If Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs want to make a series out of this, he obviously has some adjustments to make.

The Spurs were slow in defensive rotations in the second half of their 101-82 loss to the Hornets, causing David West to pick them apart at the seams. The All-Star power forward scored in all ways imaginable. Mid range jump shots. Left handed hook shots. Dribble Drives. Turnaround 17-footers with a hand in his face. And-ones. West, and not Chris Paul, was the key to the whole game.

Had the Spurs doubled West early in each of the Hornets' possessions, it would have forced Paul, who had an off night shooting, to make other decisions. Decisions that may not have panned out for New Orleans. Keep in mind that San Antonio was up by 11 early on. So how come they could not maintain the lead?

Because while West was warming up, they did nothing to make sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic take tough shots. Stojakovic had open looks all night. The defending champions need to stick Bruce Bowen on Peja because it's the threat of Peja that opens up the entire game for CP3 and the rest of the team.

Popovich erred by putting Bowen on CP3. You can't treat New Orleans like the Suns. The tactic worked on Steve Nash because Nash is not as great as everyone thinks. Nash is soft and he gets rattled easily in the playoffs. So it's a tremendous advantage to put a physical player like Bowen on him. But on a player like Paul, it won't matter because Paul is too quick and too good a player to let Bowen frustrate him.

Pop should stick with the basics. Let your best counter weapon Tony Parker guard CP3. Parker is quick enough on his feet to keep up with him. Plus Parker makes CP3 work on the defensive end. He scored 23 on him so that should tell you something. You keep Bruce on Peja so he can be physical with him and wear him down. That's how the Lakers kept beating Sacramento between 2000-2003 when Peja was in his prime. L.A. used Rick Fox to outmuscle him, frustrate him, and take him out of his comfort zone. San Antonio should do the same.

Then you take the same tactic that NO is using on Tim Duncan and use it on West. Double him with Kurt Thomas/Fabricio Oberto and Manu Ginobili, who is good at stripping the ball. You can afford to use Manu to sag off of Morris Peterson or Bonzi Wells because I don't think either of those guys can be consistent enough to be a threat all series. This allows Duncan to stay on Tyson Chandler, thus preventing any CP3-to-Tyson alleyoops.

And once Duncan starts to find his groove, Chandler will be neutralized and will probably be in foul trouble. At the same time, Chandler won't be putting up numbers like he did on Saturday. Because West was basically going nuts, Tyson pulled down a quiet 15 boards.

Let Chris Paul score 35 because he won't beat you by himself unlike the great Kobe Bryant can. Paul scored 32 against the Lakers in January at New Orleans and the Lakers blew them out by 29! West shot 7-17, Peja shot 4-11 and they combined to score only 28 points. This is how you beat the Hornets. You have to wear down the Hornets physically. You have to make West and Peja work for tough shots. You have to make the Hornets defend, and you have to get them in the penalty early in the quarter. 

If the defending champions want to have the right to play the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, they have to take a page out of the Lakers' scouting report in order to make their series against New Orleans a competitive one.

Otherwise, Coach Byron Scott is going to make a trip back to his hometown in a couple of weeks.

- Believe it or not, the once left-for-dead Phoenix Suns have turned it around and it's all because of Mike D'Antoni and his coaching staff. He has finally found a way to incorporate and involve The Big Diesel into the system. That high double-post set on offense is being utilized to perfection by Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and O'Neal. Kudos...

-  While STAT's stats have gone up, Nash is still pick-n-rolling opponents to death and continues to find his three-point shooters within their new offensive set that still emphasizes ball movement, fluidity, but more importantly allows O'Neal to do his thing, whether it's attacking the offensive boards, finding the open man, or simply making his presence felt. And with Boris Diaw slowly starting to find his groove, the Suns actually have a legitimate shot of reaching the NBA FINALS...

- If Shaq doesn't get hurt and continues to average 15 and 10, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs will have to revise their game plan...

- Although he may not win MVP, Chris Paul is the best guard in the NBA pound for pound...

- A New Orleans Hornet deserves a regular season award this year. Byron Scott for Coach of the Year, because his team has maintained its position atop the West the entire season...

- Kobe Bryant deserves to be MVP while any other year Paul would win the award. Tim Duncan should win MVP every year and we all know it, but we have to make it fun for the fans so we use statistics as indicators instead. Kevin Garnett already won an MVP but this time around he has a much better supporting cast and he's missed some games so it ends there for KG. Lebron James has to wait his turn to be crowned King of the NBA, especially if the team he plays on won't even qualify for the playoffs in the West...

- Nice to see The Birdman out of his cuckoo's nest and flying again... 

- If the Dallas Mavericks wind up playing the New Orleans Hornets in the first round, I would not be shocked if the Mavs do to the Hornets what the Warriors did to them last year...

- Everybody keeps talking about how Elton Brand would fit in perfectly with Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion in Miami. No one is talking about the possibility of Brand in a Golden State Warriors uniform. Imagine a lineup of B-Diddy, Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Andres Biedrins, and Brand. Scary to think of that team running up and down the court...

- The fact that Washington was minus-19 with Gilbert Arenas on the floor during the Wizards' loss in his first game back makes me realize that the uninspired, video game playing blogger known as Agent Zero would make a perfect Los Angeles Clipper. Welcome back to L.A., Gilbert. We already know you're coming...

- If the Atlanta Hawks started the season with Mike Bibby running the point, they would be ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference playoff race right now...

- Golden State will not make the playoffs this year because they play only one style of basketball. At least Denver and Dallas can go inside if they wanted to...

- The key to the recent surge by the Denver Nuggets to propel them back in the playoff hunt hasn't been Carmelo Anthony or Allen Iverson. It's been the player who's rediscovered his talents, Kenyon Martin...

- The Utah Jazz have the best home record in the NBA but is only 16-22 on the road. They will be the featured topic on the next episode of Unsolved Mysteries...

