Get ready to lace up your slippers, attend to your pre-game stretches as you make your way to the man cave for another year of post-season NBA action. March Madness has come to an end, but with that said, we’ve been given birth once again to the magic of the NBA post-season. It’s been quite a season, as we’ve had the pleasure of seeing new faces shine to stardom, stars continue to shine under pressure, and drama unfold as rivalries heat up just in time for the playoffs. So, grab your lucky socks, kiss your rabbit's foot, and brace yourselves for the rollercoaster ride of emotions that is the NBA playoffs!

The famous long time actor Clint Eastwood starred in one of the most famous western films of our time, “The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly.” It’s quite the way to describe what this NBA season has had to offer, and of course what the post-season will illustrate moving forward. Now, I’m no Bob Ross, but let me paint you a picture of these three categories and we look ahead.

First off, let’s take a look at the good. For those who have followed the NBA on a regular basis, it seems as if we’re slowly falling away from the LeBron and Curry era. Now, to some this may not all come off as an amazing feat, but it does leave us wondering who may actually make the NBA finals. For a period of time, the league had its predictable moments, but as we enter a new era, and some of the greatest to play are slowly fading off into the sunset, we’ve come into a time when the game is exciting again. We’ve seen a young, healthy Oklahoma Thunder team emerge as one of the front-runners, with tremendous youth and rookie talent, along with the Timberwolves displaying some of the best defensive basketball since the 90s era. Of course, there’s been the consistency of the Nuggets, and Boston, but with so much shake-up in the league, there’s nothing set in stone anymore on either side of the conference format.

Now let’s speak on the bad for a moment. I think we can all openly say the officiating in today's game has been horrendous, and that could be quite a set-back in the post season. It feels as if technicals are given with very little variance, and fouls are called at the slightest of touches, which in hindsight also slows down the game. Let’s hope that with the coming of playoff basketball, the officiating can be a little more Lenient in terms of soft calls. Secondly, it’s quite a shame we won’t be seeing our very own “Monstar” Wemby in the playoffs. Coming into the league as one of the most exciting talents of all-time, he’s arguably the highlight of the NBA, and it’s a blow to not see such a player make the post-season. Of course, injuries are looming on contenders such as the Knicks, Timberwolves, and 76ers which opens up the Eastern Conference greatly, but more so should see for some lacklustre series.

As for the ugly, there really isn’t much to not be excited about. As of now, it looks like we’ll start off with an exciting play-in game between LeBron and Curry, which could be the last we see of them playing head-to-head in a playoff format. Secondly, we’re headed for an exciting match-up between the Clippers and Mavericks in a first round battle, where we’ll get to see Kyrie and Luka put together their season long chemistry against Leonard and Paul. On the Eastern side, with so many injures and uncertain rosters looming, it’s truly anyone’s conference to grab, despite Boston and the Bucks looming in the shadows. We’re in for a treat this year, folks, you won’t want to miss it.

It’s always a sad time when it comes to the postseason for some, because once’s it’s all said and done, we’re finished with basketball u til October. Grab your tissues, grab your beers, and let the wife know there’s going to be some late nights ahead, because we’re coming to the end of a glorious era, and it’s sad to say, we’re getting old my fellow degenerates.

Welcome to the NBA Playoffs.