AI and Kobe not in the All Star Game, Rose Hoping to Play

Due to personal matters, Allen Iverson will be out of Sunday's all star game, meaning everyone now deserves to be in it based on this years stats. It is unknown who will start over him, but David Lee will fill his empty spot. Due to injuries, Kobe Bryant will be replaced by Jason Kidd, and injuries probably prevented 6th-leading scorer Monta Ellis from taking the spot instead. This changes my predictions, but not significantly. I am not sure who will start over Iverson, as Lee is a power forward, so when that comes out I will update that matchup, but Dwyane Wade now wins his matchup over anyone else the West sends at him, giving the East a 3-2 advantage in the starters. However, the big men reserves prediction holds, as the West still has more and better big men. As of now, Derrick Rose is playing in the all star game, but I'll try to keep you posted

All-Star Game Breakdown

It's finally here, All-Star Weekend 2010. Following my previous article about the various other events headlining this year's all-star weekend, I wanted to breakdown the game and give my predictions.

Here are the matchups for the East and West. The matchups are organized by how good they'll be

Starters: West 3, East 2

Lebron vs. Carmelo: Melo has his coach with him, but he can't beat the King. This is going to be a storied matchup throughout both of their careers, but Lebron will always win it, but not by much

Kobe vs. D-Wade: Kobe gets the edge here. Kobe is the best player in the league, injured or not. Even with his multitude of injuries, his height gives him a slight edge, which would have been bigger if he was healthy, over the dynamic Wade. However, this is still going to be a great matchup

Amar'e Stoudemire vs. Dwight Howard: Another great matchup, but Howard is the better center. Stoudemire will make it interesting, but Howard is undoubtedly the best center in the game

KG vs. Tim Duncan: Like Kobe vs. Wade, this matchup is affected by injuries. However, in this one the injuries make more of a difference. Duncan has been outstanding this year, while KG has been hobbled by injuries. Healthy, I'll take KG over Duncan, but that is not the case, so Duncan gets the edge here.

Steve Nash vs. AI: Nash no question is the better player. A few years ago it would have been the other way around, but Nash is putting up great numbers & AI is only playing because of his fanbase

I'm breaking down the reserves by position, since I might have to end up matching up Paul Pierce on Pau Gasol, which would obviously not happen. Regardless, the reserves match up very well and it will make the game even more interesting

Reserves: West 2, East 1

Kevin Durant vs. Gerald Wallace and Paul Pierce: This is such a difficult match to decide, but Durant gets a slight edge in the closest matchup this year. Durant is having a great all-around season, and Wallace is 6-7 and one of the league's leading rebounders. Injuries aside, Pierce is having a solid season as well. If Pierce was not coming off injuries, this would result in a tie.

Deron Williams and Chauncey Billups vs. Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, and Joe Johnson: This will be a solid matchup, but the East wins it. Numbers aside, Rose and Rondo are blossoming into the 2 top point guards, if Wade is a shooting guard and noting Devin Harris' inconsistency, and Joe Johnson deserves to start over AI. Billups is old and losing his skill, but Williams is a strong player. East wins this because of the great balance they have. Rose and Johnson provide most of the offense, and Rondo provides most of the defense and assists

Dirk Nowitzki, Zach Randolph, Chris Kaman and Pau Gasol vs. Chris Bosh and Al Horford: There are guys in the east who had better stats than Horford, i.e Brook Lopez, but the same goes with Pau Gasol with Al Jefferson having superior numbers. Horford and Pau are still solid big men, but regardless, the West would still win this category, with Nowitzki continuing his brilliance, and Kaman and Randolph having career years. Individually Chris Bosh is the best of all of these, but the east is just overmatched by sheer numbers.

Overall Predition: This going to be a great game, and another high-scoring game, but the West will win by 4, and despite Kobe's 35-point performance, Steve Nash will win MVP with 25 points and 12 assists

All-Star Activities Predictions

All-star weekend this year is packed with a lot of fun and exciting events. Some will be interesting, some will be blowouts. Here's the schedule and my predictions for the winners of the events.

Celebrity Game: 2 teams of famous people trying to play basketball. It's Dr. Oz, Chris Tucker, Anthony Anderson, Pitbull, Joel Moore, Anthony Kim and 4 Harlem Globetrotters vs. Mark Cuban, Robert Horry, Rick Fox, Chris Mullin, Common, and Nancy Lieberman. The former NBA players are too old to matchup against the young Globetrotters, but they do have a significant height advantage over the 1st team. Basketball is a game of height, but the globetrotters can jump & are younger. Team 1 wins by 6

Dunk-off: I believe this will be at halftime of the Rookie Challenge, but Eric Gordon and Demar Derozan will have a mini dunk contest to see who is the 4th dunker in the dunk contest the next day. Gordon may be the better player, but he just doesn't seem like a high-flyer, & the fact that he's in the rookie game doesn't help much. Derozan will win here to try his luck in the big show.

