Last night's game seven between the Lakers and Celtics is quite possibly the ugliest thing of beauty I've ever seen.

Statistically, that was L.A.'s worst game in two years, as it won, 83-79, despite shooting 32.5 percent from the floor.

Surprisingly, the one Laker who played well is the one who should be on a steady supply of meds: Ron Artest, who chipped in with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals, along with several great quotes after the game.

The win leaves the Lakers just one title behind Boston, 17-16, for most in league history.

The game has also left a lot of questions to be answered.

Which is the greatest franchise in NBA history?
Although the Lakers trail the Celtics in number of titles, a strong case can be made that L.A. is home to the best franchise in the history of the league.

The Lakers have appeared in the Finals 31 times to Boston's 21. While Boston has a far superior record in those Finals series - 17-4 vs. 16-15 for the Lakers, Los Angeles has been more of a consistent winner. Eleven of the Celtics 17 titles came before 1970, while the Lakers have won titles in 5 different decades and dominated three of those - the 1950s, 80s and 2000s.

Boston also endured a 22-year title drought from 1986 to 2008. Los Angeles' worst stretch lasted 17 years from 1955-72. The Celtics made the final round once during that dry spell (1987), while the Lakers appeared in eight championship series during theirs (1959, 62, 63, 65, 66, 68-70).

L.A. has also missed the postseason just five times in 62 seasons, while Boston has failed to make the playoffs 16 times in 64 seasons. The Lakers also have the most wins in league history (2,970) and the highest winning percentage (.617).

Is Phil Jackson the greatest coach of all time?
Here's Phil's resume: 11 titles (more than any other coach); a .700 win percentage in the regular season and the playoffs; thirteen Finals appearance in 19 years as a head coach.

Compare that with legendary UCLA coach John Wooden, who didn't win his first title until his 16th season in Westwood; or revered Celtics coach Red Auerbach, who didn't hoist his first trophy until his seventh season in Boston. Scotty Bowman, of NHL coaching fame and nine Stanley Cup titles, lost in the championship round three times before winning his first title. Jackson has only lost twice in 13 appearances in the NBA Finals.

Even greater than that has been Jackson's ability to manage egos. His two greatest players, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, are two of the most egomaniacal, bull-headed people on the planet. At points in both of their careers, Jordan and Bryant were known as players who only cared about themselves, yet Jackson has been able to get them to focus on the greater goal (most of the time), allowing the two to reach great heights. He's also been able to corral two of the stranger people in the history of sports: Dennis Rodman and Ron Artest, who passed Rodman on the "crazy-o-meter" last night.

Is Pau Gasol destined for the Hall of Fame?
Prior to joining the Lakers in February 2008, Gasol led the Memphis Grizzlies to the playoffs three straight seasons in the middle part of the decade. That should be enough to answer that question right there.

Since joining L.A., Gasol has been the second best player on two title teams, adding toughness and grit to his game in the process. Gasol has made two all-NBA third teams the last two seasons, averaging about 18 points, 10 board and 1.5 blocks in 2008-09 and 2009-10. His career averages of 18 and 9 are better than Hall of Famers Kevin McHale and Dave DeBusschere. He's tied with DeBusschere in the championship department and one behind McHale.

His offensive skillset, coupled with his awesome passing ability and that newfound grit make Gasol the best big man in the league today; and, unless Dwight Howard starts watching old VHS tapes of David Robinson, Gasol will keep that title for the foreseeable future.

What happens to the Celtics now?
Three of Boston's top four players (Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce) have a combined 40 years of playing experience. The team's best post defender (Rasheed Wallace, who has 15 years in the league under his belt) may retire. Allen and Pierce are free agents this summer. Kendrick Perkins, the Celtic's starting center, tore two ligaments in his right knee early in game 6 of the Finals. And head coach Doc Rivers may not return to the sidelines next season.

Boston brass has a lot of decisions to make this offseason. The team has - if Pierce decides to exercise his more than $21.5 million player option - more than $63 million tied into six players. The Celtics could use the mid-level exception, slated to be around $6 million for 2010-11, to sign a player, but it looks like Boston's roster will look the same as it did last night. Pierce will be a priority, as could Allen, but Allen would likely be offered a deal of no more than two years and $10-$12 million.

Rivers is the wild card here. He has said he'd like to spend more time with his family and be able to watch his sons, Austin and Jeremiah, play college basketball. Rivers, however, has one year and $5.5 million left on his contract. If the team believes it can make another deep playoff run, why wouldn't he come back? But some things are more important than money.

Where does Kobe Bryant rank among the all-time greats
Baseball measures it's greats by stats. Football determines legends by Super Bowl titles. Basketball seems to be the only one of the major American sports that takes both of those things into consideration when choosing who belongs among the best ever.

Despite Kobe Bryant's horrid shooting performance in Game 7, Bryant belongs in the discussion of greatest players of all time. It'll be tough for him to crack the top spot - Michael Jordan's butt is super glued to that seat - but Bryant can make a case for the top 5.

