I'm a snob -- a high-definition television snob. There, I've said it. I can't and won't watch anything in low-definition. This is the reason I've stopped watching "The Hills" on MTV. Yes, I know, I should not be watching "The Hills," nor should I admit to anybody that I've ever actually watched the show. I should also not admit that at one point in my life I had open discussions about whose side I was on: Kristin Cavallari's or Lauren Conrad's. The show has now come full circle with Kristin replacing Lauren as the main character. And don't get me started on Justin Bobby!

What does this have to do with basketball? Nothing. But it has everything to do with HDTV. HDTV controls what I watch. Basketball is in my top three sports to watch in HD. (1. Football. 2. Hockey. 3. Basketball.) This week, all three will be in play at the same time. With that said, here's my Western Conference preview:

8. Phoenix Suns - I hate placing the Suns in the playoffs. I can't really see this team being very good. I still don't understand why Amare Stoudemire is on this roster, I also don't know how much longer Steve Nash will be a legitimate candidate in "best point guard in the league" talk. I hate it. But it's not like I have much of a choice. The West is not very deep.

I can't place the Clippers in the No. 8 slot, even though they have a nice young roster and a major contender for rookie of the year in Blake Griffin.

I can't place Kevin Durant and the Thunder in this slot either. I must admit, it's been fun listening to the Oklahoma City overhype for Durant this past summer. Most experts are placing the Thunder on the cusp of the playoffs but with the tag of sleeper. I've also heard sleeper MVP talk about Durant. He's good, real good. If Durant made the playoffs and challenged LeBron James for MVP, that would be a great story. I'm just going to take the road of "I'll believe it when I see it."

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Chris Paul, center, is enough to give the Hornets a strong playoff push.

6. Portland Trail Blazers - Apparently Greg Oden improved his game in the offseason and dropped some weight. He'll still need to improve if this team wants to make it to the conference finals. Brandon Roy is one of my favorite players to watch in the league. The Trail Blazers are young, talented and on the verge of becoming a team that never cashes in and fades into the abyss (e.g., '93 Charlotte Hornets, '96 Dallas Mavericks and the first "Matrix" movie).

5. Dallas Mavericks - I relate the Mavs to junk food. I love to eat junk food just like I'll love watching this team try to outscore everybody. But junk food isn't healthy, and this team isn't a championship contender.

4. Utah Jazz - So Carlos Boozer is still a member of the Jazz. He wanted out of Utah this summer. At first, he wanted to go to Chicago, then he wanted Miami (who wouldn't?), but he remains in Salt Lake City. The Jazz also wanted Boozer out so they could make room for Paul Millsap.

3. Denver Nuggets - Carmelo Anthony stepped up his game last season, which has a direct correlation with this team becoming a championship contender.

2. San Antonio Spurs - Dear Spurs, I'm sorry. I wrote in a blog at the end of last season, "I learned that the window to win championships has closed for the San Antonio Spurs. The run is over. The Spurs won four championships in the last 11 years. Dynasty? No. Great teams? Yes. Somebody cue 'Keyboard Cat.'" And then you go out and get Richard Jefferson. I've now learned that I should never doubt you. Again, I'm sorry. Will you still be my BFF?

1. Los Angeles Lakers - The world champions are the heavy favorite heading into the season. They should also be the most interesting team to watch throughout the season. Ron Artest has been added to the team chemistry. That's like adding vinegar to the science fair volcano. Pour in some Artest and watch out. No matter how old I get, I'm still amused by the science fair volcano. Heck, skip the arts and crafts and just drop some dry ice into a 2-liter coke bottle and watch out! (Do not try at home.) If any team should get a reality show to follow it through the season, this is that team. Plus the Lakers are good at basketball. Real good.

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Kobe Bryant proved that he could put teammates in the right place for success this season.

The Finals are over. The Lakers won. My heart is empty without basketball. Here are the 10 things I learned from the recent NBA season.

• I learned that teams still win championships. LeBron James was touted from the beginning of the season as the MVP, the Cavaliers ran away with the Eastern Conference in the regular season, and yet they still came up short. This shouldn't be a surprise to anybody. If you watched the Cavs during the season, you saw this coming. But time and time again, the national buzz around LeBron just assumed that he would get his championship this year. He needs more.

