When Chris Bosh went down in Game 1 of the Heat’s second round series vs. Indiana, most people thought the Heat would still roll through the Pacers. After losing Game 3 by 19 points and falling down 2-1 in the best of seven series, it looked like one team may roll, only it wouldn’t be the Heat. With only two other players scoring in double digits the entire series (Mario Chalmers and Joel Anthony in Game 3), there was no question that both Lebron James and Dwayne Wade would have to each have a monster game for Miami to win Game 4 in Indiana.

And that’s exactly what happened. James had one of the great NBA playoff performances of all time with 40 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists, numbers that have only been matched one time in playoff history by Elgin Baylor. Wade dropped 30 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 6 assists. They combined to outscore Indiana in the second half by themselves, 43-39. They became only the 5th set of playoff teammates to have 40 and 30 points in a road playoff game in the last 20 years.

Despite losing Game 4, the Pacers should still feel very confident about the position they’re in. The Heat again got little help from their supporting cast with only Udonis Haslem scoring more then 8 points. Both of Indiana’s big men, Roy Hibbert and David West, were in foul trouble the entire game and were never able to get their offensive games going, scoring just 8 points each. Unless James and Wade are capable of super human performances two more times in this series, the Heat will likely fizzle out early.

For 75% of NBA teams the season is over and that means its time to look ahead to next season. 2012 free agency isn’t full of stars, but it is full of important players who could turn good teams into contenders and contenders into even more powerful contenders. Here’s a quick look at the top five from each position and where they could be headed:

1. PG- Deron Williams (player option), Steve Nash (unrestricted), Andre Miller (unrestricted), Jason Terry (unrestricted), Jameer Nelson (player option)

- It seems inevitable that Williams will end up in Dallas so the most coveted free agent point guard becomes Steve Nash. Nash has expressed interest in joining a contender and they’ll most likely be lining up at his door to offer him a contact. Miller is a nice consolation prize for whoever ends up not getting Nash. Terry will most likely demand the largest contact other then Williams because he still considers himself a top scorer. Nelson seems likely pick up his player option and stay in Orlando for one more year of the Dwightmare.

*Special Note: Many see Jeremy Lin’s name on the free agent list and assume he will leave the Knicks for a big contact, but thanks to The Gilbert Arenas Rule (that’s seriously what it’s called, and yes that makes two NBA rules that involve Arenas) he will most likely have to stay. The rule was created in 2005 and it prevents teams with restricted free agents that have been in the league for less then two years from being outbidded. If you want more details you can Google it, but the bottom line is he’ll be on the Knicks for one more year.

2. SG- Eric Gordon (restricted), O.J. Mayo (restricted), Ray Allen (unrestricted), J.R. Smith (player option), Louis Williams (player option)

- The free agent shooting guards are represented by many players who may have the ability, but haven’t had a chance to be a primary scorer. It’s possible Gordon gets a max offer from a desperate team like the Nets, but it depends on his health. Like Nash, Allen will be looking to join a contender on what will likely be a short deal. Smith, Mayo and Williams will most likely leave their respective teams for more money. They’ll all likely join sub par teams unless they’re willing to take a pay cut.

3. SF- Gerald Wallace (player option), Nic Batum (restricted), Steve Novak (unrestricted), Grant Hill (unrestricted), Matt Barnes (unrestricted)

- Small Fowards are the weakest of the free agent position. Batum is an underrated player due for a large contact. He’s a restricted free agent and it seems likely that the Blazers will match whatever another team offers. Wallace has a player option and could stay with the Nets and possibly (and sadly) be the initial face of their Brooklyn franchise. Novak earned his place in the NBA this season by leading the league in three point shooting and should get multiple offers. Hill and Barnes are respected veterans who will most likely become bench players for contenders.