He has as many titles (5) as Magic Johnson, who I rank at No. 2. He has more titles than Larry Bird (3), Wilt Chamberlain (2) and Tim Duncan (4), who I had at Nos. 4, 6, and 7, respectively, prior to the start of the Finals. The win brought Bryant's record in the Finals to 5-2, while Magic finished 5-4 and Bird went 3-2. His offensive numbers are better than Magic's, Duncan's and Bill Russell's (No. 3 on my list).

Bryant's 12 all-NBA selections (8 first-team honors) trail only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6th on my list), who was tabbed 15 times; Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal (14 selections) and Tim Duncan (13). And, defensively, he's light years ahead of Magic and Bird, reflected by his 10 all-defensive team selections.

Yes, I know he took Game seven against Phoenix off in the first round of the 2006 Finals. But people act like he's the first star to do something of the sort. Chamberlain asked out of Game 7 of the 1969 Finals, with 5 minutes left, because of an injury. You can bet that, so close to the ultimate goal, Bryant would play on one leg.

Many people (still) contend Bryant ran Shaq out of L.A. in 2004. Kobe doesn't sign any checks or make any personnel decisions. And I think it's safe to say the team's decision to stick with Bryant has paid off.

While Bryant at times frustrated Jackson to no end, he's no coach killer. It's been said that Magic Johnson wanted his first pro coach, Paul Westhead fired. It's also been speculated that Johnson wanted out of L.A. at some point in the first five years of his career. It's been said that Jordan played a key role in getting Doug Collins ousted after the 1989 season.

Several people have said "Kobe never won a thing without Shaq." Well, Abdul-Jabbar never won without Magic or Oscar Robertson. Jordan never won without Pippen. Bird never won without McHale and Robert Parish. It's a proven fact you need more than one top-flight player to win a title, so this is a moot point.

When you put personal feelings aside - and I know that's hard for people to do with Kobe - you realize just how great he is. His work ethic is only second to Jordan's. He's added new moves to his arsenal nearly every season he's been in the league. Last summer, he worked out with Hakeem Olajuwon (No. 13 on my list of all-time greats) to improve his post game. Doesn't that sound like something Dwight Howard or LeBron James should do?

Former Blazer and Celtics great Bill Walton in a book I finished reading a few months ago made a great point about Bryant. He said that while Kobe may not win the way people want him to, he still wins. Winning is the most important thing to Bryant, Walton added, so why does it matter how he wins as long as he gets it done?

So how would I rank the 10 best players of all time, one day after one of them eclipsed another career milestone?

1. Michael Jordan
2. Magic Johnson
3. Bill Russell
4. Larry Bird
5. Kobe Bryant
6. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
7. Wilt Chamberlain
8. Tim Duncan
9. Oscar Robertson
10.Jerry West

At 31 years old, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, in 14 seasons, has blossomed into one of the eight best players in the history of the NBA.

His career has been the epitome of "roller coaster ride:" winning the Slam Dunk Contest his rookie season; throwing up airballs in the playoffs against Utah in '98; his relationship with Shaquille O'Neal; winning three titles in a row from 2002-02; facing rape allegations in 2003 and watching his "Q" rating fall faster than Lindsay Lohan's after coach Phil Jackson took a sabbatical and Bryant "ushered" O'Neal out of L.A. supposedly.

But the shine has returned to Bryant's star the last three seasons, as he earned his first regular-season MVP award in 2008. He's also led the Lakers to three straight NBA Finals, something that hasn't been done since Bryant's Lakers accomplished it in 2000-02.

Bryant also won his fourth NBA title in 2009, answering a number of questions in the process: Could he win without Shaq? Could he lead a team to a ring?

But questions still remain for Bryant. Those could be answered in the next two weeks, as Bryant and his squad tangle for the 12th time in the Finals with the Boston Celtics, which hold a 9-2 advantage in the series.

What if the Lakers win their 16th title?
-Bryant will have earned his fifth ring, tying him with greats such as Magic Johnson and George Mikan. He would be just one behind Scottie Pippen, Bob Cousy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and some dude named Jordan.
-He will have brought L.A. within one title of Boston (17 to 16) for most all time. The Lakers would be in good position to pass the Celtics sooner than later, too.
-Phil Jackson, without a contract for next season, would return to Los Angeles.
-Bryant's record in the Finals will go to 5-2. Johnson's was 5-4.
-Bryant's next 30-point playoff game would give him 76, placing him second all time ahead of Abdul-Jabbar and behind Jordan.
-Bryant will supplant Tim Duncan as the seventh best player in League history.
-The "is he as good as Jordan" talk will (foolishly) continue.

What if Bryant isn't able to best the Celtics?
-Bryant will be 5-4 in the Finals, 1-2 as The Man. Comparisons with Peyton Manning will start.
-Bryant turns 32 in August. He won't have many more shots at championship glory - or at moving up the Greatest of All Time ladder.
-Jackson may retire if he thinks the door is closed on L.A.'s title chances.
-He will have never beaten his franchises greatest rival for anything substantial.
-The "is he as good as Jordan" talk will (finally) cease.

Has there ever been so much on the line for one athlete? You'd think that, at 14 years in, Bryant's place in history would be secure. But when you become apart of any "greatest ever" argument, questions are always abound.

