“Still I Stand….shawty Here I Am”

I must say, the King Of The South is back. I was pretty unimpressed with just about anything he’s dropped since T.I. vs. T.I.P. (though his verse on BG’s “Kingz On Da Set” was ill). One thing about Tip, he don’t do nothin quietly anymore. He jumps on an unnofficial remix (Usher’s “Love In The Club”) and radio chucks the original and just spins his version. He only been in two movies, but both of them (ATL and American Gangster) are already classics. He’s cool with Jeezy and Wayne, but you gotta believe Shawty Lo, Luda, Flip, and maybe Buck and Rick Ross were all smilin when he got caught up on weapons charges. And even more when T.I. vs. T.I.P.’s momentum stalled. But this dude ain’t goin nowhere so its time to wake up and realize. In fact, you really can’t talk about hip hop and not mention him – one way or another. Dude executive produced Wyclef’s surprising, if slept-on, The Carnival II, and BG’s upcoming Too Hood To Be Hollywood, the latter being released on Tip’s Grand Hustle Imprint (speaking of which, how about another Dro album?). Both Young Dro’s album and the Hustle & Flow Soundtrack were successfully released off of his imprint as well.

Dude doesn’t stop.

But his main competition don’t come from his known-rivals. Luda, Flip, Lo, Buck, and even Ross are no threat to The King. Naw. His competition is from his two homeboys, Jeezy and Weezy. I always found it cool that the three of them seem to all genuinely get along. And that when MTV’s hottest MC poll came along, Wayne actually voted for TIP. And even taking it out of the region, this generation’s other two hottest rappers, Kanye and Game, seem to get along with these three as well as each other too.

But maybe that’s the point.

Maybe it’s because of the 2Pac/Biggie/Jay-Z/Nas/50 Cent/Ja Rules that these guys realize they need to be gettin their paper together, instead of against each other.

Thus we have the “We Takin Over”’s or the “One Blood (Remix)”’s.

But with Jeezy steppin his game up… (see here), and Weezy havin the #1 single in the country (“Lollipop”), T.I.’s gonna have to step it up again too. Especially after the weak last album he dropped. But he’s on his way with this track. It’s gonna be a hot summer down south.

L.Y.F.E.

“And my momma says the only things thats constant is change and more change”

Lyfe Jennings is ready, y’all. He’s coming for that number one spot. Somewhere in between the smokey neo soul of Anthony Hamilton and the contemporary, rapper-like swag, but old school soul of Donell Jones lies Lyfe Jennings.

The world wasn’t ready for him when he dropped his critically acclaimed debut, Lyfe 268-192, in August 2004. But nevertheless, he dropped the classic slow jam “Must Be Nice” and still sold a million records. The album is a near-classic and featured such stand-outs as “Stick Up Kid” (about his employment prior to his record contract), “Greedy” (about his lazy baby-mama), and “Hypothetically.” This album was said to have been inspired by finding an Erykah Badu CD when he was incarcerated for arson.

Two years later the spotlight was on him, but he wasn’t quite ready for it. The Phoenix went gold but featured a heavy John Legend/Kanye West influence. This was reportedly from his record label’s insistence that he become “their Kanye.” “Goodbye” is similar to Legend’s signature “Ordinary People,” but works very well in its’ own. The hit single “S.E.X.” was a very conscious-minded record about young women holding on to their sexuality. However his duet partner on the song, LaLa, was tragically murdered about a year ago. The album itself, wasn’t nearly as substantial as his debut. He paid tribute to 2Pac and Biggie, but seemed to deem a little too far into the hip hop arena.

Towards the end of last year, Lyfe leaked the mid-tempo, club-oriented “Cops Up” and its’ accompanying viral video. The song took off further than the label expected, and it didn’t get its’ proper push. But it did make them realize that the people wanted more from Lyfe. They leaked two more songs, “Never Never Land,” and “Brand New.” Both received attention, but the former was decided on as the first single. The accompanying video featured a quote at the end, “Family – it never goes out of style,” which pretty much sums up Lyfe’s position on this album. Lyfe wants to keep those around him close to him. “Brand New” talks about how money hasn’t changed his woman. “Warriors” is a plea to “keep (his) homies together.” “Old School” is a reference to his tastes that haven’t changed much in the years. “Midnight Train” sounds like a movie record that plays when a soldier comes back from war to see his wife, or something dramatic like that.

In his debut, the hype didn’t match the product. The second time, the product didn’t match the hype. This time, it looks like he’s gonna have both. And it’s about damn time!

B.I.G. Hurt

So if you follow the A’s at all, you know Frank Thomas re-joined the club the other day. It’s about-fuckin-time! Dude had an MVP-caliber year in 06 when we went to the ALCS, then signs with the Jays in the offseason only to completely fall off the radar. How does this happen? How does he go from single-handedly bringing us to the ALCS to completely going MIA in Toronto? The thought of him hitting behind Suzuki, Ellis, and Barton is definitely getting hyped. But let’s calm our enthusiasm (yes, i’m actually talking to myself).

We should realize that The Big Hurt is hitting only .159 this season. His on-base and slugging percentages are 100 and 200 below his career averages. He’s now 39, and who knows how much gas he still has in the tank. That said, the Jays didn’t have the OBP’s that the A’s guys in front of Frank have. And we don’t need Frank to be his-2006-self either. We were doing pretty good without him. What we need from him is to provide some pop to our lineup until/in-addition-to Carlos Gonzalez, whenever we finally call him up (to be the team’s savior!). And did i mention we still don’t have a legit leadoff man? The fact that Travis Buck forgot how to hit has left us with our catcher, who never even takes decent leads off of first base, leading off.

Don’t get me wrong, Suzuki is great! In fact, he’s only in his first full year, and i would have trouble finding 10 catchers i’d rather have this season, much less for the future! But he’s not a lead-off hitter. Keep in mind that we are a team in progress. I think Mark Ellis will have to be moved to leadoff. We could have Suzuki bat second, or CarGon hit there and move Suzuki to the end of the lineup. Then we’d have Barton (Mr. OBP) and Thomas (Mr. SLG) to knock in the runs, and have the Golden Boy (Bobby Crosby) hit fifth. Some combination of two more outfielders (Cust, Buck, DeNorfia, Brown, or even Daniel Putnam from AAA) would hit six and seven. One out of Hannahan, Chavy, and Murphy would play third and hit 8. Then either Suzuki or CarGon would hit 9 (whichever one doesn’t hit 2).

Now for the staff.