The Lakers proved that if you pair multiple players in the NBA's top 30, you have a legitimate shot at winning a title. Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom equal a trio that won the title last year, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen from the Celtics.

I started to think about this, and when I looked back at the champions from the last 20 years, I found that no team has won a title in the NBA with one star. It doesn't happen. Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Heat, Spurs, Pistons, Spurs, Lakers (3 straight), Spurs, Bulls (3), Rockets (2), Bulls (3), Pistons (2), Lakers (2) … and so on.

I had to go back to the late '70s to find teams with just one star. Even the Detroit Pistons in '03-'04 had Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace. That's how the NBA works. You need multiple stars to win a championship.

For those of you looking for the Bulls to jump to the next level, curb your enthusiasm. They have one star and one star in the making. If Ben Gordon departs, that leaves the Bulls with one star in the making. Will that win a championship? Not in the NBA.

The Bulls need to pair Derrick Rose with at least two more top-30 stars. If LeBron James can't do it alone, what makes you think Rose can?

• I learned that if I were starting a team from scratch, I would still take Kobe Bryant No. 1 overall. He proved that he could put teammates in the right place for success.

• I learned that life is not as fun as when the NBA is on. It's been almost a week, and I feel a void in my life. The NBA is a security blanket. If plans fell through, I knew in the back of my mind that I had that late-night West Coast NBA game to watch.

• I learned that the window to win championships has closed for the San Antonio Spurs. The run is over. The Spurs won four championships in the last 11 years. Dynasty? No. Great teams? Yes. Somebody cue Keyboard Cat.

• I learned that I don't really like puppets anymore. The Nike commercials with the LeBron and Kobe puppets were just too forced. I hope that a network doesn't take this commercial idea and develop a sitcom around it.

• I learned that Ben Gordon is worth the money. He is the team's scoring option. Don't kid yourself. This team will struggle with 20 points per game out of the starting lineup next year. For those of you who just want to bash BG, who else are the Bulls going to have? Think about it.

• I learned that Twitter went from unknown to tipping point in less time it took for Paris Hilton to become infamous. Hilton became infamous in 2003, and it happened overnight. When I think back to that year, I remember three things: iPods, OutKast's double album ("Speakerboxxx/The Love Below") and Hilton's viral video.

• I learned that Camelo Anthony is the best pure scorer in the league. He can post up, shoot a jumper, drive and nail the 3. He is so unstoppable on offense when he wants to be. When he wants to be. Sorry, did I repeat myself? When he wants to be.

• I learned that people really like "Birdman" in Denver. They like him more than people liked Andres Nocioni in Chicago. I barely even know Birdman's name (Chris Anderson), and I don't think I heard a play-by-play guy call him by his real name once during the playoffs.

• I learned that Jeff Van Gundy is my new favorite analyst in sports. Heck, give me JVG on any show. I want to see him in the booth with Alton Brown breaking down salmon soufflé on "Iron Chef" on the Food Network.

Thanks, NBA, for the great season. Forty-two days till Cutlerpalooza begins!

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Could "At Home With The Romos" be a hit in the world of reality TV?

Here's an e-mail exchange that took place over the past week between myself and Adam Abdalla. You can find our weekly "Best of 1000" podcast right here on ESPNChicago.com.

CB: All right, you called me the other night to "chat," and the question of which reality show you would want to be on came up.

AA: Quite the conundrum. Right off the bat, I think the "Real World." Not only do you get to live with attractive women and mess with people's heads, but you are automatically catapulted to D-list stardom. Just think of the random bar appearances you could have around Wrigleyville and Lincoln Park. You would also be able to appear on "The Gauntlet" and rake in cash that way.

My second thought is the "Amazing Race." I know your distaste for traveling but I, on the other hand, enjoy other places. This would be a great chance to see a lot of the world in a short amount of time. I don't know who I would take with me since they always base the pairings on someone they know you'll fight with. Probably T-Pain.

CB: I agree on the "Real World." Plus everything is better when people stop being polite and start getting real. That would be my first pick. It has the two qualities that every great reality show has: girls and low-level stardom. It's the perfect platform for any aspiring tabloid star. You're right. Who wouldn't want to be a part of the "D-List Bar Tour"? I mean, I can't wait to see Tonya from Walla Walla, Wash., at McFadden's on a Thursday night. That's like a dream come true.

