NBA Western Conference

LeBron, you're a great player, perhaps the best to grace the game right now, but do you want to go down as the greatest player to never win a championship?

That's the question that a lot of people are asking King James these days and it's the one question that may send LeBron out of Cleveland to find greener pastures. The next question becomes, where will King James find his future home?

Maybe the even better question is, who needs him more? It seems there are only two teams in contention for LeBron's services if or when he decides to become a free agent.

We all know that the New York Knicks, not to mention New York City itself, has made it quite clear how much they want LeBron in a Knicks uniform and they won't apologize for the overtures made towards him every time he's stepped into Madison Square Garden.

On the left coast the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans including their most famous one, Jack Nicholson, are wondering about their chances of landing yet another superstar to go with the one they already have in Kobe Bryant. Though most would wonder if James could handle being "the other guy" next to Bryant.

Now that we've wondered if it's going to be the Knicks or the Lakers what about his chances of staying in Cleveland? Could LeBron sign a contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers and play the next four to five years of his career there?

If you're asking me, the answer to that question is emphatically, NO. Don't get me wrong, LeBron has gotten the Cavs "close" to winning a championship but there's always been that one team that's been better than they are. The Cavs will never be able to surround Lebron with the kind of players that are necessary to win a championship.

That fact alone will drive LeBron to seek a new address and, for my money, it will probably be with Phil Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Zen Master is probably the only one that can handle two superstars and do so to a championship caliber. Though that experiment didn't exactly work when Shaq, Kobe, Karl Malone and Gary Payton tried to work together for that exact cause. Then again, Shaq and Kobe did it to the tune of three straight NBA titles (1999-2002) so it can be done.

You might remember Phil Jackson as the one that coached Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman all at the same time and we all know how that turned out.

Now, I'm not going to LeBron's house to help him pack and rush him to Los Angeles because it seems the Lakers are doing just fine as they are right now. However, is there anyone who thinks the Lakers wouldn't be the most dominant team in the NBA with a starting five of Kobe, LeBron, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and either Derek Fisher or Jordan Farmar?

Sure New York is enticing to LeBron especially since he's an admitted New York Yankee fan, but can the Knicks surround him with the kind of players that the Lakers already have? Can they put together the kind of roster that will enable James to win a championship?

It's an interesting question because who wouldn't want to play with James? Would just having him in New York make free agents re-think their decision about where they would want to play next? Would it make the Knicks become the NBA's version of the New York Yankees just without the bottomless pit of money the Yankees have?

Whatever decision LeBron James makes, it's a decision that not only affects himself but it affects the team he decides to sign with. It affects ticket sales as well as free agency because with the kind of player LeBron is, he could command the biggest contract in NBA history.

For now, James has a playoff game against the Boston Celtics to concentrate on especially after arguably his worst performance to date. He walked off the court to a noticeable chorus of boos as the Cavs laid an egg to the tune of a 120-88 loss to the Celtics in game five of the NBA playoffs.

If game six is LeBron's final game in a Cavs uniform, he may very well be remembered for watching his team get it handed to them in embarrassing fashion. Not to mention getting the team "close" but never to the promised land.

This could be the most interesting off-season in NBA history with arguably more than a dozen teams jockeying for position for the best player to grace a basketball court in quite some time. Not only is LeBron going to be a free agent but he'll join Miami's DeWayne Wade and Toronto's Chris Bosh.

Though the movers and shakers for Wade and Bosh will be news worthy, the LeBron James sweepstakes will make headlines in every newspaper across the country until he signs on the dotted line wherever he ends up.

NBA presidents and general managers, start your campaigning engines.

Los Angeles Lakers

vs

Phoenix Suns

Season Series: Lakers 3-1 

Click below to see the Eastern Conference Final Preview and Prediction

Eastern Conference Finals preview and prediction - Magic vs Celtics

The Los Angeles Lakers want to re-peat as NBA Champs and they'll settle for nothing less. You can see it in the way the entire team is playing as a group and the road to the NBA Championship travels through Kobe-Land (for many reasons).

Not only do the Lakers have the best record in the Western Conference, but are the defending Western Conference and NBA Champions, they have the best starting five in the NBA and also the best 6th man in Lamar Odom. Argue it all you want, but you are wrong, and many people outside the Lakers fan base will even agree with me.

Kobe has been banged up in the playoffs so far but his teammates have shown why the Lakers are the best team in the NBA. Pau Gasol is averaging approximately 20 points per game, while bringing in over 12 rebounds and averaging more blocks than he did in the regular season.

Speaking of blocks, Andrew Bynum is an animal. Yeah, he too is battling injuries but even with injury problems, the guy is almost averaging a double-double himself.

