Today on www.BetUSradio.com: Kevin Greenstein for NHL, Pete Cataldo for Horse Racing and Eric Williams for NBA/NFL. . . Plus, free plays and free picks given out. . .A couple of NBA playoff upsets? by Matthew Ross Gasol unstoppable The NBA playoffs are here, and that means the intensity and scrutiny have been upped a couple of notches. While it's safe to say certain teams will advance out of the first round, there are others that you sort of have to stop and scratch your head about. Here are a couple of upset picks in the first round to keep your eye on. The Grizz Memphis is the best defensive team in the Western Conference and they'll go up against a team that has always thought of offense first in the Mavericks. The Grizzlies are lead by Pau Gasol, a seven-footer that can play either power forward or center. Memphis is much more effective when he lines up at the four position, and with the emergence of Jake Tsakalidis in the middle, they can now utilize Gasol more in the power forward role. Add in great pieces such as Eddie Jones, Mike Miller and Shane Battier, and you have a deep and experienced team on your hands. Head coach Mike Fratello has always preached defense first to his teams and this will only help Memphis in the playoffs. The Grizzlies will take on a Dallas opponent that was so close to capturing the number one overall seed. However, we believe the Mavs are soft, not physical enough to compete with the tougher squads in the Association. Yes, Dirk Nowitski had an MVP-caliber season, but he is the end-all for this team and we just don't see him carrying them all by himself. If the Grizzlies can shut down Jason Terry, which I think they can, then they stand a good chance of winning this series. Defense wins championships and Dallas isn't there yet. Memphis' style is conducive for success in the postseason and we believe it'll happen here. Take Memphis in six games. Clipping Los Angeles returns to the playoffs after a rather lengthy absence. No matter, they have enough veterans and savvy to get by a weaker Denver team. The Clippers are lead by playoff-tested Sam Cassell. The former Rocket and Buck was brought in especially for this time of the year and you can bet he is wide-eyed and ready to go right now. On the other side, the story always revolves around Carmelo Anthony. Without another legitimate threat, Anthony will see a lot of double teams and will be under an immense amount of pressure. Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby will have to step up in order for the Nuggets to even have a chance in this series- and we don't see it happening. Perhaps the most underrated player in the NBA, Elton Brand has also had an MVP-type year. His scoring and rebounding prowess will be too much for the Nugget defense. Brand has been waiting a very long time to taste postseason success, and he should taste some here. Clippers in six games. Comments or Questions? Email Matthew@BetUS.com. --- by BetUSradio at 1800-sports.com on April 19, 2006
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