NBA Free Agency---Facts and Fiction

Free agency in the NBA has come in with a major bang to this point, and we're less than a week in. This is one of my favorite times of the year because we as fans get to see how much money and how many years desperate teams are willing to throw on guys who are largely over-valued in exchange for the possibiliy of winning more games.

So far, some big names have changed addresses, and I'm going to lay down the facts and the BS about all of them.

Here we go.....

Jason Kidd signs a 3-year, $25 million deal to stay in Dallas.

FACT---Kidd makes the Mavericks better. People who toss around the idea that he's washed up don't know basketball, plain and simple. Yes, his stats have decilned in points and assists (the two main categories when judging his play), but he's still effective in running the offense and getting Dirk Nowitzki the ball where he wants it. That's more important than how many points Kidd scores or dimes he drops. He does exactly what Dallas needs him to do, so in that regard the signing makes sense. He'll probably have at least one more productive year, possibly two.

FICTION---If anyone thinks he'll give Dallas more than 1-2 good years, they're wrong. He's a great fit in Dallas, but he's still old. The Western Conference is backloaded with younger, quicker point guards. I can't imagine him lasting the full length of his contract.

Rasheed Wallace agrees to sign with Boston for the MLE.


FACT---This isn't a bad pickup for the Celtics, because they have no depth whatsoever and he's an instant upgrade over scrubs like Brian Scalabrine. He'll stretch the floor a little, score a little and occasionally rebound a little. He'll have some games where he hits three pointers like he's shooting the ball into the Atlantic Ocean. His contributions will be 100% off the bench, which may make him more effective in the long run.

FICTION---Rasheed Wallace puts the Celtics over the top in the Eastern Conference. This is completely laughable. At 34-years-old, 'Sheed isn't capable of impacting a team anymore the way he did in Portland and Detroit. He doesn't have the legs anymore, and he's way too complacent when it comes to shooting bad jump shots. Oftentimes, he'll camp out at the three-point line and just jack up shots for most of the game, not even thinking to get to the post. It's a shame, because he's a pretty solid post player when he wants to be. Also, it's total fiction that he won't have any outbursts because of the guys he'll now be playing with. He'll still pick up technical fouls, and he'll still make bad decisions in games, just like the rest of his career. Boston got a lot older with this signing, which isn't good in the East, with all the young, athletic teams. Do fans honestly think this signing makes Boston better than Orlando and Cleveland? If they do, I feel sorry for them. Healthy Kevin Garnett or no, this signing won't amount to what the Celtics hope it will. Boston's championship window has closed due to age.

Hedo Turkoglu to the Raptors for a lot of money.

FACT---This signing makes Toronto instantly playoff-caliber. The threesome of Turkoglu, Jose Calderon and Chris Bosh will be very tough for opposing teams to deal with. Hedo can run the floor, handle the ball and create his own shot. That makes him an awesome fit on this Raptors team.

FICTION---Signing Turkoglu makes Toronto a title contender. Hedo or not, the Raptors have no depth at really any position. They've already lost Anthony Parker and Shawn Marion to free agency and Jason Kapono to a trade, which severely hurts their efforts to not just make the playoffs, but be a higher seed. There's also a health question with Bosh. I can't remember one season in which Bosh played every game or almost every game. He's gotten hurt every year of his career. Add in the team's glaring lack of depth and they're still going to struggle at times next season. I expect them to make the playoffs, but it'll be one of the bottom three seeds.

Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva sign with Detroit for $50 million-plus and $35 million, respectively.

FACT---These two signings will make Detroit better than they were a year ago. The Pistons became so awful after trading Chauncey Billups to Denver that any improvement GM Joe Dumars makes will look good in the short term. Both guys will score their fair share of points and have breakout games where we all sit back and think that they're budding NBA superstars.

FICTION---Signing Gordon and Villanueva puts Detroit back into the East playoff picture again. Sorry, not buying this one. Gordon and Charlie V each have some pretty big flaws in their all-around games, and the Pistons don't have anyone outside of Rip Hamilton to count on on a consistent basis. Tayshaun Prince is one of the most overrated players in the NBA every year. Rodney Stuckey regressed mightily once Billups left and he was given the starting point guard role. Kwame Brown is still on the team. Jason Maxiell is grossly undersized for his post position. The team currently has no head coach and no true center outside of Brown, one of the worst players to ever be drafted in the first round of any pro sport. Aaron Aflalo isn't a starter in the NBA. Factor in that Hamilton wasn't happy coming off the bench last year with Allen Iverson, and he won't be happy splitting so much time with Gordon. Then, there's the new guys' flaws. Villanueva has a reputation of disappearing sometimes and not using his head during games. He'll take plays off and his shot isn't going to fall consistently every night. He's also not a strong defender. Gordon's only real NBA talent is shooting. Other than that, he's way undersized, doesn't play a lick of defense and wasn't very well liked in Chicago for having an awkward personality. The Pistons still have a ways to go before they're a contender again. I don't see these two signings truly helping them in the long term.


