As the first round of the NBA Playoffs come to a close, most people will be looking forward to see the Spurs-Mavericks and Detroit-Lebron, oops, I mean Cleveland (no I don't).  However, the fans that tend to pay the most attention to the first round are fans of the 7 and 8 seeds, the teams that snuck into the playoffs with a game to go in the regular season.  In honor of you, my delusional friends who were cheering upset, we will look at all the first round losers and the deficiency that kept them from advancing.

Sacramento:  Interior Defense.  They were able to stretch this series to six games because of the poor play of Tim Duncan and the inconsistency of Manu Ginobili.  Tony Parker, however, was able to score at will, shooting over 50% while averaging 22.2 points per game for the series.  Not one King's player averaged a block a game and no one on the team was willing to stand in the paint to keep Parker from the rim.  The Kings top priority will be resigning Bonzi Wells so they may have to look to the draft and hope to get a Sheldon Williams or Patrick O'Bryant, someone who can alter shots and eventually start in place of Shareef Abdul-Rahim. 

Milwaukee:  Find an Identity.  This isn't a team that needs to change their roster in the off-season, although they will probably lose Jamal Magloire to free agency.  The problem was setting a lineup and allowing them to play together.  Guys like Andrew Bogut and T.J. Ford need to develop alongside Michael Redd, who proved his $90 million contract was a sound investment.  Bogut needs to be given more offensive responsibilities as the low post compliment to Redd and Ford has to be allowed to run the floor and open it up for his jump shooting teammates.  Bobby Simmons is the wild card here, after a great regular season; he struggled in the playoffs, averaging a mere 5 points a game after scoring over 13 beforehand.

Los Angeles:  Size.  They may not have lost yet, but they will be out after tonight.  The Lakers were fortunate to get the only opponent in the Western Conference that was smaller than them.  High School centers haven't done too well in the NBA thus far (Amare Stoudemire and Jermaine O'Neal are power forwards) and Andrew Bynum hasn't done much this season to grant him exemption status.  This has forced the Lakers to start Lamar Odom at power forward and Kwame Brown at center, which will only work against Phoenix.  With a thin crop in the draft at center, the Lakers will have to sign a free agent to fill the void.  Possibilities could include Joel Przybilla or Lorenzen Wright, two guys who rebound and block shots, but don't need the ball, which they wouldn't get anyway with Kobe Bryant on the team.

Chicago:  Low Post Scoring.  The Bulls put forth a valiant effort against the Heat all series, making the New Jersey Nets jobs a little easier in the second round.  Whenever the Bulls' perimeter shooting went cold, they didn't have someone they could throw it to down low to keep the score close.  Michael Sweetney and Tyson Chandler played well on Shaq, but neither one could consistently score in the paint.  Rumors have Luol Deng on the trading block after a terrific series by Andres Nocioni and with two first round picks, a trade is a possibility.  However, outside of Kenyon Martin, whose contract calls for nearly $60 million over the next 4 years, not much is available.  A better option may be to draft someone like Lamarcus Aldridge with their first pick and wait until next year's free agency class which features players like Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki.

Denver:  Perimeter Shooting.  The Nuggets were fortunate enough to play in the weakest division in the Western Conference and capture the 3 seed.  However, playing the Clippers showed them what everyone else already knew; that they can't hit a jump shot.  If they could trade Kenyon Martin off, perhaps to the Knicks, who like to collect large contracts, and get someone like Quentin Richardson in return, they would solve the shooting problems while getting their first legitimate shooting guard since Carmelo Anthony arrived.  This team is close to contention, but they have to resign Nene if they do trade off Martin, giving them a power forward who doesn't complain about playing time. 

Indiana:  Backcourt Leadership.  The brilliant effort by Anthony Johnson in Game 6 was not enough to mask the fact that Indiana is without a player to run the offense.  Besides, Johnson is 32 and is better suited as a backup.  Jamal Tinsley can not be relied upon to stay healthy and the team is focusing their efforts on resigning Peja Stojakovic.  A first rounder should be spent on developing a starter and if Jordan Farmar stays in the draft, he has the court vision to take advantage of Indiana's perimeter shooting and Jermaine O'Neal on the block. 

Memphis:  Second Scoring Option.  Pau Gasol received no help, with Eddie Jones the only player to average double figures (10.3) during the Mavericks-Grizzlies series.  They have holes at center and shooting guard, where there is too much inexperience and no hope for the future.  Memphis could make a run at Bonzi Wells, although his demands probably skyrocketed after his playoff performance, or Ronald "Flip" Murray, who can provide points but is not a quality second option.  With few pieces to trade, the Grizzlies will have to rely on the draft to find a potential scoring option.  At their position though (pick 24), the choices are limited, but there may be one or two potential dark horses.  One is Maurice Ager, the shooting guard from Michigan State, who could improve their putrid FT percentage (71.1%, 26th) as well as their athleticism on the court.  Another pick could be Shawne Williams, the freshman from Memphis who is able to play both wing positions, giving the Grizzlies a bit of versatility, and as a hometown pick, some credibility with the fans, who were running out of the FedEx Forum during Game 4 like someone had pulled the fire alarm.

