I could sit here and tell you numerous important storylines currently taking place in the NBA playoffs. I can tell you that each one of these storylines will probably have a huge impact over the National Basketball Association for the next decade.

I can tell you about how Kobe’s time at the top is done and LeWade look to take over the entire league. I can tell you how Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Deron William’s impending free agency will shake up the NBA championship landscape once again in 12 months.

I can tell you how Dirk, Nash, Duncan and the Celtics’ championship window is closing quick and how the Thunder, Bulls, Nuggets, Pacers, Grizzlies and 76ers are about to rise to the top of the NBA ranks. I could go on and on for days and make you more annoyed than old-school NBA traditionalists get at the innumerable amount of tattoos on the Denver Nuggets roster (could someone please check George Karl for some ink?).

But instead I’m just going to let you know how the rest of the playoffs will unfold.

Conference Semi-finals

Celtics-Heat: It’s the series everybody wants and, hopefully, it’s the series everybody will get if the Celtics don’t break down physically halfway through when the Heat are up 3-1. But I don’t think they will. The passion and physicality of the Celtics will push this series to seven games, but LeWade (we’re just going to combine them into one super all-star) will take over at home and head to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Sometimes having the two best players in the game can overpower team chemistry. But only sometimes. (Side Note: Chris Bosh will not be mentioned in this column because he is a big man who is afraid of being physical, can’t rebound that well and has no idea that he should pound the ball inside instead of taking those ludicrous shots from outside. Yeah, he sucks).

Bulls-Hawks: It’s the series no one expected and, quite frankly, no one really wanted (other than Joe Johnson and his max-salary contract). The young and inexperienced Bulls will prevail over the feisty (at times) and talented (at times) Atlanta Hawks.

Derrick Rose will really put his MVP skills on the big stage here and make his way to the Eastern Conference Finals in five games (six if Carlos Boozer offers a stink series like he did against Indiana).

Lakers-Mavericks: Although the spotlight will undoubtedly be on the Miami-Boston series, this one might actually be better. This will be a fiery match up between two aging, veteran teams who have a plethora of playoff experience and wins.

As much as I’d love to put Dirk and mark Cuban in the winners circle this year, it is just not going to happen. This might be Kobe Bryant’s last rodeo, but he is not leaving this one without leaving some destruction behind him. Lakers take the series in seven.

Thunder-Grizzlies: If you glanced at this matchup and thought three years ago that these two teams will be two to watch in the next decade, then you’re lying. However, the young Thunder and Grizzlies are about to put on an intense run-and-gun show that will highlight the type of game drawing viewers and fans back in to the NBA.

Memphis looked good in Game 1 (mostly because of OKC’s lack of defense), but the Thunder will emerge victorious in seven games.

Conference Finals

Heat-Bulls: LeBron James facing off in the Eastern Conference Finals against a team he spurned in the offseason. Derrick Rose asked after LeBron’s “Decision” why he couldn’t be in the MVP race. Well he entered the race and stunned most everybody around the league by finishing first.

But D-Rose can just ask LeBron, MVP trophies do not necessarily translate to playoff success. Don’t get me wrong, the Bulls are an up-and-coming team that should have a bulls eye on their backs from here on out, but they will not make a finals appearance this year.

LeWade will close out the series in Game 7 at the House that Jordan Built in Chicago.

Lakers-Thunder: While most of the basketball universe are salivating over the Celtics-Heat series and are dying for a Lakers-Celtics or Lakers-Heat Final, this is the matchup that intrigues me the most.

Can Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder make the leap to full-time title contenders by making the finals? I say not this year. The young OKC team is talented, fast and fun to watch, but they do not have remotely close to the playoff experience of the Lakers and still need to work out some internal issues taking place on the court.

The Thunder’s time is near, but Kobe and company will power their way back to the finals in seven games.

NBA Finals

Lakers-Heat: It’s the finals matchup mostly everybody is looking forward to.

Kobe vs. LeBron. East vs. West. South Beach vs. Hollywood.

On paper, this seems like a no brainer for anyone who has paid attention to the NBA the past couple of years. The Lakers have the size, experience, role players and chemistry. But the Heat have LeBron and D-Wade. People are saying this is Phil’s Swan Song and it’s Kobe’s opportunity to tie Michael for championships, but it just isn’t going to happen.

This will be a hard-fought series and some of the best basketball the current generation will ever watch. But in Game 7, on the biggest stage in the world, at the Staples Center with Jack standing on the court right there, LeBron will drive, make the assist to Dwyane Wade for the game-winning and championship-winning bucket.

Now who’s regretting taking their talents to South Beach?

Brian Washburn is a guest columnist for The Arkansas Traveler. Follow him on Twitter @bwashburn55.