TWTWTNBA: Western Conference Semis assessment

All Four teams have been identified, so let's see how they will roll:

1. Los Angeles vs 5. Utah (as of this writing, Series favors Los Angeles 2-0)

1st round assessment: Lakers held off a feisty Oklahoma City that is really a year ahead on their time table. Jazz took advantage of an already headless team in Denver that lost a key big man for a game.

Key people to watch: No Memo and (so far) no Kirilenko are ailing the Jazz, so the efforts of their unheralded draft finds (Wesley Matthews, CJ Miles and Paul Millsap) will the measuring stick. They have competed, in spite of Kyrylo Fesenko. On the other hand, Andrew Bynum needs to show those double-double nights like what he just pulled in Game 2 to quell those Chris Bosh rumors.

Prediction: Lakers in 6. Memo's absence is really telling for Utah. Again, Phil is 45-0 when winning Game 1. With their Game 2 loss, that is 16 straight now for the Jazz at Staples. But like OKC, this team is a feisty bunch that plays hard and shows effort. The anti-Sheed team, so to speak.

3. Phoenix vs. 7. San Antonio (as of this writing, Series favors Phoenix 2-0)

1st round assessment: Phoenix took advantage of Brandon Roy's injury, ousting them in 6. Dallas, on the other hand, just did what Dallas always does. Spurs now 11-1 in the 1st round.

Key people to watch: Can George Hill provide the same oomph like the first round. Also, the nose strap that holding on Manu's nose needs to do its job. Channing Frye played well in Game 2. He needs to do that to free up the lanes for the likes of Sparty's J-Rich and old man Grant Hill. Oh and we need to share some love to the JMZ. (Jared Dudley)

Prediction: Spurs in 7. Amidst all the things, I trust in the Pop way of things when it comes to the Spurs vs Suns. All I know, something happens when it is Los Spurs vs Los Suns.