With the worst regular season in major sports winding down lets take a look at the type of teams you’ll see in the greatest playoffs in all of the major sports.  I’m not taking into account potential match ups, just looking at my general feelings of the potential playoff teams.  Once the seedings are final we will take a look at the individual match ups  and hopefully have a TSB predictions post.  On to the playoff teams.

Proof the NBA has too many playoffs teams:

Indiana Pacers – Granger is nice, but any NBA team with Psycho-T and Mike Dunleavy is bound to get rolled in the first round.  It’s a good thing for the Pacers the East is garbage because they are not a legitimate playoff team.

Philadelphia 76ers – /doesn’t give a shit.

New York Knicks – 2 games over .500 despite having runs of 13-1 and 7-0.  Eventhough they have two studs in Carmelo Anthony and Antoine Amare Stoudemire the Knicks struggle.  They haven’t figured out how to incorporate Billups and Anthony into the team and I don’t think Dantoni is the man to do it.  Man the East is garbage.

Just Happy To Be There:

New Orleans Hornets – Limping to the finish line after starting the season 11-1.  Injury to West hurts.

Memphis Grizzlies – Good season for the Grizz making the playoffs for the first time since 2006.  With a descent core of players to build around they should be back next season.

Possible Party Crashers:

Portland Trailblazers – Hell of a job by the Blaze keeping it together this year while they transitioned from being B-Roy’s team to LaMarcus Aldridge’s teams.  The addition of Wallace has been great.  Not only is he a high energy guy that can do a number of things on the court, his toughness has seemed to rub off on the Frenchie.  In fact Batum has really embraced his role coming off of the bench.  The Blaze could win a series or two.

Orland Magic – The Magic went through an identity change to start the year, then again mid season and have never seemed to find their rythm.  However there is a lot of talent on that team and if they do figure it out they could win a series or two.  Any time you have the most dominant big man in the game you have a chance in the NBA Playoffs.

Denver Nuggets – Like the Blaze the Nugs have done a great job of transforming their team.  While they Blaze had to do it due to injuries, the Nugs did it after trading away their two best players in Billups and Anthony.  The Nugs could win a series or two as well, but they are not legitimate contenders.

Chronic Underachievers:

Atlanta Hawks – Has a group of players done less with as much talent the Hawks have had over the last few years?  Maybe they win a series, but no way the put together a serious run.

Dallas Mavericks – Just like the Hawks I wouldn’t be surprised if  Dallas won a series, but this group has been the poster boys for underachieving since their Rory Mcilroy-esque finals collapse in 2006.  After winning 67 games in 2007 (6 more than the next best team),  they became the first ever #1 to lose in the first round since the 7 game series format.  In 2010 they became the only team to ever lose in the first round as a #2 seed in a best of 7 format.  It’s no wonder that the #5-#8 seeds are hoping to draw the Mavericks in the West.

The Favorites…2 months ago:

San Antonia Spurs – While they haven’t fallen as far as Boston has, it’s still hard to consider the Spurs the favorites at this point.  While they are the leagues best 3-point shooting team, they don’t score in the paint.  And the team that gets the most easy buckets wins in the NBA Playoffs.  Although bonus points for having the best coach in the Association.

Boston Celtics – They Perkins trade was their death sentence.  This team lost their identity at that point and haven’t found a new one yet.  Horrible trade.  The Celtics are 9 of the their last 20 and haven’t had a 5 game win streak where at least one of those teams was a playoff team since the first of December.

Young With Something to Prove:

Oklahoma City Thunder – The Thunders where the beneficiaries of Boston’s panic trade of Perkins.  Already flush with scorers the Thunder were more than happy to trade away green for a tough inside presence.  With Perkins and Ibaka controlling the paint on the defensive end and Durant and Wesbrook owning it on the offensive side the Thunder have the tools to contend for a championship.  Don’t be surprised if they win the west this year.

Chicago Bulls – The Bulls have had an incredible regular season.  With this year’s MVP and a tough defense they are contenders to win the East.  Noah and Boozer provide toughness down low and Rose has proven to be a great leader this year.  However I want to see them do it before making them the favorites.  I worry about Rose being their only legitimate scoring threat.  In a 7 game series teams might beable to slow him down.

The Favorites, But By No Means Locks:

Miami Heat – The favorite in the east by default.  They have two super duper stars that have proven they can take over a playoff season.  They play good defense and have won 14 of their last 17 including wins against Boston, LA, Spurs, Griz, Nugs and Hawks.  But it wouldn’t shock me if they lost in the 2nd round in epic fashion.

La Lakers – The two time defending champions have to be considered as the favorites both in the West and to win the whole thing.  But they are certainly vulnerable.  Artest is a shell of his former self, Kobe is a year older and Gasol and Bynum are still pussies.  Their recent 5 game slide is concerning, but it is coming off the heels of a 17 for 18 stretch where they were beating playoff teams left and right.  By no means are they a lock, but they are the champs until someone knocks them off.