Pull him out of the game, and slide in Lamar Odom who as I said, is the best 6th man in the NBA and is deserving of the 6th-man award this year, and every other year he's come off the bench. Odom is still coming off the bench on an EXTREMELY talented squad and is questionable one of the most pivotal parts of the Lakers team. 

A lot of players would jump ship for another team they could start for, but Odom knows what'd he be leaving, he may never get again. Kobe is by far the most important and the team is built around him, but Gasol is clutch every night (as seen in round one when he tipped in the Kobe miss in the dying seconds to win the game), and is a seven-footer who brings size and strength. Ron Artest was the only player last year who gave Bryant any problems defensively and what did the Lakers do?

Well, when Trevor Ariza left, they went out and got the only player who could (maybe) stop Kobe. I've said it many times but this allowed Kobe to focus more his offensive game and leadership, while Artest took on defending the opponents best player. Even Derek Fisher is an important part of the team as a veteran who can keep the team grounded as well as be a rock carrying the ball up the court.

There is no reason why the Lakers can't repeat as Western Conference Champions. The West is the best conference in sports with teams having to win over sixty percent of their games to make the playoffs but the Lakers are showing the world why they're the best team in the NBA.

Teams like Dallas, Portland, Oklahoma City and Denver who lost in the first round are head-and-shoulders above the teams in the East who got beat out (Milwaukee, Chicago, Charlotte, Miami). The fact that Los Angeles can year-in-year-out dominate in the Western Conference is impressive and some teams loose their edge when they've already brought home the hardware.

They don't find it as much fun anymore because they already earned the ultimate prize. Don't group the Los Angeles Lakers in that category because they will play hard nosed, gritty basketball for 48 minutes and leave their opponents blue in the face. Cover Kobe, Gasol scores... double team Gasol, he finds Bynum. Play zone, Kobe, Odom and Fisher will drain trifecta's.

Hmm, nothing seems to work for anyone defensively, maybe teams should change their strategy. Nope, that won't work either. Try to dangle Artest, hel'll steal the ball... go in for a dunk, and one of the Lakers studs will give up his body and take the charge, or you could shoot jump-shots... and get blocked over and over again by Bynum and Gasol.

Regardless of what the Suns try to do, they are screwed. You can have one of the best point guards in the game with Nash, a dominate presence down low with Stoudemire, and veteran leadership from Grant Hill but no matter how much they do, it won't be enough.

Kobe haters, hate on, Lakers fans, sit back and enjoy.

The Phoenix Suns have played out-standing basketball thus far in the 2010 NBA playoffs. After taking care of Portland in six games, they moved forward and gave San Antonio a slap in the face right after the Spurs had just been dominant in a series against the Mavs.

Many expected the Spurs to carry the momentum and do what they've done in previous years and beat the Suns but Amare, Nash and company had something completely different in mind. In game one, it was Steve 'Kid Canada' Nash who put up 33 points and 10 assists, earning the double-double and quarterbacking his team to an 111-102 victory.

Nash's play enabled his teammates Stoudemire and Richardson to combine for 50 points as all eyes were focused on Nash. Game two was the same outcome (Suns victory) but different as six of the Suns players put up ten or more points and the steady play from the bench, as well as shooting the lights out from beyond the arc in the final quarter pushed the Suns ahead late in the fourth.

With Amare, Nash and Richardson all playing strong and the bench kicking it up a notch as well, the Suns were simply to much for San Antonio. In games three and four, everyone expected with home-court advantage, the Spurs could even up the series. In game three that certainly wasn't the case, as yet again the Suns prevailed with a 110-96 spanking.

Who would have thought after three games, the team who just busted a nut all over Maverick Nation would be facing the chance of getting swept on their home court. The Spurs would have to take game four right? They were looking good until the Suns did what they do best.

Nash killed in the 4th quarter with a mangled right eye and finished with 20 points (he player the entire quarter when he normally rest the first couple minutes), Amare had 29, while Dudley chipped in for 16 coming off the bench.

Sweep, check. The Problem is, the Lakers are riding a sweep of the Jazz and looked impressive in the process.

There is a vast amount of talent on the Suns squad and Phoenix fans should be awfully thankful that the Suns didn't trade away Stoudemire before the deadline. If Stoudemire had of left, not only would Phoenix be in a different position they are, but they could have very well been playing the Lakers in the first round as an eighth seed.

Stoudemire is a huge part of this team, as through-out his entire career he has averaged just shy of a double-double. Unfortunately for Amare, the double-double has eluded him, but the Suns can count on him for consistently put up 20+ points per game with just shy of ten rebounds. Having a player who can guarantee those stats night-in-night-out can't be replaced easily.

