The Sound of the Suburbs

Christmas Day in the NBA. And they're ... OFF!!!

Well, that was a beatdown.

For a team like LA, two time-defending champs, three rings in four years, you can't read too much in to this loss to the Heat.

What you can discern, however, is that the off-season additions of Steve Blake and Matt Barnes may not mean much when it comes to a faceoff against the likes of Miami, Dallas, Boston or San Antonio. Blake laid a few bricks, Barnes blew an easy lay-up by trying to dunk on Chris Bosh and Miami simply pummelled LA into submission by dominance (and Merry Xmas to Blue Oyster Cult).

Z came out in Q3 firing and drained three jumpers, Mario Chalmers made more than he missed, LeBron was LeBron, Wade was breathtaking and Bosh looked the equal of his two touted teammates.

Quite a performance.

This on the heels of Orlando somehow coming from behind to best Boston thanks to two clutch threes by Jameer Nelson and a rim-rattler by JJ Redick that went down at the right time. Dwight Howard, despite an inept offensive effort, showed why D rules with one key swat after another despite drawing his fourth foul early in Q3.

The NBA suddenly looks wide open, and that's great for fans. Boston is already clicking on all cylinders, but missing its MVP Rondo who is indeed the straw that stirs the drink at the Garden and on the road.

Orlando hasn't even practiced after blowing up its team yet just snapped long winning streaks by two premier clubs, Dallas and Boston.

Miami, well, it will just keep getting better. And if the Heat can somehow win it all this year, Pat Riley will patent four-peat.

The Knicks are also showing their stuff, which is great to see. Amare Stoudemire is the clear frontrunner for MVP. Who thought he would be this good in NYC. I mean, six blocks against the Bulls! SIX!!! Wow.

Meanwhile San Antonio just keeps winning, but if uber-NBA scribe Peter Vecsey is right and Rip Hamilton lands in Dallas, watch out for the Mavs. We could have another Dallas-Miami final.

And then there's Larry Brown. He's coached in nine NBA cities. I wonder if his shrink has been on retainer town-to-town all these years. If you saw him play backcourt with Doug Moe in the ABA, you know what he's about. Billy Martin without the booze. Best Coach Ever. Hire him and see a +Ten in the win column within one year. Phil Jackson can't hold a candle. But Larry wears out his welcome faster than fish in the fridge. And now at his age he may not work again.

Where he belongs is Minnesota. Kurt Rambis is horrible, a coaching moron who should play Kevin Love 48 minutes a night but had to see the guy pull 20/20 to give him minutes. Apparently the T-Wolves owner wears blinders otherwise he'd be buying Larry a condo right now.

Then again it would be good to see LB back in LA running the Clippers. You think Baron Davis doesn't like The Donald heckling him courtside? One practice with Larry and he'd retire his fat ass.

Yeah, Larry in Clipperland again. That sounds good. A good young team who could deal a number one to Detroit for Tayshaun Prince and make a run.

Go, Larry.

Thank God the season is underway.

So much that is written -- published or online -- focuses on the negative, in sports as well as politics, entertainment and business.

Let's take a moment to recognize all the good guys and gals in sport, regardless of their flaws, of which we all share commonality.

Jeannie Buss
Jerry's kid, Action Jackson's beloved and a shrewd executive who never gets her due. She is the unsung cog in the Laker Machine, making sure the trains run on time and with more influence than anyone imagines. A class act all the way.

Theo Epstein
He does what it takes to put a winning team on the field. Obviously he has considerable financial backing but his impressive machinations this off-season will keep Red Sox Nation engaged for years to come.

LeBron James
Vilified by Cleveland fans who mistakenly feel America is not based on free enterprise, James has not said a bad word about his critics and instead focused on his job, a rarity in these times.

Derek Jeter
Still the epitome of class despite the fact his skills are eroding. Despite Yankee management pissing on him in the media, he kept a stiff upper lip and stayed where he belongs. Naysayers will opine that

he's Over, but he is and always will be emblematic of why Pinstripes matter.

Brett Favre
Say what you will about him, but his recently-ended playing streak will stand long if not forever in the most brutal game there is. And tell me one NFL player who has delivered more thrills in his career. There isn't one.

Drew Brees
SI Sportsman of The Year for a reason. His contributions in the community, not to mention on the field, have helped revive the spirit of a great American city.

Kobe Bryant
In a league with more great athletes than ever before, he remains the benchmark. Despite a sometimes prickly personality, he is as good as anyone who has ever played the game, and those who watch him on a regular basis can testify to his greatness, equal to Magic, Russell or The Big O.

Tom Brady/Bill Belichick
The yin and yang of the most successful NFL franchise of the last decade. As long as they are together New England will always be a contender, if not a champion.

The Williams Sisters
What would women's tennis be without them? Nothing. 'Nuff said.

Mike Krzyzewski
The peerless and preeminent coach in college sports, not to mention his Olympic success managing pro basketball players. There's a reason why Duke remains on top year in and out: Coach K. The Red Auerbach of college hoops.

Rafael Nadal/Roger Federer
The two men who have elevated men's tennis to a new high. Class acts who respect the game, one another and the history of the sport. As with the Williams sisters, imagine the game without them. Crickets ...

Charlie Manuel
I don't know why this guy hasn't gotten his due, and with his new killer rotation he never will. Still, the most engaging, refreshing and winning (literally and figuratively) baseball manager in the league. And what a strategist.

Joe Buck
Simply the best sportscaster working. As great as his Dad was, Joe is better. When you hear his voice you know you're in good hands, and then some.

Ernie, Kenny The Jet and CB
Even if it's a crap regular-season game, you know you'll be entertained by this TNT trio. Funny, incisive and quotable, they deliver the goods night in and out, and have helped drive ratings; not an easy thing. Too bad they don't cover The NBA Finals.

The NHL
I don't know enough to single out anyone, but hockey is still a great game, especially in person. No cacophonous rap music playing during breaks in the action, no millionaires going through the motions, just blood, guts and slapshots.

The hype peaked.

The wait ended.

Months of anticipation for one of the most hyped events in basketball history.

Yes, tonight at last, Zydrunas Ilgauskas returned to Cleveland after jilting his longtime home by fleeing to South Beach and the sunny climes of Miami. The Bastard.

In an a major upset, Z, as he is known to Costas Gavras fans far and wide, returned to the Quicken Loan Center (oxymoron?) to distinctive indifference. His stat line was unimpressive despite a nice block early on, but otherwise it was a non-event.

