Currently, Boston has the best record in the Eastern Conference (and the NBA) of 31-6. In the Western Conference, the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers are setting the pace with a 26-11 record, one game ahead of the defending champions, the San Antonio Spurs. However, the Lakers may have suffered a setback on their way to the Finals as up-and-coming center Andrew Bynum injured his knee and is expected to miss around two months of action.

If Bryant can prevent his team from falling back to the pack while Bynum heals, the Lakers should be in a position to challenge everyone in the Western Conference. With the Lakers, it is important to remember they have probably the league’s best player in Bryant and he has shown an ability to put the team on his back and lead them to victory for extended periods of time. If this continues this season, the Lakers should be fine when Bynum gets back.

In the East, the Celtics have been the talk of the NBA ever since Kevin Garnett was traded from Minnesota to Boston. To his credit, his team has lived up to expectations, something their league-leading record indicates quite nicely. Of course, the Celtics didn’t just acquire the Big Ticket. They also signed one of the best shooters in the league in Ray Allen who still has an abundance of ability. When you throw in the presence of Paul Pierce, it’s clear Boston has one of the best trios in the NBA.

But can these teams fulfill the wishes of old-school NBA fans everywhere and meet each other in the NBA Finals? There are a lot of teams they will have to go through and none of their opponents are going to lie down and allow either team to simply advance without a fight, which, incidentally, is one of the biggest attractions of NBA Playoff basketball.

Another aspect of this story is both Garnett and Bryant will be competing with each other for League MVP honors, an idea that adds even more spice to the story.

In order to complete this prophecy, both teams have to keep at their current pace, if for nothing else, to secure the “home field advantage” throughout the Playoffs. However, with teams like Detroit, San Antonio, Phoenix, and Cleveland waiting, the road for either team won’t be easy. But that’s part of the fun of watching, isn’t it?

Brown is in his third season with the Cavaliers, who won their first Eastern Conference title last season before they were swept in the finals by San Antonio.

His contract was to expire after the 2008-09 season. Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry and owner Dan Gilbert had been discussing an extension since the summer.

The Cavaliers (19-18) have had an up-and-down start this season, with restricted free agents Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic holding out in contract disputes and superstar LeBron James missing six games because of a finger injury.

The Cleveland Cavaliers star was cited in a 65 mph zone on Interstate 71 near Medina at 2:43 a.m. on Dec. 30 — his 23rd birthday.

Cleveland attorney Colin Jennings filed a not guilty plea for James on Tuesday in Medina Municipal Court. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 11, the same day the Cavaliers are scheduled to play in Orlando against the Magic.

Other details about the traffic stop were not available.

An e-mail was sent to James’ publicist seeking comment Sunday night. James’ agent, Keith Estabrook, couldn’t be reached.

Medina is about 30 miles south of Cleveland.
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2. What system of attack do you recommend to penetrate the one defense? In attacking a zone I believe in the following:

• Follow a definite plan and make your pattern work.
• Dribble only when absolutely necessary.
• Use sharp accurate passes-the bounce pass in close quarters, and the two-hand chest pass on the outside.
• Pass quickly to keep the defenders moving.
• Don’t be in a hurry; take only good shots.

3. Do you believe a player should be able to play both the forward and guard positions, or do you think it sufficient to train him in the position of his choice?

It is desirable for a player to be able to operate at either the forward or the guard position. This will not only give him a chance to play more, but will make him more valuable to the team. A boy, however, should be permitted to play his favorite post when conditions are favorable.

4. Do you approve of any special diet for your squad? It may be difficult to follow a definite diet, but I would advise a balanced diet avoiding excessive greasy foods and sweets. Regular meals should be eaten each day with plenty of fruits and vegetables. It is not desirable to eat closer than three hours to the time you are going to play. Before a game at night it is a good idea to eat the heavy meal in the middle of the afternoon. The safest maxim to be applied then is-eat lightly and early enough before game time.

5. Who is responsible for the defensive position of the team during a free throw? The free thrower is responsible for the defensive positions. Before he takes his foul shot he should check to see that the two smallest men are back court and the two tallest players are stationed along the foul lanes.

