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Introduction

I'll give you a moment to recover from the brilliance of my title...

Ok, moving on, Kobe Bryant wants out of LA. Early this summer he was screaming about being traded on national radio. Then he'd go on local LA radio and say he wanted to be a Laker for life. Apparently, Kobe hasn't upgraded to the digital age when pretty much anybody can get news from a wold away instantaneously.

Of course, the LA faithful bought everything he was saying. Growing up in Philly as a life long Laker fan? That sounds a little fishy to me but I digress. Kobe Bryant is only concerned with winning the championship and advancing his own career. Therefore, Bryant would love to go anywhere that he feels would give him a better chance to win the title and advance his own career.

So, using the technology of the ESPN trade machine I will try to put together some trades that would benefit everybody. Now, the likelihood of Kobe getting traded are about as good as an environmental activists' of winning the Nobel Peace Prize but it's always fun to speculate. 

Kobe to New York

Obviously, the Knicks have to top the list. For no other reason than that only New York is bigger than LA. New York could absorb Kobe Bryant and welcome him as a new star. My comrade Dudski talked about this in his blog and I concur.

The Knicks certainly have the pieces to make a big trade and I think going to the Knicks would satisfy Kobe's ego. Being able to resurrect Spike Lee's team would provide Kobe with some motivation and the opportunity to play for Isiah Thomas would make Kobe drool.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kobe Bryant to New York Knicks for Malik Rose, Quentin Richardson, Jamal Crawford and 2008 First Round Pick

Lakers: Get a tough power forward in Malike Rose, a great shooter in Richardson, and an upgrade at point with Crawford. The three of them could help in Phil's Triangle and are certainly upgrades over the current cast (excluding Kobe, of course). Crawford, Richardson, Rose, Odom, and Walton could make for a high-flying offense but they still have a huge hole in the middle. They would need to go get a center but this lineup is still better than what they'll have (again excluding Kobe) and two picks in '08 would give them a head start.

Knicks: Having Marbury and Bryant on the same team could be problematic. However, it wouldn't take long for Bryant to assert himself and I truly believe Starbury would defer some of his shooting to Bryant (this isn't Steve Francis we're talking about here). The Knicks would also be off to a good start at rebuilding here and could make a serious play in the East.

Kobe to Chicago

This is one of the most popular scenarios. But the specifics are hard to hammer out. Who would the Bulls be willing to part with? That largely depends on what direction the Bulls as an organization want to go. They have a five year deal with Kirk Hinrich and seem to have committed to him as  their point guard. But the rest of the team is really up for grabs so it's the Bulls choice to make.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kobe Bryant to the Chicago Bulls for Chris Duhon, Ben Gordon, Ben Wallace, and 2008 First Round Pick

Lakers: Get a decent point guard who still has promise in Duhon, a developing superstar in Ben Gordon, and the show stopper in Ben Wallace. The first round pick is again, a necessity, and this trade would give the Lakers some options.

Wallace would finally provide a presence at the Center spot and both Duhon and Gordon will be free agents after next season. That would give the Lakers to opportunity to resign them or gain some salary cap space. Their youth is also a big plus and they could be paired with who ever the Lakers pick up to rebuild.

Bulls: Obviously getting Kobe would dramatically improve this team. Hinrich is a creative passer and Kobe is excellent moving without the ball. Those two could mesh beautifully and be a dynamic duo for the Bulls. Again, the middle is exposed without Wallace but this team would be a serious threat in the East.

Kobe to Dallas

The Dallas Mavericks are a very opportunistic team. Mark Cuban is obviously not afraid to spend but he would never execute this trade. Regardless, it's a trade that's possible and makes a degree of sense. But neither the Lakers nor Mavs would willingly make the other better.

This trade I think would also require a little more from the Lakers end to compensate the Mavericks and make the salaries work. Again, the first round pick is a given but if I was the Lakers I would also demand the rising star Josh Howard before I would even consider a trade with Dallas.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kober Bryant and Vladimir Radmanovic to the Dallas Mavericks for Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, and 2008 First Round Pick

Lakers: The Lakers would obviously get two great pieces for their offense. Dirk Nowitski creates serious match up problems and paired with Obom could cause fits for opposing big men on the offensive side. Also, Josh Howard is getting nothing but better and adds a threat on both sides of the court. He's a guard-forward and a solid player. Again, two first round picks would give them some flexibility to build around their Nowitzki-Odom-Howard core.

