Let the complaining and politicking begin! With just one week of game’s left to be played in the college basketball season, teams across the country are going to be groveling to the Selection Committee to try to make their case for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. We’re ranting all across the sports world here at Bankroll Sports, though, and here’s who we’re upset with this week.

Rap Sheet Picture of the Week

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, who was accused of yet another assault charge this week.

We’re coming right out with the gloves off. Hey Connecticut Huskies, do you really want to go dancing or not? Instead of whining about how hard your schedule was this year, why don’t you turn around and beat somebody? Or better yet, how about trying to figure out how to win a conference road game? After losing at Notre Dame and South Florida this past week, UConn doesn’t even remotely deserve consideration for an at-large bid to the dance, but you and I both know full well that wins against St. John’s on Tuesday and Marquette on Wednesday will probably somehow sneak the Huskies in the field.

Can someone explain to me what the heck the Arizona Cardinals and San Diego Chargers are doing? I understand that the Bolts wanted to cut ties with RB LaDainian Tomlinson before his career totally fell off the map, but what gives with trading DB Antonio Cromartie to the Jets for a song and a dance? Don’t you remember that it was New York’s defense which gave you all of those hassles in the playoffs last year? Do you think that unit is getting worse by giving them your second best defensive player?

And Arizona, what are you doing, too? You had the NFC West already neatly packaged for you even if QB Matt Leinart proved to be a total stiff. But you let WR Anquan Boldin, S Antrel Rolle, LB Karlos Dansby, and a host of others get away from you. Now, you’re no better than a .500 team in a lousy division… which may still be good enough to win the NFC West… which is worth ranting about in itself when you consider how good the NFC East and AFC South are…

To the Cleveland Cavaliers: If you’re going to get trounced by the Bucks by a touchdown without F LeBron James in the lineup, what does that tell you about your future if you let “The King” skip town? If your name wasn’t F Antawn Jamison (30 points) or G Delonte West (27 points), you didn’t score more than seven points in Milwaukee. What’s up with that? Oh that’s right. It’s just another example of how lousy the Cavs really are without their pride and joy in the lineup, and is a harsh reminder that this team had to be the worst in the NBA just to earn the right to land LeBron in the draft in the first place.

Finally, we’ll take a swipe at HC Phil Jackson, who called his F Pau Gasol “weak and sickly.” Now Phil, we know you’re the Zen master and all of that, but if I’m not mistaken, Gasol has put together double-doubles in four of his L/5 games, and has scored a total of 41 points in his L/3. Maybe it’s not your big man that is “weak and sickly” after all. Maybe it’s just your whole team. You’ve dropped three straight overall and now have both the Mavs and Nuggets in your rear view mirror trying to stalk you for the top spot in the Western Conference.

The day was December 27th, 1964. The Cleveland Browns beat the Baltimore Colts that day 27-0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium to win the NFL Championship Game.

Forty-six years and 51 days later, the city of Cleveland continues to wait. The Browns haven’t won anything since then and don’t have any reason to believe that they can win a title any time in the near future. The Indians had their moments, but have since watched a pair of Cy Young Award winners get traded in back-to-back years as the rest of the teams in the AL Central just flew past them. The Cavaliers have sniffed a shot at a championship, only to be squashed by the Spurs in four games.

As the popular saying goes, “Cleveland Rocks.” But let’s face the truth here…

Cleveland Sucks.

The only thing that is keeping the pulse of the Cleveland sports world together is watching #23 do his thing night in and night out for their beloved Cavs. The city of Cleveland hasn’t had anything to be this happy about since the moment that another #23 ripped their hearts out and made a poster out of Craig Ehlo.

It’s rare that there is one specific moment in time in the sports world that can change an entire city. Normally speaking, like in the Super Bowl with the city of New Orleans, those moments happen on the field, the court, or the ice when they do happen.

But the city of Cleveland has embarked on its biggest moment in decades, and that moment won’t happen at Progressive Field, Cleveland Browns Stadium, or Quicken Loans Arena. It’s going to happen in the office of GM Danny Ferry.

The NBA’s trade deadline is just mere hours away. With every passing second that the Cavaliers don’t make a move, the prospects of doom and gloom are coming.

It doesn’t matter what Ferry does, as long as he pulls the trigger on SOMETHING. Will it be Washington’s Antawn Jamison? Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire?

