Heat guard Dwyane Wade (right) drives on Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki during a regular-season game in 2010. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Dallas Mavericks are back in the NBA Finals, a feat very few people outside of Texas considered a possibility.

Dirk Nowitzki will get another opportunity to win that elusive ring, and he’ll have to go through Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat yet again. This time, Wade has some good company. He’s got wingmen LeBron James and Chris Bosh along for the ride. James and Nowitzki are six regular-season MVPs who’ve never won an NBA championship. One of them will breakthrough this season.

Here are five things to watch in the 2011 NBA Finals:

Mavs try to exorcise their demons from 2006
Five full seasons have already gone by and yet Dirk still gets asked what happened in the 2006 NBA Finals when his Mavericks were up 2-0 and lost the next four to the Heat. If the Mavs lose again to the Heat, Dirk will never be able to live down his failures, which is probably unfair because he’s a future Hall-of-Famer and maybe the best shooting 7-footer the league has ever seen. It’s quite obvious the loss in The Finals in ’06 still stings. Owner Mark Cuban hasn’t gotten over it, Dirk brings it up seemingly every year, Donnie Nelson said the Mavs need to “exorcise demons” and even former coach Avery Johnson becomes bummed whenever the subject of the ’06 Finals comes up. The best way to overcome a fear is to come face-to-face with it and deal with it. When Game 1 of the 2011 NBA Finals tips off on May 31, the Mavericks will be facing their worst fears in the form of the Miami Heat and it’s either they run away from it or overcome it.

Dallas’ bench mob
It’s safe to say that the Mavs wouldn’t be in The Finals if not for the great play of their bench, led by point guard J.J. Barea, Jason Terry and Peja Stojakovic. Terry and Stojakovic have been lights out from 3-point range,  while no one has been able to contain Barea on pick-and-rolls. Just ask Andrew Bynum and Lakers. Barea has made Roddy Beaubois an afterthought, and his energy off the bench is the perfect complement to the walk-it-up style of veteran Jason Kidd. The Heat will counter with Mario Chalmers, but it is highly doubtful he’ll be able to check Barea. Throughout the Western Conference playoffs, the Mavericks killed teams by raining 3-pointers at a record rate. They averaged almost nine 3-pointers made each playoff game and much of their 133 threes came from the fingertips of Terry, Barea and Stojakovic. One way Miami can take control of this series to run Terry and Stojakovic off the 3-point line and make them shoot off the dribble. As for stopping Barea? This may be Miami’s biggest challenge (other than stopping Nowitzki) on defense because Barea is capable of scoring off the dribble or spotting up behind the 3-point arc.

Who will guard LeBron?
Shawn Marion should get the assignment, but don’t be surprised if Mavs coach Rick Carlisle calls DeShawn Stevenson’s number to guard LeBron. It won’t matter. LeBron should dominate this matchup. Right now, James has his jumper working, which is a bad sign for Dallas. James is getting better with his mid-range shot, and has shown a post-up game.

Who will guard Nowitzki?
Ditto for the Heat. Expect Bosh will start on Dirk and then Haslem, who did a decent job on the Mavs superstar in the 2006 Finals. Then, in the fourth quarter, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra should assign LeBron to put the clamps on Dirk – something no one has been able to do in the playoffs. Nowitzki is playing the best basketball of his life, and LeBron and Co. will have their hands full.

Heat vs. Mavericks’ zone defense
The Heat will play their usual air-tight man-to-man defense, but the Mavericks will try to slow down the LeBron, Wade and Bosh using a matchup zone defense. The zone was extremely effective against the Lakers and Thunder, so look for Carlisle to use it against the Heat as a change-of-pace scheme and also to force the Heat to make jump shots and prevent LeBron and Wade from getting to the paint. The Sixers, Celtics and Bulls were unable to keep LeBron and Wade from getting to the free throw line as the Heat made 349 free throws in the Eastern Conference playoffs. One way to keep the Heat from getting to the foul line is keeping LeBron and Wade from driving to the basket and make them make tough jump shots. Expect Spoelstra to use 3-point specialists James Jones, Mike Miller and Mike Bibby to attack the Mavs’ zone defense and space the floor, helping create driving lanes for his two superstars.

