On Saturday, the NBA Playoffs will officially start for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.
After having relatively no problem getting through their first round match-ups, the Cavaliers and Celtics will meet at Quicken Loans Arena for Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
These two teams are the closest that the NBA has to a modern day rivalry. If you don't believe me, take a look at what LeBron James had to say about the Boston Celtics; "We don't like them," he said after the game. "They don't like us."
The final meeting between these two teams in the regular season not only had heated exchanges, but it set the ground work for what should be an entertaining, drama-filled series.
The two teams split the season series 2-2, and the last time these two teams met in the playoffs was the epic seven game battle in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2008. All NBA fans know the outcome of that series, as the Celtics went on to defeat the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals and the L.A. Lakers in the NBA Finals.
Could a second round victory over the Celtics propel the Cavaliers to the same fate of the 2008 Boston Celtics? We shall soon see.
Before the Cavaliers can start thinking about winning the NBA Finals, they have to get through the pesky, aging Boston Celtics.
So let's take a look at the drama and story-lines that will keep fans entertained throughout the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Mo Flo vs Rajon Rondo
Poor Mo Williams. He just got done dealing with one of the game's up-and-coming NBA All-Stars and now he gets...an NBA All-Star.
The Rondo-Williams match-up will not only be one of the most important battles of the series, it may determine the outcome.
Mo Williams has been known for his disappearing acts and questionable defense, and it showed in the first series.
The Cavaliers were often throwing LeBron James and Anthony Parker at Derrick Rose in an attempt to slow him down. During all of this, Mo was averaging 15.6 points per game on 41 percent shooting.
Rondo had an equally ineffective time against Miami, so it should be interesting to see which point guard will get going first in this series.
LeBron's Elbow
At the end of Game Five, all of Cleveland held a collective breath when LeBron James shot his second free throw left-handed.
It was finally apparent that all of the beatings, the hard-drives to the hole, and the slamming into the ground was catching up to LeBron. And you better believe the Celtics noticed.
Boston will not take it easy on LeBron. They haven't been afraid of fouling hard and flinging LeBron to the ground in the past, and they won't be shy about it in this series.
As dirty as it sounds, this is exactly why the Celtics have guys like Rasheed Wallace and Kendrick Perkins: to beat up the other team's star player.
Max Benton and the Cleveland Cavaliers training staff better find a way to stabilize that elbow before Saturday, or Cleveland may be watching it's title dreams go up in smoke.
Wild Thing vs Ray Ray
It's not very often that a shooting guard and an energetic power forward/center get the opportunity to develop a rivalry, but that is exactly what Ray Allen and Anderson Varejao have.
For those of you who don't remember, the two of them got tangled up going for a rebound and Allen got tossed to the ground.
Ray Allen responded by throwing an elbow to Wild Things' baby maker, and well that wasn't a good thing. Allen was suspended a game and Varejao received a technical foul.
If you think these two are going to hug and make-up, you have another thing coming for ya.
Big Z vs Sheed
It may have been a long time ago, but Z and Sheed still hate each other.
We all remember the incident in which Z and Sheed got wrapped up and Z took an elbow to the head from the former Piston bad boy.
Z got stitches, Sheed got a technical, and the Cavaliers-Pistons series got that much more heated.
Now in the twilight of their careers, the two role players will have a little something extra to play for when they line up opposite each other come game time.
LeBron and Shaq vs KG and Paul Pierce
Instead of making two separate categories for this one, I figured we can just put them together.
This match-up has NBA Jam written all over it. I want to see elbows thrown, players running each other down, and fans screaming BOOOOOMSHAKALKA as Shaq rips down the backboard.
Since that can't happen, we will just get plenty of trash talking, Shaq backing down the former Defensive Player of the Year Garnett, and hopefully another epic LeBron-Pierce shootout.
Let's not forget about the heated exchanges that LeBron and Garnett had in their last meeting of the season. For two guys that are normally friendly, it seemed like Garnett's antics on the court finally rubbed LeBron the wrong way.
Look for LeBron to go right at the "Big Ticket" and throw down one of those dunks that has "no regard for human life" again.
History vs. Destiny
The Boston Celtics have the history, the rings, and the experience to get their team through this series.
Even though they are aging: Garnett, Allen, Pierce, and Rasheed Wallace are the crafty veterans that can will a team to an upset victory.
They have all played in the big games, they know what they can and cannot get away with on the floor, and they all know how to isolate and disrupt LeBron James.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a team of destiny.
They have the game's most dominant player in LeBron James, a proven No. 2 option in Antawn Jamison, and the Man of Steel Shaquille O'Neal.
To go with all of that, they have a more than capable supporting cast that can fill up the scoreboard with a barrage of three pointers, rebounds, second chance scoring, and energy.
Series Prediction
The time is now for the city of Cleveland to break its 46-year curse of professional sports championships. And its fate rests on the elbow of a 25-year-old NBA superstar, LeBron James.
The path in keeping the King in Cleveland goes through Boston come Saturday, and the Cavaliers better believe that their lack of intensity and focus in the first three games of the Bulls series won't be able to get by the Celtics.
In order to defeat a battle tested team, the Cavaliers will need to come with their A game in Round Two. And it all starts with their floor general, their King, the Chosen One: LeBron James.