- The fact that the Los Angeles Lakers did not sign Chris Webber and chose to bring in D.J. Mbenga instead solidifies Mitch Kupchak for Executive of the Year. Many will say Danny Ainge, but the entire universe knows Kevin McHale was the one responsible for the revival in Boston. And guys like James Posey, Eddie House, and Sam Cassell decided to go green not because of Ainge but because of Garnett. Kupchak built his team from the ground up with his best player threatening to go elsewhere. Ainge used a former MVP to entice free agent veterans to come join the fray...

- For the first time since the 1980's, fans will hear "Beat L.A." chants more than ever in every city the Lakers will play in during the playoffs...

- I love how every contending playoff team's fans will chant "MVP! MVP! MVP!" for their star player even though they know he won't win the award. It goes to show how fans are once again loving this game...

- The regular season MVP Award is the most overrated award in all of professional sports. On paper, the Phoenix Suns should win it all because they have three MVP-type players in O'Neal, Stoudemire, and Nash. The Celtics have two in Paul Pierce and KG, the Rockets have Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, and the Nuggets have Melo and A.I. The funny thing is that neither of these teams will make it to the NBA Finals...

- The biggest mistake anyone can make in the postseason is to sleep on the Detroit Pistons. Like in 2004, they are at their best when flying under the radar. That was the same way in which the great Joe Dumars approached the game and it was what made him a legend in Motown...

- Fans are always looking for storylines when it comes to the NBA Finals. We all want to revive the battles between the Lakers and the Celtics. We all want to see Kobe vs. Lebron in the Finals, which would be the new version of Bird vs. Magic. We all wish that Phoenix played in the East so we'd have a chance to see Kobe vs. Shaq in the Finals. But it almost always seems to never work out as we expect it to be. Who would have thought that Cleveland would make it to the big dance last year? That's why in 2008, it will be... 

- Lakers over the Pistons in the 2008 NBA Finals. Just like Mike versus the Bad Boys in the late eighties, Kobe finally gets past Detroit when it counts most. 

- And finally: If you don't love this game, check yourself. 'Til next time...

Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's time to play some basketball! In less than a week, the NBA suddenly became a lot more interesting, providing sportsfans a seamless transition from football.

So I start to wonder...

- Now that new Suns center Shaquille O'Neal has decided he wants to be the one responsible for keeping the great Kobe Bryant from having another shot at a title, where does this put Phoenix in the grand scheme of things? And what is Shaq's real weight these days?

- Which team would win in a seven-game playoff series? The Young Guns with the best closer in the game, who has a supporting cast consisting of two All-Star caliber seven-footers and lengthy multi-position players who hustle and play defense? Or the runnin'-n-stunnin' veteran bunch with a former champion past his prime, who'll screen-and-roll alongside arguably the best PG in the league and who will join a high-fly act and an assortment of long range gunners?

- Now that the NBA is beginning to really shape into form and the stars are properly being aligned, who becomes the favorite to capture the O'Brien Trophy?

- As we undergo the makings of a fairy tale season, what team now possesses the most potent core unit?

In the east, you've got "The Boston Three Party." Cleveland has King James and the Knights of the (Mike) Brown Table. Detroit has a bad boy and a bunch of princes in a palace, while a magical kingdom called Orlando has something "big" to brag about. But let's not forget about The Flash and The Matrix, coming soon to a theater near you.

Out west, the Young Guns of Hollywood continue to be the story of the year and the blazin' Suns look to get even hotter by switching to diesel. The defending champion Spurs have the luxury of knowing how to win at the highest level while their Dallas neighbor is keeping a close watch nearby. Byron Scott has the Hornets buzzin', and it's the same ol' jazz tune being sung in Utah.

- Since blockbuster trades seem to be the theme for 2008, are we going to see Yao and T-Mac team up with Jason Kidd? Or will Kidd wind up in Portland, so he can lob passes to Greg Oden, Travis Outlaw, Brandon Roy, and Martell Webster? Either way, Kidd wouldn't mind having a center who could actually play like a center.

- The disgusted Dwyane Wade and Miami Heat continue to experience a long and disappointing campaign, as losses keep mounting. In his new reality commercial, Dwyane Wade similarly grows frustrated as Charles Barkley's annoying calls to him begin to mount. Funny how life works sometimes.

Whatever happens in the next few months, one thing is certain: the next five years are promising to be the greatest period of competition the NBA will have ever experienced. It is so competitive in the Western Conference that a two game losing streak could drop you from second to seventh in a matter of hours. Just ask the Los Angeles Lakers. They were atop the conference standings for two days, then quickly dropped from first to sixth after one loss!

And there is balance between youth and veterans around the league, there is parity between teams, and above all there is a significant amount of All-Stars, SuperStars, and SuperDuperStars that are on contending teams.

The National Ballers Association is primed and ready for topnotch action. It's where amazing things happen, so let's get ready to rumble!

With another new year on the horizon and just about a third of the NBA regular season in completion, bloggers will continue to blog, haters will continue to hate, fans will continue to watch, trades will continue to be rumored, and NBA players will continue to play.

What we will all be saying to ourselves in 2008, a year that promises to shell out a ton of surprises:

"It's about time Isiah Thomas did something."

"All the Miami Heat did was buy the most expensive championship in pro sports history because it was worth it even though they knew all along that they would get nothing from Shaq in the long run. No surprise that he is strongly hinting at retirement."

"Shaquille O'Neal is not as great as I once thought he was because guys like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Patrick Ewing, and Moses Malone were still averaging well over 17 points and 10 boards a game when they were over 35 years of age."

"Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak are geniuses."

"Kobe Bryant is GOD dressed up as a basketball player."

"I knew all along that the Los Angeles Lakers were more of a championship contender than the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets."

"Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash are the next Karl Malone and John Stockton. All that talent with nothing to show for"

"See, I told you Jason Kidd would end up playing in Dallas again."

"Utah's Western Conference Finals appearance last year was a fluke. I really can't believe the Jazz missed Derek Fisher and his leadership that much. "

"How is it that Smush Parker is still playing in this league?"

"David Lee needs way more playing time."

"Dwight Howard is going to need a point guard to get him the ball."

"Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are solid All-Star caliber players but don't possess the killer instinct that can make an impact to take their team over the top."

"The teams that everyone loves to watch - Utah, Phoenix, Golden State - have finally made me realize that it takes defense and bigs to win games of importance in this league."

" I sure hope Greg Oden doesn't turn out like Sam Bowie (cringe)."

"The Houston Rockets are softies and Rick Adelman is not as great a coach and innovator as I thought. He's like Mike D'Antoni and Mike Dunleavy."

"It was just a matter of time before Pau Gasol ended up where he is now."

"I can't believe I once thought that Lebron James and Dwyane Wade had better supporting casts than Kobe Bryant."

"Nothing ever changes with Don Nelson and how he loves to tease all of us only for us to be disappointed in the end."

"It's the same old Los Angeles Clippers."

"It's the same old San Antonio Spurs."

"Somehow I'm getting the feeling that David Stern really wants the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals instead of the Detroit Pistons."

"It's the same old Pistons."

"What ever happened to Mike Conley? Oh I know... Juan Carlos Navarro."

"Why isn't Damon Stoudamire representing the Miami Heat, where old,  washed up PG's love to congregate?"

"That Carmelo Anthony-Allen Iverson tandem is getting old."

"Air Jordans are just not what they used to be."

"Michael Jordan's been practicing a lot with the team lately. I wonder if he's..."

"Kobe is the next MJ. Period."

"Bryant-Bynum-Odom is the next Magic-Kareem-Worthy in Lakerland, and it's not called the Lake Show either. It's the Young Guns, like Estevez-Sheen-Sutherland."

"I shouldn't have underestimated the Lakers and overestimated the Suns."

Happy Christmas and Merry New Year.

Last week, I posted a blog explaining why the Los Angeles Lakers were on the rise and the Phoenix Suns were in for a big surprise this year.

Numerous Suns supporters and Laker bashers, namely NBA preview guru XPHOENIX87 and my favorite of them all RICKO the Cynical one, continued their assault on me while suggesting that my perceived lack of unbiased opinion continues to fuel my homerism.

Although it is true that my undying support for the Lakers franchise is never more evident with these blogs, one thing these two don't realize is that I make sense when I point out the obvious between these two teams. Why else would DIME rank the Lakers #4 in their power rankings if I was so homeristic and biased? Get a clue, Phoenix fans. Your team was just outrebounded and spanked by the lowly Hawks last night. And don't even say Amare wasn't there, because the last time you were without Stoudemire for an extended period you were still feasting on the East. Last night should be an indication that your team is in serious trouble.

The purpose of this blog is to address the stupidity  and sardonic nature of Phoenix fans and how they love to bring up the past to justify their perceived notions about the two rivals. They love bringing up Kobe's off-court failures, they love to bring up the Suns regular season excellence, they love to bring up how Laker fans keep hanging onto their legacy as a franchise, and they love to reiterate how last year Phoenix started off 1-5 and ended the season with a b@ng. It was a b@ng alright... b@nged right out of the playoffs.

I am going to call out XP87 and RICKO right here right now for BLOGWORLD to see and show how ridiculous they are with their sarcasm because no one wants to give the LAKERS any credit whatsoever, which is the reason they are arguably the biggest LAKER HATERS of all-time. You will hate me for this.

At least last year after Phoenix ended L.A.'s season, I commended the SUNS with a blog wherein I displayed the utmost respect to the rivals. I give respect where respect is due because I know what I see and I tell it how it is. Haters talk the way they talk because they have nothing better to do and their parents never taught them any better.

So Laker supporters, I am going to spearhead the attack against the state of Arizona right here right now. This is going to be a battle all year so if you guys are with me get your ammunition ready. And for you Phoenix fans, bring it 'cause I'm adding fuel to the fire. So here we go, DING! DING! DING!... ROUND #1.

This from RICKO, on November 7, 2007 at 2:41pm:  "So you're saying the Suns are not a championship contender? And YOU saying we Suns fans have "blind arrogance"?? You, sir, are a piece of work indeed.

So I reply, "Yes, RICKO, the Suns are not championship contender for reasons I pointed out. They are an excellent regular season team who will win 60 games every year with Nash but until you guys get some real centers and power forwards, you'll keep losing to the San Antonio's and Dallas's in the postseason.

And YES, Suns fans have blind arrogance just like you guys claim Lakers are arrogant because you keep hanging onto championship hopes that are not legitimately there. At least in LAKERLAND, we know that it takes a great center, a great guard, a great coach, a balanced lineup, and above all DEFENSE to win a title because we've done it 14 times before. And don't even try to come back and say AMARE is a great center because he's not. He's 6-8, jumps high, and only plays center because he's playing in Phoenix. Anywhere else, he's a power forward. Your window of opportunity was in '05 and '06 and your team blew it....

So XPHOENIX87, on 11/7/07 at 3:02pm, mockingly writes:  "See, Ricko, you have to understand that the Suns need to get some real centers and power forwards like Kwame Brown, Chris Mihm, Andrew Bynum and Ronny Turiaf. Your pathetic rotation of Amare, Marion, and Diaw just can't hold a candle to that group, especiall not with Amare aging so quickly at the ripe old age of 24.

I come back with a little taste of their own sarcasm: "Your statement was just about as accurate as your previews, XP. Glad to know you're starting to take notice. Kudos." I'll add that XP probably doesn't know who Antonio McDyess is or is most likely avoiding the fact that Stoudemire might possibly end up like McDyess and could be in another uniform in one or two years, leaving Nash with (gasp) Skinner and Diaw.