Prediction: Heat in six.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Joakim Noah and the Bulls have the best record in the East. Is that enough to carry them to the NBA Finals? (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Home-court advantage and the No. 1 seeding in the Eastern Conference playoffs have not resulted in a championship the past two seasons. Just ask LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

James powered the Cavaliers to 66 and 61 wins and the No. 1 seeding in the East two years in a row, but a great regular season turned into a nightmare in the postseason. Last year was the most painful one, as the Celtics eliminated the Cavs in the conference semifinals and LeBron walked off the TD Garden floor with his head down, took off his Cavaliers uniform for the last time and bolted for South Beach.

This year, Derrick Rose has powered the Chicago Bulls to 62 wins and the No. 1 seeding in the East. Even though the Bulls have clearly been the best team in the East this season, the playoffs are a totally different challenge. Can these upstart Bulls and their soon-to-be crowned league MVP handle the immense pressure and scrutiny of the playoffs? That’s the No. 1 question facing first-year coach Tom Thibodeau.

FIRST ROUND

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Indiana Pacers
The Bulls took three of four games from the Pacers, who may be able to win one game in this series but that’s about it. Too much Derrick Rose, too much Bulls defense. Prediction: Bulls in 5.

(4) Orlando Magic vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
Last year the Hawks were thoroughly dominated by the Magic and had no answer for Jameer Nelson. The Hawks picked up defensive specialist Kirk Hinrich at the trade deadline and he should help deal with Nelson’s dribble penetration and contest his jumpers off screen-and-rolls. However, the Hawks didn’t pick up anyone to deal with Dwight Howard in the post and that will ultimately be, again, their Achilles’ heel. Prediction: Magic in 6.

(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) New York Knicks
Most experts feel this could be the best first-round series. From a pure entertainment standpoint? Yes. In terms of the length of the series? No. Chauncey Billups and Amare Stoudemire both have health issues, and the Knicks play way too loose on offense and defense to keep up with the highly efficient and battle-tested Celtics, who could break out of their shooting slump against a very forgiving and extremely soft Knicks defense. Prediction: Celtics in 5.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
The Heat’s biggest weaknesses are at center and point guard. Fortunately for Miami, Philly doesn’t really have a low-post presence who can command double teams. And point guard Jrue Holiday is playing in his first postseason so don’t expect this series to be competitive. Prediction: Heat in 4.

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (4) Orlando Magic
This is where the shocker of the postseason occurs. Orlando has a significant edge in the middle with Howard, and Chicago really has no one on its roster who can keep Orlando’s 6-foot-11 beast out of the paint. Joakim Noah is still bothered by an ankle injury and backup center Omir Asik will be in foul trouble throughout the series because he’s not athletic enough to stay in front of Howard. Another matchup problem for Chicago is Jason Richardson, who should win his one-on-one battles with Keith Bogans, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer. And as good as Rose has been all year, he has yet to lead the Bulls out of the first round. Prediction: Magic in 6.

(2) Miami Heat and (3) Boston Celtics
Miami’s victory over Boston in the fourth meeting between the two teams was not only a huge confidence booster for the Heat but it was also a reality check for the Celtics. The addition of Mike Bibby gives LeBron and Dwyane Wade a true sniper who can spread the floor and be counted on in the fourth quarter. For the Celtics to win this series, three things must happen: 1) Shaquille O’Neal plays 24 minutes a game,2) Rajon Rondo makes some jumpers, and 3) Paul Pierce averages more than 20 points per game. All three will be very difficult to achieve against a Heat squad that is coming together at the perfect time. Prediction: Heat in 7.