On the other hand, No. 6 on Miami, one LeBron James, who also left the Cavaliers as a free agent, was greeted by a shower of vitriol unseen since Kevin McHale clotheslined Kurt Rambis decades ago at the Fab Forum.

Mr. James, the swine, who is about as old as a pair of my shoes, had the unmitigated gall to leave Cleveland for Miami (again, sunshine and the home of Iggy Pop) to play pro basketball with some guys named Bosh, Wade and Riley.

The nerve.

Sports is what deluded fans refer to as entertainment, forgetting a) the business equation and b) in the case of James, a test of the competitive spirit. LeBron, straight outta Akron high school where he reached the pinnacle, had the gall to decide that he was tired of watching Kobe Bryant collect championship rings like oil changes, and wanted to play with a better class of teammates.

Again, what an SOB.

He gave it his all for years, waiting for his Scottie Pippen, and he wound up with Antawn Jamison.

A bit short, in other words.

So he fled to Miami with his All-Star friends DW and CB. Because he wants to WIN.

You see, Cleveland sports fans (reminder: fans is short for "fanatics"), superior athletes of character want to win. They don't care where they go they simply want to achieve the pinnacle of success. Examples: Kevin Garnett, Alex Rodriguez, Brett Favre, etc (alright, probably shouldn't put A-Rod and "character" in the same sentence).

And after tonight, it's clear that the Cavs should replace their embarassing rap-backed opening video with The Eagles' "Get Over It."

To paraphrase Elvis Presley, he came, he saw, he played his heart out, and he left.

And who the F wouldn't have.

Times are tough. The economy is bad. Cleveland fans grew accustomed to LBJ performing at the zenith night in and out, and they were understandably pained by his departure.

But really Cav faithful, go look in the mirror. If you are a competitor, do you want to keep losing? Do you want to be the sole cog in the machine that works flawlessly without relief or assistance, carrying the weight till your back breaks despite the hefty remuneration? If any of you were offered a far better chance to succeed in business and/or life, would you not take it? Of course you would. That's called human nature and life in a free, capitalistic country.

I hope you bitter clowns all wake up in the morning glad to be alive and cherishing what's around the corner. The past is gone and always will be. And bottom line: It's A GAME!

The bile James and the Heat have generated is an embarassment to America. You want socialism? Go get Barack Hussein Obama to play small forward. I hear he can only go to his left.

Now the rest of the NBA will loathe you even more since you enabled LBJ and Co. to play their best game of the year and get their groove on. Tonight made a varsity-JV scrimmage look close.

Cleveland, as Dr. Jack Ramsay pointed out in his radio analysis, has no players who can get their own shot off. None. They are a group of earnest role players, none of whom could start for an elite team in the league. Mo Williams has disappeared in the playoffs since arriving. Jamison is a journeyman who couldn't crack the Lakers rotation. Anderson Varejao hustles to make up for his lack of ability much like Ben Wallace. Daniel Gibson had one game of note v. Detroit in the playoffs years ago. Sorry, they're all losers.

And James knew it. Hell, he should have left years ago. But like KG he gave it a good long shot. And got nothing.

LeBron in Cleveland was like Chuck Berry pulling into town and picking up a bar band for a gig, his brilliance outshining their mediocrity. And now he has surrounded himself with an NBA champ in Wade, a perennial All-Star in Bosh, and a winner like Riley. Good for him.

As for the way LBJ "handled" the move, so f-ing what? The NBA is a league of individual stars. Ever watched All-Star Weekend? The Three-Point Shootout? The Dunk Contest? This game was built and marketed on Stars, and makes no bones about it.

Yeah, it's a team game and teams win it all, but you need a great team to get to the big dance and that's what James did. And so what if he had an ESPN special at a dead time to announce his move? He's a superstar. ESPN and America wouldn't have had it any other way. Plus he raised, what, 5M for the Boys and Girls Club. So that makes him a villain? PLEASE!

I'm not even a fan of his or Miami's, but he did what any of us would have done in his shoes. Good for him.

Still, I am personally aggrieved by the lack of vitriol directed at Z by Cavs fans. I mean, don't you just know no media gathered around his post-game locker tonight?! Racist ... joke.

And Cleveland fans shouting obscenities at their former idol? Declasse to the max. What great father/son bonding that must have been.

Get lost, Cavalier fans. And get a life while you're at it.

Notes On A Scorecard ...

Phillies acquire Roy Oswalt. Please pass GO and see you in the World Series. Watch out, American League. And will the final difference be Charlie Manuel managing to win the All-Star Game, and Joe Girardi leaving the best hitter alive in A-Rod on the bench in the bottom of the ninth in Anaheim?

Eddie House to the Heat. Slowly Pat Riley puts the pieces together in his Seventh Seal chess match v. Mitch Kupchak.

Georgia Frontiere, Bruce McNall, Frank and Jamie McCourt ... What is it about LA sports owners? Just makes you appreciate Jerry Buss all the more.

Long work week, hellish commute home, is there a better record to put on than The Sex Pistols Never Mind The Bollocks? Er, no. "Problem? The problem is YOU!"

Memo to bitter Cavs fans: We live in a capitalistic society. LBJ hung in there forever and the only help he got was over-da-hill Shaq, can't-deliver-in-the-post M. Williams and Antawn Jamison. The Heat are the new Great Society.

Bob Sheppard, The Boss and The Major. Death does come in threes, even for The Pinstripes.

Amazing how the Bosox still trail Tampa by only six in the loss column despite their plethora of injuries. Still, I like the Rays to edge them out for the wild card.

Back to the McCourts (what an appropriate name given their court battle): ESPN cover story essential reading. Somewhere Gay Talese is smiling. And I have the feeling Hunter S. Thompson is lighting up somewhere in the vicinity with Jim Healy.

"Sometimes I want to smack your face." Greatest debut elpee track one lyric in history. Rattus Norvegicus IV, The Stranglers. Check it out.

Ravens CB Domonique Foxworth tears ACL. I've had that injury and it hurts. So much for my dark horse Super Bowl pick with their decimated secondary. Go, Chargers!

World Cup Update: Anybody scored yet?

My fave WC moment by far: ABC's pan shot of Mick Jagger and Bill Clinton sitting next to one another during semis. Bill: "So Mick, can you explain your inspiration for 'Brown Sugar?'" Mick: "Aww, Mr. President, don't you remember 'Some Girls'?"

Rest in peace, John Wooden. The greatest American coach and teacher in history.

P.S. Whatever happened to Swen Nater?

