NBA Eastern Conference

Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors find themselves in a 3-0 hole against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and the All-Star point guard doesn't think those type of lopsided results are going to change for as long as LeBron James continues to play like one of the all-time best.

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical passed along comments from Lowry after the Cavs' 115-94 victory Friday night to take complete command of the series.

"They've got LeBron James," he said. "Nobody's closing the gap on him. I mean, that's it right there: They've got LeBron James and nobody's closing the gap on him."

Lowry added: "I don't know when his prime is going to stop. I don't think it's going to stop anytime soon. I think he'll be able to continue what he's doing for a long time. But that's basketball. You've got to find a way to beat the best."

James' team has won the East six consecutive times—four with the Miami Heat and two with the Cavaliers—dating back to the 2010-11 season. He's gone on to capture three NBA titles during that stretch, including Cleveland's first triumph last year.

Yet, as impressive as that run has been, his critics point to a lack of competition. Skip Bayless of Fox Sports 1 is chief among those who question the exact level of the four-time MVP's dominance:

Michael Jordan had to face 39 Hall of Famers in Eastern Conference playoff series. LeBron has faced lots of cakewalks.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 6, 2017

There were legitimate questions about whether James' Finals streak would end this year after the Cavs finished the regular season on a four-game losing streak to drop the top seed to the Boston Celtics. Those have faded as the team has won seven straight to open the playoffs.

Unsurprisingly, the 32-year-old superstar has spearheaded the resurgence. He's averaged 34.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.6 blocks while playing 41.9 minutes per contest.

"LeBron ain't breaking spirits here, but he's just that good," Lowry told The Vertical. "He's a dominant player, one of the top five most dominant players in basketball history."

The Raptors will attempt to avoid the sweep Sunday afternoon at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

  

Tuesday night's first-round action in the NBA Playoffs saw Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder crash out in a 105-99 loss to the Houston Rockets.

While the four teams playing later on Wednesday aren't in the same immediate danger that the Thunder were heading into Game 5, the pressure is mounting to produce wins.

Game 5 is a critical time in any series, particularly if the series is tied at two apiece. 

The Washington Wizards will play host to the Atlanta Hawks in a pivotal matchup to determine which team will go up 3-2 in a best-of-seven. Likewise, the Boston Celtics are returning home after picking up two vital road wins against the Chicago Bulls with momentum on their side.

Can the Wizards and Celtics take advantage of playing at home? Or will the Hawks and Bulls continue to be spoilers to the outlook of the Eastern Conference? Let's take a quick look at Wednesday's TV schedule along with some predictions surrounding the pair of games.

Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
Atlanta Hawks vs. Washington Wizards	6:00 p.m.	TNT
Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics	8:30 p.m.	TNT

Note: Live-stream options are available for the two TNT games on Watch TNT.

Atlanta Hawks vs. Washington Wizards

Coming off an impressive 111-101 victory over the Wizards in Game 4, the Hawks are looking to string together their third consecutive victory in the series after trailing 2-0.

Despite a combined 54 point effort form the dynamic backcourt duo of John Wall (22 points) and Bradley Beal (32 points), the Wizards were no match for the Hawks, who had six players score in double-figures and five players scoring at least 15 points, according to NBA.com.

The Wizards cannot afford to lose home court advantage in this series after winning in Washington in the first two games. The saying goes that a playoff series doesn't really start until the home team loses, but the Hawks have all but seized momentum after back-to-back double-digit victories.

It may be true that the Hawks don't necessarily have a star-studded backcourt like the Wizards do, but they still have serviceable players in Dennis Schroder and Tim Hardaway Jr., not to mention a terrifying front court consisting of Paul Millsap, Dwight Howard and impressive rookie Taurean Prince.

Prince has really shone in the last couple of games for the Hawks, scoring 16 points while grabbing four boards in Game 3 followed up by an 11 point, seven rebound effort in Game 4.