Forget about Harden. Yes, he’s good. But forget about him. (I think i actually have more trouble with this than others (see this post and this one).

Joe Blanton doesn’t have the stuff to be an ace. But he’s damn sure trying his best. Gaudin, Smith, and Eveland are in the 2-4 slots, with Dutch rounding out the staff. Of course, one of them is going to the bullpen when Gio Gonzalez comes up. And we have two potential dominant pitchers in AA Midland right now (James Simmons and Henry Rodriguez), and that’s not even getting into the (now) four aces in Stockton. So we’re loaded for the future. If Gonzalez has a couple more good starts, i expect him to be with the club right around the all-star break. Same with the other Gonzalez, actually. Did i mention that Gonzalez (Gio) is supposed to be Harden without the injuries??!!

The Bullpen has arguably been the best in the league. We already have six studs in the bullpen. Six! Yes, six! I’d expect Hutson Street is going to be traded at some point, so maybe that number will drop to five. Embree/Foulke will switch off with the closer role, Casilla is the set-up guy. Devine & Brown will work the seventh, and DiNardo can do long relief. If DiNardo can transition back to the bullpen, there isn’t a hole in taht set up. If our starters can go 5 or 6, we’ll win.

Did i mention that both Gonzalez’ are supposed to be more talented than anyone currently on our club, sans Frank and Harden (who as far as I’m concerned, doesn’t exist right now)??!! And the team is already 14-9 and tied for first place.

Ok, I’m sounding a little too much like a homer now. Time to taper my expectations a bit……

12 Things We’ve Learned From……

….The NBA Play-offs So Far….

DeShawn can’t feel his face! Word to Weezy & ‘Elz! (When’s the album dropping, already?)

1. Cleveland @ Washington, Game 3….. was one of the coolest pop-culture hype sessions. Everyone from Colin Powell to Soulja Boy showed up cheering on the Wizz. Unfortunately the game wasn’t nearly as good. The Wizz completely destroyed the Cavs.

2. DeShawn Stevenson…..is one going to be a cult-hero to everyone who is sick of LeBron-mania. And he has made a name for himself with this media back-and-forth with LeBron. But what i like about him is this: The Wiz were damn scared of LeBron. No one embodied that more than Brendan Haywood. In the midst of a career season, Haywood seemed to freak out completely when he realized he had to guard LeBron off the pick-and-role in February. So in the two teams’ final game of the season, Stevenson guards LeBron, stops him, and calls him overrated. More than just creating a media frenzy, it really got his teammates fired up. They don’t seem scared of him anymore, because they trust Stevenson to deal with him, and Stevenson has the balls to do it. That and every time I make a jumpshot when i play basketball, I’m going to do that “I Can’t Feel My Face” gesture. The Wiz could lose the next two, but Stevenson’s place in lore has been solidified already. Plus when he’s on, they have the best offensive starting 5 in the East (yep, even better than the Pistons).

3. Caron Butler,……not Gilbert or LeBron, is the most important player in that series. He’s the heart-and-soul, and the leader of that team. And when he gets going, the team gets going. Sometimes when Gilbert’s hot, the rest of the team has a tendancy to stand around and bask in his glory. But when Caron’s hot, it fires everyone up. And if the Wiz are to come back and win this series, he’s gonna have to get hot three times in the next four games.

4. LeBron James…..needs to be forced into long jumpshots or sent to the line. Call it the “LeBron rules” that a very un-defensive Wiz team has used on him. It worked to smaller degrees in the first two games, but worked almost to perfection in game 3.

5. Toronto/Orlando……might be the best actual series, despite the hype around Washington/Cleveland. The Bosh/Howard matchup is great. I think they represent the future of the league, and have had a very quiet but nonetheless great, rivalry since Howard came into the league a year after Bosh. Bosh always saves his best games for Howard, and Howard has always struggled in Toronto. Could Bosh be Superman’s kryptonite? We’ll have to see. But if TJ Ford plays like he did last night, the Raps are going to win this series. But if he is rendered ineffective, they don’t have a shot.

6. Al Horford.…..is the only Hawk who seems to have the balls to stand up to KG and the Celtics. Bibby is getting demoralized by Rondo. And the thing is, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce aren’t even playing that well. The Hawks just seem to be that intimidated by KG.

7. The Sixers’ Backcourt…….can hang with the Pistons’. Its’ the front court where they’re in trouble. The Andres have/will play Rip and Chauncey to an almost standstill. But as usual, its the Sheed that will put them over the top. His play will determine how fast they eliminate Philly and have time to rest for the winner of, what looks like a long Toronto/Orlando series. If he plays as well as he can, the Sixers don’t win another game.

8. Carmelo Anthony & Allen Iverson……….are going to decide how the Nuggets fare against the Lakers. In seven game series’ its usually not the stars that decide the series, but in this case it is. It’s not necessarily anything that will sure show up in the stats columns, because they will both get their stats. But it’s how they do it. If ‘Melo decides to push the issue and go to the rack every single possession, the Lakers have no one who can stop him. If Iverson can get some of the lesser guys, like K-Mart, Camby, and Kleiza involved early, he can get this team rolling. If either of those two don’t happen, the Lakers can take this series easily. But if the both happen, and the Nuggets play just enough defense, they could pull off the upset.

9. David West…………….is actually out-playing Dirk Nowitzki. Everyone is focusing on Chris Paul and his big games, but we knew he’d out-play Kidd. But the key to New Orleans’ domination has been West’s domination of Nowitzki, which makes absolutely no sense. There is no way West should be able to defend Dirk or muscle him around in the high post. But he is. And that’s why this series could end really soon, if Dirk doesn’t get motivated quick. But the Hornets won two games at home, if they win game 3 in Dallas, it’s pretty much done. But if Dallas can pull game 3, they can comeback.

10. Carl Landry & Rafer Alston…………are the keys to the Rockets. In my estimation they are the team’s fifth and third best players. T-Mac is the main guy, Shane Battier is the all-world defender, and Scola does a lot for the team as well. But these two are the wild cards. Alston’s presence allows T-Mac room to move. He also keeps the ball-handling pressure off of Tracy. And he’s the one guy who’s not afraid to yell at McGrady. Both of these players carry a certain swagger that has missed most of the past Rockets teams. The Rockets are extremely streaky. They are just as capable of losing the first four, or winning 16 straight. They are a difficult bunch to figure out. But when Alston and Landry are on, they can beat anyone.