Someone. Anyone… as long as he is fit for The King.

Make no bones about it: If the Cavaliers don’t win an NBA Championship this season and they don’t make some sort of a move to bring a legitimate superstar to Cleveland for the long haul, the best thing that has come to town since Elvis entered the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame is, for all intents and purposes, leaving the building.

LeBron James, a free agent to be assuming that the Cavs don’t resign him before the end of the season, wants nothing more than to be a winner. He transformed a team that was god awful into one that was on the verge of a championship in just a few years. He’s the hometown boy and the chosen one. With every thunderous dunk, every eye-popping pass, every crossover dribble, and every swish, LeBron captures the hearts of his fans and has Cleveland prepared for another triumph.

He has scored 14,608 points, brought in 3,083 rebounds, and dished out 3,607 assists in his career to date, all at the ripe age of 26. But if these last few years have proven nothing else, it’s that the league’s most talented player, possibly ever in the history of the sport, can’t do it by himself.

Cleveland is riding a 13-game winning streak and easily has the best record in the NBA at 43-11 coming off of the All-Star Break. Still, it doesn’t quite certainly separate the Cavs from the Magic… or the Celtics… or the Lakers… or anyone else in the Western Conference for that matter.

Normally speaking, Oakland Raiders’ owner Al Davis’ motto would be correct: “Just Win, Baby.” But for once, winning isn’t the most important thing for the Cavaliers. Keeping James happy is.

Ferry and the rest of the brass of the Cavs are worried about blowing up team chemistry, as a squad that is built on defense might be harmed by the acquisition of either Jamison or Stoudemire, neither of which are exactly proficient on the defensive end of the court. And it’s true that Stoudemire could up and leave town right after the season is over with a championship ring or not on his finger.

None of that matters, though. Ferry has to think about the future, even if it does destroy the present. The Cavaliers could have ten more years of selling #23 jerseys and all sorts of memorabilia that says, “J-A-M-E-S” on it. Ten more years of flashbulbs, “Ooh”s , “Aah”s, and screams of joy for quite possibly the greatest player of all-time.

The clock is ticking though, Cleveland. The time for a championship might not be now, but the time to save yourselves is here. Keep LeBron happy. If he wants Stoudemire, go get him. If he wants Jamison, go get him, too. Whatever you have to do to convince The King to stick around in your city.

… Because if you ultimately do nothing and don’t turn up with a golden trophy on your mantle this year, LeBron will be gone, and on March 30th, 2056, I’ll be writing another article on how the city of Cleveland has gone another 46 years and 51 days without a championship.

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2009-10 NBA Finals Odds, Preview & Predictions

List of Odds To Win The 2010 NBA Finals Can Be Found At The Bottom

Last year marked the Los Angeles Lakers return to glory as they recorded their 15th NBA Championship in franchise history just two behind the all-time leading Boston Celtics at 17 in total. The Championship marked Kobe Bryant’s 4th title in his career and for Coach Phil Jackson a record 10th championship. However despite the Lakers dominance especially over the Western Conference in recent years, it was their first championship in 7 years despite 2 failed NBA Finals trips during that period. Heading into 2010, the Lakers are once again favorites to take on the hardware at +180 favorites meaning Phil Jackson will have to start finding additional hands to carry those rings. However, as the NBA proved last year the competition is fierce and there will be many fighting for similar claims including Lebron James who is in search for his first NBA Championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers who are receiving +450 odds to win it all. Take a look as we list he odds to win the 2009 NBA Fianls, breakdown each Conference and what to expect from the NBA in 2010, and ultimately giving a prediction for this year’s 2010 NBA Championship.

2009-10 Eastern Conference Preview:

Last year in the Eastern Conference the “Big 3” dominated the conference consistently battling for the best overall record in the league. Those teams were the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Orlando Magic who ended up representing the Eastern Conference in the Finals. Orlando is receiving +700 odds for 2010, but they lost Hedo Turkoglu to free agency who landed with the Toronto Raptors. Orlando will still be a force just from the presence of Dwight Howard. However, shooting guard J.J Redick should be able to provide some more help this season and the Magic also landed a proven veteran in Vince Carter. There is no reason not to expect the Magic to be a force this year as Turkoglu really did not do much during the regular season. Orlando will still be playing catch-up early in the season, but they could be a force by playoff time.

