NBA Playoffs Update

Cavs 4 Hawks 0
LeBron James has the pieces around him and he's focused. Williams and West round out Cleveland's three scorers. Ilgauskus gives them a post presence. The Cavsalso have big guys who have no problem getting dirty in the paint. The Hawks were heavily overmatched, but with some retooling, they should be back in the 2nd round next year.

Celtics 3 Magic 3
There is no real reason why the Magic aren't sitting at home right now waiting for the Cavs. The Celtics without Garnett don't have much. healthy big men who belong anywhere near an NBA court. But they've stayed in the series thanks to coming out parties by Rondo, Perkins, Davis, and House.

Meanwhile, Orlando continues to blow big leads. It's a problem when your best player in not a viable option at the end of games. The funny thing is that Dwight Howard had the nerve to blame his coach and his teammates for his own faults. This guy does a number of things really well. He is one of the best shot blockers and rebounders in the game. His Defensive Player of the Year award is laughable though, as he has plenty of opportunities to block shots from the weak side thanks to poor perimeter defense. His rebound stats are also inflated because Orlando doesn't possess a true 4 man.

Howard has the ability to over power defenders within the restriced circle. But he's not Shaq and he's not Duncan. He can't dominate a game offensively. His post game isn't there yet. He doesn't pass the ball well. Unlike Shaq and Duncan, his poor free throw shooting doesn't improve when it counts. In Game 6, the Magic won without Howard down the stretch. Howard shot 1 for 4 from the line in the last 4-plus minutes and did little else offensively.

Nuggets 4 Mavs 1
Dallas went as far as they could with this team. Kidd is no longer a championship-caliber point guard. Josh Howard and Jason Terry are too inconsistent. Dirk sure is good though. With Carmelo and Billups, the Nuggets have two primetime scorers. They actually play good defense now. They seem to have all the pieces to go far. If they have to play the Lakers, they won't have home court and that will hurt if the Lakers come to play each night.

Lakers 3 Rockets 3
The Rockets are up 2-1 since Yao went down. Yao is a very good player and I won't start the whole "are they better without Yao?" thing just yet. The problem with Yao is that some nights he's great and others he's terrible. The Rockets do things the right way. They have a number of unheralded guys who know they have to work their asses off if they want to stay in the league. In basketball, heart often beats talent.

People are asking, "What's wrong with the Lakers?" They wonder why the team doesn't leave it out on the floor night in and night out. Their effort does appear to be inconsistent but people are overlooking the fact that they're not as good as everyone assumes. The reason is because they're not a great defensive team. Kobe is a great defender. But Fisher can no longer stay with quick little point guards and the big guys are lacking on that end of the court. Kobe doesn't need a team filled with scorers; he needs guys like Chuck Hayes, Carl Landry, and Luis Scola.