Next, you've got Nash, who I am the first to admit, isn't what he was a few years back (when he was winning MVP awards) but he can explode statistically any night as well as any point-guard in the game. Add Jason Richardson, who can single handily take over a game if he has a hot hand and you've got a great core that has taken Phoenix deep into the playoffs.

Grant Hill adds a veteran presence that they have been missing in years past but none of the players named thus far are as important going into this season against the Lakers as a player yet to be named.

If the Suns want to stand a chance with the Lakers, not only are they going to have to continue putting up 100+ points per game, but they'll need Channing Frye to play the best basketball of his young career. Phoenix picked up Frye due to his defensive minded style of basketball and they'll need him playing superb ball against Gasol, Bynum and Odom.

In all honestly, the Suns stand about as much of a chance as the Jazz did... none.

Not only are they going against the defending NBA Champions, but a team who has a veteran point-guard handling the ball, a star playing who can put up 30+ every night, and an endless supply of big men who can be subbed in an out, not only giving each other a rest but wearing the opposing team down. They lost three of the four games in the season series and were outscored 434-400 in the four contests against Los Angeles. 

I'd love to see Nash and company move onto what they truly deserve but there is a reason the Lakers are the defending champions.... they're the best team in the NBA. Period.

TheCoach's Pick: LAKERS in SIX

* Click here for the original article with pictures of players and cheerleaders *

Kobe Bryant scored 32 points in the Lakers' 95-94 Game Six win over Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, but it wasn't No. 24 that sealed the deal.

It was Pau Gasol.

With half a second left on the clock, Bryant missed what looked like a routine, dagger-delivering shot that we've all grown accustomed to seeing from the star.

But, the 7'0" Gasol was there to put it back and help the Lakers advance to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

Four games to two , Los Angeles.

But you can't say that the Thunder didn't put up a fight. They were able to hold onto a razor-thin lead late into the fourth quarter. The home fans were biting their nails in anticipation of a seventh, and series-deciding duel.

The OKC faithful didn't get their wish, but they showered their team with applause after the game for good reason—they can take comfort knowing that they have three prime-time stars on their roster.

And there will be playoff berths in their immediate future. The eighth-seeded Thunder proved once again, don't count out the underdog.

Durant was amongst the league's leading scorers in the regular season, averaging just over 29 points per game. He put up 26 Friday night.

Don't forget about Russell Westbrook . The rookie out of UCLA scored 21, and was "Robin" to Durant's "Batman" for six games, and most of the regular season. He was good for 16 points, eight assists and five boards per game during the 82-game grind.

"I told them they are both incredible players," Bryant said in his post-game interview. "I told them to keep working."

Bryant's display of class was refreshing in today's world of professional athletes. When it's all said and done, he'll go down as one of the best to ever dribble a ball on the hardwood.

And he recognizes star talent when he sees it. Durant and Westbrook will be back, you can bet your bottom dollar on that. The NBA's youngest team also boasts the talent of Jeff Green , a second-year player out of Georgetown.

The trio may be one of the the league's premier collections of under-25 talent .

Oklahoma City nearly doubled its win total from a season ago. They went from a dismal 23 wins to a robust 50 in 2009-10—something the team hasn't done since its days in Seattle.

In a loss, it's often hard to see the positives—not if you're an Oklahoma City Thunder fan.

L.A. Lakers

vs

Utah Jazz

Season Series: Lakers 3-1

* This is just one of the match-ups in the conference semi-finals, click below to see all previews *

NBA Playoffs - Round Two: Conference Semi Finals - Previews and Predictions

The Los Angeles Lakers are not just a good team, they are a great team. Probably not the first time you've heard this considering they are the defending NBA Champions but I could care less about last year. I am talking about this year.

Through-out the season and in the first round of the play-offs, Kobe Bryant has been battling injuries and ailments, whether it be a sore shoulder, broken finger or stiff ankle but something has been seeming to hold Kobe back at times this year when in the past, it's been his time to shine. When Kobe is hurting and his game is suffering because of it, the entire team steps up and plays better in order to get the win.

Good teams win but great teams find ways to win and the 2010 Los Angeles Lakers always can find a way to win. They have the best (Lebron admitted) basketball player in the world with Kobe and when the Lakers organization brought in Pau Gasol, it gave Los Angeles questionably the best one-two punch in the NBA.

Even with a championship under their belt and knowing how good Ron Artest was in last years playoffs, the Lakers went out and picked up Artest, which has allowed Kobe to focus more on offence (when not injured), while Artest guards the other teams best player. Throw in the the starting center Andrew Bynum and sixth-man Lamar Odom and you've got yourself a recipe for back-to-back championships.

