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2012 NBA Playoff Preview!

This is just a sticky post so you can keep track of the madness here at The No-Look Pass.

Check out team-by-team previews with some of the best NBA bloggers on the internet.

EAST
1. Chicago Bulls
2. Miami Heat
3. Indiana Pacers
4. Boston Celtics
5. Atlanta Hawks
6. Orlando Magic
7. New York Knicks
8. Philadelphia 76ers

WEST
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Los Angeles Clippers
6. Denver Nuggets
7. Dallas Mavericks
8. Utah Jazz

And, of course...

First Round Picks!

Gregg Popovich Wins Coach Of The Year

Gregg Popovich has been named Coach of the Year for the 2011-12 season.

Can't complain about the choice. He helped push the San Antonio Spurs to the #1 seed in the very loaded Western Conference. Popovich also didn't have Manu Ginobili for nearly half the season so that was very impressive.

I wouldn't have griped if Tom Thibodeau won again. The Bulls didn't have Derrick Rose for 27 games. Frank Vogel got the Indiana Pacers to the 3rd seed of the East. And Tyrone Corbin deserves mention for getting the Utah Jazz to the postseason.

But Popovich definitely deserves the award. He also won the award in 2002-03. That season, the Spurs won a title. So I'm sure they're hoping it happens again this year.

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Maybe Landry Fields Was Actually An NCAA Champion In The 90s

Remember Toby Bailey? He was the starting shooting guard of the powerful UCLA Bruins that went on to win the 1995 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship (shoutout to Kris Johnson!). He didn't really have much of an NBA career and decided to play overseas right after. But we'll always remember that Bruin squad.

When I was hanging out at the Las Vegas Summer League with Zach Harper from ESPN Daily Dime Live two years ago, we were observing Landry Fields (who went to college in Stanford) of the New York Knicks. Zach immediately mentioned this gem.

ZACH: "Landry Fields and Toby Bailey are the same person!"

(L: Toby Bailey, R: Landry Fields)

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The Fires Surrounding Amare Stoudemire

Remember when Amar'e Stoudemire said that the Knicks were back? Yeah. They are back. They are back to that chaotic environment that is all too familiar in New York.

It was the start of the 2010-11 season when Amar'e was pretty much tabbed as the franchise's savior; the one that is going to help right the wrongs of the New York Knicks. Reunited with coach Mike D'Antoni, he was the leader of a resurrecting team. Now? He just seems to be a shell of his old self. So when he punched the glass-enclosed fire extinguisher case that lacerated his hand, I wasn't that surprised. It was stupid, for sure, but hardly surprising... and I somewhat understand it.

Amar'e's frustrations are clear. Stoudemire's role has way lessened from his original role as would-be franchise player. We know Carmelo Anthony takes all the shots now. His back injury slowed him down. Sometimes, he was even the fourth option when the Linsanity craze hit. And we know his brother died in a car accident earlier this year. All of this has taken a toll on Stoudemire. And I'm sure Amar'e is wondering where it all went wrong when he's just trying to help the Knicks.

I feel like Stoudemire needs to get away. I won't be surprised if he wants this season to be over with. His balky back has prevented him from attacking the rim at full force; it is so sad to see him try to lay up or dunk the ball only to get a "return to sender" message from an opponent.

A broken body, loss of family, sadness, a sometimes confusing role in the offense... all of that would weigh on any basketball player. I'm not absolving him from what he did, though. Going bare-knuckle style on a fire extinguisher glass case is stupid; the hand is always going to lose. But Stoudemire definitely needs his mind cleared. As I've mentioned before, people still forget he's human.

Where there's smoke, there's fire. Stoudemire knew that and he's wanted to extinguish the flames going on around this franchise since he got there. Unfortunately, just like every other time he's tried to help the Knicks, he somehow ended up doing it wrong again.

PHOTO CREDIT: Issac Baldizon/Getty Images.