The Cavaliers added Shaquille O’Neal to the roster to help down low. O’Neal has not produced a ton of points over the past few seasons, but he could definitely contribute a lot to the defensive efforts from Cleveland. The Cavaliers were among the best defensive teams in the league last year holding opponents to just 90.4 points per game and those numbers may get even better. Of course James will be Lebron like so there is not much worry with him. James averaged just less than 30 points per game last year 2nd best in the NBA behind Dwyane Wade. The player that may make the biggest difference for Cleveland is Mo Williams. Shaq gives the presence you need down low that teams will respect, and Lebron will draw all the attention. If Williams can be the shooter they think he can be, then the Cavaliers may very well have their shot at glory this season.

The last of the “Big 3” is the Boston Celtics who are receiving solid +300 odds to win the NBA Title. There was not a ton of change in Boston outside of the signing of Rasheed Wallace. Wallace spent the last 5 years in Detroit, but will find a place in the starting rotation for the Celtics. The problem Boston had last season is that injuries plagued the team down the stretch. Garnett missed a lot of the latter part of the season and guys were consistently banged up. If not for countless Paul Pierce clutch shots, the Celtics may not have made it out of the opening round of the playoffs last year. Boston will once again own the most talented lineup in the NBA as they can get huge numbers from any of their starters. The key will be staying together and staying healthy.

A few other teams that could get into the mix this season are the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls. It has been some time since we seen the Bulls get on a level where they could be possible contenders for a championship. While that still may be a few years down the road, Chicago could make similar noise as they did in their opening round overtime thrilling playoff match-up with the Celtics. Chicago signed 2009 Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose to an extension and he should have a future in the windy city. The Bulls have the ability to contend on any given night, but possibly not the depth to contend in the long run. All in all, the Bulls are about 1 superstar away from being back in the NBA Finals contender category.

The Hawks signed rookie Jeff Teague out of Wake Forest who showed countless signs of brilliance in the college ranks. Teague should adapt well in Atlanta since they like to run a fast paced offense. Atlanta also acquired Jamal Crawford from the Knicks. Crawford averaged 20 points per contest last year and he should help make Atlanta even tougher on a nightly basis. The Hawks are sizeable +4000 underdogs, but are a team to keep on the radar with their style of play.

2009-10 Western Conference Preview:

The Lakers really controlled the West last season with just less than an .80 winning percentage. The only team that showed signs that they could slow the Lakers where the Denver Nuggets who got extremely hot on some late season runs. However, the Nuggets still dropped 3 of 4 regular season contest to the Lakers. Los Angeles also ended up taking Denver out in the Conference Finals going 4-2. In the Southwest division, things were wide open throughout the year. San Antonio ended up on the top spot and showed signs of late season magic, but they were destroyed by Dallas 4 games to 1 in the playoffs. In all reality this may be another year of wide open basketball in the Western Conference, but all will still be chasing the Lakers.

The Dallas Mavericks came on late in the year and also in the playoffs last year mainly behind Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavericks added some depth to the roster this season in Drew Gooden and Shawn Marion. Marion should help scoring efforts and Gooden with time will develop into a nice presence as well. Josh Howard battled injuries all last season and it is imperative that he stay healthy in terms of the Mavericks success. Dallas has the scorer’s to contend, but may still lack the down low presence needed. Erick Dampier just is not the big man in the middle you find on most championship teams.

The other contender out of the Southwest will be none other than the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs should take battle with Dallas in the southwest as Houston will likely suffer with the season long absence of Yao Ming whose career may be in jeopardy after foot surgery. However, the Spurs made some moves in the right direction. After campaigning for senior citizens benefits last year, the Spurs added youth with rookie DeJuan Blair and also added Richard Jefferson. San Antonio should be the most experience team in the league and Blair may give more help in his rookie campaign than most would expect. The Spurs should be able to contend, but we just not sold they have what it takes to return to the Finals spotlight.

Outside of the might Southwest, the Denver Nuggets have to be the team that challenges the Lakers for the top spot. Last year’s addition of Chauncey Billups proved to be astronomical for the team’s success. Of course Carmelo Anthony is the superstar, but Billups is a star as well and really gets the team to play together. If J.R Smith can have a similar season to 2009 much less improve, the Nuggets will be even better in 2010. Denver has the talent in the starting lineup to content with anyone, but this is another team that can not afford any injuries. If they stay healthy, they have every opportunity to take down the West. Denver is +1500 underdogs which is a line that may deserve a lot of attention.