11. Shane Battier………..needs to guard Deron Williams. Why Adelman hasn’t gone to this yet is beyond me, but Williams has been by far, the best player in the series. Wouldn’t it make sense for the best perimeter defender in the league to guard the series’ best perimeter player?

12. Phoenix/San Antonio……………..is completely confusing. To me, the keys to the series are the Spurs’ secondary players and Phoenix’s Grant Hill/Gordon Giricek/Boris Diaw trio. Whichever of the two groups produces, will win this series. But this series is really a toss-up anyway. I underestimated the fact that the Suns couldn’t guard Parker. At this point, I really have no idea who wins this series.

Not A Rivalry

This is not a rivalry yet. In order for it to be a rivalry, both sides have to have won.

If Lebron and the Cavs beat down the Wizards again this year, it is not a rivalry. It is a one-sided ass beating. The Cavs/Pistons is a rivalry. Pistons won two years ago, Cavs won last year. This is not…….yet.

This one has all the makings of a rivalry. DeShawn Stevenson said LeBron was overrated. LeBron said that was like Soulja Boy talking shit about Jay-Z. DeShawn responded by sayin LeBron’s on Hov’s dick.

Gilbert said “everyone wants Cleveland.” Joe Smith said, they’re gonna bring it. And of course it still harps back to two years ago when Gilbert missed those two free throws with some Bron-encouragement.

Lots of trash talk going on here. But not quite a rivalry.

LeBron is undoubtedly the best player in the Conference. But the Wizards might have the best trio of stars in the conference (not the Celtics). LeBron’s going to be ready, but so are Gil, Caron, and Antawn. To me, this is the most intriguing match up of the playoffs. The Wizards look like they should be better. But we’ve learned not to count LeBron out.

A couple weeks ago, people were sayin the Cavs were the team to watch out for. Now everyone’s picking them to go out in the first round. The trade-deadline deal they made looked great on paper. But it has yet to come into fruition. They are getting almost nothing out of their backcourt positions. Quick, somebody put Booby Gibson and Wally Szerbiak on a milk carton. Gilbert and Caron should have a field day on offense. The Wiz have a more productive bench now, with Antonio Daniels moving back to a sixth man role, Nick Young and Andray Blatche emerging, and Darius Songalia shooting well. Jamison will pull either Big Ben or Ilgauskas outside and clear the lane. But, as always, the x-factor is still LeBron.

We’ll see at 9:30 AM on Saturday.

“New Jack City gotta keep my brother, but to be #1…

…I’mma beat my brother!”

So it goes down this weekend, for competition’s sake. Kanye Vs. Hova. Of course, Lupe, N.E.R.D., Rihanna, Mary J Blige, and maybe The Dream will all be here as well. Kanye at the Shark Tank on Saturday night, Jay at the Roaracle on Sunday. Kanye brings what is probably the tour of the year, with Lupe (who somehow turns up in all of my music posts), N.E.R.D., and Rihanna along, while Hova brings another legend in Mary J, and supposedly, The Dream opening.

This is intriguing because the big brother/little brother relationship between Yay and Hov has taken another turn this year. Yay is now officially the biggest rapper on the planet, and Hov is trying to get back there. They released albums within a couple months of each other last year, and Yay has sold around 3 mil worldwide, while Hov is around half of that. They were probably two of the three or four best albums of last year. It’s also notable because this is Yay’s Hard Knock Life tour. He was big before, and he put on quite a show last time he came through the Tank. But now he’s almost unquestionably the biggest artist in the game. Now he’s the king. And for the first time, Hov is lookin up at his own protege.

It’s interesting for Hov too. Kanye brought all the heavy hitters of the new school with him. Yay’s tour features three of Hov’s proteges (Yay, Rihanna, and Lupe-who was originally a Roc-A-Fella artist). These are probably the three biggest discoveries of Hov’s career (well you’d have to throw Ne-Yo in there somewhere too). But this could also be Hov’s biggest tour. He brought Mary J. Blige with him. This is the tour he’s wanted to have since the R.Kelly-craziness. And he’s not gonna want Kanye one-upping him. Simply for competition’s sake. And Hov knows how to make his shows larger than life.

So who’s gonna have the better show?

Musings about Musik…

This is going to be a random post about different stuff going on with music…

- On May 27, Keak Da Sneak is finally droppin another solo album. Deified is dropping on Koch Records. Twenty-Four tracks including his monster smash from three summers ago, “Super Hyphy,” and a re-tooled (Alchemist-produced and Prodigy-featured) version of “That Go.” Want to know the last time he dropped a studio album? Try 2003’s local classic Counting Other People’s Money, which I must say, still bumps quite well. But that album featured the song “T-Shirt, Blue Jeans, & Nikes,” that led his onslaught on local radio. Since then, he’s had 3 solo radio smashes, numerous cameos on radio hits, and only compilation albums. Hell, we only know who Kafani is because he took a throwaway Keak song! My question is this: He’s a local legend along the lines of Too Short, E-40, and Mac Dre, but outside of the Bay does anyone care? I mean seriously, “Superhyphy” dropped three years ago! “Tell Me When To Go” dropped two years ago! What happened to his Interscope debut? Is this just the tracks leftover from that? What’s goin on here?! Its obvious no one cares about hyphy anymore, when the biggest name from the hyphy movement drops nothing in 5 years. It’s been FIVE years since his last album!

- How dope is that Gnarles Barkley album? It’s a shame that thing isn’t selling.  Hopefully the NBA’s throwing “Run” down our throats will lead to the record picking up momentum. It’s much better than their debut. “Run,” “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul?” (which, as Cee Lo revealed on 106th & Park of all places, is about James Brown), “Neighbor,” “Blind Mary,” and my favorite, “Going On” are all bangers. Dope, dope album. That’s good because the only two albums I’ve really liked this year are Gnarles and Erykah Badu. But Snoop, RAOSSS, and Joey Crack get honorable mention points.

-Speaking of Ross, when did he become a superstar? Am I missing something? He gets the runner-up award for hottest single of the year so far. “The Boss” has developed into a monster. That’s good tho, cuz that “Speedin” ish was only lukewarm. But the album has a few bangers that are REALLY dope. Too bad the rest is awful. But I’m feelin “Luxury Tax,” “Billionaire,” “Maybach Music,” and Manny Fresh’s “All I Have In This World.” But question, why leave off the titletrack? “Trilla” was ill!

-Lupe gets single/video of the year. Along with album of the year for last year. He’s still in heavy rotation. “Hip Hop Saved My Life,” which he recently revealed was based on Slim Thug’s life, has one helluva video. But i wrote a lot about Lupe a couple posts ago.