Those five players can not only win basketball games but can lead the Lakers through the entire playoffs and one thing to keep in mind is that I haven't mentioned the veteran presence of Derek Fisher, who came back to L.A. after his daughter was diagnosed with a disease that could only be treated in at a specific Los Angeles hospital. You can bet your bottom dollar that not only did the Lakers take him back with open arms considering the circumstances but at the same time were happen to have Fisher join the team giving them the extra push.

Not that either of them by any means play a big roll but even Farmar and Adam Morrison can do a little damage at times.

The Lakers opened up the playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder and in summary, I dubbed it the "Kobe-Durant Show" and unfortunately it wasn't even close to that. Kobe, ailing from injuries (even though he put up 39 in game two), has sat back and allowed Gasol and Bynum to the dirty work down in the paint as game one's victory can be credited to the stellar play of Bynum and Gasol down low.

Something that might interest you to know is that both Bynum and Gasol were averaging a double-double going into game six in Oklahoma City. That is insane. Together they have combined for over 30 points and 20 rebounds... are you thinking Kobe who? Nah, when Kobe needs to, you can count on him. Bryant put up 39 points in game two as the Lakers jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the series.

In games three and four back in Oklahoma City, you may not have been but I was extremely surprised that the Thunder were able to come back and tie the series. In game five, much like game one, the Lakers found a way to shut down Kevin Durant and made the rest of his team score. To make a long story short... it wasn't enough as they lost 111-87.

In the final game of the series, the Lakers weren't going to allow a game seven and Gasol put in a Kobe miss with 0.5 seconds remaining, leaving the Thunder looking towards next season. In the write-up for the other series below, I state that the West in by far the best conference as far as skilled teams and competitive basketball but I think they Lakers match up much better against Utah, than they would have the Nuggets. As talented as the Jazz are, the Lakers and Phil Jackson will find a way to win.

I have much more confidence taking Kobe, Gasol, Bynum, Odom, Artest and Fisher and Jackson coaching, than I do going with the other side of the court (Boozer, Williams, Kirilenko and Miles with Sloan coaching). EXACTLY my point. As great as Utah played against Denver... the Nuggets are not the defending champs... and either are the Jazz.

If I'm alone in thinking the Lakers have a great match-up here, comment below and bring it to my attention but before you do, consider the following ... 1) are you a Kobe hater? 2) are you drunk? ... because I've been wrong before, but this is one time I certainly won't be.

I may be underestimating the talent of the Utah Jazz, but one thing I am not underestimating is the advantage the Lakers have in the series which I'll get to more in a moment. As for Utah, they looked great taking care of the Carmelo Anthony lead Denver Nuggets.

It wasn't overly about stopping the Nuggets on the defensive side of the ball but more about Denver's inability to put the clamps on Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer. Both men averaged over 40 minutes per game in round one and took full advantage of every second by combining for approximately 50 points per game.

Utah might be a huge problem as Williams seemed to hurt his arm in the last seconds against Denver.

Behind the dynamic duo of Williams and Boozer, you've got a solid core with Paul Millsap, C.J. Miles and Wesley Matthews who themselves put up over fourty a night. That's pretty impressive if you ask me. A teams top five players combining for 90+ points with Kyle Korver and Mehmet Okur still being able to come into the game is scary.

The one thing I like about the Jazz, is they are fun to watch. I've mentioned it before (and I will again) but during the Chicago Bulls - Utah Jazz rivalry in the 90's, I hated watching the Jazz. Stockton and Malone's style of basketball was so boring compared to Jordan and Pippen. Boozer and Williams bring a edge to the Jazz that at some point in their career may just win them a championship but it's not going to happen this year.

As much as Jazz fans are hating me right now, I'll apologize in advance but they need to realize a couple things. Yes, they have a solid starting five but I am not confident with their bench they slightest bit and more importantly, they were 21-20 on the road this year and even though the Lakers were 23-18... four of the seven games are in Los Angeles and the Lakers have a better chance than the Jazz of stealing a game on the road.

If you look at the teams in the Western Conference, there are teams like Utah and Oklahoma City who will only beat you with their starting five. At the same time, you have teams like Phoenix (who can put up 55 points with the bench in a game) or the Lakers who can sub in Odom for Gasol, Walton for Artest, Brown for Fisher and Vujacic for Bryant... with Adam Morrison still on the bench.The 6th-man bench advantage goes to the Lakers.

At point guard, as great as Derek Fisher is, clearly he is no Deron Williams but move to the shooting guard and you have Kobe Bryant for the Lakers, and Wesley Matthews for the Jazz. Kobe will beat Matthews like he is his red-headed step-child... just saying'.