4. PF- Kevin Garnett (unrestricted), Tim Duncan (unrestricted), Brandon Bass (player option), Ryan Anderson (restricted), Kris Humphries (unrestricted)

- Power Forwards are the most intriguing of the free agent positions. The only one that is surely resigning is Duncan who will probably sign his last contract and retire with the Spurs. It’s hard to imagine Boston losing both Garnett and Bass so it’s likely that one will stay. They’ll probably attempt to sign Garnett first. Anderson is coming off a stellar season where he won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award and will probably be leaving Orlando for a large deal. Humphries couldn’t find an offer he liked last year but now that he’s shed the Mrs. Kardashian tag, he should be sought after by many teams.

5. C- Roy Hibbert (restricted), Javale McGee (restricted), Brook Lopez (restricted), Spencer Hawes (unrestricted), Chris Kaman (unrestricted)

- With the center position rather thin right now, Hibbert becomes a rather coveted free agent. He’ll be sought after by more teams then any other free agent, but is restricted so the Pacers would have a chance to match any offer and most likely will. At the beginning of the season McGee was considered a raw talent better known for his mistakes. After being traded to Denver he has gotten his act together and turned himself into a legitimate center; its hard to imagine Denver letting him go. Lopez is coming off an injury ridden year and it seems unlikely he’ll leave the Nets. With the lack of centers there is certainly a market for both Hawes and Kaman and both will likely leave their teams.

There are a pair of games on ESPN tonight that are sure to impress. The humiliated Bulls, who lost to the Knicks at home last night, travel to Boston to play the Celtics. In the night cap, Blake Griffin and the Clippers travel to the mile high city to play Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets. Both should be good games, but the one I wanted to see was the Heat going up against the surprisingly 4-0 Hornets. It will be interesting to see how the Heat match up with quite possibly the best point guard in the league in Chris Paul.

So without further ado, here are my picks for each of the 12 games on the Friday night slate.

Bucks over Pacers
Scott Skiles is having a hard time getting their opponents to fear the deer in this early season. They’ve stumbled out of the gate at 1-4 and are facing Granger and the steady 2-2 Pacers. I like the Bucks to get the road win against another East team who is still trying to find their way. Indiana looks pretty good though with the improvement of Roy Hibbert and the arrival of Darren Collison.

Magic over Nets
Stan Van Gundy’s crew is fresh off a butt-wooping they put on the lowly Timberwolves in which they scored 78 points by halftime. They get this win at home tonight over a Nets team that is still figuring out who they are with all of the new pieces.

76ers over Cavaliers
This was a tough one, but I’m going with the home team. I’m still waiting to see what Evan Turner has to offer this team. I had high expectations for him, but with Andre Iguodala still in Philly, it will be tough to figure out where he fits in on this team. Still, I like them over the reeling Cavaliers, losers of three straight after their opening win over Boston. Antawn Jamison is likely out but Mo Williams will play and start for the first time this year.

Bobcats over Pistons
Will this be the game where the Pistons get their first win? I don’t think so. After stumbling out of the gate a bit, the 1-3 Bobcats eked out a win against the Nets on Wednesday. I look for them to keep it going against the hapless Pistons.

Wizards over Knicks
I like the wiz kid, John Wall, to lead them to victory over the three-point happy Knicks who coming off a big win in the Windy City last night. This is the type of up and down game Wall should thrive in tonight. Don’t be surprised if he does a lot of the things he did against the Sixers on Tuesday where he almost got a triple-double.

Celtics over Bulls
Boston’s not good on back-to-backs. That was made evident in their loss to Cleveland after beating the Heat. Going on two days rest and a grind-out win over the Bucks, I think the Celtics get the win at home in a tightly contested battle of two top teams in the East.

Hornets over Heat
The undefeated “Nawlins” Hornets are at home for the slightly hobbled LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Chris Paul will impose his will whoever is guarding him. Which begs the question: who will that be? It should be interesting. On the flip side, who accounts for James and Dwyane Wade?

Hawks over Timberwolves
The Wolves are just bad. They’ve given up at least 100 points in each of their four losses, including 129 and 128 to the Heat and Magic respectively. The Hawks are undefeated at 5-0. They’ll easily win this one despite not having Marvin Williams.

