Then why is John Hollinger picking the #7 Spurs to beat the #2 Mavs in 6?  Why was “Upstart Thunder Eye Upset” the headline on NBA.com last Friday?   More importantly, why did the photo for the article show league icon and leader of the #1 seed Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant defending up-and-comer Kevin Durant?   Why are many experts picking the Suns to reach the finals when they give up the 26^th most points in the league?

This year’s Western Conference Champion is more uncertain than ever before.  With Kobe Bryant’s recent struggles, Jordan Farmer’s injury, Derek Fisher’s lackluster play, and the surging Mavs and Suns, the Lakers are not expected to reach the Finals.  Looking down the bracket, the second-seeded Mavs only finished 2 games ahead of the 5^th place Jazz, and only 5 games ahead of the 8^th place Thunder.

Chaos, late game heroics, and new stars will be found in this year’s Western Conference Finals, but unlike the NCAA tournament, are we really looking for that?

The NBA’s superstar glamour and a lack of defense and teamwork has made fans from across the country pull for possibly one of the most highly talented and anticipated individual matchups in Finals history. Not to mention, the most frequently debated question in the NBA will be answered: “Who’s better, Kobe or Lebron?”

Sure, everyone wants to see a back-and-forth 7-game series like the one between the Celtics and Bulls a few years ago, but unlike March Madness, fans want to see the superstars play like superstars.

When you think of great NCAA tournament moments, you think of George Mason’s run to the Final Four and Butler’s push to the Finals. But when you think of great playoff moments in the NBA you think of Jordan’s shot over Bryon Russell, AI’s 48 points in Game 1 of the 2001 Finals against the Lakers, and Kobe’s elbow-jumper against the Suns in the 2006 playoffs to give the #7 Lakers a 3-1 series lead.

While sleeper teams like the #7 Spurs, #3 Suns, and #5 Jazz all have a realistic shot at making the finals, everyone will be hoping that the best two players in the league will square off in the Finals.

Editor’s Note: This sports column is a regular feature from “The Nightcap” crew,  made up of Ari Zyskind, Nathan Barnett, Dan Campbell, and Kevin Shuai, a group of 5Cers who air a weekly radio sports talk show on KSPC. You can listen in online at KSPCstream.com or KSPC.org (click “Hear us Online via Live365”) every Monday from 8-10 PM.

This weekend’s Final Four will consist of a team that didn’t even make the final four in their respective conference tournament, and a mid-major school that most people couldn’t locate on a map.

But don’t we want to crown the best team? The team with the best record? The team that’s been consistent throughout the whole year?   Maybe in Baseball where only 8 of the 30 teams make the playoffs, and maybe in the NBA where teams must play a best of 7 game series to decide the winner, but not in a NCAA tournament where teams 7^th out of 10 in their conference can make into the postseason.

By the time the Big Dance rolls around, perennial powers like Villanova, Georgetown, and Syracuse are just getting done pounding on each other in physical, consecutively played conference tournament games.   Players are exhausted, and when their opening round game against #14 seed Ohio comes around that same week it’s difficult for them to get to that same level of intensity, that same level of passion, and that same level of “hey, this is the big game.”   However, for teams like  Northern Iowa, Cornell, Butler, and Saint Mary’s who have blasted through their respective conferences, the NCAA tournament gives them their one and only  chance to  shine in the national spotlight.

The college game as a whole also allows for severe unpredictability because of the abused 20 ft 3-point line.  This year’s tournament showed the long balls potency, as teams like Cornell and Washington made deep runs in the tournament because of their combined 34-69 (49.3%) 3 point shooting.  No matter how much better one team is, it’s tough to beat any mid major school that runs down 30 seconds of clock, and then knocks down daggers from 23 ft all night.

Teams with less talent, less athleticism, and less experience have the greatest chance of winning in the college basketball tournament than in any other sport’s postseason.  But isn’t that why we love it?  Why we call it March Madness?  Why it’s the most popular postseason?

When Michigan State or Butler plays for the National Championship on Monday, the best team may not be crowned champion, but no one will be complaining.

Editor’s Note: This sports column is a regular feature from “The Nightcap” crew,  made up of Ari Zyskind, Ned Schooler, Nathan Barnett, Dan Campbell, and Kevin Shuai, a group of 5Cers who air a weekly radio talk show on KSPC. You can listen in online at KSPC.org (click “Hear us Online via Live365”) every Monday from 8-10 PM.

Fortunately, the College Basketball Conference Tournaments condense seasons into one the most competitive and entertaining weeks in sports.

