Eastern Conference

1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 8. Chicago Bulls

The deepest team in the East goes up against the weakest.  Cleveland has within its arsenal LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams.  Not bad when you consider that James sets all of them up with his tremendous court vision.  We all know it starts and ends with LeBron, but it will ultimately come down to Jamison and Williams.  They have to hit their open shots and play up to par on the defensive side.  They don’t have to score 20 points a game, but they must be able to hold the Bulls from having big scoring nights.  Cleveland is a scrappy club that many believe is the best in the league.  This will be the test for the rest of the Conference to study up and find their weaknesses, if any, while they’re playing the Bulls.
Chicago does have an okay team, but with the distraction of whether they will have Vinny Del Negro as their coach when the series is over will loom in the back of their minds.  Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah (if healthy) are their best players.  Kirk Hinrich is a good table setter, but isn’t what Ben Gordon was for the Bulls last year.  Luol Deng and rookie Taj Gibson are good players, but Gibson is playing in his first playoff series and Deng just isn’t the same player at this time a year.  The Bulls will have an up hill battle, but it will be a fun series nonetheless.  It’s not Jordan & Pippen vs. Price & Daugherty, but it’s good to see these two go at it in the playoffs.

Cavaliers in 5 games

4. Boston Celtics vs. 5. Miami Heat

I would like to say this series is going to be close, but I just don’t see it.  The Celtics still have a deep team, but it is an old team.  Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are playing together probably for the last time.  Garnett has lost a few steps.  Pierce looks sluggish at times and uninterested.  Allen seems to have been forgotten on the offensive side.  It all boils down to Rajon Rondo.  The distributor of the ball and the one that will try to keep everyone happy.  When Rondo is on, the Celtics have it in them to run the table.  Boston can’t possibly think of winning a title unless they are clicking on both sides of the court.
The Heat are the fifth seed, but I don’t see how they got this high of a seed with just Dwayne Wade.  Wade is truly a one of a kind player and it shows with the group around him.  Michael Beasley and Jermaine O’Neal are the only viable offensive options for Miami after Wade.  If Wade can have a great game in Boston they might have a chance of sneaking a win for themselves going back to south beach.  However, they can’t expect to get anymore than that with just Dwayne Wade.  It might work against Atlanta, but not Boston.

Celtics in 5 games

3. Atlanta Hawks vs. 6. Milwaukee Bucks

This is potentially the most exciting series of the first round.  It would’ve been had Andrew Bogut been healthy for the Bucks.  Alas they do have a good core.  John Salmons was a great trade deadline acquisition from the Bulls.  He has taken on the scoring load down the stretch and with veteran Jerry Stackhouse coming off the bench, the Bucks have some playoff experience.  However, with a rookie point guard in Brandon Jennings leading the way, there isn’t much hope for this talented, but young team.  Milwaukee is a different team at home and could make things interesting.  They will sorely miss Bogut in the paint though.
The Hawks have a great core with Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford.  Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford and Marvin Williams provide excellent support to the star cast.  Johnson is the superstar that no ones knows about.  Not afraid to take the big shot when needed and is an excellent court general.  Smith will get consideration for Defensive Player of the Year for the rest of his career.  He’s now emerged as an offensive threat for Atlanta.  Horford will have a chance to be the man in the paint with Bogut out.  Look for Horford to have a big series.  Williams is a defensive guy, but can give you 15 points a game.  Bibby and Crawford provide a deadly combo of outside shooting for the inside game of Horford.

Hawks in 6 games

2. Orlando Magic vs. 7. Charlotte Bobcats

They are division rivals, but in no way is this going to be a close series.  The Magic will once again be relying on their outside shooting to get them back to the Finals.  Dwight Howard will be the setup by his presence in the post.  With him planted underneath the basket he will be a pain in the butt for the Bobcats.  Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter will be patrolling the three point line waiting for their opportunity to strike.  Orlando should have an easier time getting back to the Conference Finals with a healthy Jameer Nelson.
Charlotte does have the frontcourt depth to deal with Dwight Howard, but not nearly enough playmakers to offset Orlando’s.  Gerald Wallace is a great player that does everything for them.  His only help comes from the often hot headed Stephen Jackson who can be great and costly for his team.  Raymond Felton is a good trend setter at the point, but Charlotte doesn’t possess the will to beat the defending conference champs.  They could win one game at home, but Michael Jordan isn’t walking through that door in a uniform.