6. Should there be some organized methods of getting possession of the ball on held balls with an occasional scoring play used? I don’t know how many held balls occur during a game but all teams should have some organized method in gaining possession of the ball. Offensively, a good team has a play or two to use on held-ball situations with which they may score or gain a scoring position with the ball. Many games are won in the last moments by a successfully executed held-ball play.

7. Is it advisable to change a player’s improper shooting form even though he has a good shooting average? It has been my experience not to change a boy’s style of shooting if his shooting average is good. It is not necessary that all players shoot exactly alike in basketball just as baseball players shouldn’t have the same form at the plate in swinging the bat. Only the results are really important.

8. How much time do you spend on fundamentals during the course of a season? Fundamentals are stressed in every practice session. Other things being of equal value, the team that has mastered the fundamentals will win. Every coach has a task in selling his players on the value of fundamentals, so that they will want to work hard until the correct fundamental procedures have been learned.

9. Do you allow your players to play outside games during the season? No. I believe two games per week and three practice sessions are enough basketball for any high school boy. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, which governs high school athletics, permits only two games per week. Playing outside ball, in my opinion, weakens the boy and takes too much time away from his studies. Practice sessions are carefully planned so that the boys are not worked too hard. Outside ball games will prove disastrous to the boy and to the team.

10. How do you defend against the fast break? Basically, the most effective method in stopping a fast breaking offense lies in the ability of the defense to slow down the first offensive pass. While this is being done the defense must quickly come down the court to their defensive positions.

11. What things do you emphasize before a game? The following things are emphasized: Type of defense to be used, strong and weak points of the opposing players and types of offense we will use. I remind the boys of how important it is to fight the opponent off the boards, and to take charge of the game at the opening whistle.

12. Do you believe in the use of “gadgets” to help develop your players? I do, to a certain extent. We use medicine balls to develop wrists and arms, jumping rope for coordination and footwork, deflated basketballs to curtail dribbling. We practice rebounding and jumping by placing a lid over the basket, we strengthen leg muscles by climbing stairs. Blacked-out glasses are used to help keep the head up while dribbling.

13. What do you do to enliven your practice sessions? We give our drills an element of competition. We line up a defensive man against an offensive player; the desire to out-maneuver the opponent and score generates a lot of spirit. We choose two teams at the beginning of the season for engaging in shooting contests, and relays. Scores are kept to keep the competition keen. However, care must be taken not to stay on any one drill too long.

14. What do you expect from your squad during the season? I expect the boys to attend all practice sessions and to be on time. I expect them to be loyal to me, to their teammates, and to their school. They are expected to wear coats and ties to all home and away games. I expect them to be courteous and cooperative to the faculty, the captain, and to their teammates. Positively no smoking or drinking of any alcoholic beverages is allowed at any time.

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Exercises to develop Muscular Power:

Split squat jumps is a great exercise that will train your body for muscular power. Start out by standing with your feet shoulder width apart with your left leg a few feet back from your right. Lower your body until your right leg is parallel to the floor and then jump vertically upwards. In the air, start to move your right leg to where your left leg started and vice versa. You should land in the same position except with your legs in opposite positions where they started. Once you land try to immediately begin a new rep - the key is to try to minimize the time in between reps. Shoot for about 7 - 10 reps per set for this exercise.

Important Points To Understand:

Although split squat jumps are a great muscular power training exercise, it is only effective for certain body types. Everybody has a different body composition with our own muscular strengths and weaknesses. In vertical jump training, there are various muscles involved which merits their own appropriate exercises. Since our body types are unique, vertical jump programs need to be tailored to that in order for you to work on your weaknesses. I personally found my success because of working on the things that I wasn’t naturally good at. You may be working really hard towards being able to slam dunk, but if you aren’t training with the right exercises, you may not see the results you hoped for.

What is your body type and what kind of exercises will you benefit the most from? Many vertical jump programs out today have tests to determine your body type and will tailor a program to that. Click here to find out the 2 main categories of body types and to read our unbiased reviews of the top vertical jump program out today.

West:

The wild, wild West is likely to live up to its name this year. There is just so much talent that any one of 6 or 7 teams could make it to NBA Finals.

1. San Antonio Spurs - This team may be a little old fashioned and boring to watch compared to some of the run and gun teams in the West, but with Parker, Duncan and Ginoblli all healthy, the Spurs are going to be tough.