C.J Miles pairing up against Ron Artest. Do you seriously want to know the answer to this question? The Lakers picked up Artest for his defence which is next to none and C.J. Miles is a nobody compared to Artest. Now it gets interesting with Boozer vs. Gasol and for argument sake we will call it a tie, Gasol is amazing but Boozer can put up games of 20 points, 20 rebounds but there is no question Bynum is head and shoulders above Kyrylo Fesenko (who? yeah, exactly my point). With all of that said, the starting five advantage goes to the Lakers, easily.

One advantage that can't be argued in the home-court advantage that the Lakers have and the Jazz can steal home-court by winning one of the two first games (which is possible) but the Lakers will rebound back as they always seem too by winning in Utah. Last but not least, and something else you can't argue is coaching. Jerry Sloan is a good coach, heck he is a great coach... but he is no Phil Jackson.

Every advantage goes to the Lakers but with how hard it is to win on the road in the NBA, there is no way the Lakers can sweep the Jazz. Expect the series to go six games, and if you're right pissed off (Utah Fans...) feel free to leave a comment but hopefully it has some edge to it... Malone.

TheCoach's Pick: LAKERS in SIX 

Just when I was about to go on my annual "The NBA Regular Season is Too Long" rant, I metaphorically take a peek up the wide-open skirt of the Western Conference. If the Western Conference were a lady, you'd have to agree that she's hot, tight, and replete with action. She's also sticky-dripping wet...with the raunchy sweat of playoff-seed jockeying.

With five or six games left (depending on the teams) in the regular season, there's all of eight games separating the No. 1 seed and the No. 8 seed. For all intents & purposes, the stumbling Lakers have the No. 1 seed wrapped, but while all eight playoff slots are filled, not one of them is officially locked, seeding-wise.

Even better evidencing how close the Western race is...there are only three games separating the No. 2 seed and the No. 8 seed. Four teams (Dallas, Denver, Utah & Phoenix) are currently tied for second place. Three teams (OKC, San Antonio, and Portland) sit within a game and a half of each other for seeds six-eight.

If any of these teams, not wearing purple & gold, so much as sneeze...much less, bend-over...during this next week and a half, they could find themselves having dropped three or four...or SIX places. Even the Lakers had better not cough too loudly or too many more times or they could find themselves in second place.

This conference is not only tight and hot, they're overall playing or have played good basketball. Contrarily, the Lakers have been sleep-walking since the All-Star break, but they still sport a .714 winning percentage—the second best in the NBA. The Suns and Mavs both just came off double-digit win streaks.

Even the currently eighth-seeded Blazers carry a .610 winning percentage. If the Blazers were in the Eastern Conference with that record, they'd be in fifth place. Compare and contrast that with the current eighth seed in the East, the Raptors, who are playing .500 ball...and they or whoever winds up as the eighth playoff seed could go in at under .500 (i.e. The gutsy but lowly Bulls lurk just a game back at .487).

Greg Popovitch, admitted before the game against the Lakers on Sunday that his Spurs and (he believes) all six of the other playoff-bound Western teams were trying to avoid facing The Lakers in the first round. Some might argue, however, given the play of the Lakers lately, the objective instead should be to fall into/stay in the eighth playoff seed so they could face The Lolli-GAGGING Lakers. Regardless, Hot...Tight...Sticky "Lady West" will put on quite a peep show for the next week and a half.

Reg DeVone is co-owner/admin: Sports Jabber.

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So this is mostly a college basketball and basketball recruiting blog, but let's face it; it all runs downstream to the NBA, and I've got three important NBA observations i'd like to get out there.


1. Stephen Curry might not win the rookie of the year, but he should. He's silky smooth, never going too fast, never out of control, head always on a swivel, shakes a defender not too much but just enough, and delivers the ball always exactly where it should go...not to mention his quick-release gun-line jumper which always keeps defenders honest.

If he didn't start out the season so slow I think he would definitely be the rookie of the year, but you can't knock any of the rookie PG's this year: Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Ty Lawson, Darren Collison, and even Eric Maynor have all been great.

Curry is a little different because he doesn't have the outstanding size, speed, or athleticism like we associate with most current day top point guards, but he holds his own just fine if not better.

2. The Dallas Mavericks are legit. They're not the same "make it to the playoffs every year and have no shot at a title" team like they usually are. They're not run-n-gun like the old days and they're not too soft like the less old old days.

The mid-season trade sending oft-troubled and -injured forward Josh Howard away and getting Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood was big for this team.

Butler was a great get but Haywood was huge, literally, giving this team the size to actually match up with the Lakers.

But more than anything, I think Dirk is focused. He's not messin' around this season, and he doesn't have the intense spotlight and pressure like years before.

It seems like a perfect situation for him to come up big, because no one really expects anything great from him.

For the most part the Mavs are an afterthought behind the Nuggets and the Lakers. Dirk scores effortlessly and is the greatest stress-release player in the game because no one can block that little elbow jumper of his.