CONFERENCE FINALS

(2) Miami Heat vs. (4) Orlando Magic
In 2009, Howard and the Magic denied LeBron a trip to the NBA Finals. This year, James has D-Wade to lean on when the going gets tough. James’ biggest obstacle the past two postseasons has been his inability to raise his game in big moments. That’s where Wade comes in. This is the series where Wade turns into Jordan and LeBron happily takes on the role of Pippen. The two teams split the season series, so that means home court will decide the outcome of the battle of Florida. Prediction: Heat in 7.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter at: twitter.com/onemanfastbreak.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Kobe Bryant wore his emotions on his shoes - his Grinch shoes - during a much hyped Christmas Day showdown with the Heat. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The L.A. Lakers, quite simply, were Ho-Ho-Ho-rrible against the Miami Heat on Christmas Day. The two-time defending NBA champions left an awful stench at Staples Center after a 96-80 loss to the traveling circus from South Beach.

It got so bad for the Lakers that coach Phil Jackson joked he developed hemorrhoids sitting on the bench. During his postgame presser, Kobe Bryant broke his silence with the media and promised to “beat” the message of accountability into his teammates when they return to practice. Now, you don’t want to be on Kobe’s bad side. Anyone who challenges his authoritarian position they either get traded (Shaq O’Neal) or forced into retirement (Karl Malone).

Bryant and the Lakers were embarrassed on Christmas by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade – his two buddies from the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. Bryant is not a very good loser so getting punked by two guys, who are considered his chief competition for BPITG (Best Player in the Game), really put the Kobester in a very salty mood.

“I’m going to kick some [butt] in practice,” said the man who wore Grinch-like shoes on Christmas. “It’s going to get through. I’ll beat it in their head until it gets through.”

Bryant had a feeling the Lakers weren’t going to play well coming into their much-hyped game against the Heat on Christmas Day. The Lakers are 4-8 on Christmas Day since 1999 and last year LeBron and his former team, the Cleveland Brons, ruined the holidays by destroying the Lakers by 15 points and turning the normally docile L.A. crowd at Staples Center into a dog pound, tossing their foam fingers onto the court.

“We always [stink] on Christmas,” Bryant said. “I don’t think we’re mean enough to be able to show up on Christmas Day and play. They should just take us off this day.

“I think these games mean more to our opponents than they do to us. I think we need to get that straight. We need to play with more focus and put more importance on these games. I don’t like it.”

Bryant is one of those rare superstars who is never completely satisfied. He knows how hard it is to three-peat, and he is concerned that this year’s team is not as hungry and may have either gotten fat (Andrew Bynum), burned out (Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol) or unfocused (Ron Artest).

Bryant plays to win championships, and anything else is a major disappointment. You won’t see any division championship banners hanging at Staples Center. It’s all about the gold ball. Bryant plans to play in June each and every year. And even though he already has five chips, Kobe is ALL IN each and every season.

Popularity: 10% [?]

LeBron James told reporters on Friday that he wouldn’t mind seeing less teams in the NBA, a stance that goes against the players’ union. Union president Derek Fisher just so happens to be on the other side of the court today when the Los Angeles Lakers host LeBron and his BFF Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat at Staples Center in the marquee game of the NBA’s Christmas Day schedule.

Fisher told ESPN News’ Sara Walsh on Friday, “I’m going to be real. Other than just going out and playing against a good team, it’s not necessarily personal. Of course, I want a win against the Heat on Christmas Day. That’s the best gift I can give myself.”

Things just got more interesting in the budding rivalry between the Lakers and the Heat.