From what I know about Kobe, all of things are on his mind and will remain on his mind until this series is over. Anybody would fold under that type of pressure. But Bryant isn't just anybody. He's playing the best playoff basketball of his career.

It's almost like a revenge tour. By sweeping Utah, and knocking the Jazz out of the postseason for the third season in a row, Bryant exorcised the demons left by those airballs he put up in the Delta Center in 1998.

By vanquishing Phoenix, Bryant finally bested the squad that knocked his Lakers out of the playoffs in 2006 and 2007 - the only two seasons a Jackson-led team failed to get passed the first round.

And by beating Boston, Kobe and his teammates will be able to (somewhat) erase the memory of a 39-point beatdown in the clincher in 2008.

I say it happens.

Lakers in 6.

One of the best all-around players in the history of baseball retired after 22 years yesterday.

Tonight marks the 12th meeting in the championship round between two of the five most storied organizations in the history of American professional sports.

Yet the news today won't be about Ken Griffey Jr. or Lakers vs. Celtics. Nope, everything will center around umpire Jim Joyce taking history away from Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga last night, as Joyce's blown call cost Galarraga the 1st perfect game in Tigers' history. It also made Austin Jackson's running catch, where he made more like Reggie Wayne than Reggie Jackson, "just another catch."

This wasn't an instant where Joyce tried to make himself a part of the game as some umps and referees do at times. His call, on out 27 of 27, where it was clear the Indians Jason Donald was out by at least a step, was simply one of the most egregious blown calls in the history of baseball. Billy the Blind Kid from "Dumb and Dumber," who was sold a dead bird with a broken neck, could see Donald was out; but Joyce, feet away from the play, saw different.

To add insult to ... insult, Joyce is slated to serve as home plate umpire in today's series finale between the Tigers and Indians. With any luck, a number of foul balls will find their way to Joyce's groin.

I'm not upset over his blown call. Joyce, a 22-year veteran who's called games in two World Series, is human. We all make mistakes on our jobs. Sure, his was on a much larger scale, but Joyce is a man. We've been making mistakes since the beginning of time. He should be reprimanded, unless MLB brass believe he punished himself enough with his post-game bleep-filled rant last night. But Joyce shouldn't be fired, shouldn't be thrown from the Belle Isle bridge, and no flaming bags of anything should be left on his porch.

Joyce did what any real man would do. He manned up, talked to reporters and apologized to Galarraga and Tigers' manager Jim Leyland. Galaragga, the picture of class he has shown to be, even hugged a tearful Joyce last night.

But he shouldn't have had to.

And I should've had wall-to-wall NBA Finals coverage, and Tim Kurkjian giddily talking about Jr.'s place in history.

If there is a such thing as justice, Joyce will have forgotten to wear a cup today. And Austin Jackson will foul a pitch right off of his ... nevermind.

Quickly ... what's the seminal moment of the 2010 NBA Playoffs?

To quote Katt Williams, "Don't worry. I'll wait."

...

Still no answer? That's because it concerns someone who hasn't played in two weeks: it's LeBron James leaving the court in Boston after his Cavs were prematurely knocked out of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics. That loss has led to All LeBron All the Time. It sometimes feels like the playoffs aren't even going on with all the coverage devoted to "Mailman Jr." I can't take credit for that moniker. It was given to James by ESPN.com's Bill Simmons.

There hasn't been any GREAT moments in these playoffs. How many people - outside of me because I have issues - remember Pau Gasol's tip in with .5 seconds left in game six to close out the Lakers' first-round series with Oklahoma City? Who can recall Paul Pierce's buzzer-beater in game four of Boston's first-round series with Miami. Not many.

That's changed since the conference finals tipped off.

So far, the Phoenix Suns have been able to keep pace with the Los Angeles Lakers, despite the brilliance of Kobe Bryant, who is averaging 33.8 points on 56 percent shooting, along with 9.8 assists and 6.5 rebounds. Phoenix has even opted to employ a 2-3 zone, which has garnered a lot of attention, even though defense, not that zone, has been L.A.'s biggest problem.

After falling behind the Boston Celtics, 3-0, in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Orlando Magic have battled back and forced a game six.

That game could have a decidedly different look to it, as Boston could be without three key players: Glen Davis, who suffered a concussion in game five after taking a Randy Savage-like elbow to the head from Magic big man Dwight Howard; Rasheed Wallace, who may have sustained an "old man injury" when he strained his back last night. Starting center Kendrick Perkins almost missed game six due to suspension after receiving his sixth and seventh technical fouls of the postseason, but the league earlier today rescinded one of the two techs Perkins received last night.

If Boston is without Wallace and Davis, that's two of the three players Boston uses off its been it would be without. That would mean Kevin Garnett and Perkins would need to log big minutes and stay out of foul trouble to contend with Howard.

Within a week, what looked to be one of the more boring NBA postseasons in a while (2003 and 2007 come to mind) may end with three of the best series in ages. I still think we're looking at a Lakers/Celtics final, with both squads getting there after finishing off six-game series.

That would signal the 12th time L.A. and Boston have squared off in the championship round, with the Celtics holding a 9-2 series advantage and a 40-27 record overall in those games.