The Lakers lost Trevor Ariza, but just when you think Los Angeles takes a step back they sign Ron Artest to the lineup. If you hated the Lakers before, you will hate them even more with Artest now on the roster. Like it or not, it should make Los Angeles even stronger. Kobe Bryant may just be the best player in the league and Pau Gasol has proved he is a good match with Bryant. The scary thing about this team is center Andrew Bynum is just going to get better and better. Hopefully for the rest of the league’s sake, Bynum does not have any huge breakout this season. If so call it checkmate for the defending Champions to repeat.

One final team to keep your eye on in the west includes first and foremost the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland has found their star in Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge is an equally effective helping hand. However, Portland strengthened their lineup over the off season with the additions of Andre Miller and Juwan Howard. Miller should definitely be able to help efforts and depth in the backcourt. Howard is a veteran whose performance will likely wane, but he can still provide some quality minutes. The Trail Blazers really need Greg Oden to step up and be the big inside threat. Oden is a rebounding machine, but has had trouble with injuries as well as foul trouble. If he stays healthy and stays on the court, good things will come for Portland who is receiving +1500 odds.

2009-10 NBA Finals Prediction:

If the Boston Celtics can stay healthy, their lineup is ridiculously talented. The Cavaliers may be even better this season, but the Celtics will be as well. Boston will take down the Eastern Conference and meet up with the Lakers who will again edge out Denver in the Western Conference. However the Lakers will not defend their title, as 2008 repeats itself and the Celtics will beat the Lakers 4-2 while taking home the hardware for the 18th time.

2010 NBA Finals Odds From JustBet Sportsbook (as of 11/5/2009):
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Atlanta Hawks – 40 to 1
Boston Celtics – 3 to 1
Charlotte Bobcats – 100 to 1
Chicago Bulls – 60 to 1
Cleveland Cavaliers – 9 to 2
Dallas Mavericks – 30 to 1
Denver Nuggets – 15 to 1
Detroit Pistons – 75 to 1
Golden State Warriors – 100 to 1
Houston Rockets – 50 to 1
Indiana Pacers – 100 to 1
Los Angeles Clippers – 100 to 1
Los Angeles Lakers – 7 to 4
Memphis Grizzlies – 100 to 1
Miami Heat – 40 to 1
Milwaukee Bucks – 100 to 1
Minnesota Timberwolves – 100 to 1
New Jersey Nets – 100 to 1
New Orleans Hornes – 50 to 1
New York Knicks – 100 to 1
Oklahoma City Thunder – 100 to 1
Orlando Magic – 7 to 1
Philadelphia 76ers – 75 to 1
Phoenix Suns – 70 to 1
Portland Blazers – 15 to 1
Sacramento Kings – 10 to 1
San Antonio Spurs – 7 to 1
Toronto Raptors – 100 to 1
Utah Jazz – 30 to 1
Washington Wizards – 50 to 1

The NBA regular season will end later this week as we head towards the post-season. The Cleveland Cavaliers have locked up home court advantage throughout their Eastern Conference playoff run and are one game away from clinching home court advantage in the NBA Finals if they can make it that far in the playoffs. The Cavaliers are coming off a huge blowout win over the defending Champions the Boston Celtics 107-76 on Sunday. The Cavaliers big win over the number 2 ranked team in the East is actually Cleveland’s biggest victory in franchise history over the Celtics. The Cavaliers amazing home game run extended to a mark of 38-1 inside Quicken Loans Arena with the victory. The Cavaliers appear to be big favorites considering they will get the majority of the games at home were they have been unstoppable. However, the Eastern Conference has been extremely tough this year as Orlando blew out Cleveland a few short weeks ago similar to the Cavaliers big win over Boston. The 3 horse race all season out of the East will carry over to the post-season. In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers are still the big favorites after a big win over Denver last Thursday night. The return of Andrew Bynum will only be more beneficial for the Lakers who have appeared as the top notch team in the West all season. However teams like Denver, Houston, and Portland have really closed out the year strong and could be teams to put together impressive runs in the playoffs. We give brief breakdown of the major contenders for the 2009 NBA Playoffs along with their odds to win it all.

