The NBA Playoffs, Hollywood style

The NBA regular season is over and now we are at the part of the season everyone has been waiting for, the playoffs. 30 teams started the season, 16 of them are still playing, and in a two months time, one will be crowned the 2011 NBA Champion.

The playoffs are very similar to Hollywood in that some movies you know are going to be good, some surprise you and many end up as flops. With that in mind, here is a quick breakdown of each team, placed into one of three movie divisions: A Few Good Men (favorites), Armageddon (dark horses), Under Siege (No Shot)….

A Few Good Men (Great movie, great lines, star power, great supporting cast, lots of awards)

Lakers: The reigning two-time NBA champs. They are tall, athletic, deep and experienced. Phil Jackson has 11 rings for a reason. Kobe is as good as it gets when the pressure is on and his supporting cast is deadly. Potential pitfall; Bynum's knee.

Spurs: This team has won three titles with the trio of Duncan, Parker and Ginobli. Popovich knows how to coach in the post-season and they have surrounded their big three with all the right pieces. The only question with this team is whether or not Manu's elbow will recover enough for him to be effective throughout the playoffs.

Bulls: The Bulls trot out a very talented lineup, led by soon-to-be league MVP Derrick Rose. They get after you defensively and each player knows his role. The best record in the league gives the Bulls home court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Eastern Conference title runs through Chicago this year.

Heat: You may not like them, but this team can be scary good in stretches. Their "talents" alone will get them past a weak Sixers team in the first round, after that, a good hot streak by the Heat could carry Miami all the way to the finals.

Celtics: They are one year older than last year's finals' team and haven't played well down the stretch, but are still very dangerous. Well coached from the sidelines by Doc Rivers, and well coached on the court by Rondo, offensively, and Garnett, defensively. They played the Bulls tough in the season, but lost the regular season head-to-head matchup. Look for them to try and prove they are not over the hill just yet.

Armageddon (Good movie, quality actors, keeps you tuned in... Lacks awards)

Mavericks: Dirk says this is the best team he has played on and he may be right. They score the ball in a lot of ways and are probably the best 3-point shooting team in the league. They draw a very tough Portland team in the first round and, considering their past struggles in the playoffs, could be primed for an upset. A very good regular season team, they don't quite have the feel of a championship team.

Magic: This team has been to the finals before and has one of the league's few bona-fide superstars in Dwight Howard. Every championship team has as superstar leading them to a title, which bodes well for the Magic. However, every championship team also has a cohesive supporting cast, which does not bode well for the Magic. The parts are there, the Magic just haven't quite figured out how to make those parts work together, a problem the Mavericks are trying to figure out as well.

Thunder: This team played the Lakers tougher than any other team in the Western Conference last post-season and much of this year's regular season. They also have a superstar in Kevin Durant who can carry his team for stretches. He teams up with Russell Westbrook to form one of the leagues top duos. Kendrick Perkins adds toughness and inside presence to a team that has many GMs realizing this team's time is coming very soon.

Under Siege (Lots of guns, knives, karate chopping and explosions... Poor acting and effects)

Hawks: At times this team has caused some of the big boys problems, but not enough talent to carry them to the finals. They may be able to pull off a first round upset of the Magic, but any hopes of making the finals are extremely unrealistic.

Knicks: New York is back in the playoffs for the first time in a while and the Knicks/Celtics first round match-up is good for the NBA. Carmelo and Amare are great players, Chauncey has a lot of play off experience and Knicks fans should be excited. Like they Hawks, they are capable of a first round upset, however, the Knicks are not a title contender this year. Sorry New York.

Portland: One of the hottest teams in the leagues after acquiring Gerald Wallace. They have lots of depth with Brandon Roy coming off the bench as he recovers from injuries. This team is moving in the right direction and overcoming the failure of the Gred Oden pick very well, but we will not see them in the NBA finals this season. Primed for a move into the Armageddon division next year.

Hornets: Chris Paul is one of the best PG in the league, unfortunately he lacks the teammates to really compete at a high level. David West's injury really dropped this team down this list, ending any hope the Hornets had of making a run in these playoffs.

Grizzlies: Getting back to the playoffs is a great accomplishment for this team after so many years of bad picks, poor personnel decisions and nearly a decade of failure. After they lost Rudy Gay, no one foresaw this team making the playoffs, but they are the true definition of a team that has come together. Great season, but it's going to end very quickly for Memphis.

76ers: Igoudala is a nice player and they have some good parts, but this team has almost no chance of beating the Heat in the first round and zero chance of winning a title this year.

Pacers: Is this team really in the playoffs? They have a few good young players and are getting close to becoming a respectable team but making the playoffs at eight games under .500 is embarrassing for the eastern conference. Zero shot at the title and they'd be lucky not to get swept by the Bulls in the first round.


Predictions:

Bulls over Celtics in the East… Lakers over the Spurs in the West… Lakers over the Bulls in the finals.