Everyone with an outlet to talk about it says LeBron James will start the 2010-11 season with one of three teams:

-Cleveland (because it can offer him $30 million more than any other team)
-Chicago (because many people believe the Bulls, with point guard Derrick Rose and big man Joakim Noah, would be title contenders if they got James)
-And New York (because it's supposedly the "Mecca of Basketball, even though the squad that calls New York home hasn't reached .500 in nine years ... or won a title in 38)

Those three teams, along with the L.A. Clippers, Miami, Minnesota, New Jersey and Oklahoma City will have the most cap space this off season, meaning they can offer LeBron - and guys like Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Amar'e Stoudemire - maximum contracts, which would net each player about $20 million/year for 6-7 years.

Once teams start discussing sign-and-trade options, everybody becomes a player in the "Summer of LeBron." His best option, though, may be one no one has mentioned yet.

James should sign on to player with the Los Angeles Lakers for the rest of his career. It makes sense for so many different reasons.

The Lakers are my favorite team
Ok. Now that that's out of the way ...

Contract not a big deal
The contract aspect can be summed up fairly quickly: great athletes, namely NBA players, make the majority of their cash from endorsement deals. If a player is marketable, like LeBron is, since he had a $90 million deal with Nike before he played a game in the NBA, he can make 3-5 times his salary in endorsements EACH YEAR.

For the first 10 years of his career, Michael Jordan, the greatest pitchman in the history of the world, averaged about $3 million a year in salary from the Chicago Bulls. In 1992, Jordan made nearly 11 times that in endorsements. That was nearly 20 years ago. Think how much money LeBron could rake in playing for the Lakers now. The possibilities are endless: spots with Magic, spots with him playing pick up games on Venice Beach ... more puppet commercials with Kobe. Being in L.A. could also aid in LeBron's quest to become a "Global Icon."

So what if the Lakers have more than $80 million in contracts locked in for each the next two seasons. LAL is one of the few teams in the league not afraid to pay the luxury tax. And owner Jerry Buss is worth about $3.2 billion, which may have something to do with that.

Let's say L.A. signs James for the midlevel exception this summer, which will be about $6 million. His total earnings for the year would still top $40 million, if you go according to what James made in endorsements in 2008 ($35 million).

He wants to win titles, right?
Here's what LeBron will have around him if he goes to ...
New York: Eddy Curry, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas, maybe David Lee and/or maybe Chris Bosh
Chicago: Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, James Johnson, Taj Gibson, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich (assuming the last two aren't used as trade bait to bring in a bigger name)
Cleveland: the same sad squad he played on this year ... with the same absent-minded coach
L.A. Clippers: Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin, Chris Kaman and a lottery pick from next month's draft (Actually, that doesn't look like that bad an option until you remember it's the Clippers. LeBron would probably tear both ACLs and his Achilles at his introductory presser).
L.A. Lakers: Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest (as a sixth man!!), Lamar Odom and Phil Jackson

That should say it all right there. Plenty of players have waited until they were on the downside of their career to latch onto a team in the title chase (Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning, Bob McAdoo). Why not play the next decade for a perennial title contender? James would have a good start to that decade, too, as he'd most likely play the first 3-4 years with one of the seven best players of all time (Bryant) and the best coach of all time (Jackson). What's the downside to that?

I understand this happening is as likely as me paying good money to go see "Sex and the City 2," but I can dream, can't I?

For two years, writers, talking heads and radio hosts have crowned LeBron James as the best player in the NBA.

Yes, James is the most physically gifted player in the league and he deserves his two regular season MVP awards; but the best, most complete player still calls Staples Center home. And last night's 40-point outburst from Kobe Bryant was his way of saying, "Who's the real king?"

With questions abound regarding his nagging injuries, everything was working for Kobe last night in the Lakers' 128-107 drubbing of Phoenix in game one of the Western Conference Finals. The mid range game, buzzer beaters at the end of quarters while falling out of bounds, breakaway dunks and the three-ball; everything was on point for Bryant. It was almost like he took his bag of tricks and dumped it all over the Suns. Kobe looked like he was on a mission last night: Forty points in 35 minutes on 56 percent from the floor, including a career-playoff best 21 points in the third quarter. The 40-pointer was Kobe's 11th such game in the playoffs. Only five players in history have more 40-point playoff games.

Last night marked Bryant's 6th straight 30-point game this postseason. That's the most since an in-his-prime Shaquille O'Neal had seven in 2003. Phoenix had - and has - no answer for No. 24. Sure, Jason Richardson and Grant Hill have the size to contend with Kobe, but his skillset, and frame of mind at this time of year, make Bryant virtually unstoppable.

Kobe's body language last night was phenomenal, as well. He had a swagger I hadn't seen since the Finals last season - when Kobe won his fourth ring. If I had to bet my life on it, I'd say Bryant is on his way to his fifth championship. His numbers, and intensity, have gone up with each playoff series. After scoring only 23.5 points/game on 40 percent in the first round against Oklahoma City (where he was hounded by young, long, athletic defenders), Bryant has averaged 33.6 points on 53 percent shooting to go along with 4 boards and almost 6 assists/game.