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers (7/5)

The Cavaliers extremely impressive home record makes them big favorites in the NBA playoffs. Their 38-1 record is among the best ever string of runs by a home team in NBA history. Lebron James is averaged 28.3 points per game, but more importantly is getting a lot of help from the rest of the team. Cleveland only lost one game all season at home meaning for them to be beaten in the playoffs a team is going to have to win at least one game in Cleveland while sweeping the Cavaliers away from Cleveland. Good luck with that.

Boston Celtics (4/1)

The Celtics chances to repeat as NBA Champions took a big hit with their embarrassing loss to Cleveland. However, Boston has played very well to close out the season winning 8 of their last 10 games. The Celtics are another team that plays very well at home with a 34-6 record for the season. However, Boston is only 4-4 against Orlando and Cleveland on the year meaning they have been anything but dominant over the top teams in the East. Still the Celtics know what it takes to be Champions, but can they do it again?

Orlando Magic (8/1)

The Magic got the big win over Cleveland back in the first week of April, but they have now lost 3 of their last 4 games. Orlando got off to a tremendous start to the season, but really suffered a hit with the loss of Jameer Nelson despite putting together some solid winning streaks in recent weeks. Also, Rashard Lewis will likely miss the final games of the regular season with a knee injury and the Magic simply look to be too banged up down the stretch to be a legitimate threat as they appeared earlier this year.

Team to Watch – Chicago Bulls (100/1)

The Chicago Bulls have won 4 straight games and 12 of their last 15 games during that stretch. Chicago has put together a solid home record this season that is always crucial during the post season. If the Bulls can keep up the momentum and get some more big performances from Ben Gordon, they could really pull off a string off upsets and perhaps take down either Boston or Orlando who they will be likely playing in the opening round.

Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers (8/5)

Thursday night’s victory over the emerging Denver Nuggets was icing on the cake for Western Conference bragging rights. The Lakers simply looked too strong for their closest competitors in the West and are big favorites at 4/9 favorites to make it to the NBA Finals. The Lakers got beat by a streaking Portland team on Friday 106-98, but they still appear to be too strong in terms of being beat in an entire series. The Lakers have had more problems with the teams in the Eastern Conference this season and until someone proves us wrong we will ride the Lakers bandwagon.

Denver Nuggets (20/1)

The Nuggets are really playing well to close out the season despite their setback to the Lakers last Thursday. Carmelo Anthony and J.R Smith are becoming a dynamic duo posting big figures every night. The Nuggets have put together wins in 13 of their last 15 games The Nuggets could face the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round if things were to stay the same. Denver would not mind the pairing considering they are a perfect 4-0 on the season against Dallas. If the Nuggets could keep the momentum rolling I am sure they will be eager to get their chance at a series with the Lakers.

Portland Trailblazers (25/1)

The Trailblazers are in a heated battle with the Houston Rockets for 3rd place in the West as both teams stand at a mark of 52-28. The Trailblazers and the Rockets have also both put on a solid 4 game winning streak as Portland will get the Thunder and the Nuggets in the final two games. The battle for 3rd dictates whether they will get New Orleans or San Antonio in the playoffs. The Trailblazers have played the most solid basketball the 2nd half of the season and they should give teams problems if they can stay hot.

Team to watch – Houston Rockets (20/1)

The Rockets have put together 4 straight wins along with Portland. The only difference is Houston beat up on the Trailblazers 102-88 to start their winning streak. The Rockets have what it takes to match-up with the other teams from the West in the playoffs giving them a chance to knock off some wins in the postseason. The only thing is the Rockets have failed to beat the Lakers once this season at 0-4 meaning any dream type run at an NBA Finals may be more of a dream than a reality.

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I know we have not even hit the All-star break which will take place this weekend, but it is not too early to kick-start the MVP talk for the NBA. Especially with all the spectacular performances over the past week or so between the two leading candidate Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, it brings a great debate into full focus. Despite their being nearly 30 games or more left in the season, we will take a look at what to expect for the rest of the season along with how things are shaping up with the most prestigious title in the NBA which is the MVP Award.