Who will outlast the other, Manny Ramirez or David Ortiz? I'll take Big Papi.

I loathe going to live sports events anymore but there is nothing more exciting than a hockey game. Sat next to the Kings bench (don't hate me) v. Rangers midseason and I haven't seen such passion since the Van Halen reunion tour. Although they did NOT play "Top Jimmy." Dan Snierson and I swallowed that bitter pill.

Look up Red Hot in the dictionary and you'll see a picture of Maggie Q, star of The CW's new kick-ass series, "Nikita.". Take it to the bank.

Good to hear Andrew Bynum's annual knee surgery was successful. Can you say Sam Bowie?

Do yourself a favor and immediately buy "In The Flesh" by Johnny Thunders live at the Roxy and cue up "I Can Tell." You won't regret it.

Bring on Football ...

Yeah, I saw the dark lump yesterday and ignored it; dove in a couple times for that matter ... avoiding the inevitable.

Just fished the poor bastard out. It's a drag being a rodent. On the plus side one of the greatest elpees ever made, Rattus Norvegicus (Stranglers) was named after a species of these feared but ultimately lovable mugs.

Met Dave Greenfield a few months back, keyboard maestro of the aforementioned Stranglers, who regaled me with tales of rats as pets, something I had never considered (and, uh, sorry Dave, probably wouldn't ever ... )

What a humble good guy, the man whose electronic keyboard prowess ranks right up there with Vladimir Horowitz in my book.

The point being, what, Harry?

The point being different strokes for different folks, raising rats or raising cain.

Which brings us to the NBA.

Pat Riley, the man who never sleeps, not only lured LeBron James and Chris Bosh to Miami but now has added Mike Miller, The Big Z and perhaps most importantly, Udonis Haslem. Riley is building a supporting cast to his superstar nucleus and, flanked by Mario Chalmers, the Kansas stud who will only get better, is paying attention to detail.

You have got to hand it to the Gordon Gekko of the NBA. He pulled off the greatest recruiting coup in history but didn't stop there, adding integral pieces with little coin to expend. And here's to the Boston Celtics, who re-signed Paul Pierce, added Jermaine O'Neal in the Sheed spot -- an upgrade if he can make noise on the block and average 8 and 8. Many already consider Miami a title lock but don't count me among them.

Yes, the Heat has a holy triumvirate of exceptional talent. Yes, it is adding complementary pieces. But Boston is Boston, a regal franchise who will not roll over despite its ageism. Any team with KG, PP, Ray Allen, Big Baby, Perkins, the emerging monster that is Rondo, O'Neal and Nate Robinson, is not to be trifled with. The key for them, as with any elder team, is being healthy when the playoffs start. And with Doc Rivers still on board and a bitter Game 7 final defeat in their psyche, don't count them out.

And then there's Chicago. Rose and Noah will only get better. Boozer is the banger the Bulls needed. Deng and Hinrich are gamers. Losing Brad Miller to Houston hurts (did we all write Yao Ming off too early? Time will tell). And the Bucks will make noise and claim the four spot in the East if all goes according to plan.

Nonetheless I am already salivating over the prospect of a Boston or Chicago v. Miami series (hopefully both in succession).

All the heat (sic) is on Miami. Vegas will make the Heat close faves along with the real champs: LA.

The man who has done it all, five times, Kobe "Jellybean" Bryant, has found new motivation, which is what makes his world go 'round. Steve Blake is an upgrade from Farmar/Brown. And somebody else will come out of nowhere to make them better. That's the way it works when you're champs.

And the core of KB/Gasol/Odom/Bynum will only get better.

OKenough about the NBA, which remains months away.

Bring on Football. And I ain't talking Espagne.

This just in ... Lady Bird Johnson has flown the coop. Yeah, this ranks right up there with Lyndon Johnson going rogue, abandoning the Democratic party for greener pastures. A lesser version of Joe Lieberman's story.

Well, this IS exciting.

James/Bosh/Wade (JBW sounds good, better than BJW for example; close your dirty minds) have gathered like the Confederate Army to vanquish the evil Laker Empire.

As much as I hate Kobe Bryant, I feel strange empathy for him on this night. Because he and the rest of Laker Nation have Conquered All. And now they have a fresh challenge that will push KB, Pau, Action Jackson and the Buss family to another level. Jerry Buss is a riverboat gambler and expect him to double down and go get a three-point shooter (Redd? Redick?) who can fill it up and replace the now obsolete Farmar/Brown backup SG spot.

This is great for hoopsters far and wide.

Orlando gets an immediate chip on its shoulder.

Boston makes another run if they re-sign Perkins and pick up some ammo to replace the Sheed loss and then some. And they won't let Ray Allen go if they want to remain In The Hunt.

Cleveland ... ah, good luck Lord Byron. Varejao needs to go to South Beach to do the dirty work.

The Knicks? Good luck. And you let David Lee go??? Are you HIGH? Amare will be tabloid toast by the All-Star break.

The Nets? Nada. But their owner will build slowly despite signing Whozeewhatzit Outlaw for $35M (really???).

Kobe's WC competish has quickly been reduced to the youth of OKC.

And if THEY somehow manage to best LA in the Western playoffs, they will fail in four to Miami next season.

Miami is the new New York.

South Beach is the new Hollywood.

Congrats to US Magazine for breaking the story.

Now we can all sit back and watch Don Corleone, er, Pat Riley, assemble a bunch of bruisers and role players who will flock to Strip Club Central to play with The Big Three.

Three words of caution for those ready to take it to the bank:

Wilt
West
Baylor

The great Knick team of Clyde/DeBusschere/Bradley/Reed/Barnett/Riordan/Jackson et al proved There Is Only ONE BALL.

We shall see.

Here are the Top Ten Reasons Why Cavs-Celts Game 5 Was The Most Interesting Game Of NBA Playoffs To Date:

10) Glenn "Doc" Rivers is outcoaching Mike Brown into unemployment. Forget about what's happening between the lines. Let's look at the SIDELINES. Doc has Nate Robinson, Marquis Daniels and Rasheed Wallace doing the ML Carr thing by rooting teammates while Cleveland's bench do a fine impression of Rodin's The Thinker (i.e. a statue for you artistically challenged folk).

9) Shaq: DONE. Please retire. We all know you're a good guy, a big kid with multiple rings but age conquers all: You're finished. Diesel is permanently overpriced.

8) Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis are two of of the most underrated players in the league. Always giving 100 percent, always hitting the boards and the floor for loose balls; these are the kind of players coaches love.

