The NBA Playoffs: LeBron’s dominion

Jon Mays

Unless you are a die-hard NBA fan, this is the only time of the season that you ever pay any attention to teams other than your own.
Although much less intriguing than the NCAA tournament, this year’s NBA playoffs have had their share of thrills, most notably during the opening-round series between the Bulls and the Celtics.
I usually get bored of watching the same team play seven games in a row against each other, but this was an exception. Nearly every game came down to the last few minutes, and many of them went into overtime, if not two or three overtimes.
The Bulls became the underdog favorite of many people to get past the Celtics and make a run deep into the playoffs. The more experienced Celtics, however, outmatched the young and fiery Bulls in game seven, possibly the least exciting game of the series. The Bulls maintain a good young nucleus and should be back for more next year.
Aside from the Bulls/Celtics series, a few things have stood out to me in these playoffs. First off, the Cavs, aka the LeBrons, are the best team in basketball, and possibly the best team since Jordan was leading the Bulls to championships left and right.
They have yet to lose, going into the Eastern Conference Finals, and none of the games have been even close. There has been a double-digit win margin in each game, and the team has won by 20 at least three times already. No team in these playoffs has been even close to as impressive as this team.
It is LeBron’s team without a doubt, and they probably would not have made the playoffs without him, but he does have a solid supporting cast. My favorite is of course Wally Szczerbiak, who for being a 6’7″ white dude who can barely dunk, is playing very well for the Cavs down the stretch.
This leads to another aspect of these playoffs that has stood out to me, and that is the Kobe versus LeBron debate. My vote is for LeBron. Even though he does not have the rings that Kobe has, I believe he is the best player in the game right now.
Kobe has not been able to win it all without Shaq, and by the looks of it, LeBron will win it all this year without the help of a dominant big man – Big Z does not count. I hope to see a Kobe versus LeBron showdown in the finals to decide the winner once and for all.
The last thing I would like to note is that the playoffs are so much more exciting to watch than the regular season, because there is actually some intensity and passion from the players.
I’m not talking about Rafer Alston slapping Eddie House, or Derek Fisher sizing up Luis Scola and giving him a version of the people’s elbow.
I am talking about when the bench players are actually watching the game and are into it, or when Ron Artest dives into the stands for a loose ball – and doesn’t punch anyone – or Lamar Odom plays through extreme back pains. That kind of stuff shows me that these guys want to win, and that it is not – only – about the money.
On a side note, although I would like the Lakers to win, I am picking the Nuggets in seven games and the Cavaliers in six games. In the finals, I think Lebron will win his first of many championships in six games over the Nuggets.