Terry vs White Chocolate, Shaq vs Diop, Nowitzki vs Haslem, Wade vs Howard, Avery vs Riley and Cuban vs Miami (I could go for hours)…this series should be a GREAT ONE. StonecoldJZ is happy to say his prediction and desire have both come together to create one HELL of a NBA finals. There is a lot involved with this matchup so all the components set this up for a seven game series. In the last few years the Finals have been weak overall. Let’s clean the slate of bad memories and schedule time to watch each and every battle forthcoming.

The Toronto Raptors were awarded the first pack of the 2006 NBA draft last night in the publicized NBA Lottery. The lowly Raptors are coming off a 27-55 season and more importantly have not been decent since Vince Carter left Toronto. The first pick in the draft will allow new general manager Bryan Colangelo a plethora of options from trading down to get two players, trading for a marquee player or going after the player they think is the best in the draft. The Raptors do have some good young players to build around including Chris Bosh, Charlie Villanueva and Joey Graham. I hope things get rolling in Toronto soon or else Canada will be without any professional basketball!

In a great move by the NBA the city of New Orleans was awarded the 2008 NBA All Star game. It is my personal opinion that more of these moves should be made to bring serious dollars back to a city devastated by Mother Nature. This also indicates that the New Orleans..excuse me Oklahoma City…I mean New Orleans Hornets more than likely will not be leaving the Big Easy. It would be almost unheard of for the NBA to hold an All Star game in a city that isn’t home to a team. Right? Well, they are holding the next one in Las Vegas, but that is just because of the glitz and glamour, right again? I think there is still a lot to be determined here, but nice job David Stern for giving a city in need the All Star Game!

Both Western Conference Semi-Finals are closing out tonight with a deciding Game 7 in each instance. First off, the Mavs and Spurs are battling it out and then the Clippers and the Suns will go head to head. Personally, if I were to be able to set up the Western Conference Finals, I would take the Mavs and Suns just for entertainment purposes. Both of these teams are fun to watch, and more than likely, the winner will take the Championship. That’s just my gut feeling. OK, ready for the final prediction? It’s the Mavs in 6 over the Pistons. There ya have it. Am I right or wrong? Come on, gimme your best shot.

I have no idea why Jason Terry and the Mavericks are upset about his suspension for Game 6 against the Spurs. I mean his punch to Michael Finley’s jewels with 3.4 seconds left in their 98-97 loss to San Antonio was blatant and aggregious. Mark Cuban has even come out and made statements that it’s not right and fair and I just don’t get it. I know it has to do in part with Reggie Evans squashing Chris Kaman’s cuyongas earlier in the playoffs, but that was not nearly as evident as this incident. Don’t get me wrong, I really respect Cuban, but he has to know this was going to get a suspension and deservedly so. Let him serve his time and he will be back for game 7. These actions should always be treated in this manner.

The Staples Center was in an uproar last night watching their Los Angeles Clippers play solid basketball against the Phoenix Suns in a 118-106 win. Elton Brand dropped 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds along with a solid performance from Cory Maggette adding 25 points.  This is uncharted territory for the Clips, but they seem ready and willing to take it on. I want to be clear when I say if the Clippers truly want to make the Western Conference Finals they need to make sure Brand, Kaman and other BIGS play their heart out. This is how the Suns can be beat and probably the only way they will be in Phoenix.

What seemed to be a series that the Pistons had in easily in control, has turned into an uphill battle for them. After winning the first two in the series, the Pistons have now dropped 3 straight, with the latest tonight IN Detroit. Cleveland led the majority of the game, and while the Pistons gave them a good run down the stretch, the Cavs were able to hold them off. LeBron had a big game, but pushed the action a little too much going down to the wire. That is, until he decided to draw the defense and then drop the ball off to Gooden, who made the easy layup and put Cleveland up for good. Rasheed Wallace, for the second game, had an off game. Maybe he is still hungover from his Game 4 guarantee. Either way, the Cavs are headed back to Cleveland with a one game lead, and the possibility of advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals with a win. Detroit was expected to teach the young Cavs a lesson, and everyone thought they would walk right over them, but that’s why they play the game.

