The Cleveland Cavaliers may have a record to scoff at during this present time, but just recently they got their entire team back together.  Lebron James and Larry Hughes have both missed time due to injuries this year, but as James told the NBA earlier in the year, have fun getting your wins now, because we’ll be back soon enough.  They get to test that theory when Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers come to town. 

Bryant is second to James in scoring with 27.2 points per game.  He also leads the team with 5.1 assists per contest.  He has severely lacked help since Shaquille O’Neal left the team a few years ago, after all, those are huge shoes to fill.  Andrew Bynum has stepped up lately; averaging nearly ten rebounds a game, but it’s not nearly enough to expect the Lakers to make any kind of serious post season run.

Despite the poor start, it appears the Cavaliers will be able to turn things around.  As stated, they are getting healthy, which leads one to believe they can perhaps make it to another NBA Finals.  The problem with them is that they also lack much of a supporting cast, and if they were in the West, they’d probably be about where the Lakers are, which is seventh or eight place per season.  With the Cavs’ back at full strength I favor them in a close ball game in this one, probably by five points or less.  

The Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets are a pair of teams that have been showing signs of improvement the last few years, but have been unable to make the lead to the upper echelon teams in the league.  The Rockets have arguably two of the most talented players in the league in Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.  On the other hand, the Nuggets have some great talent of their own, featuring one of the best point-guards in league history, Allen Iverson, and former Syracuse star, Carmelo Anthony.  To this point in the season the duo of Iverson and Anthony have faired better, leading their team to above .500 records while the Rockets have struggled to win more then they’ve lost, despite an apparent plethora of talent.

McGrady is among the top scorers in the league, averaging 24.6 a game.  Yao Ming is averaging a double-double, and has started to show he can play well in an up tempo style offense, which they’ll need against the running Nuggets. 

In this contest I think the Nuggets will come out ahead.  They are playing a lot better recently, making them serious contenders in the West.  While the Rockets appear to have the talent they have failed to prove they our worthy of any contention roles.  Iverson, and his 25.3 a game will be enough to get them over the hump in this one. 

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