A quick pre-season look at the postseason, with predicted conference ranking and predicted record in parentheses.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Lakers (#1, 57-25):  Best conference record against the West (37-15) says something, so let the dynasty begin.

New Orleans (#2, 56-26):  Surprising Hornets could be prime candidate for postseason letdown, but they're led by former Lakers champion Byron Scott, which says something.

San Antonio (#3, 56-26):  Many believe Spurs are old, but Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker aren't, so don't be surprised if defending champions reach conference finals.

Utah (#4, 54-28):  Jazz horrendous on the road all season long, but they won Game 7 in Houston a year ago with Derek Fisher on the roster, so we'll see what they're all about in the rematch.

Houston (#5, 55-27):  The value of the big man - if it weren't for Luis Scola and the ageless Dikembe Mutombo, the Rockets would be out and the Warriors would be in.

Phoenix (#6, 55-27):  Suns' poor head-to-head record against West playoff teams says a lot about their ability, or lack thereof, to compete with the best of 'em, but the arrival of Shaq and the re-emergence of Amare Stoudemire have made the Suns legitimate contenders once again.

Dallas (#7, 51-31):  Not that it's possible, but the Mavs could do to the Hornets this year what the Warriors did to the Mavs last year.

Denver (#8, 50-32):  It's obvious to me that Carmelo Anthony's desire to be in Denver in the future is not in his plans, as poorly timed DUI charge indicates, therefore Nuggets have zero chance of winning a game against the mighty Lakers.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Boston (#1, 66-16):  Leading the league in defense and wins and 25-5 record against the Western Conference says something, so let the dynasty begin.

Detroit (#2, 58-24):  The Spurs of the East keep winning with balance and chemistry and they're deeper and younger, so don't be surprised if Pistons reach NBA Finals.

Orlando (#3, 52-30):  Magic have been better on the road than at home all season so home-court advantage in the first round could actually hurt them.

Cleveland (#4, 46-36):  Lebron of 2007-'08 looks like Kobe of 2005-'06, which means one-and-done in the postseason.

Washington (#5, 43-39):  The Nuggets of the East - all that talent and firepower but not enough in quality decision-making to win big games.

Philadelphia (#6, 41-41):  Even if overachieving Sixers get swept in the first round, young team has already made believers out of tough Philly fan base.

Toronto (#7, 41-41):  Underachieving team can't seem to solve point guard situation and Bargnani is a bust, which means Raptors will be one-and-done against the Pistons in the first round.

Atlanta (#8, 38-44):  Even if the Hawks were to pull off an upset and win game one of their series against Boston, they still don't have enough big-game experience to close out the Celtics in a seven-game series.

Conference Finals Prediction

West - Lakers over Spurs in six        East - Detroit over Boston in seven

NBA Finals Prediction

Lakers over Detroit in seven

A follow-up to the 2007 NBA Pre-Camp Power Rankings, here is the current power list as we approach the halfway point...

**In parentheses (pre-season rank, overall record, home record, road record, and record against teams in their respective conference)**

POISED FOR THE POSTSEASON...

1. Boston (#2, 30-5, 16-2, 14-3, 20-5 vs East):  Why are the Celtics the best right now? They are tops in the NBA in points allowed per game, opponent FG%, and are beating opponents by a 12-point margin. And they recently went 4-0 on a West Coast road trip, temporarily silencing all critics.

2. Dallas (#6, 26-11, 17-3, 9-8, 17-5 vs West): The Mavs' recent 102-86 shellacking of Detroit and current seven-game win streak puts defensive minded Dallas ahead of the Pistons in the power rankings, for now. And Detroit has already lost twice to Chicago, whom Dallas defeated last month.  

3. Detroit (#7, 28-9, 13-3, 15-6, 19-3 vs East):  Still contending, the Pistons now feature a younger and deeper bench than in years' past. They're second in the league in points allowed per game, opponent FG%, and they lead the league with fewest turnovers per game. The key to their success thus far has been their overall balance and efficiency. Detroit wins on the road just as much as they do at home.