-2008 Sales….ugh! These are the top-selling (worldwide #s) Hip Hop/R&B albums that dropped this year:
1. Janet Jackson-Discipline………………………………………..506,000
2. Rick Ross-Trilla……………………………………………………………………..387,000
3. Danity Kane-Welcome To The Dollhouse……………………………………372,000
4. Step Up 2: The Streets Soundtrack…………………………………………….363,000
5. Erykah Badu-NuAmErykah Vol.1: 4th World War………………………….334,000
6. Snoop Dogg-Ego Trippin…………………………………………………………329,000
7. Day26…………………………………………………………………………………..241,000
8. FloRida-Mail On Sunday…………………………………………………………..187,000
9. John Legend-Live From Philadelphia………………………………………….178,000
10. Raheem DeVaughn-Love Behind The Melody…………………………….169,000

Notables:
Gnarles Barkley-Odd Couple…………………………………………99,000
Fat Joe-Elephant In The Room……………………………………….77,000

In brighter sales news, Alicia Keys is over 5 mil worldwide and Lupe got his gold plaque.

-Kanye! Lupe! NERD! Rihanna! one night.  Then Jay-Z! Mary J! The Dream!  What a hip hop weekend!  Don’t sleep on The Dream, by the way.  “Fast Car” is my ishh.

“Well It’s Time (Part 2)”

First i should make a change from the original column.

It now looks like Toronto has moved up to the sixth seed to face Orlando, while Philly has fallen to seven to face Detroit. This changes things very little, when it comes to my predictions. Toronto beats Orlando in 7, and Philly might get one or two before Detroit rolls over them. Of course, then Detroit sweeps Toronto in the second round instead of the first.

And now to the best show in sports:

The NBA’s Western Conference Playoffs!

(by the way, I am NOT being sarcastic when i say that. It really is the best show in sports this year.)

1. Los Angeles Lakers, 56-25 (Remaining Game: Vs. SAC)

So the Lakers look like they are going to be the top seed. Blah blah blah…. Kobe, Pau, blah blah blah. I think everything that is to be said about this team has already been said. My thing is, they are not going to win the West. Period. In a seven game series, someone will figure out that they cannot guard anyone in the post with Bynum out. How do Gasol and Radmonovic defend Amare and Shaq? If we put Odom on West, we have Gasol and Radmanovic guarding Chandler and Peja? I don’t see it happening. And who can stop Tim Duncan? But I must say, Kobe is the best player in the league. He is the MVP. Despite how many times I’ve flip-flopped on this issue, at this point there should be no question. Now if the Hornets beat the Clippers (which they should) and win in Dallas (which they won’t), they take the top spot.

2. New Orleans Hornets, 55-25 (Remaining Games: LAC, @ DAL)

David West and CP3 have led New Orleans further than anyone thought

Let’s put the dumb talks about the Hornets losing their last two aside. They will win at home against the Clippers. There they will win at least the #2 seed. Then they will lose in Dallas. They are struggling their way into the playoffs, and I have them matching up with Dallas in the first round. This is a very scary matchup for the Hornets, for they have no one to make the Mavs pay for their lack of defensive post presence. This is, aside from the Warriors, the worst possible matchup for the Hornets in my opinion.

3. Utah Jazz, 54-27 (Remaining Games: @ SAS)

My premesis is that Utah beats San Antonio and both Houston and Phoenix lose. Therefore Utah would finish third and get to play seven with the Spurs. Now the Jazz are playing very well of late but they still have alot of holes. First of all is AK’s offense. Second is Boozer’s defense. Then we have Okur’s defense. They would be lucky to avoid Phoenix, but I think they are overrated in general. In a seven game series, they have only one positional advantage on the Spurs. In fact, the only teams i feel they can beat are Denver, Dallas, and Houston.

4. Houston Rockets, 54-27 (Remaining Games: LAC)

Houston, if they beat the Clippers, would be the fourth seed if Utah beats the Spurs. If they win, the Spurs win, and Phoenix wins, they would end up fifth. The best matchup for them would probably be the Spurs, but they will get the bad luck of facing Phoenix instead under my scenario. They actually seem to play well without Yao, but the recent tough losses are figuring into a bad playoff matchup for them. If they could have ended up with a top 2 seed, they would probably be ending their playoff drought this year.

5. Phoenix Suns, 54-27 (Remaining Games: POR)

Nash is noticing that his new buddies are bigger than he

If the Suns beat the Blazers, they will end up fifth. They lose all tiebreakers with Houston, so they cannot finish fourth unless Houston loses. They only tiebreaker they win is against the Spurs if the Spurs lose to Utah, as they do in this scenario. Basically, the Suns are a pretty decent lock to end up fifth. They will get Houston in the first round. This isn’t particularly important because all four of these teams will matchup against each other in some fashion in the first round, and Phoenix will beat any of them.

6. San Antonio Spurs, 55-26 (Remaining Games: UTA)

I am picking the Spurs to lose this game at home against the Jazz because the Spurs are nicked up and the Jazz are playing pretty well. However I would pick the Spurs to win a seven game series. This is the ideal matchup for them because they cannot matchup with Phoenix upfront, and Houston is actually better at those Spur-like things than the Spurs. So to me, losing this game against the Jazz, actually helps them even though they’d lose home court advantage.

7. Dallas Mavericks, 50-31 (Remaining Games: NO)

Under this scenario they’d get the Hornets. But i like them in the first round if they end up facing the Spurs or Jazz too. In fact the only playoff possibility that I wouldn’t like them against is the Lakers. Because this team can flat out score. And they will kill slower tempo teams like the Jazz or Spurs because they can play D quite well if your team only has a couple lead scorers. They do not matchup with the Lakers because the Lakers start 4 guys who can light it up, and Josh Howard can’t guard both Lamar Odom and Kobe at the same time. But he can guard Ginobili, since the Spurs have no other wing scorers. Or he can guard Deron Williams, if they get the Jazz.

8. Denver Nuggets, 49-32 (Remaining Games: MEM)

Carmelo and AI could be very dangerous in the playoffs

Under this scenario they’d get a date with the Lakers in the first round. But they could very well end up at #7. The Hornets could very well go into Dallas and win, and the Nuggets should beat Memphis. In that case they could still get the Lakers, but ideally they want New Orleans. But this is how deep this Conference is: the Nuggets could very easily upset the mighty Lakers in the first round. They are going to end up only six games back of them. That’s not too convincing in my book. Who guards AI? Kobe and Fish can’t keep up with him. If you put Odom on Carmelo, who guards K-Mart? The Nuggets have too many weapons for the Lakers to have Radmanovic starting, so they would probably have to slide Luke Walton into that spot. This is what’s great about the Western Conference playoffs: anyone can beat anyone!