His play has not only generated excitement for his team and fanbase, but it's hard not to think about the potential he has shown in such a short amount of time in the NBA. 

Taurean Prince through four career playoff games: 13.3 PTS and 5.3 REB in 30.3 minutes per game on 67.9 2P% and 4-for-8 3P. Impact rookie.

— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) April 25, 2017

With consistent contributions throughout their starting five and role players, the Hawks can hurt any team from multiple positions, and having that type of offensive variety is crucial in the playoffs. The Wizards have to rely on Wall and Beal, but it won't be enough in Game 5 as Atlanta steals home court advantage from Washington. 

Prediction: Atlanta Hawks

 

Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics

There hasn't been a series quite like this Eastern Conference matchup between the top-seeded Celtics and No. 8 seeded Bulls.

The Bulls stole the first two games of the series on the road, sending shockwaves through Boston and the NBA. When all hope seemed lost, an unfortunate injury to Rajon Rondo hurt the Bulls when the series went back to Chicago, allowing the Celtics to even things up at two apiece, playing some of the best basketball they've played in recent weeks. 

But just when it appeared that the Celtics had it all figured out by adding Gerald Green to the starting five in place of Amir Johnson—a bold but well-executed move by head coach Brad Stevens—it appears that a familiar face may be returning back sooner than expected. Well, that's if you believe Rondo can play through an excruciating amount of pain, as reported by Shams Charania of The Vertical. 

Vertical Sources: Chicago's Rajon Rondo preparing to attempt to play in Game 5 against Boston. Final decision TBD, but there's chance.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 26, 2017

It's hard not to respect a player like Rondo, who is willing to put his body on the line for his team in the playoffs. While it isn't a sure thing that he returns to play any significant minutes, his presence alone makes a positive impact for the Bulls. After all, this is the same player who dislocated his elbow against the Miami Heat a few years back while playing for the Celtics and returned to finish the game just minutes afterwards. 

But even if Rondo can play at all, it doesn't matter at this point. What this series really boils down to is the play of the stars: Isaiah Thomas vs. Jimmy Butler. Sure, they technically play different positions on the floor, but they do share one important role on their respective teams. When their team needs a bucket, the ball will be in their hands.

Thomas has looked like his old self on the court after the death of his sister this past week, and that's good news for the Celtics in what is a must-win game. Boston cannot afford to be down in the series again, and they certainly can't afford to drop three (yes, three) straight home games as a No. 1 seed in the first round. That's unheard of.

Look for Boston to show up at the TD Garden and go up 3-2 as the Bulls continue to slide.

Prediction: Boston Celtics

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New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will replace injured Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love on the Eastern Conference roster in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game, Marc Stein of ESPN reported Wednesday.

Adam Schefter of ESPN confirmed the report.

The Cavaliers announced Love underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee and will miss about six weeks.

This is not the first time this season Love and Anthony have made headlines together. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News previously reported LeBron James was pushing Cleveland's front office to trade for Anthony and was resigned to moving Love in the hypothetical deal if needed, although James later called the rumor "trash," per NBA on TNT.

Isola also noted Wednesday the Miami Heat's Hassan Whiteside was "a close second" behind Anthony for Love's vacant spot on the Eastern Conference roster.

Sunday's contest in New Orleans will mark Anthony's 12th All-Star Game. His Knicks were just 23-33 heading into play Wednesday, but he has posted impressive individual stats.

He has never averaged less than 20 points per game in his career and is well on his way to continuing that streak this season. However, Love has made more of an all-around impact with his rebounding and more efficient outside shooting for the defending champion Cavaliers and was deserving of the nod over Anthony before the injury:

	Carmelo Anthony	Kevin Love
Minutes	34.0	31.9
Points	23.2	20.0
Assists	2.9	1.9
Rebounding	6.1	11.1
Field-Goal Percentage	44.1	42.9
Three-Point Percentage	36.7	38.4

This is a respite in an otherwise rough season for Anthony in terms of off-the-court headlines.

Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report wrote a critical story on the Knicks star, and team president Phil Jackson tweeted his apparent agreement with the piece. Ian Begley of ESPN.com said Jackson "has—directly or indirectly—delivered several critiques of Anthony this season."

Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Mannix of The Vertical previously reported Jackson was "determined" to trade Anthony and bolster a Knicks rebuilding effort, although the All-Star nod is a testament to his individual ability as a scorer.

Eastern Conference Title Contenders

• Boston
• Chicago
• Miami
• Orlando

Well, that’s it for me. For many, Orlando isn’t a contender for a title. I disagree. Why? Here are Dwight Howard's numbers since the All-Star break:

• Sacramento: 31 points, 14 rebounds
• Oklahoma City: 40 points, 15 rebounds
• Charlotte: 20 points 10 rebounds
• New York: 30 points, 16 rebounds
• Miami: 14 points, 18 rebounds
• Chicago: 20 points, 10 rebounds

Those numbers speak to me. I can see Howard looking at the East and seeing Miami with Chris Bosh, Chicago with Joakim Noah and Boston with the big man pupu platter of Glen Davis/Shaq/Jermaine O’Neal/Nenad Kristic and thinking ”I could decide the East this season." I could envision Dwight putting Orlando on his back, not only to get to his second title appearance in four seasons, but to impress and flex his skills for his 2012 suitors. If Howard goes back to being a passive, foul prone guy who misses free throws? No chance Orlando wins.

Miami comes in third for me, but they could very easily be first. Adding Mike Bibby is an interesting touch on their team, mainly because he can shoot the basketball in a limited role. I predicted 66 wins for this team going into the season. They won’t reach 66, but 58 isn’t far off. Wade has quietly had a great season (25 pts 7 assists 5 rebounds per game) while LeBron has overshadowed that with his own MVP-type season (26 pts 7 assists 7 rebounds per game). Along with their numbers, both Wade and James have been capable of sharing the basketball and knowing who’s getting the last shot late. Chris Bosh (18-8) has been effective as a third banana and his 12-foot jumper has been a staple in Miami comebacks all season.

Another little wrinkle I noticed about Miami is they are the best team in the NBA at chipping away at leads. When Miami plays Boston, you see Boston get a strong double-digit lead and every time Miami finds away to slash that lead. LeBron and Wade’s slashing ability and ability to get to the line will save Miami from a couple of games come playoff time. I have my doubts about LeBron being the late-game shooter, but late-game slasher? I’m cool with that. If the deficit is three points, and you need the three? I would much rather have Wade shoot the ball then James.

Check out NBA State Of Mind for more

I placed Chicago number two for one reason: Luol Deng. In the offseason, remember the Deng/Noah for Melo rumors? I honestly believe this ticked Deng off. Ticked him off to the point where he came into the season focused, to the point where he’s arguably their best perimeter defender. Another little nudge for Deng was the addition of Carlos Boozer. This meant Deng didn’t have to be Chicago's second best rebounding starter, which gave MVP-candidate Derrick Rose another runner with him on the fast break.

This is how much I trust Chicago and feel their title chances are real: I’m worrying about their third scorer on the team. I trust Rose, Boozer and Noah enough to feel like the title chances for the windy city are real.  If the Bulls had one problem, it would be the Ronnie Brewer/Keith Bogans combo.

Rasual Butler is a decent player, I wouldn't call him an upgrade. However, he can defend and play both shooting guard and small forward, which should give Chicago another dimension on both sides of the ball. Chicago has enough defensive pieces to remain in any game they play, but can be knocked out if Wade or even Ray Allen explodes for a big game.

