The NBA Playoffs have hardly disappointed so far, with several spectacular individual performances and a stunning seven-game series between the Goliath Boston Celtics and the David(son) Atlanta Hawks.

The second round of matchups promises to be even more intriguing, with every team remaining possessing a legitimate shot at getting to the NBA Finals. In the West, the story so far has been North Carolina native Chris Paul's explosion in his first-ever playoffs.

The former Wake Forest star embarrassed Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks in a 4-1 series win. Paul dropped 35 points, 10 assists and 4 steals in Game 1, then improved on that line with 32, 17 and 3 in Game 2. After a couple of "mediocre" performances (16 and 10, 16 and 8), he ensured that the Hornets closed out the series by going off for 24, 15 and 11 rebounds in Game 5.

Paul didn't stop there. After the media doubted he could torch the speedy Tony Parker and San Antonio in the same way he did the elderly Kidd, Paul's 17 points and 13 assists helped the Hornets easily win Game 1 of their second-round series with the Spurs, 101-82, and his 30-point, 12-assist performance sent New Orleans to an easy 102-84 win in Game 2.

Another young player delivering fantastic performances is Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. Howard came out in his first playoff game and turned in the fourth-ever 20-point, 20-rebound performance by an Orlando player as he posted 25 and 22. Two nights later, he delivered the fifth with 29 and 20. He also had 8 combined blocks in those two games.

Like Paul, Howard "cooled off" (19 and 12 in a Game 3 loss), but got going again. He posted 19, 16 and 8 blocks in Game 4, then yet another 20-20 game with 21 points, 21 rebounds and 3 blocks as the Magic won the series 4-1. Incredibly, Howard had 10 offensive rebounds in the final game.

Unlike the Hornets, however, the young Magic failed to impress in their first two second-round games against a veteran team. Orlando lost by 19 at Detroit in Game 1 with Howard posting just 12 points and 8 boards. The Magic played better the next try but lost by seven despite 22 and 18 from the young center.

As these playoffs continue, stage after stage will be set for great players to deliver great performances. As in any sport, a player's legacy lies in his crunch-time success, and there are a number of players - MVP Kobe Bryant, Paul, Howard, LeBron James and the Big Three from Boston, to name a few - who could stamp their names into history.

From a Carolina perspective, watching the NBA Playoffs is a helpful distraction from the agonizingly far-off June 16 deadline for Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green to decide if they want to come back to school. But fortunately Carolina fans have a pair of great teams to cheer for as the Lakers and Pistons have Tar Heel ties and both look good enough to make the NBA Finals. Here's a look at the second-round matchups:


East 1. Boston Celtics vs. 4. Cleveland Cavaliers
I almost typed "LeBron James" as the Celtics' opponent. It's no secret the Cavs' success rides on the performances of the young superstar, but as a Tar Heel fan I'm hoping he is the only thing that shows up in this series. Why? General manager Danny Ferry, a Duke alumn, shook up the roster with a big deadline trade, hoping to improve the supporting cast that James carried on his back to last year's finals.

Plus, how could you not cheer for the Celtics? Veterans Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have waited a decade to get onto a good team, and fellow star Paul Pierce is a Roy Williams product.

Last series, Pierce was guarded closely by another Roy Williams recruit - Marvin Williams - as the Hawks shocked Boston by winning three games in Atlanta. But Boston's four home wins were all dominant: 104-81, 96-77, 110-85 and 99-65. In Game 7 the Hawks only had 26 points at halftime - and remember, NBA halves are four minutes longer than college.

The Celtics will need that excellent defense to come through if they want to beat the Cleveland LeBrons. They can use swingmen Pierce and James Posey to try to slow down James, but if the Cavs' role players (like Delonte West, who hit a game-clinching three-pointer in the first round) can step up Boston could be exposed.

Peter Wang's take: Huge kudos to the Big Ticket (Garnett), Jesus Shuttlesworth (Allen), and the Truth (Pierce) for making a thunderous Game 7 statement they should never have needed to make. Even huger kudos to Atlanta's Joe Johnson for exploiting matchup problems, an issue that the Celtics will certainly have to deal with when LeBron's on the court. While Boston won't be able stop him from posting a near triple-double every night, King James cannot solely will his way to a victorious series, especially against a high-caliber team like the Celtics. As Daniel mentioned above, every Cavaliers win will rely on at least one key role player like West or Wally Szczerbiak to catch fire and share the scoring load. However, even if Cleveland manages to win their games at home, the Celtics still have the extra game at TD Banknorth Gardens, where they evidently protect their house like Ray Lewis in the Under Armour TV spot. I don't foresee a fired up Celtics allowing the Cavaliers to get to that point, making my prediction for KG and Co. to come out on top 4-2.

2. Detroit Pistons vs. 3. Orlando Magic
The Pistons jumped out to a 2-0 series lead after a rather sluggish first-round dismissal of Philadelphia. Former Tar Heel Rasheed Wallace continues to be one of the important players on a balanced Detroit roster that has kept its core through five straight runs to the Eastern Conference finals.

Even though he doesn't play, Duke's J.J. Redick has an Orlando uniform, making this officially a Duke vs. UNC series. So far those are tied at one apiece since Shavlik Randolph watched his 76ers lose to Detroit last round (three minutes of total playing time in the series, with 3 total points), but the Cavs beat Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood's Washington Wizards.

Redick has appeared in two playoff losses for Orlando and is 0-for-4 with zero points. The Western Conference is much more appealing for Duke fans, where the likes of Carlos Boozer and Shane Battier feature. Boozer and the Utah Jazz knocked out Battier's Houston Rockets last round.