T-Mobile Rookie Challenge: The Sophmores usually win this game, & this year will be no different. The only 2 sophmores who I do not think will be among the best players in the NBA in the future are Anthony Morrow and Danilo Gallinari, but both can shoot the 3 very well. Although the rookies have an advantage in the backcourt, the rookie bigs do not have the talent to contend with the likes of Brook Lopez, Kevin Love, Marc Gasol and Michael Beasley. Sophmores by 15

H.O.R.S.E: Kevin Durant defends his title at last years inaugural competition against Omri Casspi and Rajon Rondo. Durant started off slowly against OJ Mayo and Joe Johnson last year, and still won. Both of those players have better abilities to create shots than Rondo or Casspi. Durant will win again, Rondo will finish 2nd and Casspi 3rd

Haier Shooting Stars Competition: To kick off All Star Saturday night, NBA players and Legends and WNBA players will team up to try and shoot some tough shots. Texas has Dirk Nowitzki, Becky Hammon and Kenny Smith, Los Angeles has Pau Gasol, Marie-Ferdinand Harris and Brent Barry, Sacramento has Tyreke Evans, Chris Webber and Nicole Powell, and Atlanta has Joe Johnson, Angel McCoughtry and Steve Smith. Texas takes it for the hometown crowd by 3 seconds, with the best-shooting combination among the younger stars

Taco Bell Skills Challenge: Derrick Rose defends his title against some of the best Point Guards in the game today, Steve Nash, Deron Williams and Brandon Jennings. Williams and Nash are both former champs, with Williams setting a course record in 2008. Will anyone beat that record? No, but Nash will beat everyone here, with Rose finishing 2nd.

3-Point Contest: Daequan Cook will have a tough time defending his title in this star-studded field with Paul Pierce, Chauncey Billups, Stephen Curry, Channing Frye, and Danilo Gallinari. Although Cook ran away with the title last year, he has not been close to as hot as the other competitors. In Chauncey Billups will win by 2, but the other great shooters here will make it an interesting competition to watch

Dunk Contest: As usual, all-star Saturday will end off with an exciting dunk contest. With my prediction of Demar Derozan beating Eric Gordon in the dunk-off, Derozan will help Gerald Wallace, runner-up to Jason Richardson in a close 2002 contest and Shannon Brown try to stop Nate Robinson from his 2nd-straight, 3rd ever, dunk contest victory. In a deep field, Shannon Brown will use his 44.5 inch vertical to rise above the competition and be the 7th player to win the dunk contest in his rookie year

Note: There will be a follow-up article about the all-star game

NBA All-Star Starters Announced

The 2010 all-star starters have been announced:

East:

Guards- Dwyane Wade & Allen Iverson

Forwards- Lebron James & Kevin Garnett*

Center- Dwight Howard

West:

Guards- Kobe Bryant & Steve Nash

Forwards- Carmelo Anthony & Tim Duncan

Center- Amare Stoudemire

*If he is not injured

The reserves will be announced on Thursday, January 28

Nets Get Their 1st Win of the Season

After starting the NBA season worse than any team in history, the 0-18 Nets got their 1st win with a 97-91 home victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. Courtney Lee came back to the starting lineup in a big way, scoring 27 points and getting 3 key steals. Brook Lopez continued his great season with 31 points and 14 rebounds. The Bobcats played their starters for almost the entire game, using only 3 players from off the bench, which only aided the Nets late surge.

LeBron Not in Slam Dunk Contest?

LeBron James said today there was a 50-50 chance he would participate in this year's contest.

This is news because it had sounded like he was good to go this year. But it's hard to imagine him risk getting beat by a lesser-known player in the contest, especially after last summer's much ado about nothing over a summer-time dunk.

Sources: rotoworld.com

Brian Windhorst on Twitter

Rookies of the Month

Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks and Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings have been named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively.

Jennings leads all rookies in scoring (21.8 ppg), assists (5.7 apg) and three-point field goal percentage (.500). On Nov. 14, Jennings scored 55 points against the Warriors, the most points by a rookie since Earl Monroe netted 56 in 1968.

Evans ranks second among rookies in scoring (18.8 ppg) and leads first-year players in minutes (36.1 mpg). He also ranks second in steals (1.33 spg), fourth in assists (4.7 apg) and fifth in rebounds (5.0 rpg) among rookies

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New Coach For the Nets

The New Jersey Nets have chosen general manager Kiki Vandeweghe as the replacement for fired coach Lawrence Frank.

Vandeweghe agreed to take over for the rest of the season after the Nets agreed to bring in longtime NBA coach Del Harris as Vandeweghe's virtual co-coach.

The Nets finalized the Vandeweghe-Harris plan Monday afternoon and

formally announced the move at a Tuesday morning news conf

Iverson Back to Philly?

The Sixers offered a one-year, non-guaranteed contract to Iverson on Tuesday, a source confirmed to ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher. Iverson has not yet accepted the deal, according to the source.

Iverson

Iverson, his agent and business manager met with team president Ed Stefanski, coach Eddie Jordan and two other members of the organization Monday during the first formal meeting between the Sixers and their former MVP.

Iverson announced his retirement last week after an ill-fated stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. The 10-time All-Star was NBA MVP in 2001 when he led the Sixers to the NBA Finals.