Western Conference Awards

MVP
3. Tracy McGrady, HOU
2. Chris Paul, NOH
1. Kobe Bryant, LAL


“Sometimes I dream, that he is me…”…Oh wait its Kobe.

It would surprise absolutely no one if Kobe won. On the other hand it would surprise absolutely no one if CP3 won. I think T-Mac is the third choice because of the way he’s handled Yao’s injury. The Rockets actually got better when Yao went down. Think about that for a second: “The Rockets actually got better when Yao went down.” Startling eh?

Defensive Player Of The Year
3. Bruce Bowen, SAS
2. Tim Duncan, SAS
1. Shane Battier, HOU

How to guard an MVP, ask Shane Battier

Battier is, to me, the clear cut choice this year for this award. He’s as clear a cut-choice as KG in the East. He’s taken over Bowen’s role as the best defensive wing in the league. And though he’s no Kobe/T-Mac, he’s much better on offense than Bowen. But like the Pistons in the east, the Spurs still worked two player into the top 3.

Most Improved Player
3. David West, NOH
2. Monta Ellis, GSW
1. Rudy Gay, MEM

Rudy slams on anyone who makes fun of his last name

I am very tempted to give this to Ellis again, for the way he’s gone from top of the rotation guy (when he won this award last year) to co-superstar with Baron Davis. But alas, Rudy Gay gets it for becoming “The Man” in Memphis (sort of like last year with Kevin Martin, who i would have given the award to over Monta). So even though Memphis sucks, its still quite a leap that Rudy took this year.

Coach Of The Year
3. Byron Scott, NOH
2. Rick Adelman, HOU
1. Jerry Sloan, UTA

Jerry wanted to shake hands with the best coach in the league

Anyone who nominates Phil Jackson should be able to acknowledge that Sloan has had the same issues with Utah that the Lakers had. The difference is that the Lakers have Kobe Bryant and the Jazz don’t. Scott’s the favorite for the award, and with good reason. Adelman has done a tremendous job in Houston as well. But on my watch, the award would go to Sloan. He managed AK’s moody trade requests, Boozer’s lack of defense, Okur’s disappearing act, and Brewer’s lack of scoring. And he let Deron shine. He found a shooter in Kyle Korver, and he’s got a very solid bench. I think this has been his best coaching job of his career. Too bad no one else notices…..and i HATE the Jazz!

Rookie Of The Year
3. Luis Scola, HOU
2. Carl Landry, HOU
1. Kevin Durant, SEA

Kevin Durant: Where living the Dream on a nightmare team happens

This should surprise absolutely no one. But you know what? I think the two Rockets have made a case. But that said, I think it’d be a travesty if they won. Durant’s percentages were his main criticism, and they’ve gone way up here at the end of the year. Plus, he was a much bigger factor on this season with everything that’s gone on with the Sonics. Plus I’d love to see them get Beasley in the draft and sell Durant and Beasley to a Seattle crowd (after Starbucks is done suing OKC).

Playoff Predictions
Round 1
1. L.A. Lakers vs. 8. Denver Nuggets
What’s crazy is that last year an eight-seed beating the top seed was the biggest upset of all-time. This year, no one would be particularly surprised. Of course, this just happens to be the best eighth seed of all-time, boasting two superstars and a last year’s Defensive Player of The Year. I see Denver giving the Lakers the same problems the Warriors would have given them. If the Lakers try to bring Bynum back, he’s going to get run off the court. If they don’t, they have no one who can defend K-Mart/Nene in the post, and they probably won’t have him later in the playoffs. It’s a catch-22 for them, but they might lose this series anyway. I am going to call this even money. The Nuggets are one of the few teams who have more talent on the bench than the Lakers. And it would be sweet for Karl to be an eight-seed and upset a top-seed. The X-factor for me is actually not J.R. Smith for once, it’s Carmelo Anthony. If he regroups from his DUI and tears shit up (like i think he will, now that he has AI egging him on), they can do it. Nuggets in seven.

2. New Orleans Hornets Vs. 7. Dallas Mavericks

Dirk and the Mavs are prepared to out-muscle CP3 and the young Hornets

Has there ever been a year where the eight-and-seven seeds upset the top two seeds? The Mavericks are, right now, simply better than the Hornets. CP3 seems to be wearing down, and that means death to the Hornets. Plus, who can guard Dirk? Tyson Chandler?! Who guards anyone the Mavs have, really? While the Nuggets will need everything they can get to beat the Lakers, I don’t even think this series will be that close. I have Mavs in five.

3. Utah Jazz Vs. 6. San Antonio Spurs

When sanity is the sixth seed beating the third seed, something weird is going on. Yet i like the defending world champs to beat Utah here as well. Actually this is going to be a historic playoffs under my scenario. Utah can’t guard Duncan. And as good as Deron Williams is, he can’t keep up with Parker. So the point guard battle becomes a split. And the Jazz would then be relying on an off-year Mehmet Okur, as the only matchup they win. I don’t buy it. Spurs in six.

4. Houston Rockets Vs. 5. Phoenix Suns

Once supposed to be the duo that saved the Magic, now T-Mac and Grant Hill meet in the playoffs as rivals

I’d love to see T-Mac get out of the first round. But, not against Phoenix. No chance. Amare? Shaq? Grant Hill? Barbosa? Don’t forget that they still have Nash. Let’s say for arguments sake, that Battier manages to hold down Hill, and that matchup is a split. Let’s also say that Alston plays the series of his life, and wins his matchup with Nash. And T-Mac dominates Raja Bell. They still only last six games. It would only be right with this crazy of an NBA season, to see all four top seeds in the West go down in the first round. Suns in five.

Second Round

8. Denver Nuggets Vs. 5. Phoenix Suns

“Don’t worry about Denver, we got Shaq on our side!”

This is probably the worst matchup for Phoenix. The Nuggets have the big men to defend the Amare and Shaq. This would provide quite the number of crazy matchups. You’d probably stick Barbosa/Bell and Iverson against each other. We’d get Nash dominating Anthony Carter. Carmelo probably gets the edge over a slightly worn down Hill. Then you probably get some combination of K-Mart and Nene on Shaq (since Camby is way too skinny), and Camby on Amare. Great series! Even off of the bench, the Nuggets throw JR Smith, Linas Kleiza, and Eduardo Najera against the Suns’ Barbosa, Giricek and Diaw. It’s hard to give any edges. But I’m going with Phoenix in seven.

