Rajon Rondo Carries the Boston Celtics Into Eastern Conference Finals

By: Stephen Patterson

Here is what I had to say about the Boston Celtics on Thursday shortly after it was announced that Avery Bradley would likely be out for the remainder of the postseason:

"However, the Celtics will still need an extraordinary performance from it's Big 4 (this includes Rajon Rondo because I refuse to call them the Big 3 and leave out the team's best young talent) if they want to eliminate the surprising 76ers and keep their title hopes alive."

That line about Rajon Rondo couldn't have been said at a more appropriate time.

Don't get me wrong, Rondo had already cemented his status as a member of the "Big 4" well before Saturday's Game 7 performance against the Philadelphia 76ers.

But with Paul Pierce having just fouled out, the lead trimmed all the way down to three points, and the KG/Ray Allen/Pierce/Rondo Celtics regime possibly playing together for the last time, Rondo put the franchise on his shoulders and willed them to victory and on to the next round against the Miami Heat.

Rondo notched his third triple-double of this postseason (the ninth of his playoff career) with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals.

But the most important stat of his game won't be found on any regular box score: The fact that he dropped nine straight points for the Celtics after Pierce fouled out with 4:16 remaining and stretched that three point lead to a double digit one.

Rondo scored a total of 11 points in the fourth quarter, including hitting his first three pointer in five games (and having a second one ruled a two-point shot after review), and sank all four of his free throws down the stretch to finish off the Sixers' impressive playoff run.

Doug Collins had this to say of Rondo's performance after the game:

"I don't look at them as the Big Three. I look at them as the Championship Four," the Philadelphia coach said. "Because if you're going to leave Rondo out, you're making a huge mistake."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Why Won't the Atlanta Hawks Commit to Josh Smith?

By: Stephen Patterson

I was browsing through the days' NBA stories and rumors on HoopsHype.com earlier and came across an article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about Josh Smith's contract with the Atlanta Hawks that, in the words of former NFL-player Tiki Barber, left me absolutely flabbergasted.

Josh Smith was recently approached by a reporter and asked about his contract and a potential extension and had this to say on the matter: “I can’t get extended,” Smith said. “They didn’t give me the money; I had to go get it. That’s something I have to play it out and see how it goes from there.”

When Michael Cunningham, the author of the article on the AJC website, did research on the matter, he found out that not only is Smith eligible for an extension with the Atlanta Hawks, but the team has had since August 2011 to begin talks with their star power forward and apparently haven't even mentioned it to him.

For some reason that baffles many basketball fans, myself included, the Hawks front office has never shown as much love for Smith as he probably deserves.

In 2008, as a restricted free agent, he couldn't get a contract offer from Atlanta and most other teams wouldn't offer him a contract either because they knew the Hawks would almost certainly match it. Finally, the Memphis Grizzlies made him an offer, however, as many teams had predicted, Atlanta matched the moderately low offer.

If the Grizzlies had more cap space at the time, or had they had more serious interest in snatching Smith away from the Hawks, they very possibly could have made something happen and offered him a front-loaded deal that Atlanta probably wouldn't have matched.

However, the Hawks didn't refuse to give Smith a mega-deal because they were worried about money issues, as they signed Joe Johnson to an egregiously horrible contract worth $124 million over six years in 2010.

Later in 2010, the team followed that up by also locking up Al Horford with a five-year contract extension worth $60 million dollars.

Yet, the Hawks wouldn't even offer Smith a deal back in 2008, only retaining him after the Grizzlies' moderately low contract offer of $58 million over five seasons (compared to potentially $12-15+ per season).

Since then, Smith has requested a trade on multiple occasions after it became clear that the Hawks' management was content with first round playoff eliminations and not competing for championships. However, the team has refused to accommodate his requests, leaving him stuck in Atlanta.

The franchise promised last summer that they would be more competitive this season, however, they followed that statement up by signing a bunch of players to minimum or near-minimum contracts and to the surprise of no one, were once again eliminated in the opening round of the postseason.

The only player of real value that the Hawks have that doesn't have a grossly untradeable contract (Johnson) or gets paid too little to receive fair value back in a trade (Jeff Teague), remains to be Josh Smith.

With teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers likely to make some trades this summer, now is the time Atlanta should seriously consider fulfilling Smith's wish of getting dealt elsewhere.