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Nearly no less than a week ago, many people would have given the edge to Lebron James considering he had been one of the primary reasons the Cleveland Cavaliers were one of the best teams in the East while sporting a perfect home record. However, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers have had a really strong start to February with some important victories. Bryant initiated all the madness when he broke the Madison Square Garden record for points scored inside the historic building with an amazing 61 points against the Knicks back on February 2nd. While many consider that to be the standout performance in all the Bryant uproar, I believe the Lakers big victories over Boston and Cleveland which were both on the road against the two best teams in the league at home was the biggest shocker in this insane stretch of basketball. The Lakers win over the Cavaliers ended the amazing home run Cleveland had been on with a perfect 23-0 start that ranked as one of the top 5 best starts in NBA history. It would be hard to give anybody the edge over Kobe at this point in the season considering the huge performance and wins he has lead the Lakers to over the past 2 weeks of basketball. Hard to imagine that with all the Championships and all the considerable achievements in Bryant’s career that last season was his first and only MVP Award. However the 30 year old is the prime candidate to repeat his title this season even if there is a long way to go.

Lebron James really highlighted the two standouts battle for league supremacy last week when he backed up Kobe Bryant’s performance at Madison Square Garden with an electrifying performance of his own. In only two days after Bryant broke a Madison Square record with 61 points, James made a huge impact for the Cavaliers in their win over the Knicks. Lebron was given credit for a triple-double with an outstanding 52 point performance to go along with the stats for the night. Cleveland won the game 107-102 and James finished with 52 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assist. The game would have been the only triple-double in Madison Square Garden history that included 50 or more points. However, the NBA reversed the ruling a few days after the event claiming Ben Wallace tapped the 9th rebound that was recorded to Lebron giving Wallace the rebound instead. Still, Lebron ended with a huge night and quite possibly if the night had not been so big there would probably never have been a review on that rebound. Instead when you are in the spotlight, everything goes through the microscope. While King James declared that his performance was no attempt to match Kobe’s 61 in the garden, Lebron definitely wanted to make a statement that night. James who was an MVP finalist last season will be the most likely candidate with the chance of stealing the hardware away from Kobe in search of his first MVP Award.

Outside of the undeclared two horse race that many perceive the MVP race will come down to there are still a few others with a shot at the MVP even though the odds will be stacked against them. Dwayne Wade leads the NBA in scoring with 28.3 points over James and Bryant. Wade is also posting a solid 7 assist per game, but the problem is that the Miami Heat is mediocre at best right now. Not to mention MVP Awards are usually handed to individuals that really make a huge impact for their team. While Wade’s numbers are impressive, he has not led the Heat to the success that they need at this point in the year. Dirk Nowitzki is another player having a big year with a long shot to make a run at an MVP trophy. Nowitzki won the 2007 MVP Title and is having a solid season trying to give the Mavericks a boost to get them back in the playoff race. Fresh off a 44 point night against Chicago, Nowitzki is 4th in the NBA in scoring while adding a little over 8 rebounds per night. Chris Paul was a leading MVP Finalist last season and is posting strong numbers again this year with double-double averages 21.5 points and 11 assist per outing. However, the Hornets have been struggling and Paul has been battling a groin injury. Still Paul is one of the most exciting players to watch in the league and it will be interesting to see if he can turn it on during the latter part of the season.

The NBA regular season a little more than halfway through and there is a pretty clear sight of who are the front runners with the chance for a few more teams to make a surprise down the stretch. The Eastern Conference appears to be the strength of the league with the powerhouses of Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando. Out West we still await a contender to emerge to be able to challenge the L.A Lakers and the most likely team to take that role is the San Antonio Spurs. At this time in the season is when all the predictions start coming out and the betting lines are changing every day with new future odds. We break down the top 3 teams in each conference and provide some insight on some teams to keep an eye on that could surprise down the stretch.

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics (36-9)

The defending NBA Champions had the best start in NBA history at 27-2. However, the Celtics rang in the New Year poorly losing 4 out of their first 5 games and even 7 out of 9 at one point. The tough weeks of basketball exposed the first sign of troubles from Boston that we have seen in some time. Despite the tough stretch that featured 3 of 4 of their last losses on the road, Boston has bounced back with a vengeance. The Celtics have now knocked off 7 straight wins including a big win over what many call the best team in the league the Orland Magic last Thursday night 90-80. The difference in the wins and losses is how the Celtics play defense. In the Celtics last 4 defeats, the opponents were averaging 100.2 points per game. However, in the last 7 victories the Celtics have held opposing teams to only 88 points. The Celtics are 2^nd behind Cleveland in scoring defense this season and that has always been a big attribute to their success. With the troubles seemingly out of the way, Boston appears to be right back where they left last off last year.