I told a friend a few weeks ago that Oklahoma City series may wind up being the toughest for L.A. this postseason - similar to the Lakers seven-game second-round series with Houston last spring.

The playoffs are all about match ups. And as far as guarding Kobe goes, the Thunder had the most pieces to slow him down. OKC also had the size to contend with Laker bigs Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom. Since that first-round series, Laker post players have put in 41.4 points and 32 boards a night. Those numbers are slightly higher than the 37 and 28, respectively they chipped in with in the first round. Utah wasn't able to slow L.A. down, as the Jazz went down, 4-0. Phoenix doesn't have the look of a squad that can deter the Lakers' run, either.

If the Lakers can keep this up, they could cruise to the franchise's 16th title. A fifth championship could also secure Kobe's place as one of the seven greatest players of all time.

It would also put Kobe up, 2-0, in an award category I'm sure James would be envious of: NBA Finals MVP awards.

LeBron James is easily one of the most psychically gifted players in the history of the NBA.

Because he's won the last two MVP awards, James has been christened as the best player alive. His last two playoff performances have made me question that.

Sure, James had a triple double on the night his Cleveland Cavs were bounced from the playoffs by the Boston Celtics - for the second time in three seasons - but he shot less than 40 percent from the field and committed nine turnovers. At no point in last night's 94-85 loss did James take that game over.

Many people recognize the great things James does. I'm one of them; but you never hear - at least I don't - about aspects of his game he needs to improve.

If you look at LeBron's offensive game, how much has it evolved in his seven years in the league? Where's the post up game? The mid-range game? He should have a baby hook or some sort of "big man" move, too. Sure, LeBron gives you five "WOW" moments every night, but nobody really takes into the account the number of times he makes you scratch your head.

I know he's only 25, but James is going into his 8th season and he hasn't developed any of those things on offense. I understand it took Michael Jordan a while to perfect that post up game, but this is different because LeBron has Jordan, and Kobe Bryant, to use to study moves on offense and it doesn't look like he does it.

Every time down the court, James is 2-3 inches taller and 40-60 pounds heavier than just about everybody who guards him. When he catches a post entry pass, LeBron knows a double team is coming - from the baseline or from the middle of the lane. I see him find the open man from that double a lot. But rarely do I see him turn away from that double and look to hit a fade-away or make a move toward the cup.

LeBron still has to dribble to get his buckets, too. While me may be more efficient offensively than Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant, those three don't really need to put the ball on the floor to score. They can catch and fire, or catch and get the rip through move to work out of the triple threat position, draw a foul and get to the line. James, too, still relies on bowling his way to the rim and getting hacked to get to the line. As he ages, taking all that punishment could take a serious toll on his body.

Back to LeBron's size. How he hasn't developed some sort of big man move, at 6'9," 270 pounds, is mind boggling. Scottie Pippen, as his offensive game evolved, developed this little baby hook from 8 feet in that was money. He'd catch the pass in the lane, take a couple dribbles and go up with it and it seemed like it always went in. Like I said, LeBron is 2-3 inches taller and a small child heavier than damn near every guy who tries to guard him, so why is this not a part of his game?

For one of the 8-10 most psychically imposing players in the history of the game to not have any of these things in his arsenal is baffling to me. And until he develops them, the talk that LeBron is the best player in the league has to cease.

LeBron James last night picked a helluva time to have the worst game of his career.

He's had worse games, stat wise; but, overall, it looked like James didn't even wanna be on the court last night as he and his Cavs got dumptrucked by Boston, 120-88. The loss was the worst home loss in Cleveland playoff history. It was also very likely James' last home game as a Cav unless major changes are made in Cleveland this summer, as Boston now takes a 3-2 series lead back to Boston tomorrow night (This series is over, by the way. No way Boston, with all those playoff-tested vets, lets that series get back to Cleveland).

Scoring wise, James was awful. He made just 3 of 14 shots - most of which were jumpers that fell short. His first made bucket came halfway through the third quarter. James did get to the line 12 times - 10 in the first half. But at no point during last night's game did LeBron look like he wanted to take over and put his team on his back and try to lead them to a crucial win.

There's a reason for that. LeBron finally looked at that roster and all the guys who can't play and "Pulled A Kobe."

In game 7 of the 2006 first round against the Phoenix Suns, Kobe Bryant essentially played passive for the entire second half of a game the Lakers lost by 31. He scored 23 on 8 of 13 in the first half and took just three shots in the second. Bryant was doing the same thing James did last night: he looked at that Lakers roster - the team started Smush Parker and Kwame Brown for much of the 2005-06 season. It's a wonder they even made the playoffs as a second seed - and said, "OK, I'm gonna have off nights. I need to know there's guys on this team who can pick up the slack." No one did that. Not that game or the next season, when L.A. lost to Phoenix in the first round again.

A year and a half later, L.A. acquired Pau Gasol and has reached the Finals the last two seasons, winning the championship last year.

For the next day and a half, people will kill LeBron for what he did last night. If he stays in Cleveland and gets some help, and the Cavs go on to win three of the next five NBA titles, no one will remember what happened last night. Just like few people remember Kobe taking a half off against the Suns. But there's no guarantee James stays in Cleveland now.

