Series and player to watch in the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs

            The NBA Playoffs start tomorrow so I thought it was a good idea to write about the most intriguing series and what player will face the most pressure.

Series to Watch: #2 San Antonio Spurs vs. #7 Los Angeles Lakers

            Most people thought we were going to see the  Lakers/Spurs matchup in the Western Conference Finals not the first round. But if anybody expected the Lakers to have as many injuries as they did, then this first round matchup seemed likely. The Spurs and the Lakers have created quite the rivalry in this last 10+ years, combining for 8 of the last 13 NBA Titles. It is weird to say that the Lakers are the clear underdog as they are without their MVP, Kobe Bryant. Steve Nash has also missed the last 9 games but the Lakers are playing their best basketball of the season having gone 28-12 in their 40 games. The Spurs were in control of the #1 seed all season long until they lost 7 of their last 10, allowing the Oklahoma City Thunder to gain home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference Playoffs. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are both dealing with injuries entering the playoffs. Can Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol keep the momentum going and upset the Spurs, or will Tim Duncan and company have no problem with the Lakers?

Player to Watch : New York Knicks F Carmelo Anthony

            For the first time in three years, all eyes will on a player not named LeBron James. Although James will still have a lot of pressure on him, Carmelo Anthony will be under the most pressure in the 2013 NBA Playoffs. The Knicks had their best season since 2000, also the last time they made the Eastern Conference Playoffs and “Melo” was the main reason why. Anthony won the NBA scoring title this year and his 28.7 points per game, is his highest point total per game since 2006-07. Anthony had five 40- point game and one 50 -point game. Anthony is playing his best basketball of the season as he averaged almost 37 points per game in the month of April and shot 53% from the field. Expectations are high in New York as Knicks fans are expecting a finals appearance. Can Anthony live up to the pressure or will the Knicks fail to make the Eastern Conference Finals for the 13^th straight season?

images were used from sportsillustrated.cnn.com and nydailynews.com