How the West was(n't) won

Lets go over the FACTS of these NBA playoffs. Not predictions. Go back and read anything anyone wrote. 99% agree on these simple facts.

Detroit Pistons will win the East.

Mavs, Suns, Spurs, Rockets move on to the second round.

Mavs face the Rockets and win.

Suns/Spurs play a great series. Winner of that series plays the Mavs.

Winner of the Mavs VS. Suns/Spurs series beats the Pistons.

World Champion crowned.

Hmmmm...

Well, the Pistons, Suns, and Spurs have held up their end of the deal. Give the Spurs the most credit, as they had to fight off a pretty pesky Denver Nuggets team to get to where they are now. But, granted, now they play the Suns; and worry about the Mavs later.

Wait a second.

Golden State Warriors VS. Utah Jazz?

I'm sorry, what?

Isn't this the West? Where big men dominate? Where dominating inside the key is the only way to succeed? Where Shaq and Duncan won so many championships doing exactly that?

Why is Yao Ming at home?

And why, oh why, even if they ARE a perimeter team, are the Dallas Mavericks golfing in the first week of May?

It isn't THAT crazy that you can't say that the winner of the Spurs/Suns series is going to win it all with any amount of confidence.

What is crazy about it, however, is that the Jazz and the Warriors might actually be scarier than the Mavericks and Rockets. Not just because they beat them, but because they play a style of basketball that when clicking and when hot; there just really isn't much of a way to stop.

Hats off to you, NBA. The country's most predictable sport has thrown two huge curve balls early in these playoffs. Suns/Spurs VS. Jazz/Warriors can't just be chalked up as a 5 game series anymore. The underdogs are actually showing up to play, and for probably the first time in basketball history, I'd say the NBA's first round was madder than the NCAA's.

May Madness, anyone?

Anyone?