Regardless of Boston fans being IRATE over the Perkins for Green swap, I still think the Celtics are the best team in the East. The Perkins trade did hurt Boston a bit, but I like Jeff Green. My thought was exactly what Bill Simmons thought: Green has been playing undersized in Oklahoma City, so moving to his natural position, we don’t truly know his game. I believe he can have a Lamar Odom-like effect for Boston. Green can score, he’s a solid rebounder and he can pass well, not as well as Odom, but well enough to prevent turnovers. This gives Pierce some rest and allows Boston to move Kevin Garnett to the center position and potentially Glen “Big Baby” Davis to the starting position.

It doesn’t sound like the greatest frontcourt, but I know both Garnett and Davis will hustle and defend. Both should be solid and it all relies on the backups. Both Jermaine and Shaquille O’ Neal haven’t been healthy this season, but both will be the key to whether Boston makes the Finals or not.

Another factor is the buyout players Boston added. I really love the addition of Murphy, only because he's another big that can stretch the court. Carlos Arroyo is big for a couple reasons. For one, he gives Rondo some rest and allows Bradley to develop slowly, and he also gives them a look into Miami's playbook (remember, Doc Rivers ran all of Miami's plays in the All-Star Game practices and could use Arroyo as a teacher to some more of Miami's plays).

• 80-74 at Magic in early December.
• 91-81 vs Magic in late December.
• 83-80 vs Bulls in early March. 

Five wins came against teams that were under .500 at the time—the Grizzlies (two), the 76ers (two) and the Knicks.

Another win came against a struggling 24-22 Knicks team that had won just three of its previous 10 games.

The remaining three wins came against teams that weren't at full strength:

• 110-87 at Jazz (no Paul Millsap).
• 93-89 at Heat (no Chris Bosh).
• 90-83 at Blazers (limited Brandon Roy and Marcus Camby). 

Keep in mind that Johnson missed 10 games with injury; however, the Hawks' win percentage with and without him is comparable—.593 with; 556 without.  Also, only three of these games were losses to above-.500 teams—at Boston, at San Antonio, and at Miami.  The Hawks probably would have lost these games either way.

Furthering the point that Atlanta is overrated is the fact that its actual record is better than its expected win-loss record.  In other words, based on a formula derived from stat guru Bill James's Pythagorean Theorem of baseball, the Hawks should be 33-30 right now, not 37-26.

Actually, the Hawks are the only team currently in the Eastern Conference playoffs that is (statistically) exceeding expectations.  In short, this means the ball has bounced in the Hawks' favor a bit more than it has for other teams.

ESPN's Strength of Schedule ratings support this notion by pegging the Hawks as the recipient of the easiest schedule thus far.

Atlanta may win just enough down the stretch to maintain its grip on the No. 5 seed, but don't expect much after that.  This team wouldn't beat the Knicks or 76ers in a best-of-seven series, let alone the Magic or Heat.

Johnson’s signing resembles Rashard Lewis’s more and more with each passing day.

With the Miami Heat’s last-second loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, Miami fell to 1-9 vs. the top five teams in the NBA this season. Miami is now 0-6 vs. Chicago and Boston, the two teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings.

To make matters worse for Miami, the big three; LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are now a combined 1-18 on potential game-tying or go-ahead baskets in the waning seconds of a game. No wonder LeBron seems to be scared when it comes time to take a shot with the game on the line.

After the game, Coach Erik Spoelstra said two players cried in the locker room after the game. Nothing wrong with crying after a loss, it does show players care. The problem with Miami is that they are already seen as an emotionally fragile team and their coach saying they were crying does nothing to quell that notion.

What exactly is Miami’s problem? For one, they lack a good bench. They have spotty point guard play which often leads to James and Wade running the point. They lack an inside presence. It can be said the most important positions in the NBA are center and point guard. Even though they have perhaps two of the best three players in the league, they sometimes have to play other positions out of necessity.

This the time of year the elite teams start separating themselves from the rest of the pack. Have you seen the Lakers since the All-Star break? The Celtics and Bulls are playing at a high-level as well. The Heat should be doing the same, but they can’t even beat the best teams in the league. Does anyone think they could beat one of the aforementioned teams in a best-of-seven series?

