After a somewhat surprising first round of the 2008 NBA playoffs, we find ourselves with even better match-ups in the Round of Eight.  

We have the two top favorites in the East still biting their fingernails after being knotted up at 2-2 in the first round.  

We have LeBron James once again staring into the face of a very physical and productive Big Three.  

We have Dwight Howard and his boys trying to avenge last season?s sweep at the hands of Detroit.  

We have two of the quickest, youngest, and best point guards in the league squaring off in New Orleans and San Antonio.  

And we have the Lake Show looking to take its show on the road to do battle with the top home team in the League.  

The second round has already begun as we continued to wait for the top overall seed to close out the surprising Atlanta Hawks, but here?s what we can get excited about in this year?s Elite Eight.

Similar to the first round breakdown, I will identify four hot topics for each series: the key storylines to watch for during the series, the best individual match-up on the court, the biggest mismatch in the series, and the Trade Deadline Airball. The TDA is a term I will use to recognize the player that one team in each series should have traded for at the trade deadline in order to give themselves an added advantage in the series.

Eastern Conference

- (1) Celtics vs. (4) Cavaliers

Season series: Series tied 2-2.

- Key Storylines: Round 1 ? LeBron vs. Gilbert, Caron, and Jamison.  Round 2 ? LeBron vs. KG, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen.  Will he be able to defeat another three-headed monster?  Will the Celtics physically abuse the Eastern Conference Icon similar to how Washington did?  Will LeBron oust the top seed again and set up a potential Eastern Conference Finals rematch with Detroit?

- Best Head-to-Head Match-up: Paul Pierce vs. LeBron James

It?s gotta be this one, right?  Pierce showed against Atlanta that he needs to be effective scoring the ball for the Celtics to be successful.  While Garnett controls the paint and Ray Allen is a threat downtown, their offensive style thrives when Pierce is able to get into the paint and create.  Can LeBron slow him down?  Can Pierce slow down LeBron?  

- Biggest Mismatch: LeBron James

If the Celtics had a tough time stopping Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, then how on earth do they plan to stop King James?  The constant double-teams on Johnson proved to be effective late in the series, but James plays on an entirely different level than Johnson.  Will Tom Thibodeau have his team prepared for the game?s most dynamic offensive weapon?  

- Trade Deadline Airball: Ron Artest for Boston

Humor me here and just imagine Ron Artest fitting in this locker room.  Plus, he would be the perfect guy to sic on LeBron.  If LeBron couldn?t handle an elbow from Darius Songaila, then what would he do when Ron Ron hip-checked him into the front row?

- (2) Pistons vs. (3) Magic

Season series: Series tied 2-2

- Key Storylines: In this rematch of last season?s first round battle, can the Pistons extend their dominance over Dwight and his gang down in Orlando?  The Pistons looked like two different teams in the opening round ? 1) a team too old and slow to keep up with a young athletic team and 2) a team who can flip the switch and win when it wants.  The Pistons seemed unmotivated at the onset of the Philly series and really do believe they can only thrive in pressure situations, as demonstrated by toying with the Sixers before ultimately deciding, ?okay, let?s crush them.?  Will they falter against Orlando?

- Best Head-to-Head Match-up: Rasheed Wallace vs. Dwight Howard

The Pistons frontline is very talented with Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Jason Maxiell, and even Amir Johnson, but Dwight is a man-beast and none of them can really single-handedly contain his athleticism and power.  However, by pairing Sheed with the broad-shouldered Power Center, they effectively draw him out of the middle on the defensive end, which opens up the paint for Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince to safely go to the hoop.  This battle amongst talented big men will be a major chess match within the game.

- Biggest Mismatch: Chauncey Billups

The Magic really have no answer for Billups.  Jameer Nelson did an average job on the big time point guard, but Billups will have his way with the inexperienced and defensively inadequate options that Stan Van Gundy has at the point.  

