Any Donald Sterling punishment isn't really "punishment"

(Photo credit: Forbes.com)

After the extended transcript of Donald Sterling's conversation with ex-girlfriend V. Stiviano was released by Deadspin, the resulting push to force Sterling to sell the Los Angeles Clippers will only grow louder. In taking an awful situation and making it even more repugnant, the potential punishment doesn't seem too bad for Sterling.

For an owner who is more well-known for his housing discrimination and penny pinching that has made his team profitable despite being a 30-year laughing stock, it seems necessary at this point to get Sterling out of his ownership. But would he even care?

Sterling bought the Clippers for $12.5 million in 1981, and the team is now worth $575 million. "Punishing" Sterling by forcing him to sell the Clippers would pocket the 81-year-old over $560 million if the team is sold at face value and even more if a bidding war ensues, which is more than possible considering the team's current success.

It's difficult right now to think of other ways to punish Sterling for his antiquated beliefs beyond forcing him to sell the team, which does nothing but line his pockets further. If the NBA can even find a way to push him out, a $560 million profit seems like an awfully nice consolation prize for an owner who has always lined his own pockets at the expense of his team and doesn't seem to care about his own public perception.

You win again, Donald Sterling. Disgusting.

Mock NBA Lottery: Who Will Rise and Fall?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/744076-2011-nba-draft-projecting-the-lottery-how-far-will-kemba-walker-fall

Heat blow Game 2, can they recover?

(Photo Credit: http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2011/06/03/00/B82761810Z.1_20110603004142_000+G5U2QBH7E.1-0.skyboxwide.prod_affiliate.56.jpg)

Up 15 points with seven-plus minutes to play after a Dwyane Wade three-pointer, the Miami Heat looked well on their way to a 2-0 series lead and being a near-lock for the 2011 NBA title. My friend who was watching the game with me even went as far as to say, "This game is over" and many other people posted Facebook statuses proclaiming Miami champions of the world.

That last part may be a bit sarcastic, but as instantly as those statuses hit the Internet the Heat cooled down in a major way. Dallas went on an 8-0 run as Miami didn't score for three minutes, finally getting points on a pair of LeBron James free throws.

The Mavericks continued to clamp down on defense, forcing the Heat into bad offensive possessions with little ball movement and making them settle for deep jump shots as the shot clock ran down. A Jason Terry steal with a minute left led to a three-on-one fast break that ended with Dirk Nowitzki finishing over Chris Bosh to tie the game at 90.

The rest is history, as Nowitzki used a beautiful Tyson Chandler screen to make a wide-open three with 26 seconds left. But a defensive breakdown off of the ensuing inbounds pass left Mario Chalmers wide open to tie the game, which he did.

Nowitzki once again beat Bosh at the basket on the final possession and Dwyane Wade's desperation three-pointer at the buzzer hit back iron. With a 22-5 run in the final 7:13, the Mavericks kept their championship hopes alive. And by taking their foot off the gas pedal too soon, the Heat let a golden opportunity slip past them.

Some of you may be thinking that Dallas went up 2-0 at home on Miami in 2006 and lost the next four games, so it's crazy for me to say a 2-0 lead was impossible to overcome. I just didn't think Dallas could beat Miami three times in a row, even on their home court. Now they don't have to.

That's a huge boon to a team that relies on its bench for so much. I'm a firm believer that role players play better at home and Jose Juan Barea is a perfect example of that. If you don't believe me, check out the stats from his last four road playoff games and his last four home playoff games. It's a telling story, especially if you've watched him struggle in the first two games of this series.

Peja Stojakovic, another key bench player, didn't score a point in the two games in Miami. If Dallas can win on the road in impressive, comeback fashion with just their top five players playing well, are they really going to drop two out of three at home when they get their bench and their crowd going?

Miami is lucky the NBA Finals format is 2-3-2 rather than 2-2-1-1-1. If Dallas was going home for just two games, this series could easily be 3-1 heading back to South Beach. It's just difficult to convince me that any NBA team can beat James and Wade three straight times, home court or not.

Everything you heard before the series started and after Game 1 was about Miami and their new-found ability to close out games. But nobody was talking about Dallas' ability to do the same; they were the only other team in this year's playoffs to consistently close out opponents and take advantage when other teams didn't finish against them.

Yes, the Heat blew last night's game in epic fashion, but the Mavericks saw an opportunity present itself and took control on both ends of the court. Teams like Oklahoma City and Chicago didn't, because they aren't championship-caliber yet. Dallas is, and many people overlooked that fact heading into the series.

I heard many people saying the Heat were going to win this series in five games or even sweep Dallas, which proves that people were getting way too caught up in the Heatles hysteria. Miami is a great team that has beaten a bunch of really good teams so far, just like Dallas. Now, the only two great teams in this year's playoffs have a battle on their hands.

I didn't expect Dallas to steal a game in Miami and now that they have, the Heat will probably need seven games to close out the Mavericks unless they find a way to steal two in Dallas. I think the momentum from Game 2 will carry over enough for the Mavericks to take Game 3, but the Heat should bounce back in one of the following two games.

That means this series will go back to Miami 3-2 in favor of Mark Cuban's Mavs and I think whoever wins Game 6 will take the title. Which makes my revised prediction: Heat in 7 (Honorable Mention: Mavericks in 6).

Heat-Mavs, who wins?

(Photo credit: http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2011-05/61998195.jpg)

Both the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks have rolled through the playoffs, losing just three games and never once facing a deciding Game 7. In fact, only one of their six series, Dallas' first-round matchup with Portland, went longer than five games.

The Heat have two of the best, if not the best, perimeter players in the league in LeBron James and Dwyane Wade while the Mavericks have a player that nobody can guard in Dirk Nowitzki. While Miami also boasts Chris Bosh down low, Dallas can counter with future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd and other solid veterans like Jason Terry, Tyson Chandler and Shawn Marion.

The 2011 rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals will come down to starpower versus depth. The Heat have the Big Three and not much else, although the return of Udonis Haslem has been huge for Miami. The Mavericks have six players that could start for numerous NBA teams and that's not including the injured Caron Butler.

Despite rumors to the contrary over the past few weeks, Butler is unlikely to return for the Finals despite his best efforts. While having Butler back would have been a boon to the Mavs, they're playing so well right now that keeping him on the sidelines may be better for their chemistry.

Dallas is the one Western Conference team that can beat the Heat; the Thunder and Grizzlies were too young and the Spurs and Lakers too old. Dallas' stars may be older, but Nowitzki is still in his prime, Kidd is still a top-tier point guard and Terry is a player you cannot leave open. Add in J.J. Barea's energy off the bench and it's tough to discount Dallas in this series, as many are trying to do.

With that being said and as much as I want to pick Dallas to win, I just can't. Nowitzki will have to play the series of his life and, while he's been extremely efficient and there's no player on the Heat that can guard him, I don't see him scoring 40 points every game.

