Rumors always abound that David Stern has a little extra influence over what happens in the NBA. Granted, a San Antonio vs. N.J. finals demonstrates that he is not in complete control, but here are my picks for how the early playoff mix will shake down ... if it happens, you know who to thank.
#1 Indiana vs. #8N.Y.: Indy has locked up the #1 seed, but the Knicks occupy the #7 spot, by ½ a game. Look for them to slide to the 8th spot so we can have one more go around of Reggie and Spike.