Catch up on the NBA playoffs

The Jones: 2010 NBA Playoff Recap from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.

I have been woefully neglectful in my coverage of the NBA playoffs since my initial first round predictions (where I went 5-3). Part of that has to do with my annoyance that the Jazz experienced a repeat of the last two seasons, and part of that comes from seeing an inevitable Lakers/Celtics matchup coming our way.

Again.

And frankly, I don't care. I know the league wants me to believe Boston/L.A. is the pinnacle of basketball evolution, but I don't believe them.

Both of these teams reached elite status thanks to major free-agent acquisitions that ranged from kinda iffy (Garnett) to flat-out dirty (Gasol). I don't feel either organization got where they did through honest dealings and that bothers me.

Or maybe I'm just jealous that the Jazz never seem to pull off these "Wilt Chamberlain for spare change" trades.

Anyway, go Boston, but only because my hatred for the Lakers exceeds all of my other dislikes in sports.

And for those Laker fans who are crowing about Kobe's recent stat lines, keep in mind he's been playing against Utah and Phoenix, the two worst teams in the playoffs when it comes to defending an elite shooting guard. We'll see how he performs against the Celtics.

Here's hoping it's similar to his 2008 showing, when he scored 25 points per game on 40% shooting.