If they pair people on the "Amazing Race" based on not getting along, why would you be with T-Pain? He's awesome. Plus, in the Race, I would bet you guys would be on a boat. Enough said.

Who's in your sports Real World house?

AA: Well, you have to go with the guys that will produce the most drama. T.O. is the first guy I think of. He'd be like Bob Dole in the SNL sketch. "Who ate T.O.'s peanut butter!?" Second would be Danica Patrick. She's a hothead that would be good for drama, too. Then you have to pick some athletes that enjoy partying. Jeff Reed from the Steelers, Pacman Jones, Jay Cutler and Vince Young. You could also throw Kyle Orton in there to rival Cutler. You got any more?

CB: I do have more. But you can't run and hide from this T-Pain issue. Why do you and T-Pain not get along?

My house would have John Rocker, Cedric Benson, Ron Artest and Andy Roddick for the guys. I'm having trouble on the girls, so let's go with your suggestion. I like Danica, but we can't have just one girl. We need two more.

My sleeper would be Cedric. Think about it; he's quiet. He's the one that will open up on the show. I also foresee a situation with Artest flipping out on Roddick for leaving dirty dishes in the sink.

Let's come to a conclusion on our house.

AA: I don't have a problem with T-Pain. It's more a problem with auto tune in general.

The house so far:

Cedric Benson
T.O.
Andy Roddick
Danica Patrick
Jay Cutler (just for Cutlerpalooza sake)
Misty May-Treanor
Kerri Walsh (girls with the "I" instead of "Y" are always good for drama)

My theory with the women is that the two will form an alliance against Danica, causing even more fun in the house.

I've been watching a lot of Food Network lately. Which athlete would host the best cooking show?

CB: So assume that I'm writing this e-mail in auto tune.

I love the addition of Misty May and Walsh. I hope that Misty May and Danica pair up, an unforeseen alliance. That would create drama to the 50th degree.

I always liked Cuttino Mobley when he was on MTV's "Cribs." He might be good for the cooking show.

The best reality shows are the scripted ones that are about celebs' lives, like "Keeping up with the Kardashians" and "The Hills." Here's my idea: "Livin' with the Van Gundys" -- a show that fallows both Stan and Jeff in a home setting. Imagine them going to the Home Depot on a nice little Saturday or waiting for dinner at the Olive Garden on "kids eat free" night.

AA: My cooking-show idea would be "At Home With The Romos." The combo of Tony Romo grilling and Jessica Simpson ordering takeout would be hi-larious.

There are many choices for a family-type show. The first one that comes to mind is just because of the title. "The Brady Bunch" with Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen would get both male and female viewers and could be on a major network. "The Manning Family" could be interesting, too. I will now allow this time for you to drool over Tom Brady …

CB: Just because Tom Brady is my No. 1 man crush doesn't mean I am drooling over him! Both "At Home with the Romos" and "The Brady Bunch" would be classic. I could even see a combo show where for a week the Romos and Bradys get together for a vacation on a tropical island. We keep saying the "Romos." Are Tony and Jessica married?

Through all of this talk, it seems to me that football players are the most interesting players off the field. It goes back to the days in high school when the quarterback from the football team dated the head varsity cheerleader. That's the key to success. Be the quarterback of the football team. The two shows you created are microcosms of that. If only I had picked up on this concept when I was younger. Instead, I was too busy watching the after-Jordan era Bulls and playing "Madden" on my Nintendo 64.

Best sports video game?

AA: Don't make me break this down by sport:

NBA Jam for Sega
NHL 95, also for Sega
Madden (gets better every year)
MVP 2006? Baseball games aren't very good in general.
Mike Tyson's Knockout
Duck Hunt

CB: A quick glance would say Sega is the No. 1 seed. The controller was by far the best for sports gaming. The three-button attack, and later the six-button controller allowed for the best game play, no matter the sport. I like "NBA Jam" but when it comes to video games, if a game doesn't follow real game play, then I can't say it's the best. "NBA Live" for Sega was the best basketball game that actually had basketball strategy.

