I put this off long enough, so here it goes.

It's time for my second half NBA outlook, so to speak. Your playoff primer for what we're going to end up seeing late next month and what to expect as we head into June. First, a few things.

- Last June, I said that Detroit was still the team in the Central so long as they kept motivated. In October of 2007, I said their EC Final meltdown against the Cavs was the Buster Douglas moment for this franchise. That in short, they wouldn't be the same after the fact. When they dealt Billups away for Iverson just four games in, they ensured that prophecy would come to fruition. Bad Boys 2 will most likely dismantle in the summer, hopefully ole Sheed can get one more ring before he hangs it up.

- Next, even though this is a bit early...I think the Clips might be a sleeper to watch next year. I know on paper, they look like an absolute clusterfuck and four dimes, but this is a good team. Dunleavy aka The Undertaker as The Sports Guy refers to him as, is done. I'm convinced of this after seeing them squander a 19 point 4th quarter lead against the most overhyped team in NBA history. (Seriously, who in their right fucking mind has the Cavs winning it all?! Yeah, I'm gonna go nuclear on these fucks in a second.) Kaman's not a bad center, Camby's got a little something left and I think Baron should be better next year with Easy E (Eric Gordon) as his running mate. HOWEVER...this team has to run. Seriously, this half court shit is for the fucking birds.

Alright, here's how we're going to do this. I'm gonna do this in two parts. First part, I'm gonna look at what I said in my preseason picks column and see how it's holding up. In the second, I'm gonna give you the teams to put your money on (especially if you find some dumbass Cavaliers fans willing to lose their money, or whatever team's applicable) playing on into June.

East Sleeper Team: Miami
- Check and triple fucking check. Although I didn't forsee the Hawks being a playoff team, remember the three points I mentioned before.

3) They've got Beasley. Beasley's going to be really, really good and what's even scarier is...he doesn't have to do a ton right away. See #1. (Addendum, I will no longer use the word "experts" when I speak of folks on television. Nope. They don't know what the fuck they're talking about, even with playing experience in some of those instances. I shall refer to them as Talking Heads or in the special case of anyone Cleveland related...)

Homers With Microphones

Really quick aside. Last night, I watched the Cavs/Clips game and was really underwhelmed by what I saw for three and a half quarters. The Cavs took the lead on a late Mo Williams 3 and I heard Austin say and I quote...

"The Clippers are 15 and whatever..."

Ahem. Austin, aren't you supposed to know what the fuck you're talking about? Isn't that what you're being paid the big bucks for by FSN Ohio? See, this is the bullshit I'm talking about with these "experts". The Clips were 15-48, but damned if Austin was supposed to know that. I mean, he's got to be having joygasms anytime LBJ throws it down on a fast break or if Mo Williams hits a 3 against a really sad Clips team to ice a game that should've been done two and a half quarters ago. Three technically.

Anyway, back to my points on Miami.

2) I said that Marion was in a contract year and he'd be The Matrix. Well, Miami unloaded him for the fragile frame of Jermaine O'Neal. Apparently D-Wade was cool on this going down and Riles made it happen, so I'll say this.

If Jay Oh has anything left in that tank of his come playoff time, they'll be the favorites to beat Atlanta. With or without homecourt in my humble opinion. The catch becomes the 2nd round and their possible draw. Against Boston, forget it. They do NOT have the horses to run with the C's. Against the Cavs...I like it. A LOT. I don't think the Cavs have anyone in that frontcourt who can really do anything with Jay Oh and well, D-Wade's back. Seriously. Like...that mass murderer who returns with sharper shit and even more twisted ways of killing people. Ah screw it, let's go to #1...
1) The Punisher is back. Screw "Flash", I don't really read DC all like that and I think that a superhero who runs really fast is gay. That's not a damn superhero, that's a track star on every PED imaginable in a ridiculous costume. If D-Wade came out on the court with a suit that had a skull on it, it'd be perfect. Cause that's what D-Wade does, he kills folks indiscriminantly. Ask the Mavs in 2006. I foreshadowed that Wade was ready to reclaim the throne he had in 2006 and he's doing it again.

Ask the Bulls what hit them Monday night, or moreso Salmons who got pickpocketed and then watched Wade loft the game winner. Oh and here's the words of a friend of his about the rejuvenated Punisher...

"Let me tell you something...I wouldn't want to test him now."