The Pistons-Magic series could be over quickly if Dwight Howard can't dominate, and Detroit is able to use Jason Maxiell as well as veterans Wallace, Antonio McDyess and Theo Ratliff to guard him. All four are excellent post defenders who can keep Howard in check offensively and off of the glass.

PW: An interesting Game 1 -- neither team caught fire offensively and Orlando's starting five actually out-shot the Pistons from the field 46 percent to 43. But Orlando's bench played atrociously and Howard was not a significant defensive rebounding presence. Furthermore, Orlando settled for too many threes (Redick actually played and went 0-2) - the Magic shot 2-15 from outside, showing that the strategy that worked in round 1 may be too inconsistent to bring success. Howard does not have a good go-to move down low so if he's not physically dominating his opponent (Wallace is more than a capable defender), he'll only be able to muster up his 11 shots. Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups far outclass Maurice Evans and Jameer Nelson, while Prince, Maxiell and McDyess are able to hold their own against Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis. The Pistons are too well-oiled and experienced, enough at least for them to overcome the age discrepancies and fend off Orlando's Big Three for a 4-2 series win.


WEST 1. L.A. Lakers vs. 4. Utah Jazz
This is Duke vs. UNC matchup No. 4, with Mitch Kupchak's front-office moves getting Kobe the support he yearned (and complained) for. Many have criticized Kupchak in the past, but the General Manager - who kept Kobe, Shaq and Phil Jackson together as long as possible before Bryant drove the Diesel away - produced one of the great trades in this era when he reeled in Spanish sensation Pau Gasol.

Kupchak gave away perennial flop Kwame Brown (who Michael Jordan foolishly made the No. 1 overall pick when he was with the Wizards), a rookie (Georgia Tech's Javaris Crittenton) and two first-round picks (which will be late due to the Lakers' success), and in return he got the final piece to a championship team.

Gasol has joined Bryant, Lamar Odom and a balanced supporting cast to heat up Hollywood once again. The Lakers cruised to a 4-0 series win in the first round against a surprisingly lackluster Denver Nuggets team (coach by George Karl) and confidently won Game One against Boozer's Jazz despite Utah getting 25 offensive rebounds.

For all his criticisms, Kobe has been spectacular this season in earning his first-ever MVP award. Now that he has confidence in his teammates, Bryant - who posted 38 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in Game One - has shown he has the complete game necessary to lead a team with championship aspirations.

PW: The Lakers are simply unstoppable and are chomping through their opponents like cupcakes. Even with softy Mehmet Okur grabbing 8 offensive rebounds and totaling 19 rebounds the Jazz still lost, making resistance to the Lakers look absolutely futile. Granted point guard Deron Williams was uncharacteristically frigid from the field and the Jazz shot a combined 21 percent from beyond the arc, but Utah sent Kobe to the line 23 times (he hit 21) and that indicates one of two things: refs are still spending too much time in Vegas or Bryant is the best basketball player in the world at this moment. I have a hunch that it's the latter. Add Odom and Gasol contributing with solid play, and the Lakers will continue to cruise through this playoff series 4-1. (Hey, you have to give a game to the Jazz at home.)

2. New Orleans vs. 3. San Antonio
Both teams were 56-26 in the regular season but as the Hornets have the two-seed this could technically be the first "upset" of the playoffs. New Orleans got off to a commanding start with its 19- and 18-point wins in Games One and Two, and has a laundry list of valuable players most casual fans haven't heard of.

The more noted Spurs, who have shown so much greatness in winning four of the last nine NBA titles, are finally getting old. This series comes down to experience vs. youth, with two especially tantalizing matchups: Paul and Spurs' point guard Tony Parker are the top two floorleaders in the league right now, while Tyson Chandler has been dominant on defense and will try to continue to slow Tim Duncan as he did in Game One (Duncan was 1-9 for five points).

Hornets All-Star David West has emerged this season as a star, and went for 30 points and 9 rebounds against San Antonio on Saturday night. He has the Spurs worried, and Parker's post-game comments showed a frustration in his teammates' failure to contain the former Xavier Musketeer. Yet even with West only getting 10 points in the second game of this young series, N.O. still won easily.

The Spurs may have higher expectations, but New Orleans showed everyone it was for real by brushing aside the veteran Dallas Mavericks 4-1. While many neutral fans don't enjoy watching San Antonio's tried-and-true brand of basketball, few will turn away when Paul is on display for the Hornets, and his presence makes this series worth watching.

PW: I'm a strong supporter of the Hornets and I continue to be even in the face of Bruce "Lee" Bowen, who has delivered two flying kicks to different players' faces on two separate occasions. West is one of the most solid contributors to the game today and never seems to have a bad night (except at the All-Star game, where he took a bite out of a block sandwich with Rasheed Wallace bread slices and Antawn Jamison ham). Paul is playing like the best point guard in the league and is certainly leading his team through the playoffs as the NBA's prototypical floor general. I am also a huge fan of Chandler, arguably the second most important player on the team with his inside defense. With sharp-shooter Peja Stojakovic, Paul and West handling the offense, Chandler's defensive role (and a few highlight alley-oops) suits the Hornets perfectly. The Spurs are still, without a doubt, a strong contender and certainly won't hand the Hornets the series. This will probably be the most exciting matchup in the second round (with Cleveland/Boston coming in at a close second) and I believe the Hornets will dramatically take the series 4-3.