Miami’s model of team-building was one that everyone questioned to begin with. When you pay three players that much money, you have to scrap to fill out the rest of the roster. You end up with over-the-hill players such as Juwan Howard and Zydrunas Ilgauskas playing larger roles than they should. How will Miami fix this?

Miami is stuck with this roster, or one of similar fashion for the foreseeable future because of the money tied up in the three superstars. They have to hope these players put the disappointments of all these close losses behind them and the immense talents of James and Wade carry the team in the playoffs.

Don’t look for that to happen. James’ track record in the postseason is already spotty at best. Boston and Chicago have good, solid teams from top-to-bottom. Derrick Rose should win MVP honors and Chicago has built their team with guys who do different things well and Coach Tom Thibodeau has installed a defensive mindset with this team that is playoff tested.

Dwayne Wade mentioned Sunday in his postgame press conference that the fans and media are getting what they want; Miami losing. The fact that he said that is proof that the expectations have gotten to this team and they are unsure if they can win an NBA Title.

For the most part, the 2000's belonged to the teams in the NBA's Western Conference. The NBA Finals were never an issue, it was the winning team from the Western Conference Championship compared to the Eastern Conference Championship that usually became the next champion.

Most fans regarded the Western Conference finals as the true NBA Finals. They thought little about the teams from the East, and for the most part their feelings were correct because Eastern Conference teams were not on the same level as teams in the Western Conference.

I will go out on a limb and bet that most people forget that teams such as the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets all reached the NBA Finals within the last ten years.

The Boston Celtics began the turnaround in the East, and although the Los Angeles Lakers are the two-time defending champions, I truly feel as if there are actually stronger teams in the Eastern Conference.

I know that it may sound foolish, but overall, I would fear more teams in the East than I would in the West.

We have seen a balance of power in the NBA, and it can all be attributed to the Celtics three-and-a-half years ago. In their own way, they began the trend of teams acquiring a version of a "Big Three" to compete for multiple championships.

Celtics' general manager Danny Ainge said that he had a plan when he started running the team. For awhile, this plan may have seemed like trying to lose as many games as possible because he traded away some of his better players and seemingly received nothing in return.

But it all came together over the summer of 2007. After failing to win the NBA Draft Lottery, which could have netted the team either Kevin Durant or Greg Oden, Boston went for broke.

First, they traded their fifth pick (which, coincidentally, was Jeff Green—who they reacquired yesterday) and a package to the then Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder) for Ray Allen. The Celtics also dealt many of their younger superstars, including Al Jefferson, to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Garnett—a move that Celtics fans are still thanking Kevin McHale for.

The rest, as they say, is history. Boston won the NBA championship the following season and returned to the NBA Finals last season, only to lose to the Lakers in seven games.

Yes, the Lakers are in the West and I am fully aware of that fact. They do have quite an impressive trio of their own in Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. And while I would not worry too much about the regular season and their recent struggles, this team does not look like they have the confidence and swagger that has brought the last two titles to Los Angeles.

While you could still argue that the Celtics and Lakers are destined to meet once again in the NBA Finals, I strongly believe that the biggest threats to dethrone these teams reside in the NBA's Eastern Conference.

I understand that the San Antonio Spurs have the best record in the league. They are a very strong team who has championship experience, but I do not see this team being a title contender.  Maybe it is their age or maybe it is that they lost to some of the top teams in the East, but as the playoffs progress, I see this team collapsing when they have to play games without much rest.

The Dallas Mavericks are also a strong team. They will probably finish as the No. 2 seed in the west, but this is another team that is always strong in the regular season, yet for one reason or another they fail in the postseason.

The Thunder actually got stronger yesterday by finally adding the size inside that they have been in dire need of. Durant is one of the best players in the game and Russell Westbrook is also a threat. Though this team has the talent, they may lack the needed experience to make it deep into the payoffs.