7) KG Lives. Despite injuries Garnett has segued to a finesse game when his cumulative physical injuries have restricted him. Now if he'd just shut up and cease the trash talking, because the more of that he does v. Dwight Howard in the ECF the more he will suffer and increase Orlando's chances of returning to the Finals.

6) Sheed: Still A Stiff.

5) Speaking of stiffs, Senor M. Williams is a playoff bust. He stunk it up last year and has kept that streak alive by failing to show up in May for the second year running. If and when LBJ jumps ship, this loser takes the fall.

4) Did I mention Shaq is done? A shadow of his former great self? A guy who needs to retire immediately? Do the words Willie Mays sound a chord?

3) Rajon Rondo has the best headband in the NBA. He wears it so well. He does whatever it takes to win. His trey toward the end of the third quarter iced the game. But what captivates me about this cat is his fluidity for the game, his ease at making it happen, reminiscent of Earvin Johnson. Not that they're on the same plane but this guy redefines Natural.

2). Tattoos. Cleveland has too many. That means the Cavs will lose.

1) Paul Pierce and Ray Fricking Allen. Man, we are talking about two of the top ten players in the league. Man Ray with his ultra-quick release (how 'bout that three toward the end of the first half with Anthony Parker's hand in his face?!) and Pierce, who has struggled but will have NBA Finals MVP carved on his tombstone.

1A) Sorry to end on a negative note but LBJ exits The Mistake by The Lake; Mike Brown is fired; Cleveland implodes and misses the playoffs next year unless ... unless ... Cleveland woos Chris Bosh and Larry Next Town Brown to its fine city. Oh jeez, I am officially talking outta my ass ... over and out.

Don't always know what I'm talkin' about
Feels like I'm livin' in the middle of doubt

Phoenix's own Vincent Furnier aka Alice Cooper said it best when it comes to this year's NBA Playoffs.

Because who the F knows where it's going? Even Glen Buxton, rest his Dwight Frye soul, would be at a loss.

Three sweeps outta four in the conference semis! When's the last time THAT happened? And what do we project for the next round?!

Good ball, that's what.

Los Suns stun San Antonio despite their misguided, imbecilic political statement. Read the bill and don't mix sports with politics Senor Sarver.

LA restores order in the house by putting Utah and its scumbag racist fans away for good. Shame on you a-holes for deriding D Fish, a MAN who gave his all for Utah before making a Family Guy decision to move back to LA to take care of his child.

I've loved Jerry Sloan since he paired with Norm Van Lier in the Bulls' backcourt, but even HE had to be ashamed of the home crowd in Utah.

My advice to Williams and Boozer: Get outta town asap if you want a ring. Bad Karma will plague those loser fans forever. Christ, it got so bad I HAD to root for the Lakers.

So now we wait three months for Suns-Lakers to begin. I confess I haven't seen Phoenix play a full game this year but I'll bet the house on LA to prevail and return to The Promised Land. Goran Dragic (rhymes with Magic) torched SAS in Game 3 but he's still a year or two away from becoming the next Ginobili (who, btw, screwed up by signing an extension when he could have gone to NY to join LBJ and David Lee on a Knick team that will resurrect Willis/Clyde/Bradley/DeBusschere/Barnett greatness within two years).

Orlando, the unhyped contender, remains unbeaten in the post, a healthy Jameer Nelson, the third

wheel flanking Superman and InVincible with a dose of Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus (how can you NOT love him?!) and enforcer Matt Barnes who has the fearlessness to be licking his chops at guarding Bryant in the Finals.

Not that Orlando will easily trump Cleveland, but I expect the Magic to, probably in six. Everybody's talking about it so I'll pile on: Cleveland rolls with James. Jamison/Shaq/Williams still don't equal Pippen and that's why the Cavs will fall to Orlando. And if Dwight H can shoot 60 percent from the line it'll be over in five.

But enough of my aimless prognostication. Let's take a quick look back at The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of the 2010 playoffs to date:

The Good: OKC, a punk team with a median age of 16 (sic) giving LA all it could handle. Good thing Los Lakers beat them now because next year Durant, Westbrook and my new fave R-n-R baller Serge Ibaka will be back, with James Harden riding shotgun.

Rajon Rondo ... 19 boards in Game 4?! NINETEEN BOARDS!!!! JFC, this kid is a stud. Who'd a thunk he would so quickly become the main stem on such a loaded veteran team.

Nash/Stoudemire: An old twosome who are making the run of their lives and, should they miraculously prevail over LA, will win it all. But they won't.

Kobe/Gasol: Aarching their games at crunch time like Mr. Buxton's Unfinished Sweet James Bond guitar opus ... they remain the kings of the NBA Castle until somebody knocks them off. Anybody

who can beat them four outta seven is a team for the ages.

The Bad: Joe Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks. The single most devaluing free agent perf in recent playoff history. And he'll take Mike Woodson with him. The Hawks, who didn't draw Boston as hoped--their regular-season beyotch--are back to square one. Paging Lou Hudson. And btw whatever happened to Mike Bibby? Aside to Josh Smith: Grow Up.

Utah Jazz. I don't want to beat a dead horse but then again why not. I don't recall but I bet Alice Cooper never played Salt Lake City. 'Nuff Said. Do the math.

Dallas. Dirk is a goner. Not to mention Rick Carlisle. Again, Square One.

The Ugly: Rasheed Wallace. Yeah, the series is tied at two but 'Sheed has showed his typical quitter stripes after his momentary outburst in Game 2. Even a blind squirrel ... Keep in mind this loser was the key F-Up in the infamous Laker-Portland Game 7 where Shaq and Kobe overcame a huge fourth-quarter lead to beat the Blazers while Wallace disappeared, his NBA epitaph. Never made a clutch shot in the post in his career.

San Antonio. I still don't know how it happened and I love this team but youth, once again, triumphed. Come to think of it OKC probably could have beaten them. And next year they will if given the chance. Sorry, Timmy D, Tony P Longoria and Uber Stud Manu; it's OVER. Bottom line: Richard Jefferson, the free agent bust of the year, wasn't expected to replace Bruce Bowen on the defensive end, but he WAS expected to provide offense. Problem was, he's a slasher not a jump shooter, and when the smoke cleared he did neither successfully. My heart goes out to fading warrior Antonio McDyess, who would have been a bigger contributor off the Piston scrap heap to Boston than Wallace has been. Wallace, has-been.

Which leaves us with one remaining playoff enigma: LeBron James. As great as he is he will have to steal Howard's Superman cape and Kobe's white-on-white photo shoot (?!) bravado to Go All The Way.