Fisher is one of the more politically correct people in the league, so he’s not going to drag this brewing issue to the media. However, don’t be surprised if Fisher sends LeBron a little message in the form of a forearm to the chest. Remember the Luis Scola play? Things could get a little testy. Here’s a look at the matchups:

Dwyane Wade could be matched up against Kobe Bryant for much of today's highly anticipated contest. (GETTY IMAGES)

GUARDS: Other than Dwyane Wade, the Heat really don’t have much while the Lakers have a wealth of experience in the backcourt with Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Steve Blake and Shannon Brown. The only way this position matchup evens out is if Carlos Arroyo or Mario Chalmers has a career game – which is probably not going to happen. It will be interesting to see if Wade guards Kobe for the majority of the game. If he does, Wade’s offense will suffer a little bit because he’ll have to waste a lot of energy on defense. If he doesn’t, then his buddy LeBron will likely draw the assignment, but that would mean Wade would have to guard Ron Artest which is no walk in the park either. EDGE: LAKERS

FORWARDS: LeBron James will likely face Ron Artest in a head-to-head showdown worth the price of admission. Artest may be the only player in the league who can dislodge LeBron off the box, and the Lakers don’t have to send an extra defender toward LeBron because Artest can play him straight up. The Chris Bosh-Lamar Odom matchup is an interesting one. Both are lefties and both are streak shooters. Against any other team, Artest and Odom should prevail. But against a Heat squad with two All-Star forwards, the Lakers will have their hands full. EDGE: HEAT

CENTER: The Heat may have The Big Three but the Lakers have The Hollywood Hills in Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Gasol will start the game, but expect Andrew Bynum to have a major impact in the game off the bench. Outside of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Heat don’t have another 7-footer who can bother The Hills. Gasol and Bynum are matchup nightmares for 29 teams in the league, and the Lakers are nearly unbeatable when both are healthy. The Heat will be at a severe disadvantage. EDGE: LAKERS

COACHING: Erik Spoelstra is one of young, bright coaches in the league but, let’s get real, he’s facing a living legend in Lakers mastermind Phil Jackson. End of story. EDGE: LAKERS

PREDICTION: LeBron and D-Wade need to be extra special for the Heat to have a chance, while the Lakers just need to play their normal game to take control of the game. Lakers win, 99-93.

Popularity: 11% [?]

The 2010-11 NBA season is under way and the league’s elite players and powerhouse teams are monopolizing the headlines. Also, point guards are off to fast starts: Rajon Rondo established a new mark in most assists through the first five games, and Derrick Rose at one point was leading the league in scoring, Chris Paul has put the New Orleans Hornets back in contention (for now) and rookie John Wall is the real deal.

Some observations through the first two weeks of the season:

– Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo has 82 assists through five games and leads the league with a mind-boggling 16.4 average. He also recorded a triple-double on Oct. 29 against the Knicks: 10 points, 10 rebounds and 24 assists. He followed that up with 17 assists against the Pistons and 15 against the Bucks.

– Chris Paul reminded basketball fans that he is healthy and ready to reclaim his crown as the best PG in the Association. The Hornets All-Star guard led his team to a perfect 5-0 mark and averaged 21.2 points and nine assists. If this is going to be his final year in New Orleans, CP3 is certainly going out in style.

– The league appears to be armed with outstanding point guards and should be for years to come. Just check out these young studs: CP3, Deron Williams, Rondo, D-Rose, Russell Westbrook, Brandon Jennings, Steph Curry and John Wall.

– Speaking of John Wall, the rookie race will come down to the Wizards’ guard and the Clippers’ Blake Griffin. The lightning-quick Wall has taken a slight edge over the power forward Griffin with outstanding performances against the Hawks (28 points and nine assists) and the Sixers (29 points, 13 assists and nine steals).

– What knee injury? Kobe Bryant posted a triple-double, including 12 assists, against the Sacramento Kings on the tail end of a back-to-back set for the defending world champs. The Lakers are already in midseason form, sitting at 5-0 and leading the Western Conference. Pau Gasol was named Western Conference Player of the Week and Lamar Odom has picked up where he left off since the FIBA World Championships in August.

– After an embarrassing loss to the Celtics on opening night, the Three Kings of Miami seem to have found their form and have rattled off four impressive victories. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have taken turns in leading the new-look Heat in scoring, and the defense has been stifling. Once Chris Bosh figures out where he can pick up his points, the Heat will be scary good.

