Examining Possibilities: The NBA 2nd Round Preview

Upsets and surprises? Let's see what we have for the next phase of the playoffs.

THE WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

Oklahoma City Thunder (4) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (8)

The Thunder In: Despite taking a quick five games to make it into the next round, the Thunder's trip in the first round wasn't easy. The Denver Nuggets still continued chasing for them in all of these games, as they kept the game tight with only close, single-digit leads. Can Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (who had bad shooting problems in the series) carry over this same intensity and determination against another young team who can keep up with them?

The Grizzlies In: It's quite unbelievable that the Grizzlies were able to eliminate the top-seeded Spurs in six games, getting a 3-1 lead early in the series, many thanks to Zach Randolph. The burly Grizzlies veteran greatly helped the team not only by scoring crucial baskets and grabbing those boards, he was also able to draw defenders that allowed space for Marc Gasol, Darrell Arthur, and Grievis Vazques to get their own touches. Their success in this series largely depends on how fluid their offense can get.

What Could Be: Simply put, the Thunder will be too much for the Grizzlies, mostly because of their down-the-wire game experience. Thunder in 6.

Los Angeles Lakers (2) vs. Dallas Mavericks

The Lakers In: Kobe Bryant and his squad of three-peat candidates may have started slow, but their performance against the Hornets in Game 6 had everyone thinking that they can still get the championship trophy with their trademark offense and outstanding defense. The question now is whether they can maintain that level of play against a much more difficult team that could cancel out the advantages shown by Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum against New Orleans.

The Mavericks In: Credit has to be given where it is due, and the Mavericks' dismantling of the seemingly difficult Portland Trailblazers in six games is praiseworthy. Their offense has been outstanding, with Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry finding his spots, while Tyson Chandler has been a big help inside the paint in terms of defending the point. As they enter the second round, they have to get off that playoff slump and play at a more competitive level against a championship team that can pull more tricks than the Trailblazers.

What Could Be: It's hard and tiring to just try beating the Lakers, and the Mavs won't be just able to handle them. Lakers in 7.

THE EASTER CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

Chicago Bulls (1) vs. Atlanta Hawks (5)

The Bulls In: Chicago fashionably finished off a young and versatile Indiana team who ran out of gas in their final game, and they did this with DerrickRose enduring the pain of an ankle surgery. With the soon-to-be-crowned MVP taking the lead and running the game on both sides for the Bulls, what they need to do is to do the right adjustments, most especially in defense, where they need to fill in the holes that allowed Indiana to score and even escape with a win. Can they do just that against a hungry Hawks squad?

The Hawks In: With Kirk Hinrich out for the rest of the series, life could get a bit more difficult for these young Hawks. Obviously, someone needs to step up and play the role of a playmaker AND a scorer who can easily shoot from the outside and scatter the defense, enough for Al Horford and Josh Smith to penetrate and easily score.

What Could Be: With one man down for Atlanta, it would be hard to defend against and defeat Chicago. Bulls in 5.

Miami Heat (2) vs. Boston Celtics (3)

The Heat In: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, ended their first round series in fashion, scoring off threes to cancel the extra efforts exerted by Andre Iguodala's Sixers in game 5. So far, they have been very consistent despite a few lapses in defense, with Chris Bosh stepping up and hitting outside jumpers to keep them afloat all through out. It seems that all will work out, but can they use this against a Boston team that has too much D on them?

The Celtics In: Aiming for their third finals appearance in four years, Boston returns to the second round with the same playoff energy that they had from the start. Dismantling Amar'e' Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony's New York Knicks have shown that it is good strategy on the D gives them the wins that they need to reach the Finals. With a new set of personnel on the bench, amidst facing problems in filling in the five position, can they still hold on and advance to the Finals against a Miami team that is hard to stop?

What Could Be: Although the Heat had been very good, they still need to really work things around to get through an experienced Boston team. Celtics in 7.