I am not sure many people have mistaken Danny Ainge’s career as an NBA executive for, say, Jerry West’s.  However, his image went from the outhouse to the penthouse after his trades for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen paid immediate dividends, winning the 2008 NBA title.

Well, with much of the same group in-tact, Ainge put himself out there again by dealing Kendrick Perkins to the OKC Thunder for Jeff Green.  With the Celtic’s size the clear difference maker against their biggest rivals in the East (Heat, Magic, Bulls in whatever order you like), one has to wonder if this was such a genius move by Ainge.

3 of the ‘Big 4′ are coming down the home stretch of their careers, not to mention Shaq and Jermaine O’Neal have played for what, like 35 years combined?  Everyone knows the Celtic’s time to win is right now and getting younger, deeper, and more athletic is something they should have put on the back burner.

However, since I never have and probably never will root for the Celtics, I love the trade because it not only shakes up things in the East, but also the West as OKC is now completely built to compete in the playoffs.  They added quality size, already have a premier scorer, electric point guard, and a bench that can score.  As I see it, they move into the tier of teams that could potentially win the West behind the Spurs and still the clear favorite, the Lakers. (any takers yet on Lakers v. any other squad to win the West?)

If anything else, at least the absence of everyone’s favorite UW hooper Nate Robinson has to leave Boston fans feeling better.

The worst month in sports is upon us thanks to a giant BCS/Super Bowl hangover, so it’s just easier to touch on a few things at once.  Thankfully the month of February is the shortest of the year.

-Kobe and the Lakers are in the midst of a road trip to get everyone off their back.  The win against the Knicks at the Garden last night was a nice win, but when they took it to the Celtics two nights before the Lakers did all the work they needed to.  Really this is working out perfectly for the team.  Of all their recent regular seasons this is the one they need to coast the longest for as their age is starting to get in the way.  The Lakers never needed to prove anything to me – just look at the 4th seeded Celtics from last year.  When it got to playoff time the Celtics quickly showed the East who’s boss.  Even if the Lakers don’t jump the Spurs and/or Mavs in the standings, the playoffs are still set up for them to be the favorite in the West.  Any takers?

-Good ol’ Karl tossed out some gems to back up his long time coach Jerry Sloan.

“You’re a professional,” said Malone, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and one of greatest power forwards in league history. “You don’t need for me to break a film down for you. If you want to stop the guy you’re playing, they pay you millions of dollars. You get you a TV and break the player down yourself.”

“If I got something to say or do to a man, I’m going to look that man in the eye and tell him what is going to happen. That’s just me now.”

From a distance, Deron Williams really looks like a jack ass in this ordeal.  So he has a trump card as the star of an NBA team, big freaking whoop.  Give his body a few more grinding seasons and he will be an average point guard.  Seriously, give this situation time to pass and he will be remembered as the guy who ran Jerry Sloan out of town and couldn’t even show the man or organization a bit of respect and leadership by showing up to the press conference.  No player did.

-Tiger is 1 off the pace in Dubai.  Not that that means a ton at this point, but I hope to see him playing well heading into the Masters.  The golf season is long ass grind, yet the golf season that I care about and watch is all of 4 tournaments long, 5 on Ryder Cup years.  Please, Tiger, (or Phil or Ernie or Paddie…) don’t summon the golf watching world on Sunday at the Masters to Jim Nantz’ poetic rant on the epic journey some old timer took to get his first major title.  Nobody watches the NBA Finals to see Brian Scalabrine take over in the 4th quarter and we don’t watch golf to see a no name become victorious when other guys deliver a slew of chunks, chilly dippers, and  boom-a-rangs.

The NBA! … it’s FANTASTIC! … and it’s regular season begins tonight!

Buckle up … because all the hype that has surrounded Bron-Bron and Wade and Bosh, this off season, will now hit the floor for real in Boston.  The South Beachers will take on those wily Celtics in what should basically be a feeler of what we might see in the spring (ya know, playoffs).  Let’s see how those old dudes match up and defend against Prince James the distributor, along with his merry men of Wade, Bosh, Chalmers, Anthony.

Oh yeah, there is this other game at 7pm involving the Portland Trailblazers.  You might wanna tune in to that as well.

Out of nowhere Lebron James let everyone know via his Twitter page that, “I’ve been taking notes on everyone that’s been ripping me all summer long.”  Well I’m not really sure how to feel about his comments. First of all its obvious that he’s gonna get ripped. The way he went about leaving Cleveland was just brutal…we all saw the decision. He was tired of being the man and pretty much gave up on his pursuit to become the single greatest basketball player of all time. There are a million reasons for all of us to rip the guy if we want to but the funny thing is that now he seems to care.

