As the arduous ordeal that is the NBA Playoffs continues, we can safely make three claims:

1. The Eastern Conference is really that bad.

2. See #1.

3. This best-of-seven first round silliness has to stop.

The Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls are the only two decent-or-better teams in the entire conference, and they swept through the out-classed Orlando Magic and decrepit Miami Heat, respectively, in four games apiece. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who have the conference’s best player in LeBron James, also used a four-game sweep to dispatch the NBA’s favorite MASH unit, the Washington Wizards. The New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors are having a competitive, if hideous, series largely because there are three legitimate NBA starters (Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Chris Bosh) between the two teams. Wake me when it’s over.

“No, don’t do it, Antawn! He’s a dude! A DUDE!!” Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan reacts to “Kiss Cam” on the JumboTron in between helpless interludes of his injury-riddled team being swept by the Cavaliers. (image courtesy of espn.com)

I still fail to see what is proven by keeping the first round of the playoffs as a best-of-seven series, instead of a best-of-five. If it were up to me, the second round would max out at five games, as well, but I can at least understand the NBA wanting to keep two potential playoff games at that level on the schedule from a revenue-earning standpoint.

Did anyone watch any of these Game Fours? I know I didn’t. I’ve been watching he Western Conference games, where the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors have finished upending the Dallas Mavericks, three games to one.

Wait, that’s not over yet, either? Oh, good… because Lord knows, the Mavs have looked so good so far that they deserve another chance to bail themselves out.