Dallas does have the advantage at three positions on the court, however, winning the point guard and center battle with Kidd and Chandler against Mike Bibby and Joel Anthony and the power forward matchup of Nowitzki and Bosh. That fact alone means this series will go at least six games, if not the distance.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the success each team has had closing games in these playoffs, especially after the struggles Miami had finishing during the regular season. Both teams stormed back from late deficits in the clinching games of the Conference Finals, albeit against young basketball teams unfamiliar with the art of fourth-quarter finishing. And both teams destroyed the past two NBA champions in the second round, representing a changing of the guard of sorts.

Both the Heat and Mavericks are peaking at the right time, play solid defense and have players that can carry the offensive load. Dallas has the experience and depth advantage, while Miami has the edge in athleticism and top-tier talent.

It should be a barn-burning series but the Heat will represent home-court and win the first of what seems likely to be many titles. Unless, of course, the Knicks get Chris Paul.

Prediction: Heat in 6

Who should Cleveland take with two top-four picks?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/705055-2011-nba-mock-draft-three-duos-the-cavaliers-would-love-to-draft

Who will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals?

(Photo Credit: http://nbcprobasketballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/heat_bulls-thumb-250x468-7824-thumb-250x468-7825.jpg?w=250&h=468)

With Chicago's decisive Game 6 victory over Atlanta last night, the Eastern Conference Finals are now set. When the playoffs began, I predicted the Heat would beat the Celtics and the Bulls would beat the Magic to set up a matchup between the top two seeds. I missed on the Magic, but at least I got the right winners.

The Heat has ridden the coattails of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh so far in the playoffs with little contributions from other sources. James Jones has provided solid three-point shooting off the bench for Miami, making 16 of his 36 attempts from long range in 10 playoff games.

Jones' shooting has been huge for Miami, as Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers have struggled from distance and Mike Miller and Eddie House have been non-factors. The Heat need somebody to stretch the floor and allow James and Wade to penetrate, particularly against Chicago's stout interior defense. It doesn't matter which of the aforementioned guys step up, as long as one does.

Many will point to the Bulls' defensive prowess as a reason they will win this series, as well as their 3-0 record against Miami in the regular season. Let's not forget that the Celtics were 3-1 against the Heat in the regular season and the last time I checked, that didn't matter in the Eastern semifinals.

Throw out the regular-season numbers; they're meaningless. But the Bulls defense is legitimate. They have allowed less than 88 points per game so far in the playoffs, while the Heat has allowed slightly less than 89. It's not just Chicago that can play defense.

Offensively is where the Heat have a serious advantage, with James and Wade patrolling the perimeter. League MVP Derrick Rose is the offensive focal point for the Bulls, but he will need to improve his abysmal 41.8 percent playoff shooting for Chicago to have a chance. Rose has been held below 40 percent from the field in five of the Bulls' 11 games so far this postseason.

Many questioned Rose's true MVP merits despite him garnering a large percentage of the voting, but I didn't. Then again, Rose shot 44.5 percent during the regular season and considering his scoring volume and questionable offensive supporting cast, I thought that was a respectable enough number to warrant MVP candidacy.

But 41.8 is not. It's tough for me to see Rose improving on that number against a Miami defense that is far tougher than Orlando's or Atlanta's. They may lack a point guard that can contain Rose, but I think Dwyane Wade will end up spending a lot of time guarding the MVP. Wade is a much better defender than anybody Rose has seen in the playoffs so far and it wouldn't surprise me one bit to see him shoot under 40 percent in this series.

If that happens, the Bulls have no chance. I understand they have a big size advantage down low with Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah and that they out-rebounded Miami by over 10 boards per game in their three meetings this season. I said throw out the regular-season statistics, but that is one that may stick. And it will be Chicago's only chance to win this series.

I expect a lot of missed shots from Rose and considering the Bulls lack of shooters around him, with the exception of Kyle Korver and Luol Deng (who is shooting under 30 percent on three-pointers in the playoffs), Chicago may struggle to crack 90 points consistently, which they have done in seven of their 11 playoff games.

Unless Boozer and Noah crash the offensive boards hard and clean up their teammates' missed opportunities, long cold spells will be the norm for the Bulls' offense. If that's the case, this one could be over quickly.

The series will likely be played in the 80s, with any team who reaches 90 points looking good to win. Unless Rose can get back to his regular-season efficiency levels I don't think the Bulls can muster that many points in more than one or two games this series, while the Heat have two great scoring options in James and Wade and a third player in Bosh that has the potential to put up points as well.

The Heat was my favorite to come out of the East before the playoffs started and nothing I've seen in the two rounds since has changed my opinion. The Bulls have struggled through the first two rounds against inferior opponents, while the Heat just dispatched a veteran Celtics team in five games.

Miami was down late in Game 5 and it looked like Boston would steal the game and go back home looking to tie the series. But the Heat did something they've struggled to all season; close out a game late, led by James. If Miami has truly conquered that issue, they won't lose this series. I think they have.

Prediction: Miami wins, 4-2

Lakers shot at three-peat losing steam

(photo courtesy of nbareporter.com)

It's been a while since I wrote about the NBA playoffs, pretty much ever since the Knicks were knocked out. I've been watching, but it's been as an impartial observer and someone who doesn't really care. Until now.

For the record, I thought the Grizzlies would beat the Spurs in the West and face the Thunder in the second round (you probably don't believe me). I also thought the Trail Blazers would knock off Dallas before losing to the Lakers, setting up an Oklahoma City-Los Angeles Western Conference Finals.

Now, the possibility still exists for a Memphis-Dallas series in the next round, as the Grizzlies stole Game 1 in Oklahoma City and have home-court advantage against the Thunder. Dallas, meanwhile, took the first two games in Los Angeles and put the Lakers in the precarious position of having to win two games on the road to come back in the series; and that's if they hold home court when they head back to Staples Center.

Much has been made of the Lakers' inability to hit jump shots in the first two games of the series, but their chemistry has been lacking on both ends of the floor. Kobe Bryant has taken 49 shots in the series and dished out just three assists while the frontcourt of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom has been inconsistent.

Bynum had just eight points in Game 1, Odom had just six points last night and Gasol is averaging just 14 points per game in the series after scoring just 13.5 per game against the Hornets. Everybody thought when the Lakers showed vulnerability in their opening-round series that they would be able to flip the switch for this series. It hasn't happened.

While their frontcourt has struggled, their backcourt has shown its age. Bryant isn't as young and spry as he once was and Derek Fisher is a fossil. Jason Kidd is no spring chicken himself but he still competes defensively and does a great job of finding teammates in positions where they can be successful. Sprinkle in the youthful energy of J.J. Barea (who has a hot girlfriend) and the Lakers have had issues containing the Dallas backcourt.

Magic Johnson tweeted that the Lakers' chances of coming back are slim and he's right. I do remember the 2006 NBA Finals when Dallas won the first two games, albeit at home, against the Heat only to four straight. But this is a fundamentally different Mavericks team thanks to one player: Tyson Chandler.