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2012 Playoff Recap (Day 3)

#7 NEW YORK KNICKS 94 @ #2 MIAMI HEAT 104
EAST 1st Round * Game 2 * Heat lead series, 2-0

Carmelo Anthony got off to a fast start, scoring 15 points in the first quarter. And the Knicks kept it pretty close for three quarters.

But Miami's crisp ball movement (28 assists as a team) kept the Knicks away. Some of those passes led to wide-open three-pointers for such Heat players as Shane Battier and Mike Miller. They were finally able to put away the Knicks in the 4th quarter. Dwyane Wade led a balanced scoring Miami attack with 25 points while Melo led all scorers with 30 points.

And just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, Amar'e Stoudemire lost it and punched the glass container that contained a fire extinguisher. With a lacerated left hand, Stoudemire is likely to be out for Game 3. So in the past few days, they lost two games and two players (Iman Shumpert in Game 1).

Spare me your "attacking the glass" jokes.

#6 ORLANDO MAGIC 78 @ #3 INDIANA PACERS 93
EAST 1st Round * Game 2 * Series tied at 1-1

While the Magic shot badly, the Magic were basically outhustling the Pacers. Glen Davis, in particular, was outfoxing Roy Hibbert. He was working as if Twinkies were on the line in this game.

But the Pacers fought back and looked like a squad in total desperation. They annihilated Orlando in the 3rd quarter, 30-13, and never looked back. The Magic continued to shoot badly (35.5%) and the Pacers shot just well enough to knot the series at one apiece.

Indiana had three 18-point scorers (George Hill, Danny Granger, David West). Big Baby led the Magic with 18 points and 10 boards but he seemed to have run out of gas at the end.

But Orlando does have home court advantage back.

#7 DALLAS MAVERICKS 99 @ #2 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 102
WEST 1st Round * Game 2 * Thunder lead series, 2-0

In what has been the most exciting series so far, the Thunder and the Mavs went back-and-forth in this hotly contested game. While OKC took a 16-point lead in the second quarter, Dirk Nowitzki spearheaded a 17-3 run in that same stanza. Kevin Durant shot poorly once again so Russell Westbrook once again took the reins and kept the Thunder going.

In the end, however, Dirk's shots that were falling last year in the clutch didn't fall in the waning seconds of the game. After the Thunder made clutch freethrows, the Mavericks had one last shot to send the game to an extra period. Fortunately for Oklahoma City, Jason Terry missed two good looks from behind the arc.

Westbrook led the Thunder with 29 points while Dirk led all scorers with 31. Durant shot 5 for 17 but got to the FT line (14/16) and ended up with 26 points. While this is supposed to be a 2 vs 7 mismatch, Dallas is going to be a real tough out.

Three more games tomorrow!

PHOTO CREDITS: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images.

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Compressed Thoughts (04/30/2012)

1. Derrick Rose Out. Now What?: The Eastern Conference is not as wide open as the Western Conference. We pretty much thought it was going to be a two-horse race between Chicago and Miami. Then, of course, THAT happened... and, suddenly, the door is just barely open.

It looks like it's Miami's Eastern Conference title to lose. I am not going to be Stephen A. Smith and say that the Bulls should lay down. But this is the Bulls playing without the reigning MVP. It's only going to get tougher. I'm sure the winner of the Boston/Atlanta series know that they have a better chance of beating the Bulls if they don't have Derrick Rose.

Then the numbers speak. Bulls went 18-9 without Rose this season. While it's a difficult task, the Bulls are used to playing without him. Of course, that's the regular season where they play some teams that are weaksauce. But they've also beaten some strong teams, too... and that includes Miami.

So in a way, maybe we really don't know what we have in Chicago. Yes, no Rose. But there's 18-9. We'll just have to see how they perform in the playoffs. The postseason is a different animal, as we all know. Maybe that 18-9 record doesn't matter.

