Over the next 6 weeks, there will be as much high quality basketball action as you can possibly handle, as the 16 teams contesting the NBA Playoffs fight it out for the right to be named World Champion 2005.

The sun is shining, the beer is cold, my boss is overseas for the next week, and the playoffs are about to start. What a wonderful time to be alive…

The East

1. Mia v NJN .8
At the beginning of the season, New Jersey had a man called Alonzo Mourning on their roster. On Sunday, Mourning may well start at center against them in game 1 of the 2005 Playoffs. The big news out of Miami is that Shaq is in doubt – even if for only the first part of this series – after missing the final 2 games of the regular season with a thigh injury suffered last Sunday. And as excited as the Nets are feeling about running down Cleveland in the season’s final week to make the playoffs, their team spirit lifts another notch if the Shaq indeed isn’t ready to go. For their part, New Jersey are working on an injured key player as well, with Richard Jefferson doing what Shaq couldn’t – practice today – and even if his game is off after 4 month’s on the sidelines, the Nets need Jefferson’s defense on Eddie Jones, or even Dwyane Wade. The Heat bulldozed their way to the East’s best record, and with Shaq earning $28mill of the team’s $59mill payroll, he’s the number 1 reason why. But number 2 is the scintilating Wade, and his head to head encounter with the 32 year old Jason Kidd will be an epic in itself. On the season, Miami own the statistical oddity of being first in the league in FG%, but last in FT%, but despte having 4 players 6-11 or over on their playoff roster, it’s doubtful that New Jersey have enough players to adopt a deliberate-fouling policy. In their 3 meetings this season, Miami won them by a combined 64 points – will the playoffs be a different story? Not if Shaq plays. Heat 4-0

4. Chi v Was .5
Since neither of these young teams made the playoffs last season, they’re both feeling justifiably proud to be contesting this 4th/5th matchup. But that’s where the similarities end, as these squads have taken quite different roads to get to this point – and for the winner a completely different future may result – yet for the next 10 days, they’re both at this intersection. The Wizards are built around a scoring point guard who was drafted in the 2nd round and average 100 points per game, while the Bulls have a team full of lottery picks and lead the league in defensive field goal percentage. It’s an intriguing encounter. The Bulls, even without Eddy Curry and Luol Deng, have impressive depth, and Scott Skiles will relish the challenge of shutting down Gilbert Arenas and the rest of Eddie Jordan’s offensive schemes. Already feted, this series might make Kirk Hinrich’s career; if he can somehow keep Arenas off the foul line while orchestrating the Bulls’ sometimes scratchy offense, the rewards will be tangible. The Wizards will have their own work cut out for them in the frontcourt, as Etan Thomas, Brendan Haywood and Kwame Brown try and hold Chicago’s big bodies in the paint, and a lot will depend on the way this series is officiated. The Bulls commit a lot of fouls, and if their key stopper Andres Nocioni isn’t allowed any leeway in defending Antwan Jamison, the Wizards could out-score Chicago on the way to a thrilling series upset. Bulls 4-3.

3. Bos v Ind .6
For the 3rd time in 3 years, the Celtics face the Pacers in the first round, and despite Boston owning home court this time, Indiana have become the fashionable pick for an upset. Part of the reason is Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle; the job he’s done to inspire this team throughout all the suspensions and the injuries this season has been phenomenal, and he’s been rewarded with Jermaine O’Neal’s return and Reggie Miller’s tremendous recent play. Remember, this is the same Reggie who looked washed up this time 2 years ago when Isiah Thomas was on the sideline. Yet that Boston team that decapitated Indiana back in 2003 may not be as strong, man for man, as this year’s squad. Today’s Celtics don’t need Paul Pierce to score 30 points for them to win; they’re just as comfortable with Pierce netting 17 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in a good team victory. With Antoine Walker and Raef LaFrentz pulling O’Neal, Dale Davis and Jeff Foster out of the paint, it opens the way up for Pierce and Ricky Davis to work against Miller and Stephen Jackson, plus expect Gary Payton to post up Anthony Johnson in an attempt to get him in foul trouble. Intestingly, the Pacers’ medical staff were comfortable enough with Jamaal Tinsley’s progress to put him on the Playoff Roster, yet Jonathan Bender and his dicey knee were left off. Boston are not a physical team – and they won’t enjoy trying to keep O’Neal out of the paint and off the glass – but they’re certainly not the easy-beats they’re being portrayed in every (other) playoff preview, either. Celtics 4-3.

2. Det v Phi .7
For the defending NBA champions, it’s been an odd season, as even ignoring the disgraceful brawl at the Palace on November 19 the Pistons somehow haven’t been able to garner much positive publicity. Yet in finishing the regular season by winning 12 of their final 15 games, they seemed to have re-established that all-conquering mix of defense and offense that Larry Brown has engineered so capably on his arrival in Detroit less than 2 years ago. And that’s one of the key traits of the players on this team – they genuinely listen to their coach and obey, to the best of their ability, what he says. Brown knows all about Allen Iverson’s strengths and weaknesses, so keep an eye on the special defensive adjustments Detroit will have in place for this series. For Iverson’s part, he knows all of Brown’s strengths and weaknesses as well, and is determined to prove to his former coach that he is still at the top of his game. Even though Philly won just 43 games, Iverson had a superb individual season; once again leading the league in scoring, and averaging a career high 7.9 assists (despite playing the fewest minutes per game since 2001/02) yet he won Player of the Month honours just once. Also, tellingly, Iverson is getting to the FT line more this season than ever before, which is why Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton have been seeing him in their sleep all week. Yet as imposing as Iverson is, Detroit don’t fear anyone. They know how to win. They know how to defend. They know that just because an 86-79 ballgame isn’t pretty doesn’t mean it isn’t tough, or legit, basketball. Pistons 4-1.