He gets it off against anyone and always makes it, and it's almost an effortless two points. He hardly expends any energy getting it.

In fact if I had to pick today I would take the Mavericks as the West champs. They are big, they are athletic, good shooters all over the floor and led by arguably the best point guard in a generation, J-Kidd.

3. Brandon Roy is a monster. I don't think enough people recognize how good Brandon Roy is because he is on the West Coast, and most people don't really get a chance to see him.

Also he's not always involved in jaw-dropping plays or monster dunks so a lot of the time he's not ESPN highlight packages.

But make no mistake, Brandon Roy is a beast, when he wants to score, he can. His hesitation slash move to the bucket (or the giant first step) is one of the most effective I've ever seen, it works every time no matter how much you yell at the TV screen telling Rudy Gay exactly what Roy is going to do.

He just seems too slow until he hits you with move and then it's too late, Rudy's already just watching and probably a foul.

That 's all I got for now, but i'm working on a write-up for the McDonald's All-American game, so hopefully I should have that up soon.

Since the Portland Trail Blazers lost in embarrassing fashion to the Utah Jazz at the end of Feb., they have lost only three times (two of those against Western Conferen playoff teams). Perhaps a combination of an easier schedule, more time off, a healthier Brandon Roy, and solidified starting unit, the Blazers are finally taking care of business heading down the home stretch, and all but guaranteeing their spot in the Western Conference playoffs.

Not only are they sure to make the playoffs, it appears that a first round exit is no longer imminent as a seventh seed and a decidedly more favorable matchup seems likely.

Indeed, it has never been more fun this season to be a Blazers fan than this last stretch of awesome play. All the front office drama, ticket price increases, and an absurd amount of injuries haven't deterred the Blazers, or their fans, as the team, and seemingly the entire city gear up for a playoff run.

With everything clicking at the right time, what is there to criticize? After a brief respite from life and an awesome trip to Florida, I came back this week to watch some game tape hoping to see what everyone has been raving about. Although I was impressed by the offense and increased energy on defense, one thing stood out to me the most:
Where have the Blazers' second unit gone?

I checked out some stats on the second unit in order to find out whether I am just imagining the "bench woes" or if the second unit is indeed struggling. To clarify, the second unit is most commonly comprised of Jerryd Bayless, Rudy Fernandez, Martell Webster, Juwan Howard, and LaMarcus Aldridge (or another starter such as Andre Miller or Brandon Roy). With the addition of Marcus Camby, Jeff Pendergraph's minutes have understandably plummeted, and to much fans' chagrin (including my own), so have Dante Cunningham's.

At first glance, the second unit seems to struggle most with creating offense and getting back on defense. Upon further investigation, what I've found is certainly indicative of this. According to 82Games.com , the five man unit of Fernandez, Bayless, Webster, Aldridge, and Howard shoot 37 percent while allowing almost 48 percent opponent shooting. More significantly, the majority of their shots are not close range. With Webster and Rudy on the floor, it is obvious many shots will be deep jumpers (three pointers) and the numbers certainly indicate this.

Sadly, both Martell and Fernandez seem to have lost their shot at the same time, which appears to be the main reason offensive production for that second unit is so low. Even with Howard or Aldridge and Bayless to score, much of Coach Nate McMillan's offense relies on the two wings drawing the defense from whoever is in the middle. If the two wings can't hit a shot, defenders won't bother to stay out on them and this is certainly a trend we have seen lately.

Fernandez has been fighting with nagging injuries all season and especially of late, so I think in a fit of magnanimity, I'll just allow that he most likely struggles because of those injuries. Martell has no such excuse and whatever the problem is, whether it's insecurity or lack of confidence, the Blazers need him to reignite his shot and pose a legitimate threat to opposing defenders.

A perfect example of the above analysis would be Sunday night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. During that game, the Blazers boasted an early 10 point lead and then the starters watched from the bench as the second unit allowed the Thunder a huge run and ability to briefly gain a lead. This occurred again later in the game as the first unit built another lead right out of half-time, only to watch the Thunder get right back into the game once the starters sat for rest. Frustrating to watch as a fan and even more so for McMillan, who needs to be able to rest the likes of Roy and Camby.

What became apparent during this game was the second unit's decided inability to create any offense or offensive rhythm without the guidance of Roy or Miller. The second unit came in as quick shooting, trigger-happy, almost reckless bunch of guys who failed to control the game as their starters had. They were sloppy, too relaxed, displayed poor spacing, and allowed poor ball movement.

Defensively, the second unit fared even worse. Simply put, they played lazy.

