FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF PICKS!

Let's put my basketball analysis skills to the test! Here's how I think the first round of the NBA playoffs will turn out.

EAST

Cavs over Piston (4-1). Cavs have been dominating the league the past month and a half and LBJ is showing us why he is the MVP in a year when at least 3 others had MVP-years. Also, AI has poisoned the team and they are showing how much they need someone like Chauncey Billups.

Celtics over Bulls (4-2) Losing Garnett really hurts but they're still heads and shoulders up on the Bulls. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen will eat Salmons and Gordon alive and the Bulls will miss Nocioni as the Celtics manhandle their way to the second round.

Magic over Sixers (4-0). The most lopsided among our match ups. The Sixers will have no answer for either Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu or Rashard Lewis. Iguodala has been inconsistent of late and the Sizers just do not have the guns, especially coming from a late season slump (losing 6 games in a row)

Hawks over Miami (4-2) Wade is a great, great player but 5 good players will always trump 1 great player so my money is on the surprising Hawks. Joe Johnson, Al Horford and Josh Smith will tow the Hawks into 2nd round glory.

WEST

Lakers over Jazz (4-2) The Jazz are a good team but they haven't meshed as well as they should have, making them vulnerable to the Black Mamba. This is the most interesting match up for me, since the Jazz have Kirilenko and Harpring, 2 players who have defended Kobe extremely well in the past. Deron Williams will need to be Kobe-like for the Jazz to upset the Lakers.

Mavs over Spurs (4-3) Tony Parker and Tim Duncan will have to work extra hard without Manu and their supporting cast is just not good enough anymore. For Dirk, this could be his last realistic chance at a title so he'll be motivated. (And no, Bruce Bowen will not be guarding him anymore, which means Dirk will explode for 40 at least once in this series)

Hornets over Nuggets (4-2) Billups will not be able to contain Chris Paul and David West is too good for  Martin or Nene so you can book this one for the Hornets. But if JR Smith has four games like the one he had against Sacramento, all bets are off.

Rockets over Blazers (4-3) Another interesting match up. Despite the loss of T-Mac (or maybe I should say because of the loss of...), the Rockets maybe just be too experienced for the Blazers. Yao Ming should have a great series and Battier, Artest and Scola will prove to be the difference.