The 2006 NBA playoffs are underway this year with plenty of potential surprises on the way. The regular season is over, with the number one Detroit Pistons facing the number eight Milwaukee Bucks in the eastern conference. Other Eastern Conference matchups include the Chicago Bulls vs. the Miami Heat, the Indiana Pacers vs. the New Jersey Nets, and the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the Washington Wizards. The Eastern Conference is having a tough series. So far, no one is going to get swept in a series with the Bucks pulling out a win against the Pistons after losing a few games. The rest of the teams have been tied and time will tell who will advance to the conference semifinals.
Last year’s champions, the San Antonio Spurs, were number one in the Western Conference this year and are facing off against the Sacramento Kings. Other series matchups include the Phoenix Suns against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets against the surprising Los Angeles Clippers, and the Memphis Grizzles against the Dallas Mavericks. The San Antonio Spurs don’t look as good as they did in the playoffs last year. With the Dallas Mavericks looking better than ever so far, they could become troublesome for the Spurs if they can beat the Kings. The Kings are not pushovers and they proved it by coming off two straight losses and winning two straight to even the series.
Many of the season awards have been announced and the Coach of the Year is Avery Johnson of the Dallas Mavericks. Other awards announced were sixth man of the year, which went to Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Miller, who scored nearly fourteen points per game off the bench this year. Boris Diaw earned most improved player honors this year with his greatly improved season with the Phoenix Suns. Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets will take rookie of the year honors this year, hands down. Los Angeles Clippers forward Elton Brand received the Sportsmanship award and Minnesota Timberwolves star player Kevin Garnett took home the Kennedy Citizenship award.
Most people believe that the Detroit Pistons will undoubtedly reach the NBA Finals this year once again. They are the number one choice to win the trophy after having a record-breaking season, winning 64 games and losing just 18. This would be the third time in a row that the Pistons have reached the NBA playoff finals. Their bench players appear to be better than last year’s lineup. They now have newcomers Maurice Evans and veteran Tony Delk on their roster. Tony Delk has been a big spark off the Pistons’ bench since he signed as a free agent on March 1. He’s airing a lot of games on TNT and ESPN, so check your local listings for playoff game dates and times. He can get full coverage of the playoffs on NBA TV and on NBA.com.