Magic in 5 games

Western Conference

1. LA Lakers vs. 8. Oklahoma City Thunder

At one point Oklahoma was going to possibly host a playoff series.  Now they are stuck with playing the defending champion Lakers.  Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum are banged up, but will play.  To avoid this series from being longer than it needs to be, Kobe must be his old self and Bynum must be more involved.  Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom will do their part, but for the Lakers to get back on track, Kobe and Bynum have to be healthy and in sync.
Kevin Durant will finally be seen if hasn’t been already.  He will score big, but it will be the only positive for them in the series.  Russell Westbrook will be the key for the Thunder.  He is an emerging star.  He is the best point guard in this series and will be counted on to help lighten the scoring load for Durant.  Jeff Green is another good up and coming player that will have his moment in the spotlight in this series.  Oklahoma could give the Lakers a series, but it will be tough to get it to seven games.

Lakers in 6 games

4. Denver Nuggets vs. 5. Utah Jazz

This will be a true test of will for the Nuggets.  Can they win a playoff series without their coach George Karl?  Clearly this is his team and right now his team sputtered into the playoffs.  Carmelo Anthony will need to have a big series to get Denver into the semifinals.  Chauncey Billups will also need to have a better showing.  He’s been banged up all year, but this is his time to shine.  Denver has a good trio of post defenders in Kenyon Martin, Nene and Chris Anderson, but neither is a threat offensively.  It will be up to J.R. Smith to provide that extra spark off the bench.
Utah has a great point guard in Deron Williams who actually is a mismatch for Billups.  Denver doesn’t have anyone who can keep up with him and Utah knows it.  Carlos Boozer will need to have a great series for the Jazz.  I’m talking 20 points and 15 rebounds a game for them.  Mehmet Okur will need to give them a boost, but must be a presence in the paint and not sit around the three point line.  The Jazz will miss Andrei Kirilenko who is out with a calf injury.  He was the only one who could defend Carmelo Anthony.  The Jazz will make it a great series, but Denver is too good to go down this early.

Nuggets in 7 games

3. Phoenix Suns vs. 6. Portland Trail Blazers

Phoenix has caught fire at the right time.  They are playing to their strengths and it shows.  Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire are clicking on all cylinders and it’s hard to say that Portland will be able to stop them.  Jason Richardson and Grant Hill will be counted on to lessen the pressure on Nash and Stoudemire.  All in all the Suns have a favorable matchup that they would be wise not let drag on longer than it needs to be.
Portland was fortunate to avoid the Mavericks and Lakers, but they have run into the hottest team going into the playoffs.  They will be without their best player Brandon Roy with a knee injury.  LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Miller are dubbed the captains who must salvage what is left.  Injuries have plagued them all year long and they haven’t used that as an excuse which is a credit to their coach Nate McMillan.  Marcus Camby was a great addition and he has them playing defense against some of the best offensive teams.  They will need it against the Suns.

Suns in 6 games

2. Dallas Mavericks vs. 7. San Antonio Spurs

These two have a long history in the playoffs and it will play out again.  This time in unfamiliar territory in the first round.  Dirk Nowitzki has two new running mates this time in Caron Butler and Shawn Marion who are great complements to what Head Coach Rick Carlisle has instilled in Dallas.  Jason Kidd will need to have a big series.  Not every game, but at least two where he puts up his Jason Kidd like numbers.  Nowitzki and the Mavs haven’t had this much of an advantage against their state rival.
The Spurs are healthy and rested, but find themselves at a competitive disadvantage.  They have some new faces, primarily Richard Jefferson who has been a disappointment for San Antonio.  Tim Duncan will need to have a fantastic series for the Spurs to have a chance at getting past the Mavericks.  Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker who is back from injury will be their usual selves, but they will need Duncan to have his MVP type performance to get the Spurs into contention this time around.

Mavericks in 6 games

NBA Awards

MVP – LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers
29.7 PPG 7.3 RPG 8.6 APG

There are some that say the award is LeBron’s to lose for the next 10 years at least.  I’d have to disagree with that assumption.  He is probably the best player in the NBA today, but there are so many other great players.  Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant are just three of the other contenders for the MVP award for the next decade.  LeBron though just continues to get better with age and experience.  He is motivated to get the ring and it shows in his play.  No one will ever average a triple double for a season again, but if someone were to do it, LeBron would come closest.  Durant will finish second to LeBron by a wide margin.

Coach of the Year – Nate McMillan Portland Trail Blazers
50-32 Record without Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla for most of the season

I don’t think anyone could ask for more out of a team that loses two centers and Brandon Roy for portions of the season.  McMillan went with a small lineup until the Blazers acquired Marcus Camby from the Clippers.  Throughout all the turmoil, he never let it become an excuse as to why the Blazers were having a down year.  McMillan kept them in contention and they finished ahead of the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder for the sixth seed in the playoffs.  It is always amazing when a coach can keep a team together when there is so much going wrong.  McMillan is the most deserving for what he has accomplished.