Considering there is almost no chance Josh Smith will sign a contract extension with the Hawks after the way he has been treated over the past few seasons, this summer might be the teams' last best chance to move the disgruntled forward and receive anything of value in return.

They could potentially pry Pau Gasol from the Lakers or Andre Iguodala from the Sixers. Who knows, maybe they can even unload Marvin Williams with Smith in a potential move and land a Metta World Peace or someone else? There's nothing the Hawks have to lose at this point by making calls.

Miami Heat Prepare for Eastern Conference Finals with No Sign of Chris Bosh Return

By: Stephen Patterson

It looks like the Miami Heat are preparing themselves to be without All-Star power forward Chris Bosh for an "indefinite" amount of time heading into their Eastern Conference Finals match-up with the winner of tonight's Game 7 between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra told the media on Saturday that although Bosh has made some minor progress in his recovery from the strained abdominal muscle he sustained on May 15th,, there is not a set date that he will be ready to return by.

"No update from before," Spoelstra said, according to the Sun-Sentinel. "He's doing a little bit more. It's still indefinite. ... For me, it's my responsibility right now to prepare this team without him."

Without Bosh, the Heat fell into an early 2-1 hole in their second series against the Indiana Pacers.

However, they stormed back with three consecutive wins led largely by monster games LeBron James and Dwayne Wade to advance to the teams' second straight trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.

First, in Game 4 of the series against Indiana, LeBron had a historic 40 point, 18 rebound, and 9 assist performance that has only been seen once before in the history of the NBA playoffs (Elgin Baylor put up the exact same stat-line over 50 years ago). Wade contributed 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists as well as the team evened up the series at two games a piece.

Then in Game 5, the dynamic duo combined for 58 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists as they led Miami to a 32 point beatdown of the Pacers that prompted Indiana's team president Larry Bird to call out his team as being too S-O-F-T. It also featured several hard fouls, two of which led to suspensions for Udonis Haslem and Dexter Pittman (Pittman is still suspended for the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals).

Finally in the deciding game, Dwayne Wade took over and closed out the series with a monstrous 41 point, 10 rebound, 3 assist, and 2 steal performance that included him catching fire in the second quarter and scorching the Pacers for 20 points in the period.

Meanwhile, LeBron had an "average" performance 28 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. I call the stat-line "average" because that's the term Pacer's head coach Frank Vogel chose to use, and frankly he is right: As crazy as it sounds, these are just average numbers that we expect from LeBron in the postseason.

In fact, he has more games (16) with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists that any other active player in the league. Yes, that includes Kobe Bryant. Yes, that means Tim Duncan too.

The scariest part about that stat for the winner of tonight's Game 7 between the Celtics and Sixers? He had three of those sixteen performances in the Heat's six game series against the Pacers.

While Miami has obviously and clearly missed Chris Bosh, it has forced LeBron James to step up his level of play even more so than usual. He's already proven he is more than capable of being able to elevate his game when others around him struggle.

The problem with that is that he has also proven that he can't carry a team on his back for long periods of time. Sure, he was able to throw the Heat on his back for a majority of the team's series against the Pacers after Bosh went down. But does anyone think he can do that for six or seven games against Boston or Philly AND still have enough left in the tank to successfully battle the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals?

Bosh averaged 18 points and 7.9 rebounds during the regular season, and although his averages dipped to 14.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in the six playoff games he appeared in, his presence on the floor is something the Heat cannot replace.

But as long as D-Wade continues to have 20+ point games and at least one or two of Miami's role players decides to show a pulse each game, the Heat should be able to reach the NBA Finals if LeBron can continue playing at his current MVP level.

However, if Bosh isn't able to return to the team for the NBA Finals, it's going to take four of the best games of LeBron's career for him to lead to Heat past either the Spurs or the Thunder for his first NBA championship. And that's assuming D-Wade can carry his fair share of the load as well.

Kyle Lowry Basically Tells Houston Rockets to Choose Between Him and Head Coach Kevin McHale

By: Stephen Patterson

Kyle Lowry apparently has no problem with being blunt in his demands with the Houston Rockets if they want to keep the point guard with the franchise.

Here is what Lowry had to say on coach Kevin McHale and his own future with the team:

"I don't think so," Lowry told the newspaper about returning to play for McHale. "I honestly think it would be tough. Things have to be addressed. The situation would have to be addressed.

"If things aren't addressed coaching-wise, I guess I have to be moved."

