Round 2
A while ago, I was ranting about how I thought the first round was one of the best first rounds ever. Under normal playoff circumstances, this is where I say "Now that we've gotten the first round out of the way, it's time for the real playoffs to start".
However, this year is different. Despite a general trend of parity in the league, the top 2 teams in each league are just too strong. What made the first round generally more interesting was that the bottom teams were largely stronger teams who had finished the season on a strong note. Normally, we would see these bottom teams as 3-, 4- or 5-seeds, which means that we really got a lot of second round type matchups in the first round.
I thought Denver had a decent shot at the Spurs because it looked like he might be hurt. I thought Houston had the series all but wrapped up before they totally blew it. I thought Sacramento had a decent chance before I realized how old and crappy they were.
There's also the matter that the top two teams in each league are far better than the other teams. Usually the 2 vs. 3 series is pretty well matched, but this year, San Antonio is better than Seattle and it's not even close. Detroit is better than Indiana and it's even less close.
So, I fully expect that none of these series goes longer than 6 games, and most will be done in 5. Then, it's onto the conference finals, where the real playoffs start.
However, this year is different. Despite a general trend of parity in the league, the top 2 teams in each league are just too strong. What made the first round generally more interesting was that the bottom teams were largely stronger teams who had finished the season on a strong note. Normally, we would see these bottom teams as 3-, 4- or 5-seeds, which means that we really got a lot of second round type matchups in the first round.
I thought Denver had a decent shot at the Spurs because it looked like he might be hurt. I thought Houston had the series all but wrapped up before they totally blew it. I thought Sacramento had a decent chance before I realized how old and crappy they were.
There's also the matter that the top two teams in each league are far better than the other teams. Usually the 2 vs. 3 series is pretty well matched, but this year, San Antonio is better than Seattle and it's not even close. Detroit is better than Indiana and it's even less close.
So, I fully expect that none of these series goes longer than 6 games, and most will be done in 5. Then, it's onto the conference finals, where the real playoffs start.