Again, it's a TEAM game. Jamison is solid, Varejao does the dirty work, Shaq a still vaguely formidable obstacle but Cleveland's near term future depends on the backcourt of West/Parker/Williams. WPW.

Good luck with that.

Well, Danny Ainge's investment in Rasheed Wallace finally paid off Monday night after a regular season and first-round playoff in absentia from Sheed.

With 5-for-5 shooting in the first half off the pine, three of them treys, 17 and 2 in the final box, Rasheed finally reminded Need For Sheed fans why he still matters. Put aside the fact I can't get used to him in Celtic Green, on paper it was the right offseason pickup, which can only be measured against San Antonio's acquisition of Antonio McDyess, the steadier player who is the turtle to Sheed's hare off Detroit's summer yard sale.

Despite the fact young Rajon Rondo is Boston's key, despite the fact KG and even Pierce and Allen have looked good in the first two games in Cleveland, it's Wallace who is the X factor.

Now don't get too excited, Celtic Nation. Look up inconsistency in the dictionary and you'll find Sheed's headshot. So Game 2 very well may be an aberration.

But if it isn't ... trouble in C-Town.

They say an NBA playoff series doesn't begin until the road team wins and it began Monday in Cleveland.

Now it's back to Beantown for the next two, and the pressure is squarely on Mike Brown. A seemingly unassuming, run of the mill NBA coach, Mike is no Larry, who would have the Cavs up two-zip and Boston on their heels. Instead we're tied at one and Mike must find a way to exhume the dinosaur that is Shaquille O'Neal, help Williams find his Mo-Jo for the first time in playoff history and find a shooter off the bench (paging Daniel Gibson), a Cav Achilles Heel these last few playoffs.

MVP LBJ can't do it all himself (too many 3s in that last 4th Q run of Game 2), Jamison is solid but no Scottie Pippen, and Delonte West is MIA. Annoying Anderson Varejao is a warrior and I don't know what happened to Anthony Parker on Monday night; hell, I don't even recall seeing him on the floor, let alone doing anything.

Boston, in vintage Auerbach fashion, clearly played possum during the regular season. If the Celtics somehow beat Cleveland, all bets are off re LeBron's future, and Orlando will be favored to return to the NBA Finals.

Vegas will ride LBJ until the end, but don't be surprised if they end upside down. If Ray Allen and/or Paul Pierce get off at home, James may not be able to do it alone.

Kobe Bryant knows the feeling. His early years were fraught with disappointment and an underachieving supporting cast. Now James is in the same boat but in his case he better damn well rock it and take over that locker room if Brown can't.

There's no good reason on paper why Cleveland doesn't go all the way this year, but the Cavs are suddenly vulnerable and it's up to the team game coming together or not for the Cavaliers.

We shall see what we shall see in Boston, as Celtic Nation doubles down with the Bosox staggering despite their blowout of Anaheim on Monday.

Get ready to rumble, LeBron. Call your mates out in private (unlike Joe Johnson) before it gets out of hand.

At last, the NBA Playoffs!

But first, as a pathetic Piston fan, let me scrutinize free agent Twit Charlie V's quote after Detroit beat Minnesota to further lessen its chances to draft John Wall, aka The Next Isiah Thomas.

"This is Detroit basketball. This is an organization that's used to going to the playoffs and going to the Finals,'' Villanueva said. "I know it's going to get back to what Detroit basketball needs to be.''

Oh boy, Charlie! You beat The mighty T-Wolves! Enjoy your off-season. Nice to see you and Ben Gordon show up in the final two games of the season. The two of you and any three other Pistons couldn't beat Chauncey Billups, Allen Iverson, Mehmet Okur, Darko Milicic and the pathetic Rasheed Wallace.

Twit off, CV. Expect the Pistons back in the Finals by 2020 if they're lucky.

So here we go into prediction land where my success rate dwarfs CV's three-point percentage, as admittedly excrescent as that is:

The East:
Cavs Over Bulls in 5
Magic Over Bobcats in 4
Hawks Over Bucks in 6
Boston Over Miami in 7

Cavs Over Celts in 5
Magic Over Hawks in 6

Cavs Over Magic in 7

The West:
Lakers Over OKC in 5
Spurs Over Mavs in 7
Suns Over Portland in 5
Nuggets Over Jazz in 7

Lakers Over Denver in 7
Spurs Over Suns in 6


Lakers Over Spurs in 7

The Finals
Cavs Over Lakers in 6

King James and Shaq reign supreme.

LeBron stays in The Mistake By The Lake.

Panic in Lakerland.

Phil retires.

Artest and Sasha go away.

David Lee becomes a Laker.

Wall is nothing but Net and begins their resurgence, which will see a title within five years while The Dolans watch with envy.

The Pistons draw the worst position in the lottery and draft another loser. (Austin Daye anyone?)

Charlie V Tweets endless inanities about his off-season activities

The Universe is in Order

Over and Out ...

Well it's still February and a long way till the playoffs, but Celtics' fans are in a state of shock.

Even sans Paul Pierce, Thursday night was a beatdown of significant proportion by the Cavaliers. Mike Brown wishes the playoffs started now because it would be down to Cleveland v. Orlando unless Atlanta makes it interesting.

Boston is in major trouble. Not even the news that Steven Tyler has predictably rejoined Aerosmith is enough to make Beantown smile.

Cleveland just looks scary. This game was magnified by one simple play in the first half when LeBron took KG one on one from the left wing, flashed step-back footwork and drained a 22-footer. This man cannot be stopped by anyone in the league, including Ron Artest, who will draw the short straw willingly in June.

And thanks to the awful NBA non-rule, Z will soon rejoin Cleveland to spell Shaq down the stretch, and O'Neal looks reborn since the All-Star break. Antawn Jamison will take time to fit in, JJ Hickson must still get his minutes and will, and despite the fact his weird curly helmet continues to annoy me Anderson Varejao is Rodman Jr. for this team, and that's not even talking about the capable backcourt of Williams, Parker and West, with Gibson in reserve.

They're on a mission to Staples, and David Stern and Co. must be licking their chops at an all-time ratings series final a la the Super Bowl. It won't be 106M but it will be good enough no matter who prevails cuz it'll surely go six or seven.

Cleveland was superb a week ago, and the acquisition of Jamison just makes them better. The Cavs will win the East handily unless LBJ goes down.