There's not a whole lot of wiggle room there for the Rockets, as Lowry makes it known loud and clear that he doesn't want to play for McHale and would rather be traded to another team.

He also doesn't think there's much of a chance that he and fellow point guard Goran Dragic will both return to the team, regardless of the situation with McHale.

McHale responded to what Lowry had to say about the situation, telling the paper "that's very surprising. I didn't think we had too much of a problem coexisting this year. Everybody has a little beef every once in a while. I didn't feel like (there were problems). He apparently did.

"There were times that we didn't agree on things. There were times that I got on him. I don't think it was unduly harsh on anybody."

Obviously, McHale isn't going to just come out and tell some random reporter that him and Lowry can't co-exist together and that he would be glad to see the point guard get traded.

If you notice, however, he didn't exactly make a push for Lowry to reconsider his stance or to stick around with the Rockets through his comments either.

Lowry began the season as the Rockets' starting point guard, averaging 14 points and 6.6 assists in 47 games before going down with injury. He had surgery on May 1 for a sports hernia.

Dragic took over the starting role in March and averaged 18 points and 8.4 assists in 28 starts in place of Lowry.

In all likelihood, Houston will probably try to retain Dragic, keep their head coach in McHale, and try to trade Lowry to a team desperate for a starting point guard in their continual, desperate attempt to acquire a serviceable big man.

Kevin Love Lobbying to Join the Los Angeles Lakers?

By: Stephen Patterson

It seems Kevin Love might be lobbying for a return to the "City of Angels", Los Angeles, where he starred at UCLA during his one season playing college college basketball before turning pro.

In a recent interview with SLAM Magazine, Love said he thinks the Lakers need to make some moves when he was asked what has stood out to him to him during these playoffs.

His exact response to the question: "Yeah. As everyone can see, the Lakers need to make moves."

While he obviously isn't shouting "Hey, send me to L.A.!" at David Kahn (as far as I know anyway), it has been rumored in the past that K-Love would love to be back in Los Angeles and would also relish the opportunity to play alongside Kobe Bryant.

With Pau Gasol's days as a Laker likely numbered, a trade involving these two isn't totally out of the question, although it would be extremely difficult at this point considering the massive difference between the two players contracts ($18.7 million for Gasol compared to only $4.6 million for Love in the 2011-12 season).

Although making the money match up would be extremely tough for the Lakers and Timberwolves, Gasol might prefer Minnesota over many other potential destinations if he is traded because it would allow him to play with Ricky Rubio, who he has played alongside in the past with the Spanish national team and spoken highly of on multiple occasions.

Love signed a four-year, $60 million dollar contract extension with the Wolves back in January so the team is under no pressure to trade him, unless he has privately informed them he no longer wishes to play for them, which would seem out of character for him.

However, with his pay scheduled to increase to around $15 million next season (which much closer to Gasol's deal) under his extension, it is still very possible these two All-Stars could be swapping teams.

Would a lime-up of Steve Blake, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Kevin Love, and Andrew Bynum be good enough to carry the Lakers to a championship in the next season or two? It's very possible.

It's just as possible, however, that Metta World Peace and/or Andrew Bynum may also find themselves playing for different franchises for the 2012-13 season as it is Gasol is moved for K-Love, or anyone else for that matter.

The only thing I know for certain is that I totally agree with Kevin Love on this topic: The Lakers definitely need to make some moves this summer, especially if they want to pick up another championship while Kobe is still performing at an All-Star level.

News & Notes on the New York Knicks from Friday

By: Stephen Patterson

- The Knicks have signed Mike Woodson to a multi-year extension to remain the team's head coach. While the team didn't announce the details of the contract, it is widely believed that the deal was for three seasons and totals around $10 million.

Woodson took over the team midway through the 2011-12 season after Mike D'Antoni resigned as head coach in March as the team began to collapse.

Under Woodson, the Knicks turned things around to grab the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, they were manhandled in five games by the Miami Heat en route to elimination.

- ESPN's Bill Simmons reported that former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson had serious interest in the Knicks coaching job prior to the team extending Woodson's contract.

While Simmons said Jackson had been angling for the job, Knicks' owner James Dolan never seriously considered hiring the Zen Master due to the fact that he "didn't want any part of Phil Jackson, because Jim Dolan doesn't like people who think they're smarter than him" and because "Jim Dolan has a whole weird inferiority complex".

