If it's true the two most important positions in basketball are the point guard and the center, than the L.A. Lakers are going to be in for a doozy of a Western Conference final.
OK, so technically the Lakers haven't quite advanced that far yet. But after their 118-78 Game 5 blowout win over the Rockets, is it really going out on a limb to say L.A. is going to get there? Ditto for the Denver Nuggets, who lead the Mavericks 3-1 in the conference semifinals and have two cracks at putting them away on their home floor to close out the series.
NEW YORK -- The NFL draft isn't a whirlwind of celebration for everyone. Some players just feel blessed to be a part of the experience, and everything else is just gravy.
Enter Brian Johnson, the quarterback who led Utah to a perfect 13-0 regular-season record and threw for 27 touchdowns, but might not even hear his name called in the seventh round.
Well, well, well. Utah has decided it won't go down without a fight. Behind a raucous (as usual) home crowd, the Jazz clawed their way back in Game 3 to put a win up on the board. Now with Game 4 tonight, the Jazz have an opportunity to prove our own Brett Pollakoff wrong and make this a series for real. The Jazz get Mehmet Okur back tonight (most likely) which is a big plus for them. For the Lakers, the question is not talent, nor execution, nor offense, nor defense. It's simply effort. If they don't want this game more than Utah does and play like it, no amount of talent and size is going to save them amongst the rabid Utah fans.
Say, since this is such a big game, why don't we get a liveblog going? Indeed, let us. Join us at 9PM EST for Lakers at Jazz, Game 4.
It's an argument that's been around for a little while. Which would you rather have: a great point guard or a great big man?
It's a legitimate debate and a strong case can be made for each position. But this year, point guards are winning the matchup.
Yes, if this postseason has proven anything it's that you better have a pretty good point guard – or at least a point guard playing very well – if you hope to do any damage. And if you don't have one, then you better be sitting with one of the league's true stars.
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the "lig." Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.
Improbable result of the night: the Jazz, stellar at home, lose badly to the sub-30 win Warriors in Salt Lake. Improbable assassin: C.J. Watson, a former D-League point guard, who blasted Deron Williams and friends to the tune of 38 points and nine assists.
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the "lig." Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.
Suddenly, Dallas' offense is clicking like a metronome. That bountiful output to (virtually) eliminate Phoenix on Sunday hardly shocked -- it was Phoenix -- but pitching two 60-point halves on Utah ... even away from Salt Lake ... name me impressed. The Mavs racked up 130 points. The Jazz, only 101.
Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry did the damage, with 31 and 21 points respectively. Deron Williams tried to shoot the Jazz back into it, but 5-14 from the field didn't quite cut it. Josh Howard is still struggling with consistency on offense, but seven steals always help. Always!
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the "lig." Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.
LeBron James, however, also didn't disappoint. Against a (typically) phenomenal defense, The Chosen One racked up 38 points on 21 FGAs, and added seven rebounds and six assists. All of that in 36 minutes.
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the "lig." Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.
J.R. Smith took 14 field goal attempts for Denver last night. Thirteen of those came from behind the arc. He made eight, for a decent 57% shooting clip. But figure the three-pointer's bonus, and holy cow! that's 24 points on 14 shots. He added four FTs for a total of 28. Nuggets win, and remain in pole position for the No. 2 seed.
Deron Williams had 18/10 for the Jazz, and C.J. Miles had his best night in about six weeks with 19 points. It took Carlos Boozer 23 shots to get 15 points. That's a whole lotta misses.
Appreciate all the feedback, even if harsh. Keep 'em coming ...
MIKE PAYNE SAID: You were hired by AOL to write controversial pieces. Got it. However, controversy is much more compelling when it is grounded in fact (in this case, statistics). Your brand of controversy has shown to be reflective of your opinion alone, which makes you more of a "sports pundit" than a "sports reporter". There's a place in the world for that, but lists like this aren't gonna earn you the following needed to get you there.
Update (4/28/09): Johnson 
It's an argument that's been around for a little while. Which would you rather have: a great point guard or a great big man?
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the "lig." 
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the "lig." 
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the "lig." 
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the "lig." 
Appreciate all the feedback, even if harsh. Keep 'em coming ... 