Suns over Grizzlies
Steve Nash and the boys are coming off a close home loss to the Spurs. I think their bench gets it done against the Grizz with Zach Randolph questionable to return to the lineup.

Clippers over Nuggets
In the ESPN night cap game, I like the Clippers upsetting the Nuggets on the road. They played well against the Thunder a few nights ago and I think they will play well enough together to get this win. The Nuggets continue to be without post presence with the absences of Kenyon Martin and Chris Anderson. Griffin should be able to have a field day on the glass.

Warriors over Jazz
Golden State is a surprising 3-1 to start the season. They are at home for the Jazz, a team that just can’t win on the road. They do have an impressive road win against the Thunder, but they also got blown out by the Suns. Monta Ellis will continue his hot shooting streak in this one. I believe the Dubs get the upset win.

Lakers over Raptors
I don’t really have to explain this. Toronto is at the bottom of the East and L.A. is at the top of the West. It should be a blowout in a game where Kobe Bryant is done by the fourth quarter, maybe even sooner.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

The 2010-11 NBA Finals matchup will be the Miami Heat against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. What’s this you tell me? It’s only September? That doesn’t matter, these teams are locks to face each other. Just cut the regular season short and get to the inevitable. Kobe vs. Lebron will finally happen this year!

This is what the consensus seems to be from experts and fans alike for the upcoming NBA season. The super trio of James, Wade, and Bosh will face off against Kobe and the defending champs. Put it in the books. Let’s take a step back and consider the alternatives.

Despite the assumption of there being two teams in this league (Lakers and Heat), there are 28 others. There will be 14 other playoff teams that will be vying for a chance to represent their conference. Although there will be 16 teams in the playoffs, only a handful are considered of championship caliber, or in many people’s opinions, there are only two. I know it sounds like I’m beating a dead horse, but every year there are knuckleheads who pronounce a team the champs only to fall flat on their face once the time comes to prove themselves. Let’s take a look at some specific instances:

The 2004 Los Angeles Lakers had added two hall of famers in Karl Malone and Gary Payton to an already formidable squad with two surefire future hall of famers in Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Four straight titles was surely in the cards. The rest is history. The Lakers made the finals, but were absolutely overpowered and demolished by a more cohesive, focused team in the Pistons. The Lakers were embarrassed, losing in five games.

The 2007 Dallas Mavericks were coming off of an NBA Finals defeat against the Miami Heat in which they lost four straight games after winning the first two. They started out the season 0-4. People were wondering what was wrong with them. Suddenly, they finished the season with 67 wins, losing only 11 more times. The Mavs were poised to make a run for another Finals appearance, then the Warriors happened. Baron Davis led an inspired, young bunch to upset the Mavs in the first round 4-2. To this day I have a hard time believing the Warriors actually pulled it off. I liken it to seeing Superman flying in the sky as I walk down the street. I asked myself: “Did that just happen?” Sure enough, it did.

The 2009 Cleveland Cavaliers breezed through the regular season with the best record in the league at 66-16. Lebron James had won his first MVP award. The Cavs had a second All-Star in Mo Williams because the team had played so well (How else did Mo make the roster?). Everyone was certain Lebron vs. Kobe would happen. The Magic had other ideas. Dwight Howard and Co. taught Lebron and Co. a thing or two about teamwork. They simply outplayed the Cavs, winning the series 4-2, which set up a Lakers vs. Magic Finals matchup.

The 2010 Cleveland Cavaliers zipped through the regular season with the best record in the NBA once more, finishing 61-21. Lebron had won his second consecutive MVP, putting him in elite company. The Cavs looked poised to atone for their shortcomings a year prior. People were saying that Lebron would not let last year happen again. But it did. The upstart Boston Celtics, a team everyone left for dead, took them out in six games in the second round.