Unfortunately, neither of those two statements by Simmons surprise me and I find both to be totally believable.

I think that inferiority complex is why he refused to admit Isiah Thomas was killing the organization until it became too blatant to disregard any longer (more on Thomas in a minute). I think it's also why it'll be at least two more years before he admits that Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire can't and probably won't ever mesh well together when they're on the court together.

- Knicks' shooting guard J.R. Smith was arrested early Friday by Miami Beach police because of a bench warrant that had been issued after he was arrested for operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver's license and skipped his court date last July.

"We're aware of it but it's a legal matter right now and I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment," GM Glen Grunwald said when asked about the arrest. 

With Smith likely to opt-out of his current contract and try his luck on the free agent mark, having yet another run in with law enforcement is not going to do him any favors with potential suitors. Especially when he is reportedly trying to get every dollar he can on his next contract.

- The Knicks appear confident they will be able to retain Jeremy Lin in free agency during the offseason. After bursting onto the scene seemingly from out of no where, Lin captured the entire country's attention before going down with a small meniscus tear and being forced out of the team's last 22 games.

Grunwald was asked about Lin during the conference call regarding Woodson's contract extension and had this to say: "We're happy with our roster. We have two guards [Lin and Landry Fields] that are restricted free agents, so we will be able to retain them".

According to ESPN, because Lin is a restricted free agent and he has played only two seasons in the NBA, the Knicks can match any offer up to $5 million.

However, don't be surprised if someone offers a front-loaded deal to Lin in an effort to lure him away from Knicks and make it near impossible for the franchise to match the contract offer. With the Toronto Raptors being one of several teams rumored to have interest in Lin, Grunwald better not get over-confident in his team's ability to retain the Linsanity.

- I promised you all more Isiah Thomas and here it is: According to the man himself when talking to ESPNChicago.com, Isiah wants back into basketball after losing his job as head coach at Florida International University and he doesn't care whether is in the collegiate or pro ranks.

“I definitely want to be in basketball again whether it be coaching or as a general manager,” Thomas said by phone. “My gift is basketball. I would love working with the kids. If it’s the right college program, I would consider it. If it’s the right GM job or coaching job in the NBA, I would consider it. I love the game. I just want to be in the game."

When asked more specifically about returning to the New York Knicks, Isiah had this to say: “I have great friends in the organization,” said Thomas…. “The owner and I have a very good relationship. It’s an organization I will always root for and will always want them to do well because they’re all personal friends of mine.”

Before Knicks fans get too upset, keep in mind your team already has a GM and a brand new head coach/ And although Mike Woodson is friends with Thomas, he reportedly has absolutely no interest in bringing him onto his staff in any capacity. So breathe easy my friends. 

Top 10 Dunks of the NBA 2011-2012 Season

By: Stephen Patterson

These are the Top 10 dunks from the 2011-12 season according to NBA.com.

While all of these dunks are pretty sick, I can't help but feel like someone got left out of the final list. Especially when you see how many times Blake Griffin is featured (I'm sorry but I think that dunk he had on Kendrick Perkins was overrated, like a majority of his big plays. However, I do love how he absolutely destroys Pau Gasol twice in the same game earlier in the clip).

Do you think someone else deserved a spot among the Top 10? Are you happy with the order that NBA.com put them in? Share your thoughts in the comments section after you check out the video:

 

All-NBA Teams & Vote Breakdown

What are your thoughts on the All-NBA squads? Should someone have been higher? Lower? Or did someone miss out all together that belongs on the third team? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

* Special thanks to www.iamagm.com for the image.

Philadelphia 76ers to Trade Andre Iguodala During the Offseason?

By: Stephen Patterson

The Philadelphia 76ers may be putting one of their best players on the trade market if they fail to beat the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinals match-up.

According to Chris Broussard of ESPN The Magazine and Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com, the Sixers are considering dealing Andre Iguodala if the team fails to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

Philly became just the fifth team in NBA history to enter the postseason as an eighth seed and defeat a number one seed when they stunned the Chicago Bulls in six games after they lost Derrick Rose in the opening game of the series.

Iguodala is the player that hit the two clutch free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining in Game 6 to give the Sixers the lead in the game and the historic series victory.

He is also coming off a season in which he averaged 12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in 62 games.

However, the team is still willing to part with the athletic wingman if they can get the right package or player in return.

According to the report from Kennedy, the Sixers almost moved Iggy prior to last year's draft to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package revolving around Lamar Odom.