4. L.A. Lakers (#8, 24-11, 14-5, 10-6, 15-5 vs West): The Young Guns' ascent in the rankings is due to their ability to consistently beat the top teams in the West. The Killer B's (Bryant and Bynum) lead the way for the Lakers, considered by many as the deepest and most dangerous team in the NBA. L.A.'s well-balanced machine can score and play defense with the best of them. Case in point: #3 in the NBA in PPG and FG%, #4 in the NBA in opponent FG% and steals per game. And their average 7-point margin of victory is third in the league and tops in the mighty Western Conference.

5. Phoenix (#3, 26-11, 13-4, 13-7, 12-9 vs West) : Amid talk of discord, the Suns continue to remain competitive despite their serious lack of size, depth, rebounding, and defense. The most telling stat about Mike D'Antoni's bunch, however, is that they only feast on the east, where they are 14-2, but have lots of trouble against their western counterparts. Although they once again lead the league in scoring, they are still 28th in points allowed and 18th in opponent FG%. This is a disturbing trend for a team with serious talent, but one that also finds it difficult to keep up with opponents who possess that rare combination of size, athleticism, balance, and championship-caliber coaching. Against the top eight teams in the Western Conference, Phoenix is a paltry 2-6 while the Lakers, on the other hand, are 7-3 against the same competition.

6. San Antonio (#1, 24-11, 18-3, 6-8, 17-9 vs West): There is absolutely no reason to panic as the defending NBA champions have lost two in a row, gone 5-5 in their last 10, and are seemingly sliding. Why so? They are 20th in the league in opponent FG%, a defensive category they usually lead the NBA in. The reality is they are pacing. They go through this every year and despite talk of getting old, they remain third in the NBA in points allowed. It's the same old San Antonio Spurs come playoff time, when they'll be number one in most people's minds. For now, they are sixth because they lost to the Suns last month while playing without this year's team MVP Tony Parker.

7. New Orleans (#18, 24-12, 10-7, 14-5, 17-8 vs West): The Hornets should not be a surprise to people, only because we know that Byron Scott is their coach and Chris Paul is running the show. Coach Scott has instilled defense into this young nucleus and his players are responding much like the New Jersey Nets responded to his leadership on their way to the Finals earlier this decade. Now the key is... can they stay healthy, particularly veteran sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic?

8. Portland (#24, 22-13, 17-3, 5-10, 16-7 vs West) : It appears the Blazermaniacs have resurfaced. The red-hot Blazers have won 17 of their last 18 games and along the way defeated Utah three times, Denver twice, Golden State twice, New Orleans, Toronto, and appear headed for the playoffs without Greg Oden. And imagine if Oden comes back this season. Btw, Brandon Roy is the real deal and so is Coach Nate McMillan, who is my midseason Coach of the Year.  

9. Denver (#11, 22-13, 15-5, 7-8, 13-10 vs West) : The Nuggets' dynamic duo of Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson keeps them in games offensively and their team defense isn't too shabby either (first in the league in steals per game and eighth in opponent FG%). However they are extremely thin at center, and their lack of depth at the point guard position could spell doom for the Nuggets come playoff time, where they will try to compete against the likes of Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Baron Davis, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Derek Fisher. That is not a very good sign for an inconsistent team.

10. Orlando (#19, 23-16, 7-8, 16-8, 14-6 vs East): The Magic started off strong but have tailed off lately, losing 12 out of their last 21, primarily because they are a jumpshooting team. Dwight Howard continues to be a monster, but besides him there isn't much else to be excited about. High-priced Rashard Lewis isn't even averaging 20 ppg and is shooting a disappointing 38% from three-point range. What baffles me about Orlando's management is why they picked up Lewis, who is essentially the same type of player as Hedo Tukoglu. Their stats and percentages are similar, making me wonder why they didn't go out and get a point guard like Steve Blake or Mo Williams instead.

11. Cleveland (#5, 19-18, 12-6, 7-12, 10-12 vs East): Don't let that .514 win percentage fool you. The defending Eastern Conference Champions got off to a slow start this year because of the holdouts of key players, Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao. Now both are back playing their customary roles, and the Cavs have quietly won seven of their last ten with King James putting on MVP-type performances. More importantly Cleveland is 9-6 against the mighty West, with wins against the Lakers, Dallas, Golden State, and Utah. 