And sure, the Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Hornets, Portland Trailblazers and Memphis Grizzlies are all capable of giving the top teams a run for the money, but as the seasons change, these teams will get weaker with the influx of power heading to the Eastern Conference.

The Miami Heat put together perhaps the best offseason of any franchise in history. By having Dwyane Wade convince LeBron James and Chris Bosh to join him in South Beach, which is becoming the new pattern in the NBA, for better or worse, it immediately gave the team the opportunity to compete for multiple titles for many years to come.

The Bulls are building their team around one of the best players in the game in Derrick Rose. Joakim Noah is developing into a legitimate big man, and the addition of Carlos Boozer was huge this past summer. Noah has been hurt and Boozer is certainly injury prone, so it would not surprise me at all if the Bulls put on a full court press for a marquee free agent over the next couple of seasons.

The New York Knicks are in the middle of putting together their own power trio. They signed Amar'e Stoudemire this past offseason with the hopes that they would be able to bring in a pair of All-Stars to surround him with, and they completed the next step this past week by trading for Carmelo Anthony.

That means Chris Paul may be next, unless Deron Williams does not get enough talent brought in to give him a chance to compete with the New Jersey Nets.

The Orlando Magic are still a very tough team and know how to win the playoffs. They know that their window is closing quickly, especially if Dwight Howard opts to sign elsewhere in a couple of seasons. But for now, with Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas to go along with Howard and Jameer Nelson, the Magic have the necessary depth to advance in the postseason.

As of right now, there are 10 teams in the Western Conference with a winning record, in comparison to just six in the Eastern Conference. I know that to some that may debunk my theory, but I still feel as if the tougher teams are in the East.

So while the West may still be deeper, teams such as the Bulls, Knicks, Magic and even Atlanta Hawks could now give any of the teams out west a run for their money. The Bulls hold victories over the Thunder, Mavericks and Lakers. The Magic and Knicks also handed the Spurs a pair of losses. The East is officially back.  

That has not been said for quite some time now, basically since the days of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

The league has come a long way since then. Some will still argue that the West is the best. But the East is a beast once again.

If you aren't convinced quite yet, just give it some time. Wait until after the 2011 and 2012 NBA seasons, when players such as Tim Duncan, Zach Randolph, David West, Steve Nash, Kevin Love, Caron Butler, Andrew Bynum and Andrei Kirilenko can become unrestricted free agents. I can just imagine some of the teams in the east who are already preparing to assemble their new dynamic trio.

In their 79-90 loss at Chicago Saturday, the Boston Celtics looked flat in the paint on both sides of the ball.

Despite having two All-Star caliber talents in Carlos Boozer and Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls not only out-hustled the Celtics inside, they outright dominated.

The Celtics had 27 rebounds, a mark that Chicago shattered with 48. Boozer, Luol Deng and Kurt Thomas combined for 27 rebounds themselves, 10 coming from Boozer.

Although the C's managed to put together a four-game win streak and win four of their last five, problems still exist. Overall, they have won four of their last seven, a winning percentage well below their season average.

Yet, aside from winning percentage, if there’s one thing that the Celtics have been missing since the fall of Garnett, it’s a lack of efficiency on the glass. In five of the seven games since losing KG, the Celtics have been out-rebounded. Three of the five times they were beaten on the glass by at least 12 boards.

The loss of KG has shown to be detrimental to the Celtics' aggression inside.

In the Bulls contest, the C's problems inside were made more apparent. Jermaine and Shaquille continued their foul-trouble problems and had at least four each early in the fourth. Luke Harangody, who had a career-best night against Toronto the game before, was quite the contrary. In his 13 minutes, he was especially timid, going 0-1 shooting from the field and grabbing two boards.

Glen "Big Baby" Davis, who gets more minutes than all of them, was dominated by the veteran star Boozer. Davis managed a 4-17 shooting night with a mere three rebounds in a whopping, season-high 43 minutes. 