Vince Carter to the Magic for Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston and Tony Battie.

FACT---The trade gives Orlando another NBA superstar to add to its starting lineup. They now have gour near-guaranteed All-Stars on the court every night (health permitting) and will draw more excitement and attention from fans.

FICTION---This trade puts Orlando over the top. In my opinion, the Magic got worse with this deal. Vince Carter's reputaion as a malcontent who only tries when he feels like it preceeds him, and it will resurface again in Orlando. Carter is Carter. Playing for a title contender won't change what he's been his entire career. But how do fans expect to win a championship when Carter will expect to have the ball in his hands down the stretch of every game? Didn't Dwight Howard call out his coach during the playoffs because he wasn't getting enough touches? That happened with the unselfish rookie Lee as the team's starting shooting guard. What now? Get ready for big Dwight to be unhappy with his role again. Having VC also means the Magic will be worse defensively. Lee was very athletic and physical and could stay in front of most other 2s. Carter won't do that. Past knee injuries won't let him anyway. I've always said that no team with four All-Stars can win a title in the NBA because that's too many guys demanding too many shots. With three stars, it's possible, as long as they're mutually willing to pass up shots in order to play better. It happened in Boston two years ago. It will not happen in Orlando this year. Vince carter isn't the character guy Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are. He just isn't. Also, getting Carter eliminates the only thing that made Orlando a nightmare to play--they're size. Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis were both 6-11 and could shoot the three. Vince Carter is a conventional 2, standing at about 6-6. With his decreasing quickness and tendency to settle for jump shots, he'll be an easy cover for more defensive-minded guards. Add in the Magics' lack of depth, and their fans will be kicking themselves in next year's playoffs when Boston or Cleveland knocks them out.

Trevor Ariza to Houston for the MLE.

FACT---Trevor Ariza is going to be a very good NBA player. What people fail to realize is that, no matter how a guy's shooting, he can always play defense, and that's exactly what Ariza does. As long as he sticks to that principle, he'll never be overrated or a waste of money. He's not as good as Ron Artest (yet), but he's only 24 and he's got a lot of time to improve all parts of his game, especially since the Rockets are going to be awful next season.

FICTION---Ariza is going to be a star in the NBA. Folks, he was good in the playoffs, and slightly above average during the regular season. He isn't the second coming of Scottie Pippen, as some have alleged. I do think he'll get better all-around, but he's not going to have the impact throughout his career that people mistakenly think he will. Think James Posey, but without the consistent jumper.

Ron Artest signs with the L.A. Lakers for the MLE.

FACT---Artest gives the Lakers even more credibility as the NBA's elite team right now. We know what to expect out of Artest during games. He's going to score between 15-18 points a night. He's also going to play outstanding man-to-man defense. He gives his new team even more star power. Right now, the Lakers, on paper, have the best team in the NBA.

FICTION---Artest to L.A. will work. Two words: Kobe Bryant. If you think Ron Artest and Kobe can get along for a full season, think again. Artest has never truly gotten along with a second alpha dog on any of the teams he's played for. He didn't work well with his teammates in Indiana. He didn't initially get along with Yao Ming in Houston, and he never really got along with Tracy McGrady. The only times he's been truly effective were in Indiana when Jermaine O'Neal and Reggie Miller were out of action or in Sacramento, where Kevin Martin was the only other good player, and he was still very young and on the rise. Artest always backs himself into the corner of having to be the top guy, even though he really doesn't have top guy talent. That's where his relationship with Kobe will sour. Bryant is famous for avoiding passing to open teammates in favor of jacking up bad contested shots. Will Artest be okay with that? I doubt it. And how will this affect guys who already don't get enough touches because of Kobe, like Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum? My guess is negatively. Artest cannot coexist on a team like this. He just can't. Don't be surprised if this backfires in some way. There are a lot of teams out there Artest would've fit with better.

Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland in a trade with Phoenix for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic.