These are just some of the modern examples of teams expected to win it all but failed miserably. Let’s flip it now. There have been countless examples of teams that were dead in the water rise up and annihilate everyone around them. Let me point out a few examples:

The 1999 New York Knicks finished a lockout shortened year as the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference. The NBA’s first and only eighth seed to reach the Finals knocked off two rivals and favorites to win the East in the Heat and Pacers.

The 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers, with a young and still developing Lebron James, defeated Eastern Conference Finals mainstays in the Pistons and Nets to reach the NBA Finals. The Pistons were believed to make the Finals as they had in two straight seasons (04-05). They returned with the same roster in tact, but the Cavaliers upended them.

The 2010 Boston Celtics started the regular season at a blazing 23-5. They were considered by many to be back among the East elites with a relatively healthy Kevin Garnett back in the lineup. Then they finished the last 54 games at an utterly mediocre 27-27. People were wondering what they had left. Then came the playoffs. They defeated the top 2 teams in the Cavaliers and Magic successively and came within a second half spurt in Game 7 of the Finals of nabbing their second title in three years.

Of course, the team worth mentioning, and the reason I am writing this article, is the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs were considered to be too old in 2007 to make another run at their fourth title. Lo and behold, number four came to fruition to everyone’s disbelief, including mine. Don’t forget about 2008 when the Spurs upended their rival Suns, followed by a gritty seven game series against the Hornets to get to the Western Conference Finals. No one thought they had it in them.

In short, what I am trying to prove in all of this is that nothing is set in stone. I’ll throw a cliche in as well: That’s why they play the game. In a league that is considered rather top heavy, there is still parity. I’m looking forward to the parity that will occur this year. So go ahead and put the Lakers and Heat in the Finals in September, but make sure that’s written in pencil and not pen. Just saying…

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

There are a few candidates this year that could be heavily considered for the most improved player award. I’m going with Kevin Durant. Just kidding! He would have to put up 40 a game! Little man for the Houston Rockets Aaron Brooks did it last year on a gritty and smaller squad. This award is also tough to predict because there are so many variables that go into a players’ success on a team.

Darren Collison is a good candidate for this award. He thrived last year in New Orleans when Chris Paul sat out with injuries. Getting a new home in Indiana provides a fresh start where he will be the clear cut starting point guard for a young and improving Pacers team that even has the ability to squeeze in to the playoffs this year.

Someone that not many people are going to consider is JaVale McGee for the Wizards. McGee averaged a lowly 6.4 points per game last year. This year John Wall will be running the team. He can score as well as distribute. Some of those dishes will be to young athletes in McGee and Andray Blatche.

If the Knicks do well this year and make the playoffs, you might see some votes fro Danilo Gallinari and Raymond Felton.

Rodrique Beaubois looks to be guy who will be getting more playing time for the Mavericks as well.

There are countless others you could include in the conversation. It was a close one, but I am going to go with Russell Westbrook getting the award this year. I picked him slightly over Collison. Westbrook showed he could lead a team to a gold medal during the FIBA Championships, not I think it will translate over with the Thunder. In addition, the Thunder are one of the favorites in the West with their young core. Westbrook averaged 16 points last year. I think that number can increase to 20. Couple that with a budding and thriving Kevin Durant and a much improved Thunder squad and you have your MIP candidate.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

No one has to tell backup point guard T.J. Ford what his future looks like with the Indiana Pacers. He has known for months.

The writing is on the wall. Coach Jim O’Brien benched him for 18 games, then the Pacers tried to trade him in February to playoff-bound Charlotte.
Ford, who said he will exercise the $8.5 million player option on the final year of his contract, knows the team again will try to trade him. It’s possible his last game action with the Pacers was the four minutes he played against Boston on March 12.
“Looking at the way the season has gone and that they tried to trade me before the deadline, I would assume that they will continue to look further and try to find possibilities to get key players they’re looking for,” Ford said.

Click here to read the full article – By Mike Wells of http://www.indystar.com

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