But it certainly makes Chicago very vulnerable. Their defense is all-world. But who can they go to in the offense? And don't tell me that C.J. Watson or John Lucas III can replace Rose's scoring consistently. None of them will be confused as go-to scorer guys when the Bulls need a bucket.

The Bulls could very well still advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. But I'd be shocked if the Heat don't take the East. They've got the 'easy' path to the title now, per se, with Rose out. I just don't see the Pacers, Hawks, Celtics, and this version of the Bulls beating the Heat four times in a seven-game series.

This is what makes sports so great, though: we just don't know. We can talk about all this analysis and then something like the Clippers comeback happens. Go ahead and make us look stupid, Chicago.

2. Not The Same Clippers: Speaking of the Clippers comeback...

The Clippers are used to being the laughingstock in the league. Now they're the ones laughing after a monumental comeback against Memphis. Down 24 in the 4th quarter, they used a 26-1 run to steal a win from them bears.

Like I said, these aren't yesterday's Clippers. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have changed the culture of this franchise. Griffin said before that he's not worried about the team's past. Paul said he wants to see people in L.A. wearing Clipper shirts. It's hard to get away from saying, "They're the Clippers." But we really should take these guys seriously.

This jaw-dropping come-from-behind win might become a symbol for the Clippers franchise if they go on to win this series against Memphis.

3. Rajon Rondo Out For Game 2: Rajon Rondo is suspended for Game 2 in the Celtics/Hawks series because referees don't like cooties (I mean, after bumping a referee from behind). I'm fine with that. If you don't suspend him, that makes touching/bumping referees acceptable. Anything beyond one game is a harsh punishment, in my view.

At least, he didn't push a referee like Nick Van Exel did.

4. Charlotte Bobcats Need A Coach... And Everything Else: Paul Silas is out as head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats

After the Bobcats went 7-59, they should've fired everybody. Or contracted the team (kidding).

But seriously, who wants this job? Right now, this team is a train wreck. I suppose getting Anthony Davis would change the climate JUST a little bit but...

#PrayForCardboardGerald.

Hey, Dick Motta. What are you doing these days?

5. Welcome Your Brooklyn Nets: This is the Brooklyn Nets' new logo.

It feels like something I would make.

By the way, I am possibly the worst artist in the world (that's why you hardly see any photoshop works here).

VIDEO CREDIT: KurleeDaddee.

PHOTO CREDITS: 1) Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images. 2) BrooklynNets.Com

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2012 Playoff Recap (Day 2)

It was quite a second day.

#8 UTAH JAZZ 91 @ #1 SAN ANTONIO SPURS 106
WEST 1st Round * Game 1 * Spurs lead series, 1-0

You know, I expected the frontline to do some damage to the Spurs. Instead, Tony Parker ran around them in circles. Not only that... but we also got the Tim Duncan of old. Heck, we even got the Manu Ginobili of old. Duncan and Ginobili had two dunks each that reminded us of 2003. Of course, Manu blew a third dunk when he miscalculated his steps to remind us that it is 2012.

But Parker was the story. Everyone was left in the dust as TP weaved his way into Jazz traffic. Utah wished this was a game of Mario Kart so they could hit him with red turtle shells. Instead, Parker scored 28 points and dished out 8 assists in a decisive Spurs victory.

Paul Millsap led the Jazz with 20 points.

#6 DENVER NUGGETS 88 @ #3 LOS ANGELES LAKERS 103
WEST 1st Round * Game 1 * Lakers lead series, 1-0

We wondered if Andrew Bynum was going to do something offbeat in the postseason. He did. It just wasn't what we thought it was going to be.

