NBA Playoffs Conference Semifinals

Well the first round of the NBA playoffs are over with little to no surprises.

The No. 6 seed Dallas Mavericks defeated the No. 3 seeded San Antonio Spurs. Although they were only separated by a few games in their overall records during the regular season.

It's now on to the second round of the 2009 NBA playoffs. These are the following matchups.

Eastern Conference Semifinals

(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (1) Cleveland Cavaliers

(3) Orlando Magic vs. (2) Boston Celtics

Western Conference Semifinals

(5) Houston Rockets vs. (1) Los Angeles Lakers

(6) Dallas Mavericks vs. (2) Denver Nuggets

Let's preview each series starting with the Hawks vs. Cavs. The Cavs got here by torching the Pistons in four games. They have had numerous days off to prepare for the second round opponent. Although they didn't know if it was going to be the Hawks or Heat. The Hawks came out victorious in the series thanks to two keys depth on the front line with Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Marvin Williams. As well as their ability to play well on their home court.

As for this series the key for the Hawks will be shutting down Lebron James' supporting cast. they will have no answer for Lebron. He will be able to get an easy 30 to 40 points each game if need be. The other guys on the Cavs like Delonte West, Mo Williams, Wally Sczerbiak, Joe Smith, Zydrunas Illguaskas must be maintained and kept out of the double figure scoring column. That will not be easy to do for the young Hawks team. Hawks Head Coach Mike Woodson has done a fantastic job of bringing his team along the past couple of years with very little veteran presence. The one veteran they did acquire last season in Mike Bibby must play well in this series along with fellow backcourt mate Joe Johnson. They are just going to have to outscore the Cavs and outplay them on the rebounding end to be able to stand pat with the Cavs in this series. I just don't think the Hawks have enough firepower to do that. The Cavs should win this series with little to no adversity. Cavs in 6

On to the other eastern conference semifinal the Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics. This series has seven games written all over it no matter how you slice it up. The Magic defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in six games in the first round but it didn't come easy as they struggled early on losing the very first games of the series at home in Orlando. As for the Celtics they had an all out battle with the Chicago Bulls. It took a decisive seventh game to decide that series which was filled with body hits, bloody mouths, last second shots, and most of all an unprecedented seven overtime periods.

This series will come down to two things. The Celtics backcourt vs. the Magic frontcourt. Whoever is more dominant for their respective teams should be the deciding factor in this series. Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce have all made their presence known early on in this playoff. Rondo not as much offensively as the others, but he is the floor general and brings a great toughness to the floor. Down low for the Magic it's all about Dwight Howard who was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2009. He will be battling Kendrick Perkins of the Celtics and it's safe to say Perkins will need some help. The role players are always key when it comes to the playoffs and this series will be no different. Celtics will look for big contributions from Perkins, Glen Davis, Eddie House, Stephon Marbury, and Brian Scalbrine. While the Magic will look for Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Rafer Alston, J.J. Redick, Courtney Lee, Mikael Pietrus all to play big roles. Lewis and Turkoglu are key players who are cabable of scoring 20+ points in any one game. I feel the Celtics have too much talent and will not be denied a chance to play the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals. Celtics in 7.

Now to the western conference. I feel the Houston Rockets vs. the Los Angeles Lakers will be the most interesting series played in this round. The Lakers got here by beating the Utah Jazz in five games while the Rockets defeated the Portland TrailBlazers in six contests. Everyone feels the Lakers are a sure pick to reach the Finals. But don't move too fast just yet. The Rockets will have something to say about that and they may just have the right recipe.

The Lakers are the second best team in the NBA overall in my mind to the Cavs. Although, the Rockets are playing very well as of late. They have so many role players who do just that play their specific role. They are a complete team right now with one exception a go to player down the stretch who can really score the basketball-- Tracy McGrady would help out here. Then again maybe he wouldn't, maybe they don't need a go to guy. They are what a team is supposed to be. Stars like Ron Artest and Yao Ming will create problems for the Lakers. Second-tier players like Shane Battier, Aaron Brooks, and Luis Scola could wreak havoc. Scola in my mind is the most underrated player in the NBA. He is very crafty on the offensive end and finishes at the hoop at a high percentage. Scola is also better than advertised on the defensive end especially when rebounding the basketball. Chuck Hayes, Carl Landry, Von Wafer, and Kyle Lowry will also have to play well for the Rockets to win this series.

With all that said the Lakers are a terrific team with the second best player in the NBA on the team in Kobe Bryant. The Lakers have a complete team with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol up front. Lamar Odom must play well in this series for the Lakers to win and I feel he will. Derek Fisher, Trevor Ariza, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, and Shannon Brown will need to hold their end of the bargain and contribute when called upon by hitting some open shots. Having Kobe makes all the difference in this series. He can score at will in most games. He is just that good and on some nights he can score 40+ points. He is going to be the difference in this series along with the play of Lamar Odom. Lakers in 7.

The other series in the western conference is between the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks. The Nuggets got here by dismantling the New Orleans Hornets in five games. They played outstanding and really impressed me in the first round. The Mavs did the same against the Spurs by torching them in five games. The Spurs looked overmatched and nearly played as bad as the Detroit Pistons in the first round which is pretty embarrassing. This should be an interesting series but one would have to think the Nuggets are a far more superior team than the Mavs.

Chauncey Billups has been the best thing that has happened to the city of Denver sense the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup back in 2002. He has been the key to keeping the Nuggets in line and focused on winning this season. Carmelo Anthony must play like a star in this series and beyond if the Nuggets are too advance much further. Kenyon Martin and J.R Smith must fulfill their role and make contributions. Nene, Linas Kleiza, Anthony Carter, and Chris Andersen could be big in the series. For the Mavs they have been here all too often. I'm not convinced this team is any different rom the teams prior which had early exits. They have some very good players in Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki. They just don't have enough of a supporting cast around them with aging veterans in Jason Kidd and Jason Terry. After those two players can you name another contributor--try Erick Dampier or maybe not. Mavs won't be answering any bells. Nuggets in 6

So after the semifinals it's all chalk. With the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds surviving in both the eastern and western conferences. It will be one of the better conference final championships we have seen in recent past. We'll see how it all shakes out.