7. Dallas Mavericks Vs. 6. San Antonio Spurs


The Mavs’ 3 all-stars take a break while the Spurs cross mid court with their walkers

I think the Spurs have run out of gas. I like them over Utah because of matchups and experience, but I don’t see them falling to Dirk. Ginobili’s banged up because he’s had to carry so much of the load. Duncan’s banged up because, well, he’s getting old, and he’s had way too many of these long playoff runs. Finley and Oberto have become almost nonexistent. All they really have going for them, if they escape Utah, is Parker. But regardless, if Dallas plays the Spurs or the Jazz, they will win. Both those teams only have 3/4 guys who can put up 20. The Mavs have three guys who can average thirty if they need to. This is not going to take an out-of-body Dirk experience like he needed two years ago. But this is the Spurs, so they will get a couple. But the Mavs will win this in six games.

Western Conference Finals
“David Stern’s Dream Matchup”
After the craziest Conference season ever, he gets his two Great White Hopes
6. Phoenix Suns Vs. 7. Dallas Mavericks
(Now if he could only work on that LeBron/Wade-thing in the East)

Momma always said: “in basketball if it comes down to the white guy against the black guy, always go with the black guy”

This is Phoenix’s year. I can feel it. Let’s put it this way; Nash over Kidd, Bell/Terry even, Hill/Howard even, Amare/Dirk we’ll call the dream-match-up even, Shaq over Dampier. Barbosa/Giricek/Diaw over Eddie Jones/Brandan Bass/Devean George/Malik Allen. This Mavs team is not as deep as they’ve been in the past. But the Suns seem to have found a comfortable eight-man rotation with the emergence of Giricek. It would be kind of cool to see the craziest Conference Season in NBA History end up with last year’s two favorites in the Conference Finals. But I don’t think the Suns have too many problems in this series. I think they take it in five.

There it is. But wait! What about the NBA Finals? Well i had Phoenix over Detroit at the beginning of the season. And with all that has gone on this year; the Celtics being way better than anyone thought, the Heat being way worse than anyone thought, the Gasol, Kidd, and Shaq trades, the Warriors/Nuggets eight-seed battle, my crazy-ass playoff predictions, and a top 5 all-time MVP race, we still end up in the same place. Phoenix over Detroit in 6

“Same bat-place, same bat-channel”

Rich Harden evokes many different images to A’s fans. He’s started two games this year; dominating in one before getting out of a first inning jam to dominate the rest of the game in the other. He began the season with a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings. When on, he’s as good a right hander as there is in the bigs. Lefties can’t hit him, righties cant hit him. Sluggers can’t hit him, contact hitters can’t hit him. But the injuries sure can…

Maybe now Rich can spend more time cooking!

I digress, there is no more polarized figure to Oakland A’s fans than Rich Harden. Ask us about Miggy Tejada or Barry Zito, they left with love. Ask us about Canseco or Jason Giambi, they left with hate. We love Ricky and Stew. Marco Scuttaro was a big fan-favorite here. Even the Big Hurt and Mike Piazza are fairly well received. But no one can agree on James Richard Harden.

Let’s put this in perspective: The A’s are doing way better than anyone could have expected. The drawback has been injuries. One often-injured #3 starter that fans love (Justin Duchscherer) and one often injured #2 starter that we can’t agree on (Harden). Chavy’s hurt again, but Jack Hallahan has done a fine job in his spot. Kiki Calero’s also hurt, but really, he’s not that important right now. Yet the A’s are tied for first, but all anyone can talk about is Harden.

Let’s look on the bright side: Joe Blanton is fighting for his life against rotation aces, all of whom are more talented than he, and just lost back-to-back 2-1 games. Young starters Dana Eveland and Greg Smith have done a tremendous job getting throw into the lions. Duke and Harden did combine for 3 great starts before getting hurt. We do have two solid back-of-the-rotation/long relief guys in Chad Gaudin and Lenny DiNardo (despite the latter getting knocked around a bit early). We also have Gio Gonzalez in AAA just waiting for the call up. I suspect that a Blanton/Eveland/Smith/Gaudin/DiNardo rotation will have to do for the immediate future. Anything we get from Duke or Harden is simply a bonus. Joey Devine, Santiago Casilla, Keith Foulke, Alan Embree, and Huston Street make up a very solid bullpen. We’re 6-4 without any real contribution from Jack Cust.

Travis Buck’s bat just woke up in Toronto, and the “unknown” outfield spot has been clearly filled with Ryan Sweeney’s out-of-nowhere contributions. On top of that, we also have two major prospects waiting in the wings. It seemed before that Sweeney/Emil Brown in Center was just a place-holder until super-prospect Carlos Gonzalez (AAA Sacto) was ready. Now we have nowhere to put him, though he’d probably replace Cust at this point.

The other half of the “Super DL List,” Bobby Crosby has held up thus far (*knock on wood*) and contributed. We still have the always reliable Mark Ellis at second, coming off a career season. And the young guys at the corners (Hannahan and Barton) have played very well in the field, though their bats are still in hibernation.

And the best part of the season so far has easily be Kurt Suzuki. He’s hitting .324, while leading the club in runs and hits. He combines with Sweeney to be the most formidable 8-9 combo in the majors this season.

And the farm system? Well, take the best AAA team in the biz. Rape two farm systems in trades for our two best players (CHW and Arizona). Now you have as AAA club that can beat a lot of MLB clubs.

Add this to Seattle’s struggles and LA’s injuries (top two starters out indefinitely), and we could definitely make a run this season.

But all anyone wants to talk about is Harden.

“Well It’s Time…”

So baseball is back, but there’s still another 150-games or so. College Basketball is done. Football has its’ draft day, then they’re silent until October. And hockey’s fanbase is non-existent these days anyway. So basically, all eyes are on the NBA playoffs. For all intensive purposes, they kicked off last night with the Warriors being essentially eliminated by the Nuggets. So this is a quick look at all the playoff teams….

