First, the Heat don’t have a supporting cast for “the big three.” Pat Riley and company still have a lot of work to do in the off season, but they definitely made a great first move by acquiring James and Bosh. They don’t have a “dominant big man” in the post, but with those three, could such a player actually interfere with the driving lanes on the offensive end? On the other hand, without a good center, they’ll be vulnerable against players like Dwight Howard and Yao Ming.

Next, I think it’s a bit ludicrous for Cavalier’s majority owner Dan Gilbert to claim his team, without their star player… a player who the entire team was centered around, will win a championship before King James and company in Miami. He says we can take that claim “to the bank.” I expect Miami to go deep in the playoffs (assuming the star players remain healthy), but I doubt the big three will win a championship in their first year together. Anytime you throw so much talent on the court, it takes time for the team to gel, players to understand their roles, etc.
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However, once the team does get established, they’ll undoubtedly be a dominant force in the eastern conference. In fact, the eastern conference has picked up a lot of talent this offseason with players like Amare Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer making the switch.

It’ll be interesting to see what the NBA looks like next year with all these free agents moving around. Of course, it doesn’t really matter since the Rockets will win the championship.

Thank God there aren’t any “brackets” for the NBA Playoffs, otherwise I would have definitely finished last in my league. I initially wanted the Cavaliers to win. When they lost, I wanted the Magic to win. When they lost, I wanted the Suns to win. Then they lost too. Hmmm, so I suppose the team that I support in the Finals will also lose.

I really don’t care who wins anymore – as long as it’s not a blowout. I’d love to see the series go to seven games with a few overtimes thrown into the mix.

As a side note, there’s a Wikipedia page dedicated to the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. Be sure to check it out.

Although the San Antonio Spurs entered the playoffs as the 7th seed, they easily defeated the #2 Dallas Mavericks (MUCH to my satisfaction) and should continue posing a challenge to any team they come across. Orlando is the only team to have swept their opponent in the first round, and Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, etc. seem to have their sights on getting back to the championship as they did last year.

My dream championship matchup would pit the Lakers against the Cavaliers with King James and company taking the trophy in six games. Lebron is well worthy of a championship at this point in his young career. The only question is whether or not he’ll stay in Cleveland or use his free agent status to travel elsewhere.

The next few weeks should be interesting. Not to mention that the FIFA World Cup is coming up too! Ugh, there always seems to be a massive sporting event to distract me each block. Oh well, LET’S GO CAVS!Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.With rumors of Tracy McGrady coming back soon (personally, I don’t care), this group of talented individuals has rallied around teamwork and leadership to put on a great show! Some of my Baylor Med classmates and I have already attended two home games, and we’ve got tickets for a few more in the coming weeks. Toyota Center is definitely where the party’s at!

We’re playing the Lakers tonight at Staples Center, and the odds are well in our contender’s favor; however no one will forget last year’s Playoff game after we lost Yao. Battered and demoralized without our star center, the Rockets still embarrassed the soon-to-be NBA Champions at Staples. It’s amazing what a team can do when faced with insurmountable odds.

So go ahead, write the Rockets off. Say that Houston is doomed. In the end, the die hard fans still know how to GET RED!

I guess the dream of having our own rendition of the “Big Three” in Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, and Ron Artest is now a thing of the past. We’ve lost Artest to the Lakers and may not have either Yao or T-Mac back for most of the 2009-2010 season. While the top teams of 2008-2009 have made significant strides in the off season, the Rockets have regressed. I’m still an avid believer of “Get Red or Get Out”, but a part of me… a big part of me… wonders if we’ll even break “500″ (win at least half the regular season games) next season.
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Points: 17.1
Rebounds: 5.2
Assists: 3.3
Minutes: 35.5
Free Throws: 74.8%

Now these numbers aren’t MVP-worthy, but Artest brings a great deal of experience, and I’ll even venture to say “maturity” to the team. Artest and Battier were probably the best perimeter defending duo throughout the regular season. He fires his team up and is always entertaining for the fans. Most importantly, how could you not love his Playoff haircut?

The problem with Ron-Ron became apparent in the Playoffs. His poor shot selection may have arguably contributed to several of the Rockets’ losses. As a fan, even I began to lose faith when I would see Artest either jacking up a three-ball or turning it over on every offensive possession.

Regardless, I still think the Rockets should sign him for at least one more season. His defense is stellar and his offensive numbers are solid – what more do you want?

Maybe the players are engaging in the same level of “Playoff intensity”, but the referees are calling fouls on everything? Unfortunately, they’re not very consistent calls either.

Here’s hoping the Nuggets take the victory tonight!

After the commencement, I attended Maria’s graduation party and had a total blast. In the process of watching children running around the playground, playing tag, and walking around with balloons… I arrived at one horrific truth – I’m getting old. Either that, or I’m just jealous, heh.

So now I’m cleaning the house in preparation for going to Hawaii next week. Apparently, it’s a good idea to “come home to a clean house”, but I think mommy wants to use this as her Mother’s Day gift. The Rockets will be playing Game 4 in a few hours but without Yao Ming. Towards the end of Friday night, Yao showed signs of being in extreme pain and trainers later attributed the pain to a hairline fracture on top of his left foot. This injury will cause him to miss the rest of the post-season.

As a huge Rockets fan, this was probably the worst possible news while we’re matched up against the Lakers. Though I still hope “Clutch City” can pull through, I’m slowly beginning to show a glimmer of doubt in our ability to win Game 4 (or Game 5). Gosh I hope I’m wrong.