Mavericks: The Mavs would lose two big pieces of their team but would gain arguably the best player in the league. Bryant would add some offense and some defense and Radmanovic can be counted on as the outside scoring big man. However, he is no Nowitzki and would definitely be a bench player. If Bryant could play like we know he can then this could be a serious upgrade over their current roster.

Now to get a little less conventional.

Kobe to Phoenix

I was thinking about Kobe Bryan in a Suns uniform and I think I like it. He would be a great fit for that offense and would add a dynamic option for them on both sides of the court. If the Suns could get somebody who could slow down opposing offenses then Kobe would easily put them over the top.

Shawn Marion is obviously the key part of any trade between Phoenix and LA but the Suns would have to do quite a bit to sweeten the deal.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kobe Bryant to the Phoenix Suns for Shawn Marion, Raja Bell, a 2008 First Round Pick and a 2009 Second Round Pick

Lakers: Marion for Bryant is not a good trade. However, Bell would add some toughness to the Lakers and could add some potency to their defense. They're not going to score more points with this trade unless they sign a decent point guard. However, getting two picks would give them some serious flexibility and Marion's athleticism would add a new dimension to the Lakers offense. Plus, Bell and Marion would work very well with the players already on the team and the Lakers could actually be a decent team.

Suns: Championship. Hands down. Nash+Stoudemire+Bryant+Diaw=Unstoppable. Plus, Hill off the bench will do great things. I didn't include the fifth man because he would be irrelevant. This trade would land the Suns the championship now and give them an easy chance to repeat next season. The Suns would give up some very big picks over the next couple years but their window is closing and they need to do something to win now.

Kobe to Washington

The Wizards are a team that are on the cusp of glory in the East. If they made a move for Bryant they would significantly increase their chances and get far better on the defensive side of the ball. Meanwhile, the Lakers would get two great components for the Triangle.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kobe Bryant and Vladimir Radmanovic to the Washington Wizards for Antwane Jamison, Gilbert Arenas, and a 2008 First Round Pick

Lakers: The Lakers would get two great scoring options and two great pieces for the Triangle. Gilbert Arenas is classified as a point guard and would be a huge upgrade over what the Lakers have. Pairing him with Fisher (similar to how the Mavs pair Terry and Harris) could be great. Meanwhile, Jamison has a good inside-outside game and this team could run the floor with the best of them. While they wouldn't improve on defense they would be dynamic on offense and could use that pick to get a true Center. Plus Arenas and Jamison both have short contracts and that would free up a ton of cap room for the Lakers if they chose not to resign them.

Wizards: This would significantly improve the Wizards, especially on the defensive side of the ball. It would give them the best scorer in the league and an extra option in Radmanovic. The Wizards still have Stevenson and Haywood and this would be a good foundation on which to build. In a couple seasons the Wizards could be real contenders.

Kobe to Houston

Here's another team that I could really see Kobe going to. Again, this trade is  far less likely than the already very unlikely trades mentioned above. However, I think a trade between the two could benefit both sides. I said a long time ago the Lakers should've traded Kobe to Orlando for McGrady and I'm thinking maybe they can still do it. McGrady is still a great shooting guard and with the right team can do some great things.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kobe Bryant and Vladimir Radmanovic to the Houston Rockets for Tracy McGrady, Bonzi Wells, Mike James, and 2008 First Round Pick

Lakers: Mike James provides and instant upgrade at point guard. Again, he could be paired with Derek Fisher and provide a good option at the two spot. McGrady is one of the best guard-forwards in the league and is behind maybe only Kobe in skill. Things haven't panned out with Yao so maybe a change of scenery will revive him. Bonzi Wells only has a season left on his contract and could free up some cap space. In the meantime, he has flashes of brilliance on both sides of the ball and would add some toughness to the Lakers.