XPHOENIX87, at 9:17pm last night while researching his next team preview, provides a little witty candor in response to my straightforwardness:  " What a stunning rebuttal where you didn't actually address any of the many factual inaccuracies in your article. Your logic and debating skills are, as always, impeccable.

Added RICKO, who at 9:34pm last night was probably sharing the computer in his basement with his buddy XP while watching LEBRON's triple-double on ESPN:  "xphoenix- Sigh. I'm afraid you're right. Looking up and down the Suns roster, I see no one the caliber of Mihm and Bynum. Thanks for setting me straight. And the fact that your sarcasm went right over J-Dizz's head is priceless.

So at this point, they probably think I'm fuming and flaming hot like an El Pollo Loco. But actually I'm sitting in my office laughing at how stupid these two really are. They probably get an erection just by saying  that I have no logic or debating skills, but frankly I did not appreciate it. Think before you talk XPhoenix. You're ego is getting way too big because of those previews and the generous comments people give you. Frankly, anybody can do a preview when you've got copies of THE SPORTING NEWS, ESPN MAGAZINE, the INTERNET, and a subscription to SPORTS ILLUSTRATED at your disposal.

You attack my intellect and I will call you out.

This was my reply to XP, which I posted on my blog at 12:48pm, after I came back from having lunch with a client:  " XP: you should have already figured out my rebuttals to your comments before you even made them because your silly comments are aimed at nothing more than to repeat what the rest of the Phoenix fan base has already said in this blog. And you should know better considering you're supposed expertise with all your previews.

I like how you guys keep trying to base things on last year. You're just like everyone else out there. Your stuff is nothin' new my friend. You talk about how Phoenix started 1-5 last year and how they ended up. Well, how do you like it that this year will be Phoenix's turn to suffer injuries? Again I shall repeat... Amare knee's won't last, Nash is having to carry too much of the load at his age, and once again after five games Phoenix has been OUTREBOUNDED and OUTMUSCLED.

Like all Phoenix fans who nitpick at every little thing just to find something wrong with the Lakers, you keep bringing up the past - "Yeah, it's a good thing that in LA they build for dynasties and don't 'rent aging superstars' like Karl Malone and Gary Payton. I mean, that would just be stupid" -  but didn't we make it to the FINALS that year even with an INJURED Malone? And what have the SUNS done? NADA my friend. Who's stupid now?

One of XP's other comments to me was "Shouldn't LA be a little bit more worried that THEY have no onewho can guard Carlos Boozer?"

See how you guys love to nitpick at the most absurd things? So I come back with, "Didn't we just spank the JAZZ, who had no answer for Bynum's double-double. Like I said since you don't pay attention, Boozer is tough but he is UNDERSIZED for a power forward. He ain't no Mailman" And let me also add that he ain't no BARKLEY either.

XP says that I can't give him a rebuttal, basically challenging me. Here's another one of his acerbic statements:  "LA still has no post defense; they had no answer to Yao"

And like the Suns do (ha ha ha)? Since you are the preview expert, tell me something... What did Yao say about Kwame's post defense? Didn't Ming happen to mention that among NBA centers, Kwame plays him the toughest? I do believe he said that last year. Go on and do some research so you'll know your facts, instead of relying on silly stats all the time. And by the way, HOUSTON has NO ANSWER for KOBE.

XP adds, "You know, it's too bad that Phoenix doesn't have a First Team All-NBA post player to exploit those defensive weaknesses. Oh... wait..."

So I reply, "You obviously don't know that Phoenix has no TEAM defense, getting outrebounded every game and nobody taller than 6-9 who can hold the paint. Nothing but outside shots and if they were so consistent, they why have they shot an average of 39% against the Lakers and the lowly Atlanta Hawks? Figure that one out. You won't because you don't know about the old adage, "You live and die by the three".  Remember that DALLAS team in the nineties with George McCloud who put up three after three after three? That's your Phoenix Suns.

I keep going as if on a rampage... "And oh yeah, forgot to mention that the Lakers have a 7-time All-Defense MVP candidate and three big men who can give Amare fits and put him in foul trouble. Nice try on that one. I shall add that we also have three-time champion and defensive tough guy Derek Fisher, whom Nash is probably intimidated by.

Finally, I cap it off with a little something for Mr. RICKO: "Sarcasm is just about ALL that Phoenix fans have to go by."

The 2007-08 NBA season will see a major shift in the balance of power in the Pacific Division. Over the last three years, the LAKERS-SUNS matchup has turned into an extremely bitter rivalry not only for the players and coaches but also for the thousands of loyal fans that support these two tough teams.

After keeping serious tabs on these two teams over the summer, one thing is obvious to me. The LAKERS are vastly improving both on offense and defense and gaining more confidence by the second, while the SUNS look like their same old predictable selves and are getting more brittle and more frustrated as each passing day comes. Let's begin with the LAKERS.

As I've been saying all along, THE LAKERS ASSAULT IS COMING. In fact, it's already happening.

I know it's early and people will say that the Lakers' recent one-sided victories against Phoenix (119-98) and Utah (119-109) came at the expense of their opponents' second night of back-to-back games. But do you expect me to believe that these professional athletes this early in the season will have weary legs? Give me a break. Back-to-back games in the first week of the season should not be an excuse. Players are in shape and they should be more pumped up to play, especially with Phoenix playing in their home opener and Utah having to travel only 1 hour to get to Los Angeles from Oakland. The Lakers were flat out better and it is a major sign of things to come.