At first, Devin Ebanks and Steve Blake spotted the Lakers the lead as they combined for 21 points in the first half. The other end was taken care of by Bynum. Bynum went on to have an unconventional triple-double: 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocks. It was the first Laker triple-double in the postseason since Magic Johnson did it in the 1991 NBA Finals. Yes, neither Shaq nor Kobe have done that. Bynum's Hope Solo-like goalkeeping (though not as hot) kept Denver's shooting at bay (35.6 percent). Danilo Gallinari led the Nugs with 19 points (Ty Lawson was pretty much shut down as he only had 7 points).

And this might've been Kobe Bryant's quietest 30-point game ever (he scored 31).

Oh... and J.A. Adande? Thanks for making me Twitter-famous.

#4 BOSTON CELTICS 74 @ #5 ATLANTA HAWKS 83
EAST 1st Round * Game 1 * Hawks lead series, 1-0

Rajon Rondo got ejected after he chestbumped a referee with 41 seconds left in a midst of a Celtic comeback. The Hawks were up as many as 17 points at one time... and were up as much as 12 in the fourth. The Celtics chipped away and the lead was down to four before the chestbump.

Boston's slow start did them in as Atlanta got off to a 20-6 start. Other than that, the game wasn't very easy to watch. It won't be easy for the Celtics, either, as they may go to Game 2 without Rondo. He could be suspended for that incident.

Josh Smith had 22 points and 18 boards for ATL. Kevin Garnett and Rondo finished with 20 points each.

#5 LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS 99 @ #4 MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES 98
WEST 1st Round * Game 1 * Clippers lead series, 1-0

I think you should just watch this video.

I mean, you can look at the box score and everything... but the fact of the matter was that the Grizzlies had a 24-point lead with 8 minutes left in the game and LOST. What else is there to say?

Basically, you continue to play... and you play carefully until it's all zeroes on the clock. This is the reason why I want to watch the game until the end. Something wacky could happen before the game is over.

Rudy Gay led Memphis with 19 points. Nick Young had 19 points for the Clippers, including those three shots behind the arc in that spirited Clipper comeback.

These aren't yesterday's Clippers, ladies and gentlemen.

We'll be back tomorrow with three more games!

PHOTO CREDITS: Mark J. Terrill/AP.

VIDEO CREDIT: RocketsRed.

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2012 Playoff Preview (Los Angeles Clippers)

We continue our playoff team previews here at The No-Look Pass by talking to some of the best writers/bloggers on the internet!

Seed: #5 (West)
Record: 40-26
Stat Leaders: Blake Griffin (20.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG), Chris Paul (9.1 APG, 2.5 SPG), DeAndre Jordan (2.0 BPG).
Opponent: #4 Memphis Grizzlies, 41-25
Record Against Them This Season: 2-1
Writers: D.J. Foster (@fosterdj)
Web Site: ClipperBlog

Guess who's back in the playoffs! A wacky offseason followed the lockout and the Clippers ended up winning the Chris Paul sweepstakes. With CP3 leading the way, the Clippers return to the postseason after a six-year absence. They lost their homecourt advantage at the last day of the season but it doesn't take away from the Clips' accomplishment of making the playoffs. D.J. Foster of ClipperBlog talks to me about them Clips.

What a difference a year makes, eh? Are you happy where they finished? Or were your expectations higher than this?

It's weird. I expected the Clippers to nab the 4/5 seed going in to the playoffs, but I expected them to it in an entirely different manner. I didn't expect them to be so heavily dependent on Chris Paul's heroics -- especially against some of the lesser teams in the league. Ultimately though, they're back in the playoffs and have a winnable first round matchup. I think most Clippers fans will take that for the first year of the CP3 experience.

Do you think Chris Paul is the MVP in the league?

No. The MVP is LeBron James, who put up one of the greatest statistical seasons of all-time. That said, Chris Paul isn't far behind, as he's second in most major player rating categories to James, and the narrative of him resurrecting one of the worst franchises in professional sports history is a damn good one. If the Clippers would have overtaken the Lakers for the Pacific Division title and nabbed the 3-seed, we could have seen Paul get it. James should win it, though.