Before coming to Dallas in the off-season, Chandler thought the Mavericks were "soft." He has certainly changed that and, as one of the NBA's few true centers, his impact has been felt on both ends of the floor. While the vaunted Lakers' big men have struggled, Chandler and Brendan Haywood have provided the interior presence Dallas has been missing over the past few seasons.

As a Knicks fan, I've stated my desires for Chandler in the Big Apple numerous times. The impact he could have on the Knicks would be very similar to the one he's had for Mark Cuban's squad. But if Dallas continues past the Lakers and gets back to the NBA Finals, possibly for a 2006 rematch with Miami, I'm not sure they'll be so willing to let Chandler go.

Speaking of the Heat, they have the Celtics in an 0-2 hole as well. Boston, however, gets to go back home while the Lakers have to hit the road. I thought Miami would be the team to come out of the East before the playoffs started and nothing I've seen through their first seven games has changed my thoughts.

The Heat are clicking at the right time; it only took the entire season. But everybody knows how meaningless won-loss records and the NBA regular season as a whole is; it amounts to one long, grueling practice for the playoffs, when real basketball begins. And I'm going to continue to enjoy the ride even with the Knicks watching from home.

There's no crying in basketball! Or is there?

(photo courtesy of hoopstopia.com)

After their fourth straight loss Sunday against the Bulls at home, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra admitted in a post-game interview that some players were crying in the locker room. Since those words were uttered, there has been speculation abound about what Spoelstra said.

Some people don't believe the Heat players were crying; they seem to think Spoelstra went into that interview with a gameplan to deceive the media and say his players were crying as some sort of posturing technique.

Today, Spoelstra said nobody was "whimpering" and there were no "guys with heads down." He blamed the media for taking his statement out of proportion. This doesn't seem like posturing to me and if you're going to say your million-dollar professional athletes were crying in the locker room, you have to expect some backlash.

I understand the Heat is unhappy. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are not players that want to be hated. They may respond well to boos and the mockery of opponents like Dwight Howard but deep down, these guys want to be embraced for doing one thing: Winning.

That's something they haven't done lately and something they haven't done consistently all season against good teams. In four games at home against winning teams since the new year, Miami is 0-4. They led in all four games and lost each by five or less points.

This team still has some chemistry issues and they struggle in last-shot situations, as seen by the fact they have missed 13 straight shots in the final 10 seconds that could have tied the game or given their team the lead. But the bigger issue to me is: Were these guys really crying?!?

The last time I remember a player crying after a loss was Adam Morrison when Gonzaga was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in 2006. While I hated on Morrison's emotional outburst at the time and still do, at least he was reacting to his team's season ending. Regardless, this was just one more reason why his talents never translated to the NBA; you can't be soft.

Whoever was crying in the Heat locker room should be ashamed. You play 82 regular-season games in the NBA; no individual game means more than any other, regardless of streaks or quality of opponent.

While that is a blanket statement that some people would disagree with, it's hard to disagree with the statement that you should never be crying after a regular-season loss. These guys have played hundreds of essentially meaningless basketball games in their lives and this one loss drives them to tears? What a joke.

I understand the Heat is frustrated with their inability to close games against contending teams, both at home and on the road. But crying your eyes out in the locker room isn't going to solve anything; if anything, it tells me that you're soft.

Teams with soft players don't win championships, especially if James, Wade or Bosh, their "leaders," were the ones perpetuating the waterworks. If Miami doesn't grab a box of Kleenex soon, they could be in trouble: Their next seven games are against playoff-caliber basketball teams.

Maybe this incident will be a turning point for this team. Maybe they will use this negative attention to come out and start closing games in the fourth quarter. Maybe we will look back at this in May and laugh while the Heat take the NBA title.

But it's more likely that we will witness Miami players crying after they lose in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. I already had my doubts about this team, how they compare to other contenders and their ability to handle adversity. After "Crygate," those doubts have been magnified tenfold.

Nets get Williams: Better than Knicks' trade for 'Melo?

(photo courtesy of newyork.sbnation.com)

After failing to land Carmelo Anthony the Nets still moved Devin Harris and Derrick Favors for an NBA star, stealing point guard Deron Williams from Utah. Williams is apparently unhappier about going to New Jersey than he was playing for Jerry Sloan, which could mean many things.

But first, let's go to what the Nets gave up. Harris, Favors, two first-round picks (New Jersey's this year and Golden State's this year) and $3 million. Compare this to what the Knicks gave up for Anthony and Mikhail Prokhorov looks like a genius.

Prokhorov will look like a fool, however, if Williams' unhappiness doesn't change and he refuses to re-sign with the Nets after next season. In that case, could he possibly head to New York to team up with Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire?

As a Knicks fan, I would have rather traded Felton (comparable to Harris), Gallinari (comparable to Favors) and two or three draft picks for Williams. The Knicks could've kept players like Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, Anthony Randolph and a pick or two and gotten a player on the same level, if not better, than Anthony. Yes, the Knicks got Chauncey Billups as well, but he is not in the team's long-term plans.

Williams is better than Anthony in my opinion; anybody who read my 10-player list of stars better than Anthony knows this. To get a better player and give up less seems like a no-brainer, but the major issue with this deal is a disgruntled Williams.

After rumors that Williams forced Sloan out of Utah nobody expected him to be traded before the deadline, but the Jazz didn't want to be held hostage like the Nuggets were in the Anthony situation. It's hard to blame Utah for making the move and they got a solid return, but nobody cares about the Jazz anyway.

As for the Nets, they now have themselves a star for the next season and a half. But they won't win or even make the playoffs in that time and if Williams won't re-sign, they may have to trade him at this time next year or watch him walk away to New York or elsewhere for nothing.

Regardless of what happens, this has probably been the most interesting NBA trading deadline in recent memory. I'm not sure I can think of another recent deadline that has seen two of the top 10-12 players in the league change addresses. Especially when they both could end up in one place...

Carmelo Anthony: Not a Top Ten NBA Player

The Nuggets' latest offer of three starters for Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups is ridiculous, considering Anthony really isn't the superstar many claim him to be. If you're interested as to why, check out this slideshow I posted on Bleacher Report.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/611121-ten-nba-players-better-than-carmelo-anthony

As always, comments and disagreements are more than welcome.

Do professional athletes have more power than coaches and executives?

(photo courtesy of swarmandsting.com)

The longest-tenured head coach in sports is no more. After 23 years with the Utah Jazz, Jerry Sloan and one of his assistants, Phil Johnson, have resigned. There have been rumors that All-Star point guard Deron Williams forced Sloan out and I hope they aren't true.

Williams is one of my favorite NBA players; after all, I have an affinity towards do-it-all point guards. It's nothing new for coaches and stars to have disagreements, that's part of the business and any coach-star player relationship. But if Sloan called a play and Williams changed it, that can't be happening.

