They're playing better basketball than the Lakers, and it's a take your pick between Denver and Cleveland. No one is doubting that the Lakers are the most talented team, but Bynum is a no show right now, Odom is hurt, Fisher's showing his age, Walton isn't doing much, and the Machine has short circuited (BA-Zing!). Kobe's great, but he'll have an off game every once in a while and when he does, it's up to Gasol to carry the load... sometimes he can, sometimes he can't. Ariza is a stud though, he'll be solid for a long time.

Denver is solid, but the LeBron factor counts for quite a bit in my eyes.

Right the Cavs are probably playing the best, but
1. That could very well not last.
2. They played two teams that wouldn't have made the playoffs in the Western Conference, and probably wouldn't have even been in the chase.
3. LBJ is the only guy on the team who can create shots for himself.
4. Their frontcourt is mediocre.
5. LA handled them, twice.
6. I just don't like Hollinger's tone in the article, he acts like they're far and away the best team. Saying 'Cleveland looks like the only team that can beat Cleveland' is ridiculous.

You can't not rank the Cavs first right now. I don't care if they were playing the league's worst team, to go 8-0 with no win by less than 10 points shows that they are peaking and having no problem rolling. There is no reason for the Lakers to be ranked higher, when they are struggling against a Houston team that is sans its two best players (must note that this came out before LA's 40-point trouncing of the Rockets last night). Lakers vs. Denver is as close as they come, and I think he has Denver higher simply because they are a little more consistent right now- but he even goes out and says that the Lakers would be favored in that conference finals matchup... so I'm not really sure what the fuss is about.

His tone seemed fine- he says 'Cleveland is the only team that can be Cleveland', but he also prefaces it with 'at this point it appears'... he's basing these rankings on the now.

1 - You could say that about anybody
2 - Detroit no, though they were an incredibly underachieving team. Atlanta definitely has the talent, don't take that away from them, they're just too young, and were too injured.
3 - Z sometimes can, and Delonte absolutely can create his own shot. Wally can off of the bench too.
4 - It's better/deeper than 75% of NBA frontcourts
5 - The Wizards beat them twice too, would you rank them ahead of the Cavs?
6 - Maybe a little over the top, but he's not exactly saying they should just give the title to the Cavs. He's saying RIGHT NOW there is no team playing better basketball.

I think if all teams play to their full potential, we'd see a Lakers vs. Magic finals. I think the Magic are the best team in the East, but they lose when they take too many jumpers and don't feed it to Superman enough, because they aren't spreading the floor enough. Nuggets are playing the best of any team right now in the West, the Lakers have an (as I believe Phil Jackson put it) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing going. Their the best team in the NBA (IMO) when they play to their utmost potential. Problem is, right now they haven't been consistent enough to qualify as such. The Playoffs still have a long ways to go though, we'll just have to see what happens.

the rockets came to play today. Only 29 points so far? Surprising

Proggy the Cavs have Lebron James who is playing at a higher level than anyone in the history of the sport and by a noticable margin. The title and the next five-eight (if he stays) are theirs.

More Jekyll and Hyde crap coming from the Lakers, their inconsistency is ridiculous.

And how about that "technical" foul called on Kobe? Laughable at best, but unlike others in this thread I'm not going to use it as an excuse for the Lakers losing (if they do).

This just furthers my point on the NBA taking officiating too far.

Need more proof?

61 fouls called in Game 3 of the Nuggets series, or one every 47.2 seconds.

64 field goals in the game, which Denver won 106-105.

Thank you! Only let Howard dunk, and play defense, and pray he doesn't ever go to the line. And I seriously hope Turk has better shots on Sunday.

Oh, and, since I'm bias, feed it to the rookie! C. Lee played for my college -- love seeing him on the Magic.

Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, the team everyone loves to hate muhahaha!