Why now on August 12th does Lebron care what other people think? He certainly didn’t give a shit about anyone else earlier this summer or about his teammates down the stretch of their playoff run (I personally don’t think he gave up on his team but lots of people do). Now Lebron has the motivation to do something because he got made fun of in the media? One might think getting his ass handed to him by the Celtics would be good enough but apparently for the king it takes some d-bag media personalities lighting him up to piss him off. Oh now he’s got that killer instinct like Kobe or Jordan or whoever.

Just another odd chapter in what seems like is going to be a long story in the career of the King. He used to be the guy that conducted himself like someone much older and more mature than him. Suddenly he has that awkwardness factor with everything that comes out about him. I know I’ve said this before but this adds yet another thing in common with our boy…A-rod! Props to the king for trying to be like this guy. 

Big news at this time is that Chris Bosh has decided to join Wade in Miami as the newest member of the Heat. Immediately this makes the Heat a contender in the eastern conference. Lots of people are gonna go on saying now that they are the favorites. I am not one of those people. Obviously if they land Lebron as well that could change. If Lebron signs with someone else (I think he should), the Heat are still not better than the Lakers, and they probably aren’t as complete a team as the Magic. This gives them a total of 4 players on the roster now with Bosh and Wade joining Beasely and Chalmers. Unless they make another big signing I still don’t see them winning a championship. They will need to add about 8 more guys to complete the roster and for their sake some of these guys better be players.

The one thing they could really use is a center. Someone like a Kendrick Perkins would be perfect to complement “the big 2.” A big man who takes up space and doesn’t need the ball would be the perfect fit. We’ll soon find out what the Heat are going to do but for right now I still don’t think Bosh is enough to put them over the top.

A fairly bold move by Doc Rivers yesterday, as he agreed to “give it one more try with this group.” 

The only problem is “this group” isn’t exactly that group right now.  A few questions still lie ahead for 2 of the starting 5 for the Boston Celtics.  One of which is Paul Pierce – an oft despised fella on this site (rightfully so) and around much of the basketball world (also rightfully so).  Pierce opted out of his contract yesterday to check out the 2010 NBA free agent waters.  It’s highly likely he will come back to the Celtics, and this has the look of just wanting to get an extended deal now instead of at the end of next year. 

Ray Allen is also on the open market as of now.  Of course, Boston is the front runner to re-sign Allen, but you never know what can happen there.  He would be a pretty good fit in one of these many ‘package deals’ that include LeBron or Wade and Bosh or Amare.  Could you imagine the Nets signing Allen, LeBron, and Bosh or Amare?  They immediately become the front runner in the East.

Point being, Doc put his faith in both of these guys coming back.  If either guy is gone next season, they had better sign another free agent or else they are not making a run at the Finals again.  It took an exceptional effort from all their pieces to push LA to game 7 this season.  And it will take another perfect storm to make that push again. 

Doc chose one more title chase (for now) over the time off he says he’s been wanting to spend with family.  He very well could have got verbals behind close doors from Allen and Pierce that they are coming back, but for his sake I wish it was more of a sure thing.

The 2010 NBA Finals was a grind, an eye sore.  You can make a convincing case that all 7 games fit that description.  I feel it’s best to get some thoughts down now about how the series actually went because as the years go by, I see much of the media putting this series up there as one of the greatest of all time because it was a down to the wire Lakers v. Celtics Finals that went the distance.  If anyone ever tries to spin it that way – tell them to shut it.

First, a couple quick thoughts on game 7.  It was disgustingly ugly on offense by both teams, but there was no doubt the Lakers’ offensive rebounding was the clear difference in the game.  The Celtics would have held a 25 point lead in the 3rd and would have cruised to the title if they could keep Gasol, Bynum, and Artest of the glass.  It was also obvious the moment was getting to both teams, even to Kobe.  He went Ron Artest/Tajuan Porter and dribbled into traffic, then proceded to jack some ugly ass shot time after time in the first half.  Really, neither team could make many open shots.  And give the refs credit (even our good pal Joey Crawford) for not imposing their will on the game and letting the players play.  I wish all 7 games were called like that.  I wish the whole season was called like that. 

For the series as a whole…

What makes the NBA different and better than any other form of basketball for me is the back and forth possessions in the 4th quarter.  The super star always touches the ball and has to make a great shot or create a play for a teammate.  It’s all about execution – no gimmicks or tricks.  And in the last 5 or 6 minutes we get 15 or 20 possessions where you’re on the edge of your seat as the great players begin to take over and can every shot.

Paul Pierce (why do I throw up in my mouth every time I think of him?) and Kobe Bryant are two of the best closers of this era – and they did not live up to any of my expectations in the 4th quarters of the Finals.  In fact, none of the games finished with the two closers going back and forth.  Even last night in game 7, Gasol was getting fed down the in post in the final couple minutes, with the championship on the line!  Was it me, or did Kobe go a little more ‘LeBron’ in this year’s playoffs and think he could be as effective starting the offense from 30 feet instead of the mid post?

