Six questions that will determine this season's NBA championship

By Andrew Neumann
Collegian Staff
April 16, 2008

This year’s NBA postseason could be one of the most memorable ones in recent history. The Western Conference has nine teams who are all very good. This means that not only will one team that is 15 games over .500 not make the playoffs, but the eight that do will all have a dogfight on their hands. From the first round on, every Western Conference series has the possibility of going seven games.

In the East, there is slightly less parity, but still a handful of good teams. And for the first time in years, it appears that the East has at least two teams that could slug it out with anyone the West has to offer. Could we be headed for the best spring in recent NBA memory? Here are six questions that we need answered before the dust clears:

1) Does seeding matter at all in the West?

While much is being made of who can grab the top spot in the conference by Wednesday’s end of the regular season, no one seems to be asking if it matters all that much. Right now, there are six teams with a chance to be number one overall. The teams are that close. Currently in the mix are teams like the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns. All of these teams have gotten deep into the playoffs the last few years. They are not going to be rattled by having to go on the road. While it is always preferable to play at home, getting a top spot will not guarantee anything in the West.

2) Can the New Orleans Hornets keep it up?

As previously mentioned, the West is stacked. The Hornets are the only real newcomers to the playoff scene this year. Will they be overwhelmed by having to play against perennial powerhouses like the Spurs and Mavericks in the later rounds, or will the momentum of the regular season and the emergence of potential MVP Chris Paul be enough?

3) Do the bottom three in the East stand any chance?

The Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic are the East’s top three seeds, respectively. The bottom three seeds arethe Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks. The real question seems to be: can any of these teams hang with the favorites? Few give the Hawks any chance to take the series to as many as six games. The Sixers are hot, but do they have the firepower to take out the Pistons? The Raptors have a dangerous young core when healthy, but I don’t think they will take the Magic deep in the first-round series.

4) Do the Cleveland Cavaliers have another run in them?

A first round date with the Washington Wizards is all but assured. The Cavs faced Washington two years ago in a seven-game classic. However, the same issues persist with Cleveland—they don’t have much of a supporting cast. Acquiring Ben Wallace could go either way in the playoffs as the intensity picks up, but games are more spread out. LeBron James should be able to get the Cavs into the second round, but once he runs into Detroit or Boston, his supporting cast will need to step up in a big way if Cleveland is to return to the NBA Finals.

5) Can the Spurs win a title in an even-numbered year?

In all seriousness, there’s no reason to think the Spurs are not the favorites again. They will be a top-three seed in the West and are the defending champions. However, they have not won back-to-back titles at any point during their reign. They have all of the pieces in place to do so but will be unable to sneak up on anyone. To get another ring, they will have to beat four 50-win teams in a row. This is a daunting task, but it is one of which they are very capable.

6) Can the East really expect to win the Finals?

I believe it can. Detroit and Boston figure to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals for what should be a classic series. While they will probably wear each other down a little, the Western Conference champion will have to face at least two grueling series before getting to the finals. I believe this could give the East an upper hand. But it hasn’t worked in the last few years, so I’m not betting on it.

Eastern Conference Finals: Pistons over Celtics in seven.

Western Conference Finals: Spurs over Lakers in seven.

NBA Finals: Spurs over Pistons in six.

neumanna1@lasalle.edu