I hadn't bothered to comment on the NBA playoffs yet because I was expecting business as usual in the first round. Seven game series in the opening round mean that the favored team is pretty much a lock, right? Well, until this year, when a scrappy Warriors team upset the heavily favored Mavericks in grand style. They whipped them up and down the court, and took the series in six games. They now await the winner of the Rockets-Jazz series. If the Rockets win that series, I think the Warriors have a decent chance to advance another round. I think they would have a tougher time with the Jazz.
The Suns-Spurs series should be exciting to watch. I am rooting for the Suns, for two reasons. First, I absolutely loathe the Spurs. They are are like the T1000 in Terminator 2 -- a machine, relentless and soulless. Their grind-it-out brand of basketball makes the NBA boring and ugly (unless you really enjoy Tim Duncan's bank shots or something). Second, I enjoy watching the Suns play -- with Nash at point, shooters all over the perimeter, and Stoudemire throwing down hammer dunks inside, it's pure hustle and flow (as described by TNT analyst Kenny Smith).
In the East, both the semi-final series are intriguing, but I don't have a vested interest one way or the other. The Cavs have LeBron and the Nets have playoff experience. Let's see which proves stronger. The Bulls have Ben Wallace now, and the Pistons have late addition Chris Webber. Let's see who made the better acquisition.