Rockets: The Rockets would get a breath of fresh air. Kobe's worked with a high-caliber center before and maybe he can help Yao get back to what he was promised to be. He can certainly score and play defense and again, a change in scenery could help revive him. Radmanovic would again be a third scoring option and I think could be a bigger threat with defenses keying on Ming and Bryant.

Kobe to New Jersey

Bryant really wanted to play with Jason Kidd. What player wouldn't? Besides Nash he is the most creative point guard in the league and wants to get his scores the ball. Vince Carter is untradable (not because he's better than Kobe, because he has a Trade Restriction) so they'd have to give up Richard Jefferson. They'd also have to give up some promising players and again that first round pick. However, a team with Carter-Kidd-Bryant would be unstoppable in the East and maybe even unstoppable against the west.

Los Angeles Lakers trade Kobe Bryant to the New Jersey Nets for Richard  Jefferson, Sean Williams, Nenad Krstic, Bostjan Nachbar, and a 2008 First Round Pick

Lakers: The Lakers would get Richard Jefferson to keep their scoring up and a promising young point guard to help lead the team. Krstic has been a surprise and could be a real asset to the Triangle. Nachbar also shows some promise but would open up a couple million in cap space if the Lakers decided not to resign him after next season. 

New Jersey Nets: This would set up an epic match up between the Nets and Celtics in the playoffs. Which big three would succeed? I don't know. The Celtics would have a hard time stopping Kobe and Carter plus the Nets have something the Celts don't: a true point guard. I think the Nets would come out on top and challenge for the championship. Again, the Nets window is closing and they need to do something to win now.

Conclusion

None of these trades will happen. However, it's always fun to speculate. My favorite trade is with the Suns because I believe that would spell championship. However, I would also like the Nets trade simply because it would be fun to watch them obliterate the East. All in all, Kobe will simply walk away in 2009 and the Lakers will struggle to rebuild. Buss should try to get something for him now but they will never get equal value for him.

So these are some random scenarios. Let me know what you think but I'm really interested to see if there are any other interesting trades you would have in mind (be creative!). Peace.

MVP!
We had the typical names listed as MVP candidates: Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki. Some did speak of Davis but not very much. As the Mavericks rolled, the Suns ran teams off the floor, and Kobe Bryant continued to amaze those three ascended to the top of the talk again.

But after watching this series I believe Baron Davis should be the MVP. Without him this team probably does not make the playoffs. Without him they definitely don't beat the Mavericks.

He got hurt early in tonight's game and it looked like he might not come back. Even when he first entered the game he looked like he would be totally ineffective, a liability even. Instead, he reached within himself and played a beautiful game leading his team to a convicing victory over the hapless Dallas Mavericks.

Baron Davis, who I think is a jerk make no mistake, has tremendous heart. He did everything he could to will his team to victory (not just in the playoffs but in the late part of the season). The crowd rang out with chants of MVP and I couldn't agree more.

Golden State Warriors
There seems to be a stereotype that plagues the NBA, two actually. First, if you have a run-and-gun offense you can't or don't play defense. Two, if you are coached by Don Nelson you aren't concered with defense. Both are false. While Nellie certainly emphasises offensive production he did a good job of stopping the Mavs. The Warriors played swarming, attacking defense that forced the Mavericks into mistakes.

That's a big deal; you don't have to take the ball away, you just make them give it up. That's what the Warriors did. They attacked the ball handlers so fast they got flustered and lost composure, especially Dirk Nowitzki. Warriors basketball is fun basketball, high scoring and high pressure. High intensity on both ends of the floor. The Warriors have a lot of heart and it will be fun to see how far that heart takes them.

Dirk Nowitzki
Wow. Just wow. Talk about a guy with a ton of talent and absolutely no heart. Rather than responding with aggression and confidence when challenged he just curls up with a David Hasselhoff tape and some ice cream. Dirk Nowitzki is in no way a leader and should not be handed the reigns of a team.

Dirk needs a new home; the Mavericks need a new focus. How can the team collectively have heart if their so-called leader has none? Perhaps Josh Howard can turn things around. He was the Mavs best player during the series and maybe his desire can fuel the Mavericks to victory?

Whatever happens it's time for Dirk to move on. It was a good run, but he clearly doesn't have what it takes to take the Mavericks home. The Mavericks should look to get a true big man who can get on the block and beat some people up. I thought they made a good choice in keeping Dirk and not trading for Shaq, but I guess I was wrong.

In a related matter I'm selling two Dirk Nowitzki jerseys. One home and one away, both in mint condition as they are far too big for me to actually wear.

Mavericks Next Step
First, they must trade Dirk Nowitzki. The longer they waste time on him the longer it will be before they get to the Finals again. They can still get some good value for him and he'll make a great role-player on another team.

Perhaps they should send him to LA? Kobe Bryant basically gave the organization an ultimatum: get me some help or I'm out of here after next year. Dirk would provide some great help. Get him back on the perimetter where a weak player like him belongs and watch the threes drop.

The Mavericks could get maybe Lamar Odom and Luke Walton in return or maybe Vladimir Radmanovic? I think they should definitely go after Odom. Another possibility could be to send him to the Timberwolves but I fear what else they'd have to give up for Garnett. I'd rather keep Dirk on the roster, maybe as a 6th man?

How Far Will They Go?
Back to the Warriors. I think they'll beat either the Jazz or the Rockets. Phoenix versus San Antonio will be a good one. I like the Spurs (and will root for them) but part of me hopes/thinks Phoenix will win and we'll have Phoenix vs Golden State in the Western Conference Finals. Now that will be some exicting basketball!

I'm calling Chicago over Detroit. Chicago's playing well and I really like their dynamic. Ben Wallace has given them a real presence in the paint and their roster is solid. It's going to 7 games but I'm picking da Bulls. Cleveland over which ever team they face ultimately to fall to Chicago!

Phoenix over the Bulls in the Finals (6 games tops) and Steve Nash gets himself a title.

Final Thought on Mavs-Warriors
They say it's all about matchups, well I guess it's true. The Warriors had the Mavericks number all season. The Mavericks showed they were afraid of them by sitting the starters in the last regular season game against them. They said they were resting them but I'm pretty sure Avery only wanted the subs to lose so he's team wouldn't be traumatized. Turns out they were anyway.

The Warriors showed heart and deserved to win this series. But I hate Matt Barnes. Mostly for the hair, and I think he's a punk. I hate Stephen Jackson, cause he's a punk and nothing but. And I don't really like Baron Davis, just cause I think he has a bad attitude. But they played with heart and won the series. For that I give them credit and I really do like watching Warriors basketball. But now that my Mavs are out my loyalty shifts to the steady Spurs. Let's go San Antonio!

Who will win the Western Conference Finals?

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls did what many have speculated they would. They successfully wooed Big Ben Wallace away from the Pistons to the Bulls. With that in just a few days of work, the Bulls have completely changed their teams chances. The biggest knock on the Bulls was that they didn't have any post presence, outside of Tyson Chandler. Now they've completely overhauled their front court.

They have Tyrus Thomas who, we heard multiple times, Jay Bilas feels could be the best player in this draft. With his shot blocking presence (which remains to be seen in the NBA) and Ben Wallace the Bulls may well be the hardest team to score on in the paint.

Besides that they will have better perimeter defense with Thabo Sefolosha. These moves will make them better regardless but I think they were geared for two players in particular

LeBron James

James is one of the most versatile players in the game. While he can't play all five positions he can make a strong showing at four. He is notrious for streaking to the basket and throwing it down over awed opponents. When teams clog the middle he's developed his outside jumper. Besides that he's been given Flip Murray to toss it too once he's pulled the defense in.
While James still had his way with Pistons D, Big Ben will cause some concern. With he and Thomas patroling the key James will be a little more likely to settle for outside shots. To help defend against that the Bulls will place Sefolosha on him. Either that or Sefolosha will be on Murray to prevent those outside looks.

Dwayne Wade

Wade is another player who cuts to the middle and scores between the big men. He's the best at it right now. It helps to have Shaq clearing out the middle but even without the Diesel this is Wade's primary scoring method. He too has developed an outside game. And while he didn't light the Mavericks up beyond the arc he did drop an unusually high number of trey's on them.
Now the Bulls will have Sefolosha harass him in the perimeter and have Thomas and Wallace collapse on him when he cuts. Depending on the final lineup, Wade won't have the same luxury of dumping the ball to an open three-shooter but may instead drop it Shaq or 'Zo.

The Heat, however, did retain a three shooter when Posey opted to stay in South Beach for another season. Posey has a great situation. He'll stay in Miami for one more year (which will probably be Miami's best chance for another title for a few seasons) and choose his own fate there after.

Allen Iverson

Then there's still the question of where Allen Iverson will be playing next season. Boston? Maybe. Utah? Probably not. Cleveland? Possibly. Denver? I wouldn't bet on it. LA? Not for the Clips.

Allen Iverson is the wild card this off season. I really don't think he's going to stay in Philadelphia. Where he'll go though is anyone's guess. Here are some trade options that may be being considered right now. I don't think the Celtics are going to be able to land him. But I'm not sure who has the will and the firepower to do it.

The Los Angeles Lakers just signed Vlade Rad so I don't think they're in the market (though they still need a point). The Clippers resigned Sam Cassell and have a good young guard in Livingston. They don't want to harm his development by giving his minutes to an aging Answer.

I think the Rockets could use another point guard. They also need another scoring threat besides McGrady and Ming. They don't have the talent to do it though. Maybe if they'd managed to keep Swift they could ship he and Battier to Philly for Iverson.

The Indiana Pacers are supposedly looking to move O'Neal (though I haven't heard much noise lately) so why not get the point guard they need so badly? I'm sure the Sixers would take O'Neal and maybe switch picks with the Pacers or something. However, the Pacers seem like they're preparing to become a team that's "a few years away" so I don't think Iverson is really in their plans.

The Nuggest have a few problems with big man Kenyon Martin. They just locked up 'Melo and Nene and could use a point guard and another scoring threat. I don't think they could handle th contract but I think it would be great trade for the Nuggets. They'd have to give up more for Iverson but I think it would be a great trade for Denver.

Finally, I think the Cavaliers are the darkhorse for this thing. They could sign-and-trade Drew Gooden and Flip Murray or even Larry Hughes. I know Hughes and Murray were really helpful to LeBron down the stretch but Iverson is still dominating. I would pull the trigger on this if I could and lock Iverson up for the rest of his career.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks were quick to sign draft pick Maurice Ager. They're also trying to sign Mike James. If they managed to do that then they would have guards: Jason Terry, Devin Harris, Maurice Ager, Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse, Rawle Marshall, Mike James, and Marquis Daniels.

They also resigned DJ Mbenga and may have to make room on their roster for forwards Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Reggie Evans, and possibly even Kevin Pittsnogle. I think this may be the end for Marquis Daniels in Dallas. I don't think they'll just let him go but I don't know what they'll get for him. I'd advise them to contact the Knicks or Blazers.

The Mavericks need a tough Power Forward to backup Dirk, both to give him rest and to give teams a different look. If they get Evans then they'll have that and maybe have the final piece to the Championship puzzle. Remember teams start with superstars, it's usually the role players that put them over the top (case in point: Miami).

How much credit do Flip Saunders and Pat Riley deserve for their teams positions?

At the beginning of this season there were plenty of questions about the status of the East's two most powerful teams. Both had played the year before in the Conference Finals. The Pistons emerged victorious to ultimately lose to the San Antonio Spurs. Meanwhile, the Heat went through a massive overhaul with basically only Dwayne Wade, Shaq, and Udonis Haslem remaining in place.

The Pistons, fresh off losing the NBA Championship, lost their Hall of Fame head coach. It had been rumored for quite a while that Larry Brown wanted to go home and coach the New York Knicks back to glory. Everyone expected him to do it even though he contended he didn't just leave teams on the fly. Then, of course, history repeated itself and he left Detroit in favor of New York. Luckily for the Pistons, the Timberwolves decided a coaching change was needed and let Flip Saunders go. The Pistons swooped in and scooped him up.

In Miami the rumormill was running over time suggesting team President Pat Riley would reemerge from the back office to sit the bench as the Heat's new head coach. The problem was he couldn't outright fire Stan Van Gundy cause the Heat were serious contenders for the NBA Finals (at least the pre-reconstruction Heat). So, somehow, Riley got Van Gundy to "resign" for "personal reasons" and took over as the Heat head coach.

Both teams ultimately excelled. While Larry Brown lead the highest paid team in the NBA to the worst record the Pistons were setting a new franchise record for wins and were the best in the league. Pat Riley, meanwhile, got a bunch of supposedly selfish, prima donnas to somehow come together as a team and cement themselves as serious contenders.

But in all this I've got to wonder, how much credit is due Riley and Saunders. The Pistons were only a season removed from the title. They retained their core. They also had tended to win when Larry Brown was unable to make some of the games. The Heat were full of known stars who could create instant offense. Besides that they had a great role playing forward in Haslem. A Hall of Fame center in Shaq (and maybe Mourning), and a young All-Star in D-Wade. The Pistons are scoring more than ever but how much does Saunders have to do with that? The Heat are back in the Conference Finals but would things be any worse with Van Gundy on the bench?

I'm not really sure how much credit to give Riley. He assembled the team but I don't know that he made a lot of difference by coaching it. Van Gundy was a good coach, and I hope some team calls him this offseason, and I think the Heat would have done just as well with him leading the charge. As for the Pistons, I don't think any coach could've kept this team out of the Playoffs. It seems like Saunders has let the Pistons go and they've kind of scored and won on their own.

Now, I'm sure both coaches have a certain degree of impact on their teams but how much? Both these teams would've been good anyway but did these coaches really drive them to greatness? Or would they have been great anyway? I think (almost) no matter who was coaching this team we'd see both of them in the Conference Finals anyway.

Personally the playoffs this year have been pretty amazing. Mostly the Mavs-Spurs series but I think the Cavs-Pistons series and Suns-Lakers were also really good. Now we're on to the Conference Finals and these matchups will be great if all teams involved play to their potential. But after the opening games of each series something strange has happened: both road teams have won Game 1.

Heat vs Pistons
I watched the Heat/Suns game with one of my friends who was just back from college. We both agreed we wanted the Heat to win and that we hate Rasheed Wallace. But I was amazed to see the Heat win the first game of the series. I mean, the Pistons are the Pistons and you expect them to defen home court (especially early). But Flash proved to be too much and the Heat won this game handily.

Though the score was 91-86 the Heat won this game by more than that. So many people have commented on the Pistons depth. And everytime I hear that I'm left scratching my head. To me, depth doesn't mean a guy you can put in who won't screw up for a few minutes. To me, depth means if one of your starters goes down you can put someone off the bench in his place and not lose too much.

The Pistons don't have this. If Chauncey Billups goes down and can't play Game 2 who replaces him? Lindsey Hunter? He may be able to give Billups some needed rest but he can't carry the team all game like Chauncey can. What about Ben Wallace? Who replaces him? The only real depth they have is when they take Rasheed out they can insert McDyess but he's so hot-and-cold these days starting him over an injured Rasheed is no guarantee (I was tempted to say guaran-Sheed but I restrained myself).

Suns vs Mavs
I didn't watch most of this game. Why you may ask? Because I was watching the season finale of Lost. But the whole time I would flip to the game during commericials. Then watched like the last 4 or so minutes of the fourth quarter.

At first the Suns seemed to be playing their game, taking a sizable lead and running like they're apt to. Then as I kept checking in the Mavs were getting closer. Then the Mavs took the lead. And they did this while playing the Suns game. They too were running down the court and getting quick baskets. The Mavs were also exploiting the Suns style by intercepting the required quick inbounds pass.

However, the Suns came back and then took the lead with .5 left. Unless you're Derek Fisher and you're playing the Spurs this means the game's over. It was really disheartening to see the Mavs take control of the game, seemingly beating the Suns at their own game, and then lose it in the end like that. Of course, I often get angry when my team loses and I was wondering if the Mavs would be swept. Now, I don't think that will happen but I can believe more now than before that they may lose this series.

So the question must be asked. Will the Suns, Heat, or both win their respective series? 81% of the time, teams that win Game 1 win the series. Those are some pretty good odds. But are the Suns and Heat really better than the teams they played? Or, as the series grinds on, will the Mavs and Pistons retake their roles as favorites?

