Things I've learned

It's now been over one full week of the NBA Playoffs, and we've learned a lot from week one.

1. I do not want the Suns to play the Spurs in Round 2.
Going into the playoffs, I was really hoping the Suns would either pull off the two seed and get the seventh seeded Spurs in round one, or that the Spurs would jump to six and the Suns would get the three seed.

My rationale was this: the Suns had a surprisingly great season. They came in with low expectations and exceeded them. They played good defense. The bench developed even further and became a hard-nosed, shut down rotation that still had the potential to put up some points with Channing Frye and Jared Dudley ranked sixth and fourth respectively in the NBA in three-point percentage, and Goran Dragic developing into a guy that can drive and kick.

Despite these strides, I still did not feel that the Suns could contend with the Lakers even with the Lakers poor performance after the All-Star break. They are just too long, too quick and too skilled for the Suns. Thinking this, I needed a consolation prize for this revival season. That prize, had to be the Spurs. The Spurs were inconsistent all season, even losing to the Nets down the stretch while battling for playoff position. The acquisition of Richard Jefferson just did not seem like it was working out the way many thought at the beginning of the season. I knew that we could take them in a seven game series with home court advantage. If I wasn't so confident, then there is no WAY I would want to play them again. I couldn't have my fandom ripped out of me and trampled like it had been in previous years: the hip-check and suspension, the Duncan three. It was too much to go through again if I didn't really believe that they could oust the Spurs. I needed this closure.

Now, the first week is over. The Suns are tied 2-2 in a series with team whose best player can't elevate or cut because he's a week removed from knee surgery and whose franchise center and backup center have been out two-thirds of the season. The Suns should be running all over these guys. Instead, their 46 year-old point guard who can't jump and shoots a set, line-drive "jump" shot is dropping 31 points on them in game one and stealing the home court advantage. Why? Because of their physical, slow-it-down style of play. Does this sound familiar to you? Well, it should because this is the style of play that ousted the Suns in five of the last six seasons.

Now, if the Suns can't handle 52 year-old Andre Miller, Marcus Camby and a gimpy Brandon Roy, how are they going to handle lightning quick Tony Parker, a rejuvenated, playoff-ready Tim Duncan and an Argentinian whose been playing out of his mind the past three weeks? Now you might think, well, it's a good thing they got the seven seed and need to play the Mavericks who beat them three of of four in the season series. Wrong. The Spurs are up 2-1 and have already taken the home court away from Dallas.

If things keep going the way they are, and the Suns end up squeaking by this injury-riddled Blazers team and meet San Antonio in round 2, I might just end up driving my car into the now-flowing Salt River.

2. The Thunder are really, really good.
I'll admit, I haven't paid too close attention to this team, but they are really impressive at home. Kevin Durant scores as effortlessly as I do against my nine-year-old brother on a 8 foot hoop. These guys have the potential to do some crazy good things in the years to come. Just watch out for the Marbury-Garnet problems to occur. Durant is going to get some big money soon, but I don't think Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green and Thabo Sefalosha are going to be chomping at the bit to take role-player money and lesser roles as Durant continues to develop and take more shots. Even though they have cap-space, it's not enough for the talent they have now. Stay tuned.

3. The Celtics are full of prima donnas and drama queens.
Is it just me or do the Celtics have more guys than the history of the league at milking injuries on the floor. Paul Peirce will never live down the moment during the 2008 NBA Finals when he was CARRIED off the floor after a leg injury, only to come back 15 minutes later and play like nothing had ever happened. Quinton Richardson wanted to know if he was faking again in game one when he collapsed to the floor after apparently running into the referee and stayed down for another 10 minutes as a fight broke out involving Richardson and Kevin Garnet. Rajon Rondo does this also. He gets fouled on a drive and just lays on the floor for a few minutes while the trainers look at him. I wonder what the conversations go with the training staff.
Pierce: Can the crowd tell that I grabbed the wrong knee? Are they eating this up?
Trainer: Yeah, let's pull out a wheel chair and take you into the back for a few minutes.
Pierce: Wheel chair? Don't we have stretcher. Shouldn't we immobilize my neck? I already did the wheel chair act man. I've got to go one further.

The most confusing part about this entire charade is how players act these days after they hit a big shot. When Pierce hit his game winning shot in Game three he turned and looked like he was ready to take on a gang of Hell's Angels. (Click Here). This isn't just Pierce either. Everyone does it. I miss the Reggie Millers of the world. That's how a celebration should really be. Excitement, exuberance, sheer joy. That's the way the game was meant to be played, like a little kid.