– As good as the Heat has been, the top spot in the Eastern Conference belongs to the Atlanta Hawks. First-year head coach Larry Drew has tweaked the offense to highlight the team’s speed and quickness rather than run those low-percentage isolation plays during the Mike Woodson era. Josh Smith has 20 blocks in five games.

Popularity: 7% [?]

First, it was the Bulls. Then, it was Cavaliers. Then, it was the Knicks. Now, the Heat have become the front-runners.

Predicting which team LeBron James chooses to sign with is kind of like forecasting when or where the next earthquake will hit. Amid all the speculation and so-called experts’ opinions on where James is going to play next season and for years to come, the reality of it is this: no one knows for sure what the two-time NBA MVP will do.

Actually, there are a few things we know for sure: the Los Angeles Clippers have NO SHOT at signing LeBron James. Let’s just get that out of the way. And the New Jersey Nets are only in the running because LeBron doesn’t want to embarrass his good friend Jay-Z.

So, that leaves four teams in the hunt: Miami, Chicago, New York and Cleveland.

LeBron and his management group, also known as The Four Horsemen from Akron, are keeping a very tight lid on the situation and only LeBron knows what LeBron wants. For now, LeBron is telling everyone to wait in line before he serves up his decision, which comes at 9 p.m. EST today and televised live by ESPN.

Have I mentioned that the Clippers have no shot? Just checking.

A one-hour special on the Worldwide Leader? Really? Seriously? This is utterly ridiculous. No one player in the NBA deserves this much power and this much attention.

Thanks to Team LeBron – comprised mainly of his buddies from high school and led by a guy named Maverick – ESPN’s family of networks have morphed into LeBron TV. Each time you tune in there is some news about LeBron James and his free-agency decision.

He made the jump from high school to the NBA, so he never experienced the whole college recruiting process. He’s definitely making up for it, though. No matter how sophomoric the idea is, it’s definitely LeBron’s way of reliving college without having to attend classes. It wouldn’t surprise me if James lined up baseball caps in front of him, the same drama-filled moment when a high school kid makes his college commitment.

Maybe, LeBron should do the show “Rock of Love” style with LeBron playing the role of Bret Michaels. But instead of backstage passes, LeBron should hand out headbands to the winning suitors. I’mwilling to bet the Clippers would be the first team dismissed. Just a gut feeling.

I can see it now. LeBron, while holding the last headband, asks Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert how much Cleveland loves him. Then, Bron-Bron turns to Heat owner Micky Arison and asks him if South Beach is big enough to house three basketball All-Stars.

Now that’s reality TV at its best!

But I digress. So, again, why is LeBron going on national TV to announce his intentions? He could have done so through a live press conference holding his kids, just like every other athlete who takes the podium. Hasn’t he gotten enough coverage the past month (the past two years if you’re a Knick fan)? If he has indeed already made up his mind to move to Miami, why would he subject Cleveland fans – the very people who worship the ground he walks on – to a very painful rejection and completely humiliate them publicly?

Spurning the Cavs would be like to stabbing your best friend in the heart in front of all your closest friends and family, and making your mom clean up the mess. OK, maybe that’s a bit extreme but you get the point.

Dru Joyce, James’ high school coach at St. Vincent-St. Mary, once said that LeBron is an entertainer and enjoys a little drama. Joyce knows LeBron really well, and maybe he’s on to something. This certainly explains all the bells and whistles of Thursday’s one-hour made-for-TV event. It’s all about feeding LeBron’s massive ego.

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh stole some of his thunder Wednesday when both announced that they would team up in Miami. But Thursday belongs to LeBron and only LeBron. If this doesn’t satisfy LBJ’s insatiable appetite for attention then nothing will.