2. Phoenix Suns - Coming off his second NBA MVP award in as many years, Steve Nash seems poised to orchestrate yet another deep playoff run. Maybe this year the Suns won’t get cheated out of a Western Conference championship by Robert Horry’s cheap shots.

3. Denver Nuggets - The return of Kenyon Martin will bolster this teams championship chances. With four all-star caliber players in the starting lineup, Melo and Co. are going to good. I just hope they can morph into the team they are capable of being.

4. Dallas Mavericks - The Mavs had a record year in 2006-2007, winning 67 games and losing a mere 15. So, the question is whether or not Dirk can live up to his potential, leave the kiddy pool and finally win - in the playoffs that is.

5. Houston Rockets - Two words - Yao and McGrady. If these two can stay healthy, the Rockets could potentially go all the way. They have a decent supporting cast. Now it is up to the stars to perform.

6. Utah Jazz - The Utah Jazz are a well balanced team. They play good defense and can score. With Boozer and Deron Williams becoming perennial all-star types, the Jazz may just be able to match last season’s Western Conference Finals berth.

East:

The East is a different story. There are a large number of good teams, but only a few noteworthy teams that could possibly challenge the Western powerhouses for the title.

1. Detroit Pistons - The Pistons are talent and experience personified. They have a deep lineup with all of the makings of a championship team. True, Rasheed Wallace is aging a bit and did not play his best last year, but with Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton by his side, the Pistons are as good as anyone in either conference.

2. Boston Celtics - Can the Celtics get back to their winning tradition? If you think anything else, you are a complete buffoon. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are the most skilled trio in the league. All they have to do now is create a little team chemistry and they have NBA Finals written all over them.

3. Chicago Bulls - Ben Wallace, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas, Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni and Joakim Noah. Enough said. The Bulls are a deep, talented, young, dangerous team. And with rumors that Kobe Bryant may be making his way to Chicago, the Bulls have every chance in the world to win this year.

The NBA boasts a plethora of talented teams all of which could potentially win the championship. There is just so much talent in the league nowadays that the dynasties of old are all but dead and gone. My prediction is this: The NBA finals will feature two teams that are desperate to win championships; Steve Nash and the Suns against Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and the Celtics. Personally, I would love the see the Big Ticket finally get his due. But Nash with a fat championship ring on his finger wouldn’t be a bad sight either. However, if I were a betting man, I would put money on the Suns to go all the way this year.

Stojakovic made a franchise-high 10 3-pointers, and Paul broke another mark with 21 assists Tuesday night in New Orleans’ 118-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

“It was a good night for our team,” Stojakovic said in obvious understatement.

He missed just three of 13 shots from behind the arc and finished with 36 points. He was only 2-of-8 shooting 2-pointers.

By the fourth quarter, there was a sort of collective sigh of resignation from the Lakers’ sellout crowd of 18,997 each time Stojakovic got the ball behind the arc. The fans went silent by the time the ball went through the hoop.

It took until the waning moments for his Kings to finally pull off the first win of his tenure as an NBA coach.

Francisco Garcia hit a go-ahead 3 from the baseline with 29 seconds remaining, lifting Sacramento to a 104-98 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics in Theus’ Arco Arena debut.

“It’s tremendous,” Theus said. “I have to admit I kept the ball and it’s important to me. It’s important to us as a team more than anything. We needed it in the worst way.”

Garcia’s timely 3-pointer saved Sacramento from what would have been quite the double whammy in its home opener: The Kings saw their sellout streak end at 354 games after the game drew 14,908 fans — 2,409 below capacity at one of the NBA’s most imposing road venues. But they avoided their first 0-4 start since 1997-98.

However, that was VERY early in the season, and as we all know, UCLA is not a poor defensive team. They’ve improved incredibly as the season has gone along defensively. This is not surprising, as it’s a very young Bruin team, plus head coach Ben Howland has a long history of getting his teams to play terrific defense. The rematch was a great spot for the Bruins to apply some revenge in the form of their choking defense. In addition, UCLA has impressed me as they are 15-5 against the spread when the line is 3 points or less. That shows me they are able to win tightly contested ballgames. We saw that last week as they came from out of nowhere to shock Gonzaga.