Source: ESPN.com

NBA Predictions: 2009-10

Eastern Conference

1: Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavs spent their offseason getting King James a supporting cast that will motivate him to stay in Cleveland. I think it worked very well. Adding Shaquille O'Neal and Anthony Parker make their starting lineup one of the best in the league, and adding some punch to their bench by getting Jamario Moon and benching Ilgauskas for O'Neal, Cleveland is now probably the best team in the league

2: Boston Celtics: Although using the aging Rasheed Wallace to replace the up-and-coming Leon Powe, they also added swingman Marquis Daniels and forward Sheldon Williams to boost their bench a little bit. As long as Garnett stays healthy long enough to hold off Orlando, the Celtics should edge out the Magic for 2nd in the east

3: Orlando Magic: Although the Carter trade was a great trade for the Magic, gaining a 20 ppg scorer and Ryan Anderson, a young 6'10" forward who can shoot, they lost a young star in Courtney Lee and a solid point guard in Rafer Alston. However, the reason that Boston is better than them is because Carter can't play defense, and Hedo Turkoglu was almost as good offensively and better defensively, but the battle of Boston and Orlando will certainly be an interesting one

4: Detroit Pistons: Detroit had a huge offseason this year, signing Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, and got Ben Wallace and Chris Wilcox to replace Wallace. They have a versatile set of guys to give other teams headaches, and will push the top teams, but their lack of a true big man besides the aging Wallace will cause trouble and hurt their chances

5:Atlanta Hawks: Adding Jamal Crawford to the mix of Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, and Al Horford makes a deadly starting lineup for them, and their bench is solid as well. They won't beat the Magic, Celts, or Cavs, but with the great young team that they have, they will be dangerous in the future

6: Miami Heat: Beasley's troubles aside, the Heat have a strong supporting cast for their superstar that they want to keep, Dwyane Wade. But unlike the Cavs, they did not get enough support for Wade in the offseason, and thus Wade did not extend his contract. Look for them to push themselves because the Heat would fall apart without Wade

7: Chicago Bulls: Losing Gordon hit the Bulls hard, and the fact that they did not do anything about it is not good. Derrick Rose has proven he can lead this team, but Gordon helped in the clutch a lot, especially in the playoffs. They have a solid team, just the other teams in the east have more great players. In a few years, however, the Bulls will be a force to be reckoned with.

8: Toronto Raptors: Toronto replaced Parker with Turkoglu, a very smart move, but their backcourt is still pretty weak. A big reason that they will edge out Washington for the 8th spot is because their frontcourt is stacked. The frontcourt trio of Turkoglu, Chris Bosh and Andrea Barganani is tough to beat, but this team has been projected to do well in a weak division and not lived up to its expectations.

9: Washington Wizards: Flip Saunders has his work cut out for him given the Wizards reputation of losing, but he has a bunch of stars that makes this team a contender. Gilbert Arenas' injury was a huge reason for Washington's woes last year, but the entire team needs to help him out and step up their game in doing so

10: Indiana Pacers: Danny Granger needs help carrying this team. They have potential, and most of their team has not been in the league very long, but they can be good in the future. They could make a run for the playoffs, but they need big production from everyone else on their team.

11: Charlotte Bobcats: The reason that Indiana will end up beating the Bobcats is that Indiana's big star averages 25 ppg while Charlottes go-to guy, Gerald Wallace, averages around 16. Charlotte has more depth than Indiana, but they will not benefit from replaceing Emeka Okafor with Tyson Chandler. They have a bunch of solid players, but they just don't have enough to make a run yet

12: New Jersey Nets: Lawrence Frank has tried to start orienting the offense to showcase Brook Lopez, which could start an excellent duo of Devin Harris and Lopez and take some of the weight off of Harris' shoulders. They have a young group of guys that need to step up their game to help their team win, like Chris Douglas-Roberts, Bobby Simmons, Courtney Lee and especially Yi Jianlian. The Nets are one of the many teams in the league with a young team with great potential for future success, just they need to prove themselves

13: Philadelphia 76ers: The 6ers have the players to potentially take them far, but they do the best when 1 of their best players, Elton Brand, is injured. Brand is a great and experienced power forward. If he can produce and stay healthy the 6ers can be a solid team, but they definitely need some work

14: New York Knicks: The Knicks have 4 solid players and not much else. Al Harrington, the leading scorer, barely averages 20 points. Without Harrington, Double-Double Machine David Lee and guards Wilson Chandler and Nate Robinson, the Knicks would be nowhere.

15: Milwaukee Bucks: I know I sound like a broken record, but the Bucks are another team with one superstar who needs support from his young supporting cast that has huge potential. The problem is that Michael Redd is the only proven scorer much of his supporting cast are hyped-up players who have yet to elevate their game to the potential they are expected to get. Being in the toughest division in the east doesn't help much either

Playoffs:

1

Cavs over Raptors (4)

Celtics over Bulls (5)

Magic over Heat (6)

Hawks over Pistons (7)

2

Cavs over Hawks (5)

Celtics over Magic (7)

3

Cavs over Celtics (7)

Western Conference

1: San Antonio Spurs: This is going to be one of the closest battles for top seed in history. 2 deep teams with playoff and championship experience fighting it out for top spot. With virtually equal talent in coaching and starters with LA, the best bench in basketball will propel the Spurs to the top of the Western Conference

2: Los Angeles Lakers: The reigning champs added Ron Artest to bolster their defense, but they did not resign Trevor Ariza to do so. Artest is older and more hotheaded, but his skills are still there. They have a balanced team and will go hard, but they will come up just short