That "friend" was none other than LeBron James. You're right LBJ, you don't want none of D-Wade in a seven game series. Even with homecourt, I don't think Wade's beyond leaving you and your not so merry men lying. Seriously.

I've conceded that the East is pretty much a three team tilt, two really after you figure either Orlando or Cleveland will be gone after the 2nd round. But I said it before and I'll say it again even more emphatically with one other thing added on...

Watch Miami. Seriously watch him and my early pick for MVP, isn't Kobe or LBJ. It's D-Wade.

Western Conference Sleeper: Utah
- Just call me Lenstradamus from here on in, cause I forsee things before they happen. I told everyone to beware of the Jazz, did I not? I'll admit, it looked real shaky when Boozer went down and even with an emerging Millsap, he too went down. Injuries really racked this team up and down, but Jerry Sloan (how has he NOT won COTY yet?!) kept it together and look at em' now. Not only are they back on top of the Northwest Division, they're looking like a legitimate threat out West alongside the likes of the Spurs and Lakers.

So how have they done it? I don't even know if Sloan himself could tell you. All I know is, they're rocking the Association's longest winning streak at present time. They're deeper than most teams in the league and Utah remains one of the toughest places to win a basketball game after the third week in April. People don't like going there, especially in series deciding games. Utah's just a half game behind Houston for that third seed. Two and a half behind their longtime nemesis San Antonio for that all important second seed. Outside of the Lakers and feasibly the Rockets, I don't know if there's any team that can seriously battle with the Spurs. The Jazz are gritty enough, or not if you ask Sloan, to do it. If you haven't figured out by now the Jazz are legitimate, just ask the 12 foes they've left in their wake how legit they really are.

Eastern Conference Champion: Boston
- I didn't forsee Cleveland taking advantage of a seriously cupcake laced first half schedule and having the start they did. Nor did I forsee the Knicks letting Starbury walk to their division rivals earlier this month. Or the emergence of Superman's Justice League in Orlando as a serious threat in the East. Allow me to be clear on this right now...the Celts are the best team in this conference. Never mind what the records say, or the fact that the Cavs haven't won a road game against Boston yet. April 12th will be their title fight. Sunday afternoon, they get the Celts in Cleveland with the winner most likely getting homecourt throughout the East.

I still haven't seen enough to think Boston will lose out in the East Finals. I simply haven't. The Cavs remind me too much of that wrestler whom all are really woed by, only those in the know realize...he's just a one trick pony who's not ready for primetime. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility (especially considering Cleveland's favorable schedule compared to Boston's, C's see Wade three times within the next month along with the Spurs, Magic and Cavs on the road) Cleveland will lock up that top seed. It's still looking good for Boston to repeat in spite of that...I think.

Western Conference: Houston
- I think in retrospect, I made this pick more out of my desire to see Artest on a winner before he's finished. On top of that, I just saw the Rockets as that team whose time just finally came. I mean damnit, they've suffered for long enough since that 1997 Western Conference Final (fucking Stockton). But McGrady, Yao and Artest have been injured at off times during the year, making it hard to get chemistry in place. However as odd as it sounds, I'm thinking McGrady might be the lead weight holding this team back. Because ever since he went down for the year, the Rockets are starting to soar. They are two games behind the Spurs for the lead in the Southwest and that second seed. They've got two games left against the Spurs over these next few weeks and their remaining schedule is brutal to boot.

But like I said back in October, I think Artest gives them that edge they have not had in close to a decade in change. They won't be bullied come playoff time and they're going to be a really tough out. Even though the real sexy picks are San Antonio (odd numbered year) or the Lakers (can they really hold it down without Bynum?), do not discount the Rockets.

1986 Redux II: Boston/Houston
- At the moment, both of these teams are among the top three within their respective conferences. Both of these teams have had to deal with tough injuries (KG's coming back soon and I think Houston's gonna be better off minus McGrady), but I still don't rule this out. I won't say for sure I'm really feeling confident this will come about, mainly because the West is way too tough to call. On top of that, I think losing Alston to Orlando hurts em' or will come playoff time. I'm not sure how much to realistically expect out of Brooks in his first real go-round as floor general in the playoffs. (Then again, Double R aka Rajon Rondo did alright in his first run, so who knows?)

Alright, I'm done with my look back. Part 2, we look forward.