So Blake Griffin's game doesn't seem to have changed much this year. Or are there some subtle changes to his game that I didn't catch?

I was completely with you for most of the season. If anything, it looked like he regressed. He was playing lazier defense and was getting burned up by the likes of Patrick Patterson and J.J. Hickson in fourth quarters. Don't get me started on his complete collapse at the free throw line -- we went from thinking "he'll do what Karl Malone did at the line in his second season" to saying, "Oh my god, he's Chris Dudley, he's Chris freaking Dudley" in pretty much no time. His pick-and-roll dance with Paul has often looked stilted. Lots of bad things here, but, Griffin has shot 37% from 16-23 feet in March and 49% from 16-23 feet in April. That's insanely good, and all those early season clanks seem to be paying dividends at just the right time.

Randy Foye has been playing really well as of late. So do you count on him to do well in the postseason? Or are you basically thinking that there is no choice but to rely on him?

Both. You dance with who brung ya. Foye has hit more 3-pointers since the All-Star break than any player in the league. As a spot-up shooter on the weakside, he's dangerous. He'll bring almost nothing else to the game -- he's a subpar rebounder, creator, slasher and defender -- but the Clippers don't need him to do those things. They just need the floor stretched and a perimeter presence, and Foye has shown he's capable of that.

Anyone outside of Blake and CP3 that stood out to you in terms of performing well?

Mo Williams was brilliant the first half of the season, and Randy Foye has picked up his slack in the second half. I'm hopeful that Caron Butler will have a little life in at least the first quarters of games in the playoffs, but I won't hold my breath. This is an odd team. Paul and Griffin are really the only consistent performers, but the Clippers have a host of players who theoretically could get hot and step up as the third guy. Defense is a much bigger concern for me.

The Clippers draw the scary Grizzlies. What are keys to beating this rough-and-tumble squad?

You just can't turn over the ball. The Grizzlies turn over their opponents more than any team in the league...but the Clippers are 2nd in ball control (turnovers). It's strength vs. strength in this one, and so long as Paul has the ball in his hands and not Nick Young or Eric Bledsoe, I feel safe. Outside of protecting the ball, you have to contest Marc Gasol at the high post, otherwise he'll pick you apart with his shot and his unique passing ability. Can DeAndre Jordan be relied upon to play the game above the shoulders? We'll see.

Prediction for this series?

Clippers in 7. I think this is going to be an extremely tight series, but Zach Randolph isn't what he was last year, so I don't think the Grizzlies are going to steamroll the Clips like a lot of people think. The Clippers have plenty of practice in tight games this year, and in Paul they have one of the league's best closers. Rudy Gay is tough and the Grizzlies defense with Tony Allen is even tougher, but I think so long as the Clippers manage to keep it close, Paul will pull it out for them in the end.

Anything else you want to say?

I heart you guys.

We heart you, too!

PHOTO CREDITS: 1) Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images. 2) Glenn James/Getty Images. 3) Joe Murphy/Getty Images.

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2012 Playoff Preview (Los Angeles Lakers)

We continue our playoff team previews here at The No-Look Pass by talking to some of the best writers/bloggers on the internet!

Seed: #3 (West)
Record: 41-25
Stat Leaders: Kobe Bryant (27.9 PPG, 1.2 SPG), Andrew Bynum (11.8 RPG, 1.9 BPG), Ramon Sessions (5.5 APG).
Opponent: #6 Denver Nuggets, 38-28
Record Against Them This Season: 3-1
Writers: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky (@ESPNLandOLakers)
Web Site: Land O'Lakers

Our boys in purple and gold have had quite the unusual season. They ended up at the third seed in the West... and I have absolutely no idea what their potential is. So I got the help of the Kamenetzky Brothers (Andy and Brian) of Land O'Lakers in ESPN Los Angeles. They school me in terms of Laker knowledge and how things are going to go against the Nuggets. Fire!