Cavaliers in six 4-2.
After having relatively no problem getting through their first round match-ups, the Cavaliers and Celtics will meet at Quicken Loans Arena for Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
These two teams are the closest that the NBA has to a modern day rivalry. If you don't believe me, take a look at what LeBron James had to say about the Boston Celtics; "We don't like them," he said after the game. "They don't like us."
The final meeting between these two teams in the regular season not only had heated exchanges, but it set the ground work for what should be an entertaining, drama-filled series.
The two teams split the season series 2-2, and the last time these two teams met in the playoffs was the epic seven game battle in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2008. All NBA fans know the outcome of that series, as the Celtics went on to defeat the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals and the L.A. Lakers in the NBA Finals.
Could a second round victory over the Celtics propel the Cavaliers to the same fate of the 2008 Boston Celtics? We shall soon see.
Before the Cavaliers can start thinking about winning the NBA Finals, they have to get through the pesky, aging Boston Celtics.
So let's take a look at the drama and story-lines that will keep fans entertained throughout the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Mo Flo vs Rajon Rondo
Poor Mo Williams. He just got done dealing with one of the game's up-and-coming NBA All-Stars and now he gets...an NBA All-Star.
The Rondo-Williams match-up will not only be one of the most important battles of the series, it may determine the outcome.
Mo Williams has been known for his disappearing acts and questionable defense, and it showed in the first series.
The Cavaliers were often throwing LeBron James and Anthony Parker at Derrick Rose in an attempt to slow him down. During all of this, Mo was averaging 15.6 points per game on 41 percent shooting.
Rondo had an equally ineffective time against Miami, so it should be interesting to see which point guard will get going first in this series.
LeBron's Elbow
At the end of Game Five, all of Cleveland held a collective breath when LeBron James shot his second free throw left-handed.
It was finally apparent that all of the beatings, the hard-drives to the hole, and the slamming into the ground was catching up to LeBron. And you better believe the Celtics noticed.
Boston will not take it easy on LeBron. They haven't been afraid of fouling hard and flinging LeBron to the ground in the past, and they won't be shy about it in this series.
As dirty as it sounds, this is exactly why the Celtics have guys like Rasheed Wallace and Kendrick Perkins: to beat up the other team's star player.
Max Benton and the Cleveland Cavaliers training staff better find a way to stabilize that elbow before Saturday, or Cleveland may be watching it's title dreams go up in smoke.
Wild Thing vs Ray Ray
It's not very often that a shooting guard and an energetic power forward/center get the opportunity to develop a rivalry, but that is exactly what Ray Allen and Anderson Varejao have.
For those of you who don't remember, the two of them got tangled up going for a rebound and Allen got tossed to the ground.
Ray Allen responded by throwing an elbow to Wild Things' baby maker, and well that wasn't a good thing. Allen was suspended a game and Varejao received a technical foul.
If you think these two are going to hug and make-up, you have another thing coming for ya.
Big Z vs Sheed
It may have been a long time ago, but Z and Sheed still hate each other.
We all remember the incident in which Z and Sheed got wrapped up and Z took an elbow to the head from the former Piston bad boy.
Z got stitches, Sheed got a technical, and the Cavaliers-Pistons series got that much more heated.
Now in the twilight of their careers, the two role players will have a little something extra to play for when they line up opposite each other come game time.
LeBron and Shaq vs KG and Paul Pierce
Instead of making two separate categories for this one, I figured we can just put them together.
This match-up has NBA Jam written all over it. I want to see elbows thrown, players running each other down, and fans screaming BOOOOOMSHAKALKA as Shaq rips down the backboard.
Since that can't happen, we will just get plenty of trash talking, Shaq backing down the former Defensive Player of the Year Garnett, and hopefully another epic LeBron-Pierce shootout.
Let's not forget about the heated exchanges that LeBron and Garnett had in their last meeting of the season. For two guys that are normally friendly, it seemed like Garnett's antics on the court finally rubbed LeBron the wrong way.
Look for LeBron to go right at the "Big Ticket" and throw down one of those dunks that has "no regard for human life" again.
History vs. Destiny
The Boston Celtics have the history, the rings, and the experience to get their team through this series.
Even though they are aging: Garnett, Allen, Pierce, and Rasheed Wallace are the crafty veterans that can will a team to an upset victory.
They have all played in the big games, they know what they can and cannot get away with on the floor, and they all know how to isolate and disrupt LeBron James.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a team of destiny.
They have the game's most dominant player in LeBron James, a proven No. 2 option in Antawn Jamison, and the Man of Steel Shaquille O'Neal.
To go with all of that, they have a more than capable supporting cast that can fill up the scoreboard with a barrage of three pointers, rebounds, second chance scoring, and energy.
Series Prediction
The time is now for the city of Cleveland to break its 46-year curse of professional sports championships. And its fate rests on the elbow of a 25-year-old NBA superstar, LeBron James.
The path in keeping the King in Cleveland goes through Boston come Saturday, and the Cavaliers better believe that their lack of intensity and focus in the first three games of the Bulls series won't be able to get by the Celtics.
In order to defeat a battle tested team, the Cavaliers will need to come with their A game in Round Two. And it all starts with their floor general, their King, the Chosen One: LeBron James.
Cavaliers in six 4-2.