That led to a heated halftime exchange and according to a source was the last straw for Sloan, who denied any such rumors. Sloan's relationship with Williams had also been rumored to be strained over the past few weeks and at age 68, the coach just had enough. Allegedly.

The energy that Sloan had early in his career just wasn't there, which is to be expected after 23 seasons, and that's why he said he's stepped down. I believe it, and I'd also like to believe that's the Sloan that Williams wanted to play for; not a tired old man who lacked the passion that was evident in the days of John Stockton and Karl Malone.

Regardless of the specifics, this situation is indicative of a growing trend in the NBA; a trend that may turn into a problem somewhat soon.

In today's association, players now seem to have more power than coaches and executives. Case in point: Carmelo Anthony forcing the Nuggets' hand in Denver and the Williams-Sloan situation in Utah.

In Utah, Williams won; whether he wanted the new Sloan or no Sloan, those were his only choices. Replacement Ty Corbin won't be able to control Williams to the level Sloan could or provide this team better leadership than Sloan. That now falls on Williams, who I think can embrace this.

In Denver, if Anthony is dealt by the trade deadline in less than two weeks he will also have won - essentially choosing where he wants to play rather than playing where he was drafted (a la Eli Manning forcing the Chargers to trade him).

I hate Manning for that move but I likely won't hate Anthony for two reasons; he played where he was drafted for years, unlike Manning, and he might go to the Knicks. Call me a hypocrite, I dare you.

This isn't just a problem in the NBA either; just look at Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals. Pujols wants a new contract and if he doesn't get it before spring training, he will test the free agent waters. That doesn't mean he won't end up re-signing in St. Louis, but nobody wants their star hitting free agency; especially in baseball where a handful of teams have more money than everybody else.

We all understand that sports are a business, but it seems the players are beginning to run that business. And this is an issue that will only get worse as time goes on because no team, in any league, can win without its best players. Stars are finally starting to realize that and abuse the leverage they do have.

LeBron James: So easy to hate, but so tough to hate his game

(photo courtesy of slumz.boxden.com)

Did Dwight Howard think mocking LeBron James' pre-game routine was smart? Either that or he just didn't care if the Magic won or not last night. Because when you give LeBron James extra motivation, it NEVER works out in your favor.

James came into last night struggling with his mid-range and outside game this season. Against the likes of Hedo Turkoglu and Earl Clark, he found his touch.

James hit his first 11 shots, shot 17-for-25 (3-for-5 on three-pointers) and scored 51 points, only the fourth player in the last season in a half to hit the mark. He added 11 rebounds and eight assists, coming just two helpers short of the first triple-double in a 50-point game since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975.

As much as I despise James as a human being, not for choosing Miami over New York but because of the media spectacle that was "The Decision" and the way he bailed on Cleveland in the playoffs and in the offseason, he is still the NBA's ultimate competitor (is that sentence hypocritical?). And when you inspire a player like that, watch out!

James didn't waste much time showing Howard he screwed up, as he scored 23 of Miami's 30 points in the first quarter. The Magic, like most teams, had no answer for James when his jumper was falling. The guy can get to the hoop against anybody in the NBA; you have to give him space.

If Howard just stayed quiet before the game, James wouldn't have scored 51 points; of that I am certain. In what turned into a great game that Orlando has a chance to tie in with nine seconds left after being down 90-69 with 6:15 left, a few of those points would have made one hell of a difference.

Tripodi's Top Teams: NBA Style

By request and my own general interest in basketball, here is the first edition of Tripodi's Top Teams for the NBA.

The Elite (top title contenders)

1. Boston Celtics (28-9): Boston has beaten Miami both times they've played this season, but that was before the light bulb seemed to click for the Heat. But those head-to-head matchups (they play twice more if anybody was curious) and the league's top scoring defense put Boston at the top. In a league where you need two superstars to win a title, the Celtics have four. No other team can make that claim.

2. Miami Heat (30-9): The Heat are hot right now (sorry for the bad pun), having lost just once since December 1. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh have found the offensive chemistry they needed and Miami allows just 92.2 points per game on defense, second only to Boston. The Celtics-Heat rematch in Boston on February 14 will be much anticipated.

3. San Antonio Spurs (32-6): Say all you want about their recent road losses in New York and Boston, as they still have three fewer losses than any other team in the NBA. But San Antonio's defense this season is not up to par with recent history and while they are a better regular season team right now than they have been, I'm not sure this style of Spurs basketball is playoff-tested.

4. Los Angeles Lakers (28-11): Bad recent losses to Milwaukee and Memphis at home raise red flags, but once this team gets used to playing with Andrew Bynum back in the lineup again they have way too much talent to keep out of the title picture, especially if Kobe Bryant is rested for the playoffs.

5. Orlando Magic (25-12): After losing to Atlanta and Dallas in their first two games after re-acquiring Hedo Turkoglu along with Jason Richardson and Earl Clark, the Magic have won nine straight including wins over San Antonio, Boston, New York and Dallas. If Turkoglu can continue his strong play this team has legitimate title hopes.

6. Dallas Mavericks (26-10): They've struggled with Dirk Nowitzki on the shelf, but take away any team's best player outside of Boston and maybe Miami and they will struggle too. With a healthy Nowitzki this team is on the title radar, but Caron Butler's injury will hurt this team more than many think.

On the Cusp (not quite title-worthy, but capable of winning a series)

7. Chicago Bulls (25-12): The combination of Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer is an excellent 1-2 punch and along with Luol Deng and Joakim Noah when he returns from injury, this team is very legit. I'm just not sure Rose is ready to lead them to an NBA title in 2011.

8. Oklahoma City Thunder (25-13): Kevin Durant is already one of the league's top players and Russell Westbrook is stating his case with his improvement this season. I love this team's young nucleus but they're still a year away; in 2012 they will be part of the elite group.

9. Utah Jazz (25-13): Deron Williams is finally having the season that many (including myself) were expecting 2-3 years ago. The Jazz are strong inside with Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, who have made the loss of Carlos Boozer a wash. I'm just not sure they can compete with the West's top three teams.

10. New York Knicks (22-15): The Knicks could very possibly be out in the first round depending on who they match up with, but New York is finally buzzing about basketball with the outstanding play of Amar'e Stoudemire, Raymond Felton and Wilson Chandler. Depending what they may have to give up in a trade, this team could take a step into the elite class if they get Carmelo Anthony. And if they don't 2012 may be their season, like the Thunder above.

11. Atlanta Hawks (25-14): This team will regret the contract they gave Joe Johnson, who can't be the lead guy on a title-contending team. But they have enough talent around him with guys like Josh Smith, Al Horford and Mike Bibby to make the second round. And if Marvin Williams ever puts it all together...

First-round exits

12. New Orleans Hornets (22-16): Chris Paul is great and David West is a very solid player, but this team lacks the star power and the depth to make a legitimate run in the West. They're easily a playoff team, but a first-round exit seems likely.