FACT---No matter what stage of Oneal's career it is, this trade makes the Cavaliers better than they were last season. The simple reason for this is the fact they gave up absolutely nothing to bring the big guy in. Ben Wallace's best days were well behind him and Pavlovic hasn't really ever had any best days in his seven-year playing career. All Shaq has to do to replace both guys himself is average something in the neighborhood of 10 points and five rebounds a game, and he'll instantly exceed the combined production of both guys he replaced. That's really all he has to do. For that reason alone, it was a fantastic trade for Danny Ferry and the Cavs. People have tended to make too much out of Shaq being 37 and on the downside of his career. That's true, and he's not going to come in and play like the Shaq of 2000, but he really doesn't have to. He doesn't even have to come close. If nothing else, it's addition by subtraction for the Cavs. Then factor in his name recognition and all the extra coverage Cleveland will get because of him. The Cavs haven't traded for a player with Shaq's on-court resume since Shawn Kemp in 1996. And there's no way O'Neal will be worse than Kemp was. He'll do wonders for the team's confidence and make everybody better. And he'll give LeBron James another toy to play with. Expect James' per game numbers to go up next year, as hard as that can be to fathom.

FICTION---Getting Shaq puts Cleveland over the top. It definitely doesn't, and in my mind, still doesn't make them favorites to win the East. The Cavs dodged a bullet with Orlando foolishly trading Courtney Lee and letting Hedo Turkoglu walk, but they still need to make one or two more moves (trades or free agency) to make them the East's best team. And remember, just because the team hasn't signed a big name free agent, it isn't the end of the world. The Cavs are going to be very good again next year, and they have until the February trade deadline to make their big splash. They will do something significant, but it might not be right away. This is still a very good, contending team without another big move. that's why the Shaq trade is so exciting. Cleveland's definitely better, but not all the way better. Yet.

So there you have it. As more signings happen, I'll add updates to this post. But for now, those are the big names. Sign/trade at your own risk, NBA front offices.

NBA Finals---What We Learned

The NBA Finals ended last night and the Lakers are your champions. Here are five things we now know about the series that we didn't before they started.

1.) The Magic's offensive system really doesn't work in the long run---Listen, the 'jack up as many shots as possible and see what sticks' offense won't win you a championship, even when you have great shooters. The way the Finals played out shows that Orlando's shooters benefited more from the Cleveland Cavaliers' lack of perimeter size and Mike Brown's awful, unchanging defensive philosophy than they did their own talent. Look at the way Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu disappeared for long stretches of almost all five games. That's not a coincidence. Orlando's offense requires a size advanatage, along with a real positive streak, as all of the Magic shooters are streaky as hell. Give credit where it's due to the Lakers, who had the size to match up with Orlando's big guns and played very good defense on them throughout. Guys like Courtney Lee and Mickael Pietrus were not really factors all series, either. They got hot shooting against the Cavs, but it fell apart in the Finals. Defense still wins championships.

2.) Stan Van Gundy's still not a coaching genious---Everybody in the national media was ready to annoint Stan Van Gundy as the next big thing in coaching, a Phil Jackson without the smug attitude or fashion sense. The Finals proved he's got a long way to go. He's a smart coach when his team is better than its competition. When he's matched up against an equal or better team, he doesn't cut it. He openly questioned his own decisions after two of his team's four losses, never a good recipe for success. He also started to employ Brown's idiotic method of playing random guys out of the blue to see if they could spark the team, which almost never works, especially when you're trying to do it with guys like J.J. Redick.

3.) Playing Jameer Nelson was a massive mistake---Want to kill team chemistry? It's simple: play a guy who hasn't laced 'em up in over four months. Now, Jameer Nelson was an All-Star selection this year and was putting up great numbers (16 points, 7 assists a game) before injuring his shoulder, but he was out for four months after that and was largely ineffective when he played. The biggest problem wasn't even that he played, it was the amount of minutes he got. He often played more minutes than starter Rafer Alston, and backup Anthony Johnson barely touched the floor. The Magic built up a great rhythm in the playoffs without Nelson, and Van Gundy's insistence that he get big time minutes killed the team's momentum. Factor in that Alston is a mental midget, and they were doomed. Bad idea.

4.) Phil's the man---The guy's got 10 titles now. That's more than anybody, Red Auerbach included. It doesn't matter that he coached Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaq and Kobe. His ability to reign in those colossal talents and egos and get them to play a more team-oriented game has been his defining quality as a coach, and it's why he's at this point. There are way more coaches who can't do that than can. I'd say Phil and Pat Riley are the only two that definitely can. Gregg Poppovich maybe.