12. Golden State (#14, 21-16, 10-7, 11-9, 14-10 vs West): The run-n-shoot Warriors, led by quarterback Baron Davis, continue to pile up the points and play nonexistent defense. Because of their style, they are last in the league in points allowed. However their depth keeps them in most games and the solid all-around play of Andris Biedrins has been a pleasant surprise for Nellie's rag-tag bunch.

 13. Utah (#21, 21-17, 15-3, 6-14, 11-10 vs West): Before the season began I specifically said  that Jazz fans will be wondering if Derek Fisher was really the difference maker. Three months later D-Fish has proved my point, making a huge impact on both the Lakers and the Jazz. Utah sorely misses the leadership and locker room presence that Fisher provides, not to mention his defensive savvy and toughness on the court. Ronnie Brewer has done an admirable job replacing him at shooting guard, but there is no replacement for chamionship experience and this is the main reason why the Jazz, despite their overall efficiency, have slipped in the West after making it all the way to the West Finals last year.

14. Houston (#10, 20-17, 9-6, 11-11, 10-11 vs West): The Rockets are currently on their longest winning streak of the season at five games and seem to be on a roll without their leading scorer, oft-injured Tracy McGrady. Although they are fourth in the league in points allowed and third in opponent FG%, something remains missing in the grand scheme of things for this underachieving ballclub. Some say that Yao Ming is too soft, yet others say inconsistencies in their rotation is what has caused the inconsistency in their record. Whatever it is, they need to figure it out fast or else a huge trade may be on the horizon. 

15. Toronto (#12, 19-17, 9-8, 10-9, 12-9 vs East): The absence of point guard T.J. Ford for half of the season has really hurt the Raptors thus far. Despite missing his leadership on the floor, they are sixth in the NBA in points allowed and second in steals per game. Notable wins so far have come against San Antonio and Dallas, and once Toronto gets Ford back in the lineup expect them to make a run for either the third or fourth playoff spot in the East. 

16. Washington (#16, 19-16, 11-8, 8-8, 13-10 vs East): The Wizards have been a mild surprise as they currently hold the four spot in the East despite being without top scorer Gilbert Arenas for most of the season. Former Laker Caron Butler has done a tremendous job leading the way, averaging 22 ppg while shooting 50% from the field and 40% from long distance. Antawn Jamison has also pitched in by averaging 21.6 ppg and 11 boards. Maybe they're better off without Arenas, whose commitment to winning an NBA title has been questioned of late.

POISED TO BATTLE 'TIL THE END...

17. New Jersey (#15, 18-18, 9-12, 9-6, 13-12 vs East): When Jason Kidd trade rumors seem to always persist, something is bound to happen. Kidd for Pau Gasol and Mike Conley? Kidd for Arenas? Kidd for McGrady? Kidd for Mike Bibby? If I'm Rod Thorn, I choose one because either way I won't go wrong. Unless a move is made, the Nets will continue to hover around mediocrity.

18. Atlanta (#29, 15-17, 10-8, 5-9, 9-13 vs East): The fact that the Hawks are 6-4 against the West seems promising. With the emergence of Josh Smith as a bonafide potential All-Star player and Marvin Williams as a consistent scorer, there is hope in Atlanta after all. Now to see if they can develop team chemistry and defensive consistency with Joe Johnson as their leader. A playoff spot is definitely within reach.

19. Chicago (#9, 14-20, 7-10, 7-10, 11-11 vs East): With all that talent, the struggling Bulls still lack a strong inside punch. Looking on the bright side, they are 5-3 under new coach Jim Boylan. Now to see if they finally structure a deal to pick up Pau Gasol or Amare Stoudemire.

20. Indiana (#20, 17-21, 8-9, 9-12, 9-11 vs East): How is it that the Pacers are ranked seventh in the league in scoring and fifth in opponent FG% yet they're only 2-8 in their last ten games and are playing terribly of late? Maybe it's because Jermaine O'Neal has lost interest. His averages of 15 points and 7 rebounds are not typical of the All-Star forward and his style of play doesn't seem to fit Coach Jim O'Brien's system. You can expect O'Neal to be dealt by the trading deadline, especially if Indiana continues to slide.

POISED FOR THE LOTTERY...

21. Milwaukee (#25, 15-22, 10-5, 5-17, 10-12 vs East): There is no question that on paper, the Bucks have talent. Then why is it they can't seem to get over the hump? Because they are 28th in the league in opponent FG%, while only 22nd in scoring.