The first unit stifled the Thunder's offensive firepower with energy and execution on defense (perfectly executed switches on picks, great movement on the perimeter and several heads-up plays, just to name a few). The second unit looked like the polar opposite in every way. Their rebounding was stagnant, there were numerous miscues and players missed assignments all over the place. I hardly expect a unit composed of Webster and Fernandez to be defensively on par with the first unit, but what they lack in raw skill they can at least make up with effort and energy. Lately, there has been little of that on the defensive end.

Now, I know what you are thinking, "leave it to Sophia to find something negative about the team when they have clearly been playing so well." Although the team has been playing extremely well overall and there have been brilliant flashes and clutch plays from bench guys, lately the second unit has been more consistently bad than good and this is a serious concern. It should go without saying that no team goes far in the playoffs without a solid bench and reliable role players in the second unit.

Through all the trials and tribulations of this season, I am truly elated that the Blazers are poised to get into the playoffs with good position. There was a time not too long ago when I thought the Blazers wouldn't even be able to get into the playoffs. Now, my competitiveness sets in and I'm in attack mode.

As a fan, I want the Blazers, at the very least, to get into the second round. In order to achieve that, we need our bench unit to step up and start playing solid basketball.

Both Dejuan Blair and Taj Gibson came out of the 2009 NBA Draft, as Gibson was selected 26th overall by Chicago and Blair was chosen 11 spots later by the Spurs. Both of these players weren't viewed as stars but merely as immediate role players who could help vacate a need for a club.

One of the greatest misconceptions about this Lakers team is that they have incredible depth.

I don't know if it's because people forget that they made two-for-ones trades like Maurice Evans and Brian Cook for Trevor Ariza or Kwame Brown and Javaris Crittenton for Pau Gasol or that they traded Chris Mihm to the Grizzlies last February for just a conditional second-round pick.

The Lakers did add to their bench last season when they made a one-for-two trade—moving Vladimir Radmanovic to the Charlotte Bobacts for Shannon Brown and Adam Morrison.

But because Morrison probably won't factor into the Lakers rotation without an unforeseen injury, you can consider that one a one-for-one trade.

Since the Ariza trade back in Nov. 2007, the Lakers have increased the quality of their starting lineup at the expense of their bench.

Sure they have a Sixth Man of the Year candidate in Lamar Odom, but the rest of their bench is a bit suspect.

Sasha Vujacic is not the same player who scored 20 points in Game Three of the 2008 NBA Finals against Boston.

Luke Walton is a great system guy who did an admirable job guarding Carmelo Anthony in last season's Western Conference Finals, but he's still commits way too many turnovers and can't really be counted on offensively.

Jordan Farmar hasn't really been the same player for the past year and it's becoming more and more obvious that his game would be much better suited for an up-tempo style of offense (preferably on a team that doesn't care too much about defense).

While the Lakers starting frontcourt is the best in the league (along with the Celtics), Tuesday's opener against the Clippers exposed its lack of depth. With Pau Gasol nursing a sore hamstring, Phil Jackson had to turn to DJ Mbenga and Josh Powell who combined for four points and five rebounds in 18 minutes.

The Lakers currently have the minimum of 13 players on their roster. With two available roster spots nobody should be surprised if the team decides to add another big man to their roster before the playoffs next April.

While the pickings are rather slim on the free agent front, there are a few names they could acquire either in free agency or via trade that would better equip them to withstand the loss of one of their big men to an unfortunate injury.

Kurt Thomas

No doubt Thomas might be the prize of available free agents who could get bought out in time to sign on with a contender.

Thomas, who the Milwaukee Bucks acquired in the Richard Jefferson trade, is on a team that is so bad that the NBA tried to hide them by not scheduling their first regular season game until the fourth day of the season.

Thomas is in his 15th season and has yet to win a ring despite having played on the Knicks team that made the NBA Finals in 1999 and on talented Suns and Spurs teams this decade.

Thomas is in the final year of a contract that pays him $3.8 million. If the Lakers hope to acquire Thomas in a trade it will be a lot more complicated than their fans hope since they don't really have a salary that matches up evenly. As a result, they'd have to make a two-for-one trade with the Bucks to get Thomas—thus further depleting their depth.

Even a two-for-one trade is complex because the Bucks are trying to trim their payroll for a potential sale so they would have no interest in acquiring Adam Morrison's $5.25 million contract without the Lakers taking back another player's salary in return.

If the Lakers were willing to take on two more years of Charlie Bell's contract they could move Morrison and Farmar (both restricted free agents at season's end) for Bell and Thomas.

Bell makes close to $4 million a year for each of the next two seasons but would cost the Lakers double with the luxury tax. But Bell would provide insurance in case Shannon Brown decides to exercise his option for next season and become a free agent in the summer.

Bell can play both guard positions even though he's more of a shooting guard—just like Brown.

