No. 1 Detroit vs. No. 5 Chicago:

It is a shame to see these two great teams battling in just the second round of the playoffs, both squads having played outstanding basketball in their opening round series wins.

Luol Deng was the key in the Bulls sweep of the defending champion Miami Heat. Needless to say however, he better have a great series again or things might be troublesome for Chicago. Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon also need to be aggressive to counter the Pistons’ star-studded backcourt of Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups, because Chicago cannot match up down low with Detroit.

With game one already complete and a Pistons rout, things are looking down for the guys from the Windy City. Billups had 20 points in only 27 minutes for the Pistons, and if he continues to be that dominant, then the 2004 NBA finals MVP might soon garner that title again in 2007. The Bulls need to play their best to have a shot at any given game, but even that is no guarantee. Expect a stifling defense from the Pistons who will return to the conference finals a fifth straight year. Pistons win in six.

No. 2 Cleveland vs. No. 6 New Jersey:

Cleveland has been waiting for New Jersey for several days following its sweep of depleted Washington. The Cavs haven’t been playing great basketball, but they played a weak Wizards squad and they did the bare minimum to complete the four-game sweep. Cleveland coach Mike Brown has had time to rally his team and prepare them for a legitimate playoff series. Lebron James has not been himself offensively in the last series but Larry Hughes and Zydrunas Ilgauskas carried some of that load themselves.

New Jersey played extremely well against Toronto, with its defense on Bosh being especially impressive. But the Nets’ big three need to play well because of their lack of depth. Game one finished Sunday with Cleveland winning a low-scoring but close game. Expect more of the same as the series develops. If Cleveland can hold home court in the first two games, they have a good shot. Cleveland is a deep team and (sorry Nets fans) they will pull the series out, albeit on Lebron’s shoulders. Cavs win in six.