5.) Kobe's still the man---I disagree that he's the best closer in the game, but you can't deny that he impacts the game without touching the ball. LeBron gets the same treatment, but with Kobe, teams are downright afraid to let him shoot. It's because he can score from literally anywhere at any time. In that regard, he's still ahead of LeBron. Orlando threw double team after double team at him and he beat them all. Then, he made Pietrus look like a fool for five straight games. Yes, LeBron did the same thing, but there was just something more cold-blooded and filthy about the way Kobe did it. He didn't take a single play off all series and Orlando had to tap out. He broke their will. That's the measure of Kobe's talent. Whether you like him or not, he's always effective in what he does.

That's what we learned about the Finals. The Lakers are champs for a reason, and Orlando couldn't match up with them because they had equal size and more skill. Don't be surprised if Orlando's not back in the Finals next year.

2009 Eastern Conference Finals---What we learned

Every year, we get down to the final four teams in the NBA playoffs and start to realize some things that maybe weren't as apparent during the regular season and even early on in the playoffs. It's why the conference finals are so valuable--you learn who the cream of the crop really is.

This year, both series provided a number of answers to some pretty important questions. I've narrowed it down to five apiece, and we're starting with the Eastern Conference Finals.

Here's what we learned:

1.) Orlando is a better team than Cleveland--This one is tough for Cavaliers fans to admit, because it would be saying that their 66-win team is inadequate. Trust me, they're obviously more than adequate. It's just that the Magic are much better. They were built specifically to beat other top teams with their spread out shooting. The Cavs, Celtics, Nuggets and Lakers all play defense roughly the same way, funneling shooters into the paint. The Magic run the exact opposite way.

Orlando also had overall better players. They also had more size. Any team that can throw three 7-footers into their starting lineup is going to be tough. Add on the fact that two of those three big guys can shoot from anywhere on the floor and drive the lane, you've got trouble. Then factor in that the 7-foot center is the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, it's nearly impossible to stop--unless you've got size to match. The Cavs didn't, and in fact, were playing a pretty small lineup by any team's standards. I said at the trade deadline that it would be tough for the Cavs to win a title with Delonte West starting at the shooting guard position because of the size he'd give up, and I was right. West played admirably all series, but the height difference he gave up to guys like Hedo Turkoglu cost the Cavs greatly.

Make no mistake, Orlando had better personnel.

2.) Mo Williams is NOT the Scottie Pippen to LeBron's MJ---This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone, but I still feel like it does to a lot of fans. Williams was a great pickup, but he's not the final answer to the Cavs' roster.

Williams had a very good season, making the All-Star team and averaging around 20 points a game. He even managed to play better defense than he ever played in Milwaukee. But the fact remains that he's not Scottie Pippen, mentally or physically.

Here's the main reason why: Mo is a point guard. He's not going to make the same impact all over the court like Pippen did with the Bulls. He can't defend players larger than him, he can't play above the rim and he doesn't pose a threat rebounding or blocking shots. Williams is basically a very good point guard with an even better shot. Pippen was one of the greatest all-around players in the history of the NBA, and, to this day, is one of the most underrated players of all time. That's just not Mo. Then factor in the way Williams completely fell apart under the pressure of playing a great team in the ECF. A legit second fiddle wouldn't have done that. The Cavs' search for LeBron's second banana will continue this summer.

3.) The Magics' blueprint for winning a championship may actually work---I've never been a fan of the 'jack up as many threes as you can and see what sticks' offensive philosophy, and it's never won a title--until maybe this season. Orlando GM Otis Smith stuck to his guns and made free agent signings that made absolutely no sense when they originally happened (Rashard Lewis for $118 million, etc.), but have yielded an NBA Finals team. Granted, the cog that makes the gameplan work is Dwight Howard being such a beast in the middle, but the fact remains that Orlando's four wins away from being the first team in a very, very long time to win the NBA title jacking up three after three after three.

The backbone of the philosophy, along with having Howard in uniform, is the defensive end, where the Magic are in the top five in pretty much every meaningful category. Their legnth is what makes them tough to score on, as the Cavaliers just found out. Their defense sets up their open jumpers, and if they get hot from the perimeter, it's usually game over. I'm not sure the Lakers can stop it either.

