10 Things To Look For In The NBA Playoffs

The playoffs are coming! The playoffs are coming! I wish there was a young boy in each American town that proclaimed “the playoffs are coming!” while dressed in revolutionary war garb. If only my dreams were a reality.

Here are a few things to look forward to during the 2008 NBA Playoffs.

1. Shamelessly-integrated movie promotion

The last one, I think, was the Vantage Point amalgamation of Dennis Quiad running and Steve Nash dribbling up the court. Look for spliced images of LeBron James dunking on Chris Kaman with Prince Caspian — of the Chronicles of Narnia — chopping some werewolf in half.

2. Craig Sager decides to dress down

(Courtesy of the Sports Hernia)

In an effort to keep the attention away from his infamous wardrobe, Craig Sager usually decides to dress down for the playoffs. A selection his normal playoff fashions can be seen in the above picture. Could you imagine what Craig Sager’s parents dressed like? Craig Sager probably dreams in black and white.

3. Showtime Lakers and Oldtime Celtics comparisons

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics have the #1 seed in their respective conferences. Do you have any idea how much of a frenzy this will cause with the commentators? It’s going to be ridiculous. A week from now, I’m going to be so sick of Magic and Larry Legend talk. Look for constant zoom-ins on Magic Johnson’s face throughout the Lakers-Nuggets series.

4. Southwestern feuds

The Spurs and Suns are going to get some much publicity. Look for numerous replays of Robert Horry’s hit on Steve Nash. After a while, it’ll be like we’re watching football.

5. References to injured big men

We’re going to hear so much about Andrew Bynum and Yao Ming. Any time either the Lakers or the Rockets give up a run, we’ll hear something about how their inside game is lacking. Eventually, we’ll feel like those two teams are in the movie Big.

6. Prop to the Spurs

This time of year, people stop talking about how old the Spurs are. And they start talking about the Spurs’ game. No more talk about Tim Duncan’s plantar fasciitis nor do you hear about Tony Parker’s marital relations.

The talk starts centering on the Spurs’ great team concept and their legacy. Oh, and we’ll still get to see Eva Longoria.

7. Pistons turn it on

This time of year, the Detroit Pistons turn on the proverbial “switch.” When the Pistons are on, they’re a great team to watch at the end of quarters. They show no fear and it’s like a prize fight with the game on the line, they just keep coming.

We’ll also get to see Rasheed’s pre-game dance.

8. Rising big men

The Magic-Raptors will feature two of the brightest young big men in the game. Dwight Howard’s squad will face off against the Raptors and Chris Bosh. Although they won’t be manning each other up each time down the floor, it’ll be great to see them play together. We will see which player’s game is ready for the grueling playoffs.

9. Marv Albert’s “Yes”

There’s not much better than hearing Marv say “yes” in a playoff game.

Bryant… YES. Billups… YES. McGrady… YES.

Check out Jordan… YES!

10. Playoff ball

And finally, as cheesy as it sounds… I’m looking forward to the actual games. There’s not much like an appreciation for a seven game series. These guys are professionals. Regular season ball is one thing.

The playoffs shines light on all of a team’s weak points.  It’s clearly evident who does their homework and who sits around watching Dancing With the Stars.

The adjustments that are made and then the re-adjustments that follow just make me smile. Look for my first-round picks shortly…