Rookie of the Year – Tyreke Evans Sacramento Kings
20.1 PPG 5.3 RPG 5.8 APG

Not that I said that Evans was going to be a bad player when the Kings drafted him, I just didn’t think it was the right fit.  The Kings didn’t have the greatest season, but Evans proved he was the right pick for them.  Not since LeBron James entered the league had a rookie averaged 20-5-5.  Very impressive considering he wasn’t the favorite to win with Brandon Jennings in Milwaukee scoring 55 points early in the season, but he faded fast after that.  Stephen Curry of the Golden Stat Warriors will get votes, but his numbers are not nearly as impressive as Evans.  Curry wasn’t the best player on his team like Evans was the entire year.  Now the Kings need to surround him with some talent.

Sixth Man – Jamal Crawford Atlanta Hawks
18.0 PPG 2.5 RPG 3.0 APG

The smart money is on Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs.  However, when the Hawks needed a spark when Joe Johnson was out or when Josh Smith and Mike Bibby weren’t on their game, Crawford was there ready to step in.  Not many expected him to have much success with so many shooters on the team, but he was mixed in perfectly to compensate for instant scoring off the bench.  Crawford will be causing matchup problems in the playoffs where he can play the point, two guard and three in a small lineup.  The Hawks have their secret weapon and it involves a former Chicago Bull, New York Knick and Golden State Warrior.  Surprising isn’t it.

Defensive Player of the Year – Dwight Howard Orlando Magic
18.3 PPG 13.2 RPG 2.8 BPG

This is an award that will probably be in his hands for the next decade.  No one owns the paint on the defensive end like Howard does.  Orlando is back in contention due to Howard’s play on the defensive side.  The Magic know that and the plan is simple.  He stays in the paint and the other four prevent the opponents from taking open shots.  Simple as that.  The Magic would love to see more of the defensive intensity from Howard on the offensive side, but they have had success as it stands now.  Why change it?

Most Improved – Aaron Brooks Houston Rockets
19.6 PPG 2.6 RPG 5.3 APG

The Rockets were contenders for most of the regular season and it wasn’t because of Luis Scola or Trevor Ariza.  It was all Aaron Brooks.  He was the big reason why the Rockets took the defending champion Lakers to 7 games in the Western Conference Semifinals last year.  Brooks is a mismatch for most teams and his speed on the pick and roll is second to none.  Houston was thought of being in the cellar without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady this year, but Brooks kept them competitive and Head Coach Rick Adelman was preaching defense all year long.  It worked until the wear and tear of the regular season caught up with them.  With a return of Yao plus the addition of Kevin Martin at the trade deadline, the Rockets will be contenders again next year thanks to Brooks and his breakout year.

Very rarely does the trade deadline involve a big name going to a great team. Pau Gasol (2008), Rasheed Wallace (2005) and Dikembe Mutombo (2001) all helped get their new teams to the Finals that very year they were acquired. So much talk goes into the big names that usually they don’t get dealt, but rather the lesser known players with huge expiring contracts get dealt. This year was no different as we’ll focus on three deadline deals. Two of them involving one team (Knicks) and the other that might greatly improve the best team in the East (Cavaliers).

New York Knicks: G Nate Robinson, F Marcus Landry traded to
Boston Celtics: G Eddie House, G J.R. Giddens, F Bill Walker

Rundown: Now Nate Robinson is not a deal breaker by any means, but he does provide scoring off the bench that the Celtics have been lacking this year. They didn’t have to give up anything of value to acquire him other than the expiring contracts of House and Giddens. Landry is a thrown in and won’t amount to anything. Robinson does have some trouble with the team concept, but Doc Rivers will keep that in check plus with Garnett, Pierce and Allen around, they will bring down the hammer if he gets out of line.

Houston Rockets acquire: G Kevin Martin & F Hilton Armstrong from Kings, F Jordan Hill & Jared Jeffries from Knicks
New York Knicks acquire: F Tracy McGrady from Rockets & G Sergio Rodriguez from Kings
Sacramento Kings acquire: F Carl Landry & F Joey Dorsey from Rockets, G Larry Hughes from Knicks

Rundown: A very complex trade by looking at it. All three teams are winners in my opinion. The Kings shed some payroll by letting Martin go and they can now build around G Tyreke Evans. The Knicks get even more cap relief by having McGrady’s contract go off their books after the season, plus they get a motivated McGrady to finish the season. Don’t be surprised if the Knicks finish the year as the eighth seed. The East is that bad. Houston gets a 20 point a night shooting guard in Martin plus a power forward with huge upside in Jordan Hill. Jared Jeffries provides defense which is a given in Houston now. All in all no one loses, but it doesn’t change much in way of seeding for each team.