Meanwhile in the West the Lakers remain the team to beat. Despite losing to Dallas on the back to back, they came close to a sweep and beating them four times will prove impossible for anyone in the West, and difficult for the Cavs as well.

San Antonio is dead meat unless it discovers the fountain of youth by May, and it sure ain't Richard Jefferson. OK City will spring a first-round upset if not more, Portland is trouble but it will all be fodder when LA asserts itself and wallops whomever is in its way.

When the smoke clears, it will be a headline battle of massive proportion: Kobe v. LeBron, no puppets involved. Both supporting casts are equally matched, and in a way the X factor could prove to be Shaq, who, if he can one-up Bynum, could make the difference. But then again, who guards Gasol?

The pendulum has swung west for the majority, as we will all join in the hue and cry when at least three better than .500 West teams don't make the post while a bunch of East losers (Heat, etc.) get in under the wire. We have reached the tipping point where the teams with the 16 best records should make it in because a team like Utah could give Atlanta or even Boston all they could handle in round one.

As a pathetic Detroit fan rooting for them to win the lottery by losing every game the rest of the way (good job, Rip, missing three free throws in a row at crunch time the other night v. the Paper Clips, showing why Orlando did not deal Gortat for you at trade deadline) I continue to shake my head at Joe Dumars' failure to draft DeJuan Blair, who would have had better stats than the combined frontline of Wallace, Prince and Jerebko if only Detroit didn't have brain-dead scouts and GM.

Austin Daye? Yeah, that was a great pick, Joe. Tom Wilson's exit and Mrs. Davidson's move to sell the team is a year late but still a good move. And watching the great GREAT Chauncey Billups night in and night out (wasn't he magnificent in Cleveland last week?) makes me ask again and again why Dumars thought dealing him for Allen (Who?) Iverson was a good idea.

Oh boy you got Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva with the money! Genius -- not. CV is a twit, Gordon is a perennial no-D bench player and Vinnie Johnson is shaking his head somewhere.

But who cares about the Pistons beside me>

Cleveland has the right mindset: California Here We Come. Look out.

Do you wanna marry ... a lumberjack?

I didn't think so. Kinda like watching the Winter Olympics. Pass.

Bad enough the Games start with a horrible death in the most exciting event offered -- and not to belittle in the least the poor man and his loving family because my heart goes out to them -- but it just puts a damper on the whole event. And yes, what a horrible bastard I am demeaning the efforts of all the global athletes who have given their hearts and souls for years in search of gold.

More power to them.

I'll take the jingoistic tactic and stick to our dumbass American wheelhouse: hoop, football and baseball. Isn't it about time for pitchers and catchers to report?!

Makes me wonder if Gaylord Perry always got to camp on time, getting that spitter in gear in the crackling Florida February air, and Satchel Paige too ... I don't think so.

So Marcus Camby gets moved by the Clippers for a couple of journeyman and 3M bucks. Donald Sterling, true to form, dumps the third leading rebounder in the NBA for next to nothing, meaning if Brandon Roy gets healthy, Portland makes a run in the West and might even make it to the WCF depending on the draw. Go Blazers!

What is it with MC anyway? Among the most traded players in league history yet by all outward appearances a good citizen, good teammate and hard-working baller who does what it takes to win and then some; best of luck to him in the cozy confines of The Rose Garden. Camby is the perfect guy for Portland; an expert rebounder who knows how to play the glass, which will come in handy when Rudy Fernandez starts heaving 3s. Rudy is a budding star, a deadeye legend in his own mind, and MC will only make him better because there's no better longshot bet than a gunner who misses a heave then gets it back in the same spot for a deuce. For that to happen, of course, it takes a village ... and a rebounder.

I love this game.

Most interesting note about the Dallas All-Star game was three studs clearly telling their coach they needed a blow: KG, Paul Pierce and Tim Duncan. Minimal minutes played. Holding it for the playoffs. Prudent move, gents.

As noted previously in this space, Boston is saving it all for spring, as well they should. They're likely headed for a No. 3 seed and a first-round test v. Larry Brown's Bobcats, who will be a tough out. Boston can only be glad it won't draw Atlanta, who owns the Celtics, in the first round. Stephen Jackson, Gerald Wallace, the rejuvenated and underrated Nazr Mohammed (another doofus Dumars deal) will prove an obstacle in round one, particularly for Boston. If Orlando and Cleveland finish two-one, they will wipe the mat with Miami and Chicago/Milwaukee whomever in the first round while Boston expends so much energy beating Charlotte by the time it gets to Orlando, the Celtics could be chump bait.

Of course, the theory is Boston got Sheed to clamp down Superman but good luck with that. I still won't count Boston out but, barring injury or a major deal tomorrow, the Celtic get flattened by Orlando who then give LBJ and the Cavs all they can handle, with or without Stoudmire, Jamison or Troy Murphy.

Still, Cleveland will win the East because it is their time and, spare me the West deets, LA will be there at the end.

But I repeat myself.

The 82-game NBA slog takes forever, somehow seeming longer than the 162 MLB year, because baseball has its slow, inexorable axis turning season unlike basketball, which is such a speed-freak game due in no small part to the fact our nightly highlight diet consists of high-flying threes and slamaroonies.

Baseball moves at its own speed while hoop fans are poised for the post from day one. But you gotta pay the rent if you're an NBA owner, so there.

Frankly, I can't wait for baseball because the opening season Yankees-Red Sox series will offer more cumulative drama than every NBA game in March combined. But when the playoffs start, ah, suddenly every possession will be War.

I can't wait for any number of reasons:

Chauncey Billups and Denver, the tattooed love boys of Colorado, who will push every opponent to the limit; San Antonio making one last Alamo stand, McDyess, Jefferson and Blair rising up alongside the aging but still killer in a short series nucleus of Duncan/Parker/Ginobili; eighth seed Houston-Portland-New Orleans or Memphis throwing a scare into LA while everyone bitches that all aforementioned above .500 squads should make it in while the pathetic Eastern back-of-the-bus teams make it in with lousy records; Rondo putting Boston on his Kentucky back and taking those old legs as far as they can go; Vince Carter on the spot with his career on the line, knowing he'll be tabbed as nothing less than a perennial failure if Orlando doesn't make it back to the Finals; and Cleveland, the current pick to Go All The Way, with the incumbent pressure to satiate their leader LeBron into staying with only a title fitting the bill...bring it on already.

Man, the midseason trade deadline is as much fun as the draft (I mean, what's better than watching a bunch of young brothers bedecked in bling, dumbass baseball caps and waxing eloquent about their love for their new hometown that most of them have no geographical idea what hell awaits them from the weatherman). And if 90 percent of it doesn't happen who cares; it's damn fun to speculate.