Starting today with the East;

1. Boston Celtics, 62-16 (Remaining Games: MIL, @ATL, @ NYK, NJN)

“Hey KG, We got the best record in the East!”
While they’ve had the best record in the league locked up for a while, the game in Atlanta could still prove meaningful. First, Atlanta is yet to clinch the 8th seed with Indiana 2 games back with 4 to play. Second, if standings hold they’ll get the Hawks in the first round. Also it will be interesting to see if Doc Rivers plays his starts the rest of the way like he did in Washington. He says that last year’s Mavs/Warriors upset has led him to take a different stance on his playoff proceedings. That’s all well and nice, but you have an old veteran team. Sam Cassell, Rajon Rondo, and Glenn Davis are all nicked up up, and it would be good to rest at least those guys. The problem with that is, they’d have no point guard. Nevertheless, they should make easy work of Atlanta in the first round. But they will have trouble with either team they get in the second round (assuming seedings hold). Currently its Cleveland vs. Washington, but Philly could catch either of them and Toronto could catch Washington. Washington is particularly scary for Boston, as the Celts have trouble with the Wiz’ combination of DeShawn Stevenson and Caron Butler guarding the wings. Plus Jamison draws KG out of the post, and Rajon doesn’t have a shot at guarding Arenas.

2. Detroit Pistons, 55-23 (Remaining Games: WAS, TOR, MIN, @ CLE)

The Pistons have been locked into the second seed for quite a while as well. However the Western top teams have caught them, and they could lose potential home court advantage in the NBA Finals should they get that far. They are currently tied with top seed New Orleans, but the top 6 teams in the West could all still catch them. And they play three playoff teams the rest of the way. Fortunately three of them are at home. Plus I think it makes for a nice tune-up to end the regular season. I think they go 2-2, falling to both Washington and Cleveland, before destroying Toronto in the first round.

3. Orlando Magic, 49-29 (Remaining Games: MIN, @ CHI, @ ATL, WAS)

The Magic are in a strange position. They cannot move up or down in the standings, and every Western team except Denver is ahead of them. They’ve also been relatively cold going 4-5 in their last nine games. It looks like they will get either Philly or Washington in the first round, and both of those teams are hot. Their best case scenario would be for Toronto to move up and they’d get them. But even that would be no gimme, as Bosh creates problems for Howard in the post, and the Magic have problems guarding either Toronto point guard. But they should end the season 3-1, only falling to the Wizz, and head into a first round matchup against Philly as a favorite.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers, 43-35 (Remaining Games: @ CHI, MIA, @PHI, DET)

“You, your not as good as the King”
The Cavs are a very mediocre 8-9 in their last 17, and seem to be limping into the playoffs. They could very easily get caught by Washington and/or Philadelphia. Despite the overwhelming feeling that they are a top 3 team in the east, they are one of the most vulnerable teams heading into the playoffs. Luckily, they get Chicago and Miami next. Then a real test in Philly, before closing the season hosting a Detroit team that will probably rest most of their stars. With those two creampuff games on their schedule, Philly has no chance to catch them and Washington would have to run the table to tie. I think they get Washington in the first round either way.

5. Washington Wizards, 41-37 (Remaining Games: @DET, PHI, IND, @ORL)

I think these guys are playing their best ball of the year. I like them to run the table, and be the team no one wants to face in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they’ll still get their nemesis Cavs in the first round. This will be the best first round series in the East by far. There will be a ton of storylines, from Gilbert’s return to the Lebron/DeShawn Stevenson issues.

6. Philadelphia 76ers, 40-38 (Remaining Games: IND, @WAS, CLE, @CHA)

Iguodala likes to sneak up on people and (Teddy Riley Voice) “Jam!”
What is interesting is that the 4, 5, & 6-seeds will all prove their worth over the last four games of the season. Two games are of note, and both involve the Sixers. They go to Washington on Saturday, and host Cleveland on Monday. They should win their other two games. I think they lose in Washington, then come back and beat Cleveland. But they don’t move in the standings. The good news? That matches them up with the slumping Orlando Magic in the first round.

7. Toronto Raptors, 39-39 (Remaining Games: NJN, @DET, MIA, @CHI)

If they win outright, they could catch Philly. But i think they go 2-2. They would really like to move up to the sixth seed to avoid Detroit in the first round. They can beat Orlando, they have no chance against Detroit. These guys are the coldest playoff team in the East going in. They’ve won only 7 of their last 22. Another first round oust, and they are going to need some re-modeling going forward.

8. Atlanta Hawks, 36-42 (Remaining Games: @NY, BOS, ORL, @MIA)
They are not likely to catch Toronto, but with their schedule, it doesn’t seem as if Indy can catch them either. So they will probably make the playoffs, only to be destroyed by Boston in the first round. Good times!

Eastern Conference Awards

MVP
3. Chauncey Billups, DET
2. LeBron James, CLE
1. Paul Pierce, BOS
The most overlooked of potential MVP candidates, Pierce has been Boston’s MVP this year. Garnett and Allen have been great additions, but when they got hurt Pierce continued to do what he does best: keep the Celts fighting. James has put up spectacular numbers, but the Cavs would not even make the playoffs in the West.


Any Superstar who still looks for hoodrats is allright by us

Defensive Player Of The Year
3. Tayshaun Prince, DET
2. Rasheed Wallace, DET
1. Kevin Garnett, BOS
This is no surprise to anyone who has paid attention. KG’s arrival made Pierce play D, made Rondo’s D even better, and made the Celtics become the best Defensive team in the league. The two Detroit-ers come in second and third, as Detroit was the second best Defensive team in the league.

She’s just with KG cuz i picked him for DPOY!

Most Improved Player
3. Rajon Rondo, BOS
2. Dwight Howard, ORL
1. Caron Butler, WAS
Butler jumps in here to keep it from giving Boston a clean sweep so far. Howard would have been the pick for most of the year, but he has tailed off dramatically of late. Rondo had quite a stellar year in the shadows of the Big 3, and actually (in my opinion) contributed more to the team than Ray Allen (on the court at least). But Butler is the pick here for keeping the Wizz afloat all season without Gilbert. He’s a borderline superstar now, after living in the shadows of Kobe, Wade, and Gil. And this team is VERY scary heading into the playoffs.

Caron’s so dedicated, he even walks his daughter with his jersey on!

Coach Of The Year
3. Stan Van Gundy
2. Mo Cheeks
1. Eddie Jordan
Van Gundy and Cheeks did a lot to move their teams forward, but Jordan’s job was to keep the team afloat. The fact that they have the fifth playoff spot with almost no contribution from the team’s superstar is amazing. But the credit falls between Jordan, and his two secondary stars, Butler and Antawn Jamison. Jordan started the season on the hot seat, but finished leaving many coaches in awe of the job he’s done.
Eddie shows us his biceps

Rookie Of The Year
3. Joaquim Noah, CHI
2. Thaddeus Young, PHI
1. Al Horford
Al is probably going to finish second in the actual rookie of the year voting to Seattle’s Kevin Durant, but he has had just as good a year. This is especially to consider that he’s playing out of position at Center! When he gets to his natural PF position, he will dominate.

