LeBron James: A Chicago Bull?

After watching the Cavs fall short in the playoffs yet again, I begin to wonder should LeBron James leave Cleveland? Even though Cleveland had the best record in the NBA; it was clear that the Cavs were impostors all season long. The Cavs were at best the 4th best team in the NBA. I rank the 4 best teams in the NBA as follows: (1) Los Angeles Lakers (2) Denver Nuggets (3) Orlando Magic (4) Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs are the only team with a superstar who has no help. Kobe has Pau. Melo has Chauncey. Dwight Howard has Rashard Lewis. LeBron has an undersized Mo Williams. While Mo Williams is a nice player, he is not a number 2 on a championship team. So LeBron faces a tough decision; what team could he win a championship with the quickest?

The two most talked about suitors for his services are the Knicks and Nets. Pros: He would be the biggest star in New York and treated as basketball royalty in the largest market in the US. If he resurrected either franchise he would be the man in NY. Cons: He would make less money in annual salary and be further from winning a championship. The Knicks have no legitimate superstar on their roster and are overriden with undersized guards with bad contracts. The Nets do have young talent in Devin Harris and Brook Lopez along with his good friend co-owner Jay-Z. If he joins either team LeBron makes them an instant playoff contender but not a championship team.

I personally think the team that makes the most sense for LeBron would be the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls have a young roster loaded with talent. LeBron could lead MJ's old franchise back to championship greatness. Derrick Rose and Luol Deng have All Star potential that would complement LeBron's game. The Bulls also have John Salmons and the enigmatic Tyrus Thomas. Plus the Bulls will have the salary cap space to sign LeBron in 2010.

How to Defend Kobe and LeBron

The last few games have served as a blueprint for teams as to how to defend great players like LeBron and Kobe. You can't stop either player so you have to make them one dimensional. Kobe and LeBron are at their best when they are able to get their teammates involved. LeBron had his first game without an assist recently and the Cavs lost. The Lakers are most vulnerable when Kobe has to carry the scoring load by himself. One player can beat a team on any given night but in a seven game series one player won't beat a great team.

The teams that have the most success against the Lakers, Cavs rely on single coverage and try to funnel Kobe and LeBron to where their help defense is. The key is to make them scorers and not playmakers. Turn them into jump shooters instead of assist men. It takes a great defender to utilize this game plan. Kobe or LeBron may go off for 50 or even 60 but their teammates will be standing around watching. Then if a teammate is needed to hit a crucial shot, they will be out of rhythm and not in the normal flow of the game.

My All NBA Team

PG Chris Paul - The best number 1 in the league averaging almost 22 PPG and 11 dimes. He is virtually unstoppable. He can get in the lane at will and has a deadly jump shot.

SG Kobe Bryant - Kobe is creeping up in the conversation for NBA MVP again. The closest thing to Mike since MJ suited up. Still the best closer in the NBA.

SF LeBron James - King James is the leading MVP candidate this season. Second in the league in scoring and a triple double waiting to happen.

PF Tim Duncan - The anchor of the Spurs on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. He lives up to his nickname "The Big Fundamental" by averaging 21 points and over 10 boards a night.

C Dwight Howard - The best big man in the league is leading the Magic to an outstanding season. He is averaging 20 points, 14 boards and 3 blocks a game.

Six and O

6 Wins 0 Losses....Incredible. The Lakers finished their six game road trip undefeated after a 101-91 win at Cleveland. The Lakers gave the Cavs their first loss in 24 home games this season. L.A. roared back from a 10 point halftime deficit led by Lamar Odom with 28 points and 17 rebounds. This was Odom's second straight game with 20+ points this season. An ailing Kobe Bryant kicked in 19 points, Pau Gasol had 18 and Derek Fisher added 13. Kobe was suffering from the flu all game long. The Lakers played outstanding team defense on LeBron James holding him to 16 points on 5-20 shooting. The Lakers did a great job of turning James into more of a passer than a scorer. They consistently double teamed to get the ball out of James' hands. Zydrunas Ilgauskas led Cleveland with 22 points and Mo Williams had 19.

L.A. beat the Eastern Conference's two best teams on the road at Boston and Cleveland in back to back games. They broke the Celtics 12 game winning streak and the Cavs 23 game home winning streak. L.A. has the best record in the league at 41-9. The Lakers are now an impressive 18-5 on the road this season.

L.A.'s next game is at home Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.