Madden is the king of sports video games. Like you said, every year it gets better. Football allows for the best strategy game play. I was also a fan of "Tecmo Bowl." I have one beef with Madden. Remember a few years back when Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb were really good? Every kid and their mother would play as the Falcons or the Eagles. I have a feeling you fall into this category. Those kids would just option run on every single play. I hated that! In the last couple of years EA Sports has adjusted the defensive speed which doesn't allow a quarterback to just run wild on any given play. My five are:

NBA Live: Sega
Madden: PlayStation 3
MVP Baseball: PlayStation
NBA Jam Tournament Edition: Sega
Mario Kart: Nintendo 64

AA: I wasn't one of those kids.

CB: I don't believe it.

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MY COUCH -- Another edition of mindless thoughts in log form. Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Events occur in real time.

7:03 Mark Jackson is previewing the strategy for the Lakers. He says they need to seek and destroy. Was that a subconscious reference to Metallica?

7:08 Opening tip. I love the Lakers in the home whites.

7:11 Pau Gasol with a hook shot on the block. Best on the block: 1. Tim Duncan 2. Kevin Garnett 3. Gasol

7:16 Derek Fisher just took a charge on Mickael Pietrus. Fisher is one of the best at taking charges. My all-charge team: Andres Nocioni, Anderson Varejao, Chris Duhon, Robert Horry and Scottie Pippen.

7:25 Jack Nicholson giving a helping hand. He helps the ball boy gather J.J. Redick's warm-ups. Remember the Sports Illustrated cover with Redick and Adam Morrison on it? Great job.

7:27 The Magic are playing Dwight Howard and Marcin Gortat together. This is a good look, except for the fact that neither of them can hit a jump shot.

7:36 End of the first. Game tied at 15. It is the lowest-scoring first quarter in NBA Finals history. Hey, just like the old saying, "Chicks dig the long ball," "Chicks dig defensive basketball," right?

7:49 Star gazing. One of the best parts of Lakers basketball is the cutaway into the crowd to see the celebs watching the game. Nothing beats watching someone watch sports. Exciting! They show Denzel Washington and mention his new movie, "The Taking of Pelham 123."

I'm not sure about this movie. Most people will say that John Travolta is great because he can play any role, hero or villain. I question that and ask, "What have you done for me lately?" He hasn't done anything good since "Face/Off."

7:53 After three straight misses, Jordan Farmar needs to stop shooting.

7:55 One of the big sponsors for the NBA Finals is the new movie starring Jack Black and Michael Cera, "Year One." I think I would rather watch promos of them being themselves than see the movie.

7:56 Great. ABC has a teaser promo for its new comedy Wednesday coming this fall. The new lineup: "According to Jim," "Cavemen," and "Carpoolers."

Two ideas for sitcoms:

A show based off Statler and Waldorf from the balcony in "The Muppet Show." The idea also stems from the "Grumpy Old Men" movies. I can watch ornery old men do comedy for hours. It also may be a foreshadowing for my own life.

Satan as a single suburban house dad with two teenage daughters and a son. It writes itself.

8:08 Halftime. 40-35 Lakers.

8:33 Kobe Bryant has hit three straight shots. He's flipping on the John McClane switch. This is a mode in which a single player takes over a game like McClane took over Nakatomi Plaza in "Die Hard."

8:36 Who is less effective? Jordan Farmar, Rafer Alston, or Jimmy Fallon?

8:41 Why has ABC used Green Day songs to go to commercial breaks all game? Am I the only one who has noticed this? Yup, nothing says the NBA Finals like a punk band with a political agenda.

8:56 End of three quarters. Magic lead 65-63.

9:03 Could Luol Deng ever be as effective as Lamar Odom is for the Lakers? Looking ahead to next year with the Bulls, Deng needs to come off the bench and offer scoring and rebounding. He needs to be a guy who can do it all. The one glaring hole on this Bulls team is the lack of a player who can make a 10- to 15-foot jump shot consistently. They need someone who also doesn't need to demand the ball. Just a guy who can spot up and hit a shot when asked.

9:12 I get a call from fellow producer, friend and confidant, Adam Abdalla. He calls me during a promo for the reality show "Wipeout." The question comes up, which reality show would I want to be on? I choose MTV's "The Real World." Explanation to come later.

This just dawned on me: Adam and I might be the next Statler and Waldorf.

9:22 OMG -- I haven't seen Jack that mad since he thought there was a rat in his crew during "The Departed." Nicholson is livid over a couple of bad calls by the refs.

9:43 Line of the night. Mark Jackson after Hedo Turkoglu's block on Kobe's last-second shot. "He- Don't!"

