(#3) Bulls - (#1) Lakers Series

Alright, let's see what happens. Can Jordan, the greatest player of all-time, carry a team including Pippen (who I have as #22), the vastly underrated Artis Gilmore and Chet Walker (#62 and #71 respectively), and a whole lot of role players (at best) over a team with 12 potential Hall of Famers and five of the top 12 (Kareem - #2, Magic - #4, Shaq - #6, Kobe - #10, West - #11) of all time? (P.S.: the rest of the team's not too shabby either: Baylor - #21, Mikan - #52, Worthy - #53, Gasol - #61, Mikkelsen - #70, Goodrich - #102, and Pollard - #132) Let's find out.

(#3) Warriors - (#1) Lakers Series

Here we go, the last matchup before the Finals. We have one of the oldest teams in this thing, the Warriors, (and by oldest, I mean players based largely in the 50's and 60's) against one of the most balanced across all eras, the Lakers. Let's see who comes out of this to face the Bulls in the Finals.

(#4) Pistons - (#3) Bulls Series

I know the Western Conference is due for another series here, as I've been hitting the East pretty hard lately, but after the Pistons recent "Upset of the Century" over what I thought was probably the best top to bottom team in this thing, I know that every basketball fan in the nation is on the edge of their seat, wondering if they can continue their Cinderella run. It also begs the question, can it really be called a Cinderella run if everyone in the country hates you and wants you to lose? It'd be like if Duke made the NCAA tournament as a 16 seed and then managed to make it to the Final Four... It'd certainly fit the bill of a classic Cinderella team, except for the fact that everyone not associated with Duke would be rooting for them to lose. I'm not even sure what I'd call that phenomenon. Also, if the Pistons end up winning this thing, I may have to murder Isiah Thomas. Don't worry. I'm kidding. And if I'm not, I'll make sure to do it in New York so no jury would convict me. I can see the New York Times headline now: Isiah Thomas Murdered Over Mock Basketball Tournament; Statue of Accused Erected Outside Madison Square Garden. Anyway, lets get to the games, where I'll root for Michael Jordan as the lesser of two evils.

Tournament Update (Conference Semis Complete)

West:

#1 Lakers                

                                 |#1 Lakers (4)

BYE                         |                     |

                                                       |#1 Lakers (4)

#8 ThunderSonics (4)                  |                      |

                                 |#8 ThunderSonics (3)        |

#9 Trail Blazers (0)|                                             |
                                                                               |#1 Lakers             

#5 Kings (4)                                                          |                             |
                                 |#5 Kings (4)                        |                             |

#12 Clippers (1)      |                     |                       |                             |
                                                       |#5 Kings (1)   |                             |  

#4 Jazz (4)                                    |                                                      |
                                 |#4 Jazz (0) |                                                      |

#13 Timberwolves (3)                                                                           |
                                                                                                              |                

#6 Suns (3)                                                                                           |
                                 |#11 Nuggets (3)                                                  |

#11 Nuggets (4)      |                     |                                                      |
                                                       |#3 Warriors (4)                            |

#3 Warriors (4)                             |                       |                             |
                                 |#3 Warriors (4)                   |                             |

#14 Hornets (1)       |                                             |                             |
                                                                               |#3 Warriors         |

#7 Rockets (3)                                                       |
                                 |#10 Mavericks (0)               |

#10 Mavericks (4)   |                    |                        |
                                                       |#2 Spurs (2)  |

#2 Spurs (4)                                  |
                                 |#2 Spurs (4) 

#15 Grizzlies (1)      |

East:

#1 Celtics                 

                                 |#1 Celtics (4)

BYE                          |                     |

                                                        |#1 Celtics (2)

#8 Bucks (4)                                  |                      |

                                  |#8 Bucks (0)                      |

#9 Cavaliers (2)     |                                              |

                                                                                |#4 Pistons            

#5 Knicks (3)                                                         |                             |

                                 |#12 Magic (1)                      |                             |

#12 Magic (4)         |                       |                     |                             |

                                                         |#4 Pistons (4)                            |

#4 Pistons (4)                                 |                                                   |

                                 |#4 Pistons (4)                                                   |

#13 Nets (3)            |                                                                           |

                                                                                                              |                

#6 Hawks (2)                                                                                       |

                                 |#11 Heat (1)                                                       |

#11 Heat (4)            |                       |                                                   |

                                                         |#3 Bulls (4)                               |

#3 Bulls (4)                                     |                     |                             |

                                 |#3 Bulls (4)   |                    |                             |

#14 Raptors (0)      |                                             |                             |

                                                                               |#3 Bulls               |

#7 Wizards (4)                                                      |

                                 |#7 Wizards (4)                    |

#10 Pacers (1)        |                       |                      |

                                                        |#7 Wizards (2)

#2 76ers (4)                                    |

                                 |#2 76ers (1)  |

#15 Bobcats (1)       |

(#7) Wizards - (#3) Bulls Series

The last of the semifinals. Are we in for another massive upset? The Wizards have the size (4 Hall of Fame big men), but the Bulls have Jordan. What wins?