LA Clippers acquire: F Drew Gooden from Wizards
Washington Wizards acquire: C Zydrunas Ilgauskas from Cavaliers & F Al Thornton from Clippers
Cleveland Cavaliers acquire: F Antawn Jamison from Wizards & G Sebastian Telfair from Clippers

Rundown: The Clippers were a throw in and got one in Gooden. His contract will be bought out and he can sign with a contender. Most likely Dallas who dealt him in the trade for Caron Butler. Washington would like a redo on the season so they have now broken up their big three with this trade. Ilgauskas will be bought out as well and return to Cleveland so all the Cavs had to give up was a first round pick. Al Thornton is a nice pickup for the Wizards, but not a game changer. Cleveland now has a running mate for LeBron and it won’t be a rental. Jamison is locked up for two more years and if LeBron does come back to Cleveland, Jamison is a reliable scorer and matches up well with defending conference champion Orlando.

Who could it be? There are seven Lakers numbers that are hanging in the rafters at Staples Center right now. Worthy, Magic, Kareem, Goodrich, Baylor, Wilt and West. Don’t leave out George Mikan from the Minneapolis days. Check the numbers yourself. Chick Hearn is also there. You can bet that Kobe and Shaq will be the next two up in the rafters. But who is the greatest Laker of all time?

It can be broken down by generation. The 60s will argue Baylor and West to the 2000s Kobe and Shaq. The 80s will argue Magic and Kareem to the 70s West and Wilt. There is only one other NBA franchise that could have this kind of argument (Boston) and all Lakers fans have to acknowledge them.

Back to the issue at hand. Mikan was the beginning of the phrase “dominant big man.” He came before Wilt, Russell and Reed. No one could stop him in the 50s. Baylor and West ushered in the fast paced offense with incredible scoring ability. Wilt came along at the end of his career, but was a dominant force on the defensive side to finally get West, Baylor and Goodrich their first championship. Kareem, to refresh your memory, didn’t win a championship in LA until Magic Johnson came along. Magic starting at center in Game 6 of the 1980 Finals for the injured Kareem to win the championship. Shaq in all his talent couldn’t get over the hump without a sidekick. Kobe was the perfect compliment to his inside game.

Greatness to me is measured first by how you make your team better, then all the other accolades get lumped into the mold after. By that definition, the top 3 Lakers are Wilt, Magic and Kobe in no particular order. They all came to LA with an already talented roster, but without them the Lakers wouldn’t have won.

Being pressed into making a choice, the greatest Laker to me is Chick Hearn. Please let me explain. From 1960-2002, for 42 years, he was the voice of the Lakers. He was one of my idols and with Vin Scully the reason why I got into this profession. His “chickisms” are sorely missed, but will never be forgotten. He gave it to you straight. When the Lakers were good and bad. For some, he would talk fast, but it was clear and right to the point of what was happening. “Slam Dunk!” was the best. He put extra emphasis on it when a Laker did it. The most famous one of course was when the game was coming to an end. See if you can remember it before you read any further.

“You can put this one in the refrigerator. The door’s closed, the light’s out, the eggs are cooling, the butter’s getting hard and the Jell-O is jiggling.”

Now if asked who is the greatest Lakers player, I have to go with Magic. Magic did things that no one had seen from a player his size. He played every position and always put his team before himself. Those five championships were no fluke. Magic did have a talented roster that included Kareem, Worthy, Cooper and Rambis just to name a few, but you had to have a calm unnerving leader who wouldn’t crumble under the pressure. Magic 1, Kareem 2, West 3. No disrespect to the others who have worn the Lakers uniform, but those are the top 3. Kobe winning another ring or two will put him past West and maybe Kareem, but Magic was truly a one of a kind talent.

