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What are the most exciting NBA playoff matchups by round in 2008?

Round one is obvious - the San Antonio Spurs versus the Phoenix Suns. You have the most dominant center in the NBA and the best power forward in NBA history, plus three former MVPs added to the defending champs with the second best team last year! This matchup has more stars than most Finals do.

You have Manu, the new 6th man of the year. There's the newly married Tony Parker to round out a very quick backcourt - plus a hated player in Bruce Bowen, all surrounding Tim Duncan. They go against the flashy Suns, with Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire still trying to incorporate the Diesel to the team. This matchup may go four games or they could go all seven and true fans wouldn't be bored either way...

Looking to round 2 there are several matchups that may be fun to see. I'm going against the Cleveland/Boston matchup and looking at the Hornets and Spurs.

The Spurs I've touched on - but in this round they are looking at the BEST point guard in the game today versus the reigning Finals MVP (who also happens to be a point guard). Then they have the rebounder that is Tyson Chandler, with breakout star David West, trying to stop Tim Duncan.

The story here is New Orleans with a great team is going to hit the national stage in a big way versus the defending champs. Some casual fans do not know who CP3 is... but battling Parker & Manu on the perimeter will cement his name in greatness

On to the Conference Finals, we again are not looking at major upset potential. The show in this round is going to be in the East, with the Celtics one step away from being able to say "We're back!"

They will be pitted against the team that has been in the finals five straight years but has only one ring to show for it: the Detroit Pistons. True, the Lakers/Whomever series will be fun to see as Kobe is looking to return to the final to try to tie Shaq for that fourth ring. But that is nothing compared to the pain that Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have felt in playoff failures. Garnett has been in the Western Finals before, but here he has a golden opportunity to get to a stage he has never seen - the NBA Finals - and take a team with a history of title runs and return it to greatness. Standing in their way would be the Pistons, with the always fun Rasheed Wallace and a very tough defense. They also have Antonio McDyess, still looking to erase Ben Wallace from the mind of Piston fans... and the only way he can do that is with a ring.

The Finals will be exciting no matter what team succeeds in getting there. I am looking for a Spurs/Celtics matchup. To be able to see Duncan versus Garnett for six or seven games will be a treat for the NBA and its fans... but any matchup will be a success.

Learn more about this author, David Snipes.
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