In the Big East Conference Tournament, fans pack Madison Square Garden to watch the Gerry McNamaras of the world carry their 10^th seeded teams to the title game on pure heart and determination. Rivalries are taken to a new level as team’s match up for the third time.  Emotions run high, and fans are given a reason to cheer. Mediocre teams are given a reason to play hard all season long, even when they only have 5-7 conference records in February.

For mid-major teams a conference tournament is like a mini-March Madness. A season is compressed into a win or go home format, and excitement and player determination is higher than in any other part of the season. I mean let’s be honest, how much excitement can you build up if you were to crown a conference champion based on regular season wins and losses? Where’s the hype? Where’s the Cinderella story? Where’s the number two team getting the chance to square off against the favored number one? Where’s the sense of urgency?

The NBA is struggling to find a way to make teams like the Knicks and Timberwolves play hard all season long.  But can you blame the players?  I wouldn’t be closing out on the defense when my team is 20 games out of 8^th place.

ESPN writer John Hollinger has proposed a NBA playoff  system where the 8^th through 14^th place teams in each conference would be thrown in a bracket and the winner would take the 8^th seed.

Although it might be a little ridiculous to include the words, “Golden State Warriors and playoffs” in the same sentence, this format would be a significant step forward.

College Basketball Conference tournaments have put meaning into a normally boring college basketball conference season.  Excitement is compounded, rivalries are heightened, and meaning is restored.

It’s time for other competitive sports markets to notice the superiority in the College Basketball Conference Tournaments and for once maybe we can actually care about the NBA before June.

Editor’s Note: This sports column is a regular feature from “The Nightcap” crew,  made up of Ari Zyskind, Ned Schooler, Nathan Barnett, Dan Campbell, and Kevin Shuai, a group of 5Cers who air a weekly radio talk show on KSPC. You can listen in online at KSPC.org (click “Hear us Online via Live365”) every Monday from 8-10 PM.

N.B.: The Nightcap is holding it’s very own, free, March Madness Pool. The winner will receive a collector’s item: a custom made, Nightcap t-shirt signed by the whole crew in addition to a 90 second, uninterrupted, rant on the show. If you are interested, e-mail Ari Zyskind at hzyskind12@cmc.edu or Nathan Barnett atnathansbarnett@gmail.com requesting an invitation to the pool.

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers marched through the first half of the season with confidence and swagger, building a 5 game lead going into the All-Star break. In the east, a player with never before seen athleticism has powered the Cavs to a 6 game lead.

However, the Lakers have lost 7 of their last 20 games, and are playing at a significantly lower level than they were during their championship run last spring. Kobe and Gasol have been plagued with injuries and the offense is currently ranked 6th in scoring compared to 3rd last season. Fisher’s shooting is considerably worse compared to years past, and his susceptibility to quick point guards is showing. The Lakers are a combined 0-4 against perennial powerhouses Denver and Cleveland, with an average loss differential of 15 points. Lamar Odom seems more interested in smiling for the camera and Phil seems to be waiting for the playoffs instead of actually coaching. The Nuggets are big and talented, but they lack the mental toughness to beat the Lakers in a seven game series. Let’s face it, the Lakers may seem lazy and uninterested now, but they are a playoff team.

The Cavaliers, on the other hand, are off to a franchise record start and have held the number one rank in Mark Stein’s Power Rankings since December 28th. Even though I can’t stand watching Lebron lower his shoulder and cover twenty feet after picking up his dribble, I’ve found a new respect for his game with his honed perimeter shooting. Did you see his first quarter against the Clippers last week? Those threes were unheard of! But it’s not just Lebron– as a team the Cavs are shooting over 40% from beyond the arc this season, a significant improvement from the long range bricks of the 2009 playoffs. (33.6%, 12th out of the 16 playoff teams)

While the Cavs have held court thus far, they will have no easy road to the finals.

The Magic, Celtics, and Hawks are eminently talented teams, and it’s easy to see the Magic doing exactly what they did to the Cavs during last year’s playoffs when they killed the Cavs from the perimeter; this year the Magic lead the league in 3 point differential. On the other hand, although I’m a huge Bibby fan, I still believe that the high flying Hawks will be lucky to make it into the Conference Championship game unless they can improve their 11th ranked defense.

The wheels are coming off for the Boston Celtics, having lost 13 of their last 22 games. Rajon Rondo has declared there are serious locker room problems, and that it doesn’t “feel like it’s the same continuity and camaraderie in the locker room as it was the first year.” (2007-2008) Whatever the case, the Celtics will have to tighten up their defense which has given up at least 28 points in a single quarter in each of their last four games and work through any attitude problems. I bet Rasheed can’t wait for that.

The first half of the NBA season is complete, and signs are pointing to a finals involving the once most dominant big man, the most talented scorer ever, and the most physically athletic player to ever play the game. Sound a little better than the soporific Super Bowl? I think so.