3: Utah Jazz: If the team is healthy, and that's a big if, they could even contend with the Spurs of the Lakers, but their history of injuries makes that unlikely. They did not make any new acquisitions in the offseason, but if the Jazz are healthy then they are great just the way they are

4: Dallas Mavericks: The only reason they are 4th seed is because the top 3 seeds have to be division leaders. Shawn Marion will give assist-master Jason Kidd another all-star to pass to, and Drew Gooden and Erick Dampier will team up to make arguably the most formidable center duo in the league, and all this together gives the Mavericks a top flite starting lineup. What is also scary is that they have a great bench to back up their formidable starting lineup

5: New Orleans Hornets: Replacing Tyson Chandler with Emeka Okafor was a great decision for New Orleans. Not only is Okafor a proven scorer, shot-blocker and rebounder, but he will help James Posey on defense and help David West down low. The fast scoring machine of New Orleans now has a solid defense as well. And when a group of scorers is lead by Chris Paul, a scorer who also averages 11 assists, anything can happen

6: Phoenix Suns: A big reason that the Suns missed the playoffs last year was because they lost their go-to-guy, Amare Stoudemire. They did lose Shaq, but Amare should have no problem replacing him. There are a lot of good teams in the west, so Steve Nash will need to pass around to all the Suns' scorers, and this offense-only team needs to lockdown on D

7: Denver Nuggets: The team that challenged the Lakers did nothing to improve their already great team. Getting Ty Lawson from the draft was a good move, especially since Chauncey Billups isn't getting any younger. Carmelo Anthony is nearing his prime, as if he's not great already. They are another team that needs to stay away from injuries. To push further in ahead in the talented west, they need to produce like they did last year and need to keep Nenê and Kenyon Martin healthy

8: Memphis Grizzlies: Putting Allen Iverson on the bench is not a good move, but it really would not make too much of a difference. Bench or not, AI will teach young guards OJ Mayo and Mike Conley jr what he knows and that could improve upon an already excetional guard trio. Their great draft brought in Sam Young and Hasheem Thabeet, who should fit in nicely with the rest of the team. The addition of Zach Randolph was smart because he will use his experience to help better Marc Gasol, Rudy Gay, Thabeet and Young. This is a great, up-and-coming team that could be on top in a few years

9: Portland Trailblazers: Brandon Roy, Rudy Fernandez and LaMarcus Aldridge form a strong and young big 3, but beyond that there really is not much else. Greg Oden was a disappointment, and the other good players that they have are very old. Andre Miller could teach Steve Blake a few things, and this team could really get going. But Oden is a huge factor in how this team fares throughout the season, because the blazers need a big man and he cannot get injured

10: Las Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin has a lot of talented big men in front of him, but he will definitely benefit from them by learning from them and soon become the starter here. They are no longer a doormat for the league and they could make a run for the eighth spot if Oden is injured and if Marcus Camby, Baron Davis, and Chris Kaman stay healthy

11: Golden State Warriors: The Warriors were hurt by Monta Ellis being injured for almost the entire year, and need him to if they want a chance at the playoffs, however unlikely that may be. They do have a solid team, but no men in the middle. They do need Ellis, yes, but the reason for their woes is because they do not have a true power forward and Andris Biedrins needs to improve, and fast

12: Oklahoma City Thunder: The youngest team in the league is definitely moving in the right direction. Jeff Green is adapting to his role as power forward and is becoming a Rashard Lewis type player, a decent-size guy who will give bigger, slower power forwards nightmares with his speed and versatile game. Nenad Krstic will have to be better than he ever has been without Jason Kidd giving him great passes. However, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Green give the young Thunder a sunny and bright future

13: Houston Rockets: Yao Ming out for the season spells trouble for Houston, who will also start the year without Tracy McGrady. They will be hampered by their lack of a center, and need Trevor Ariza, Luis Scola and Shane Battier to carry the team, but it's going to be a long season for the Rockets

14: Sacramento Kings: Kevin Martin is the lone star on this team, but there is some hope for the future. Spencer Hawes and Sean May make a talented tandem at center. Tyreke Evans was a great pick, and coupled with Beno Udrih makes a solid point guard duo as well. The problem is, right now the Kings are the worst team in a solid division, so they will have to wait a while to claim their throne

15: Minnesota Timberwolves: Al Jefforson is the entirety of the T-Wolves' team. They have a promising draft in Wayne Ellington and Johnny Flynn, but they just don't have the firepower to do anything in the west. They are young, however, and could have a good future, just there are so many holes to fill

Playoffs

1

Spurs over Grizzlies (5)

Lakers over Nuggets (6)

Suns over Jazz (7)

Hornets over Mavericks (7)

2

Spurs over Hornets (6)

Lakers over Suns (6)

3

Spurs over Lakers (7)

NBA Finals

Cavs over Spurs (7)

Mock Draft 1.0 (Picks 6-10)

By: Robert Kivell

6. Minnesota Timberwolves- Demar Derozan

(Needs: SG, C)

The T-Wolves could really use an upgrade at every position.  They made a big trade on draft day to get Kevin Love and Mike Miller for O.J. Mayo, but so far it is looking like the Grizzlies got the better end of the trade (when can you ever say that).  Minnesota could really use a 2-guard right here who can score points and compliment Sebastian Telfair in the backcourt.