With the additions of Carlos Delfino, Roko Ukic, and Brandon Jennings the Bucks cannot only afford to move Bell but might jump at the chance to do it.

The Lakers could always cross their fingers and hope that the Bucks just buy Thomas out so he can sign on with a contender. The problem is that they would have to compete with all the other playoff teams—whereas trading for him would eliminate the risk of missing out on him and watching him sign on with the Spurs, Nuggets, Celtics, or Cavs.

Francisco Elson

Thomas isn't the only big man on the Bucks who is on an expiring contract. His teammate, Francisco Elson, is another.

While Elson isn't much more talented than Mbenga or Powell, he wouldn't require nearly as much in a trade as Thomas. Elson is making $1.7 million in the final season of a two-year deal he signed with Milwaukee in the summer of 2008.

Elson is a veteran and a hard worker—traits that would endear him to Phil Jackson. He's also a former Denver Nugget who could provide a little intel as to how to best stop their offense should the two teams meet again in the playoffs.

The Lakers could easily swap Farmar for Elson but that's only if the Bucks hope to re-sign Farmar next summer. Otherwise the Bucks would have no use for him and a trade for him would make little sense.

The Lakers could always sweeten the deal by including a draft pick.

The Lakers don't have a first-round pick in next June's draft because it was sent to Memphis in the Gasol trade. What they do have, though, is Memphis' second-round pick—which could end up being just four or five picks later than the pick they traded away to Memphis.

Jeff Foster

Yes, he's still in the league. It's hard to believe that Foster was a member of the Pacers team that played the Lakers in the 2000 NBA Finals.

Foster has one more year after this one on a contract that pays him $6 million this year and about $6.65 million next season.

The Lakers could swap Adam Morrison for Foster straight up. This would clear his salary off of the Pacers cap for next season when Morrison's contract expires.

The Lakers might not be so opposed to taking on Foster's salary for next season when you consider that Mbenga and Powell will both be free agents next season.

But there is a more appealing deal for the Lakers and that would be swapping Vujacic for Foster. Both Vujacic and Foster have one season left on their deals after this one but Vujacic makes $1.65 million less next season.

Should TJ Ford decide to opt out of the final year of his contract next summer, that $1.65 million could give the Pacers a little more money to spend on the open market to either retain Ford or bring in someone else.

With recent draft picks Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough in the fold, Foster has never been more expendable.

While Foster's contract does seem a bit rich, with Morrison's contract expiring he wouldn't add much to next season's payroll at all.

Tony Battie

Battie is a lot like Foster in that he also makes over $6 million. The Nets aren't willing to take on anything in salary beyond this season because they want to maximize their available cap space.

So Vujacic is out of the question, but Morrison is definitely an option.

But, as is the case with the Bucks, where's the incentive for the Nets to make that deal unless the Lakers can include a draft pick?

I fully expect the Nets to buy out Battie so he can latch on with a contender and save them some money in the process.

If that were the case, the Lakers would probably have to battle it out with Orlando, Cleveland, and Boston for his services—three teams that Battie has already played for in his 13-year NBA career.

Free Agents

There are a number of veteran free agents that have yet to sign with teams that the Lakers could probably sign whenever they want. But unless there's an injury they will most likely wait until after the trade deadline so they can save some money.

While the names aren't going to impress anybody there are some players that bring their own individual intangibles to the table.

Chris Mihm is familiar with the triangle offense and would probably jump at the chance to rejoin the Lakers.

Raef LaFrentz, Lorenzen Wright, Stromile Swift, Rob Kurz, and Melvin Ely are also sitting around waiting for the phone to ring.

Regardless, it's not a question of whether or not the Lakers should sign another big man to their roster but when and who it will be.

After an offseason in which the Cavs upgraded it's frontcourt depth by replacing Ben Wallace with Shaq and moving Zydrunas Ilgauskas to the bench, and the Celtics bench upgraded from Mikki Moore to Rasheed Wallace, the Lakers might have to act quickly to protect themselves in case Gasol's hamstring becomes an ongoing issue or Bynum's knees become annual malady.

Coming off an emotion-charged opening night win and a sleepless night, the Nuggets were perhaps due for a letdown.

It certainly seemed that way as they trudged into the Rose Garden Thursday night against yet another division rival in the challenging Northwest Division.

Trailing by as many as seven points in the fourth quarter and by five with less than six minutes remaining, Carmelo Anthony yet again willed the Nuggets to victory and put them on his back.

Anthony poured in 41 points (19 in the fourth quarter) in 41 minutes while attempting 19 free-throws; eight of which came in the proverbial fourth quarter for the Nuggets. He also added six boards in response to a dormant third quarter and accounted for 21 of Denver's final 25 points.

A night earlier, Carmelo dropped 30 points and grabbed eight boards in their win over Utah.