The West

1. Pho v Mem .8
On the back of Steve Nash and a coach with nothing to lose, the Suns stormed the NBA this season, filling the void left by the decline of the Lakers and running of the league’s best record. Phoenix play the game the right way, and for this the basketball gods have rewarded them – 62 wins, 110ppg, and first in the league in 3-point shooting with an astonishing 39%. And while the league’s fans and oppositon players spend all their time marvelling at and/or worrying about the play of the Stoudemire, Nash, Marion and Q-Richardson, shooting guard Joe Johnson averaged 17 points on 48% shooting from 3. This team is impossible to defend. Furthermore, during the season, the Suns also improved their one weakness – depth – and the experince and productivity of Jim Jackson, Walter McCarty and Bo Outlaw will now come to the fore. As for the Grizzlies, the good news is they’ve made the playoffs again, but the bad news is they’ve once again drawn the league’s most potent team in a series where even winning 1 game is an achievement. Such is the lot of the 8th seed. Mike Fratello has done the near impossible in Memphis by getting Stromile Swift to show signs of NBA life, and on-paper the Grizz actually match up with their cousins in PHX reasonably well. For all their accuracy from long range, Phoenix aren’t a very good FT shooting team and they don’t like contact – Memphis have the depth and the inclination to slow this series down and force Mike D’Antoni to make substitutions. It’s their only hope. Suns 4-0.

4. Dal v Hou .5
The premier match-up of the first round, it’s almost a pity that this clash between the dynamic Mavs and the tenacious Rockets won’t be left for later in the playoffs. For one of these teams, this season will immediately become a waste – despite their 50+ wins and lengthy various periods of dominance, in 2 weeks time they will all be on vacation – whilst for the victors they will be one step closer to the dreams of ultimate success that both teams currently posess. Tomorrow’s game (kickoff 5:30pm Eastern) will be Yao Ming’s first ever NBA Playoff game, and the hype will be through the roof. Despite Yao’s inexperience, he will go into battle with Dikembe Mutombo beside him, and Patrick Ewing on the bench. Against the skinny Mavs, Houston are going to turn this series into a power game – without neglecting the potency of McGrady on the outside – and don’t believe that anybody in Dallas has forgotten that Jeff Van Gundy knows how to win playoff games. The Mavs finished the season just 1 game behind San Antonio for the 2nd seed, and Avery Johnson has a roster 11 legit players deep; 12 if you count Shawn Bradley, which you shoudn’t. Lead by Dirk Nowitzki’s all-world game, this team is firmly among the NBA’s elite and they could win the title this season. But they’ve gotto get by Houston first. Dallas have the game’s 3rd-best offense; Houston the game’s 3rd-best D. What a series. Mavs 4-2.

3. Sea v Sac .6
Even if they had all their players fit, which they don’t, Sacramento would go into this series against the vastly improved Seattle Supersoncs as underdogs. In coming from outside the playoffs last year all the way to Division Champions this season, Seattle’s gameplan was simple – open up the floor and back their players to beat you. Which they did, 52 times in the next 6 months. Despite Sacto’s superior numbers in points (104 to 99), FG% (.46% to 44%), rebounds (42 to 41) and assists (24 to 18) over the season as a whole, the Sonics owned the Kings in the season series this year, seemingly out-scoring them at will and out-working them on the glass. There’s a perception that Seattle as a soft team because Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis and the returning Vladimir Radmanovic love to play on the perimter, but on the court they have a bunch of players who either box you out for the rebound or hammer you if they don’t. Lastest news out of the Kings camp suggests there is a possibility that Sacramento will have both Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic in the lineup for game 1, and the Kings are one of those intelligent, well-drilled teams who enjoy playing together. They didn’t lose a game by 1 point this season, and were 15-9 in games decided by 4 or less. Yet Seattle coach Nate MacMillan knows the Kings have a poor road record (20-21 this season) and will ensure their aching bodies can gain no rest as his athletic Sonics will push the pace at every opportunity. This should be a fun. Sonics 4-1.

2. SAS v Den .7
While all the Texas media is enraptured with the interstate Dallas-Houston clash, the 12 guys down in San Antonio wearing silver and black might be getting a little worried. The weight of expectation is upon them – year after year of qualifying for the playoffs with 58-24 records will do that – but Spurs fans should be aware that this years’ Denver series will be a much harder than the clinical first round despatches the Alamodome crowd is used to. That San Antonio could succeed without Tim Duncan during his 12 game stint on the injured list is a testatment to the skills of Coach Gregg Popovich and his players (particularly Manu Ginobli), but it also promotes the risk of over-confidence now that he’s back. Duncan rates himself “probably 75 to 80 percent”, and don’t expect the powerful Nuggets frontline to be anythingbut merciless against him. With Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin starting and Nêne, Najera and Francisco Elson coming off the bench, the Nuggets are well qualified to make this contest physical. As Dr Johnson might put it, the real surprise isn’t that George Karl has been coaching well, it’s that he’s coaching at all, and under his leadership the Nuggets won 17 of their last 20 games to become the team that no-one wanted to face in the first round. The Spurs won’t be intimidated, but this is no typical first round series and they need to recognise they can’t expect to turn up and win. Both teams have been undefeated in their last 10 home games. Spurs 4-3.