It was bad enough that he made high-ranking representatives from the Nets, Clippers, Knicks, Heat and Bulls fly to Cleveland to meet with him and his LRMR team. Each team gave three-hour presentations on how much they would love to have LeBron. For lack of a better term, it was three hours of “ass kissing.”

This is shades of what Kobe Bryant did in 2004 when he was being courted by the Lakers, Clippers and Bulls. Bryant really had no intention of leaving the Lakers, but he somehow convinced the Clippers and Bulls that he was serious about playing elsewhere.

As much as I hate to admit it, I’ll probably end up watching the LeBron James TV special. Sadly, it will be a ratings bonanza, with special interest from audiences in New York, Chicago, Miami and Cleveland. It’s like watching a bad Ben Affleck movie. When there is nothing else good on the TV guide, you are forced to watch it because you want to see how it ends.

Whatever the end result of this long, unnecessary, dragged-out process, James will be portrayed as an egotistical superstar who is way too in love with the spotlight. He will also be vilified in a lot of cities, but nothing compares to what Cleveland will unleash on him if he doesn’t stay with the Cavaliers.

If James decides to turn his back on the Cavs, he may not be able to return to his home in Akron. It would be comparable to Art Modell moving the Browns to Baltimore.

Brace yourselves Cavs fans. There is a good chance this story may not have a happy ending.

Popularity: 7% [?]

We all know perennial NBA powers Lakers, Celtics, Cavaliers and Spurs will be playing deep into May, and even maybe through June. Each team has been there before and it would take a major injury to derail their title chances (see Manu Ginobili and Spurs).

But what about those teams that enjoyed playoff success last season after some no-so-good years. A look at which teams are title contenders which ones are one-hit wonders.

Orlando Magic
A trip to the NBA Finals usually merits a clear-cut “title contender” label but there are a lot of questions that need to answered heading into this season for the Magic. First, can Vince Carter replace Hedo Turkoglu as the team’s go-to guy in the clutch? Is Jameer Nelson completely recovered from his shoulder injury and ready to reclaim his All-Star status? Can Dwight Howard get better after leaping into first-team All-NBA status last year? I say, NO, YES, YES. I guess two out of three ain’t bad. Orlando Magic: CONTENDER.

Houston Rockets
Losing Yao Ming for the season hurts and head coach Rick Adelman will need to scrap his post-up offense in favor of a more wide-open style. Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry have to step into the vacuum left by Yao and Luis Scola must become the team’s No. 1 option on the block. Here’s an addition by subraction: Trevor Ariza for Ron Artest. At this stage of his career, Artest is a shell of himself and Ariza has more upside. It will be feast or famine on offense as the focus shifts entirely on Aaron Brooks. If the young point guard can somehow bottle up his seven-game playoff performance against the Lakers and unleash it for an entire season, the Rockets will be a factor. Speaking of IF, Tracy McGrady won’t be able to rejoin the team until November. Even if T-Mac returns to the court, it remains to be seen how much he can contribute. And can his surgically repaired knee hold up for an entire season? Anything out of T-Mac will be a big plus for the Rockets, but will it be enough? Houston Rockets: ONE-HIT WONDER.

Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets won 54 games last season and reached the Western Conference finals before losing to eventual world champion L.A. Chauncey Billups gets a full training camp the time around and his presence alone can help Denver smooth out all the small problems the Nuggets have had in years past. J.R. Smith, who will miss the first seven games of the season because of suspension, is the key. If he can shave the “hot dog” off his game, he makes the Nuggets a championship-caliber team. Nene’s health is also another factor, but he seems to be fully recovered from all his ailments. and adding Arron Afflalo helps the Nuggets on the defensive end. Afflalo is bigger, stronger, quicker and a better offensive player than Dahntay Jones. Denver Nuggets: CONTENDER.

