Now that the regular season has ended, it is time to discuss the second season of the NBA, the playoffs. I have really looked forward to it this year because of the matchups and surprise teams. I also treasure this time of year because after the NBA playoffs end, baseball is the only of the four major league sports being played.

I’ll preview the action round by round and give my predictions on each series. There are so many teams that could win the title this year; it’s not something that you want to miss.

  Western Conference

 Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

Two of the best scorers in the game face off as L.A.’s Kobe Bryant and Denver’s Allen Iverson go head-to-head in a battle that will not be short on points. Denver also has arguably the league’s best-shot blocker with Marcus Camby but the Lakers have one of the game’s most versatile big men in Pau Gasol. Since the addition of Gasol in early February, the Lakers have gone 22-5. Bryant is the talk of the league as he is one of two leading candidates to win Most Valuable Player. There will be no repeat of last year’s No. 8-seed defeating the top-ranked team. The Lakers will win in five games.

 New Orleans Hornets vs. Dallas Mavericks

I love the emergence of New Orleans and the things they were able to accomplish this season. They were definitely the surprise in the Western Conference this season. This series boils down to the play of the point guards. New Orleans’ Chris Paul and Dallas’ Jason Kidd play the game like no other floor general outside of Phoenix’s Steve Nash. The knock on Kidd is his inability to score. He will give you 15-20 points every once in a while, but he needs to do it every game if Dallas expects to erase their reputation as a flop. It won’t happen this year. Since acquiring Kidd at the mid-February trade deadline, Dallas only won four games against teams with a winning record. I give the Hornets the edge in six games because Paul will outduel Kidd.

 Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs

If you can only find time for one series, this is it. This series has become a rivalry over the past few seasons. Last year’s title was pretty much decided in last season’s playoffs when the Spurs’ Robert Horry clocked Steve Nash. The Suns’ Amare Stoudemire left the bench and was suspended two games while Horry got one game. I lost the little ounce of respect I had for league executives when that ruling came out. Stoudemire caught himself before he got to far away from his team’s bench. Phoenix ended up losing the series and the Spurs once again won the championship.

Phoenix made a mega-trade when they brought Shaquille O’Neal to town for Shawn Marion. We will get to see if this trade works in this first round matchup. Suns’ general manager Steve Kerr brought Shaq in to defend against Tim Duncan because Stoudemire is not a good defender at all. I would love to see the Suns win a title, but it won’t happen this year. San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili is healthy after a brief injury, and the Spurs have too much experience. Until the Spurs give me reason to think they won't come through, I’m taking them all the way. I expect the Spurs to win in a brutal seven-game series.

 Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets

The Jazz knocked the Rockets out the first round last year and it will happen again. The Rockets lost with All-Star center Yao Ming last year. Without him this year, I don’t give them much hope. Houston’s Tracy McGrady can only do so much. The Jazz are the best team at home, going 37-4. When they leave Salt Lake City, it seems like they forget how to play. Keeping that in mind, it won’t matter. They will take one road game in Houston. They averaged almost 10 more points per game than Houston did this season. The Jazz will wrap it up in six games.

 Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta hasn’t been to the playoffs in ages and Boston has made the greatest single-season turnaround in NBA history. They won 42 more games than last season and have the league’s best record. They also have the top defense in the NBA. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen will sweep the Hawks in four games to wait on their next opponent.

Detroit Pistons vs. Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers late-season emergence is one of the legue's feel-good stories. They also have a cool team name, but it’s not enough to upset a Pistons team that still has most of the core of their 2004 championship squad. The Sixers need a few more pieces to compete with the East’s elite. Detroit in five.

Orlando Magic vs. Toronto Raptors

Orlando’s Dwight Howard vs. Toronto’s Chris Bosh are two of the best young big men in the game, and they play in the East. Most eyes will be on these two players, but the point guard matchup will be critical. The play of Toronto's T.J. Ford and Orlando's Jamier Nelson could be the deciding factor in this series. Keep an eye on Orlando’s Hedo Turkoglu, a candidate for Most Improved Player. Toronto faltered at the wrong time this season, which leads me to take Orlando in six.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Washington Wizards

This is a rivalry in and of itself as the Cavs have eliminated the Wizards two seasons in a row. Deshawn Stevenson of Washington has called Cleveland’s LeBron James “overrated.” I won’t say all that since James has lived up to the media hype. The Wizards are calling the Cavs out, so I definitely advise to watch this heated series. This is the third straight year these teams have met in the playoffs. Washington will win in seven games because the big three of Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are finally healthy together. Arenas being on the court is enough to change a coach’s defensive game plan, especially since he is one of the game's best shooters.