Overall, did Mike Brown do a good job with this squad?

ANDY: This may sound like a cop out, but that's hard to answer until we see the how the playoffs shake out. If the Lakers make a credible run, the inconsistent rotations, bouts with obvious skepticism by the players and periodically uncreative offense over 66 games won't matter. If the Lakers don't look particularly good or prepared, it becomes very easy to wonder if Brown lacks either/both the chops or gravitas for this gig.

BRIAN: When you stack all the obstacles he faced in front of him -- replacing Phil Jackson, no access to his team over the summer, a laughably short training camp in which to install new systems on both sides of the ball, the CP3 debacle leading to the loss of Lamar Odom, working with a roster worse than the one the Lakers had last year, very little practice time, and so on -- I think he did pretty good work. Is he Jackson or Popovich? No, but he's managed to adjust his approach to his players in a few ways and find at least some consistency in his rotation, despite legitimate depth issues. All in all, a decent job under tough circumstances.

Were you surprised on how Kobe Bryant performed this season?

A: Yes, in that I didn't expect him to remain as healthy as he did all season. Were one kick to his shin avoided, he probably wouldn't have missed a game this season, save #66 against Sacto. He somehow played with a wrist ligament held together by scotch tape, and that German doctor is destined to become an exceptionally wealthy man. No, in that his exceptionally high usage rate and decreasing field goal percentage were trends beginning last season. Either way, it's amazing to watch a 33 year old maintain his status as one of the game's elite players. Another year in what's been an amazing career.

B: A little, mostly because I wasn't sure how healthy he'd be coming into the season. By the end of last year, it was pretty clear his knee was a limiting factor, and at his age and with his mileage (almost two decades worth of regular season and playoff minutes) you never know how well a guy will respond. I was blown away by his efficiency early in the year, but as things went on his shot started to falter. At one point, he was in a pretty significant shooting slump. From a production standpoint, he finished about where I thought he would, but the scoring numbers were higher because his minutes were way up. I didn't factor that sort of jump in my preseason predictions.

What do you make of Andrew Bynum's behavior? And do you think he'll pull something offbeat again in the postseason?

A: I think it's a combination of self-absorption, entitlement and 24-year old rebellion. Drew's a very bright, confident kid, which probably feeds into his headstrong nature. At times it also felt like he was going through an identity crisis of sorts, trying way too hard to cultivate a 24/7 persona as the baddest dude on the block. Still, his behavior during the playoffs isn't a particularly big concern to me. Unfortunately, his consistent engagement is.

B: At times this year, he's been a bit of a jerk, disrespectful to his teammates and the organization. Other times, he's just shown more garden variety immaturity, the type of thing some might expect from a 24 year old. While Bynum has been a good player in the NBA, this is the year he truly arrived. He's reached that point where he's going to be a max guy, whether in L.A. or somewhere else, and it's very possible some of that has gone to his head. The signs were coming over the last couple years, whether you're talking the hit on JJ Barea in last year's playoffs or the handicapped parking incidents. The biggest problem has been effort. There have been plenty of moments where he's simply not playing hard. Still, all that said Bynum's overall production has been outstanding. That can't be forgotten when talking about his immaturity.

As for the playoffs, I think he'll be fine, and highly motivated. I'm not anticipating anything "offbeat," but if a series turns sour, it wouldn't shock me.

Ron Artest/Metta World Peace won't be back in the first round unless this goes to seven games. Do you expect Devin Ebanks to get ample playing time?

A: Absolutely. Mike Brown has already named him the starter and Matt Barnes may be hobbled with a sprained right ankle, so the minutes will be available at small forward. And Steve Blake struggles badly guarding two's, so Brown may opt to give some of the minutes spelling Kobe to Devin.