13. Denver Nuggets (21-16): Carmelo Anthony's status is a major question mark for this team and the likelihood of a trade keeps them out of the top 10. If Melo stays in Denver for the season, this team will see a bump forward.

Other playoff contenders

14. Portland Trail Blazers (20-19): LaMarcus Aldridge is having a career season and while Wesley Matthews has performed admirably in his stead, Brandon Roy's multiple knee injuries will keep this team from hitting its potential.

15. Memphis Grizzlies (17-21): Based on talent alone, Memphis has one of the league's better rosters. And they did just beat the Lakers on the road, so they can play with anybody.

16. Houston Rockets (17-21): Similar to Memphis, the Rockets just went into Boston and beat the Celtics by six. But that was after losing five in a row to contending teams. A healthy Yao Ming would have really helped this team this season.

17. Milwaukee Bucks (14-21): They are tied with Charlotte for the eighth seed in the East but anytime you can combine a young point guard like Brandon Jennings with a big man like Andrew Bogut, you're in business. This team has enough role players to get the job done but is still a year or two away from being a serious contender unless Jennings develops quickly.

18. Charlotte Bobcats (14-21): The play of D.J. Augustin has softened the blow of losing Raymond Felton somewhat and while this team has some nice pieces, they don't have that go-to superstar that championship contenders need.

19. Indiana Pacers (15-20): It's obvious you're not that good when you don't have a set lineup or rotation, and this team will be easy picking for a top seed if they get in. After a 9-7 start, they have gone 6-13 and will be lucky to hold onto a playoff spot. Darren Collison hasn't taken the leap forward many expected and Danny Granger can't do it all.

20. Los Angeles Clippers (12-24): Surprised? Don't be. The Clippers are 7-3 since a 5-21 start and have a great young cast led by Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon. Baron Davis is finally realizing his diminishing skill set and is enjoying his nightly spot on the highlight reel feeding alley-oops to Griffin. They are young but they're only 6.5 games behind an eighth-seeded Portland team that's trending in the wrong direction. Crazier things have happened.

LeBron may be a prick, but he's also pretty good

I know everyone is probably sick of ESPN's oversaturation of LeBron James' return to Cleveland last night but all that coverage actually made me watch the game. And I don't make it a point to watch an NBA game that doesn't involve the Knicks. Ever. I'd take a random college game any day - like Duke and Michigan State the other night where the next stud to come out of Duke, Kyrie Irving, absolutely went off. But that's neither here nor there.

The first question on people's minds was whether LeBron was going to do his chalk toss. And I think it's obvious he was; if he didn't, that would mean he was going out of his way to change his routine based on the circumstances and that he was scared. James proved he wasn't scared by doing the toss and by what he did on the court.

Obviously the man got booed when he was introduced, but I love the fact that Cleveland fans gave former Cav Zydrunas Ilgauskas a huge cheer. LeBron was also booed every time he touched the ball in the early part of the game, but once the Heat opened up a huge lead the fans seemed to get lazy. Not that it was realistic to expect them to boo every time he touched the ball for the entire game anyway.

On a non-basketball note, I enjoyed some of the signs and shirts seen in the crowd. The Lyin' King with a quote saying LeBron wouldn't stop until he brought Cleveland a championship? Amazing. I'm just disappointed no one had a shirt or sign (that I saw) playing off his "What should I do" commercial. Even South Park touched on that, come on Cleveland.

LeBron's first half was nice; 14 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Many predicted before the game (and I was one) that he would play great; scoring 30+ points or putting up a triple-double. I was thinking triple-double and his first-half performance didn't change that. But James grabbed just one rebound the rest of the way.

Instead, James scored 24 points in the third quarter. He came out of halftime scorching hot and every time he put up a shot in the quarter, I thought it was going in. Even when he sprinted towards the baseline, staring at a cameraman, came to a jump-stop and turned in midair, finally looking at the hoop. The resulting shot hit nothing but twine and if it wasn't already painstakingly clear that James was thriving off of the crowd's hatred and hostility, that shot was the dagger.

By the way, Miami won by 28 and was ahead by 30 after three quarters. James sat the whole fourth quarter and if he hadn't, I think he would've put up 50 on his old squad. But he had nothing left to prove at that point and I'm glad Erik Spoelstra kept him on the bench; it prevented him from completely showing up the fans he once loved to play for and kept James and other players safe. Who knows what drunk Clevelanders were willing to throw on the court at that point.

So what did we learn? We learned that LeBron James is really, really good at basketball and that he can thrive off the scorn of others. As much as I still hate LeBron, he proved himself right. He left the Cavs because he didn't think his supporting cast was good enough and they sure looked overmatched last night.

I will still bash "The Decision" and how LeBron exited Cleveland. But it's obvious that he left to play with better players and no matter how much the 12-8 Heat have "struggled" this season, they're a lock for the playoffs. And last night was probably the most complete game they have played all season.

Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and the rest of his Heat teammates knew what this game meant to LeBron and they came out and performed. Wade almost had a triple-double himself (22 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists). I'm not saying this game is going to turn the Heat into a top three team in the East right now, but it proves that by the end of the season they will be a tough out in the playoffs.

It's not what many expected; predictions of 72-plus wins and a challenge to the 1995-96 Bulls record were asinine. And this game really doesn't prove much since Miami has been killing bad teams all season; it's hard to play a team that has the three best players on the court. But when the Heat play teams (like Boston) that have players at the top to match the Big 3, they have struggled. And that will continue.

It's not time to overreact to one good game against a poor opponent and say the Heat are about to go on a roll. But this game shows the potential of this team if they can come together and if Wade and LeBron can coexist. But what we did learn last night is that LeBron James is still a great basketball player. And yes, he's still a scumbag.

Celtics still the class of the East

The Lakers lost their first game of last season on the road. By 16. To the Clippers. They also won their second straight NBA title.

Everyone is panicking that the Heat lost a close game on the road to the best team in their conference. Miami played terribly and yet, it was a 3-point game before Ray Allen's huge three-pointer in the final minute.

The "Big 3" of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh combined for just 52 points on 48 shots and if they don't get 65-70 points every night, the Heat just aren't going to win a title (they may not even if they do). But don't forget Wade missed most of the preseason and these guys are all used to being the number-one option. For anyone who thought this wasn't going to take time, this is your proof that it will.

But let's also give the Celtics some credit. They were the Big 3 before Miami signed James and Bosh and have become the Big 4; it's hard not to include Rajon Rondo, who somehow dominates games (17 assists) with no jump shot or consistent scoring ability. He's amazing and is easily Boston's most valuable player.

The Celtics have four players (outside of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett) that would start for Miami over Joel Anthony and Carlos Arroyo: Rondo, Shaquille O'Neal, Glen Davis and Nate Robinson . Yes, I'm saying that the Celtics have seven players better than Miami's fourth best and I can't say that changes even when Mike Miller returns.

