Now that the JV (NCAA) tournament is over, let the real games begin! Those of you who appreciate NBA basketball are in for a real treat this postseason, especially out West, where the action will be as heated as any time in recent memory. SO, without further ado, lets cut to the chase, and get to the predictions:

Eastern Conference

ROUND 1

Pistons Beat Philly in 5

Celtics Over Hawks in 4

Cavs Beat Wiz in 7 (Great series, by the way)

Magic Over Raptors in 6

SEMI-FINALS

Pistons Over Magic in 6

Celtics Over Cavs in 6

CONFERENCE FINALS

Here's where it gets tricky. I picked the Pistons earlier this season, but my gut tells me different. In a truly phenominal series (just like the good old days):

Celtics Over Pistons in 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE

ROUND 1

Lakers Beat Nuggets in 5

Jazz Over Rockets in 6

Spurs Over Suns in 7 (Fantastic Series too)

Mavs Over Hornets in 6

SEMI-FINALS

Lakers Beat Jazz in 7

Spurs Over Mavs in 6

CONFERENCE FINALS

Spurs Over Lakers in 7

NBA FINALS

CELTICS OVER SPURS in 7

There you have it. I know I'm gonna take some heat from you Pistons fans, but this is how I see it shaking down at this point. However, in the playoffs ANYTHING can happen, from injuries to upsets, so we shall see. Either way, enjoy the playoffs, it promises to be a great ride!!

So the Pistons were coming off an 8 day West Coast Swing, came home for one game, got into Boston at 4 AM, then proceeded to lose to the Celtics by 12. Boston? Well, they are smack dab in the middle of a 5-game homestand, and hadn't played since Sunday. Excuse? No way. But it does go to show that both teams weren't exactly on equal footing heading into Wednesday night's showdown. Make no mistake, KG and the Celtics looked every bit as formidable as the team with the NBA's best record should. They made life very difficult for the Pistons on both ends of the floor, and derserved to win the game. The Pistons, as evident by their poor start and poor finish to the game, clearly weren't at their best, and while the team would never admit it, all of that travel clearly had them behind the 8-ball before the game even started.

What do we take from this game?? Nothing. After the game, the Celtics made it clear it was a "statement" win for them. All you needed to see was the Celtics bench exploding after every bucket, and Paul Pierce pounding his chest after every timeout. Clearly, it was a much bigger game for them. They still feel the need to prove they can beat the Pistons, whether its simply for psychological reasons or personal pride. The Pistons, meanwhile, shrugged it off as a loss in March, while admitting a rematch in the postseason would be a "great series". It's just another example of where these two teams are at right now. The Pistons have been to the mountain top, and more importantly, know what it takes to get there. The Celtics are still growing, and getting better as the season goes on, yet still don't have the same playoff experience of their arch-rivals. Boston's bench is getting better, and the additions of Cassell and Brown will definitely help. The Pistons bench, meanwhile, showed some of its youth last night, contributing only 5 points. Flip Saunders made several interesting moves (i.e. keeping Amir on KG, even though he was getting killed), almost as if he was "experimenting" to see how some of his younger guys react in a pressure-filled sitution like last night. Those players will take it as a learning experience and move on.

If these two teams played in the postseason right now, I'd take the Celtics in 7. Both teams will be much-improved come playoff time. The key will be who gets the Cavs in Round 2, which promises to be a grueling series for either the Pistons or Celtics with no guarantee that either one will win it. The Pistons have disappointed themselves and their fans two postseasons in a row. Without question, they believe they have some unfinished business, and I fully expect that to be the driving factor once the playoffs arrive. That's why, assuming both teams are healthy when they meet in the Conference Finals, I'll take the Pistons in 6.

With the All-Star break now officially upon us, what better time to reflect on what has been a pretty impressive 52 games for the Pistons. The starting five continues to be one of the top two or three in all of basketball, while the bench's contributions in the last two weeks have really cemented this team as a legitimate title contender. Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo continue to play big roles in quality minutes, thus giving some much needed, and valuable rest to Billups and Hamilton. The frontcourt of Maxiell and Johnson is just as impressive, if not more intriguing. Johnson played more than 31 minutes in that win over the Pacers before the break, registering 9 boards and 7 BLOCKS during that time. As 'Sheed says, he won't get any offensive plays called for him any time soon, but he's making up for it with his hustle, nose for the ball, and knack for being in the perfect position for a Stuckey alley-oop.

All of this sets up very nicely for the Pistons and the final 30 games in the regular season. But, with the deadline approaching on Feb. 21, the Pistons should explore the idea of making a trade. They have the expiring contracts of Flip Murray, Primos Brezic, and Walter Hermann, plus the added cap space from dumping Nazr Mohammed, so they could take on a $6 million deal, with two or three years left on it, if the player makes since. I'm still not sold on Jarvis Hayes being a solid scorer off the bench, which as we know, is something the PIstons will clearly need come playoff time. Too often, when Hayes' shot isn't falling, he continues to jack up ill-advised shots, all the while being an easy target on defense. (He's not a bad defender--just not one of the best on a good defensive team). Joe Dumars has gone on record saying he wouldn't mind adding another big man, but those are always hard to come by. I would take another wing player (Stackhouse if Nets buy him out??? hhmmmm) who could provide more scoring punch off the bench, which could propel this team to its ultimate desitnation--The Finals.

Happy New Year! So, it's been a good two months (yikes!!) since my last post, so I figured it was about time to dust off the keyboard and get back to it. The college bowl season is almost over (thank God), as it left us with very little excitement, and more questions than answers, as usual. So, as another calendar year gets underway, we find something that we haven't seen in some time: two heavyweight foes battling it out in the EASTERN Conference. You'd have to go back to the days when Jordan ruled the court to find the last time all the NBA chatter has been about the East. Boston, with the addition of the Big 3, is making a run at MJ's 72 win Bulls team. The Pistons, meanwhile, seem to be flying under the radar, while playing their best TEAM ball since the championship team. Sure, Flip Saunders and company flirted with 70 wins two seasons ago, but it resulted in a tired starting 5, and an underdeveloped bench. This season has been just the opposite. The starters are averaging more than two less minutes per game, while the bench has not only maintained an advantage when coming into games, they've actually increased the lead numerous times. The growth of Jason Maxiell, now in his 3rd year, has been tremendous. He's grown into a solid 6th man before our very eyes. The energy and tenacity he brings on a nightly basis is something to behold. Jarvis Hayes has proven his 4 average years with the Wizards might have been a fluke, as he has found his shooting touch, providing a "micro-wave" like scorer off the bench. Not to be forgotten, rookies Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo have also been solid, if not spectacular, at certain points this season. The Pistons are one of the few NBA teams that are actually 12 deep, and still have Flip Murray and Lindsey Hunter in street clothes on most nights. The Celtics, meanwhile, have the best defense in the NBA right now, not to mention the largest average margin of victory. Rajon Rando continues to develop, although his biggest progression will have to come on the defensive end if the Celtics hope to stop the Pistons in a 7-game series. Either way, Boston is the real deal, making it feel like 1987 all over again, as the Pistons and Celtics are once again battling it out for Eastern Conference Supremecy. While it doesn't mean much in January, it at least makes things interesting once again in the much-maligned East, and should have us NBA fans salivating come playoff time.