B: He's going to start, and if Matt Barnes ankle acts up, will get huge minutes. As it is, he'll be a significant player, charged with three things-- Crash the glass if possible (LA's 3's will have to be judicious, given Denver's ability to run), get out on the wing when the Lakers are in transition, and play defense on Danilo Gallinari. They might not run a play for him all series, but if he does this stuff well, the Lakers will be happy.

Was Ramon Sessions all you expected to be? Or more?

A: Basically, "all." Sessions' outside shot has been better than advertised, but that unexpected asset is negated somewhat by how staggeringly right-handed he is. He's basically the Bizarro-Lamar Odom. But otherwise, Sessions is essentially what I expected. A good distributor with speed and the ability to penetrate... who struggles to defend anybody with the same skill sets. He's struggling of late, and it's tough to know whether that's because of his shoulder, teams figuring out how to defend him with the Lakers, or the byproduct of more responsibilities in a tougher conference. He'll need to pick it up in the playoffs.

B: I'd say he's been about what I expected. The outside shooting has been a bonus. It's always tough to tell if a guy's breakout year from the perimeter is real or fluky, but he's been solid with his jumper. It helps, because teams consistently challenge him by going under screens. He's great with the ball and adds an element of speed the Lakers haven't had in years. On the flip side, Sessions was advertised as a subpar defender, and on that front has generally delivered. It's not so much a lack of effort as what seem like mediocre instincts. He struggles to get through screens (could be the bum shoulder he's been fighting) but just as importantly tends to lose his man away from the ball, and talking to coaches his help D could be much better. Still, while his on/off splits have narrowed since his arrival, Sessions is still a massive upgrade over what they had.

The Lakers draw the Nuggets. Keys for the Lakers to beat this Denver team.

A: They need to control the tempo. The Lakers have a definitive size advantage in Gasol, Bynum and even Kobe, and it's imperative they use that height and length to dictate the terms of this series. If the Nuggets are allowed to run, thrive in transition and move the ball at will, they'll absolutely push the Lakers to the limits.

I also consider Gallinari something of a wild card. He's capable of filling it up, but he's been largely quiet this season against the Lakers. Then again, that's in large part due to the defense of Metta World Peace, who won't be available until Game 7. Ebanks and Barnes are hard working, energetic defenders, but not in MWP's class. I'm definitely concerned Gallinari could emerge a headache in this series.

B: 1. The Lakers must limit the Nuggets in transition. No easy task as Denver is (via Synergy) the NBA's 3rd best transition team, and had more possessions on the break than any team in the league. Meanwhile, the Lakers are deep in the bottom fifth defensively in transition.

2. Pace. The Lakers can't play at Denver's pace. Doing so will fuel their break and likely turn the Lakers into jump shooters as opposed to a slow-down team able to pound the ball inside. Speaking of that...

3. Pound the ball inside. Andrew Bynum destroyed Denver in four regular season games, and Pau Gasol was also very good. Use them. Get Kobe on the block. Do whatever you can to limit the number of perimeter jumpers, which a) are less likely to go in, and b) fuel Denver's break.

Series prediction?

A: Lakers in 7.

B: I've gone back and forth on this one between Lakers in six and Lakers in seven. Ultimately, I think it's going to be a very close series. I'll go Lakers in seven.

Anything else you want to say?

A: Haven't I babbled enough?

B: Nope!

PHOTO CREDITS: 1) Rich Pedroncelli/AP. 2) Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images. 3) Evan Gole/Getty Images.

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2012 Playoff Recap (Day 1)

WELCOME BACK, NBA PLAYOFFS.

#8 PHILADELPHIA 76ers 91 @ #1 CHICAGO BULLS 103
EAST 1st Round * Game 1 * Bulls lead series, 1-0

The game was an afterthought after what happened with Derrick Rose. Yes, the Bulls won and they pretty much controlled it from the first second of the game 'til the end... but the long-term rammifications will be felt for the rest of the playoffs and into next season.