As for the KOBE BRYANT saga, we are not trading Kobe. We never will. Kobe for the unproven and hyped-up Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, and a throw-in? What a joke of a proposal. The Bulls are 0-3 and the reason is because they have no superstar. I feel bad for the Chicago Bulls because they should have gone after Pau Gasol this summer. Instead you have Chicago fans chanting KOBE-KOBE-KOBE in their own stadium in front of their own players after a loss to the lowly Milwaukee Bucks. How sad it is, the reality of it all.

Kobe wants to be a Laker for life and that's a fact. He's said it before. The only reason the rumors kept flying out of the bird cage was because Jerry Buss said he would entertain offers. It surely doesn't mean he will trade him or that Kobe would waive his no-trade clause. In fact, Bryant has never came close to even hinting at waiving the no-trade clause. Even Buss has repeatedly said that the Lakers are going to build a contender with KOBE as the cornerstone of the Laker franchise. In due time the role players will prove themselves worthy enough to satisfy Bryant's unrelenting will to win and when the time is right Kobe will announce his desire to remain with the Lakers the rest of his career. Then Phil will extend his contract and we will all say to ourselves that we knew it all along.

It has been obvious since the summer, when I was repeatedly backing up the entire Laker organization, that we were never going to trade Bryant. Why in the world would it make business sense for the Buss family to give up the best player in the game after we went 26-13 last year and defeated all the NBA's elite teams at least once (2 out of 3 against the World Champion Spurs and 2 out of 3 against West Finals participant Utah) before the injuries hit? And why would Kobe want to start over with another team with no guarantee that the other team would have better role players than what he's got here in Los Angeles. After all, the Lakers would basically look to gut another team's roster in exchange for Kobe. So that automatically means L.A.'s trading partner would have to forfeit their top two or three players. Kobe wouldn't want that and neither would Dallas, Chicago, or Detroit. The Pistons, for example, still have their nucleus intact and are still highly competitive in the East so it would not make good business sense for Joe Dumars to Rip it all apart just to get the league's top scorer.

I have maintained for many months that L.A. should not break up their roster to bring in old All-Stars like Jermaine O'Neal and/or Jason Kidd (with all due respect to their greatness). Why not? Because... 

1)  the new players you bring in will have to learn the triangle and start from scratch, thereby throwing away all chemistry that was developed over the last three years with the original nucleus,  2) O'Neal and Kidd are both on the downside of their careers and there is no guarantee that either will make the Lakers better than what they are now, and 3) In Los Angeles, we build for dynasties and long-term success. We don't go out there and rent aging superstars who are in the final one or two years of their contracts in HOPES that we get to the FINALS, much like Phoenix (Grant Hill), Dallas (Eddie Jones), Miami (Ricky Davis), and Detroit (Chris Webber) do. It is no surprise that all of the aforementioned players have never appeared in the NBA FINALS. They have a history of mediocrity and that's exactly what they will bring to their respective teams - a mediocre attitude that will rub off on their teammates.

Moreover, we are not trading Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum or anyone else not named Brian Cook.

We have size. We have athleticism. We can run-n-gun. We can play half-court. We have the best player and coach in the game. We have wingmen, slashers, guys who can post up. We have role players who bring a ton of energy off the bench. The players have a renewed defensive fervor about themselves. We have veteran presence. And above all, we have youth and balance, and we are starting to develop and maintain the work ethic that is needed to become champions. All of this is on KOBE's shoulders as the leader and he knows it and accepts it. That's why he's the greatest of his era. 

This team is so scary, that only people who really know basketball know what I'm talking about. Everyone else who can deny this are simply hating.

The Lakers can play with any team in this league. Utah is tough but they have no one to contain Bynum and we have a tremendous size advantage. San Antonio handled Utah last year in the West FInals because of these same two factors: Domination down low and the Jazz had nobody to stop Duncan. The only team that will give the Lakers fits in the West are San Antonio, Houston or perhaps Denver because all three teams have legitimate centers. The rest of the teams are cakewalk if the Lakers can continue to play EVERY GAME like they did the last two. It starts with TOTAL TEAM EFFORT and I strongly believe the Lakers have finally gotten it.

I feel terrible for the entire state of Arizona right now because Suns fans can slowly feel in their hearts what is coming. I'm sure they're already saying, "Uh-oh." Hey, at least you guys still have the SUN DEVILS.

The way Phoenix looked in their first three games lets me know this...

1) Nothing has changed for the better. The SMURFS' lack of size will absolutely KILL them this year (they have been outrebounded in all three games by sorry Seattle, the Lakers, and the undermanned Cleveland Cavs who were missing one of their top rebounders in Varejao)

2) Amare Stoudemire's lingering knee problems will spell doom for the Suns if they persist throughout the year. If Bynum, Ronny Turiaf, and Kwame Brown can rough him up and limit him to 7 points and 1 rebound, imagine what the rest of the West can do to this overhyped new version of Antonio McDyess. Phoenix should have traded him for KG but there is a reason why the Boston Celtics have all the history and Phoenix doesn't - the upper management in Boston has more moxie to take risks than Phoenix's shot-callers do.

3) Mike D'Antoni is not as good as everyone thinks he is. Phil Jackson is already in his head, and the simple fact he makes a big deal about that silly timeout for which Phil had a very legit reason for calling, lets me know he has his own insecurities about his own team. Take the loss like a man D'Antoni and quit crying like Adelman and C-Webb were doing when the Lakers kept shoving it against the Kings' you-know-what back in the day. You haven't won squat, and I'm sure you haven't earned that respect from Jackson the way he admires and reveres Jerry Sloan, Gregg Popovich, and Pat Riley.

4) If Steve Nash ends up having to carry the load offensively, then expect the Suns to lose in the first round because come May Nash's back will be all but done, and Amare's legs will be worn out, and the rest of the Suns players will have zero confidence once they realize they can't hang with the bigger teams (Houston, Utah, Lakers, Dallas, Denver, New Orleans) who can play a half-court game and run-n-gun when the situation calls for it. And we already know that D'Antoni play his starters 40 minutes a game and never uses his bench (he's already done so the first three games) so the Suns may be in for a long season. And what if Grant Hill ends up getting hurt? Now what?

