NBA Western Conference Playoff Notes...

The first round of the NBA playoffs has already come and gone, with the Mavericks (as they always seem to do in the first round), Blazers, Nuggets, and Thunder all heading home earlier than they wanted to. The four remaining teams have all been there before, with each playing each other as recently as two years ago. Unfortunately, for any Jazz and Suns fans, the results haven't been too kind, as the Lakers and Spurs respectively have owned the head-to-head matchups. Should this year be any different? The Lakers have already beating the Jazz in Game One, but they definitely needed to work for it, using a late run by Kobe Bryant to rally for the win. If the Jazz were completely healthy, I'd say that they could not only give the Lakers a run for their money, but the rest of the Western Conference. This is a team that just took care of a talented Nuggets team fairly easily, boasts a bevy of talented players in Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer, and Mehmet Okur. But Okur is out for the postseason with an achilles problem, and Kirilenko won't be at full strength at any point in this series. Playing against a team with Kobe Bryant, and that is hungry to prove doubters wrong and repeat, just doesn't add up to the Jazz doing much damage, even if the Lakers haven't been totally clicking recently. But hey, maybe the Jazz are hungry to win too. At the very least, they've got some ammo in the form of Kosta Koufos:





On the other hand, unlike past Suns-Spurs series, this one should be more competitive. Both teams are playing well, but right now, you have to give the Spurs the edge in momentum. They beat a quality team in the Mavericks, and they even found ways to win when Tim Duncan and Tony Parker were off their game. When players like George Hill are lighting it up, the Spurs have looked downright scary. And you know Coach Popp will have his team ready on the defensive end.

The Suns took a little bit longer than expected in taking care of the short-handed Trailblazers, but are rested and ready to push the tempo. You can never count out a team with Steve Nash, but at the same time, this is a team that hasn't really proven itself in the playoffs. I think that additions like Jason Richardson and Channing Frye will make the Sun's offense more diverse, but it's hard to see them overcoming one of the premier playoff teams in the Spurs.