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Last year around this time I was working on a column declaring the first round of the NBA Playoffs officially dead. Most of the series from last season were on the verge of sweeps but things turned around and it became interesting.

The first round of the 2017 playoffs has been incredible and could have been even better if not for Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert’s injury. There are intriguing matchups or story lines in seven of the eight series. The Warriors/Blazers series is a bit of a snooze. Now had the Blazers Jusuf Nurkic been healthy this series…nah it would still be over in four or five.

The Spurs/Grizzlies series was on tap for being passed over until Grizz head coach David Fizdale gave us an excellent coach rant and then went on to win Game 3.

Fizdale’s rant about not getting enough foul calls was great and capping it off with “Take that for data!” while slamming the table and storming out of the press conference was an all-timer. His rant ranks up there with Dennis Green, Herman Edwards, Mike Gundy and of course the GOAT of coaching rants Jim Mora.

I love coaching rants and what’s so enjoyable about them is that it goes against the stoic image we often paint over coaches. It’s high entertainment watching a coach go on a rant and all the filters they typically use absolutely fail as they keep rambling. What’s even better is when you can see the coach snap to, for a brief moment, but say to hell with it and go all in on their rant. That’s when we get the great quotes like “PLAYOFFS!?” or “I’m a man! I’m 40!”; it’s one of the best pure moments in sports.

Now back to the NBA playoffs.

The Washington Wizards John Wall, along with the Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokunmpo, look poised to cement their superstar status with playoff heroics and can legitimately knock off LeBron James and the Cavs. That doesn’t mean the Cavs are going to do down because they still have that LeBron guy. He’s the best player on the court in every series except against the Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard is James’ kryptonite.

Having the best player on the court still matters, it doesn’t guarantee victory but sure makes things much easier. It’s why the No.1-seed Boston Celtics are down 2-0 to my No. 8-seed Chicago Bulls. Jimmy Butler is by far the best player in that series and he’s wearing a Bulls jersey.

I’m still doubtful the Bulls can pull off the upset because I’ve watched this team this season and it’s quite honestly one of my least favorite Bulls teams. Their roster doesn’t make sense, coach Fred Hoiberg is basically a window mannequin on the sideline and the front office of Gar Forman and John Paxson have been a disaster. I was honestly rooting for them to miss the playoffs because the franchise desperately needed a reset. Instead, Forman and Paxson will probably get extensions and continue to wreak havoc with their moves until they’re fired three years from now.

There’s been a lot of talk about the Warriors being unbeatable or how we should save time and hand the championship to them right now. While the Warriors at their best are untouchable, there are teams that can knock them off and keep from hitting that Fast and Furious NOS button. (The Fast and Furious franchise is easily the best superhero franchise Hollywood has to offer. If you haven’t seen Fast 8 do yourself a favor and hit the theater this season.)

The Spurs can honestly beat the Warriors. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard Kawhi Leonard speak but he’s the best two-way player right now. Not only does he guard the other team’s best player but he can shut them down and on the other end he can torch you for 35.

The Jazz can be a pain for the Warriors and were during the regular season. They went 1-2 against the Warriors with the two losses being by six and seven points, respectively. The tricky part for the Jazz is they need an effective Gobert. He’s their rim protector and defensive anchor for their league-leading defense. Unfortunately, he went down on the first play against the Clippers and hasn’t been on the court since. This might have swung the series in favor of the Clippers who will do what they do best and bow out in the second round.

The Houston Rockets can also challenge the Warriors but I’m not sold just yet. James Harden is a top five player but he really hasn’t shown that level of play in a deep playoff run. When they made the Western Conference Finals two seasons ago he was kind of a no show. Even in that same playoffs when the Rockets made an incredible 19-point comeback against the Clippers in Game 6 of the second round Harden was watching from the bench. Maybe this is a different Harden but to be safe I’m thinking the Warriors will get by them just fine if they run into each other.

The odds favor a Warriors vs. Cavs Part III Finals but that doesn’t mean the journey there will be boring if it were to happen. There are great series and performances on the horizon and it’s going to be a blast to watch.

Plus it’s sports, the undisputed king of actual reality TV.