Boozer, on the other hand, poured it on with 22 points and 10 rebounds, shooting well above .500. The problem here: Davis had the assignment of Boozer the majority of the 43 minutes he was in the game.

A 4-3 record without Garnett is not too shabby, but it can be improved, starting with the inside game. Rajon Rondo has weapons in Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to get by on the offensive end. Defensively, however, there is a need for step-up play in the frontcourt, and over time it may hurt the C's.

Danny Ainge is hoping Garnett will return just before the team’s West Coast road trip, which begins January 27 in Portland.

Tonight, the Celtics host the Rockets at home, facing the 11th-best rebounding team in the league, led by Argentine star Luis Scola with 8.2 a game. They come in struggling, having lost six of their last seven and five in a row.

After all of the offseason hoopla in the National Basketball Association, the first quarter of the season is over. What better way to summarize the action than with some premature All-Star selections?

EASTERN CONFERENCE

PG Derrick Rose, CHI

Blossoming in his third year out of Memphis, D-Rose has spurred Chicago into East contention without the help of the injured Carlos Boozer—who was supposed to make the Bulls title contenders. Rose leads all point guards in PPG (24.9), towering more than five points over the next closest challenger.

SG Dwyane Wade, MIA

While Wade’s production has come down significantly from years past—due to the additions of LeBron James and Chris Bosh to the Heat—he is still the leader amongst shooting guards in points (21.7) and hauls in nearly seven rebounds a game. Rather impressive for a guy who has to give up the rock to King James and Bosh for the better part of the game.

SF LeBron James, MIA

After an early season “hangover”, as Ohioans like to call it, James seems to have found a rhythm with his squad, averaging a solid 25 PPG over the last five contests, including a 38 spot against his former team on prime time television. Not to mention he’s still the most athletically gifted player in the league.

PF Amare Stoudemire, NYK

My choice for MVP of the first fourth of the NBA season, Stoudemire has walked the walk for the once-lowly Knicks. After being signed to a mega-contract this offseason, Stoudemire promised change in the Big Apple. His 25.3 PPG and 9.0 RPG have propelled the team to a respectable 13-9 record.

C Dwight Howard, ORL

Just as Kobe Bryant is assured his annual starting spot on the All-Star team, Howard is still the smart choice at center in the East. Similar to Bryant, Howard has a younger player at the same position breathing down his neck for conference dominance, but just like Monta Ellis with Bryant, Joakim Noah just is not at Howard’s level of intimidation and supremacy.

SECOND TEAM                                                            

PG Rajon Rondo, Boston                                                   

SG Stephen Jackson, Charlotte                                             

SF Danny Granger, Indiana                                               

PF Kevin Garnett, Boston                                                

C Joakim Noah, Chicago  

THIRD TEAM

PG Raymond Felton, New York

SG Ray Allen, Boston

SF Luol Deng, Chicago

PF Josh Smith, Atlanta

C Al Horford, Atlanta            

WESTERN CONFERENCE                                       

PG Russell Westbrook, OKC

This was an extremely tough choice due to the amazing year that Deron Williams is also having, but Westbrook is truly an unceasing playmaker. He leads point guards in the West in points (23.7) and rebounds (5.5), and dishes out 8.6 assists per game. Oklahoma City is a solid 14-8 with Westbrook running the backcourt.

SG Kobe Bryant, LAL

There are some who still believe Kobe is the best player in the game. Well, who else would you want in the fourth quarter? Black Mamba is still posting 26.5 PPG, second best in the West and not too shabby for a 32-year old.

SF Kevin Durant, OKC

Durant is perhaps the most talented player in the West. An NBA-leading 27.4 PPG is impressive considering teammate Russell Westbrook has stolen much of the offensive glory this year. Durant is a gamer, too; after a slight knee problem that held him out for two games, he went off against Golden State (28 points) and Chicago (29), as if he had never left.

