No Excuses: The 2014 Western Conference Semifinals Preview

Four teams out, and another four to compete after a tiring first round series. Who's going to survive and who's going home?

San Antonio Spurs (1) vs. Portland Trailblazers (5)

Quarterfinals top performers:
Tim Duncan (SAS): 17.3ppg, 8.4rpg, 1.9bpg
LaMarcus Aldridge (POR): 26.1ppg, 9.8rpg, 2.3bpg

The Spurs In: Just when everyone predicted that the slightly younger Mavericks team--composed of Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, and newcomer Monta Ellis--can steal the show against the 2013 first runners-up, the "old" Spurs went on a rampage. They left Dallas with a major frustration over Game 6, thanks to Ellis' last minute heroics, and channeled all of the bad vibes on Game 7 with humongous runs that left the Mavs astounded. As they enter the next round of the playoffs, they have one thing that the present Blazers do not have: experience, not to mention that age won't be a big problem considering that there are longer gaps in between. For this series, expect the Spurs to do the same: dump the ball to Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan, and trust that the role players--Kawhi Leonard, Marco Bellinelli, and Boris Diaw among others--can contribute in more ways than one, especially filling in during dire situations.

The Blazers In: There's nothing sweeter than concluding a 14-year hiatus from the second round with a superb last minute shot by Big Game Dame. However, the one who really sent the Rockets home packing after the first round was LaMarcus Aldridge, who went out in all six games with guns firing from the high post. He executed his fade aways and elbow jumpers to perfection, rendering the defense of Dwight Howard and Omer Asik useless in almost the Blazers' games against the Rockets. But with Duncan defending him, it might be nigh time for Damian Lillard to contribute more on both ends (especially on defense!), as well as Nic Batum to step up and revive his inside game. Unless these things happen, things are going to be difficult for Rip City.

What Could Be: Things are exciting for Rip City in the coming days, but don't expect Tim Duncan and his team would allow it to last long. Spurs in 6.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2) vs. L.A. Clippers (3)
Quarterfinals top performers:
Kevin Durant (OKC): 29.9ppg, 9.6rpg, 3.4apg
Blake Griffin (LAC): 23.3ppg, 6.3rpg, 3.6apg

The Thunder In: If there is anything we learned in the past two weeks, it's the fact that the Grizzlies exposed and exploited the Thunder's weaknesses. Tony Allen properly checked and limited Kevin Durant in all those wins by the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies defense forced Russell Westbrook to take over the game, forcing him to run the offense on his own terms. Zach Randolph showed how ineffective Kendrick Perkins really is. And at the end, the Thunder have nothing but Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson, who were both inconsistent in the series, as well as Caron Butler and Derek Fisher, who were reliable guys had they been ten years younger. In fact, the Thunder were fortunate enough that Memphis lost Randolph in the final game, showing how they can dominate when one of the shackles were put loose. This was Memphis, and the Clippers play a different kind of game, relying not on defensive prowess but their ability to run their offense quickly, and this is precisely the perfect match up for Scott Brooks' design.

The Clippers In: Fans of the NBA should be thankful that the Clippers survived the white-hot shooting of Stephen Curry in all those seven games, for this allows them to see a very exciting semifinal matchup. Despite the Donald Sterling scandal, the Clips (save Chris Paul, who was at the most 50 percent effective minus the flopping) have been doing well: Blake Griffin showed how much he improved, DeAndre Jordan making his FTs for every Hack-A-DJ, Jamal Crawford and Matt Barnes doing much of the point job in Paul's absence, and JJ Redick hitting threes like he was in Orlando. If they keep this up, everyone will be led to believe that they can actually beat a team with 2 of the best scorers in the league. Legitimately.

What Could Be: As far as we know, Kevin Durant gets better and better as the Thunder go deep into the playoffs, and he can be at a point where no one can stop him, not even an improved Blake Griffin. Thunder in 7.

