A quick blurb on the NBA playoff race

I know it has been a little while since I checked in but things have been crazy. If you have been watching the NBA post All Star, a lot of teams made moves before the trading deadline to try and put themselves in the best position for the Playoffs. Perhaps no team made bigger moves then the Cavs or Knicks. The Knicks got T-Mac, who immediately brought some excitement to the Big Apple (at least until he got hurt again). The Cavs got former Wizards forward Antawn Jamison, who immediately made a splash, going 0-12 his first game. I still think at this point that the Lakers are in the Pole Position and are the frontrunner to repeat. Kobe sitting out 5 games/15 days might have been one of the best things to happen to the Lakers because it forced them to step up and play together as a team without him bailing them out. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom both scored and rebounded more, and the bench minutes increased as well. Look for that to be a big point of reference for them in preparation for the playoffs. My finals picks have not changed, it' still Cavaliers vs. Lakers in the NBA finals, and I think this would be one of the highest watched finals ever as the NBA's dream of having 2 marquee players (and a major market team in the Lakers) meeting in the Finals. The only two teams that could derail the Cavs would be a healthy Boston and a focused Magic team. The Magic are downright dangerous when Dwight Howard hits 70% from the line and stays out of foul trouble, along with Vince Carter attacking the basket and hitting post up shots. The pick and roll to iso play set that Van Gundy has installed since the break (and was put on display in the W against the Cavs) is very effective. It also allows Jameer Nelson to pop out for uncontested shots when the defense tries to compensate on the Vince Carter roll. Great strategy. Who are you picking for the Finals?

From ESPN.com:

Eastern Conference
ATLANTIC	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	STRK	L10
Boston	36	19	.655	-	16-9	20-10	10-1	23-11	98.7	93.8	+4.9	Won 1	7-3
Toronto	31	25	.554	5 ½	21-8	10-17	7-3	22-16	104.4	104.6	-0.3	Lost 1	7-3
Philadelphia	22	35	.386	15	10-17	12-18	5-5	10-20	97.7	100.4	-2.6	Lost 1	6-4
New York	19	37	.339	17 ½	12-19	7-18	3-6	13-24	101.0	104.2	-3.2	Lost 8	1-9
New Jersey	5	52	.088	32	3-25	2-27	1-11	4-31	90.1	101.2	-11.2	Lost 4	1-9
CENTRAL	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	STRK	L10
Cleveland	44	14	.759	-	25-4	19-10	6-1	24-8	101.7	95.0	+6.6	Won 1	7-3
Chicago	30	27	.526	13 ½	18-9	12-18	8-3	19-16	97.0	97.9	-1.0	Won 1	7-3
Milwaukee	28	28	.500	15	18-9	10-19	6-5	19-14	97.9	97.3	+0.6	Won 4	7-3
Detroit	21	36	.368	22 ½	14-16	7-20	2-8	14-19	92.3	96.6	-4.3	Lost 1	5-5
Indiana	19	38	.333	24 ½	12-15	7-23	2-7	14-21	99.3	104.1	-4.8	Lost 2	3-7
SOUTHEAST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	STRK	L10
Orlando	39	19	.672	-	22-6	17-13	6-4	27-11	101.3	95.7	+5.6	Won 2	7-3
Atlanta	36	20	.643	2	22-6	14-14	4-6	18-12	101.4	96.9	+4.4	Won 2	6-4
Miami	29	29	.500	10	14-13	15-16	7-4	18-15	96.4	95.0	+1.4	Lost 2	5-5
Charlotte	27	29	.482	11	20-7	7-22	5-4	17-18	95.1	94.5	+0.7	Lost 3	3-7
Washington	20	35	.364	17 ½	12-17	8-18	3-7	14-20	97.9	101.5	-3.6	Lost 1	5-5
Western Conference
NORTHWEST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	STRK	L10
Denver	37	19	.661	-	24-5	13-14	7-4	22-12	107.4	102.6	+4.8	Won 1	6-4
Utah	37	20	.649	½	23-8	14-12	6-7	22-14	101.9	97.1	+4.8	Won 1	8-2
Oklahoma City	33	23	.589	4	16-11	17-12	6-2	16-17	99.0	96.0	+3.0	Lost 2	8-2
Portland	34	26	.567	5	19-13	15-13	5-6	21-14	97.3	95.0	+2.4	Won 2	5-5
Minnesota	14	45	.237	24 ½	9-20	5-25	3-8	7-27	97.7	106.1	-8.4	Lost 1	3-7
PACIFIC	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	STRK	L10
LA Lakers	43	15	.741	-	26-5	17-10	9-2	25-11	102.7	96.3	+6.4	Lost 1	6-4
Phoenix	36	23	.610	7 ½	21-7	15-16	9-3	22-13	109.0	106.2	+2.9	Won 4	8-2
LA Clippers	24	33	.421	18 ½	17-12	7-21	3-5	11-23	95.5	99.7	-4.3	Won 3	4-6
Sacramento	18	39	.316	24 ½	13-14	5-25	2-9	10-23	101.0	105.8	-4.7	Lost 5	2-8
Golden State	16	40	.286	26	12-17	4-23	4-8	9-26	107.3	110.7	-3.4	Lost 1	3-7
SOUTHWEST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	STRK	L10
Dallas	37	21	.638	-	19-9	18-12	6-5	20-16	100.7	98.7	+2.0	Won 5	7-3
San Antonio	32	23	.582	3 ½	20-10	12-13	5-4	18-16	100.5	96.3	+4.2	Won 1	5-5
New Orleans	30	28	.517	7	19-9	11-19	5-4	20-13	99.8	101.3	-1.5	Lost 2	4-6
Memphis	29	28	.509	7 ½	18-11	11-17	2-6	17-20	102.1	103.1	-1.0	Won 1	3-7
Houston	28	28	.500	8	15-13	13-15	6-5	21-16	100.8	101.1	-0.3	Lost 3	3-7