5 things you need to know for this years NBA playoffs.

1. Kobe Bryant is the best player in the NBA

He has 4 rings, an MVP, a Finals MVP, selected as an All-Star starter every year since '98, 9 time All-Defensive and 12 time All-NBA. Let's not forget the 81 points as well. Possibly the most impressive resume in all of basketball today. Yes I know LeBron still has some time to accomplish all of this, but he hasn't yet. Don't get me wrong, LeBron is a tremendous player, probably the most athletic player this league has seen. Being the most athletic doesn't make him the best basketball player. If I want to win a triathlon, give me LeBron if I want to win a basketball game, I'll take Kobe. He has an Einstein caliber basketball IQ, is the best scorer in the league and can do anything LeBron can just as well as he can. Kobe is a proven winner, when the game is on the line and you could give the ball to anyone in the NBA you would give it to Kobe Bryant because you know that other than MJ nobody in the history of the sport can close like Kobe. The smartest, and most complete player in the game, and when the dust settles and he is hoisting his 5th NBA trophy, it's going to be tough to argue.


2. The window has closed for most of the previous decade's contenders.


San Antonio: Since the arrival of Duncan S.A. have been one of the most consistent teams in NBA history. Racking up 4 rings and 11 straight 50+ win seasons. Tim Duncan is without question the best power forward of all time, and one of the top 10 players this league has ever seen, but he isn't the dominant player he used to be.

Phoenix: Shaq experiment aside, since the arrival of Nash the Suns have been a contender, and fun to watch. Nash is playing well, and putting up numbers similar to his MVP seasons but he is still not the same player, and the Suns are not the same team, same run and gun offense followed by the Mike D'Antoni laissez-faire defense, but they are missing some key players (Bell, Diaw, Marion) and Nash is a few years older. Yes he has aged well but look at some highlight reels of his MVP years and tell me if he is still pulling those stunts. I know they have the 3 seed, but if it didn't work the last 5 years, why would it work now?

Detroit: 3 words; Billups for Iverson.

Boston: It pains me to write this because Ray Allen is one of my personal favorites, and I love Pierce and Garnett, the intensity they bring is matched only by (maybe) Kobe Bryant. The beginning of this season looked promising for The Boston 3 party. Rasheed's promise of 72-10 looked possible (not really). One day I will make a list of the 10 biggest morons in NBA history, and spoiler alert: Sheed' will probably top it. Maybe if he produced more than he talked out of his backside, they might have done a little better. We saw their title hopes deteriorate faster than their borderline-decrepit bodies. It's a shame because that 2008 team was awesome, how could you not like them? Their character and style of play was the perfect representation of Boston sports. Their 2008 season was one of the best stories in NBA history, but that was 2 years ago. I believe that they have one deep playoff run left in them, still I don't see them raising banner 18 at next years opener. But hey "ANYTHING IS POSSSIIBLLEEE."

3. LeBron James is a runaway for the MVP, and the Cavs are the favorite by many to win it , but he shouldn't be and they shouldn't be.

Yes, he is deserving. But is he a runaway because he is the most deserving or because the press has a disturbing, Swimfan-like obsession with him? Kevin Durant became the youngest scoring leader in NBA history and turned a sorry franchise around to win 50 games and make the playoffs. Dwight Howard lead his team to the second best record in NBA, leads the league in blocks, rebounds and FG% as well as leading the Magic in scoring and minutes. If I had a vote, I'd give it to Dwight. But then again I would probably be the only guy in the media that didn't have an inexplicable man-crush on LeBron's. Which brings me to my next point. Many experts and fans alike are picking Cleveland as their NBA champion as they did in '09. LeBron is no longer excused by his supporting cast but  make no mistake, they are the same team as last year. The Cavs, are the Colts of the NBA. Dominant regular season, great athlete, deep playoff run, but just can't get it done in the big game(s). I think the Magic are the most complete team in the East and will be the Finals runner up.

4. Chauncey Billups' "Mr. Bigshot" title is a myth.

I'm sick of everyone talking about how clutch Chauncey Billups is. Does anyone remember a historically significant "big shot" that Billups has made?. Where was his clutch in last years Conference Finals? Or the Year before that? Or the year before that? Yes I know he was the finals MVP and that he has been to 7 or 8 straight Conference Finals, but that wasn't because of his "big shots" it was because he was supported by a great team. When people mention his Conference Finals appearances, they fail to mention that he lost most of them, not very clutch.

5. The Lakers are the 2010 NBA Champions.

Best player, best coach, most talent. Need I say more?