7. Golden State Warriors- Jordan Hill

(Needs: PF, PG)

I think the Warriors could go two ways with this pick.  Monta Ellis is looking to be more of a shooting guard than a point guard, so it is possible the Warriors could take Brandon Jennings with this pick or Tyreke Evans if he is left.  They also need a big man to hold down the fort with Biendrins, so I like the Warriors to take Hill with this pick.  At this point in the draft, some would view the former Arizona Wildcat as a steal.

8. New York Knicks- Stephen Curry

(Needs: PG, C)

I don't know if Steph Curry is the best player left at this point in the draft, but I think he will be able to fit in nicely in the Knicks' run and gun offense.  Jennings could once again be a possible pick here, but if the Knicks are going to get "you know who" in 2010, Curry would make a better backcourt companion to LBJ than Jennings would.

9. Toronto Raptors- Gerald Henderson

(Needs: SG, C)

An aging Anthony Parker (33 years old) just will not cut it anymore for the Raptors.  Toronto has solid pieces to build around in Bosh, Calderon, and Bargnani, and Henderson would fit in nicely to round out the Rap's starting five.  If they could get their acts together, these guys should be able to make a run at one of the lower seeds in the playoffs next year.

10. Miluakee Bucks- Brandon Jennings

(Needs: PG, PF)

An absolute steal for the Bucks at number 10.  Jrue Holiday is a possible option here as is Dajuan Blair.  The Bucks have a lot of work to do, and Brandon Jennings could be a nice start for them.

Picks 11-15 will be coming later

Mock Draft 1.0 (Picks 1-5)

By: Robert Kivell

1. LA Clippers- Blake Griffin

(Needs: PF, SG)

Griffin is by far the best player in the draft and would fit right in in L.A.  With a starting lineup of Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Al Thorton, Blake Griffin, and Marcus Camby, the Clips could make a big improvement next year and hover around the .500 mark.

2. Memphis Grizzlies- Hasheem Thabeet

(Needs: C, PG)

The Grizzlies could go two ways with this pick.  They can select Thabeet or Rubio.  It's all going to depend on how much patience they are willing to have with Mike Conley Jr.  If they are ready to label him as a bust, Rubio is the pick.  If not, Thabeet is their guy.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder- James Harden

(Needs: C, SG)

I see Russel Westbrook as a better point guard in the future than as a shooting guard.  If Thabeet falls to three, he is their guy, but once he is gone I see them picking Harden.   I would not be surprised however if they trade this pick with someone who is interested in moving up to take Rubio because he won't be left after the Kings pick.

4. Sacramento Kings- Ricky Rubio

(Needs: PG, SF)

The transition from Mike Bibby to Beno Udrich has not gone so well.  If Rubio is left here at #4 it would be a blessing for last year's worst team in the NBA.  If not, they could take Tyreke Evans or Brandon Jennings here.

5. Washington Wizards- Tyreke Evans

(Needs: PG, SG, C,)

The Wizards could really use a big man, but the quality of centers after Thabeet isn't good enough.  I like Evans to compliment Agent Zero in the Wiz's backcourt.

Picks 6-10 will be coming later.

Finals Predictions

By: Robert Kivell

Game 1

The Magic won't know what to expect, and the Lakers will.  I see the Lakers storming out of the gate in this one to take a double digit lead.  The Lakers will be able to maintain that lead throughout the game and win game 1 in a blowout.

Prediction: Lakers by 12 (Lakers lead 1-0)

Game 2

The Magic are going to come out firing three's to take a early double-digit lead, much like the Lakers in game 1.  However this time the trailing team won't fade away.  Lead by Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom, the Lakers will storm back to win in a close one.

Prediction: Lakers by 5 (Lakers lead 2-0)

Game 3

For the first time in the series the score is within ten at halftime.  The Magic are up a little despite shooting poorly from 3-pt range.  In a do or die situation in the second half, Dwight Howard takes over.  Superman is able to stay out of foul trouble and records a double-double in the third quarter alone.  Magic win by big, very big.

Prediction: Magic by 17 (Lakers lead 2-1)

Game 4

A tight one throughout.  Kobe Bryant cannot be stopped, but neither can the Magic's three point shooters.  Bryant matches Turkaglu, Lewis, and Alston shot for shot, and the Lakers win in a close one.

Prediction: Lakers by 3 (Lakers lead 3-1)

Game 5

Jameer Nelson returns to provide the Magic with a much needed lift.  Nelson scores 20 off the bench to propel the Magic to a road victory.  Meanwhile, Pietrus and Turkaglu hold Kobe to 30% shooting from the field.

Prediction: Magic by 7 (Lakers lead 3-2)

Game 6

Stan Van Gundy decides to reward Nelson for his outstanding game five performance by starting him over Rafer Alston.  Nelson has another gutty performance, but is overshadowed by Dwight Howard's dominance of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.  D-Howard puts up 40 and 20, forcing a game 7 in LA.

Prediction: Magic by 8 (Series tied 3-3)

Game 7

 The Magic get out to an early double digit lead, but the Laker deficit is trimmed to just a point at halftime.  

Stan Van Gundy throws and kicks multiple objects in the locker room to show his disgust to his team.  Stan the Man gives his boys one of the greatest pep talks of all time to get them ready for the second half.  Meanwhile, Phil Jackson is listening to music in his office while Kobe is getting his team ready for the second half.  Halftime result: Van Gundy over Kobe. 