Let's keep this going. Overtime!

9:55 The Lakers are taking over, up five with three and change left in OT. Kobe and Gasol are leading the way. If there was a two-on-two tournament in the NBA, who would win? Here are my top five teams:

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol
Tony Parker and Tim Duncan
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett
Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony
LeBron James and Drew Carey

10:06 Lakers win. They lead the series 2-0.

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Chicago Blackhawks v Detroit Red Wings DETROIT - APRIL 11: Chris Chelios #24 of the Detroit Red Wings and Patrick Kane #88.

The Red Wings are stronger, faster and smarter. This is good for the Blackhawks.

Now, before you completely dismiss this statement, let's think about this. The Hawks are a young team; each young team has a growing process that they have to go through to get to a championship. This is my older brother theory: The Wings may beat down the Hawks in this series, but it will turn out to be good in the long run.

Growing up, I never had an older brother. I did have a best friend who was older, faster and stronger than me. Name the sport, and he was better at it. He was even better than me at made-up sports such as one-on-one tackle football. I never won. But just because I never won didn't mean I didn't stop trying. The losing made me better. It's an analogy we can all relate to. Losing allows us to learn how to win.

As I said, all championship teams needs to go through a growth process (Michael Jordan and the Bulls, Steve Young and the 49ers, Big Papi and the Red Sox). All these teams had to get past the mental and physical stranglehold their rivals had on them. The process of learning how to beat the older kid on the block is valuable and needed.

At some point within the losing, the lightbulb turns on. The older brother, the childhood friend or the stronger team all of a sudden isn't so fast and so strong. The moment the light turns on, the younger team has figured it out. The light has not turned on yet for the Hawks. The Wings are the better team. They are the smarter team. They have been in this situation before. They have gone through the learning process.

The moment the light turns on, the older brother has no chance. That's why if the Hawks lose this series, it's not a bad thing. I know lots of people who wanted the Hawks to face the Anaheim Ducks in the conference finals. The reasoning and logic was that the Ducks are the lesser opponent compared to the Wings. I disagree with this thought process. The Hawks are better off facing the Wings, win or lose.

When teams are on the cusp and about to break through, they need the toughest competition possible. Facing the Ducks may have given the Hawks a better chance at the Cup this year, but with this young team, are we really concerned with how they finish this year? This is all icing on the cake. If they win it all, then awesome! If they don't, this just adds to the learning process.

Facing the lesser opponent is only better for a team in two ways. One, if the team is a one-hit wonder. One-hit wonders are like shooting stars; they can face the weaker teams on the way to a title because when it comes to the future they won't be around. The Florida Marlins are the perfect example of this.

The Marlins only try and win championships one at a time. For those who live in Del Boca Vista, that's OK. I want more from the Blackhawks. I want this winning thing to be the norm.

The second way it's OK to face the lesser opponent is when a team is over the hill and on its last legs. It's the old adage -- you can't teach an old dog new tricks. They just need to survive and advance.

Facing the Wings is much better in the long run than seeing the Ducks. The movie "D3: The Mighty Ducks" is a perfect example of the big brother theory. Charlie Conway and his Ducks teammates have to face the older, faster and stronger varsity team at Eden Hall Academy. In the end, the Ducks use a secret weapon to win the game; Goldberg, the former goalie turned defenseman, gets the winning goal.

The older brother might pin us on the ground in the backyard this time, but soon we will have his number. In a time of year when usually the playoff picture in Chicago is dark, it's exciting to watch the flickering light of the young Blackhawks, even if it's a part of a learning process.

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Back in the Jordan era, MJ drives the ball up the court against the Portland Trail Blazers.

My basketball life has been written in two chapters: the Jordan era and the post-Jordan era. Since the start of the Jordan era, the Bulls have played in four series that went seven games.

Since the end of the Jordan Era, the Bulls haven't gone seven games in a series but have gone to Game 6 three times.

1990 Eastern Conference Finals (Pistons defeat Bulls)

The Pistons beat the Bulls in seven games on their way to the NBA finals. This is the blueprint for all young teams. A young team gets to the playoffs, advances in the playoffs, and then gets roughed up in a tough series. Experts point to this as something that has to happen before a young team's can get to the championship. The young Bulls went on to win three straight titles after this series.