That's why Boston won last night. Miami had three of the four best players on the court (I'd take Rondo and maybe even Pierce over Bosh all day), but Boston had the next six. Last I checked, 3-on-7 doesn't add up.

As the season wears on and the Heat develop actual chemistry, they will still be one of the two or three best teams in the Eastern Conference (they already are now). But right now it's clear that the Celtics are better and that won't change much in the year 2010.

The year 2011 may prove different, as Miami gets used to their new look and age potentially catches up with Boston. But people have been expecting a Celtics decline for a couple of years now and it still hasn't happened; they were just a few minutes away from winning another NBA title last year.

Miami may look great on paper, but Boston looks great on the court. To be the best you've got to beat the best and until the Heat can do that, the Celtics are still the Eastern Conference's best TEAM.

LeBron's a Yankee fan...are they now similar?

(Submitted by Josh Carey)

I finally get it.

For as long as I've been able to self-identify with a sports team as a "fan", I have supported the New York Yankees. Growing up in Upstate New York in the 90s meant the team was everywhere. Restaurant promotions to television coverage - it was focused on the Yankees. When Derek Jeter showed up and joined "good guys" like Paul O'Neill and Don Mattngly (and later Tino Martinez), with a shutdown bullpen featuring the likes of John Wetteland and Mariano Rivera... it was impossible for me not to throw my support behind the Bronx Bombers.

I also grew to understand why much of the rest of the country hated my team. It was hard for me to empathize with, even if I understood. The Yankees spent more money on free agents, were the first to create a dedicated TV network, made Johnny Damon cut his hair... okay, I think Steinbrenner did us a favor on that one. But while I could understand the gripes, I could never fully grasp the hatred. The Yankees merely are in the biggest market in the world: It's not their fault they have the most money, and I'm glad, as a fa
n, they're spending it to improve the team. The 2009 World Championship was no less sweeter because it was anchored by CC Sabathia, Mark Teixiera, and Alex Rodriguez than the "home grown" 1998 title.

So I was never able to truly comprehend the hatred for the Yankees - until last night.

As "King" James sat elevated on his throne above the masses in a Connecticut gymnasium - engaging in a self-promotional, ego-stroking television "special" of his own making - and shoved the knife into the heart of Cleveland sports fans, I understood how someone could have such a venomous hatred for a sports figure.

I have experienced dislike for sports figures before, of course. To this day I believe Kobe Bryant to be a rapist and will never be able to root for him on the court as a result. Sean Avery is a goon who has no business being in a hockey rink. I will never forgive Eli Manning for his refusal to play for San Diego and was willing to root for the "evil" Patriots in 2008 rather than see him receive a Super Bowl ring.

But none of those compare to the burning, seething hated I have to see LeBron James not just lose, but be humiliated. I want to see him utterly destroyed on the basketball court, humiliated, and forced to hang his head in shame. I would have been mostly indifferent if LeBron had simply announced a press conference, said he was leaving the Cavs for the Heat, and thanked the fans of Cleveland for their support over the last seven years.

Instead, LeBron chose to engage in a self-serving promotional orgy where he told Cavalier fans they should be grateful for everything he has given them and he has no desire to have to put up 30 every night to win.

Michael Jordan would go out trying to score 40 with the flu if the stakes were high enough. We know this because he did it. That is the mark of a great player. LeBron has shown he's not willing to work even half that hard for a championship. Were this the case, LeBron would have taken opportunities in Chicago or New York where he could combined with solid supporting casts to compete for a title. Instead, he will do everything he can to play second fiddle to Dewayne Wade.

And as with anything in life, I can forgive if you try and fail. I can not forgive refusing to even try. And for that not only do I think LeBron and company will fail, but I actively hope he will. I will tune in to Heat games next season - despite previously having almost no interest in the NBA regular season - not to see two of the best three players in the league and perhaps two of the best twenty of all time, but to see LeBron James fail. Every success will be greeted by a boo.
Every failure with a cheer. Today, I am more a fan of the Cavs than I ever was when James was on the team.

And thus I understand how the Yankees can be so despised. While I still disagree with the institution of hating "the Yankees" (the team's management is merely playing by the rules established for all teams), I can understand how someone can hate Alex Rodriguez for always chasing the money and using performance-enhancing drugs to get where he is. And I can understand wanting to tune in every single night to see if he loses and is humiliated. Because with any luck, that very thing will happen to LeBron James.

The King is dead. All that's left is a shell of a man who refuses to strive for greatness.

LeBron shows true colors and they are UGLY

This is not going to be a blog post bashing LeBron James (okay, maybe there will be some bashing). However, this WILL be a blog post discussing the ins-and-outs of his decision, the ramifications for the league and my personal opinion on what the ultimate ramifications of "The Decision" will be for LeBron, the Heat, the Cavaliers and the NBA as a whole.

I would like to start by saying that I was a HUGE fan of LeBron James when he first came into the league. I thought his game was naturally unselfish and that he was the ultimate team basketball player. When he was double-teamed in the final seconds of a playoff game and passed the ball to Donyell Marshall for a wide-open three-pointer (that Marshall missed), James was called out by the results-oriented media for passing up the last shot.

But his response landed in my Facebook profile under "favorite quotes." The response was, "I go for the winning play. The winning play when two guys come at you and a teammate is open is to give it up. It's as simple as that."

If I wasn't already a huge LeBron fan, this made me one. What a radical way of thinking in today's NBA, that even when double-teamed a superstar should find an open teammate for a shot that a teammate hits 40 percent of the time for the win. Somebody did scientific research after the fact based on shooting percentages from where Marshall was and where LeBron was to prove that James' decision to pass indeed had a higher positive expectation for winning than if he had taken the shot himself. And he never backed down from his stance that his decision was right and he would do it again in a heartbeat. ULTIMATE RESPECT.

The irony of this situation is now that James resides in Miami, he will be giving up the last shot most of the time to Dwyane Wade. Wade is a better pure scorer than LeBron, whose freakish athleticism allows him to get to the basket almost at will. But at the end of the game, the lane tightens up and we've seen before that James is unable to consistently deliver game-winning shots from mid-range or long distance (I know, he's hit a few ridiculous threes, but those are more luck than anything). Wade has a more polished offensive repertoire, is a better shooter and just finds more ways to score than James, which is what you need when the seconds are ticking off the clock.

Wade will have the ball in his hands at the end of the game. He is the league's second-best closer behind Kobe Bryant and if James' ridiculously large ego can accept ceding at least 80 percent of the final shots in important games, this situation might work very well. This is DWYANE WADE'S TEAM and anybody who thinks any differently is a fool.

How will LeBron handle playing second fiddle (or 1B to Wade's 1A)? That remains to be seen, but I think we can all envision some speed bumps arising along the way, despite the fact that James, Wade and Chris Bosh (who somehow hasn't been mentioned until right now) are great friends. But the real question is what will piggybacking off of Wade and Bosh do to LeBron's legacy?