5) The signing of Hill, although beneficial for them, was the wrong move. It will limit the productivity, shots, and minutes of guys like Raja Bell and Leandro Barbosa, two very key elements in their past success. And Hill's below average long-range shooting does not make him a great fit for this system either.

6) The Suns' poor upper management decision makers should have realized that in the Western Conference, you need tough big men who can hold the paint in order to contend. Why do you think Kurt Thomas skipped town? Because he knew that Phoenix is not as good as everyone thinks they are and he didn't want to shorten his career by playing an up-tempo no-defense style the rest of his life. And Thomas knew better, considering he played for the big, bad, and tough New York Knicks in his heyday and knowing what it takes to contend, Thomas made a very intelligent business move and went to a young team who could value from his services. Phoenix should have gone after C-Webb, Jamaal Magloire, or even PJ Brown to get stronger inside but they didn't, and that's why they'll never make it to the FINALS.

7) The Suns are one-dimensional. It's way too obvious and with most of the teams employing an up-tempo style, it will be even harder for the Suns to win close games because not only do they lack beef up front, they also WASTE POSSESSIONS with their style of play jacking up shots left and right with no post game. Like I've been saying for years, they are predictable and will continue to be as long as they have Nash and Stoudemire.

It's early in the season, but many things are becoming clear in the Pacific Division. And nothing is as exciting as the drama that unfolds every time the Suns and Lakers hit the floor.

Don't get me wrong people, I have not ditched the LAKERS and become a SUNS fan. I am merely honoring a bet I placed with RICKO, all-time Laker "hater" and big-time Suns supporter.

So here ya go... Here come the SUNS, click... click... click... the best in the west in 2007... click... click. Watch out NBA, the Suns may finally hang a championship banner in the next few weeks, and I mean it.

I will say this before I go on... GO WARRIORS!! What a way to represent California. You guys inspired so many that even SNOOP D-O-DOUBLE-G sported a Golden State jersey last night. In a nutshell, Dirk Nowitzki once again proved that he is no MVP but just a regular season performer. Dirk could not will his team and choked when everything was on the line just like in last year's Finals. Too bad for Cuban, he could have kept Steve Nash.

Which brings me to the Phoenix Suns.

Earlier in the season, I talked about why the Suns would not win the title. I said that Mike D'Antoni's biggest mistake was using an 8-man rotation. I said that the players would be worn out come playoff time and I said that the Suns lack of size would come back to burn them in the playoffs should they meet the Lakers in the first round. I said the Lakers' role players would step up and pound the Suns into submission. Boy, was I wrong.

There are several reasons why the Lakers-Suns series was so lopsided in comparison to last year's 7-game extravaganza.

1) Amare Stoudamire - His presence alone eradicated any impact that Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum could have made in the series. His ability to be a threat in the post both on defense and on offense basically exposed Kwame's inadequacies. STAT gives the Suns a weapon inside that they never had last year, which makes me believe they have enough to outlast San Antonio in the second round. The key for Stoudamire will be to limit the number of penetrations from Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Stoudamire is a beast on a major mission and I expect him to give Duncan all he can handle... and then some.

2) Steve Nash and Leandro Barbosa - The Lakers (and the rest of the NBA for that matter) still haven't figured out how to contain the two-time MVP. Nash by himself outhustled, outscored and outassisted Smush, Jordan, Sasha, and Shammond the enitre series. Blur Barbosa looked like Clyde Drexler the way he was slashing and burning the Lakers in transition and played even better than he did against L.A. last year.

3) Mike D'Antoni and the Suns defense - They collapsed on Kobe and made it harder for him to make shots in the fourth quarter. This wasn't really an adjustment but D'Antoni's message to his players was clear: stay sharp on defense and never let up. The result was a killer instinct by the Suns that was never seen in past playoffs.

With all of this being said, Phoenix still has a lot to prove by beating battle-tested San Antonio. It's a monumental challenge for Phoenix but if they can get past the Spurs, they will most likely win it all.

Like they say, "the proof is in the pudding" and the SUNS showed why they are ready to win the title this year. Good luck to all the SUNS fans. I am humbled to say the least as I give respect and credit where respect and credit is due.

But watch out for the LAKERS next year. We'll be back with a vengeance. I guarantee it.

The SUNS have the NBA's most explosive offense and lead the league in scoring. Each one of their starters all average in double figures. Their team is led by Steve Nash, who is an MVP candidate every single year because of his extraordinary ability to make his teammates perform better than they're capable of. They have perhaps the best transition finisher in the game in the Matrix and the most athletic big man in Amare Stoudemire. All in all, the SUNS are super-explosive and they have no weaknesses offensively because they fast break you to death and they are among the league's best outside shooting ballclubs.

A lot of analysts are predicting that Phoenix might run away with the title this year because the perception is that no team will be able to stop their high-powered offense once the playoffs begin. In fact, the Suns have been blowing out the competition all year as they have gone on a couple of really long winning streaks.

People have begun to compare the SUNS to the Showtime Lakers of the 80's, which I think is absolutely absurd. There is no comparison. It's like comparing KOBE to JORDAN. You just can't do it. Showtime had 5 titles and 8 Finals appearances in the eighties. Nash's SUNS have none. JORDAN led the league in scoring 7 times. KOBE's only done it once.

So here's the point. The PHOENIX run-n-gun SUNS will not win a title this year because although they are currently 40-13, they are only 3-8 against DALLAS, SAN ANTONIO, UTAH, the LAKERS, DETROIT, and CHICAGO. That's a .270 winning percentage against some of the top playoff teams in this league!!