Follow me on twitter @TalkinSportsLB

I will show you how easy it is to select All-Stars for this exhibition game. Now, I do take into account stats and team success. But I also take into account injuries. If you’re not playing now, your out. If you’ve been hurt for most of the year, your out. Unless, you are a truly great player. To which when you came back from injury, you continued right where you left off. Since this is going to be in Dallas, I’m going to start with the Eastern Conference roster.
PPG – Points per game
RPG – Rebounds per game
APG – Assists per game

Starters
C Dwight Howard Orlando Magic – 17.3 PPG 13 RPG 1.5 APG
F Chris Bosh Toronto Raptors – 24.2 PPG 11.1 RPG 2.1 APG
F LeBron James Cleveland Cavs – 29.6 PPG 7.2 RPG 7.8 APG
G Joe Johnson Atlanta Hawks – 21.2 PPG 4.9 RPG 4.9 APG
G Dwayne Wade Miami Heat – 26.9 PPG 4.8 RPG 6 APG

Bench
G Rajon Rondo Boston Celtics – 14 PPG 4.1 RPG 9.6 APG
G Derrick Rose Chicago Bulls – 19.1 PPG 3.8 RPG 6 APG
F Paul Pierce Boston Celtics – 18.7 PPG 4.9 RPG 3.7 APG
F Gerald Wallace Charlotte Bobcats – 18.6 PPG 11.3 RPG 1.9 APG
F Antawan Jamison Washington Wizards – 22.2 PPG 8.7 RPG 1.2 APG
F Danny Granger Indiana Pacers – 23.5 PPG 5.7 RPG 2.4 APG
C Brook Lopez New Jersey Nets – 19 PPG 9.6 RPG 2.2 APG

Recap: I know it seems like I’m taking a page from MLB with this roster. I honestly am not. The Nets Brook Lopez is having a great season despite the entire teams poor performance. Danny Granger has been hurt, but since his return he has been back to form for the Pacers. He is the Kevin Durant of the Eastern Conference. No doubt about it. I have two Celtics because there isn’t anyone else at those positions that have better numbers than Pierce and Rondo. If you do find them, I’m all ears. Derrick Rose is a stud and will be here for quite a while. Jamison and Wallace can play both forward positions. Jamison is a true scorer in the sense that he always has a knack for getting the ball in the basket. Wallace is averaging over 11 rebounds playing the small forward for his team. I implore anybody to argue with the starters I have chosen for the East. Please, any of those voting for Iverson, tell why I’m wrong. Charles Barkley said this exhibition is not a popularity contest, but to congratulate those for a great season. I agree with Charles vehemently on this.

Western Conference

Starters
C Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs – 19.8 PPG 10.4 RPG 3.2 APG
F Amare Stoudemire Phoenix Suns – 21 PPG 8.7 RPG 1 APG
F Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Thunder – 29.2 PPG 7.2 RPG 3 APG
G Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers – 28.3 PPG 5.2 RPG 4.5 APG
G Steve Nash Phoenix Suns – 18.6 PPG 3.1 RPG 11.2 APG

Bench
G Deron Williams Utah Jazz – 19.3 PPG 3.9 RPG 9.6 APG
G Brandon Roy Portland Trail Blazers – 23.1 PPG 4.6 RPG 5 APG
G Chris Paul New Orleans Hornets – 19.6 PPG 4.6 RPG 11.3 APG
G Monta Ellis Golden State Warriors – 26.7 PPG 4.3 RPG 5.5 APG
F Carmelo Anthony Denver Nuggets – 29.8 PPG 6.3 RPG 3.3 APG
F Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks – 25.5 PPG 7.9 RPG 2.5 APG
C Chris Kaman Los Angeles Clippers – 20.4 PPG 9.3 RPG 1.9 APG

Recap: The Western Conference is always the most difficult, but in hind sight it really isn’t. The starters you can’t argue with. Please those of you voting for Tracy McGrady tell me where I’m wrong. Having four guards is a little much, but there weren’t a lot of forwards that deserved the nod over these guys. Williams is a great point guard who will lead the league in assists some day. Paul who is the best point guard will always be averaging 20 and 10 a game, but he will also get plenty of triple double opportunities. Roy and Ellis are having career years that should be noted for this event. Even though the Blazers are still under the radar and the Warriors stink, they both should be here. Anthony is finally having a breakthrough season in which there is no doubt who is the best small forward in Western Conference. Dirk is always going to be here so long as he puts up those great numbers on a team that wouldn’t be able to replace him. Yes, I put a Clipper on the team. Why? Numbers and he is finally living up to his potential. The Clippers gave him almost 60 million and that investment is finally coming through. They won’t contend, but they at least having something to go with Baron Davis.

Follow me on twitter and let me know where I’m wrong in my selections. “Talkin’ Sports” returns to KLBC tomorrow night 7-9:30pm (Pacific) with Wes & JR bringing you their take on sports like you’ve never heard before.