I find it very difficult to say anything besides this: LeBron James will NEVER be mentioned anything but sarcastically in the same breath as Michael Jordan again. Hell, he shouldn't even be in the same discussion as Kobe Bryant. I know Kobe had Shaq for his first three titles but he wanted to do it on his own, as the unquestioned leader of his team. He had that desire, that will to win and be the man. The Lakers have built around him and Kobe has delivered consecutive titles as the team's unquestioned leader (for anybody who says Pau Gasol was the MVP of that series, quit it). But that's a discussion for another post.

By joining Wade and Bosh in Miami, LeBron will never be the unquestioned leader and will have to share Finals MVP awards if this team does contend for multiple titles. Jordan won 6 titles and 6 Finals MVP's. Kobe has 5 titles and 2 MVP's (Shaq has the other 3). Even if James wins 5 titles in 5 years with Miami, he won't win more than 2 or 3 Finals MVP's. Then he will be 31 and might try to build his own separate legacy elsewhere, when his freakish athleticism will be diminished post-prime and will actually have to work hard at perfecting certain parts of his game, like Bryant has. I'm not sure I see it.

For as cocky as LeBron is, I can't believe he didn't chose to be THE GUY in either Cleveland, Chicago or New York. Maybe this decision shows a subsiding ego, but I'll believe that when I see it. He wants to ball with his friends. He's shying away from the potential spotlight (New York) and the possibility of failure somewhere (Cleveland). He made a SELFISH decision and will forever be looked at as a pansy. A wuss. A scared little girl who couldn't win on his own and had to piggyback off his super-talented friends. If you couldn't already tell, LeBron has lost all my respect.

Not that he cares. He just wants to win and he's willing to take less money to do it with his friends. Did they have this plan in place when they signed their contracts like they did after the 2003 draft? Or was it the Olympics that sealed the deal if they could get all of their salaries to fit? I smell a rat and this was definitely in the plans of all three players involved for much longer than most people might think.

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was obviously not pleased with LeBron's decision, calling it a "cowardly betrayal" and stating the Cavs would win a title before the "self-titled former King" does. I love the anger and enthusiasm, but that last statement is beyond blasphemous. Cleveland will not touch a title while James, Wade and Bosh are in Miami and that's just a clear fact. Sorry Cavs fans, but your Chosen One screwed you over.

On that note, how do you get drafted number one overall by your hometown team, lead them to great regular-season success (but no title) and then unceremoniously leave to play with your friends like it's a schoolyard pickup game. I'm on Gilbert's side when he calls this a "cowardly betrayal."

"Oh we have 8 guys, let's just play 3-on-5. LeBron, Dwayne and Chris versus you five." And that's essentially what will happen in Miami with their lack of cap space, unless veterans decide to come and take less money for a shot at what might be a guaranteed championship (given full health for the new Big Three). I've already heard Shaq's name floated around in rumors of a return to Miami and I'm sure more will come in the next few days and weeks.

Chicago will still be very good without LeBron, as adding Carlos Boozer alongside Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng will make them one of the top four teams in the East along with Boston, Orlando and obviously Miami. Cleveland might not even make the playoffs but the Knicks, well, that's another story.

The Knicks will still suck, which annoys me as a Knicks fan. But while all my friends are disappointed LeBron didn't come, I'm not. I would've preferred Wade in all honesty, as my former love affair for LeBron has turned in recent seasons. He's a selfish prima donna who is all about self-promotion and "The Decision" last night (both the show and the actual choice) prove that much. I'm glad he's not coming to New York and I'm glad I said he wasn't coming from the start. I'm in no way shocked or disappointed. As I said in my first free agency post, if you expect nothing you will never be disappointed. And I'm not.

At least now I don't have to worry about all the bandwagoners that would've been all about the Knicks if LeBron came. At least now I can enjoy my likely-still-terrible hometown team in peace with the other die-hards. But then again, bandwagon fans only exist when teams are successful. Would I rather root for a winner and deal with frontrunners (like I do with the Yankees and hate three-quarters of my team's fans) or root for a loser with the other crazy nutjobs? I guess I'd rather have my team succeed, but maybe Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony will come next year to become the second Axis power of the Eastern Conference and dethrone the Heat (and any other team in the conference).

This has been a very long post and I swear I'll end it soon, but first I have a question: Are the now-loaded Heat good or bad for the NBA? Is the league better with obvious villains that everybody else wants to beat, or is it better when the competitive balance is slightly less swayed?

I'm not sure the Heat stacking up is necessarily a good thing for the NBA, but I do know that no NBA championship is guaranteed. The Lakers may only have one player better than Miami's third best, but their depth will keep them in serious title discussion assuming the Heat fill out their roster with minimally-productive veterans and inexperienced rookies. Boston has one season left to show me they can compete, but it will tough considering their "Big Three" is nowhere near their prime while Miami's is. Although Miami's triumvirate doesn't include Rajon Rondo, one of my favorites who gets better every season and is the best player on the Celtics roster. Orlando? Chicago? Nope, sorry, not this year.

It all comes down to what players are willing to piggyback to Miami (like LeBron) for a title. I have a feeling their roster after the top three won't look so bad and if they add solid role players and stay healthy, they are easily favorites to win the NBA title. Hey LeBron, you may finally get your ring! Only you'll have to split it three ways and it comes at the price of the legacy you could've built in New York or Cleveland (screw Chicago, that's Jordan's legacy). Only James will know if this "sacrifice" will make him happy in the end. Because the only fun way to be a pansy is to be a happy one and now we all know now that LeBron truly is a bitch (excuse my language).

And I lied, this ended up being a post bashing LeBron. So sorry...NOT!

Could LeBron end up a Knick after all?

Anybody who has discussed NBA free agency with me knows that I have been skeptical about LeBron James coming to New York from the day the Knicks started clearing cap space to make a big splash this summer. I thought there were just as many reasons for him to stay in Cleveland (money, past success, hometown) or play somewhere else like Chicago (better roster), Miami (play with Dwayne Wade) or New Jersey (ties to Jay-Z) than go to New York to play in the World's Most Famous Arena.

And as a Knicks fan, I didn't want to get myself too excited over the idea of James coming to New York, only to have my hopes dashed when he decided to go elsewhere. This follows one of my most important life mantras: Except nothing and you will never be disappointed; expect the world and anything less won't match it. Call me depressing or morose, but I'm just a realist.

But once talks broke off between Amar'e Stoudemire and the Phoenix Suns and rumors started locating Stoudemire in the Big Apple, the wheels in my mind began to turn. Knowing that Chris Bosh was most likely to go somewhere where he could play alongside LeBron or Wade, wouldn't the superstar not joining forces with Bosh feel the need to join Stoudemire in New York to compete?