 The Magic come out fired up and score three 3's to start the third.  The game goes back in forth for the rest of the quarter, but the Magic remain on top by double digits heading into the fourth.  Nicholson is starting to pull out his hair (or whatever of it is remaining), Shaq, who is in attendance, is smiling and thinking to himself (Hey Kobe, this is how my a** tastes), Lebron is smiling at home because if Kobe loses he can still say he is the best in the league, and Phil  Jackson has fallen asleep on the bench.  

Time for the fourth quarter, time for JJ Redick.  Two three's to start the fourth, and the Magic are up by 16.  It's over, right?  Wrong! The Lakers have Kobe Bryant.  They come all the way back to trail by 5 with 20 seconds left.  After hitting one of two free throws, the Magic lead by 6 with 17 seconds left.  Kobe dribbles the ball across half court, 14 seconds, puts a move on Pietrus, passes the ball to Shannon Brown?  Brown, as surprised as all of the fans throws up a three and drains it.  Magic by 3 with 8 seconds left.  Lewis is set to inbound the ball, but throws it right to Lamar Odom.  Odom has two options, go for the wide-open dunk with 6 seconds left to be down by one (DO IT!!!) or dribble out behind the three-point line and hope to get lucky.  On a sugar high from all of his candy he has eaten, Odom decides to do the smart thing, he puts up a layup.  Lakers down by one with 5 seconds left.

Magic inbound the ball to Lewis, who gets fouled by Gasol with 3 seconds left.  Gasol fouls out.  Lewis drains both foul shots, and runs back to his bench after the Lakers call time out.  Phil Jackson draws up the mastermind play that has worked every time he has called it over his career and made him the best coach in basketball (some would say).  Give the ball to Michael, I mean Kobe, and everyone clear out.

Fisher takes the ball out of bounds and gives it to Kobe.  3...2...1...he puts it up.  ITS GOOD.  WE'RE GOING TO OVERTIME. GREATEST COMEBACK OF ALL-TIME.  But wait why is Pietrus screaming at the ref and pointing at the three point line?  He is saying Kobe's foot was on the line.  The refs look into the monitor.  Pietrus was right.  Kobe's foot was on the line.  It is only a two. Orlando wins by one.  MAGIC WIN. MAGIC WIN.  

Revised Playoff Brackets

Besides the Seed changes, there are some other slight changes I want to make

Eastern Conference Semis

Magic over Celtics (7)

As good as the Celtics are, the Magic are coming off of a 25-point win over Philly with Dwight Howard sitting on the bench.  With the injuries hitting the Celtics hard, they just cannot pull it off

Eastern Conference Finals

Cavs over Magic (5)

Yes, the Cavs do not have an answer for Dwight Howard, but LeBron James can score enough to offset that, and Illgauskas can slow Howard down enough to keep the burning hot Cavs rolling

NBA Finals

Lakers over Cavs (7)

Although the Cavs are on fire and the Lakers are stumbling, the Lakers swept the Cavs in double-digits during the season, including handing Cleveland their only home loss, which should not change for LA

Playoff Bracket

Robert Kivell

Here is my predictions for May Madness in the NBA.

1st Round

(1) Cavs over (8) Pistons in four games.  

Too much Lebron in this series.  The Pistons were not that great after the Billups-Iverson trade this season, and I do not think they can scratch out a game against the Pistons without Iverson in the lineup.

(2) Celtics over (7) Bulls in six games.

The Bulls have been playing extremely well since the aquisitions of John Salmons and Brad Miller.  Similarly to the Hawks of last year, the Bulls have a young team that is very good at home.  I think the Bulls will give the Celts a little trouble, but in the end Boston will prevail.

(6) 76ers over (3) Magic in six games 

The Magic just are not playing playoff basketball right now.  Back to back losses to the lowly Knicks and Nets knocked them out of contention for the second spot in the East.  I like the sixers to catch Dwight Howard off guard and upset them in six games.

(4) Hawks over (5) Heat in seven games

Two words, home court.  The Hawks have been nearly unbeatable this year at home posting 30 wins at Phillips arena with one more to go.  The Tuesday matchup between these two teams should give us some insight into who will win the matchup next week.

(1) Lakers over (8) Jazz in five games

The Lakers are the better team here.  The Jazz are very good at home, so I think they can steal one on their home court, but this series is going to be won by the Lakers

(2) Nuggets over (7) Mavericks in five games

Like the Jazz, I think the Mavs can win one on their homecourt, but the Nuggets are clearly the better team.  The addition of Chauncey Billups earlier in the year has been the best move by a GM in the lasta 365 days.  Too much Billups and too much Melo in this series for Dirk and the Mavs to handle.

(3) Blazers over (6) Hornets in six games

Chris Paul is the best PG in the league, but his supporting cast is not as good as it was last year.  Tyson Chandler is banged up and David West is not the same.  James Posey was a nice addition to the rotation, but Brandon Roy and the Blazers have way too much depth.  

(5) San Antonio over (4) Rockets in six games

Even without Manu Ginobli I like the Spurs in this series.  Tony Parker can take over a game whenever he wants and Duncan will be able to neutralize Yao.  Although it would be comical if T-Mac's team finally won a playoff series without him, I do not see it happening.