(#4) Pistons - (#1) Celtics Series

As a Lakers fan, I hate both of these teams. However, despite the hate, I at least have respect for the Celtics. It's almost exactly like, how, as a Nebraska Cornhuskers football fan, I want to beat the hell out of the Oklahoma Sooners every time we play them, but should we lose, I at least can say "good game" afterwards. Whereas I just despise anything to do with the Texas Longhorns (and, by extension, every other Texas school, but that's neither here nor there.) Now, I probably would save a Longhorns fan from drowning... but there'd be a slight moment of hesitation before I jumped in the water. Same goes for Pistons fans. (Side note: I just realized that the only team I say "we" about instead of "they" is the Cornhuskers. I don't know if it's because I've lived in Nebraska all my life, or if it's because I actually went to that school, but I don't do it with the Lakers or the Minnesota Twins. And I don't have a hockey team. (Side side note: Growing up in the Midwest miles and miles away from any sort of professional sports team - especially basketball - is strange. There's no home team to root for. Every kid just roots for whoever is good when they're young or they're dad's favorite teams - who were usually good when their dads were young. I did both - was a Suns fan until they traded Barkley, got pissed and swore them off, and started watching Lakers games with my dad. And I realize this should probably be its own article at this point.)) Anyway, my original point was going to be, despite me not liking either team, and hating one way more than the other, I promise I'm going to be impartial with this. If the Pistons win the whole thing, so be it. I can't see it happening, but if it does, so be it. On to the games!

(#3) Warriors - (#2) Spurs Series

We're going to finish off the Western Conference semis today before heading over to the East. Why? Because I felt like it, damn it! (Actually, it's a time issue with uploading the rosters and setting the depth charts on WhatIfSports, but we don't need to get too in depth with that. Just trust me on it.) Anyway, it's a Warriors-Spurs matchup today, featuring some of the greatest big men of all time: Chamberlain! Duncan! Robinson! Thurmond! And let's not forget the sweet, sweet taste of the Iceman, George Gervin, combined with Rick "I really should have had an awesome nickname" Barry. I'd bet on the Spurs here; the Warriors are deeper, but I think the Spurs have a better starting five.

(#5) Kings - (#1) Lakers Series

Here we go, starting things off in the conference semifinals with a great matchup: Kings at Lakers. It's a shame that rivalry isn't still going strong. Also, Kings fans, please note, if the series gets this far, Game 6 will not be rigged. I promise.

Tournament Update (Second Round Complete)

Alright, two rounds are now in the books for the inaugural tournament, and we've got some intriguing matchups for the conference semis. The only one I'm not expecting to be super close is Celtics-Pistons, but I've been wrong before.

West:

#1 Lakers                
                                 |#1 Lakers (4)
BYE                         |                     |
                                                       |#1 Lakers      
#8 ThunderSonics (4)                  |                      |
                                 |#8 ThunderSonics (3)        |
#9 Trail Blazers (0)|                                             |
                                                                               |                             
#5 Kings (4)                                                          |                             |
                                 |#5 Kings (4)                        |                             |
#12 Clippers (1)      |                     |                       |                             |
                                                       |#5 Kings        |                             |  
#4 Jazz (4)                                    |                                                      |
                                 |#4 Jazz (0) |                                                      |
#13 Timberwolves (3)                                                                           |
                                                                                                              |                
#6 Suns (3)                                                                                           |
                                 |#11 Nuggets (3)                                                  |
#11 Nuggets (4)      |                     |                                                      |
                                                       |#3 Warriors                                  |
#3 Warriors (4)                             |                       |                             |
                                 |#3 Warriors (4)                   |                             |
#14 Hornets (1)       |                                             |                             |
                                                                               |                             |
#7 Rockets (3)                                                       |
                                 |#10 Mavericks (0)               |
#10 Mavericks (4)   |                    |                        |
                                                       |#2 Spurs        |
#2 Spurs (4)                                  |
                                 |#2 Spurs (4) 
#15 Grizzlies (1)      |

East:

#1 Celtics                 

                                 |#1 Celtics (4)

BYE                          |                     |

                                                        |#1 Celtics      

#8 Bucks (4)                                  |                      |

                                  |#8 Bucks (0)                      |

#9 Cavaliers (2)     |                                              |
                                                                                |                             

#5 Knicks (3)                                                         |                             |

                                 |#12 Magic (1)                      |                             |

#12 Magic (4)         |                       |                     |                             |

                                                         |#4 Pistons   |                             |

#4 Pistons (4)                                 |                                                   |

                                 |#4 Pistons (4)                                                   |

#13 Nets (3)            |                                                                           |
                                                                                                              |                
#6 Hawks (2)                                                                                       |

                                 |#11 Heat (1)                                                       |

#11 Heat (4)            |                       |                                                   |

                                                         |#3 Bulls                                     |

#3 Bulls (4)                                     |                     |                             |

                                 |#3 Bulls (4)   |                    |                             |

#14 Raptors (0)      |                                             |                             |
                                                                               |                             |

#7 Wizards (4)                                                      |

                                 |#7 Wizards (4)                    |

#10 Pacers (1)        |                       |                      |

                                                        |#7 Wizards   |

#2 76ers (4)                                    |

                                 |#2 76ers (1)  |

#15 Bobcats (1)       |

(#5) Kings - (#4) Jazz Series

Interesting juxtaposition of rosters with this matchup. I want to say it's old-school versus new-school, but it's really hard for me to think of the Jazz as "new school." Jerry Sloan is one of the best coaches ever, but I just can't wrap my mind around associating "Jerry Sloan" and "pick and roll" with "modern" and "progressive." It just won't work. But I say it's almost old school/new school because of the players involved. The Jazz feature a roster of players that is almost entirely from the 90's and 00's (Dantley and Maravich are the notable exceptions), while the Kings have a roster of players almost exclusively from the 50's and 60's, and one from the early 70's (Webber and Richmond are the notable exceptions here.) So, this should be interesting. It'll be epic, either way.