Orlando Magic (33-9)

The Magic that is Orlando comes in the form of 6’11 Dwight Howard. Howard has been superb this year and so has the rest of the Orlando lineup. Howard leads the league in rebounds (14rpg), blocked shots (3.2bpg), and also supports with 20 points every game. However, it has not been all the achievement of one man. Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, and Jameer Nelson are all averaging at least 17 points while the Magic are averaging 101 points per contest. Orlando had won 8 straight games before their loss to Boston on Thursday night and they own a 7 ½ game over Atlanta in the Southeast. Orlando is the only team out of the top 3 in the Eastern Conference to have captured a victory over the L.A Lakers this season which is clearly the best team right now in the West. The Magic are actually 2-0 over the Lakers and many think they are the most complete team at this point in the season.

Cleveland Cavaliers (32-8)

Cleveland appeared to be the best team out of the East only a matter of a few short weeks ago. However, the Cavaliers have gone 2-2 in their last 4 games with losses over the Lakers and Trailblazers. Not to mention Cleveland is facing some key injuries over the last few days. Starting shooting guard Delonte West has a broken wrist and will miss 4-6 weeks. Also starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas has a fractured ankle and will miss 3-4 weeks. Despite the small dark cloud that has recently developed over the team, Cleveland is still among the best in the NBA. Lebron James is 2^nd in the NBA in scoring with 27.8 points and the team seems to be playing better behind him than they have in past seasons. The Cavs also are a perfect 20-0 at home meaning that they could be very tough to beat at playoff time.

Team to watch…

Philadelphia 76ers (20-21)

The 76ers have risen from the dead after they were nearly written off with a 13-20 start. However, they have now put together 7 straight wins before a tough loss to Dallas on Monday night. Considering how inconsistent the rest of the East is behind the top 3, the 76ers have a chance to really make things interesting if they can put together another similar streak.

Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers (34-8)

The Lakers clearly look to be favorites again out of the Western Conference as they have a 5 game advantage over any other team from the West and a huge 10 ½ game lead in the Pacific division. Kobe Bryant’s 26.4 points per game is good for 3^rd best in the league and the Lakers lead the NBA with 108 points per contest as a team. A few short weeks ago the Lakers appeared that they would be unchallenged this year in the conference, but they are realizing that the San Antonio Spurs are playing very well and will attempt to give them a challenge for frontrunner in the West. Los Angeles has won 13 of their past 16 games including big wins over Boston and Cleveland in the process. If nothing else drastically changes, the Lakers will likely make another run towards the NBA Finals.

San Antonio Spurs (29-13)

A lot of questions arose after the Spurs got off to a slow start losing 5 of their first 7 games. However, San Antonio bounced back winning 7 of their next 8 and the momentum has not slowed down much since. The Spurs have now won their last 4 games and 8 of their last 10 including a huge battle where they took down the Lakers 112-111. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker continue to lead the way both averaging 20.4 points per contest. The Spurs win over the Lakers proved that they are back on the right track and not ready to hand over the season quite yet to the Lakers considering Los Angeles is everybody’s pick to win the West. San Antonio gets another big match-up with the Lakers this Sunday and it will be interesting to see how things shake up this time inside the Staples Center. Look for the Spurs to be playing their best basketball as they usually do around post season time.

Denver Nuggets (28-15)

Giving up Allen Iverson may not been a big of mistake as people first thought. Chauncey Billups is averaging nearly 20 points and the Nuggets seem to be in better shape than the Pistons. Carmelo Anthony leads the team with 21 points, but has missed some valuable playing time recently due to a broken hand. Despite their star player missing time on the court, the Nuggets have still managed to win 8 of their last 11 games. Anthony participated in some workouts on Thursday and it should not be long before he rejoins the lineup. Denver will desperately need him back considering they are bout to embark on an 8 game road adventure at the start of February. The Nuggets are only 11-9 on the road this year and how they perform in the next few weeks away from home will definitely make an impact on their ability to maintain their 2 ½ game lead over Portland in the Northwest.