Usually a great series is remembered by memorable plays, last second shots, great players taking over, controversy, etc…The top 5 moments I can think of in this series (in no particular order):

-Fisher taking over game 3

-Ray Allen going nuts in the first half of game 2

-Ray Allen laying enough bricks in games 2.5-7 to a build a path for him to walk home from LA

 -Perkins’ injury making the difference on the defensive boards in game 7 and subsequently the difference in the series

-The ‘Shrek and Donkey’ game (4)

Game 7 was an ugly beat ‘em up game and those who yawned their way through it probably don’t give a rip about basketball anyway.  Hardly a Finals for the ages, but respect the fact it went the distance.

Lakers win.

There, I said it.  Way out on this Peter North-sized limb…

But I can’t say it with as much conviction as I would like to.  I know the Boston Celtics and their barrage of hall of famers to-be will show with a lot more intensity, passion, and game then what we saw last night in game 6.  Usually the formula for ensuring a win in an NBA playoff game is a) get blitzed from the get go in the previous game b) get out hustled and look like you don’t care to be out there and c) show up like you have a chip on your shoulder for the next one. 

But the Celtics biggest problem now is that the Lakers won’t roll over thinking they have this one in the bag.  This one has all the necessary cliches: it’s game 7, it’s Lakers v. Celtics, history is on the line, Kobe’s legacy is on the line, the Zen Master is gunning for his ’11 lid’ (Rome’s words), etc…

With the above generic-speak on game 7 over and done, here’s how game 7 breaks down:

-Perkins’ injury looms pretty large:  Unless his knee is torn up you can expect him to play at least a few minutes, and the most effective he can be is if he uses his 6 fouls to beat up the Lakers underneath.  He’s not going to dominate Bynum or Gasol in the paint with an injury, but he can throw them off their games by smacking them around.

-For the Celtics, it’s more about Pierce than Rondo:  I know Rondo’s triple double stats look great, and they are great, but Pierce is their 4th quarter guy, and their half court guy.  Rondo’s numbers are usually dictated by whether or not LA scores.  When he gets out on the break, he is unstoppable.  But if I’m a Celtics fan, I wouldn’t count on the Lakers not scoring tonight.  The game will be won in the half court.

-For the Lakers, here’s what we know:  Kobe has come to play in every game, and Gasol has come to play in 5 of the 6 – so expect the same in game 7.  What the Lakers need is for another 2 guys to hold their own.  Last night they had a host of guys contribute like Odom, Artest, Brown, and hell even Farmar made a few great plays.  Kobe and Gasol will carry them to the title as long as the other guys play somewhat competent basketball.

Game 7 prediction from 3D – Lakers win 98-92.

This one is pretty simple, just curious who everyone would take if they could pick from these 3 guys, Lamar Odom, Rasheed Wallace or Ron Artest? I think it’s pretty much between Odom and Wallace but I thought I’d throw Artest in there to mix it up. Try and keep the off the court stuff out of your decision. Meaning the Palace brawl and the Kardashians don’t factor in. When looking at the career numbers it really is pretty amazing how comparable all 3 of these guys are. I’d say they have all been very good NBA players but probably didn’t ever live up to their potential.

Odom and Wallace each have rings and obviously one of them is about to get their second. Artest is a former Defensive player of the year and is close to getting his first ring. I’m gonna throw a few #’s at you to help make a decision.

Rasheed Wallace: career 14.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.8 apg. 4 time all star and career earnings of 150.4 million

Lamar Odom: career 14.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 4.1 apg. 0 all star appearances and career earnings of 90.6 million

Ron Artest: career 15.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.2 apg. 1 time all stat and career earnings of 52 million

I really can’t believe how muh of a toss up this is but I know who I would take. I would go with Lamar Odom. I have no idea why he isn’t much better than he is with his natural ability. There really aren’t any other players in the league that can handle the ball like Lamar. I’m taking him because of his versatility.

 At his best, Rasheed Wallace is my pick. When he was in his prime he was unstoppable. Unfortunately he’s very rarely at his best anymore. His attitude and lack of his ability to control his own mind seem to be his biggest problem. Similar to Odom, he would often times not show up for whatever reason.

Right now its hard to believe that Artest actually scores more than the other 2 guys. He looks like he’s never shot a ball in his life during these finals (by the way I’m writing this before game 5). His numbers were put up on some not so relevant teams but he has always been a lock down defender. He’s physically dominant for his position which gives him a huge advantage on the court. Obviously he’s a whack job but that’s kinda what makes him who he is.

All 3 guys are good players and all 3 certainly have their problems. Who you taking?