In addition, the Bruins are now 20-6 ATS in the role of an underdog! They are also an amazing 11-1 ATS in road games revenging a loss. Those are all situations surrounding this UCLA team that explains a lot about the character of this group. They play hard and don’t give up. Secondly, UCLA has been shooting lights out the last few weeks, averaging over 50% shooting from the field in 6 of their last 7 games. Again, those numbers not only don’t lie but explain a lot about the make up of a team. Conversely, take a look at a team like UConn, a club that has all kinds of talent and depth. Yet, over the last few months all you hear about UConn is how unpredictable and even underachieving they’ve been much of the season. Even their coach said several times how he didn’t like the way they rarely play a full 40 minutes of basketball. In short, there was something missing with the Huskies, needing a lucky shot to beat Washington last week, and finally it all caught up to them in the loss to George Mason.

George Mason was another team I had over the weekend and situational handicapping played a key roll in that call, too. As I mentioned in my analysis before the game, “George Mason has proven that they belong here with solid wins over Michigan State, North Carolina and Wichita State. They held those three opponents to 43.3%, 35.9% and 31.2% from the field.” Again, the situations mentioned were the caliber of play the Patriots faced. And they faced them well, playing great defense and shooting well from the field. Past situations can help predict future events in sports, at least with respect to the number.

An NBA game I had was Houston when they hosted Cleveland. The situation in that game was one of the most basic handicapping tools: Home versus road play. If you’re serious about turning a profit in the competitive world of sports wagering, examining the home/road play of all teams in all sports is essential. Many teams play very differently at home than on the road. The Cavaliers have not been a very good road team the last few years, and this season is no exception. Defense has been the biggest problem as they allow 47.5% shooting on the road.

Houston plays terrific defense allowing just 42.9% shooting on the season. Houston has dominated the series, too, winning 8 of 8 straight up and 5 straight overall. The last 5 meetings Cleveland has scored 81, 80, 87, 84 and 85 points against that Houston defense. Houston got the easy cover in a 2-point game. That was an example of recent history against each other, plus Cleveland’s consistently poor road play. Whenever I see teams like the Cavs as a road favorite, I put a circle around the game and begin to dig deep into the facts. Situational handicapping happens constantly and it’s important to understand what to look for and how to apply those edges with respect to the betting number. That can help you become a sports prophet for profit!

Bryan Leonard is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League. Read all of his articles at http://www.procappers.com/Bryan_Leonard.htm

When Practicing Lay-ups Take It Serious
In an actual game you will rarely have the opportunity to lazily run to the basket and shoot an uncontested lay-up. Most lay-ups are shot while you are fast breaking with a defender on your hip harassing you all the way to the basket. If you practice lay-ups nonchalantly then in a game type situation you are more likely to miss the lay-up because you might jump off the wrong foot, or shoot the lay-up too hard because your timing is off. It’s not logical at all for you to make even the simplest of shots in a game if you are not practicing the shots the same way you would shoot them in a game. Make sure you are using correct technique and that you are moving at game speed when you shoot lay-ups during your warm-ups.

Be Able To Use Both Hands
You should be able to shoot lay-ups effectively with both the right and left hand. If you are driving to the basket on the left hand side of the floor and shoot a lay-up using your right hand you are likely to get the shot blocked. Make sure that whatever side of the basket you are driving towards you use that hand to shoot the lay-up. This will ensure that your body will be in between you and your defender and it’s likely that you will draw a foul if your defender tries to block your shot.

Be Selective
If you try to shoot the same type of lay-up in every situation you will lack the advantage. It’s important that you are use to shooting different types of lay-ups so that you will be harder to defend in certain situations. For example a defender may be over aggressively challenging every shot you take, as you get to the basket you may want to head fake and shoot what is referred to as a power lay-up where you go off two feet and try to draw a foul or shoot over your defender as you time it perfect. Or sometimes on a break you would want to actually shoot a lay-up with the opposite hand of the side of the basket you are driving towards. Sometimes when you are pressured to get a shot off you can get the ball to the basket quicker if you were to use the right hand when going up on the left hand side of the basket or vice versa. The bottom line is that you need to have a selection of lay-ups that you feel comfortable shooting so that during games you can use every advantage you possibly can.

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