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I keep hearing all this dissing on the East but Im actually the exact opposite. I dont know if I have EC bias or what but Im actually way more excited to watch the East then West. Obviously the teams out West are good but I think alot of them are so boring. You couldnt pay me to watch a Jazz-Rockets series without Yao. Dallas & NO have alot of talent but Im just not rushing to the TV to watch that series. As for my interest, Ill rank the series like this:

8- Jazz-Rox
7- Tor-Orl
6- Dal-NO
5- SA-Phx
4- Det-Phil
3- Bos-Atl
2- Lal-Den
1- Wiz-Cavs

SA-Phx is maybe the best 1st round series in history but its still not that exciting to me. SA is so boring. I really dont get up to watch the West like everyone else. I like Den vs LA because it will be uptempo with real stars. Im a big Williams, Boozer, & T-Mac fan but I still hate to watch those teams play, atleast without Yao. Boston has the big 3 and I will love to see Atlanta go at them with JJ, Smith, Horford, & Bibby. Those are great matchups to me. I also think the East is much better then people give them credit for. You could argue that the 2 best teams in the league are out East and teams like the Cavs, Wiz, and Orlando have beaten alot of the top WC teams. People underrate the Cavs & Wiz but there record wouldve been alot better if they were healthy. I totally disagree with people who think that if they use the other playoff format that the East would lose every 1st round matchup except for Boston & Detroit. The Magic, Wiz, and Cavs matchup so well with alot of the big dogs out West and would give alot of them hell in a series. Im just not into watching all those series like everyone else is. Id rather watch the East matchups more but again, maybe Im biased to the East

we all have our preferences. i also am most interested in the cavs wizards series

You may be an idiot, but your expected enjoyment of the Eastern Conference playoffs is not evidence of that.

I have a hard time getting up for the West games, because I don't feel passion about any of the teams. Even Kobe, a horrible human being, doesn't move me to root against the Lakers. I just don't care who comes out of the West. I actually care about the teams in the East -- I identify with all the cities (Toronto is the only one I've never spent much time in), and I harbor a bit of animosity based on previous playoffs. So I care, and I'll watch.

It's much easier to see how much better the west is when your team is the worst in the east.

Every team in the West has won 50 games. The story lines are compelling. Suns get another shot at the Spurs, who tend to have problems defending a title. Kobe is back atop the West, with his first chance at winning a playoff series since Shaq left. Even Shaq vs. Kobe might play out. Dallas, who got knocked off as a 1 last year, has a legit shot of winning as a 7 this year. Chris Paul has had one of the greatest point guard seasons of all time and will be carrying the chip of losing the MVP on his shoulder if he can make it to later rounds. Experience is a factor, but the Hornets will be playing at home. Depending who wins that series, it will be viewed as a changing of the guard for Paul or Kidd's experience dominating.

I can watch any playoff game... I just love basketball...

That Nicka wrote:I can watch any playoff game... I just love basketball...

Everyone has their own rankings.

Everyone has their own rankings. Personally aside from caring about the Det-philly matchup (which is a natch), I like wash/cle more than LA/Den, or UTAH/Hou. Though I will say Phx/Sa is tops in the first round.

an

I love how teams that play smart basketball are boring....

Wow, it's so fun to watch team launch 3's!!!

Yes, because you can't use proper grammar. "an idiot"

Frankly, none of the Eastern matchups particularly catch my interest. Cleveland and Washington doesn't interest me. Cleveland isn't a lot of fun to watch, imo. Washington isn't exactly the best team in the world, just 43 wins. I'm looking forward to the Celts and Hawks. At least those are two teams with athleticism and potential. Hawks could upset though I doubt it. Orlando and Toronto is nice, Chris Bosh verse Dwight Howard. Detroit and Philly has potential for an upset, but in terms of style of play, these guys aren't promising an exciting series. I do like ... all the matchups in the West. Denver has good inside defense and excellent scoring. Their star power is a matchup for Kobe's. Melo and AI are not the easiest duo to stop. New Orleans is one of my favorite teams to watch and at least if they play Dallas we can see Chris Paul destroy Jason Kidd. Utah and Houston, Utah is another of those teams I enjoy. Houston plays great defense. Good potential for a long series. San Antonio and Phoenix ... how can one not like it? Both teams are stacked. Amare and Shaq vs Tim Duncan? What more can you ask for out of a first round series?

NO-KG-AI wrote:I love how teams that play smart basketball are boring....

Wow, it's so fun to watch team launch 3's!!!

It is.

That Nicka wrote:I can watch any playoff game... I just love basketball...

+infinite

NO-KG-AI wrote:I love how teams that play smart basketball are boring....

Wow, it's so fun to watch team launch 3's!!!

Ball movement and defense are st00pid!

I think it is a matter of whatever floats your boat. For example, one of the reasons soccer and MLS here in the US are tough to be grasped is because of the huuuuge distances. If you go to Spain, in a country of slightly larger size than California has 18 high calliber teams, and runs what might be the most storied and succesful soccer league in the world. Why so much the hype and importance? Well, it would take about 12 Spains to cover the land that 18 teams on the NBA do.

So here comes the main challenge. Do I like basketball (in general) vs Do I like <insert your team name here>

Usually, you find out that on the East, it is a whole lot more about regional rivalries, because honestly, they are fun, more than the sport it self.

Take as an example the weekend that LeBron James went for 50 on the Madison Square Garden. The NBA was raving about his accomplishment, which all of us knew that he was going to get to, and etc. But no one focused a fraction on the fact that Kobe scored more points against the Dallas Mavericks, on an OT thriller that was important for playoff positioning.

Do I like basketball in general (Kobe and Lakers performance) vs Do I like my Cavs (LeBron James and the New York rivalry)

I am definitely very compelled to watch the series that concern to Utah, my team. Count me into watching the West strongly. However, if I was given to choose Hornets vs. Nuggets or Pistons vs. Celtics, believe me a 100% I would be more excited to watch the clash of Eastern Conference superpowers.

So again, just the question, I like basketball vs. I like my team. Whichever prevails defines what floats your boat.

SalamiNCheez wrote:Yes, because you can't use proper grammar. "an idiot"

I noticed this too haha.

My rankings for the first round:
8 - Raptors vs. Magic
7 - Pistons vs. Sixers
6 - Celtics vs. Hawks
5 - Houston vs. Jazz
4 - Mavs vs. Hornets
3 - Lakers vs. Nuggets (I like the Nuggets more but I really want to see a Lakers Suns matchup so I dont know who to root for)
2 - Cavs vs. Wizards
1 - Suns vs. Spurs

all of these will be good matchups and I will try to watch as many games as I possibly can because this is truly one of the better playoffs in quite some time, probably since the Knicks vs. Bulls/Heat/Pacer rivalries.

To answer your question, yes you are an idiot.

The only series in the East that doesn't have a clear favorite is the Wiz vs. Cavs. Unless the Hawks, Raps or 76ers start playing out of their minds, all the other series are pretty much decided. The West on the other hand, besides the Lakers vs. Nuggets, which IMO, the Lakers are favorites, any other series can go either way.
Unless you don't like games that are fought to the last minute, I really don't see how the East is more exciting.

Unless you're a Celtics or Hawks fan, I can't fathom how you'd find that the third most interesting series.