PF Kevin Love, MIN

Definitely the biggest surprise of the 2010 season. Love and his buddy Michael Beasley are the best forward combination in the league. Who could have seen that statement coming back in August? Love’s consistency is incredibly superb, and he nabbed a 30 point, 30 rebound game against the Knicks in November—the first time that’s happened in the NBA in 28 years.

C Al Jefferson, UTH

Ironically, Jefferson was transplanted from that now-vaunted Minnesota front court this offseason to the Utah Jazz. Always hailed as an extremely talented prospect, Jefferson had a couple All-Star caliber seasons while wearing a Timberwolves uniform, and could very well make his first appearance in the West’s red threads this February. Averaging 16.6 PPG to go along with 8.8 RPG.

SECOND TEAM                                                           

PG Deron Williams, Utah                                              

SG Monta Ellis, Golden State                                                            

SF Carmelo Anthony, Denver                                                

PF Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas                                                

C Tim Duncan, San Antonio    

THIRD TEAM

PG Chris Paul, New Orleans

SG Manu Ginobili, San Antonio

SF Rudy Gay, Memphis

PF Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

C Emeka Okeafor, New Orleans

Stepping on to my college campus sporting Cavaliers shirts, I was often asked, "You're a Cavaliers fan? Even after LeBron left?" As those of you who follow the blog on a regular basis, all two of you, know that I cover Jamario Moon. But thinking in the minds of Cavaliers fans, I know that looking deep into this season will be relatively tough. I'm here to assure you that the situation is not as bad as it looks.

No, the Cavaliers will not finish first in the East, and no they will not finish on top of the Central Division. That doesn't rule them out of the playoffs though. My prediction for the East will go as follows.

1. Miami Heat
2. Boston Celtics
3. Orlando Magic
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Atlanta Hawks
6. Milwaukee Bucks
7. New York Knicks
8. Cleveland Cavaliers

That may not look promising, but the eighth and seventh spot to me right now could be interchangeable. As as we've all seen in the past, the Knicks could crumble even with a good team.

Choosing the Cavaliers eighth in the East does have some conditions. Mo Williams will have to play at the level he has been for the past two years. One thing Mo will have to work on is being more of a point guard. He shared that role with LeBron and now without the King, Mo will need to be a good distributor.

Anthony Parker will need to step up big time for Cleveland to assure a place in the playoffs. The way he played last season will simply not cut it. Playing on arguably the best team in the league last year lessened the level that he needed to play at. Honestly, Parker seemed to be absent in a lot of the games last season. He will need to put up double digits in points and play solid defense for the Cavaliers to succeed this season.

Possibly the biggest disappointment last season was the play of Antawn Jamison in the playoffs. As a fan, I was content with his play during the season, but was extremely discouraged with how he handled the playoffs. We all know he's past his prime, but Jamison has the ability to put up 20 points and eight or nine rebounds. This needs to be a frequent occurrence with Jamison this season, and continue into the playoffs if the Cavs make it that far.

Cleveland still has a solid starting five, depending on how Coach Scott decides to arrange it. The expected starters are Mo at the 1, Anthony Parker at shooting guard, and J.J. at the 4 spot. As much as I want to say Jamario will start at small forward, it appears that Coach Scott might open the floor and base the job on momentum. Whoever is performing the best at the time will more than likely earn the spot. Moon started in Toronto and Miami and saw some time in the lineup when LeBron was sitting. His defensive ability will be intriguing to Coach Scott, but Moon doesn't produce much on offense. If he can show the coaching staff that he can drive to the hoop more, his minutes will certainly increase.

What can we expect in the win column? Optimistically, the Cavaliers can reach the mid- to low-40-win mark if all goes well. Realistically, I don't think the Cavaliers reach the 40-win mark and if they don't, they won't reach the playoffs. I know I predicted the Cavaliers to secure the eight seed but it will be determined on the win count. If they push past 40 wins, the eighth spot should be theirs. Anything under 40 wins and the Cavaliers will miss the playoffs for the first time in a long time.