Varsity Blues

"It's not how you start...it's how you finish..."

The playoffs are right around the corner and with some recent erratic play, a few Eastern Conference teams seem ill prepared for the championship hunt.

Green with Envy

The Celtics and Cavaliers played earlier, and while they didn't match up against one another...they both lost their respective contests. If the playoffs started today, the Eastern Conference favorites range from Boston, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Orlando...however only one can win.

LeBron James has emerged to repeat as the league's MVP, but I am sure he would much rather have a championship trophy. With or without the Cavs' trade, it's in my opinion that they are a very tough club, and once the regular season is over...they will be a team that no one wants to play.

Boston on the other hand appeared to be a clear cut contender at the start, as they added Rasheed Wallace to an already proven winning roster, however I'm not sure that defensively they can hang with the likes of their post season nemesis Atlanta, not too mention the Chicago Bulls.

Atlanta has several weapons in Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Al Horford, Josh Smith, and Jamal Crawford off the bench. What is tricky about playing the Hawks is that they are youthful enough to run you out the building, and now they have enough experience to close out a series.

As for my sister's team...the Magic had what it takes last year...obviously as they won the east and played in their first NBA Finals. They did it with dominance from Dwight Howard in the front court, and finesse from Hedo Turkoglu at point forward, and Rashad Lewis on the perimeter. Their inability to resign Turkoglu may prove costly in the long run, but basketball is a business, and they must adapt to newcomers Vince Carter, Matt Barnes, and Jason Williams.

In the Western Conference I believe the last two teams standing will be the Nuggets and Lakers...and I don't want to go any further than that, but I do know that if and when these teams play, it's going to be nothing less than spectacular.

The questions will soon play into answers and then the focus will switch to the free agency class of 2010, and World Championship Games.

I love this game!

Photo: Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

Street's Disciple

Preparation

Desire

"Pure euphoria...a dose of death to all of ya...coroner choruses sung from the 'Bridge to Astoria..."

Nas - Money Over B******t

The NBA season ended with the Lakers winning it all, outlasting the Magic in five games, and while the landscape of sports has shifted to the World Cup qualifiers, baseball, and Wimbledon...the Lake Show is back making headlines.

Thirst

Ron Artest has agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers...and while many teams around the league are making roster moves...the fact that Ron Ron has taken his talents to the City of Angeles for an NBA mid-level exception is bigger news than Shaq to Cleveland, or Hedo Turkoglu to Toronto.

The main factors in this deal are two-fold...let's start with the obvious...as the reigning champions, they are looking really good to repeat by adding the former league Defensive Player of the Year. This move complements Kobe Bryant, a defensive stopper in his own right, more than possibly we can understand. Artest is a basketball player with the heart of 10 men. The other interesting fact is that he's not playing for the money...this is about winning a title. He was on SportsCenter the other night, and he explained that, "I have money...I've made money...this is about winning..."

I'm never one to make predictions, however I'm already looking forward to October, so I can watch the World Series, and get ready for what is shaping up to be another great year in the NBA.

Antidote

Champion

Unity

Beast of the East

"For me giving up is way harder than trying..."

Kanye West - Champion

The best two teams in the association will vie for league supremacy once the NBA Finals begin on Thursday. 

Blue Magic

I was watching Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals last week with my friend Madeleine, and I expressed to her that the it didn't matter who won the contest because either team would have to play against the Lakers and their ultimate weapon Kobe Bryant.

She's not too high on Kobe, and I tried to explain that anytime your nickname is the Black Mamba, which interestingly enough is Africa's most dangerous and feared snake...then opposing teams had better pack a lunch, because its going to be a long day.

I often refer to her as a "tough crowd", because she doesn't go for the popular vote or opinion...and she calmly turned to me and said that Dwight Howard is the antidote to the Mamba's poison. 

Touche'...point well taken.

If Orlando is in fact a remedy to what the Lake Show can do, then it would rely on the factors below:

• Dwight Howard is the most dominant center in the NBA. With a name like Superman...he can do it all. In this era of power forwards that moonlight at the center position, Howard is young, nonetheless proven as he anchored the Magic to the championship round. He had 40 points, and 14 rebounds in the deciding game against the Cavaliers.
• Rashard Lewis has played well this season as an All-Star, and he has continued to raise the level of his game throughout the playoffs. His height allows him play various positions on the court, making him difficult to defend.
• Hedo Turkoglu proves to be just as difficult to guard as he uses his size, ball handling skills, and sharp shooting to carry his team in victory.
• Standout Rookie Courtney Lee has been playing like a savvy veteran, on both ends of the floor, with hustle, offense, and defense.
• Jameer Nelson was an All-Star this year as the Magic had three players for the Eastern squad, however he did not play in the mid season classic because of a shoulder injury, which has also hindered him from playing for the entire second half of the year. He has proven to give the Los Angeles Laker serious trouble with averages over 20 points per game, and if he can contribute on a high level then his "X" factor could pay great dividends for Orlando.

Photos: Nathaniel S. Butler, Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images

MVP - Most Valuable Points

Jubilation

"We can do it real big, bigger than you've ever done it..."

Drake - Best I Ever Had

The Eastern and Western Conference Finals are some of the best games of this year...and what I like best is that each team boasts a key member of the 2008 Olympic team.

Full 48

The Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted the Orlando Magic 96-95, however just like the Lakers in their first game against Denver...the Lake Show won, but they really should have taken a loss. 

The Cavs blew another big lead, and the Magic were about to win 95-93 to go up 2-0 in the series...however after Hedo Turkoglu all but closed the door on Cleveland, LeBron James sank his only 3-pointer of the game with 1 second left in the 4th quarter.

If this were a baseball game, then James hit the walk-off homerun, as the venue now switches to Florida for Game 3 on Sunday.

He are a few key points from tonight:

The Magic have too many weapons (Howard, Turkoglu, Lewis, Pietrus, and Lee), and if they play their game...they can actually win this series.

Hedo Turkoglu has been playing at the point guard position...in Game 1 he had 14 assists, tonight he had 4 assists, with 21 points.

Orlando split the first 2 games in Cleveland, that's all you can ask from a road team.

Cleveland plays extremely well, and they have to learn to finish Orlando out...as tonight's game will show, both teams have to play for the full 48 minutes.

Mo Williams seemed to find his stride, so expect the guard play from the Cavs to get better in Game 3.

Photo: Tony Dejak/AP Photo

Blue Magic

Showmanship

Power

"Slick like a gato..."

Jay-Z - Can't Knock the Hustle (Featuring Mary J. Blige)

Cleveland had yet to be tested in these 2009 NBA Playoffs, and as Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals began, it looked as if nothing had changed but the faces on the visiting team.

Statement

This game was a tale of two halves, as LeBron James and the Cavaliers jumped out to a 15-point lead at halftime, out playing the Magic during the first 24 minutes. The most amazing thing of the first half however was a Magic moment, as Dwight Howard threw down a serious dunk...breaking the shot clock clean off the backboard. 

In the 3rd and 4th quarters Orlando seemed to wear down the home team in a basketball battle of attrition. Cleveland mirrored Denver's Game 1, in that LeBron James carried his team with 49 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds in a loss...like Carmelo Anthony's 39 in a futile effort.

The Magic used all of their weapons to get the 107-106 victory, handing the Cavs their 3rd home loss of the year.

Dwight Howard had 30 points, and 13 boards...Rashard Lewis added 22 points with his biggest shot...a 3-pointer with 31.6 seconds to go, pulling his team ahead 104-103. Hedo Turkoglu rounded out the balanced attack with 15 points, and 14 assists.

Game 2 is Friday night in Cleveland.