For argument's sake, let's say Wade and Bosh end up in Chicago. James knows that he cannot compete with the Bulls if he stays in Cleveland alongside the likes of Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison. Miami wouldn't even have a roster if Wade left, the Clippers are the Clippers and the Nets, while rostering solid young talent, don't have a player like Amar'e Stoudemire (sorry Brook Lopez, maybe in a year or two). So that leaves New York as potentially the most viable option for James (or Wade if the roles were reversed).

Maybe I am starting to warm up to the vision of seeing James in a Knicks uniform, and the potential addition of Carmelo Anthony either via trade or through free agency next year is another way to intrigue LeBron to come to the concrete jungle.

It's still hard for me to put all my eggs in the LeBron-Amar'e basket just yet (see second paragraph above), but things are starting to look up for Knicks, especially since James' representatives had a second meeting with New York on Saturday. The odds are still good that he stays in Cleveland or joins Bosh with the Bulls, but the Knicks seem to be serious top-three contenders for LeBron's services.

Considering how I felt about this scenario playing out months ago and as recently as late last week, that's saying something coming from me.

NBA stars aligning in Miami?

Anybody who follows the NBA has been waiting for this day since the NBA Finals ended (or since their team was eliminated). In less than 12 hours, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and numerous other NBA superstars will become free agents. Where will they all land? At this point, that's still anybody's guess.

Does any fan of an Eastern Conference team really want to see James, Wade and Bosh playing together in Miami? That rumor came out yesterday but today Bosh went on record saying he didn't know how that scenario would work. One ball, three stars and ZERO supporting cast, not to mention someone having to take a pay cut. Some would argue that with three of the top 10 players in basketball, you wouldn't need a supporting cast. But you still need to fill out a roster with rotation-worthy players.

I think Miami getting all three is nothing but a pipe dream; the logistics and the finances just don't work out. The Heat would likely need to trade Michael Beasley to afford three max contracts and they would have little other money to spend on the 4-5 other players they would need to fill out their rotation. It's just not feasible.

Then there's the argument of whether that triumvirate would lead the Heat to multiple championships. I'm inclined to say yes, considering the Celtics won two years ago with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. But those players were heading into the twilight of their careers and willing to make personal sacrifices for a ring. James, Wade and Bosh are all entering their prime (scary, isn't it) and may not be so willing to defer to the other two.

Also consider that the Celtics had a young point guard by the name of Rajon Rondo (who has become a household name two years later) and other valuable role players on that 2008 squad (Kendrick Perkins, James Posey, Eddie House and Tony Allen to name a few). The Heat would not be able to afford such players and would likely be stuck stocking their roster with players that don't deserve to be in an NBA rotation. Would three superstars and a bunch of no-names be able to hang with deep teams like the Lakers and Magic?

It's an interesting discussion, but one I'll stop since it's highly unlikely to happen. So now it's back to realistic possibilities.

There are so many that I could list, but one I will leave out is LeBron to the Knicks. I've been skeptical on his interest in coming to New York from the start and the recent rumors that have placed him everywhere else (Cleveland, Chicago, Miami) seem to support that. Then again, maybe that's a good sign for the Knicks chances of landing LeBron.

I don't know if LeBron wants to play in Michael Jordan's shadow with the Bulls or if he wants to share with Wade in Miami. That leaves Cleveland, his home and the team that can pay him the most. But the Cavs can't bring anybody else in to help him out, something he surely wants. So while I'm skeptical on him coming to New York, I see a reason for him not to go everywhere else as well.

I won't sit here and try to predict where everybody is going to land, that would just make me look silly. But I'll throw some thoughts out there nonetheless.

LeBron and Bosh could team up in Chicago or New York, or Bosh could go to Miami to play with Wade. The one constant I see is Bosh playing with either James or Wade; he has no reason not to. If Bosh doesn't go to Miami, I think the Heat will bring in Carlos Boozer as a nice inside complement to Wade, who I believe will stay with the Heat as long as they bring some players in, which they almost have to.

Dirk Nowitzki and Amar'e Stoudemire seem likely to stay put, leaving Joe Johnson to go to the Knicks if they don't get James and Bosh. I know I left out the Nets, but I don't really see any. of these players choosing New Jersey over other, more attractive destinations. When I revisit this post in two weeks, I'm sure I'll shake my head at these "predictions" and how wrong they really were.

Allen, Rondo steal Game 2 show to tie NBA Finals

When people talk about the continued development of Rajon Rondo as a jack-of-all-trades point guard, they sometimes seem to forget just how good his supporting cast can be, even at their advanced ages. Ray Allen (age 34) proved that fact on Sunday night.

Allen hit the first seven three-pointers he attempted in the first half on his way to tying an NBA record for three-pointers made in an NBA Finals game. He would break the record late in the third quarter with his only three of the second half and finished with 32 points, 27 coming in the first half.

Allen is already well regarded by many (myself included) as one of the best pure shooters in NBA history and this performance will only cement his place among the Larry Birds and Reggie Millers of yesteryear. He has the game's quickest release (showcased on the record-breaking three with Shannon Brown closing hard) and it seems like most of his shots never hit the rim at all, instead splashing into the net like rocks thrown into the ocean.

His ability to come off screens is unmatched and he balances himself better on the fly than anybody else. Allen's body looks so contorted and off balance at times when he shoots, but everything that he needs to be in balance is there, every time he puts up a shot. Combine that with his lightning-fast release and there really is no way to stop him once he gets into a rhythm like he did last night.

Despite Allen's first half heroics, the Celtics were up just six heading into halftime after Kobe Bryant stole an outlet pass and drained a three-pointer to beat the buzzer. The Lakers went into halftime with enough momentum that anyone watching would have thought Allen would need to score 40 or more for the Celtics to win.

Allen scored just five points in the second half, but the Celtics ended up winning by nine. Rajon Rondo took over, scoring 13 of his 19 points in the second half and finished with his FIFTH triple-double of the playoffs, adding 12 rebounds and 10 assists, 8 of which came in the first half to aid Allen's shooting barrage.

Rondo also came up with key plays at key moments, including a late offensive rebound and putback around the rim that put Boston up for good. Just a minute later, he blocked Derek Fisher's three-point attempt from behind, ignited a fast break and hit a 20-foot jump shot to put the Celtics up 95-90. If there were any questions whether Rondo could step his game up on the road at the most important time, in the most important series, they have been answered.

The Celtics now go back home for three straight, but I don't see home court holding serve in those games. It's hard to keep the Lakers down for three straight games with a player like Bryant and their depth, even on your home court. I think Boston will ride the momentum to a Game 3 victory before the Lakers come back in Game 4, just because I don't see them falling behind 3-1.

Game 5 will be the pivotal one and a must-win for the Celtics. If the Lakers win that game I think the series ends in six although I wouldn't put it past the Celtics, who went 26-15 on the road this season and 6-4 in the playoffs, to force a Game 7. If Boston wins, I think they have a great shot to win their second NBA championship in three seasons. If you predicted that before the playoffs cheers to you, because I sure didn't! I'm still taking L.A. though.