4.) Delonte West is one of the most underrated players in basketball---I always kind of thought of West in this light, but never got dead serious about it until this year's playoffs. You have to remember, West had to defend every team's best scorer while playing the shooting guard position, and it's not easy for even the best players in the league at that spot. West answered the bell every night and legitimately made life tough on some of the best scorers in the league. He held Joe Johnson and Rip Hamilton to 14 points a game. I'm not even convinced LeBron could do that.

In the ECF, West, standing at around 6-3, had to guard 6-11 Hedo Turkoglu for most of every game, and made him work for many of his points. West goes into every game giving up size but has a bulldog mentality that makes him very valuable. He's not afraid to challenge shooters around the rim or hit the ground going for a loose ball. He's also very good driving to the basket and can hit the mid-range jumper with a hand in his face. He's one of only three Cavs players that showed up in the six-game series. Delonte can flat out play.

5.) Great performances from LeBron James do not = a ring---For all those who thought LeBron playing transcendant basketball would be enough for the Cavs to win a title, quit fooling yourselves. He put up some of the most incredible numbers across the board that any of us will ever see in the postseason in our lifetime, but his team still couldn't even take Orlando to a seventh game. LeBron couldn't have possibly played better, and the Cavs still lost convincingly. The 2007 ECF with Detroit made it seem like LeBron could win by himself in a big series because Detroit is one of the most overrated contending teams of the last 20 years, but the truth is he needs help in the form of a consistent second option. Without a better overall team around him, LeBron can go far, but not all the way. This should be undisputed after the way the Orlando series played out.

Next time, I'll have five insights from the Denver/L.A. WCF.

Lebron's Sick Shot

This guy is just UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have to watch this

Cavs Keeps the Brooms Out

The Cavs swept the Atlanta Hawks just like they swept the Detroit Pistons. The Cavs seem like they are not even trying in these playoffs. They have only been tested once in eight games in the playoffs which could be bad, but when they were challenged the team showed that they could handle the diversity and the challenge. The team is playing unbelievable basketball that should get them to the NBA finals. I will admit the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics are way better teams then Detroit and Atlanta, but not good enough to beat the Cavs. The Celtics and Magic are going to a game seven which means they will play Sunday. This is great news for the Cavs because they get more then a week rest. This will help all of the little injuries the players have to heal up and make the team at 100% physically and mentally. The other teams will be tired from playing a seven game series, which should make them easier to beat. This is why sweeping the teams you play in the playoffs is so important because a healthy rested team is more likely to win then a tired injured team.

Lebron James Gets MVP!

Well finally a Cleveland Cavalier has become a MVP. Lebron James was announced today that he was the leagues MVP. There was no one in the NBA that even compared to Lebron this year. He averaged 28 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds for the whole season. Those numbers alone says why he deserved to get this amazing award. Not only did he have great numbers, but he lead our team to a franchise best record which was 66-14 and 32-2 at home. Maybe this will be Cleveland on the map to show other doubters that we are good and here to stay. Lebron James is a freak of nature and seems to dominant the NBA without even trying his hardest. This is going to motivate him to perform as a MVP should in the playoffs which is just bad news for Atlanta. The Cavs will start the second round of the playoffs on Tuesday at 8 o'clock at the Quicken Loans arena. I have a feeling Lebron is going to come out the locker room to show everyone why he is the Most Valuable Player of the NBA.

How Long Are The Playoffs?

I have a been a Cleveland Sports fan my entire life and there have not been very many times where I have been fortunate enough to watch my teams be successful in the playoffs.

Luckily, this year the Cavaliers are on an amazing run and it looks like there is the possibility of them playing deep into the playoffs.
Believe me, I am very excited and hoping that this will be the end to the championship drought in the city of Cleveland. We haven't won a championship since 1964 and it's about time that it comes. OOO I forgot, we were indoor soccer champs multiple times in the 90's with the Cleveland Crunch! How could I almost forget that?

I am trying my hardest to enjoy this playoff run and it is the NBA's job of hyping and getting as many viewers as possibly. But, here lies the problem. The playoffs last for almost 2 months. That is absolutely ridiculous! Almost as ridiculous as 8 teams making it in each conference, 16 teams in all, under .500 records and those 16 teams being half the league.

I just think that the playoffs last almost 2 months is ridiculous! What is more ridiculous are first round series being best of 7. The first round should be either eliminated because there are too many teams or they should only be best of 5. Those series are usually not the best basketball and only last 4 or 5 games. I know this year was an exception because Boston-Chicago and Atlanta-Miami went 7 games but the 7th game was lame anyways.