Team to watch…

New Orleans Hornets (26-14)

The Hornets proved last year that they could really come alive during the playoffs. Chris Paul has played like Chris Paul with 21.2ppg and an NBA leading 11 assist per game. New Orleans may have been expected to be in better position at this point in the season, but they are still only a mere 2 games back to the Spurs and definitely in striking range.

The Boston Celtics are off to one of the best starts in NBA history at a record of 27-2. While it is still very early in the season, the Celtics can see a glimpse of history in the making. The Celtics are on pace to challenge the 1996 Chicago Bulls for the best record ever in a season. The 1996 Bulls finished their brilliant campaign with a final record of 72-10 and capped it off with an NBA Championship as well. Boston is off to a mind blowing pace through the early half of the season. The Celtics have 53 games remaining this season and the competition will likely pick up. However, if Boston could keep up similar pace they could quite possibly achieve the best season ever in the history of the NBA.

Boston is one of the most historical franchises in NBA history. The Celtics have an amazing 17 NBA Championships that is by far more than any other franchise in NBA history. Boston has established the best start in NBA history at a mark of 27-2. Only two other teams can compare to that kind of start. Both the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers and 1969-70 New York Knicks started their seasons 26-2. They also both went on to win NBA Championships. With last nights 110-91 victory over the 76ers, the Celtics have now won 19 straight games which equals a team record. Boston is making their claim as one of the best teams to ever take the floor in professional basketball.

Celtics’ coach Doc Rivers has done a fabulous job getting his guys to play premier defense. Despite all the offensive weapons, the Boston defensive schemes have been major reason for their success. This season the Celtics are only allowing 91.4 points per game which ranks them as the 2^nd best scoring defense in the NBA. Boston also ranks first in the NBA in defensive field goal percentage. The Celtics are only allowing opposing teams to shoot 41% from the floor on average which is by far the best in the league. The Celtics have only allowed teams to score over 100 points 7 times this season in the 30 games played. That statistic alone is pretty remarkable considering how high scoring the entire NBA has become. However, Boston has stayed with an old school type of basketball that focuses on defense first and it has paid off big time.

Offensively the Celtics are as talented as any team in the league. Unlike the Los Angeles Lakers or Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston seldom has one player stand out game in and game out. Unlike other top teams that are led by star players such as Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, the Celtics can have any of their starting five post a big night. Other teams have the stress of worrying how their start performer will play every night. When those players are off a lot of times the entire team struggles. The Celtics do not have those worries because they have a number of players who can pick up the slack on any given night. Boston is led by a trio of stars in Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. The Celtics average 50 points per game just between those 3 standouts. Boston benefits from having this type of talent considering when one player is off his game others will pick it up. Many teams can not afford there star players to struggle. However, Boston can play at a top level every night despite individual performances. This reason alone is why they are the most consistent team in the NBA.

Boston is on their way to accomplishing probably one of the most prestigious records a team could capture in the regular season. Boston remaining schedule will most certainly wear down the players and they are likely to lose this blistering early season pace. However, if the Celtics do stay on path they could legitimately challenge the 76’ Bulls for the best record of all-time. Boston has a huge match-up with the Los Angeles Lakers on the horizon to take place on Christmas Day. The game will mark a battle between powerhouses in effort to gain NBA supremacy. Each team will be trying to prove they are the best in the NBA and a win will go along way for each team’s confidence about where they stand in the league. If the Celtics could escape Los Angeles with a victory, the momentum could definitely last the rest of the season.

The Celtics simply have to keep similar pace in tact. Even if Boston were to lose twice as many games in their next 29 games, they would still be on pace to end the season with around 9 losses. This means that every game could be one loss or one win away from breaking the record at season’s end. So far this season Boston has faired well against the best competition in the NBA. Orlando, Cleveland, and Los Angeles have the best records in the NBA behind Boston by 5 games or more. Boston is 2-0 against these teams this season with convincing wins in both games against Orlando and Cleveland. The Celtics will get the Lakers next up the Thursday night and will try to stay perfect against the elite teams in the NBA. The Celtics appear to be headed for a probable chance at history. Unless some drastic things change, Boston will get their chance to stake claim as the best team in the history of professional basketball. Record or no record, for now sit back and watch one of the best teams to ever take the floor and applaud their strive at greatness.