Derrick Rose was a catalyst in the Bulls' seven-game classic against Boston. (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES)

Chicago Bulls
The epic seven-game war with the Celtics put the Bulls back in the limelight, but to think that Chicago is back as a contender is wishful thinking. Last year’s Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose will get better but he’s the only player on the current roster than has room to improve. Everyone else is tapped out. The loss of Ben Gordon is huge. BG was the guy who made the big shots vs. the Celtics and I don’t think the often-injured Luol Deng can cover for his loss. There’s a saying that you don’t appreciate someone until they are gone. Well, Ben Gordon has left Chicago to be the new microwave in Detroit. Chicago Bulls: ONE-HIT WONDER.

Portland Trail Blazers
The young Blazers grew leaps and bounds a season ago and are primed for bigger and better things this season. Brandon Roy is a star and LaMarcus Aldridge is getting there. The addition of point guard Andre Miller will help take some of the ball-handling duties from Roy, and will push Steve Blake to the bench where he can be more effective. The key is Greg Oden. If he can give Portland a solid 70 games, Portland could challenge Denver for the top spot in the Northwest Division. Portland Trail Blazers: CONTENDER.

Miami Heat
Dwyane Wade can’t possibly carry this team by himself. He needs help and I don’t think Pat Riley did enough to give D-Wade support during the offseason. Center Jermaine O’Neal can’t stay healthy and forward Michael Beasley is still trying to get his life in order. Miami made the playoffs last year but could struggle to get back this season. Miami Heat: ONE-HIT WONDER.

Popularity: 4% [?]

The Boston Celtics are not optimistic about Kevin Garnett's injured knee.

When Paul Pierce was asked which team was the toughest to eliminate in the Celtics’ road to winning their 17th championship, he said, without any hesitation, “Cleveland.”

The Cavaliers pushed the Celtics to seven grueling games in last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals, and when the series was over, the Celtics and pretty much every team in the East said that if Cavaliers management provides LeBron James another all-star player to play with, look out!

When Mo Williams joined Cleveland this season, the Cavs soared to the best record in franchise history and claimed home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs.

News of Kevin Garnett to likely to miss the entire playoffs was so devasting that Boston GM Danny Ainge suffered a mild heart attack.  Garnett was tabbed very, very questionable by Coach Doc Rivers after watching KG struggle in practice. Though Boston will not be the same without its quarterback on defense, the Celtics are still the champs and they still have two studs in Pierce and Ray Allen.

Orlando did not finish well and is still vastly untested in the playoffs. As good as Dwight Howard has been during the regular season, there are still doubts about his ability to consistently carry the Magic on his broad shoulders when it matters most. He still lacks a killer instinct. He’s just too nice. And if Orlando gets in any type of trouble, it will be interesting to watch whether Coach Stan Van Gundy pushes the panic button.

OneManFastbreak.net analyzes and predicts the winners of the Eastern Conference playoffs:

FIRST ROUND

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Detroit Pistons – In a rematch of the 2007 conference finals, this should be a one-sided affair. Cleveland will not overlook Detroit. CAVALIERS IN 4.

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Chicago Bulls – The Bulls will make it close but the Celtics have enough pride to avoid getting bounced in the first round. CELTICS IN 5.

(3) Orlando Magic vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers – Orlando swept the Sixers during the regular season and there is no reason why the Magic can’t do the same in the playoffs. MAGIC IN 4.

(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Miami Heat – NBA scoring champ Dwyane Wade is good enough to extend this series to the max. But in the end, home-court advantage will be the difference. HAWKS IN 7.

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks – Size will matter in this series. Can the undersized Hawks keep up with the bigger Cavs? The answer: too much Ilgauskas, Varejao and LeBron. CAVALIERS IN 6.

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Orlando Magic – With or without KG, the Celtics are still better than the Magic. Boston won 62 games and most of it was done without Garnett. CELTICS IN 6.

CONFERENCE FINALS

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (2) Boston Celtics – When Boston was completely healthy last season and LeBron was basically by himself, it still took the Celts seven games to knock off the Cavs. This season, Cleveland clinches the series in Boston. CAVALIERS IN 6.

Popularity: 8% [?]