The majority of the time a first round series is over like the Cleveland -Detroit series and the basketball is below average. The worst part about this problem that the NBA is facing with this stretched out playoff system is that the best team in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers (It still makes my heart stop when I hear that and I have to pinch myself), has to sit around and be punished for closing a series out so quickly.

We are not going to play a playoff game for 10 straight games. THAT IS RIDICULOUS! I don't care how good you are, you are going to be rusty after not being competitive for a long period of time. Why should we be punished for doing our business and putting away a much weaker team? Especially a team that shouldn't even be in the playoffs.

The NBA really needs to adjust this playoff system and especially the amount of days off in between games. Your telling me that these world class athletes that have the best facilities and trainers in the world can not play back-to-backs or every other day. That just boggles my mind!

Hey NBA: Shorten the Playoffs and make it more excitting for those teams that actually have a chance of winning it all!

A Salute to the Favorites

While watching the Bulls and Celtics play Game 4 of their first round playoff match-up this afternoon, I got to thinking about past playoff series' I absolutely loved.

Right now, this Bulls/Celts series has been flat out awesome to watch, and it's quickly creeping up my list of best series' I've seen in my lifetime. The list includes Lakers/Kings from 2002, Boston/Cleveland from 2008, Chicago/New York from 1992, etc. Basically, it takes some real dramatic, gritty, transcendant basketball to make this list. I'm talking multiple momentum swings, players you love and truly despise, young players who flip the switch and put themselves on the NBA map, aging veterans who lay it all on the line, and, of course, the All-Stars who turn on the fifth gear. Right now, the Bulls and Celtics have all this going on at once, and it's great.

Going into the series, Boston was the clear favorite, and in my book, still is. They don't need Kevin Garnett to beat the Bulls, who are one of the most inexperienced playoff teams in the bunch. But the Bulls are making the case that they can pull off the upset. When they won today in two overtimes, my brain started spinning, and I thought back to 2007, when the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors completely shocked the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in six games in the first round.

Now, this is a seven-seed against a two, but the similarities are there. In '07, I openly pulled for the Warriors. My conclusion after today is that I won't pull for Chicago anymore.

Even though I hate the Celtics, I want them to advance. It's nothing personal against Chicago, but I'd prefer the balance of the NBA to stay exactly where it is.

It's not because it wouldn't be great to see them lose right now and disappear from the collective NBA fan conscious for the summer, but because it would mean another underdog moving on to a series they couldn't handle.

The '07 Warriors got hot at the right time against Dallas, but looked awful and got bounced in five games in the Western Conference Semifinals against Utah. The Jazz dismantled the Warriors and made them look like a J.V. team. It wasn't even close.

Because of that, I want all the favorites to move on and eventually play each other. Underdogs are the most overrated aspect of sports in terms of entertainment value. It goes for literally every sport.

I look at it like this: underdogs winning is like a one-night stand. It feels great in the short term. It's a quick thrill that gets the adrenaline going. But the next day, or in the NBA's case, the next round, it just feels awkward and doesn't seem nearly as worthwhile as the alternative. In this year's NBA playoffs, we don't need upsets.

I mean, wouldn't you rather see the big boys play each other for all the marbles in a month rather than watch this year's Cinderella seven or eight-seed get humbled and destroyed in a four-game sweep by one of said big boys after they shocked a top team early? I know I would.

A song said the waiting is the hardest part. To NBA fans, I say tough luck. Get some patience. The great baskeball you long for is yet to be played. If you stop looking for the early upset, you'll get the memories and highlights you crave. Don't settle for the one-night stand.

Cleveland/Boston, Cleveland/Orlando, Lakers/Portland, Lakers/Denver, Lakers/Cleveland. They're all top seeds, they all have every quality you look for in good, entertaining basketball, and they all need to advance.

Leave the underdogs in the dust.

Cavs Win Again

Well I can now confidently say that the Cavs are going to advance to the second round of the playoffs. Now up 3-0 on the Detroit Pistons, the Cavs are on pace to sweep the Pistons which will give us a lot of momentum in the second round. Everyone on the team is having fun and playing well together which is a good sign for all the fans. Lebron did the usual game only missing a triple double by one assist, but got the win so who cares. Go Cavs!!!!!

Cavs looking strong

It's nice to have a team to rely on at home. Throughout the whole season the Cavs looked strong and powerful. It seems so far the playoffs are no different. The Cavs are 2-0 against the Detroit Pistons and look better and better each game. Now it's time to go into Detroit and finish them off for good.