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due to suspension after receiving his sixth and seventh technical fouls of the postseason, but the league earlier today rescinded one of the two techs Perkins received last night.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.

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.

There's not many "great" teams in the NBA.

These next five teams all have serious question marks as far as personnel, yet I think they could all make the playoffs and make a run in the playoffs.

This season is gonna be fun, but, outside of the top teams, it'll be about as predictable as Mike Tyson.

The Buffalo Wild Wings Division

15. Philadelphia 76ers
Philly is intriguing for a lot of reasons. The Sixers have athletes all over the place (Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams, etc.). They have size inside (Elton Brand, Samual Dalembert, Marreese Speights). But they don't have a point guard. Andre Miller, who played all 82 games in 2007-08 and 2008-09, left for Portland as a free agent, with the reins being handed to Williams (going into his 5th season at 22 years old). Williams in the last two seasons has missed just three games, but has never started a game in his career. His high in assists per game was 3.2 in 2007-08 and his best assist to turnover ratio was 2:1 that same season. Look for Iguoldala to share ballhandling duties with Williams. And expect rookie point guard Jrue Holiday (the only "true" point on Philly's roster), to get some time at the point, as well. If that pans out and Brand, who's played 37 games the last two seasons, stays healthy, Philly could make some noise in the playoffs.

14. Phoenix Suns
Phoenix will most likely sneak into the playoffs this season, but the run is over for this team. Reports I've read have the Suns going back to their run & gun style, which will be fun for the first 82, but, as has been proven in the past, that style won't translate to a championship, or even a trip past the first round. Phoenix's core now features a 37-year-old with bad ankles (Grant Hill), a 35-year-old with a bad back (Nash) and a 26-year-old coming off eye surgery (Stoudemire). That group also features former MSU star Jason Richardson and Barbosa, 28 and 26, respectively. Phoenix does have some young pieces that should contribute in second-year center Robin Lopez and 2009 lottery pick Earl Clark. The Suns have the pieces to have a solid season, but with the moves some other teams out west have made, I don't think Phoenix has enough in the tank to compete.

13. New Orleans Hornets
Chris Paul lost his Shawn Kemp when center Tyson Chandler was traded to Charlotte in exchange for Emeka Okafor. The move is actually an upgrade, as Okafor for his career has averaged 14 points a game to Chandler's 8.2, along with pulling down 10 boards a night - a slight bump from Chandler's 9. The move also helps out power forward David West, as Okafor is just a little more adept at playing away from the basket than Chandler. That frees up room for West, 21 points, 8.6 boards in 2008-09, to work. But the key to this team is Chris Paul. His numbers have gotten better every year. But this team needs to start going deep in the playoffs. Paul is a winner and if this team doesn't start winning big, trade rumors centering around Paul could begin to swirl.

12. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks, in my opinion, reached their peak last season. The squad got to the second round of the playoffs before being swept by Cleveland. This is a team that has lots of talent and is good enought o be a playoff team every season, but it won't make any real noise in the playoffs. Taking Boston to seven games in the first round of the 2008 playoffs was good for the squad, as was getting out of the first round last season. But there are too many guys on this team (Marvin Williams, Josh Smith) who don't want to play a role.

11. Toronto Raptors
Acquiring small forward Hedo Turkoglu in the offseason was a solid move. With that, Toronto has basically become the (really) northern version of the Orlando Magic. The Raptors have Chris Bosh (22.7 ppg, 10 rpg in 2008-09) to play the role of Dwight Howard alongside Turkoglu, while Andrea Bargnani (15.4 points, 5.3 boards, 41 percent from 3, 83 percent from the line) will take on the role Rashard Lewis played in Orlando. Jose Calderon, in the second year of a 5-year, $45 million contract, will run the team - and is one of the underrated players in the league, in my opinion. Toronto has a wealth of bulk up front, including former Piston Amir Johnson, who I expect to contribute now that not a lot it expected of him. The Raptors backcourt depth leaves a lot to be desired. They need someone to play alongside Calderon and Jarrett Jack, who came over this summer from Indiana, isn't a starting two guard. Lottery pick DeMar DeRozan will get a chance to prove his wealth early.

Part V coming tomorrow

Four seasons ago, the Phoenix Suns finished the season in the conference finals after losing, 4-2, to the Dallas Mavericks. That was the team's second-straight trip to the NBA final four, as Phoenix bowed out, 4-1, to eventual champion San Antonio in 2005.

The core of those teams featured Steve Nash (two-time MVP), All-stars Amar'e Stoudemire (Stoudemire missed 79 games in 2005-06) and Shawn Marion, defensive stopper/dead-eye shooter Raja Bell, super-sub Leandro Barbosa, Boris Diaw (Diaw spent time at all five positions during that run), Tim Thomas and Eddie House (both are guys who can get you 20-30 off the oak) and Kurt Thomas.

The Suns, who had a book, ":07 Seconds or Less," a publication chronicling the team's 2005-06 season written by longtime basketball writer Jack McCallum, written about them, didn't even make the playoffs last year. The west was tough last season and Stoudemire missed extended time with an eye injury, but for a team that features two of the greatest of all time at their respective positions (Nash and Shaquille O'Neal) to not make the playoffs is absurd.

The group featured in McCallum's book has since been broken up. Of that core, only Barbosa, Nash and Stoudemire remain. Phoenix may still be fun to watch, but the sun has set on the team's relevance.

Phoenix Suns
Phoenix's core now features a 37-year-old with bad ankles (Grant Hill), a 35-year-old with a bad back (Nash) and a 26-year-old coming off eye surgery (Stoudemire). That group also features former MSU star Jason Richardson and Barbosa, 28 and 26, respectively.

Phoenix does have some young pieces that should contribute in second-year center Robin Lopez and 2009 lottery pick Earl Clark.

The Suns have the pieces to have a solid season, but with the moves some other teams out west have made, I don't think Phoenix has enough in the tank to compete.

Nash's back problem would be a bigger issue if he relied on athleticism, which he doesn't. Last season, in 74 games, Nash shot .503 percent from the field, while pouring in 15.7 ppg and handing out 9.7 assists a night. Nash has the ability to make everyone around him better, but this group looks like someone just threw it together.

I also don't have faith in head coach Alvin Gentry, who coached in Detroit for parts of three seasons. This is Gentry's fourth coaching stint. He's taken one team to the playoffs - the Pistons in the lockout-shortened 1999 season. Gentry has a career record of 195-239 and has been fired mid-season twice. I've read that the Suns players love Gentry, but I don't see him putting them in the best position to win for an entire 82-game season.

I don't think Phoenix should look at dealing Nash or Stoudemire, but what Phoenix should do, assuming they don't make the playoffs this season, is draft an understudy for Nash. Phoenix has failed to develop a back up for the two-time MVP. Having one in tow would make for a smooth transition once Nash calls it quits. Next year's draft class doesn't have that great a crop of point guards, so looking at someone like Raymond Felton in free agency next summer would be a good move.

It would do Phoenix good to make some moves this season, as Stoudemire has an early termination option that kicks in next summer.