As Close as It Gets: The 2014 Western Conference Playoffs Preview

After a tight regular season in the West, here are the first four playoff series that we have to deal with in the following couple of weeks.

(1) San Antonio Spurs [62-20] vs. (8) Dallas Mavericks [49-33]

The Spurs In: The moment that Coach Gregg Popovich started limiting the starters' playing time in every game is the time when the Spurs overachieved. Up until now, the question still remains as to how long they are going to stay this way, or if ever they can still win the NBA championship given that Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker are already beyond the peak of their careers; however, this concern is set aside for the moment, especially when they got that precious 19-win streak. Yes, the Spurs still have the juice to play in the playoffs, and with a schedule that gives much time for breathers, rest periods, and practice, expect them once again to go deep. And as for the Finals? Let's just pray that they can at least get the Larry O'Brien trophy one more time.

The Mavericks In: If you were in the position of the Mavs' head honcho Mark Cuban, would you be satisfied with eighth seed? This is good enough considering that the Mavericks didn't get any of their targets during free agent signing. They had Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon, but they were not enough to power the team past the top 4. This does not mean, however, that being at the bottom of the list makes them the kind that gets to go home quickly. Remember that they still have Nowitzki up and running for this season, as well as holdovers Vince Carter and Shawn Marion, three stars who have so much playoff experience.

What could be: This veteran edition of the Texas showdown is going to be tight, but expect the Spurs to come out in 6.

(4) Houston Rockets [54-28] vs. (5) Portland Trailblazers [54-28]

The Rockets In: It is pretty surprising that the Rockets, with a trio of James Harden, Dwight Howard, and Chandler Parsons, would make it only at fourth place, when they have the potential of grabbing a higher position. For some reason, Dwight Howard deserves both praise and blame for what happened to the Rockets this season. They improved their record thanks to Howard, but at the expense of falling into short slumps this season, leading to where they are right now. Like last year, this series is decided by the way James Harden takes the lead for this team. But this time, they have the upper hand, and with Howard as a significant addition, no excuses are acceptable this time.

The Blazers In: There is no doubt here that Portland is a very talented bunch. They have a young star in Damian Lillard, a quality small forward in Nic Batum, and a multi-talented big man in LaMarcus Aldridge (does Robin Lopez deserve a mention here? Well, maybe he should). This team, however, is on and off: started by winning 24 of their first 29 games, fell after the All-Star break, and rose again in the last few games of the regular season to finally (and luckily) secure the fifth seed. Now that they are in the playoffs, everything and everyone has a fresh start, and they better not mess up and go back to their winning ways. As far as we remember, the Blazers broke team and player records this season, and this is the kind of Portland team that should appear in the playoffs

What could be: The fourth and fifth seed is always a tough battle, especially now that both the Rockets and the Blazers have gone through the same stuff with the same issues and same challenges. However, a seven-game showdown could have the Rockets emerging and entering the second round.

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder [59-23] vs. (7) Memphis Grizzlies [50-32]

The Thunder In: Sure, the Oklahoma City Thunder already have some rights to brag, especially with Kevin Durant breaking Michael Jordan's streak by scoring 25 or more points for more or less 41 games. However, that still does not let them get over their playoff woes during the past few years, starting with their defeat in the NBA Finals against the current champions the Miami Heat. With basically the same squad but with a better KD and Westbrook, the big hurdle that the team must face is getting over their misgivings and failures in the past years, especially including those against possible playoff opponents: the Spurs, who beat them last year, and the Heat, who want to keep their championship streak going. But first, a hungry Memphis Grizzlies team.

The Grizzlies In: Perhaps this team has been the most inconsistent of all throughout the season. Marc Gasol's long absence from the team kept their playoff hopes low. But thanks to Zach Randolph and Mike Conley, Jr., they have kept themselves afloat. However, even these two stars have yet to be consistent, and they have to find their game in the midst of this seven-game grind. The team, though, as a whole, still has to hold on to the fact that they are a difficult playoff team to beat in the last few years, and with almost the same people running the show in Tennesse, there is no reason for them to just go easy on this series.

