25 Quick Questions about the 2009 NBA Playoffs

In the age of Twitter, we will keep this really short.

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Another one possible? Eh, it seems tough.

If you want to legitimately follow the NBA playoffs and all the varied repercussions, we'd suggest (you likely know this) going here or here. If you want 25 quick questions you can bring up with your friends at the bar on Friday before Saturday's first tip (Celtics vs. Bulls at noon), you can look below. We're all about helping you and your friends avoid awkward silences.

1. How important are the 2009 playoffs to Kobe Bryant's legacy?

2. How badly does LeBron James want to round out this year with a title?

3. Are the Rockets going to beat the Hornets and finally escape the first round?

4. While we're on that topic, do you consider Ron Artest to "underrated" or "overrated?"

5. If the Hawks fall hard to the Heat, is Mike Woodson a goner?

6. Without Manu and maybe KG, do we have any chance of a marketing-nightmare Cs vs. Spurs Finals?

7. How far can the Nuggets legitimately go this year?

8. What do you think Tim Duncan's legitimate, non-managed feelings on Mark Cuban after so many Spurs/Mavs tilts are?

9. Is there a cooler first-round lockup than Houston/Portland?

10. If the Hornets drop hard to the Nuggets, is the franchise getting blown up around CP3?

11. How far does Dwight Howard have to go in these playoffs to boost his cred and begin to slightly remove the Shaq monkey from his back?

12. On that topic, is Shaq going to end up being prophetic about Stan Van Gundy in these playoffs?

13. After Game 5 of the ECF in '07, does the city of Detroit hate LeBron?

14. Do the Pistons have any chance in that series as a last gasp with that crew?

15. If second round is Heat vs. Cavs, can D-Wade go all '06 style on the No. 1 seed and advance Miami?

16. If second round is Rockets vs. Lakers, will that whole Shane Battier profile in The New York Times Magazine concept prove true?

17. If the second round is Blazers vs. Lakers, does that become a trendy upset pick?

18. Magic vs. Celtics in the second round sans Garnett, are we automatically saying Magic vs. Cavs/Heat in the ECF?

19. Does the Bulls going in hot really matter?

20. Does Jason Terry going in en fuego really matter?

21. Would Cavs vs. Lakers be more or less marketable to "the suits" than Lakers vs. Celtics last year?

22. Should you be depressed as a fan that these playoffs don't include Shaq?

FOLLOW: Should ESPN or TNT grab Shaq in likely preparation for his post-NBA life in one year?

23. How excited are you for Chris Paul vs. Chauncey Billups?

24. If you take Cavs vs. Lakers as the best possible Finals (maybe you don't, and we apologize), what is your worst possible Finals?

25. Broader-level question that always inspires good bar discourse: Game 7, first round (not Finals, that's almost cliche), down 1, less than 2 seconds left…who do you want coaching your team and who do you want taking the shot? (And on the other side, who would you want defending?) Your answers speak volumes about ya.

If you'd like to get into a discourse with us on any of the above, e-mail us.

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