Most teams have about 10 games left in the regular season. The Western Conference changes everyday and a team that gets 50 wins may miss the playoffs for the first time. The Nuggets are still on pace to win 50 and are a 1/2 game out of the 8th seed.

The first three or four spots are basically set in the East, but seeds 5-8 are still up in the air. The Sixers have been playing sick lately and could definitely make a push to get to the 5th seed. However, I don't know if I want them moving up to 5th. If they get the 5th, they are gonna have to go toe to toe against LeBron. If they get the 6 spot, they'll have to play Orlando, who I think may be a bit easier.

This may be the first time ever (or at least in my lifetime) where the team that wins the West will have had to go through nothing but worthy teams. It's been an incredible year for the Western Conference.

I'm a Warriors fan, so I've been biting my nails with them clinging to that 8th spot. Although I have a feeling with Nowitski hurt Dallas may drop down below both the Warriors and Nuggets to miss the playoffs this season.

Whatever happens it's exciting as the season comes to an end! The playoffs will be one of the best in a long long time.

I agree that the eventual NBA champ should come out of the Western Conference. However, with each passing season, I have a difficult time getting into the NBA playoffs due to its ridiculously lengthy (and unnecessarily lengthy) format. I know it will never go back to how it was in the 80s and 90s, but it is the most unwatchable playoff format of the big three American sports.

Out of the East, I think it's wide open. The Celtics are untested in the postseason, despite being the sexy/media pick. Detroit will probably show its age and wear down. The Cavs will not have the perfect storm of seeding that they benefited from last year.

TOTALLY AGREE.
I am fed up with the games starting so late in the Eastern Time Zone. The start time is 9PM but with all the hype and fluff the game itself doesn't start until 9:30 PM. Then you throw in 3 or 4 DAYS between each game and it's just painful. What made it verging on ridiculous IMO was the extending of first round matches to best of seven. I'd like to see the first round matches moved back to a best of five or even a best of three format.




I am pulling for Detroit. It's questionable whether Dumars should have broken that core up last year. Hopefully an energized and utilized bench will be the difference for the Pistons. They still have problems with really big teams (Boston, Utah) but when they're on, they're tough to beat.

The thing about Boston is that 2 of their big 3 players (Pierce & Ray Allen) have a significant history of injury. If one of those guys goes down, so they do.

What I hate most about the NBA playoffs is the fact that it starts in mid April and does not end until mid-to-late June. The NFL and MLB have it right - one month is plenty. There is no need to have the first round of the NBA go 7 games. Five game series (which used to happen in the NBA and still do in MLB) give the series a different dynamic.

I'm okay with seven game series, but as Lilo mentioned there shouldn't be so many days off in between games. It's not like they are traveling in between every single game like in the regular season.

What is even more asinine is when there are 1 or 2 days off between games played in the same city . That's just pure David Stern greed.

I like the Celtics in the East. Their sweep through Texas recently was very impressive, and they have received some quality play from players other than Garnett, Pierce and Allen.

I like LA in the West even with doubts about Bynum. Kobe is amazing.

I'll pick the Celtics in 7.

I agree with everyone else, the playoffs are way too long. One of the reasons I've gone from being a NBA fan to a MLB fan. Unfortunately, it's all about money with this league. They don't care how pissed off the fans get and then they wonder why they have low ratings. It's ridiculous that the playoffs take almost 2 months to finish and yes, the excessive days off between games needs to be shortened. This league just continues to go down the drain in my eyes. Yes I follow it but I don't hardly watch it like I did even a few years ago.

Huge game tonight in the West. Denver at Golden State. I still can't believe the first five or six spots in the West are only separated by 2 or 3 games.