If Cavs brass has been paying attention - to LeBron's no-show last night, to Mo Williams disappearing act in the playoffs for the second straight year, to Antawn Jamison having next to no impact on this series, to Mike Brown's inability to make in-game adjustments or work a rotation - a major overhaul will take place in Cleveland this summer, or LeBron will leave; and the Cavs will fold in five years.

I don't think anyone in Cleveland wants to be Witness to that.

I have a bet with a friend on the Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers series. I bet him a 12-pack (of Dr. Pepper, of course!!) that Boston will knock Cleveland out of the playoffs. My friend thinks I've been hanging out with Whitney Houston.

One of the main reasons I think the Celtics, who I hate being a Lakers fan, will beat the Cavs in this east semi is Cleveland coach Mike Brown.

Brown became head coach of the Cavs in June 2005 after spending two seasons as the associate head coach of the Indiana Pacers and three seasons as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs. For the past five years, he's had the pleasure of coaching one of the 15 most physically gifted players in NBA history in LeBron James. Brown has had success, leading the Cavs to the playoffs in each of his five seasons, including taking Cleveland to the NBA Finals in 2007 where it was swept by San Antonio in four games.

Brown is most known as a defensive-minded head coach.

He should be known as the absent-minded head coach.

Mike Brown is deserving of his position (he averages 54 wins a season), but there's no way the Cavs will win a title this season - or ever - with Brown at the helm. Too often, Brown has failed to do the things that make good coaches great and great teams champions. He doesn't make good in-game adjustments, doesn't utilize his timeouts correctly and he works a rotation as good as Craig did the first time Smokey passed him a J in "Friday."

Most championship coaches change up their rotation from the regular season to the playoffs. Coaches like Brown seem to believe the same things that work November-April work May-June, too.

Take second-year forward J.J. Hickson for example. Hickson started 73 games for the Cavs during the regular season, played about 21 minutes a night and chipped in with 8.5 points and 4.9 boards a game. Since the playoffs started, it's almost like Brown caught Hickson flirting with his wife because J.J. has barely sniffed the floor. Hickson's minutes have dwindled down to 8.9/game; and he's averaging a ROBUST 13 minutes a game in the east semis.

And has there been an APB put out for Zydrunas Ilguaskas yet? Ilguaskas was dealt to Washington in a mid-season trade that got Cleveland Antawn Jamison. He sat out a month before returning to the Cavs. Although he has bad feet, Z (I'm not trying to spell his last name again), at 7'3," can stretch the floor and runs a pick & pop superbly. For the playoffs, Z averages less than 8 minutes/game and hasn't played since game one of the Boston series.

Cleveland's best unit consists of Mo Williams, James, Jamison, Hickson and Anderson Varejao. The group plays together - but sparingly. It took Brown more than six playoff games to figure this out. When he did, that group was the main catalyst in a 124-95 drubbing of Boston Friday night - that and James 21-point first quarter. One Sunday, when the Cavs scored 37 less points than on Friday night, that unit together on the court - but sparingly.

Brown seems like a nice enough guy, but if I'm Cleveland brass and I wanna keep James, who come July 1, will be the most sought-after free agent in league history, I'm getting a new coach. The James/Brown situation seems similar to what Michael Jordan did following the 1988-89 season in essentially telling Bulls higher ups to oust then-Bulls coach Doug Collins.

Jordan's next coach? Phil Jackson, who the G.O.A.T. won titles with his last six full seasons in Chicago.

The Cavs still have a shot to win this series and the title, but I have my doubts about that (not enough guy's who come up in big spots before, misuse of Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams' playoff inconsistency).

If I'm right, and Boston does go on to bounce Cleveland from the playoffs, I'm splitting that 12-pack with Brown. He'll have earned it.

LeBron James Monday night will receive his second straight NBA MVP Award. He will become a part of a select group of 10 that includes names like Jordan, Russell, Abdul-Jabbar, Bird and Johnson. Steve Nash is on the list, too, but that's another discussion for another day. You know how when you go out and you see a group of 10 beautiful women and one "less than desirable" one? Guess where Steve Nash fits in?

That list also includes a combined 18 NBA Finals MVPs. Nash doesn't have one of those. Neither will LeBron, after this season, at least, because the Celtics are going to knock LeBron's Cavs out of the playoffs for the second time in three postseasons.

LeBron is easily the best player in the league. And he'll easily be the best player in this series, which tips off tomorrow night. But the team with the best player doesn't always win in the NBA. It happens frequently, but not 100 percent of the time. Ask the '04 Lakers or the '88 Bulls or any of several teams Wilt Chamberlain played on if that's true.

No. 1 is vital, but 2-8 is what wins championships. After LeBron, Boston has the next three best players (Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen) in the series. Each of those three is playoff tested. Is Antawn Jamison, who Cleveland acquired prior to the Trade deadline in February and who, until this week, never advanced past the first round? What about Mo Williams, who shot 40 percent from the field in the 2009 playoffs? What's a 37-year-old Shaq gonna give Cleveland game to game?

