How good do you think the Phoenix Suns are? If you said anything less than really, really damn good, go back to sentence one and try again. This team has the goods, is riding a hell of a wave, and could benefit most from the tremendous parity in the Western Conference. The Roy-less Blazers might be the most favorable matchup in the West right now for just about any team, and should Phoenix take care of business quickly as I expect them to, they’ll have plenty of time to rest up for their tough second round opposition (either Dallas or San Antonio, the latter of which Phoenix fears more than the former).

But do you know what this series really is? It’s an extension of the divine will that seeks to crush the Blazers. Supernatural forces of some kind — basketball gods, voodoo magic, David Bowie in the Labyrinth — have tripped the Blazers every step of the way, and this series is really no different. It’s not enough that Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla were Tonya Hardinged by ghosts with crowbars, that a hex was cast on Portland’s wings, or that someone out there has a sick sense of humor and a Brandon Roy voodoo doll. On top of all of that, the Blazers drew one of the hottest teams in the league that happens to be their stylistic counter. This is a real series with a healthy Roy, but remove Brandon from the lineup (and shift Portland’s wings up the depth chart accordingly) and you’re looking at a team that doesn’t have much of a chance to keep up with the Suns on offense. The Blazers are an efficient offensive club, but just how efficiently can their meticulous, half-court look be without Roy to facilitate?

The Blazers were still very impressive after Roy went down, but this feels like one injury too many. The Suns’ reserves have been incredibly effective this season, and their ability to maintain a high intensity level has been crucial to Phoenix’s success. Maybe the same could have been said at the beginning of the season regarding Portland, but as every possible break went the other way, the Blazers’ impressive preseason depth was systematically erased. Adding Marcus Camby really, really helps, but Phoenix is an odd matchup for him; Amar’e Stoudemire is a tough cover when he’s playing like a basketball player, but right now he’s more of a one-man revolution. Who does Camby really cover in this series? Putting him out on the perimeter defending a guy like Channing Frye seems like a waste, and the Suns’ ball movement and ability to hit open shooters on the perimeter would seem to help negate Marcus’ defensive impact.

It may seem like cheap analysis, but Phoenix is just a better team. They’re loaded with more talent than a lot of people realize, and to see this team operate over the last few weeks has been a rather distinct pleasure. With Robin Lopez in the mix, you’re looking at possibly the favorite to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Without him, you’re still looking at one of the most dynamic teams in the conference, and they’re better at defense than they let on. This is going to be a fun playoff run for Phoenix, and as much as I hate to dismiss the Blazers, this first round is only the beginning.

The Suns aren’t going to run the Blazers off the floor, because the Blazers are simply too good and too resilient. It’d be a disservice to them to claim that Phoenix was going to win every game in a walk, or that this series wasn’t going to be competitive. That said, I’d expect this thing to be over rather quickly, and regardless of whether or not the final margin is within 10 points, playoff wins are playoff wins. I’ll take the Suns in five, mostly because their offense will flow seamlessly against the Blazers’ D while the Blazers will struggle a bit without Roy, and because Phoenix’s criminally underrated bench will blow Portland’s out of the water.