- Trade Deadline Airball: DaSagana Diop for Detroit

Diop was a critical part of the success of the Dallas Mavericks over the past couple of years.  While he isn?t going to lead a team in scoring, he is a very powerful defensive-oriented monster.  He would have been a perfect fit for Detroit and would have provided the Pistons with a defender who can maul Howard under the hoop.  Too bad the Nets snatched him up first?

Western Conference

- (1) Lakers vs. (4) Jazz

Season series: Los Angeles leads 3-1.

- Key Storylines: The Lakers just manhandled the Denver Nuggets and weren?t at all fazed by their impressive 33-8 home record.  So what makes the Utah Jazz think they can expect to win at home after finishing the season with a gaudy 37-4 mark?  Let?s not forget that the Lakers were the best road team in the West, finishing with a 27-14 record ? second only to Boston?s 31-10 road record in the East.  

- Best Head-to-Head Match-up: Sasha Vujacic vs. Kyle Korver

I bet you weren?t expecting to see this as the best match-up, especially because these two are bench players sitting behind names including Kobe Bryant, Deron Williams, Pau Gasol, Carlos Boozer, Lamar Odom, Andrei Kirilenko, etc.  But, not only are these two of my favorite guys on the teams, but they are game-changing sharpshooters that are critical to their teams? success.  Plus, both of these teams play good team defense and share the ball well on offense, so there really are no straight up one-on-one battles that you expect to see each time down the floor.

- Biggest Mismatch: Kobe Bryant

Again, the Lakers are matched up with another team that just isn?t equipped to handle the MVP.  He is the Face of the League and has become a dominant force with his new collection of suitable teammates.  Despite having AK-47 as a supposed ?defensive stopper?, Jerry Sloan just hasn?t been able to slow down Kobe, and likely won?t be able to for the entire series.  

- Trade Deadline Airball: Chris Kaman for Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers may have won Game 1, but they were out-rebounded 58-41 and allowed Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur to put up 36 points and pull down 33 rebounds.  Kaman averaged a stout 12.7 rebounds per game and 2.8 blocks per game, which would be a welcome addition if he switched locker rooms in the Staples Center.  His size and ability to be a defensive factor in the paint would make this a much more comfortable series for the Lakers up front.

- (2) Hornets vs. (3) Spurs

Season series: Series tied 2-2.

- Key Storylines: The Defending Champs vs. The New Hotness.  These Hornets came out of nowhere this year and have made the League very aware that they are for real.  Not many prognosticators gave them the benefit of the doubt against the (once-)mighty Mavericks, and look what happened to them.  Now, this young team of fiery athletes will look the only dynastic team of the past decade in the face and take it to them.  If they want to prove they belong, now is the time.

- Best Head-to-Head Match-up: Chris Paul vs. Tony Parker

Does it get any better than this?  Two lightning quick point guards who have put their respective teams in the position they are in today.  Chris Paul is sitting in the same seat Tony Parker sat in 2003 when he was taking the Spurs to the NBA title.  Will this be the year CP3 reaches the next level and gets his team past the defending champs?  

- Biggest Mismatch: David West and Tyson Chandler

There is no hiding the facts.  The Hornets frontcourt is worlds ahead of the Spurs counterparts in speed, quickness, agility, explosiveness, and of course, youth.  There is no way for the frontline of Tim Duncan, Kurt Thomas, and Fabricio Oberto to contain D-West and Chandler.  They put on a clinic for one of the game?s best power forwards in NBA history in Game 1, and I fail to see how the rest of the series will be any different.

- Trade Deadline Airball: Sean Williams for San Antonio

If they want to have a chance to win this series, they need to add some quickness and defense up front.  That is what Sean Williams brings to the table.  He was second in the league with nearly 4 blocks per 48 min and was mired on the end of the New Jersey bench for much of the season.  

Agree? Disagree? Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts and predictions on which of these teams will reach the Conference Finals. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments or questions.