1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Bulls defeat Knicks)

This is where all of my hatred for the New York Knicks begins. Patrick Ewing (not Patrick Chewing), Anthony Mason, Charles Oakley, Xavier McDaniel and John Starks. If you want to relive the excitement of that Game 7, I found the pregame segment from the NBA on NBC on YouTube. Does anyone else notice the music in the opening? Once Marv Albert starts talking about Jordan and the Bulls, it's the same music from the original Iron Chef opening on the Food Network.

1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Knicks defeat Bulls)

1998 Eastern Conference Finals (Bulls defeat Pacers)

This year's Bulls team should look at how the '98 team finished out the Pacers. Doug Collins on TNT always talks about finishing out quarters. The key is playing better than the opponent for the final two minutes of each quarter. Most veteran championship-caliber teams finish out quarters well.

The Bulls lost all three of their post-Jordan six-game series ('05, Wizards defeat Bulls; '06, Heat defeat Bulls; '07, Pistons defeat Bulls).

Here are the keys for the Bulls in Game 7.

Somebody needs to "D" up Rajon Rondo. I understand that Rondo is playing great. I'm not taking that away from him. But at what point do I need to ask how difficult it is to put up those numbers when nobody is playing any defense on him?

Stop Paul Pierce. It's at home, it's Game 7, and "The Truth" hasn't dominated a game yet. It could get ugly Saturday if Pierce gets going early.

Continue to grow the legend. Last night during the first quarter of Game 6, at 6:14 p.m., I sent a text to my buddy Adrian, the world's biggest Spurs fan (RIP 2009 Spurs), which read: "Rose needs to start building his legend tonight!" On the last play of the game, Derrick stepped up the defense and blocked Rondo. I'll remember this game as "The Block," and as the start of Derrick Rose's legend.

Put a hand in Ray Allen's face. Allen's 51 points in Game 6 is a new opponent playoff scoring high. It was previously held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who scored 44 points in 1974 with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bulls need to score in the paint. Early in Game 6 when the Bulls jumped out to a lead, it was due to points in the paint. In the second half, the Celtics' defense kept Rose and Gordon out of the paint.

Nothing is better than a Game 7 in sports. Game 7 is better than sleeping in, ice cream and a Seinfeld reunion show. I can't wait!

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AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen (20) reacts after hitting a 3-point shot with 2 seconds left over Chicago Bulls forward Joakim Noah (13) for a 118-115 win in a first-round NBA basketball playoff game Monday, April 20, 2009, in Boston.

The Bulls were so close to winning two games on the Celtic's home floor. Now the series shifts to Chicago.

What's worse in sports? Losing on a buzzer-beater or losing in a blowout? In the first week of the NBA playoffs, there have been two buzzer-beaters (by Allen and Andre Iguodala) and a whole batch of blowouts. Heck, on Sunday night, coach Byron Scott took out his starting lineup more than halfway through the fourth quarter as the Nuggets flat-out killed the Hornets in Game 1.

Reggie Miller was calling the game for TNT. He weighed in on which loss he thinks is worse, a buzzer-beater or blowout. He said that as a player, in a blowout you just move on to the next game. The attitude is that you know what you did wrong. Nothing was right, so take that and fix it for the next outing.

Clearly the Hornets gave up in the fourth quarter, which, to me, makes more sense. If nothing had worked out on that one given night then it's only one game. Go back to the drawing board and come back the next night.

That's easy for me to say; the Hornets lost Game 2 108-93. Ouch.

As a fan, I hate losing on a buzzer-beater. I hate the feeling of being so close and having the rug ripped right out from beneath me. In a blowout situation, I can just brush it off. I can use any collection of sports clichés to justify it in my head.

"They're still alive, still in the mix, in the playoffs anything can happen, they can be happy with a split on the road, we're still in the driver's seat, it's not do or die yet, they played an exciting brand of basketball, we're getting good looks, and Ben Gordon is so money he doesn't even know it."

The buzzer-beater to me is much more than just a win. It's momentum. It's the exclamation point at the end of a sentence!

What if Michael Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo was just a basket made in the third quarter? Two points. That's all it means in the box score. The fact that it happened right before the buzzer sounded makes it one of the best sports moments in Chicago history.

I wonder whether this same concept holds true in everyday life. What's worse: being rejected by a girl on the spot or settling for months of nonthreatening coffee or lunch friend dates?