22. Sacramento (#23, 14-21, 10-9, 4-12, 6-13 vs West): They have been without Mike Bibby, Ron Artest, and Kevin Martin for most of the season. Martin is back, with Artest and Bibby soon to follow. But the big question is still whether or not Bibby and/or Artest will be traded. Chances are they'll be shipped out, especially since young players like Francisco Garcia, Mikki Moore, and John Salmons all have done fairly well in the Kings' youth movement.

23. Philadelphia (#26, 14-23, 7-11, 7-12, 8-12 vs East): Losers of six in a row, the 76ers are insisting they won't part with either Andre Igoudala or Andre Miller. Philadelphia is acting as if they're both franchise players, and if they continue to believe that they won't be winning anytime soon. At best, Igoudala is a third option on a contending team and Miller is a starter on only a quarter of the teams in this league.

24. Charlotte (#22, 13-23, 11-11, 2-12, 9-20 vs East): The story of their season will be beating the Celtics in Boston and Michael Jordan's return (to the practice court).

25. L.A. Clippers (#30, 10-23, 5-13, 5-10, 6-14 vs West): GM Elgin Baylor says he is extremely disappointed with the Clippers' performance this year despite the injuries to Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston and the All-Star caliber play of center Chris Kaman. What else is new?

26. Memphis (#17, 10-26, 6-12, 4-14, 5-17 vs West):   The Grizzlies hired a new coach in Marc Iavaroni, who came from Phoenix, a team that doesn't have the word 'defense' in its vocabulary, and what is the result? 29th in the NBA in points allowed per game and 29th in opponent FG%. With all that talent in the lineup, there is no reason why Memphis should be this bad.

27. New York (#13, 9-26, 7-13, 2-13, 6-13 vs East): Hmm... now what to do with Isiah, Stephon, Eddy, Jamal, Quentin, David, Nate, Renaldo, Fred, Malik, Zach, Jared, Wilson and Mardy?

28. Seattle (#27, 9-27, 5-12, 4-15, 3-16 vs West): On to Oklahoma City we go...

29. Minnesota (#28, 5-31, 4-13, 1-18, 3-21 vs West): The Timberwolves recently beat Miami by 10, one of the few bright spots (along with Al Jefferson) in a year when they could possibly break the all-time record for futility. The only thing else worth looking forward to is February 8th, the homecoming of Kevin Garnett. Will the fans boo or show their appreciation? My guess is they won't respond the way Jazz fans jeered when Derek Fisher returned to Utah as an opposing player.

30. Miami (#4, 8-28, 4-11, 4-17, 3-17 vs East): 10 losses in a row and counting. When it rains, it pours. Led by The Big Everything Shaquille O'Neal, the Heat have shown that although they can fool us all by buying a championship it's just a matter of time until the true colors begin to reveal themselves. Now Little Pookie and Riles have come to find out what Kobe, Phil and Jerry have known all this time about the Big Liability - he's only there for the money.  

Charlotte 98, Utah 92. Detroit 87, Boston 85. New York 108, Cleveland 90. Memphis 88, San Antonio 85. Portland 101, Toronto 96.  Atlanta 117, Miami 111. Dallas 108, Phoenix 105.

Seven games. Seven unlikely winners.

What does this mean? A lot.

Although the season is young and only about 25 games old, this time of year is the time that coaches and GM's really begin to re-evaluate their rosters in hopes of possibly making changes and improvements considering the trading deadline is only two months away. And by now, teams have gotten to play several games to get accustomed to each other and coaches are starting to see what kind of personality, if you will, each team has. It's certainly a key moment in the season.

And although it's early, this time of year is the time that we start to see trends in certain teams that may linger for the rest of the year. We start to see the identities, or lack thereof, between certain contenders and pretenders.

Let's take a look at some of these candidates...

UTAH JAZZ (14-13, ninth in the West): I said in October that they were #21 in my NBA Preseason Power Rankings because not only does their bright young star Deron Williams lack the experience and veteran savvy needed to make it big in the postseason, but the absence of Derek Fisher would prove vital in their overall team growth and defensive cohesion. You simply cannot replace the intangibles that D-Fish provides. In addition injured Mehmet Okur is soft inside for a seven-footer, Andrei Kirilenko lacks the motivation to perform at his best every night, Ronnie Brewer is good but just not seasoned enough, and All-Star Carlos Boozer is undersized at PF in a very big Western Conference. Above all, they don't play the type of defense that Coach Jerry Sloan is accustomed to seeing from his teams. Utah is slipping fast in a highly competitive conference, and they better figure it out or else they'll be done before they know what hit 'em.