Another factor that plays into Boston's hands is rest. The Celtics haven't played since Tuesday. That's four days rest for the oldest team in the playoffs. Game one in Cleveland is a game Boston can - and will - steal. I can't give them game two, since James will receive his MVP Award Monday night prior to tip off. Game three isn't until Friday, giving the aging, prideful Celtics three more days of rest. That will be key for a team that has five guys in its regular rotation who's average age is 34.2.

Pierce, at 32, is the youngest of those five. He is also the player who will guard James and vice versa. That will wear on LeBron, since he barely broke a sweat on D against Chicago in the first round. Yes, I fully expect LeBron to outplay Pierce this series, but James will work for everything he gets. Pierce will also challenge James to play a high level of defense, too.

I have a feeling James will be out on an island this series, receiving little help from his teammates. A number of players on the Celtics have come through in big spots over the course of their careers - even Rasheed Wallace, who, from the look of his bustline, could have been in that Lane Bryant ad that was recently outlawed. Cleveland doesn't have that luxury, which could allow Boston to key its defense on LeBron, which has worked for the Celtics against "one-man shows" in the past - Dwyane Wade in the first round, Kobe Bryant in the 2008 Finals.

Neither of those guys, at the time, played with players who were ready for prime time. Unfortunately for LeBron, neither does he.

Celtics in 6.

Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl has missed a number of his squad's games since March 16 after being diagnosed with treatable neck and throat cancer.

Prior to Karl leaving the bench, Denver had been one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning 11 or 14 games coming out of the All-Star break. Following Karl's diagnosis, the Nuggets finished the regular season 7-7, losing out on a shot at a high playoff seed and settling for fourth in the tough Western Conference.

Now Denver is on the brink of elimination after falling behind, 3 games to 1, in a best-of-seven first round series with a Utah Jazz squad that's missing two starters (Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur). Outside of Carmelo Anthony (41 minutes, 34.5 points, 7 boards, 52 percent from the field, 46 percent from three, 94 percent from the line for the series), no one on the Nuggets roster has played with much fire.

Some of that can be attributed to Karl's absence (And the absolute joke of a coaching job Adrian Dantley has done. I have a better shot at becoming Grand Wizard of the Klan than he does at being offered a full-time coaching job.). But not all the blame can be placed on Dantley's shoulders, since anyone with any knowledge of the NBA will tell you it's a "player's league" and that coaches are kept around mostly to manage egos.

If that is the case, some of the blame for Denver's lack of urgency has to go to former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups. Last season, Billups' first in his hometown, saw the Denver product lead the Nuggets to within two wins of the NBA Finals. This season, Denver had been talked about as a legitimate championship contender up until running into Utah's Deron Williams in the playoffs. Williams has torched the Nuggets this series to the tune of 26.8 points and 12 assists/game. Williams is also shooting 50 percent from the field and in three pointers.

Billups' numbers have been steady, as usual, for the series. The former Piston has netted 17.8 points and 6.5 assists/game, while shooting 45 percent from the field. But his impact should be felt in more than just the box score. His wealth of big-game experience and knowledge of the game should resonate on the court, in the locker room and in the huddle. Not once this series have I seen him get in a guy's face or attempt to take a more vocal approach during a time-out or a stoppage of play. At 33, Billups should be a coach on the floor. He is, for the most part, but coaching your guys up is more than telling them what spot to go to in a halfcourt set.

I don't see Denver climbing out of its 3-1 hole, but if that is to happen, Billups has to be more of a vocal leader.

I love the Lakers. So much so that I stay up until the wee hours of the morning to watch them play anybody - even the Clippers.

I always think they can win the title, no matter who's hurt, or who's playing like their fourth mistress is ready to spill the beans to TMZ.

I've seen a lot of Lakers games this season. I've also taken in my fair share of Oklahoma City Thunder games in 2009-10, and it's no surprise, to me, at least, that the first round series between the two teams has been so tight the first two games.

Even though the Lakers are up, 2-0, you get the feeling this series could swing at any time.

Here are some reasons I think this series still has a long way to go before being decided.

-L.A. refuses to run its offense through Pau Gasol
The Lakers win 8 of 10 games Gasol is in the lineup because he's such a versatile, skilled big man. But he's only averaging 14 shots a game through the first two. That number should be at around 18-20 if the Lakers want to win this series and a title. No team in the league has a player who can match up with Gasol.

-Russell Westbrook
The second-year converted point guard will continue to eat 35-year-old Derek Fisher alive until Lakers coach Phil Jackson decides to put someone else on him. This has been going on the last couple seasons. Fisher can't stay in front of young, fast guards. I'd hate to see what happens to him should Utah beat Denver and meet up with the Lakers in the first round.

-The Thunder defense is severely underrated
They don't have names that jump out at you on defense like Dwight Howard, Josh Smith or Gerald Wallace, but Oklahoma City's defense this season has stayed ranked in the top 10 in every major category. The Thunder has held the Lakers more than 10 points under their season average so far this series at 91/game. That number is seven less that what Oklahoma City gave up during the regular season.

-The Lakers bench has been bad
Lamar Odom going back to his sixth man role should boost L.A.'s bench, which has been about as productive as a quadriplegic on "Dancing With the Stars." But OKC hasn't been able to take advantage of this...yet.