I'd go with the rejection buzzer-beater. It hurts but at least I walk away not thinking that I have a chance.

Writing about losing got my mind thinking about epic losers in entertainment. The loser in film is a no-brainer at the box office. Find a loser, right before high school graduation, and let him get the girl in the end. Film. Done. Millions.

Thanks to my mom and sister, "10 Things I Hate About You" is the movie that comes to mind. I've seen it more than 20 times. I can quote it almost as much as I can quote "The Departed." The kid from "3rd Rock from the Sun" gets the girl from Alex Mack.

It's a simple plot line: Loser boy meets girl, likes girl and then gets the girl after two hours of relentless convincing. That's also the same plot line in Jennifer Love Hewitt's "Can't Hardly Wait." It's really the same movie with a different soundtrack.

If Ray Allen's making the game-winning shot in Game 2 is like Cameron's getting Bianca Stratford in "10 Things I Hate About You," the Bulls better watch out. At the end of the movie Cameron had all the confidence in the world. Just like I would assume the Celtics have rolling into Chicago.

With the buzzer-beater in Game 2, the Celtics won, and they took back all the momentum.

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Chris Paul

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Each game he plays, my mind changes. One minute I love him; the next minute I hate him. It's a lot like my relationship with hot pockets. The moment I think I will never eat another hot pocket is the same moment I'm standing in a 7-Eleven hungry and ready to attack the delicious treat.

The curious case of Benjamin Gordon. He's both hot and cold. At times, he's the one who stands in his own way. He has a superhero complex. On most nights, Gordon is the best pure shooter on the court. There are very few in the NBA who can shoot the rock like BG can. Why do so many dislike Gordon? Why do so many think he's a bad fit for the Bulls?

Let's look at Gordon's numbers. He's averaging 20.5 points per game, shooting 46% from the field, and shooting 42% from three. Those are great numbers from a shooting guard. Now let's look at his splits between wins and losses. In wins, Gordon averages 20.6 points per game, and in losses he's averaging 20.4 points per game. That's incredible!

For a streaky shooter like Gordon, I would have thought that his point totals would differ between wins and losses. But it's the opposite. He averages the same points per game no matter the outcome of the team. In fact, when looking at his splits, the only time I see a dramatic drop off in point totals is when the Bulls play on Wednesdays (17.0 ppg).

Rain or shine, win or lose, and as long as it's not Wednesday, Gordon will give you 20 a night. At the moment in the NBA there are only 23 players averaging 20 points per game or more. BG is a unique player due to his size and his ability to flat out fill it up.

I place him in the "shooters with defense optional" club. Guys that are also sitting in that tree fort clubhouse are Leandro Barbosa, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson, and Jason Terry. And yes, they do have a sign made with magic marker that reads "No girls allowed" hanging outside. The one difference between all of these guys and BG is how much they all drop off in point totals in wins and losses. Barbosa - win 15.8, loss 12.9. Crawford - win 21.7, loss 17.4. Robinson - win 19.1, loss 17.6. Terry - win 20.8, loss 18.9.

I wonder how Gordon would play on other teams. He would be perfect for Mike D'Antoni's "seven seconds or less" system in New York. He would average 30 a night playing for the Kings, Pacers, or Wizards. He would fit in as the solid three-point specialist with the Spurs. And imagine if he played in Orlando with Dwight Howard. The Magic launch 26.5 shots from distance already. Add Ben Gordon and that number would hit 30 a night.

For some odd reason, when thinking about BG and the Bulls, it's always negative. Is this a grass is greener situation? The moment he is gone, will he be missed? Who fills the 20 a game and the instant offense capability? Those on the other side of the fence will talk about the turnovers and his bad shot selection and will be happy when he is gone.

I will assume that he will be successful at his next landing spot. Thinking about Gordon possibly leaving Chicago makes me think of other Chicago athletes who left our city to move on to greater success. I'm thinking about guys like Greg Maddux, Carlos Lee, Elton Brand, Ron Artest, Chris Chelios, and Cedric Benson. Hey, the Bengals got 747 yards and two touchdowns out of him last year. But who needs a backup running back? Matt Forte will live and run forever!

If the Bulls make the playoffs, they will need Gordon. Every successful team needs a "go to" guy. Until Derrick Rose learns to take over games, Gordon is the closest thing we've got.

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