Over the past few weeks we’ve wondered where the drama has gone. The NBA Playoffs have been fun, sure, but anticlimactic as well, and the Conference Finals had been completely bereft of close games, as the Celtics took a quick 2-0 lead on the Cavs, while the Warriors and Rockets exchanged blowouts and home court advantage. But that changed last weekend. The Cavs became a real team, seemingly overnight, and then Tuesday, we got our first NBA Hardwood Classic of the 2018 playoffs, as the Rockets ended a home playoff winning streak at Golden State. This is it, two 3-game series, and the drama has arrived. So sit back, the NBA Playoffs are finally here, in all of their competitive glory, and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

Like I said last week, what the NBA Playoffs have lacked in drama has been made up in spectacular individual showcases, and with the Conference Finals matchups, it looked like we’d finally get the close games and series drama we’d been waiting for. But as the Celtics easily dismantled the Cavs in GM 1 then put the hammer down late to seal GM 2, and as the Warriors stole the series opener with the Rockets, immediate reactions seemed to be that each of these two series were DOA. All of the sudden people were pulling out the brooms. But Wednesday, the Rockets evened up with the Warriors, and with the Cavs going home, their series with the Celtics might be tied up next time we talk. So sit back, the NBA Playoffs might still offer some drama, MLB is heating up as summer approaches and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

We got a few Game 7’s in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs, but it was more individual star showcases in individual games than series drama that provided the excitement, as we watched precocious rookies Ben Simmons, Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell learning on the fly and witnessed the King rise to reclaim his crown. And throughout Round 2, the storylines continued to supersede the games. Lebron has gone next level, and considering his past accomplishments, that’s rarified air. The Celtics are putting on a clinic in fundamental basketball, outplaying the athleticism of their opponents. The Rockets are juggernauts, but some star players seem to be battling their inner demons in front of our eyes. And as the Warriors reintegrate Steph Curry back into the team flow, watching the Lineup of Death come together has become like watching Voltron form. The NBA has so much star power, it’s like they don’t even need close games, but there’s always the promise of the drama to come, in the form of Rockets/Warriors and Celtics/Cavs in the Conference Finals. So sit back, the NBA Playoffs are fire, MLB is underway and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

The first round of the NBA Playoffs is in the books, and with competitive selection weeding out the non-contenders, those teams remaining are in elite company. You have the defending champion Warriors, now intact with the return of Steph Curry, still prohibitive favorites to repeat according to Vegas odds, but the Rockets still come in at better than 2-1 and the Sixers now have the third best odds as they ride their recent hot streak. As for teams like the Jazz and the Pelicans, teams that weren’t even supposed to be here and hoping to keep their dreams seasons alive, it’s gonna take everything they have to beat the best. Miracles do happen, but in the NBA Playoffs, the best team almost always advances, and that’s the beauty of a 7-game series, that time-tested format for determining the true champ. So sit back, the NBA Playoffs are fire, the NFL Draft is in the books, MLB is underway and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

This isn’t what we’ve become accustomed to in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Anthony Davis and the Pelicans sweeping the red-hot, 3-seed Blazers? The Bucks, Wizards and Pacers giving their higher seeded opponents all they can handle? The Jazz literally fighting the Thunder, and out-toughing them right out of the series? That’s five potential upsets right there. Even the Rockets and the Warriors have had their rough moments in Round 1. Now, the best teams will still always advance in the bracket, but it seems like more teams feel that they have a shot in the first round than ever before, and that is making for great games and an excellent viewing experience. No longer can you sleep on the first round, you might be missing out on some prime time hoops! So sit back, the NBA Playoffs are fire, the NFL draft is underway and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

On the NBA’s biggest stage, the lights shine brightest, and if you’re a young player, say Ben Simmons or Donovan Mitchell, this is where you make your name. Anthony Davis just notched his first two career playoff wins and has already added to his legacy. Karl Anthony Towns, Jrue Holiday, Victor Oladipo and others are raising their games as well, but in the Playoffs, the whole basketball world is watching, and everything is on the line. Ladies and gentlemen, the NBA Playoffs are upon us and the action has been non-stop. 40 games in 40 nights, and every game features some of the games best and brightest talents. What more could you want?  So sit back, the NBA Playoffs are here, MLB is underway and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

I want to just give James Harden the 2018 NBA MVP, given the spectacular season he’s had this year, as well as the fact he should have won it last year, but still, I hesitate. I want to think that my skepticism about the New York Yankees and their two strikeout-prone sluggers is on point, but could it be that the Baby Bombers are legit? I want to believe that there’s nothing wrong with my Warriors as they stumble through injury and inefficacy down the stretch. But no matter what you want, ultimately you have to look a it objectively and accept how it is. Maybe Lebron actually deserves the top honors, maybe the Yankees are for real and maybe 2018 belongs to the Rockets or the Raptors, and today, we’re coming strapped with answers to these questions and more, and we’re fully ready to show our work. Look out KD, these Blog Boys only come correct! So sit back, the NBA Playoffs are imminent, MLB is here and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

Coming into the season, the Warriors appeared to be a lock for another Finals appearance, if not the title, but as the regular season winds down and the Playoffs loom ahead, the current defending champs’ roster looks more like a G-League team than a title contender. Oh the pain of injuries, as each of the Warriors’ top four players are all out at the same time, and there’s no way the team will be at full strength for the postseason. Meanwhile, the Kawhi watch continues, with the only news out of San Antonio after a hush-hush players-only meeting being that there’s no news; oops, breaking news, now LaMarcus Aldridge is out, too! Kyrie is out for Celtics, Jimmy Butler for the Wolves, and fans in Boston and Minnesota are feeling the pain as well. And before the SF Giants' season even starts, their shining beacon of hope, workhorse Madison Bumgarner breaks his hand and will likely miss months. Sure injuries are a part of the game, but that doesn’t lessen the pain. But the season goes on; it’s sports, anything can happen, and that’s why we watch. We may not get what we expected, but we always get something that will make it interesting. So sit back, the NBA is a perpetual news cycle, NFL teams are making moves, MLB is here and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

First it was Steph’s ankle, then Klay’s shooting thumb, and now KD’s broken ribs. The Warriors were expected to cruise to their third title in four years, but the road to repeat is never easy. And wasn’t it just a few months ago that the scuffling Cavs and the banged up Celtics were the top contenders to knock off the Dubs, but with only 12 games to play, everyone is looking up at the rolling Rockets and Raptors. But nothing is over, if anything, we’ve got ourselves some more of that good Association drama we’ve become accustomed to, yet still somehow manages to take us by surprise. NBA heads, we have ourselves a good old fashioned multi team battle for the title! Game over for the Dubs? No game on! So sit back, the NBA is a perpetual news cycle, NFL teams are making moves, MLB is almost here and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

For the past few weeks, Gaber and I have been going back and forth about prescribed rest for players in the NBA. How far does a team allow a player to push through an injury, and what steps should be taken to prevent injuries from happening in the first place? Every situation is different, and there can be a thin line in perception between coddling and cautious. So with the return of Kawhi Leonard, and Steph Curry going down again on the right ankle, and amidst a tumultuous playoff race, we’re resuming the debate. Plus, the NFL trading season is on, as the draft rapidly approaches, and the Browns, Niners, Vikings and Broncos are reloading for 2018. So sit back, the NBA is a perpetual news cycle, NFL trading is approaching an all time high and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .