I'm sorry, but I feel that the NBA and the NHL have it wrong with the playoffs.  Any league that allows over half of their teams to advance to the postseason is worthy of being smacked in the face.  Now I know there have been some 8 seeds that won(see Golden State and Denver in the NBA and San Jose a few times in the NHL), but do all of the games matter in the regular season when 16 out of 30 teams advance to the playoffs?

It was different in the NHL when the set up was different(actually having division playoffs then the conference finals) and I think the NHL can go back to it.  When a league has 3 divisions of 5 teams each, there should be a divisional round of playoffs between the top 2 teams in each division.  Here are what the matchups would be:

East(divisional round-best of 5)
Atlantic:  New Jersey v. Pittsburgh
Northeast:  Ottawa v. Montreal
Southeast:  Carolina v. Washington
The team with the highest point total that loses in this round advances as a wild card(we could tweek this)

West(divisional round-best of 5)
Central:  Nashville v. Detroit
Northwest:  Colorado v. Minnesota
Pacific:  Anaheim v. San Jose
And a wildcard team

The NBA could also do this, or they just allow the top 4 teams in each conference to advance(each division winner and top 2nd place team)

Round 1(Best of 7)
East
Cleveland(Wild Card) v. Boston(Atlantic)
Orlando(Southeast) v. Detroit(Central)
West
San Antonio(Wild Card) v. Los Angeles(Pacific)
Utah(Northwest) v. New Orleans(Southwest)

I would actually care about the NBA playoffs if this was the layout, instead of waiting until the conference finals to start paying attention.

Well, what a difference a few days make.  

Some people will be writing to bash Billy Donovan, but he did was other coaches before him have done, followed their heart instead of their checking account.  

Billy Donovan has decided to go back to the University of Florida and sign a 7 year-$21 million contract because his heart wasn't into working in the NBA.  Sure, he would have probably been a success in Orlando in a couple of years, but now he can become what only a few coaches in college basketball are, icons.  Billy did what Dana Altman did earlier this year by returning to Creighton after accepting the job at Arkansas and what Bobby Cremins did in the early 90s by returning to Georgia Tech after accepting the offer to coach at this alma mater South Carolina.  Donovan has the ability to retire as the coach of the Florida Gators now.  If he does that, he will be mentioned in the same breath as Coach K(I have no idea how to spell his name), Jim Boehim, John Wooden, and Dean Smith as coaches that spent most of their careers at one school.  

The Magic got a decent replacement from the Pat Riley coaching tree in Stan Van Gundy.  Van Gundy had success in Miami before Pat decided to take over as head coach.  I think he'll be fine in Orlando. 

Ok, congratulations to the Spurs and Cavs on advancing to the NBA Finals.  Here's a position-by-position breakdown of this finals matchup

Point Guard
Cleveland has Larry Hughes, a St. Louis boy, who can shut down anyone in the league.  He's in the lineup for defense when he's playing, which is starting to be less and less because on a heel injury and the imergence of Daniel Gibson.  San Antonio has Tony Parker, who is probably the third best point guard in the Western Conference, behind Steve Nash and Deron Williams.  Advantage:  San Antonio

Shooting Guard
Sasha Pavlovic is in the lineup for spotup threes for the Cavs, while Michael Finley brings playoff experience to a team that has tons of it.  He's got a sweet shot.  Advantage:  San Antonio

Small Forward
This is the matchup that will determine the series....LeBron James is the superstar in this series.  He takes the Cavs on his shoulders and has carried them at times during the postseason.  However, he will be facing probably the best defensive player in the NBA in Bruce Bowen.  Sure, people think that he is a cheapshot artist, but he is a shutdown defenser that will have his hands full with King James.  Advantage:  Cleveland

Power Forward
Without a doubt, the worst hair in the playoffs goes to Drew Gooden.  He is playing well, but he definately isn't Tim Duncan.  The Superstar for the Spurs isn't flashy, but he plays the game the way Bill Russell did, rebounding and shot blocking and doing what you have to do to win.  Advantage:  San Antonio

Center
The Z Man for Cleveland has been there for years, but he is playing probably his best ball since LeBron got there.  People have said that LeBron is a one-man machine, but people forget Ilgauskas did that too for a couple of years before LeBron got there.  He'll dominate the no-name of Fabricio Oberto for the Spurs.  Advantage:  Cleveland

Sixth Man
Both of these players bring a spark off the bench.  Daniel Gibson is a fiesty point guard, while Manu Ginobili is probably the second best player on the Spurs and, in my opinion, the best sixth man in the NBA.  Advantage:  San Antonio

Review
In this battle of the ultimate team vs. the best player in the league.  Pick:  San Antonio in 6

Earlier this year, I basically called Bobby Petrino and Nick Saban traitors for leaving the University of Louisville and the Miami Dolphins respectively.  Now, I'm about to do something that I shouldn't do, I'm praising a coach for leaving to go somewhere else.

Billy Donovan has done it all.  He played on a Final Four team in 1987 for Providence, he played in the NBA, and he was an assistant for Rick Pitino at Kentucky.  When he took over at the University of Florida, he wanted to make it a powerhouse....Mission Accomplished!  After back to back National Championships and a National Title game appearance in 2000, Billy Donovan is heading down the Florida Turnpike to the Orlando Magic.

With Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson, I think the Magic is one player away from doing something special.....Maybe they'll make a play for Kobe or some other big name, who knows. 

Good Luck Billy, hopefully you can accomplish what your next goal is, turning the Magic into NBA Champions

Kobe Bryant first wants Jerry West to come right the ship for the Lakers.  Then, after West said he's not interested in working for the Lakers again, he wants traded because "The Lakers are a mess". 

SHUT UP KOBE....

First, you ran the one player off that you could win with and the coach you won 3 NBA Titles with.  Then, the teams that he played on the last 2 years lost in the first round of the playoffs.  Why doesn't he let the Lakers decide what is best for their franchise.  Dr. Buss already decided that Kobe was going to be the superstar on the team and he realized that he needed to bring Phil back.  If I'm Phil, I'm hitting the road because I would want out of this mess.  If I'm Mitch Kupcheck, I'd be talking to the Knicks or the 76ers and try to deal Kobe.  The Sixers have 3 first round draft picks and Kobe is from Philly, I would attempt to deal for the 12th and 21st or 30th pick and Andre Iguodala.  Another possibility would be a trade to Charlotte for the 8th and 22nd picks in the first round and maybe a player.  Charlotte might be willing to part with that pick if they could get someone like Kobe who would work well with Emeka Okafur and Gerald Wallace(if they resign him).

The biggest thing is that Kobe needs to shut up and let the Lakers decide what they need to do.

I saw that Dwyane Wade dislocated his shoulder.  I know someone who had a dislocated shoulder playing football and he was not able to play for about 3 months, not including rehab.  I know the two sports are different, but is there any way that the Heat can make the playoffs and stay in the playoffs long enough for D-Wade to be back? 

I'm going out on a limb to say that they will find a way to make it.  With Shaq healthy, I think they will rally around him and get into the playoffs.  I'm not sure if they can make it that long in the playoffs with out "Flash", but I wouldn't bet against Shaq in the playoffs. 

Greg Oden of Ohio State, Kevin Durant of Texas, Brandon Wright or Tyler Hansborough of North Carolina, Aaron Gray of Pittsburgh, or Aaron Afflalo of UCLA.  I posed this question to a friend who loves and follows the NBA(he's actually flying to Vegas from St. Louis for the All-Star game) and a friend who is just like me(he loves sports and pays more attention to college basketball, but follows the NBA) and here was their responses.

Padberg(the NBA Fan)
I'd go with Greg Oden because he is probably the best big man since Hakeem or Patrick Ewing.  If the Celtics get the number one pick, Oden is for sure #1.

Bosen
I love Kevin Durant.  He's going to be the college basketball player of the year and he's a great slasher who can play all 5 positions on the court.  He reminds me so much of KG or Dirk from the view that you can play him at multiple positions.  He does need to work on his 3 point shot though.

Me
Hopefully everyone realizes that this draft class is going to be awesome.  If I had to pick one of these players, I'd go with Durant as well.  Picture a blend of McGrady and Antwan Jameson. 

Now I ask you, who would you pick if you had the number 1 pick in next year's NBA draft(if all of these players leave early)
 

So far, so good for the A.I.-Melo marraige.  I'm not sure how long this is going to last because both are big time scorers that want the majority of shots for their team.  George Karl is attempting to make the Nuggets a poor man's Phoenix Suns, a team that will try to run ya out of the arena.  I'm not sure if it'll work in this case though because Nene and Marcus Camby aren't Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion.

I think that the Nuggets will fall in the first round of the playoffs, like every year.  What they need is a healthy Kenyon Martin and who knows when they'll have that.

Well it's another regular season where the Phoenix Suns are ruling the world.  I have 2 questions on this though....1.  Can anyone stop them?  and 2.  Will there be another playoff failure this season?

The Suns are a well-oiled machine that loves to run.  They remind me of the Lakers back in the 80's because they have a point guard who is masterful at getting the ball to whoever is open and they have a big man who can dominate a game on both ends of the floor.  I'm not saying that Steve Nash is Magic Johnson or Amare is Kareem, but I am saying that the comparisons as to what they do on their respected teams are the same.

The answers are...1.  I don't see another team stoping them in the regular season.  I mean they have had the #1 and #2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs the past 2 seasons and have marched to those.  2.  I think that this may be the year that Phoenix puts it all together.  Now I love San Antonio(Timmy doesn't always get his props, he is the best PF in the NBA) and I love Utah(Deron Williams baby!) and Dallas with Dirk, Jason, and Josh will be there in the end, I just think Steve Nash has what it takes to control a game and that the Suns will make it to the NBA Finals.

From his promising career in Michigan, to the time out call in the '93 championship game, to his days with the Kings, Chris Webber was one hell of a power forward.  Now, the one time MVP candidate, is looking for a job.  Webber's remaining 2 years of his contract were bought out by the Philadelphia 76ers in another attempt to get rid of a troublesome player.

Webber hasn't been the same since he injured his knee a couple of seasons ago with the Kings and he didn't really see eye-to-eye with Allen Iverson while the two were teammates with the 76ers.

A rumor on ESPN.com has stated that the Detroit Pistons are going to pursue him, I really don't see why since they have Rasheed at the 4.  I think a good fit for him would be a return to the Western Conference, maybe as a backup in Phoenix or backing up Elton Brand with the Clippers