The best thing about this year's trade deadline is that it all swirls around the regular season's best team thus far: Cleveland.

It's A Long Way To The Top as the immortal Bon Scott sang, and the Lakers are not only the reigning champs but still the team to beat. Still, the Cavaliers have the best record at the break, swept the home and home v. LA, for what that's worth (not much), own fading Boston and have only the youthful i.e. formidable Magic to hurdle in May to earn a Finals faceoff with Kobe and Co., David Stern's wet ratings dream since a new long-term labor deal is out of the question.

Not to say Boston is dead. Yeah they're old, yeah KG is still recovering from major knee surgery, yeah Rasheed Wallace is on the wrong side of his career, but don't count them out just yet. I find it odd that Ray "He Got Game" Allen is on the block, simply one of the greatest field and foul shooters ever to lace up, because how do they expect to trade up for this Hall of Famer?

Let us not forget last spring's playoffs. Boston, minus KG, Wallace and Marquis Daniels, beat an inspired young Bulls team in an epic seven-game series before falling to Orlando. Rajon Rondo is the most underrated player in the league, Paul Pierce will be ready at crunch time, Garnett and Wallace still have a run in them, Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis get better every day (everybody remember Big Baby's 17-foot drain v. Orlando in the clutch on the road at the buzzer in the ECF last year? He'll be back), and this storied franchise will not go quietly. Doc Rivers is an excellent coach and the specter of Red Auerbach will always spur this team, so don't count them out until the stake goes through their heart.

Orlando, the only team in league history to deal an NBA Finals backcourt less than a month afterward, still has weapons. Howard is coming along nicely thanks to Patrick Ewing's tutelage, the jump hook, the finger roll slowly becoming part of his arsenal. If he develops Hakeem footwork, look out. But not this year.

And the jury won't be in until May on Vince Carter. Swapping Hedo T for VC was a gamble, and despite his occasional 48 blitzkreig he's got a lot to prove, as Peter Post Vecsey recently noted, and he's the Godfather of NBA scribes so pay heed.

My fave Magic man is Marcin Gortat, whom Detroit should go dangle Rip H, Tayshaun Prince and the ghost of Bill Davidson for if they can pull it off. Unlikely, sadly, for my Pistons; they suck and Joe Dumars' draft gaffes now include missing Melo, D-Wade and DeJuan Blair, my vote for Rookie of the Year. HTF could so many GMs miss the boat on this guy? He is Wes Unseld Jr. reincarnate. Nice work, Joe.

Anyhoo, back to the tradewinds.

If Cleveland is able to part with JJ Hickson and Z for Amar'e S, Vegas will tilt heavily in their favor and for good reason. How ironic would it be to see Shaq and Stoudemire reunited in The Mistake By The Lake, when they couldn't play together in hot 'n' nasty AZ.

The difference, of course, is and will be LBJ. Christ, he goes one-on-five nearly each night with one W after another, but if he's able to pick up either Stoudemire or Antawn Jamison on flank, look out. Allegedly King James prefers the latter but either way he can't lose. And as icing Z clears waivers a month later due to the McDyess rule (which is completely stupid/unfair/pick your adjective but that's another story).

If Danny Ferry gets AJ or AS watch out: We could be looking at the best NBA Final since Pistons-Spurs a few years back.

Kobe did the right thing by resting his bruised body before and including the break, only to see his team respond by going on a roll that made a statement to their leader not to mention the rest of the league. With him and a spread offense they are dynamite, to overstate the obvious. Without him they probably still win the West.

San Antonio is done, Portland still too young and that leaves a very good Denver team in The Zen Master's way.

Getting ahead of myself here; let's see where the bodies fall. Any way you slice it the NBA playoffs should be as good as the NFL's, which would be very helpful since we're all in football withdrawal.

Hell, New Orleans is still so buzzed it hasn't noticed Chris Paul is MIA. And who can blame them.

Boston sports teams have hit the wall. They've got one thing going for them: Scott Brown. And who's to say the hardcore even wanted HIM to win.

The Celtics just had their worst four-day stretch in years. First, blowing a big first-half lead on the road in Orlando to a team that will no doubt face off with Cleveland in this year's ECF. Then losing to Atlanta, capping a four-zip season sweep for the Hawks. Joe Johnson and Co. have Boston's number. Fortunately for the Celts they won't face Atlanta in the EC Semis (if they get there). No, the Magic will be waiting and will prevail at this rate.

Yeah, many of us thought Boston reloaded with Sheed and Marquis Daniels and would challenge LA in June, but that's looking grim. The NBA, unlike MLB and the NFL, is purely a young man's game, and suddenly Boston looks old. Very old.

KG ain't the same after major knee surgery -- anyone who's gone under that knife can attest it ain't easy -- and Pierce and Allen have lost half a step, Wallace has been going downhill since LBJ decimated the Pistons in ECF Game 6 a few years ago, and Rajon Rondo, as great as he is -- and great he is --cannot do it all.

Boston isn't in the Amare Stoudemire derby and that probably wouldn't solve the problem anyway, not to mention the fact they'd have to give up Kendrick Perkins or Glen Davis to get him, the two of whom are Boston's best inside players.

LA and Herr Kobe beat them Sunday with another great finish -- Bryant is simply, along with James, the best there is, and you just knew the Lakers were going to pull it out. LA will only get better with studs Gasol and Artest just warming up and Andrew Bynum ... did you SEE that catch and tomahawk jam off the great entry pass from Kobe in the third quarter? The sky's the limit with this kid.

I remember vividly LA talk radio when Kupchak drafted Bynum ... the outcry, the backlash, the hue and cry ... what morons these spoiled Laker fans are. Big men don't grow on trees as the saying goes, and now the Lakers have not one but the two best bigs in the West, not to mention the entire league, as only Howard is in the same class. Add to that Odom, Farmar, a still capable Fish, Shannon Brown and Bryant ... good luck NBA.

David Stern is looking forward to the LeBron-Kobe June Final, and he'll get it. I still don't think Cleveland can beat LA four times despite its regular-season sweep. Cleveland still lives off a one-on-five attack when it matters, and James can only make so many three-pointers.

On the other hand if Cleveland lands Stoudemire, baggage and all, the Cavs could get it done. A core rotation of James, Williams, Shaq, Varejao, Amare, Hickson, West and Gibson could take LA to seven, and then who knows.