Now we've got three game sevens to look forward to. One is tonight between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers. The next two are on Monday night in Pheonix and San Antonio respectively.

The Cavs shocked everybody when they actually won not one but two games. The biggest surprise was when they stole a game in Detroit and went up by one game on the team many NBA "experts" had stated would win the title easily and were "quite frankly" bored with the game.

Then LeBron James came alive and the kid some say is the next Michael Jordan (haven't heard that before) lead his team to a three game win streak. Of course, the Pistons won game 6 in Cleveland but they were certainly on the ropes.

Next, we've got the Clippers and the Suns. This series has gone back and forth. Neither team has won back to back games and it will be interesting to see who steps up on Monday. The Clippers have a serious shot at defeating the Suns but Pheonix's firepower could be too much. I think the Clips are the most likely underdog to pull off the upset. How amazing would a Mavs-Clips Western Conference finals be? I mean just over five years ago neither of these teams were near the top of the heap. Now, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to see them in the next round.

Finally, the Mavs-Spurs. I think this will be the most competitve of the three game 7's, based solely on the way this series has played out. The Mavs stole a game in San Antonio by blowing out the Spurs in Game 2 but that was clearly a fluke. Now, they'll have to prove they have the ability to bounce back from two striaght loses and win on the road. The Spurs are clutch, especially in elimination games, and have the killer instinct that experience provides.

I think that's what the Mavs lack and what will ultimately cost them this series. They've had their chance to knock the Spurs off but just couldn't push them over the edge. If they lose Monday it'll be a bitter pill to #### and may help them develop that instinct for next year. However, a win on Monday would help more and this series will make them better for the next round.

I haven't broken down the numbers but statistically one of these road teams has to win right? I mean I read that something like only 18% of road teams have won game 7's. So that's less than a quarter of the time. We've already had one other seven game series (Pheonix-Lakers) so there's one. We've got three more so the numbers are looking a little better. It's still tough for a road team to win an elimination game but I think the Clippers and Mavericks, especially, have a fair shot at winning their games. I wouldn't put it past the King and a returning Hughes to win in Detoit, either, but I think that's the least likely victory.

Clippers win, Spurs win, Pistons win.

The Pistons are the best team thus far this season. The Spurs are right behind them. I didn't mention the Mavs because this is about the past several years not just this year. The Pistons are Spurs have consitently been the two best teams for a few years now. I love watching these two teams play because they're very much about the "team." Name the best player on the Pistons. Chances are you disagree with plenty of other people. Ben Wallace? Rasheed? Chauncy Billups? Rip Hamilton? Tayshaun Prince? They're all good and all important to the team.

Obviously Tim Duncan is considered almost universally as the Spurs best player but an argument can be made for Ginobili. These two teams combine a lot of talent but there aren't a lot of bona fide "superstars." In thirty years who will be remembered from these two teams as individuals? A few perhaps but their talent isn't what's won them championships. What's won them championships is consistency. These teams have maintained their core for a while now. Some changes here and there (Rasheed in the Championship year) but these teams have been together for a while now. This is what's won them so many games particularly playoff games.

This is something that the other teams should take under advisement. The Miami Heat went out after a playoff season and got Shaq (good move). Then after barely missing the finals they revamp their entire roster. They lost again to the team that beat them last year. Was this move the right move to make? For a video game, absolutely, the talent level went up but chemistry is maybe more important. Teams have to gel to make a run and it takes something special to gel in one season. A few new players is one thing but completely reshaping the team may be a mistake.

A few seasons ago the Lakers signed Karl Malone and Gary Payton to go out and get a championship. They failed. Why? Chemistry. There was so much talent on the team they almost made it but their lack of chemistry (and the great chemistry of the Pistons) lead to their downfall. The Mavericks dismantled their team after every season and never did any better than the prevrious year. After they finally keep a team together they're one of the top three teams in the league.

"Defense wins championships!" No. Chemistry combined with talent wins championships. The play of the team (whether offensive or defensive) is directly affected by this. This is why the Pistons and Spurs have been so good for so long. This is why they are the top two teams again this season. It's all about chemistry. If you don't have chemistry you won't take home the trophy.