Second Round

(1) Cavs over (4) Hawks in six games

Again I have two words to explain the outcome of a Hawks playoff series, home court.  The Hawks have given the Cavs fits in Atlanta this year winning their first meeting back in December and then losing by one in March.  The Cavs will win the first two games in this series, lose the next two, and then go on to win games five and six.

(2) Celtics over (6) Sixers in five games

The Celtics will have received a little scare from the Bulls and round one and will get straight to business in this series.  KG will be completely back in the rotation and the "Thad-less" Sixers will not have enough to overcome The Boston Three Party (and Rondo).

(1) Lakers over (5) Spurs in four games

Without Manu the Spurs cannot matchup against Kobe and the Lakers.  Bryant, Gasol, Odom, and Bynum will be too much for Parker and Duncan.  After somewhat of an upset in round one, the Spurs will fall quickly in round two.

(3) Blazers over (2) Nuggets in six games

Brandon Roy will lead the Blazers to their first Western Conference finals since the 90's and Clyde Drexler.  Greg Oden will score zero (0) points in this series, but Aldridge will be too much  of a presence in the frontcourt.  Denver falls in a tough series to the young, up and coming team in the West.

Conference Finals

(1) Cavaliers over (2) Celtics in five games

After today's 31 point beat down of the Celtics the Cavs proved that they are in fact the superior team.  Lebron James scores 30 a game in this series and the Cavs dominate KG, Pierce, and the Celtics en route to a four-one series win.

(3) Blazers over (1) Lakers in seven games

It all comes down to the last possession of game seven.  Blazers up by 1 with 15 seconds to go and the Lakers come up court.  10 seconds, 9, 8, 7, 6, Kobe drives, 5, 4, 3, puts up the layup, 2, its no good, 1, Bynum tips it up, 0, its good!!!! Lakers win!

Correction: (1) Lakers over (3) Blazers in seven games    [Gotcha at first didn't I]

Finals

Game 1: Cavs 98, Lakers 92

The Lakers Game Seven miracle did not last very long.  Lebron and the Cavs jumped out to a 14 point lead at halftime.  Kobe has a big second half to pull the Lakers within three late, but a three by Mo Williams pushes the Cavs up by 6 with 20 seconds to go and the Cavs go up 1-0.

Games 2: Cavs 101, Lakers 83

The Lakers worse lose all year was by seventeen to the Blazers.  The Cavs hope to one up the number of games the Blazers won against Kobe and the Lakers, and one up'ed them in this game.  Lebron goes for 40 10 and 8 and the Cavs dominate from the start

Game 3: Lakers 87, Cavs 86

The Lakers finally got to control the tempo and it paid off.  King James misses a three as time expires and the Lakers hold on to win a crucial, must-win game three

Game 4:  Cavs 99, Lakers 95

Things do not look too bright for the Lakers after Lebron James tears up Kobe for 55 points.  Bryant has a very good game too, 35 points and 10 rebounds, but the Lakers head back to Ohio down 3-1 knowing they must win three straight against a team that never lost more than two games all season if they want to be league champions.

Game 5: Lakers 101, Cavs 79

There is life for the Lakers.  Kobe comes out determined to shut down Lebron, and does.  James is held to 15 points, shooting only 25% from the field as the Lakers coast to a win on the Cavs home floor.

Game 6: Cavs 114, Lakers 88

Just like last year against the Celtics, the Lakers fall big in game six, this time losing by 26.  Lebron was back to his old self scoring 30 points and the Cavs are NBA CHAMPIONS.

MVP: Lebron James  

Playoff Brackets

By Josh Sperber

The seeds are basically set in stone, so NBA's version of March Madness can start

Eastern Conference

1

Cavs over Pistons (4)

Pistons are not great this year, the Cavs are on fire, and LeBron James will have an easy time on Rip, Prince or anyone the Pistons throw at him

Celtics over Bulls (5)

Shaky playoffs last year are gone, especially after clutch performances in the Eastern Conference and NBA finals.  A hobbling KG might hurt a bit, but the bulls have no answers for Pierce and Allen and Rondo should be able to keep Rose in check

Magic over 6ers (5)

Orlando may be on a downward spiral, but few centers in the game can play with Dwight Howard, who will outmuscle Dalembert.  With enough rest, Turkoglu will be back for the Playoffs, and even without him, Rashard Lewis will help out in scoring to combat Iguodala, but a healthy Turkoglu would seal the deal.

Heat over Hawks (6)

Two words, Dwyane Wade.  The size of Joe Johnson means nothing since Wade is a 6'3-6'5 superstar who can do it all.  Wade can come up big on either side of the court at any time. 