With the NBA Playoffs going on right now, I’ve been camped out in front of the tube for weeks, and intend to continue for the next few weeks. But while watching the Heat and Nets today, I began to ask myself the question of “If I were an NBA GM, and had a new team, what one player would I take over all others to build my team around?” Would I go for age and experience, or youth and potential? A guard or a center? A scoring machine or a defensive specialist? I’m gonna list the few that I considered below, but YOU tell me who YOU would take and why.

1. Kevin Garnett: A true warrior. Has never had the opportunity to play with a great supporting cast, and probably deserves to do so. Never finds himself in trouble off the court and, at least in public, never knocks someone else to make himself look better. Plays as hard as he can EVERY night, and produces. You need points, he brings them. You need rebounds, he cleans the glass. Solid in every aspect of the game. He has been in the league for a long time, but he came in as a high schooler, so age shouldn’t be a problem yet.
2. Kobe Bryant: I hate to say it, because I don’t really care for him, but the guy can carry a team. This is where, as a GM, I’d have to try and separate business objectives from personal feelings. Can score, and as we saw in the playoffs, can takeover a game and win it all by himself more often than not. With all those things, he has had problems being a teammate. Well, when you can control a game by yourself at will, do you really need to be a good teammate? Yep, just as Shaq. Those guys would still be winning championships in LA if Kobe could have been easier to get along with. And if you’re willing to get rid of several championships so you can get all the credit, you ain’t playing on my team.
3. Steve Nash: Nash controls the tempo of the game better than any other point guard in the game right now. He can score if he needs to, but prefers to get the rest of his team involved. He is a master at getting them the ball in the best spot to get a score. And best of all he is durable, having only missed 14 games in the last 3 years. Finally, unlike Kobe, he is a super teammate and oozes team chemistry.
4. Dwayne Wade: Young, hungry, and talented, the deadly combination. Speaking from the standpoint as a GM/Owner, the marketability of a Wade is off the charts. His public image is impeccable and clean cut. But his game is even better. Can generate excitement on the court with his acrobatic displays and scoring. Plays hard on both ends of the floor and from all appearances is a key ingredient in the Heat’s team chemistry.
5. LeBron James: It would be hard to find many arguments against starting a team with James. He scores, gives it up, rebounds, and energizes the fanbase. He demonstrated his worth yet again yesterday with his 2nd triple double in the 2006 playoffs. Only Magic Johnson had more triple doubles his first time through the playoffs. The only thing you could question is James’ age, but that isn’t that big a deal with him.

Ok, as if you couldn’t tell from my quick blurbs on each player, Dwayne Wade or LeBron James would be my choice. If you were twisting my arm, and I had to pick right now, I’d go with Wade. He hasn’t had the NBA handed to him on a silver platter (and I’m not saying James didn’t deserve it), but he may have a little more to prove. Now, tell me why I’m wrong, and who it should be.

Yeah, the Cavs won and that at least gets them off the mat. But the bigger story here is the fact that Larry Hughes, a SIGNIFICANT contributor to Clevelands team was not in attendance. He was with his family following the passing of his younger brother. I was terribly upset to learn about this sad situation. Larry’s brother, Justin, had a history of medical conditions in his 20 years, including a heart transplant 10 years ago. As a matter of fact, this was probably the biggest factor influencing his older brother to make the jump to the NBA when most scouts thought he needed more time to develop his game. But his family needed money in the worst way, and he did what he had to do. Thankfully, it worked out for him, until just recently. I commend Larry Hughes for the way he has handled himself, and the way he has provided for his family, but one thing comes to mind. I’m sure all of you have heard the old saying “Money can’t buy happiness”. I’d be willing to bet the Hughes family would agree today. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them.