Washington:  Passion.  This one may be a difficult one to remedy, but outside of Gilbert Arenas, nobody seemed willing to dive for a ball or take a charge.  The Wizards are a finesse team and need someone with attitude to frustrate players on defense and hustle after loose balls on offense.  Jered Jeffries is the only free agent on the team this off-season and will probably be resigned.  The draft could land them Josh Boone, a physical player who blocks shots and hits the glass hard.  It may be a reach to grab him in the middle of the first round, but the same was said for his teammate Charlie Villanueva last year and he ended up second in Rookie of the Year voting. 

In a pole of over 450 current major league players, Derek Jeter was voted as the most overrated player in the MLB, with Carlos Beltran and Alex Rodriguez close behind.  That's a good idea, let's just keep writing about the same players because that has nothing to do with all the hype surrounding them.  I can't go one night without ESPN playing a Yankees or Mets game and flashing those horribly dimpled smiles. 

Rather than discuss the fact that Jeter can't be overrated because anyone who has won 4 World Series and 6 Gold Gloves (and it turns out he has) can't be.  It's time to talk about the other end of the spectrum, high production and no publicity guys.

There are a few ground rules that came into the process.  First is that the team has to be competitive so sorry Carl Crawford.  Also, the player has to be a guy who has been consistent for more than just the beginning of the season, awww, looks like Chris Shelton is out of the running.  Third is that the player can't be considered underrated if he's making 10 million or more a year, adios David Ortiz.  Last is that the player can't be going out with, or gone out with Alyssa Milano, which among other reasons, is why Carl Pavano isn't on the list. 

5. Brian Giles, SD(7.33 million):  Before his arrival, the Padres have been without direction, looking for a leader since Tony Gwynn left.  Brian Giles has given the team a middle of the order bat without the injury problems of Ryan Klesko and Phil Nevin.  Annually he ranks among the top ten in the MLB in On-Base Percentage (OBP), posting a lifetime mark of .413.  The knock on the 35 year old Giles has been his declining power numbers, but it's hard to be a pre-eminent homerun hitter with the never-ending field known as PetCo Park. 

4. John Lackey, LAA (3.34 million):  The only pitcher on this list, Lackey is forced into the shadows by the more eccentric personalities of Bartolo Colon and Francisco Rodriguez.  It was his calming effect on the starting rotation that pushed them to the World Series in 2002 and has since been experiencing higher win and strikeout totals and averages 6.15 innings per start over his career, giving the Angels a reliable starter who can give the bullpen a rest and give owner Arte Moreno a marketing tool that doesn't involve changing the team's name.  

3. Travis Hafner, CLE (2.7 million):  Lost amongst the talk of a DH possibly winning the AL MVP is Travis Hafner, who has to deal with the constant Jim Thome comparisons.  It's his presence that has allowed for guys like Victor Martinez and Grady Sizemore to develop into complimentary hitters rather than look to carry the team, which falls onto the broad shoulders of the 6'3" 240 pound Hafner.  With a career On-Base plus Slugging (OPS) approaching 1.000 (.961) and entering his prime at age 27, Big Papi might be playing second fiddle to a guy drafted in the 31st round out of Cowley County Junior College.

2. Carlos Lee, MIL (8.5 million):  Seen as an afterthought after being traded to Milwaukee for Scott Podsednik, especially after the White Sox won the World Series last year, Carlos Lee has been the steadying influence and offensive catalyst for the rest of the lineup.  Now with the rotation settling in after Chris Capuano and Doug Davis providing support for Ben Sheets, Lee is giving the Brewers their first true power hitter since Jeromy Burnitz left in 2001.  Averaging 31 homeruns over the past three years, the Brewers will be looking to ride "El Caballo" into the playoffs.

1. Vernon Wells, TOR (4.47 million):  Took leadership of Toronto after seeing Carlos Delgado succumb to injury, eventually leaving for Florida.  He has been the one constant in the lineup, especially since Eric Hinske has been stuck in a 3 year sophomore slump.  With A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan getting all the publicity during the off-season, it's Wells who is the only proven player on the roster.  As much as his bat has been valuable to the team, it is his gold-glove caliber defense (8 errors in 4+ years since moving to Center Field) that could finally allow the Blue Jays to catch the Red Sox and Yankees.

Raja Bell was suspended by the NBA on Wednesday for Game 6 of the Lakers-Suns series after blatantly clotheslining Kobe Bryant during the fourth quarter of Tuesday's game.  This marks the fourth time during this year's playoffs that a player has been suspended for a game due to what the NBA calls "excessive conduct."   

These extreme retaliations have done nothing to help their teams in the playoffs, with a record of 1-2 so far in games that a player was suspended by the league.  In the cases of Bell and James Posey, the cheap shots occurred in the fourth quarter when the games were already out of hand. 

It's about time that the NBA does more than simply dress their players up like grown-ups, they should teach them how to act like grown-ups.  It is detracting from the three best first round series, making it difficult to appreciate the fact that two 7-seeds and an 8-seed have all been able to challenge three of the top teams in the NBA on a game to game basis. 

We could be talking about the heriocs of Dwayne Wade, scoring 15 of his 28 points in the second half last night with a hip contusion or the unselfish play of Kobe Bryant, but the dirty plays have stolen the headlines.  The NBA has been airing commercials showing last second shots and amazing plays, yet it will be the blatant elbow by Ron Artest to Manu Ginobili and the mouthpiece thrown at Dick Bavetta by Udonis Haslem that will be best remembered. 

I can see it now...the Pistons call timeout during the NBA Finals and ABC goes to commercial.  Dennis Rodman comes crashing to the ground under the basket and he kicks a cameraman in the groin.  2006 NBA Playoffs.