NBA Conference Finals / We won the Lottery

Eastern Finals: Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat
My Pick: Miami

Yes, the Pistons had the best record this year (64 wins, 18 losses) and were a virtual lock to make it this far into the postseason. But they barely did.

They looked almost like another team against Cleveland in the semi-finals, especially when the best team in basketball (this year, anyway) almost (one shot away from elimination in game six) lost to a team with almost no playoff experience.

The Heat, on the other hand, managed to shut down a good (3rd in the East) New Jersey team featuring Vince Carter and Jason Kidd - a team that won their division and averaged 98 points a game.

Going by their recent stretches - and even though the Pistons came through when it mattered in game six and seven - I'm going to take the team that was able to shut down one of the best in the NBA in just five games and is coming off a nice rest.

Western Finals: Phoenix Suns / Dallas Mavericks
My Pick: Suns

It's true that the Suns have less defense then the 1983 Calgary Flames (Outscored 35 - 13 in a seven game series) but they're a dynamic, fast paced team that controls the flow and pace of the game and when they're at their best (as I assume they will be) it seems that they can win with ease.

The Mavericks, on the other hand, just endured a long struggle against the San Antonio Spurs - and came within one Manu Ginobili layup of losing the series when they seemingly ran out of gas late in the 4th quarter of game seven (remember Mark Cuban's "I am not amused" face?)... but so did the Spurs, so the Mavs moved on.

So I'm taking the team that can - and will - score big when it matters, bad defense or not: the Suns.

******

It's been a great few months to be a Raptors fan, it really has.

For a team that has done everything wrong in the last few seasons (short of hiring Isiah Thomas as their GM again) - from running superstar players like Vince Carter and T-Mac out of town, from wasting a first round pick on Araújo or the disaster of a trade that left Alonzo Mourning with the team that traded him, the Nets with V.C., and the Raptors with two brothers that barely played.

But then MLSE got smart - Ron Babcock drafted Charlie V and Joey Graham before being firedhalfwayy through the season. They then hired one of the best GMs available in Bryan Colangelo (who was behind the Suns reemergencee in the West) and Charlie V finished second overall in rookie-of-the-year voting. And now this

I'm actually really quite happy about this; and I don't really care if they draft Tyrus Thomas, JJ Reddick or Gerry McNamara or even if they trade it away for two later picks - all thanks to finally having a GM that I feel like I can trust to make the right move. For once, it really feels good to be a Raptor fan.

And it feels really good to be able to say out loud.