BOSTON CELTICS (20-3, first in the East): Tonight's last tenth of a second home loss to Chauncey Billups and the Pistons showed that the Celtics still have a lot of work to do before they consider themselves NBA FINALS bound. Although they are among the cream of the crop right now, the reality is this group has not  yet played enough important games together to develop a solid identity. A team like Detroit relishes on capitalizing on mistakes, like the one Tony Allen made when Billups put him in the popcorn machine for the decisive game-winning free throws. Imagine if this was Game 7 of the Eastern Finals. Detroit won with Tayshaun Prince going 1-10 for two points. How could that be? Because the Pistons are savvy, experienced winners, and above all they are a solid team that's been together many years and knows how to minimize impact players, like Paul Pierce, who shot 5-16 and had a subpar 11-point night. 

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (11-15, eighth in the East): Last year's East Champion better make a move and make one quick. Despite the greatness of Lebron James, the cohesion that allowed the Cavs to march to the NBA FINALS last year has been nonexistent all year. Perhaps this is due to the holdouts of Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao. Both have played a few games now yet Cleveland continues to look sluggish, getting blown out by the hapless New York Knicks. Oft-injured guard Larry Hughes gets 30+ one night then gets eight points the next. Drew Gooden is terribly inconsistent and could be the first one traded. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is big and slow and is nowhere near the All-Star form he displayed a couple of years ago. There is only so much that a coach can do. It's not his fault and right now his players are neither performing nor executing. This is where we will really see how great of a leader King James really is. If things don't change quickly, the Cavs might miss the playoffs because teams like Atlanta and Indiana are rising fast. Panic button? Not just yet because at least they have a couple of months to figure it out.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (18-7, first in the West): The defending NBA Champions are 5-5 their last 10 games, making it all the more obvious that Tony Parker is slowly becoming the MVP of the team. The added dimension that he brings on offense is similar to what Fisher provides to the L.A. Lakers on defense. Although the Spurs didn't have Paker's services available against Memphis, this loss is still considered an upset because the Grizzlies didn't have their best player Pau Gasol. The Spurs are battle-tested and tough but lately there have been some kinks in their armor. Other teams have exposed their weaknesses, primarily their lack of young and athletic depth to counter fast teams like the Warriors, Suns, Lakers, Denver, and the Hornets. And what happens if you can get Tim Duncan in foul trouble thereby minimizing his impact on the game? I guess we'll find out come playoff time, because in May chances are the Spurs will still be number one in the West.

TORONTO RAPTORS (15-12, fourth in the East): Last year's surprise playoff team just lost to the surging Portland Trailblazers in a tightly contested matchup so this game was not really an upset so to speak. All-Star Chris Bosh continues to search for his groove while the young role players continue their search for an identity. They are deep. They play European style ball. They play run-n-gun fast break ball. They are well coached. And they could be dangerous come playoff time. However, their main issue remains the center position. When a playoff game comes down to whoever can grind it out and win the inside battle, to whom do the Raptors turn to? Toronto will probably lock up the four-seed (if Cleveland doesn't catch them), but more than likely they won't get past the second round because they are still one solid big man away from contending in the East. 

MIAMI HEAT (7-18, last in the East): Now here's a team that ready to push the panic button. Whether or not it's a motivation issue, it is obvious that the Heat have problems. This is what you get when you sign a cancer called Smush Parker. It becomes contagious. I really feel for Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem because these are the only players on the team that have been there and continue to work hard and play with 100% effort every night. The same can't be said for Law Officer Shaquille O'Neal, who fouls out just about every game and maintains that he still has "it." Yeah right. If he did, he would prove to us that he could make free throws and develop a post move so that at least he could fool us into believing that he still works on his craft. But we already know about Shaq's work ethic. It's nonexistent. He gets kicked out of the game against the rising Hawks, more proof that he is getting closer to retirement by the hour. Truth be told. Someone already shot the sheriff , and trade or no trade Miami is done. Completely.

