien, but he’s been the backbone of that team along with Elton Brand for the whole season.

Cassell’s leadership and experience is going to make it very difficult for the Nuggets to win this series. Plus Kaman is playing just like he did at Central Michigan, like a machine. The Clippers have two big men fully capable of putting up a double-double every night which will be tough to stop. Not too mention they lead the league in blocks so it will be tough for Kenyon and ‘Melo to score inside.

However, Carmelo Anthony has flat out been unreal this season. He’s taken his team and thrown them on his back, and carried them to a division title. His MVP like numbers shot up from last season along with his field goal percentage. The biggest weapon he brings to the table is his ability to make the clutch shot time and time again. Having a 22-year old show as much heart and confidence in his game says a lot about him.

The key additions of Reggie Evans and Ruben Patterson really have brought a more physical style of play that the Nuggets generally aren’t used to. This will be key for matching up with Kaman and Brand. If Evans can stay out of trouble and Ruben can go all series without getting T’d up, it’s going to be an interesting battle.

I think ultimately the injuries are going to catch up with the Nuggets, even though Melo will shine.

Roosta’s Prediction: Clippers in 6

JB: Wooooo boy, another awesome series. The only thing that upsets me about this one is that one of these teams will be bounced out at the conclusion of the series.

Give credit to the Clippers here for pulling the dangerous move of tanking at the end of the regular season to fall into the sixth seed and home court advantage in the first round. Instead of playing on the road against a superior Mavericks team, they get the weaker—albeit still damn tough—Nuggets at home in the first round. Now, I much rather would have seen the Grizzlies get thrashed by the Nuggets and the Clippers give their best against the Mavs (who the still could have beaten), but at the very least we are going to have a very entertaining series between two easy to cheer for teams.

In this battle between the New Guard of Western Conference powers, you have two very underrated teams that each could make a run to at least the Western Finals. The Clippers boast MVP candidate Elton Brand, the wily veteran Sam Cassell, who has won wherever he has gone, a legitimate center and Hulk Hogan look-a-like in Chris Kaman, and the gutsy Cuttino Mobley to go a long with a solid cast of talented players. Make no mistake, these are not the Clips of yore. They are a new beast, one that can really open some eyes this year in the playoffs.

Believe in Sam I Am!

On the other side, the Nuggets have one of the most clutch players in the league in Carmelo Anthony, who could very well take over the series and dominate it. When he is on, he is unstoppable, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gears up and takes it to a new level in the playoffs. I would imagine he is sick of being put on the backburner when it comes to himself, LeBron and Dwayne, so look for Carmelo to light it up. Denver also has some D to go with that O, with Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin and Ruben Patterson ready to lock down.

This is a really tough series to pick. The Clippers are new to the playoffs, and the Nuggets may be ready to advance after getting bounced in the first round the past two years. I really want to pick Denver, but I’m having a hard time picking against Sammy Cassell’s team. Cassell is the most grizzled veteran on either team, and I think that counts for a lot come playoff time. It doesn’t hurt to have Brand and Kaman behind you either.

Fuck it, home court eventually pays off.

Jim’s prediction: Clippers in 7

Dallas Mavericks (4) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (5)

There was a lot of talk about how the Grizzlies and Clippers should intentionally lose games just so they could avoid the Mavericks, but I don’t know why. The Mavs right now are one of the most over-rated 60 win teams ever. I know it’s tough to consider a team over-rated with that many victories but let me explain.

A healthy Mavericks team is one of the best in the NBA, but Dallas is far from that. They’ve lost many role players throughout the season and it has really hurt them in games vs. the elite teams.

Marquis Daniels has been battling a sore neck for the last half of the season, Josh Howard has had ankle problems that forced him to miss weeks of basketball, and even role player Devin Harris has had an injury plagued year.

These injuries shouldn’t keep them from getting past the first round though, but I think eventually they will catch up with them. Dirk can only do so much, and in his last couple games of the season he seems to be tiring out.

How do you say Poor Man’s Dirk Nowitzki in Spanish?

The Grizz are filled with role players from top to bottom, except for Gasol. A bunch of role players shouldn’t fair well against the best-coached team in the league. Avery Johnson has been unbelievable in his tenure as the Mavericks head coach. Somehow he’s made due with his banged up team and saying it’s impressive is an understatement.

He’s turned Stackhouse into the 3rd scoring option which will play a key role in their success in the playoffs. Also, the Mavs new found defense is going to be tough for Memphis to overcome.

They have two shot blockers in Diop and Dampier, and they also have a top 5 defender in the league in Josh Howard. This spells trouble for Gasol and the Grizzlies. The firepower of Dallas along with the double teams Gasol is going to face, are going to leave the fate of Memphis in the hands of Chucky Atkins. Yes, Chucky Atkins.

Good luck Memphis… better luck next year

Roosta’s Prediction: Dallas in 5

JB: Oh boy! It’s the Dallas Mavericks against the Poor Man’s Dallas Mavericks! I wonder who will win this one!

The Grizzlies have made the playoffs the past two years, and were subsequently swept in both series. I don’t see anything different happening here.

JB’s prediction: Dallas in 4

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