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What I love about the playoffs is that in this final stretch, anything can happen. You will always have the match-ups where the expected happens (Cleveland Cavaliers beating the Chicago Bulls), but you also have these surprises every once in a while (Fear the deer!).

Many times, the playoffs is the determining factor for a person’s future. To give two recent examples, the Los Angeles Clippers overpaid Tim Thomas after his great playoff run with the Phoenix Suns. Trevor Ariza also would not have gotten his contract with the Houston Rockets if it weren’t for his great playoff performance with the Los Angeles Lakers.

It doesn’t simply apply to the players though. Mike D’Antoni was fired because of the constant disappointing post-seasons with the talented Suns team, although that has more to do with the cheap Suns organization than the coach. Yes, I am looking at you Robet Sarver.

What would be the results of the playoffs so far? Clearly, this is only the beginning of the playoffs, but the current playoff performances of the players and coaches still hold some significance.

Milwauke Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks

This has to be the most shocking series. Without Andrew Bogut, everyone was writing off the Bucks like they did in the pre-season. When the Bucks were down 0-2 in this series, nobody thought they had a chance. All these analysts were saying, “Well, if they had Andrew Bogut, this would have been a good series.” What happens? The Milwaukee Bucks come back and win three in a row to lead the series. Amazing. I certainly didn’t expect this. I don’t think anybody thought they could actually win the series. Great job by Scott Skiles, and an impressive playoff series by the rookie Brandon Jennings.

Now onto the bad. Atlanta Hawks fans, I know you are highly disappointed. You’re probably not even mad. Just…upset. Joe Johnson will most likely not even come back anymore, especially if the Hawks lose in the first round. This might very well be the Hawks’ last stand with the current core. On the bright side, the Hawks can still come back and even go far. Even better, expect Mike Woodson to be fired.

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat

I questioned Dwyane Wade’s heart after Game 2, but he proved me wrong. There’s only so much one man can do. Wade’s 31 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds resulted in a loss in the elimination game. Jermaine O’Neal was absolutely horrendous during this series (goodbye to him), and Michael Beasley was the worst second option in the entire playoffs. Now the question remains: does Dwyane Wade stay in the Miami Heat?

My answer: Yes, he is going to stay. Miami Heat is a .500 team. All it takes is one more star to push them over the top like when the Los Angeles Lakers got Pau Gasol. They have a lot of cap space, and they have some young pieces. Ok, I’ll admit that Daequan Cook, Mario Chalmers, and Michael Beasley aren’t exactly the pieces to the puzzle, but Wade with another star will always be contenders. You add to that the fact that Miami Heat plays some amazing defense without a single legitimate center, and I actually think they have a bright future. Wade is staying. I wouldn’t look too much into it, but he did state in the post-game interview, “I’m looking forward to a good team to build, and being with some great players next year, and to continue to beef up our roster.”

Off topic: Did anyone else pity Erik Spoelstra when he sighed and asked hopelessly to his assistants, “Any ideas?” when they were getting blown out by the Celtics?

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls

We all knew the outcome of this match. Nevertheless, Derrick Rose played a phenomenal series. His “push shot” is automatic. Joakim Noah has definitely made a name for himself. It’s not just his constant talking that made him rather well-known, but he also averaged 14.8 ppg and 13.0 rpg in the series. He actually even had a 20-20 game. He seemingly never runs out of energy. Also, despite what the numbers suggest, Luol Deng played some of the best defense I had ever seen on LeBron. He is one of the very few players I have seen stymying LeBron’s drive to the basket on multiple possessions.

The question everyone is asking: will LeBron James stay in Cleveland? I hate this question, but I will say yes. Now, what about Vinny Del Negro? He got into a fight with John Paxson. Before the series, it would be almost impossible to imagine Del Negro remaining with the Bulls. After that competitive series though (relatively competitive), I have to say that I think Del Negro is here to stay.

Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Bobcats

Bobcats played well and hard, but they just lost to the better team. This was the only sweep of the first round. It goes to show you how scary this Orlando Magic team is when they can sweep a series with their star player having very little impact on the game. They’re a very deep team.

In this series, I don’t see anybody leaving from the Magic leaving. J.J. Redick should return. However, what about the Bobcats? Larry Brown took the Bobcats to its first ever playoff appearance. Michael Jordan will let Brown decide what he wants to do, but for a man that’s turning 70, I don’t see him returning. Let him spend some time with his family.

Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder

I had the Lakers in 6, and I stand by that statement. This has been one of the most exciting and simultaneously angering series. Derek Fisher’s defense sucks. I always knew that, but wow. He is just letting Russell Westbrook have a career night every single game. Thank God for Kobe, who guarded Westbrook in the Game 5 blowout. His competitive spirit is one of a kind.

“If we’re going to be eliminated, I don’t want to go into the summer thinking I could’ve done something about it.” – Kobe Bryant

Naturally, neither coaches will be fired. A lot of the players on the Lakers are free agents this season though. Shannon Brown said that it would “make a lot of sense” to opt out. Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar are also free agents. If Fisher wants to return, I could see the Lakers re-signing him for one final year. I also don’t see the Lakers letting go of Shannon Brown, but lets all wave and say, “Goodbye” to Jordan Farmar.

Phoenix Suns vs Portland Trail Blazers

First, Brandon Roy returned! Is this guy courageous or crazy? Now, I’m no doctor, but it’s hard for me to imagine a surgery being so minor that a player could return in only 8 days to play an intense game of basketball. Second, this Blazers team is clearly outmatched. Nevertheless, Nate McMillan’s been such a great coach for this team that they are fighting hard to advance.

The big question is about Amare Stoudemire. Will he stay with the Suns or do the Suns even want him with his horrendous first round performance? I will hold out on this until further into the playoffs for a few reasons. To put it simply, if Amare takes the Suns to the Western Conference Finals or even the NBA Finals, what kind of money do you think he would get? If they lose to the Blazers, which teams do you think would realistically want Amare?

On a related note, why is Joey Crawford still an official after his technical fouls on Duncan and personal foul on Billups? Just to add to his impressive resume, here is a video of the greatest foul ever!

San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks

Well, well, look what we have here. People were writing off the Spurs for some reason, and as usual, they just won’t go away. This has been a great series. Despite how many consider Tim Duncan to be boring, I enjoy watching him. He is just so consistent and has been great for so long. He has a systematic style of playing, which I actually enjoy, while Dirk is the complete opposite with his unorthodox style, which I also enjoy in a different manner. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili has switched spots (Parker as sixth man and Ginobili as starter), and really, I think Popovich should have done this a long time ago. I have the Spurs reaching the WCF. Sorry Mavericks fans.

Regarding this particular team, I see the Mavericks making one final run for the ring next season. If that fails, expect Mark Cuban to blow this team up. Also expect Caron Butler to be in a lot of trade rumors next season. They desperately need some interior post players, and some defense at the point guard position. As for the Spurs, I see them standing pat.

Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets

This is the second most shocking series of the first round. While the Nuggets did lose George Karl, I did not think he had such a huge impact on the team. In fact, I actually thought Karl was kind of crazy. Nevertheless, here we are. After tonight’s victory, the Nuggets are only down 2-3 against the undermanned Jazz. Jerry Sloan always makes the most with what he has. His team will always compete.

There seems to be some issues in the locker room with the Denver Nuggets. Despite these issues, I don’t expect any major changes from the team. In fact, this probably secured Karl’s coaching position. As for the Utah Jazz, they need to re-sign Carlos Boozer. He has had an amazing series and a great regular season. If the Jazz do not re-sign him, they are crazy. I could see him leaving to have some impact on the Bulls or the Heat. I honestly have no idea where he goes though since he doesn’t seem to have much loyalty or care for any team.