The Bulls lead as many as 20 points in the 4th quarter. Rose finished with a near triple-double at 23-9-9. Chicago held the Sixers to under 40 percent shooting. The Sixers were led by Elton Brand with 19 points.

But now the Bulls must march on without last year's MVP.

#7 NEW YORK KNICKS 67 @ #2 MIAMI HEAT 100
EAST 1st Round * Game 1 * Heat lead series, 1-0

Whether LeBron James overreacted to that hard Tyson Chandler screen or not, James obliterated the Knicks D with 32 points in 14 shots. The Knicks' starting line-up was outscored by LeBron, 32-30.

To make matters worse, Iman Shumpert also tore his ACL (AND a torn meniscus) in that game. Shumpert, a rookie, is their best perimeter defender and will also be out for the rest of the playoffs. Just not a good day in terms of ACLs.

The good news is that this still counts as one loss. The bad news is that they're still playing the Heat.

J.R. Smith led NY with 17 points.

#6 ORLANDO MAGIC 81 @ #3 INDIANA PACERS 77
EAST 1st Round * Game 1 * Magic lead series, 1-0

This was not a pretty game to watch. But Orlando kept it close with timely three-pointers when they found out that they couldn't get around Roy Hibbert (9 BLOCKS!) inside. David West seems to be getting his form back as he led the Pacers with 19 points. The Pacers led, 77-70, with 4:05 left.

Indiana never scored again. Jason Richardson found his Phoenix Suns form and made back-to-back three-pointers in a decisive 11-0 run. The Pacers clanked everything from lay-ups to 3-pointers and even had unforced errors like Danny Granger traveling. Somehow, the Magic stole a game on the road without their franchise center. I forgot his name.

Jameer Nelson and J-Rich led the Magic with 17 points each.

#7 DALLAS MAVERICKS 98 @ #2 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 99
WEST 1st Round * Game 1 * Thunder lead series, 1-0

This won the game for OKC.

Kevin Durant had been struggling all game (10/27 for 25 points) but that bucket won it for the Thunder. But, really, we gotta give props to Russell Westbrook, who kept the Thunder alive with his superb midrange shooting (28 points). We also gotta give a shoutout to Serge Ibaka. He had 22 points and 4 swats. James Harden returned to action and did his usual damage with 19 points and some harassing perimeter defense.

Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 25 points but had trouble taking care of the ball (6 turnovers). Jason Terry was hot (8/10 for 20 points) but disappeared in the last quarter. And Jason Kidd had 8 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 7 steals.

It was easily the most fun game of the night as they went back and forth nearly the entire game. Most importantly, they all came away healthy (like the Pacers/Magic game).

Day 2 of the playoffs tomorrow! Four more games on the horizon.

PHOTO CREDITS: Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images.

VIDEO CREDIT: Eye On Basketball

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No Derrick Rose The Rest Of The Playoffs

This stinks. Derrick Rose is out for the playoffs, due to a torn ACL. The season has already robbed us of Dwight Howard, Ricky Rubio, Jeremy Lin, and Chauncey Billups. And in the Knicks/Heat game, Iman Shumpert might join the wounded as well with a knee injury of his own. What a terrible start to the postseason after so much excitement for it.

The Chicago Bulls have played 27 games without Rose so this is nothing new to them. They still managed to finish with the best record in the NBA at 50-16. But without their superstar in the playoffs, this could be a different story. We could blame Tom Thibodeau all we want for leaving him out there with less than two minutes left in the fourth but bottom line is that he injured it.

C.J. Watson has done an admirable job as well as John Lucas III but neither of them are Derrick Rose. But they'll have to run with those horses for the rest of the postseason. Rose will also be out for the Olympics, given the timetable for an ACL recovery. Heck, with these tricky knees, Rose may not even be the same player until maybe the middle of next season or even the start of 2013-14 season.

Get well soon, Derrick. We'll miss you.

PHOTO CREDIT: John Starks/Daily Herald/AP.

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