They feast on the mediocre teams and the rest of the NBA, compiling a 37-5 record against them. But 3-8 against some of the elite? This is the statistic that Phoenix Suns supporters and LAKER haters hate to talk about every time I bring it up because they know that the SUNS biggest weakness will come back to bite them in the playoffs. There isn't a more revealing statistic about the Phoenix Suns' title chances than this one.

Phoenix has proven to be a regular season contender, evidenced by their excellent records that last couple of years. But come postseason, that 8-man rotation becomes so worn out that little-used role players like Jalen Rose, Jumaine Jones, James Jones, and Marcus Banks will come unprepared because they haven't played all year.

Above all, the SUNS have proven that they struggle against powerhouse defensive teams like DALLAS and SAN ANTONIO and UTAH so it is easy to see why there is a good chance they may fall flat on their faces come the first or second round. People want to talk about how the LAKERS record sucks, but they have a winning record against the teams they will face in the playoffs. That's what is most important because in the postseason the LAKERS won't be playing the Bobcats or the Grizzlies. The Lakers have proven that they can compete with the best and the Suns haven't proven that this year and that's the bottom line.

It's a long season with possibly 50 more games to go including the playoffs, and will the SUNS be able to blaze through the postseason like everyone thinks? It would be a shock if they did. No team in the history of the NBA has ever led the league in scoring and won a title that same year. This tells us a lot about the SUNS slim chances of winning it all. Hey, if I'm wrong I'll buy a RAJA BELL jersey, have him autograph it, and I'd sport it at a LAKERS game. But I really don't think Phoenix has what it takes to capture the Larry O'Brien trophy.

If the SUNS face a team like a healthy HOUSTON ROCKETS in the first round or perhaps UTAH or the LAKERS in the second round, they would be in major trouble.

A lot of people out there say that STEVE NASH is a better all-around team player than KOBE BRYANT, thus making him a more valuable commodity to his respective team.

A lot of people who have jumped the Phoenix bandwagon will claim that the Suns will win it all this year because no one can stop their offense. Not gonna happen. Why? Because the Suns don't know how to stop anybody. And what more when it comes to clutch time in the playoffs and the Spurs or Mavs or Rockets or Pistons or Heat have possession of the ball with 20 seconds left, score tied at 95, and it's the deciding game of the series?

Will Nash be able to prevent Billups from making a shot or will Billups post Nash down low and earn a trip to the foul line? Will Raja be able to block T-Mac's jump shot when it counts or will McGrady get to the foul line? How will Stoudamire stop Duncan down low when it counts knowing that Duncan gets all the calls in the playoffs? And how does Marion prevent someone like Dirk or Josh Howard from scoring when you won't know if they will put it on the floor or pull up for a 15-footer?

The Suns downfall will be their inability to have meaningful possessions down the stretch because of their style of play. Even the Showtime Lakers couldn't outscore everybody 120-95 every game of the playoffs. They still had to #### with everybody and play TOUGH defense. The Suns personnel simply doesn't have TOUGH guys who like to #### with the bigs.

Basketball purists will say that DEFENSE wins championships and if one were to look at the history of NBA Finals opponents over the last 10 years, one will see that both teams that participated in the Finals were coached by defensive minded coaches.

I can totally see why because there are so many talented scorers in each team all over the league that you need to play 48 minutes of grind-it-out, tough-minded defense in order to succeed in the playoffs.

And for all the people who say KOBE is a selfish ball-hog and that he'll never win. Allow me to shed some light on something you probably didn't know until TNT revealed this amazing stat when the LAKERS played the CAVS last night.

Last year, the Lakers were 18-9 when Kobe scored over 40 and 6-2 this year when he score 40+. When he doesn't score less than 40, the Lakers were barely above .500 last year and are right around .500 this year. So what does that tell you?

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it's obvious Kobe doesn't have the help. He has to do it all for the Lakers to stay competitive- lead, score, assist, get to the line, defend the other team's top scorer, etc - just like D-Wade does it all for Miami.

And isn't it a mild surprise that all of a sudden the Heat are winning now that Shaq is back? You give Kobe a KG or a Gasol to play with and I guarantee the Lakers win it all.

Nash has two other All-Stars alongside him plus two more Olympians and yet the SUNS can't come close to playing .500 against the best teams in the NBA.

Yes, Nash is valuable to his team as evidenced by the Suns' recent slide without him and he is a legitimate MVP candidate, but the major difference why the LAKERS have a better shot at a championship than PHOENIX does is because Kobe is not only becoming a greater team player than he's ever been but he's also an all-league defender (something Nash will never be) and he's as clutch as they come.

When the game's on the line, Smush Parker can score on Nash. Raja Bell will get the ball ripped by KOBE.

So SUNS fans, c'mon and bring the heat baby!!

If the postseason began today, Dallas 1 would be hosting Denver 8, and Utah 4would host Houston 5.

Phoenix 2 would host the Clippers 7in a rematch of last year's seven-game thriller, and the LAKERS 6 would play San Antonio 3 on the road.

In the East Detroit 1 would meet Miami 8 in the first round although this would be considered by most to be the real East finals, while Toronto 4 would have home court advantage against Chicago 5.

Washington 2 would get homecourt against slumping Orlando 7, and Cleveland 4 gets a tough test as they host Indiana 5.

Barring any significant player movement between these teams, it is highly likely that it will end up just like this by the time the playoffs actually begin.

The Mavs have proven to be just as dominant all around as they have been consistent. They beat the elite teams and pounce on the noncontenders. I see them handling the Nuggets in five games and taking care of the winner of Utah-Houston in six.

The Suns continue to run up the score but in the playoffs the nature of play changes.  Phoenix should run all over the helpless Clips who will be swept out of the playoffs. The best first round series in the West will be between L.A. and S.A., with KOBE coming out victorious with a buzzer beater in game 7.

