Every year when we get deep into the NBA Playoffs I start thinking. I think about which players' careers will be defined by what happens over the next month. I think about which teams' histories will be affected. I also start weighing in my mind who I should root for. There are plenty of factors that go into that decision. I thought I'd write them down to see where each team stands in my mind. As long as we're doing this exercise I'd like to note the LTRP (Longest-Tenured Ringless Player) on each team's roster, because it's interesting to know that one of these guys will finally get the NBA's ultimate reward this year.

Utah Jazz. The Jazz are currently the team I'd most like to see win the NBA Championship, but I have a feeling that they're not going to be able to beat the Spurs. One can always hope though. They're in the Conference Finals after having missed the Playoffs the last three years.

Pros:

• They've never won an NBA Championship, and their fans have been waiting a long time.
• Deron Williams and Dee Brown are two former Illini, and Illinois is the only college sports program I consider myself a fan of.
• Jerry Sloan is a great coach (not to mention a former Bull), but he's never won an NBA Championship.
• Their team has some exciting young stars.

Cons:

• This current Jazz team hasn't really paid its dues as much as certain other teams in the West have (like Dallas and Phoenix). You could argue that they don't deserve to win a Championship so abruptly.

LTRP: Matt Harpring

Overall, I'd say that there's not much reason for me to root against the Jazz. The only "con" I mentioned is a weak one, and I really only included it to give a somewhat balanced perspective. I think the Jazz have an uphill battle ahead of them, but if they can pull it off I'll be happy for them.

Detroit Pistons. Currently number two in my rankings is the Pistons. The Pistons are in the Eastern Conference Finals for the fifth straight year. Even though I'm a Chicago guy, there's something about the Pistons I've always liked. Let's weigh in for them.

Pros:

• They play team ball that isn't star-driven.
• Despite their success, they often seem like they don't get the credit they deserve. A second Championship might help them gain some respect.
• They beat my Bulls, so if the Pistons win it all I can say my team lost to the best.
• I'd like to see Antonio McDyess get a ring.

Cons:

• Their main players have already won a Championship.
• It might be boring to see the Pistons in the NBA Finals again.

LTRP: Dale Davis

I'm still rooting for the Pistons in the West, because even if they don't have much underdog appeal, you appreciate greatness more when you can see a stat like 3 NBA Finals appearances in 4 years.

Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers are in the Conference Finals in what is just their second Playoff appearance with their current core of players. I find it hard to root for them though.

Pros:

• The Cavaliers have never won an NBA Championship, and their fans have been waiting a long time.
• The city of Cleveland has suffered a lot in sports. Their last major sports championship was by the Browns in 1964.

Cons:

• LeBron James is too overhyped for my liking. If he leads a team to the NBA Championship at age 22, a lot of people will start arguing he's even better than Michael Jordan.
• The Cavaliers ended up with the #2 seed that should've been the Bulls' (OK, it was the Bulls' fault for losing their last game of the season, but still).
• Anderson Varejao is one of the NBA's most annoying players.
• I like team efforts better than one-man shows (Don't call me a hypocrite because I'm a Bulls fan. Michael had Scottie for every one of his Championships).

LTRP: David Wesley

I normally root for teams like the Cavaliers, since their city and franchise have suffered a lot, but LeBron James negates their underdog appeal. I actually predicted before the season began that the Cavaliers would win the Championship, since the NBA wants to see one of its bright young stars win a title. It seems that more often than not things go the way the NBA's powers that be want them. Last year Dwyane Wade got his championship, so don't be surprised if LeBron starts getting a ton of calls. The media's love for him will be unbearable if he leads the Cavaliers to the Championship. I can only hope my prediction is wrong.

San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have been one of the best teams in the NBA over the last decade, winning three Championships during that span. They always make the Conference Finals in odd-numbered years, which explains why they're there in 2007.

Pros:

• Like the Pistons, they play consistent, team-oriented ball.
• If they win it, Tim Duncan will have more rings than Kobe Bryant.

Cons:

• They've won three Championships already.
• Their consistency can be pretty boring sometimes
• Warranted or not, their reputation has become one of a dirty team full of whiners.
• I'm tired of Robert Horry.

LTRP: Michael Finley

This is the first year where I've really hated the Spurs. I used to root against them in a non-emotional way, but now I'm just sick of them. When we look back on this Spurs team someday, they'll have an odd legacy of winning without much fanfare, personality or bandwagon appeal.

Being somewhat pessimistic, I'm inclined to predict that the NBA Finals will be between the Spurs and Cavaliers, though the favorites are the Spurs and Pistons. My ideal, Jazz vs. Pistons (with the exciting storyline of Mehmet Okur going up against his old team) seems like a longshot, but as the saying goes, they play the games for a reason. If it were Jazz vs. Cavaliers, this would be the second straight year the NBA Finals was between two teams that had never won an NBA Championship. So many possibilities. Whichever one happens, it should be interesting.