A lot of odd things happened this weekend with the start of the NBA Playoffs

-Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings may both have heads full of gray hair at the end of their series against the Cavs and Hawks, respectively. Rose HAD to take 27 shots Saturday, which is 10 more than he averaged per game all season, in order for the Bulls to have a shot at winning. Jennings had the fourth-best playoff debut for a rookie with 34 points and had no one step up to help him out. With the make up of both Chicago's and Milwaukee's rosters, both guys are like the smart kid in school who gets put in a group with all the slackers for "group" projects.

-Coaches are idiots. Both Scott Skiles (Milwaukee) and Mike Brown (Cleveland) decided it was fine to stick to the patterns they utilized in the regular season. Skiles sat Jennings the first five minutes of the fourth quarter Saturday in Atlanta when Milwaukee was down 11 and no one else could hit a shot. Brown did the same with LeBron James, allowing the Bulls to gain ground on the Cavs before falling short. Had Brown left James in, he could have finished off Chicago and probably sat out the LAST five minutes of the game.

-Derek Fisher is the worst starting player on any playoff team. I love the Lakers, but Fisher needs to be put out to pasture. Russell Westbrook abused Fisher several times yesterday. It got so bad that at one point, I thought to myself, "Mitch Kupchak needs to read "Old Yeller" for tips on what to do with Fisher."

-Jerry Sloan is cursed. In a year where many picked Utah to get to the Western Conference Finals, he loses Andrei Kirilenko prior to the playoffs for two weeks, then Mehmet Okur tears his Achilles and is expected to miss the rest of the playoffs.

-I'd like Charlotte's chances of upsetting Orlando if one of the Bobcats' bigs (Tyson Chandler, Nazr Mohammed, Theo Ratliff) had at least one go-to move on offense. The way they defended Dwight Howard yesterday should scare Magic fans.

-If Dwight Howard had Al Horford's jumper from 12-15 feet, he'd average 30 a game and win 8 MVPs.

-Dirk Nowitzki looks like he's on a mission, going 12-14 FROM THE FIELD, on his way to 36 in a game one win over San Antonio.

-Playing a team in Portland without its best player, I expected the Suns to make short work of the Blazers. But Portland is a team that plays hard every night and doesn't feel sorry for itself. Portland's win in Phoenix last night ended a streak of 18 losses on the road to open playoff series that dates back to 1983.

-If Ron Artest plays D the next two months like he did on Kevin Durant yesterday, banner 16 will be hung from the rafters of Staples Center sometime next fall.

The Magic have been one of the most consistent teams in the NBA, while the Lakers started hot, finished cold and battled injuries to key players all season long.

But I think L.A. has enough talent to run through the West, while Orlando should navigate its way back to the Finals.

When the teams match up again, marking just the second NBA Finals rematch since 1998, I expect the Lakers to claim title 16, which would give Kobe Bryant 5 rings and allow him to stake his claim as one of the seven best players in the history of the NBA.

2010 NBA Playoff Predictions

First round

East
Cleveland over Chicago in 5
Orlando over Charlotte in 4
Atlanta over Milwaukee in 4
Boston over Miami in 6

West
LAL over OKC in 5
Dallas over SAS in 6
Phoenix over Portland in 4
Denver over Utah in 7

Second Round

East
Cleveland over Boston in 6
Orlando over Atlanta in 5

West
LAL over Denver in 6
Dallas over Phoenix in 6

Conf. Finals

East
Orlando over Cleveland in 6

West
LAL over Dallas in 7

NBA Finals
LAL over Orlando in 7

When the NBA Playoffs tip off tomorrow afternoon, it'll signal the start of my favorite two-month stretch of the year.

The length of the playoffs is a huge reason I have already planned when I'll start my family. The whole thing will, hopefully, start in June - after the NBA Draft - and culminate with the birth of each of my children sometime in February each time my wife and I conceive.

I'm not selfish about it, either. I figure June is a good starting point, because no woman wants to walk around carrying 50-80 extra pounds in the late stages of pregnancy in the middle of a hot summer. She'll appreciate the extra cushion when we're tailgating in 30-degree weather in the fall, too. And February is a good ending point because the NBA and College Basketball are both in the "dog days" of the season and there's really nothing else going on. Oh, and family vacations can only be taken in the weeks following the NBA Draft and leading up to the start of College Football.

That's my logic. Nobody can tell me I'm wrong. And I know there's at least one woman out there who's dense enough to agree with me.

2010 NBA Playoff storylines
-Will Boston show up for an extended postseason run or go out early?
-Will the Lakers bench get back to the level of last year?
-Is all the wear and tear starting to catch up with Kobe Bryant?
-Can Cleveland beat Orlando?
-The entire country FINALLY being able to see Oklahoma City in action
-Can Dwyane Wade win a series by himself?
-Is this it for the Spurs?
-How will Denver do if George Karl isn't able to coach in the postseason?
-Can Portland put up any semblance of a fight against Phoenix without Brandon Roy?
-The country being able to see so many young guns (Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, Ty Lawson, Brandon Jennings, Rajon Rondo) do their thing.