PHOENIX SUNS (18-8, second in the West): Are the Suns setting? You betcha. And I'll tell you why (once again). Fact number one: Clueless Coach Mike D'Antoni's insistence on wearing out his starters (especially the ageless Grant Hill) by playing them 40+ minutes every night will come back to bite them in the you-know-what come playoff time because a) his bench (or whatever's left of it) won't be ready to produce when called upon in crucial moments of the game, and b) past injuries may take its toll on players like Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire who, mind you, are not getting any younger.

Fact number two:  The Suns have already lost to the two worst teams in the league, are 27th in the NBA in team defense, points allowed per game, and the most important one, 24th in opponent FG%. As we all know over the last 30 years, the teams that win the championship always have been top five in the league in opponent FG%. By contrast, the revitalized Lakers are first in the West and fourth in the NBA in that category and are on pace to surpass the Suns in the Pacific by January.  Phoenix can believe they will be contending because they lead the league in scoring and field goal efficiency but seriously,  tell me a team besides the Showtime Lakers or Chicago Bulls (an exception to the rule because these teams were legitimate dynasties not one-year wonders) that won the championship over the last 30 years that led the league in scoring? You probably won't find one. 

Fact number three: I don't call them the Smurfs for nothing. The Suns' lack of size continues to hurt them. Despite the brilliance of Nash and Stoudemire, it's obvious that this factor is catching up with them. They're no longer as consistent in putting together dominant win streaks like in year's past and the reason is because they get outrebounded and outmuscled every single night. Rebounding the ball is crucial in the playoffs. Why? Because whoever wins the rebound battle establishes control of the paint and whoever gets offensive rebounds affords your team second chance points, which is one of the most overlooked stats in basketball. Case in point from tonight's game: Total rebounds - DAL 49, PHX 35. Offensive rebounds - DAL 20, PHX 7. Final Score: DAL by 3. You may get away with it against the pretenders, but against the contenders you had better win the rebound battle or else you're more than likely going to be disappointed. Phoenix shoots 52% from the field, 84% from the line, and 43% from the arc yet they still lose. I wonder why.

In sum, things are just heating up in the best professional sports league in the world.

Why is the NBA much better than the NFL and MLB? Because in this game, no one does steriods and no one does HGH to get an advantage over the record books. All they do here is smoke ganja, make millions of dollars, wear nice kicks, do semi-funny commercials, and show us how good they look wearing those Armani suits and of course, the bling bling.

I present NBA trends after the fall quarter. Where "I love this game" happens.

And on the other side... they must play on. I present the spring semster report card for the east.

THE EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Detroit - The revitalized Chris Webber arrived basically for free, and all of a sudden the Pistons are atop the conference. There is a strong possibility of another Miami-Detroit showdown in the second round. Grade: B+

2. Cleveland - Lebron James managed to lead the Cavaliers to a number-two seed and 50 wins despite not having a legitimate sidekick. But then again this is the East. Grade: B

3. Toronto - The reason the Raptors made the playoffs is because they move the ball and play the game just like an Olympic team with all of those international players on the roster. Grade B-

4. Miami - The defending champs get this seed by virtue of being division leader, but they open on the road with an aging and slower Shaq, a more tentative and less aggressive D-Wade, a disgruntled White Chocolate, an uninspired A-Walker, and a Glove that no longer fits. Good luck, Riles. Grade: B

5. Chicago - Now is the time for Ben Wallace to show us why he arrived in the first place. Because the Bulls could have played a guy named Tyson, who pulled down more boards and blocked more shots than Ben all year but now plays for the Hornets. Grade: B+

6. New Jersey - In what may be the last run together for Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson, the Nets can't help but look forward to Brooklyn. Grade: B-

7. Washington - Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler might as well go blogging full time because there won't be much to appreciate in the playoffs for the Wizards who, at this point, lack bullets to put up a fight. Antawn Jamison will put up 30 each night as the Wiz go quietly into the night in four games. Grade: C

8. Orlando - There is only so much Dwight Howard can do, when your team's second best player is Hedo Turkoglu. Therefore it'll be tragic, when Orlando runs out of magic. Grade: C

Please check out my playoff predictions in Part 3... Thanks for stopping by...