However, Philly backed out of the trade fearing that Odom would be upset and unmotivated if he left Los Angeles. It turns out that was a great call by Philly's front office. Odom was subsequently traded to the Dallas Mavericks, who ended up releasing him in April after he blatantly quit on the team.

While Philly wasn't interested in that particular move, Kobe Bryant was apparently all for the trade, as he has been wanting the Lakers to acquire an athletic small forward for years. Iguodala would be a huge upgrade over Metta World Peace, as he can not only defend multiple positions on the defensive end, but can also still score in bunches.

While the move might cost the Lakers Pau Gasol plus some other pieces now that the league knows he is pretty much on the trade market, if they can get another decent player or two from Philly then the deal would be well worth it for Los Angeles.

Although the Lakers will surely have interest in making a trade for Iguodala, they certainly won't be the only team that makes an offer for him, as at least a half dozen other teams would be seriously interested in my opinion.

While 'Dre still has a chance to lead the Sixers past the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals, Broussard still says "there is no question about" him getting put on the market and likely moved.

So unless he has a monster performance against Boston to advance and then proceeds to have a near historic series against the Heat en route to an NBA title, it appears that Iggy's days are numbered in Philadelphia after spending the first seven years of his career there.

Orlando Magic Finally Ready to Move on from Dwight Howard Era

By: Stephen Patterson

It appear as though the Orlando Magic are finally ready to move on from the Dwight Howard era and will attempt to grant him his long-desired trade.

According to Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com, the team fired Stan Van Gundy and Otis Smith with the intention of also moving Howard and starting with a clean slate across the board.

There were multiple reports earlier in the week that Howard still wanted out of Orlando despite the fact that the team fired Van Gundy, who many believe Dwight had wanted gone for quite some time.

The Magic will begin listening to offers next week after the draft lottery takes place and will try to make a deal happen prior to the NBA Draft in June.

Many people believe the Magic are hoping the Brooklyn Nets will land a top three selection in the draft lottery that they can include in a package along with Brook Lopez and other players and/or picks.

Another team that could potentially jump into the mix for Howard is the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are likely to make some major moves in order to get back to a championship-contending level and could offer a package involving Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and/or Metta World Peace.

A dark horse candidate to watch for could be the New York Knicks. It is becoming more and more apparent that Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire aren't meshing quite as well on the court as the franchise envisioned when they paired the duo up and could be inclined to make a move for Howard to keep him from going to the crosstown Nets.

The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers are also potential landing spots for Howard, although it would be much tougher for either team to land the NBA's best center without having to part with Dirk Nowitzki or Blake Griffin, respectively.

Who's uniform do you think Dwight Howard will be wearing on opening night of the 2012-13 season opener? Let me know in the comments section below.

Avery Bradley Likely Out for Remainder of the Postseason

By: Stephen Patterson

The Boston Celtics' championship aspirations took a big blow today when team president of basketball operations Danny Ainge announced that Avery Bradley would need to undergo surgery on his injured left shoulder and would most likely miss the remainder of the Celtics' playoff run.

This is tough news for Boston fans, as Bradley has really emerged in the postseason as a solid defender and shown he is capable of filling in for Ray Allen in the starting line-up while Allen was injured late in the regular season.

The Celtics are heading into a must-win Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night at TD Garden. Although the game is at home, the loss of Bradley is going to make it exponentially harder for Boston to pick up the victory and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

While Bradley hasn't provided the Celtics with a ton of scoring (he was averaging just 6.0 points per game through the first four games of the series), he was providing the team with a solid defender capable of slowing down Philadelphia's talented backcourt trio of Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, and Lou Williams.

According to ESPN.com, Bradley suffered multiple dislocations of his left shoulder during the 2011-12 season, including three times in the postseason. The last dislocation in Game 4's Boston loss resulted in the team's medical staff telling him it was too risky to continue playing without risking further injury to it.

With Ray Allen struggling thus far in the playoffs, averaging only 9.8 points per game in just under 30 minutes per contest, the Celtics might find themselves in deep trouble on Saturday if he can't hit shots consistently from the field. Without Bradley, Boston will have to continue to rely very heavily on Mickael Pietrus off the bench.

In the past two games, Pietrus has logged a total of 55 minutes off the bench, including a whopping 35 in Boston's Game 6 loss. Allen has played 59 minutes during the same span.