But back to Beantown. The Pats' reign is over. The league has caught up. Randy Moss will continue to cause problems, and the defense is riddled with holes even Hoodie Belichick can't fill. They had their run; now it's time to reload, which will take time.

Then there's The Red Sox. If they were smart they'd bring Johnny Damon back, because Adrian Beltre has had one good year (as a Dodger) in his career and he is incapable of replacing Mike Lowell's big bat, RBI prowess and clubhouse gravitas despite his shotgun arm. Kind of like replacing Graig Nettles with Aurelio Rodriguez, and that's overselling Beltre's arm.

The Bosox made a good move signing Lackey, and their rotation is the best in baseball, not to mention the pen remains strong and Pap will bounce back, but where is The Big Stick? No Bay, no Manny, and unless Big Papi has an offseason rendezvous with The Fountain of Youth he is done.

The Yankees, meanwhile, reload, cutting Damon, Cabrera and Nady, while picking up Curtis Granderson and Randy Winn, more than a good deal. Sports' greatest franchise thrives on bringing role players in for the trip of a lifetime, but Brian Cashman monitors their expiration date and always trades up or sideways when he has the chance.

The ultimate determining bidding war of the next five MLB years will be Boston and the Yankees pursuing Joe Mauer, as with both teams in need of new blood at catcher, Mauer can write his own ticket. I personally hope he stays in Minnesota, but I'm old fashioned and he will follow the money, probably to The Bronx.

When that happens look out. Joba will replace Rivera; Sabathia/Burnett/Hughes/ will form a drop-dead triumvirate for years to come, and Boston will be dying for a wildcard spot that won't come easy.

Boston, my hometown, a wonderfully provincial escape, has had a tremendous run of titles but it's OVER, just like hometown rockers Aerosmith.

The only advice: Follow the lead of Joe Perry, A-Smith axeman. Hit the road on your own, return to your punk roots, reenergize and regroup and reclaim greatness over time.

Let The Music Do The Talking.

Finally --- although it could have gone on forever as far as I'm concerned --- the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs is in the books. Like March Madness' first four days, Round One on the senior circuit is as good as it gets.

That said, and in honor of Spinal Tap's Unplugged & Unwigged Tour, here are the Top 11 Reasons To Love The First Round ...

11) Ray "The Replicant" Allen. It's clear this man is physiologically incapable of sweating. Congressional hearings should convene immediately. Seriously ... whether draining 51 in Game Six or fouling out in Game Four, the man DOES NOT VISIBLY PERSPIRE. Talk about ice water in the veins. Saying He's Got Game is one of the great understatements in cinematic history.

10) Chauncey Billups. A man on a mission, sending a nightly Candygram to Joe Dumars while guiding Denver to a withering beatdown of Chris Paul's overmatched Hornets, Billups remains Mr. Big Shot. His coup de grace was leading his team to a 58-point spread over New Orleans in Game Four. Yes, in case you missed it, 58 points, more than Billups' alma mater Detroit could manage through three quarters nearly every night during their humiliating trouncing at the hands of the Cavaliers, which was over so long ago Allen Iverson's back healed in the meantime.

9) Ron Artest, who, despite helping the Rockets out of the first round, made a colossal ass of himself during a TNT segment that should be put in a time capsule, dissing everyone from Kobe Bryant to Charles Barkley. Still, if he is somehow able to neutralize Kobe and make Round Two competitive, he will redeem himself and not look like a guy who's one CNN update from being the next Michael Vick.

8) Dallas Mavericks. Out of nowhere, Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard fly under the radar and maul the Spurs, the preeminent unappreciated sports franchise of the last decade. Winning two on the road and closing in five, Dallas is ready to give Denver, and possibly LA, everything they can handle. Watch out.

7) Joey Crawford. Rebounding from his infamous flipout at Tim Duncan years ago, Crawford, the 21st Century version of Mendy Rudolph, was lead dog in easily the most intense game of the playoffs thus far, Game Six in Chicago v. Boston. Stifling the early incendiary incident between Rajon Rondo and Kirk Hinrich, coming on the heels of Rondo's facial to Brad Miller at the end of Game Five, the bulletheaded Crawford proved again why he is The Man in the striped shirt.

6) Pau Gasol. This guy is just getting warmed up, still smarting from the heat of the LA media for his "soft" performance last year against The Celtics. Put aside the fact Andrew Bynum was in civvies while Pau had to handle KG, Perkins and Davis in the paint with Lamar Odom's head in the sand. Gasol is, like Kobe and Lamar, on a mission this year. Don't bet against them.

5) Monkey Off The Back in Houston and Atlanta. Congrats to Yao and Joe Johnson for leading their franchises out of the first round for the first time in a long time. While they remain the two lowest-seeded teams left in the playoffs, Yao and Johnson are both outstanding players at the heart of a team concept in both locker rooms. Kobe and LeBron are on deck for their respective teams, but don't think Houston nor Atlanta are just happy to be there; they will compete.

4) Orlando Magic. Despite their first-round win over Philly in six, the issue remains, as one Sixer said, that they appear better WITHOUT Superman. That's because Howard remains a defensive menace, rebounding monster yet an offensive liability, who stops the flow when the ball goes into him on the block. Lewis, Turkoglu and Alston all look liberated without him, and Howard's twofer in Game Five where he elbowed Samuel Dalembert and took out his own man Courtney Lee in just minutes left observers wondering how high Clark Kent can really fly when it matters.

3) Eddie House. He's come a long way from Mike D'Antoni's doghouse in Phoenix. His Game Seven performance was Big Time, going five for five from downtown, igniting the Celtic Faithful and atoning for Rajon Rondo's sins at the foul line.

2) Chicago Bulls. Derrick Rose singlehandedly made a mockery of David Stern's hapless one-and-done rule, turning in a better rookie year than Michael Jordan. Noah, Salmons, Hinrich et.al. were simply inspiring, in one of the most intense series in league history, while Ben Gordon took it to another level. Here's hoping he stays in Chicago (after the incredibly dumb move of turning down their filthy lucre a year ago) just to keep this key franchise coming.

And last but not least ...
1) LeBron James. As the LA Times' sage NBA columnist Mark Heisler wrote of the Cavs-Pistons series midway through, "Is this really necessary?" No, it wasn't, except to serve notice to the rest of the league that this very much looks like LBJ's year, and a great shot at The Mistake By The Lake's first title in contemporary sports history. He's the MVP but that's chickenfeed to him. The main course lies ahead when Cleveland and the Lakers collide in the Finals.

Bring on Round Two.