---

The 2005 NBA Playoffs start on Saturday. This year's postseason promises to be as exciting as ever. Here are quick comments on each first round matchup:

2005 EAST NBA PLAYOFFS: ROUND ROUND GLANCES

No. 1 Miami vs. No. 8 New Jersey: The Heat have to slow Vince Carter down first, and Jason Kid down next. The Nets have to do the same to Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade. Everything above is possible, except for containing Shaq. Nets forward Brian Scalabrine has improved lately. Miami has a rugged tough guy in Udonis Haslem up front. The Nets don't have a similar counterpart. Also, Eddie Jones gives Miami scoring punch and defensive pressure. The Heat should advance.

No. 2 Detroit vs. No. 7 Philadelphia: The biggest star here is little Allen Iverson. His offense is incredible. But Detroit's defense is the league's best, and they can attempt to slow Iverson down without sacrificing many open shots. Kyle Korver really has to light things up from outside. Andre Iguodala is athletic and versatile. And Chris Webber needs to bring his A-game every single night. Detroit doesn't have last season's depth, but their starters are the same as last season and the first two guys off the bench can do the job. The Pistons should advance.

No. 3 Boston vs. No. 6 Indiana: Since trading for Antoine Walker, the Celtics have been a fun, excellent team. The Pacers were doing well without the suspended, then injured Jermaine O'Neal, who recently returned and actually threw team chemistry off a bit. This is Indiana legend Reggie Miller's last run, and he'll try to go out with a bang. Boston's Paul Pierce is a star that people sometimes forget about. Walker's fit in perfectly. And the Celtics have lots of talent around the two, including a bunch of athletic rookies and great sixth man Ricky Davis providing scoring punch off the bench. Indiana is without the injured Jamaal Tinsley and the suspended Ron Artest. And they're still working O'Neal back into their mix. Bad timing. The Celtics should advance.

No. 4 Chicago vs. No. 5 Washington: The Bulls are hit with injuries and playing without starting small forward Luol Deng and starting center Eddy Curry. Starting point guard Kirk Hinrich had a great season but will have to step up even more. Rugged defender Andres Nocioni must step up his offense. And super rookie Ben Gordon comes off Chicago's bench to rip the net. Washington rides their big offensive three, Gilbert Arenas, Larry Hughes and Antawn Jamison. Defensively, only Hughes stands out for the Wizards. This is a great matchup that could go the distance. But the Bulls will miss their injured players. The Wizards should advance.

2005 WEST NBA PLAYOFFS: FIRST ROUND GLANCES

No. 1 Phoenix vs. No. 8 Memphis: The Suns run and gun, and are awesomely effective and fun to watch. And although the NBA playoffs usually call for slower, more grinding basketball, expect Phoenix to just keep on flying up and down the court. Point guard Steve Nash holds the team together. Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire are unguardable. Marion has outside range. And Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson rip nets from outside. The Grizzlies are a versatile, athletic, hard-working, smart team. But Pau Gasol, Mike Miller and friends don't have what it takes to upset the Suns. Unless Phoenix just totally collapses, they should be fine. The Suns should advance.

No. 2 San Antonio vs. No. 7 Denver: The Spurs have won championships with this core of players, and although a few plugs have changed, the guys that matter have remained the same. Tim Duncan is an MVP candidate every season. Tony Parker keeps improving. And Manu Ginobili took his game up to another level this season. The Spurs defense is awesome. As for the Nuggets, they were lousy to start the season, gained a new coach in George Karl, and since then have been as good as any team in the league. This is an amazing matchup. The Spurs got a raw deal in drawing Denver. Carmelo Anthony is a smarter, much more effective player under Karl. Kenyon Martin has playoff experience. Andre Miller has a level had and serious game. And Marcus Camby's rebounding and defense is major. While it's easy to just go with the Spurs based on team experience, in reality the Nuggets have a great chance to advance. It could be an incredible series. Anything can happen. But, we have to just pick one, so: The Spurs should advance.

No. 3 Seattle vs. No. 6 Sacramento: The Kings have injury problems. Peja Stojakovic got hurt recently and will play, but may not be 100%. Starting center Brad Miller is out of action. And Bobby Jackson, who has been out, may try to come back, but that can't be counted on. Mike Bibby is awesome. Cuttino Mobley can score. And Kenny Thomas has been a nice surprise. The Sonics rebound like crazy and will punish the Kings big men. But recent injuries have also hurt Seattle. Rashard Lewis and Antonio Davis just came back. Ray Allen's been healthy. But outside-shooting big-man Vladimir Radmanovic was key, as he's a major matchup problem for whoever guards him. The Sonics have struggled majorly to end the season. This matchup is a tossup. The Kings should advance.

No. 4 Dallas vs. No. 5 Houston: Along with Spurs vs. Nuggets, this is the best fascinating first round matchup. Besides their offense, the Mavericks are a good defensive team now. Dirk Nowitzki scores the points, and he gets help from a ton of guys. Jason Terry can score, as can Josh Howard and Michael Finley. Off the bench, Jerry Stackhouse provides quick buckets and improved defense. And Keith Van Horn could score 18 any night he wanted. The Mavs are versatile, ridiculously deep and scary. The Rockets are a new team and had growing pains earlier in the season. They've since developed into a cohesive squad. Yao Ming understands what it means to be an NBA center. Tracy McGrady still scores like crazy but does so in a manner that fits with the team system. Bobby Sura and Mike James help a lot. The Rockets play power forward by committee, and that sometimes hurts them. It's a shame that one of these teams will be gone after one round. The Mavs should win.