What could be: Despite the strength and the unpredictability of the Grizzlies, KD can still turn the tables in favor of OKC, and can even finish this in six games.

(3) Los Angeles Clippers [57-25] vs. (6) Golden State Warriors [51-31]

The Clippers In: After a long long time, the city of angels will get to watch games without the purple and gold, but instead with the red, blue, and white, and certainly, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will not waste the opportunity to go beyond the first round and actually increase their hopes of entering the Finals. Griffin had 82 games to establish himself as one of the best power forwards in the league this season, showing that he is not only a dunking machine, but one who can work in the post and score off baseline jumpers, not to mention that he can now manhandle the paint alongside DeAndre Jordan. In a nutshell, with lots of former and present stars at the Clippers' disposal, there really are prepared to go deep into the playoffs.

The Warriors In: Everybody enjoyed the Splash Brothers show; however, a lot of things have gone their way which led them to this woeful sixth place, considering the potential that they both have. Having Andre Iguodala around certainly helped them a lot, but the recent loss of Andrew Bogut is going to make things difficult for the Warriors. If they want to go beyond the first round, then they need to make those outside shots, for without a formidable big man in Bogut, it's going to be quite difficult for them to take it inside.

What could be: Athleticism, finesse, and good defense. The Clippers have it, but it's going to take them seven games to send the Warriors back home.

First Day Thoughts

Miami 88, Boston 80

This game just showed how difficult it is to meld superstars together and play as one coherent team.

This is not to say that it is impossible, even though most would think that it is because all of these three are role-playing scorers who carry most of the offensive load in their own teams (Cleveland and Toronto in the case of James and Bosh, and the old Miami Heat for Wade). What this game revealed to us is that to create a team of superstars, it takes time and adjustments to bring them together, to be able to "read" each other and feel their own rhythms from both sides of the court.

And as coach Erik Spoelstra said, "it takes time."

L.A. Lakers 112, Houston 110

This is one of those moments wherein the Lakers' closer is not named "Kobe Bryant."

While everyone thought that the Purple and Gold will go 0-1, with the underrated Houston Rockets leading by double digits entering into the second half, Steve Blake and Shannon Brown exploded, hit back-to-back three pointers, made key steals and converted them into points, to bring the Lakers back into the game.

Add to that the three-pointer delivered by Blake off a pass from Bryant, to put the Lakers up by 2 in the final seconds, as well as Lamar Odom's block against Aaron Brooks' layup which could have extended the game to overtime.

This shows that the Lakers now ceased to be a Kobe Bryant-Pau Gasol show (who got 24 and 29 respectively, with the Spanish Armada grabbing 11 boards along side Odom's 10). Perhaps it is a message that the Lakers now are stronger not just as a pack of players, but as a cohesive and effective team.

And everyone, even Miami, ought to be afraid of the fact that the Purple and Gold keeps on getting better and better.

Portland 106, Phoenix 92

Take it from Steve Nash, and believe every word he said. As far as everyone remembers, he mentioned that he himself does not believe that the Suns will make it in the playoffs this season.

The Suns came and played their usual run and gun with Hedo Turkoglu and Hakim Warrick. But despite all efforts, they fell short against the Portland Trailblazers, who, despite front office mismanagement, was able to keep its key players and maintain their poise all throughout the game.

French forward Nick Batum came in as a surprise when he played only for 27 minutes, but he was efficient as he scored 19 points and 11 rebounds, five of them as second chance opportunities. On the other hand, Jason Richardson, who a few months ago brought down the struggling Trailblazers during the '10 playoffs, had 22 big points, with 9 out of 13 treys, but was not able to deliver during the final minutes.

Again, just not enough, Phoenix Suns. Just not enough.