The only thing working in Boston's favor as Game 7 approaches is the fact they will be playing on a decent amount of rest compared to the rushed feel of the regular season and the start of the playoffs.

However, the Celtics will still need an extraordinary performance from it's Big 4 (this includes Rajon Rondo because I refuse to call them the Big 3 and leave out the team's best young talent) if they want to eliminate the surprising 76ers and keep their title hopes alive.

My Game 7 Pick: Philadelphia scores the upset over Boston by less than five points behind a monster effort from Andre Iguodala to advance to the Eastern Conference finals

Can the Miami Heat Finish Off the Indiana Pacers in Game 6?

By: Stephen Patterson

LeBron James and Dwayne Wade have had to almost literally transform into Batman and Robin over the past two games to recapture the series lead for the Miami Heat against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals after they fell into an early 2-1 deficit in the series.

The dynamic duo have had to carry an unusually large amount of the team's offense during the absence of Chris Bosh, who went down during the opening game of the series with an abdominal strain.

LeBron has posted otherworldly numbers over the past two games, both of which have been Heat victories. He has totaled 70 points, 28 rebounds, and 17 assists.

Meanwhile, Wade has dropped in 58 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. Both of them have shot well over 50% from the field as well.

But while James and Wade have been playing at close to the best of their abilities, the Heat will need even more from them in Game 6 if they want to finish off this upstart Pacers team on the road and avoid having to go back to South Beach for a seventh and deciding game.

Both Udonis Haslem and Dexter Pittman have been suspended for flagrant fouls in the previous game of the series.

Haslem will only miss Game 6 for clubbing Indiana forward Tyler Hansbrough in the face with both arms in retaliation for a hard foul committed only a minute earlier by Hanbrough  on Wade.

Pittman, meanwhile, will miss the Heat's next three games after delivering a seemingly intentional elbow to the neck/chest region of Lance Stephenson late in the game in retaliation for Stephenson's choke signal he flashed after LeBron missed a free throw late in the heat's Game 3 loss.

With Bosh already ruled out for tonight's game, and Haslem and Pittman both out with suspensions, the Heat will likely have to rely heavily on Juwan Howard and Eddy Curry, who haven't seen much (or any in Curry's case) playing time so far in this series.

One of the main reasons for Miami's losses in Games 2 and 3 of the series was the fact that LeBron would be worn down by halftime after having to play so many minutes at power forward, causing him to have to bang around in the paint with bigger players than he isn't used to guarding regularly.

If the Heat have to put James at power forward for too many minutes in Game 6, they will likely find themselves having to win a pivotal Game 7 back down in South Beach.

Afterall, if James continues to wear himself out at this pace, it won't matter too much if they advance because he won't have enough left in the tank to go the distance all the way through the Finals.

Luckily for Miami, the Pacers' two best players are dealing with ankle injuries heading into the game and their availability and conditions are still largely unknown.

Danny Granger, who injured his ankle late in the first half of Game 5, and David West, who hurt his own ankle in the second half of the same game, have been two of the most pivotal pieces in Indiana's surprising run.

Unless LeBron James puts on another performance for the ages for a third consecutive game, however, the Heat are probably going to have their hands full finishing off the Pacers on their own floor.

If James can't put together another near triple double masterpiece, look out for Dwayne Wade to explode with a huge game, as he is the type of player that can post a huge 35-40 point performance on any given night and is due for a game in which he carries the Heat on his back to a big victory.

Shaq Returning to the Orlando Magic...as GM?

By: Stephen Patterson

Shaquille O'Neal might be making a return to the franchise where his NBA career began two decades ago. According to Chris Broussard of ESPN The Magazine, sources have told him that the Orlando Magic will approach Shaq about their opening at GM, possibly as soon as next week.

The team parted ways with their former head coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith on Monday and have said they will take their time in the search for their replacements.

Although Shaq has no previous front office experience, sources close to the team feel that the hire might help the Magic in their efforts to keep Dwight Howard beyond next season.

If the original "Superman" of the NBA lands the role as the teams GM, Orlando is likely to also bring in someone with a little more experience to help teach Shaq the ropes of transitioning from the hardwood to the front office.

There have been numerous over the past few days that Howard wants out of Orlando more than ever, even after Monday's firings of Van Gundy and Smith. Even if the Magic do roll the dice on Shaq as their next general manager, I'm not convinced it will be enough to convince Howard to commit long-term to the franchise.