It isn’t Al’s ears that make him fly

Playoff Predictions
Round 1:
1. Boston vs. 8. Atlanta
Boston throws a lineup of PG Rajon Rondo, SG Ray Allen, SF Paul Pierce, PF Kevin Garnett, and C Kedrick Perkins against Atlanta’s PG Mike Bibby, SG Joe Johnson, SF Marvin Williams, PF Josh Smith, and C Al Horford. The benches both look solid with Boston throwing out G/F James Posey, G Tony Allen, F PJ Brown, and some combination of G Eddie House/PG Sam Cassell. Atlanta counters with G/F Josh Childress (a sleeper sixth man of the year candidate), C ZaZa Pachulia, and G Salim Stoudemire. I’d actually call the bench even. Boston, however, has better coaching. We’ll call both guard positions a push, with Boston having the edge at SF and PF. We’ll give Atlanta a slight edge at C. Actually, i do not think this series will be as close as it may seem. Atlanta is not as good as they look on paper, and Boston is better than they look on paper. I like Boston in a clean sweep.

2. Detroit vs. 7. Toronto

Chauncey knows what seed he is
The point guard position is one to watch. Detroit throws Chauncey Billups, who was the second best in the league this year, against Toronto’s Jose Calderon/TJ Ford combination (the best combo in the league). However, Detroit has the advantage at every other position: SG Rip Hamilton over Anthony Parker, SF Tayshaun Prince over Jamario Moon, PF Rasheed Wallace over Chris Bosh (though that one could be a push ‘em), C Antonio McDyess over Rasho Nesterovic/Andrea Bargnani, and Detroit has a deep and loaded bench with F/C Jason Maxiell, G/Fs Arron Afflalo and Jarvis Hayes, Gs Rodney Stuckey and Juan Dixon, F Amir Johnson, and C Theo Ratliff. Toronto throws out Calderon, Bargnani, Carlos Delfino, and Jason Kapono. A nice bench, but not quite what Detroit has. I like Detroit in 5.

3. Orlando vs. 6. Philadelphia

Here is where things get interesting. This is a very close matchup. At the point, Philly’s Andre Miller destroys Jameer Nelson. At the 2, Willie Green and Mo Evans is a push. Philly throws Dre Iguodala against Orlando’s Hedo Turkoglu, in another push at the three. The Sixers start Reggie Evans at the four, but really Thaddeus Young gets most of the minutes. And I’m going to call him Young vs. Rashard Lewis a push as well, in a matchup of fours that are really threes. Dwight Howard beats Sam dalembert in the middle, but its’ closer than you think. Dalembert will make him work for his points, and it may take away from Howard’s defensive efficiency. And on top of that, I like Philly’s bench of Evans, Louis Williams, and Jason Smith more than Orlando’s bench of Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling (so the Magic have 3 points that can’t guard Miller or Williams), Keith Bogans (no shot against Iguodala), and Adonal Foyle. I am going to take Philly in six.

4. Cleveland vs. 5. Washington

Gil’s hoping to chop down Cleveland
The seeds might flip-flop, but whatever. Cleveland has ended Washington’s season two years in a row. But this time Washington’s more loaded than ever despite their low seed. I like the Gilbert/Antonio Daniels combo way more than Cleveland’s Delonte West/Boobie Gibson combo. I’ll also take DeShawn Stevenson/Nick Young over Cleveland’s Devin Brown/Wally Szerbiak combo. We’ll give the Cavs LeBron vs. Caron Butler, in the series’ premier matchup (though Stevenson will spend the most time on LeBron, but even if you switch Stevenson and Butler, the advantages are the same). The Cavs will throw some combination of Anderson Varejao, Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, and Zydrunas Ilguaskas in the post positions. The first two are defensive minded low post players, with the latter two stretching the defense with their jumpshots. None of them can guard Washington’s PF Antawn Jamison. The Wizz will also throw Brendan Haywood (who is having the season of his life, so long as he doesn’t have to guard LeBron), Darius Songalia (another shooter to stretch the defense, we’ll call him the Euro-Jamison), and Andray Blatche (the team’s future in the middle, we’ll call him the black Andris Biedrins). I’d be inclined to give the Wizz the slight edge here as well. We’ll call the benches even and the coaches even. But I’m going to say, the only advantage the Cavs have is LeBron. If Caron Butler can make LeBron pay on the defensive end, it’s going to be more one-sided than anyone would think. I’m going to go with Washington in six. I think if it goes seven, the Cavs win.

Second Round

1. Boston vs. 5. Washington

For matchup reasons, Boston just hasn’t been able to beat Washington this year. The Wizz are 3-1, with the only loss featuring an obviously physically beat Gilbert shooting 5-20, while the other Wizz just stood around and watched. This is a much different Wiz team with Gil in a supporting role to Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison. A Washington team without Gil beat the Celts on consecutive nights in January, and beat them by 14 the other night with Gil. Boston is not going to go out without a fight, but I’m taking Washington to surprise everyone and make their first Conference Finals appearance since 1979. I got the Wizz in 7.

2. Detroit vs. 6. Philadelphia

Detroit’s second teamers just lost a game to Philly, but don’t be fooled. They are still a class above the Sixers. I think Detroit wins this pretty easily, as Detroit is better than Philly at every position. Even Philly’s two best players (Andre Miller and Andre Igoudala) will matchup with two better players in Detroit (Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince). I like Detroit in 5.

The Eastern Conference Finals: 2. Detroit Vs. 5. Washington

I think the Wizz will give ‘em a run. I like Chauncey over the Gil/Daniels combination. But really, Chauncey’s playing better than any point not named Chris Paul. And I’d probably even call that one a draw. From there, I like Rip over Stevenson, but Butler over Prince. We’ll call Sheed/Jamison a push, but give McDyess the edge over Haywood. We’ll also give Detroit’s bench the edge. But never count out Butler. Tough Juice is the heart and soul of this team, and he’ll keep fighting until the last buzzer. But in the end, Detroit rises again, 4-2.

Someone Tell Mrs. Sheed she doesn’t get a belt for winning the East

The Western Conference Tomorrow!