2

Cavs over Heat (5)

LeBron James can do whatever Wade can, but the King is bigger, stronger, and just as fast as (if not faster than) Wade.  The Cavs better bench will overpower the Heat's bench

Celtics over Magic (6)

Garnett will be able to slow Howard down enough so Pierce, Allen and Rondo can takeover.  Pierce and Allen are faster and more experienced in the playoffs than Turkoglu and Lewis in the playoffs, and Rondo will prove that he deserved the All-Star Game more than Nelson

3

Cavs over Celtics (7)

The Cavs are on fire right now, and the Celtics in last years playoffs were helped by James Posey, now a Hornet, because Posey slowed down LeBron enough so Pierce could lead the Celtics.  A sweet revenge will send LeBron to the Finals his 2nd time ever

Western Conference

1

Lakers over Jazz (4)

No team in the league has an answer for Kobe, except maybe the Cavs.  This will be a quick and easy series for LA

Nuggets over Mavs (5)

Billups has done a lot for Denver, and old Nets-Pistons playoff games were too long ago for Kidd to repeat his past success against Billups

Hornets over Rockets (7)

A gutsy pick, but Chandler can handle Yao, Posey can handle McGrady, but nobody can handle Paul.  Paul and West will be a formidable duo, and McGrady's playoff woes will continue

Spurs over Blazers (6)

Experience will be key here.  Oden is not yet good enough to handle Duncan, and the Spurs bench will help Duncan as Parker and Roy cancel each other out

2

Lakers over Spurs (6)

A typical Western Conference 2nd or 3rd round battle.  Again, Kobe will do what he does best to cancel out Duncan's dominance of Pao, and Odom will be too big for Bowen, Finley or Manu

Hornets over Nuggets (7)

Paul will use his age to his advantage as he runs circles around Billups.  Chandler will stop Camby, Posey will stop Melo, and West will beat Martin, that should be enough in this close series

3

Lakers over Hornets (5)

The Hornets will be too worn out to play with the best team in the NBA right now, Paul will take advantge of Fisher, but Kobe will make that meaningless

Finals

Lakers over Cavs (6)

The Cavs will be better than they showed in the Lakers double-digit season sweep of them, but Kobe will outplay LeBron and Kobe's better backup crew will prevail

Better Luck Next Year

By Willie Stern

The New Jersey Nets enjoyed a successful season this year as they all but secured the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Devin Harris played like an MVP candidate, Vince Carter averaged over 20 PPG and Brook Lopez almost averaged a double double. The rebuilding process for the Nets has gone faster then expected and with a few good draft picks, they will contend next year in the Eastern Confrence. 

Player Rankings - New Jersey Nets

By: Robert Kivell

New Jersey Nets

1. Devin Harris

2. Vince Carter

3. Brook Lopez

4. Yi Jianlian

5. Jarvis Hayes

6. Keyon Dooling

7. Bobby Simmons

8. Ryan Anderson

9. Josh Boone

10. Stromile Swift

11. Trenton Hassell

12. Sean Williams

13. Maurice Ager

14. Eduardo Najera

15. Chris Douglas-Roberts

Western Conference Playoff Predictions

It's time for our Western Conference Playoff Predictions:

The Favorite:

1. L.A. Lakers

This isn't even a question. The Lakers are by far the best team in the West without Andrew Bynum and will be unstoppable when he comes back. They just have so many ways to beat you: Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum down low, the outside shooting of Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic, and don't forget Lamar Odom.

The Next Tier:
2. San Antonio Spurs

It's the big three again. Parker, Ginobli, and Duncan. They just have so much experience and talent here. Look for a big second half for George Hill and Fabricio Oberto to help this team get the second seed in the West.

3. Denver Nuggets

You think the Pistons are having second thoughts about the Iverson-Billups trade right now? Nene, Carmelo, and Kenyon Martin are playing great and Chauncey Billups is just a great disher. This is a very dangerous team. They play the Celtics, Hawks, and Lakers this week. We should learn a lot about Denver this week.

They Could Win it if They Get Hot:

4. New Orleans Hornets

Tyson Chandler failing his physical may be a blessing in disguise for the Hornets. Paul, West, and Chandler can really carry this team. I look for the Hornets to capture last year's magic and take the fourth seed in the West.

5. Phoenix Suns

Even with Amare Stoudamire lost for the year, Alvin Gentry has got this team looking good. The first team since the Trail Blazers in the 91-92 season to score 140+ in three straight games. Look for the Suns to play like last year with Mike D'antoni and take the fifth seed.

6. Utah Jazz

My sleeper team of the West. They have been plagued my injuries early in the year and now are finding their stride. They've got so many stars here with Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, Paul Millsap, Andrei Kirilenko, and Ronnie Brewer. I think that the Jazz can realy make a run late in the year.

Maybe Next Year:

7. Portland Trail Blazers

They've played well up to now, but I don't think that they can keep it up. Aldridge, Roy, and Rudy Fernandez are young. I think that next year these guys could be a real force in the West.

The End of a Good Run:

8. Dallas Mavericks.

This team is getting old (Kidd), Dirk Nowitzki is going to be a free agent in 2010, and no one else has stepped up. They had a nice run and could have kept it going longer without that horrible trade with the Nets for Jason Kidd. Nevertheless, the Rockets lost Tracy McGrady for the year and traded away Rafer Alston for basically nothing. Their only player is Yao and he is not assertive enough to carry the Rockets. In the end, the Mavs will edge out the T-Mac-less Rockets for the last spot

Player Rankings - Utah Jazz

UTAH JAZZ

1. Deron Williams
2. Carlos Boozer
3. Paul Millsap
4. Andrei Kirilenko
5. Mehmet Okur
6. Kyle Korver
7. Ronnie Brewer
8. C.J Miles
9. Matt Harpring
10. Morris Almond
11. Ronnie Price
12. Brevin Knight
13. Kosta Koufos
14. Jarron Collins
15. Kyrylo Fesenko