This is where everything becomes interesting. Phoenix vs. the Lakers. Seven Games. Round Two. Nash-Kobe. Run-n-gun vs. The Triangle. Offense vs. Defense. Mike vs. Phil. Cactuses vs. Palm Trees. Take your pick. You can't go wrong with either one because everyone will watch this series.

Who will deserve the right to face the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks? Will Nash prove once and for all that he is the real MVP? Or will Bryant shut everyone up and show why he is the ultimate scorer and team player in the game today?

Meanwhile, the East is best summed up like this: De - troit Basket - ball! 

If all holds true to form and if everyone continues to play how they've been playing, and if the Heat and Lakers continue to stink it up and disappoint me, then the NBA Finals will be DALLAS vs. DETROIT. This one will go seven games but you pick the winner. 

Everyone likes to talk about how important statistics are in determining which players and teams are the best in the league.

Now let's talk intangibles, the reason why guys like Dave Cowens, Bobby Jones, Rick Mahorn, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Fox, Robert Horry, Derek Fisher, Steve Kerr, Ron Harper, Horace Grant, and Brian Shaw have all these rings. Aside from stats, other factors like size, experience, preparation, game plan, defensive awareness, health, mindset, clutch play, luck, and coaching have to be strongly considered.

You can put up a hundred points with ease, but when it counts in the playoffs, how will the Suns compensate for their lack of size on the boards with the Lakers fast-improving bigs of...

Ronny Turiaf (who fared really well against Amare this year), Bynum (7-1, 285), Brown (6-11, 275), Cook (who with his shooting range will pull Amare or Thomas away from the lane), and maybe even the shot-blocking Mihm (7-1, 265).

We can throw fast and athletic lineups at the Suns (Smush, Kobe, Evans, Odom, and Brown)

Or pound the Suns to submission inside and slow it down and control tempo (Bynum, Turiaf, Odom, Kobe, Evans)

Or we can throw our clutch lineup (Kobe, Smush, Walton, Odom, and Bynum/Brown)

Or we can go to a shooting lineup (Vujacic, Kobe, Walton, Radmanovic/Odom, Cook)

Each and every game the Lakers are improving. With Odom and Brown due back the Lakers can start to work on getting that third seed. The defense will be at full strength, and the fact that Jackson is playing a variety of lineups will make it difficult for opponents to read us once we completely gel as a team.

What gives Lakers fans confidence about this year's team is the fact that we have depth on the bench. L.A. can play physical with the big teams like the Spurs, Pistons, Heat, Rockets and Mavs. We can also run with the athletic teams like Phoenix, Denver, and Golden State.

Phil Jackson is the master at getting his players prepared for the moment much like Belichick is with the New England Patriots. While the Suns go with that same 8-man rotation every game, come playoff time they'll be so predictable people will wonder why the Lakers beat them so convincingly.

Going against all the current power rankings and regular season records, the true #1 team in the league given that all players are healthy and in that playofff mindset - Miami. The #1 team in the West is Dallas. The Lakers are the true #3 in the NBA. The legit #4 would have to be San Antonio simply because of Popovich. Finally  I've got the Phoenix Suns as #5 because you should be when you have  All-Stars in Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Shawn Marion and another Olympian in Boris Diaw.

There are numerous debates as to who is the best player in the NBA. How about seeing who is among the best at each position, with several characteristics I have listed as  being the key determining factors?

In terms of  ball distribution, assists, setting up teammates, finding the open man, running the team as a floor general, making teammates perform better, being a good "locker room" guy, being a "coach" on the floor, team's win percentage, scoring the occasional clutch basket when your team needs it, and playing "good enough" defense (in that order)... the best point guard in the NBA is... 1) Steve Nash  2) Chauncey Billups  3) Tony Parker  4) Chris Paul and 5) Baron Davis

In terms of ability to make any shot, scoring at will, clutch play, getting to the line at anytime, team's win percentage, making teammates perform better, being a good "locker room" guy, leading by example, playing better-than-average defense, creating plays that demoralize opponents, and leading by example (in that order)... the best shooting guard in the NBA is... 1) Kobe Bryant 2) Dwyane Wade 3) Gilbert Arenas 4) Allen Iverson and 5) Richard Hamilton

In terms of controlling the lane, being an inside presence, rebounding, blocking shots, high percentage scoring, clutch play, altering shots, intimidation, team's win percentage, being a team player, leading by example, finding the right man out of a double-team, and overall basketball instincts (in that order)... the best center in the NBA is ... 1) a healthy Shaquille O'Neal 2) Yao Ming 3) Dwight Howard 4) Marcus Camby and 5) Mehmet Okur

In terms of solid post play, rebounding position, being a defensive presence, efficient scoring and clutch play, the "hustle factor", containing the opposing team's best big man, ability to get to the line, sheer toughness, and team's win percentage (in that order)... the best power forward in the NBA is... 1) Tim Duncan 2) Dirk Nowitzki 3)  Kevin Garnett 4) Jermaine O'Neal and 5) tie between Carlos Boozer and Rasheed Wallace

In terms of all-around contributions, ability to play multiple positions, the "hustle factor", scoring ability from short, mid, and long range, making other players better, being a finisher on the break, value to the team, ability to get to the line, being a defensive stalwart who can rebound, team's win percentage, and accepting multiple roles on the team (in that order)... the best small forward in the NBA is... 1) Lebron James 2) Carmelo Anthony 3) Lamar Odom 4) Shawn Marion and 5) three-way tie between Josh Howard, Tayshaun Prince, and Tracy McGrady

In terms of ability to generate offensive and defensive chemistry, motivate egos, tactical and strategic planning, x's and o's, making the most of what you have, being a player's coach, and team's win percentage (in that order)... the best head coach in the NBA is... 1) Phil Jackson 2) Greg Poppovich 3) Avery Johnson 4) Jerry Sloan 5) Jeff Van Gundy