Since Sunday, the predictions that I have seen on TV have gone from being all in the Spurs favor to much more balance.

I guess we start to see what is going to happen in about 1.5 hours.

Greg Oden made a great first impression according to tests that the Oregonian of Portland got its hands on.

Here is the link.

True Hoop on ESPN.com had some interesting statistical breakdowns of the two games against the Spurs.

It shows that LeBron could dominate this series.

Here is the link.

Dick Vitale who said last season that LeBron would someday be considered the equal of Michael Jordan said this morning that the Cavs will win in 7. He said LeBron would be like a young Magic and not allow his team to lose.

I am having a hard time seeing the Cavs beating the Spurs except for the fact that the Cavs won both meetings this season and split last season.

But looking at the rosters, I think Duncan and LeBron will equal each other's production and maybe Gibson can keep up with Ginobili but who is going to stop Tony Parker and what about Robert Horry and Michael Finley coming off the bench.

Saying all this, I do buy into some of what Vitale said but not all of it.

So, I go with Spurs in 6.

Did the New York papers go too far in running pictures of Alex Rodriguez with a woman, not his wife, entering night clubs and running a story of his day with this woman?

I know we received a few complaints of running photos of LeBron James' new home in Bath. And there was some talk in our newsroom of whether this was news or not.

Do you guys care whom Grady Sizemore is dating or LeBron or Brady Quinn? Or what the marital status is of other players. Personally I don't think these items are stories unless the player or his teammates or the organizations say it is the cause of poor play or strife in the locker room.

Well, the Cavs are following the same pattern as last year against the Pistons, lose two, then win two at home. Can they finish it off this time?

I think they can.

Daniel Gibson or someone else will have to drive to the basket to open lanes for LeBron James and draw fouls. And someone will have to provide bonus scoring like Drew Gooden did in Game 4. And the Cavs do have the players to do that. Mike Brown is proving with the Cavs what the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs have done in the past: Defense can win championships.

LeBron James was fouled, but the Cavs can't wait to take the last shot. Go for the throat! … Danica Patrick will win an IndyCar Series race but not this weekend's Indy 500. … The Indians, Tigers, Angels and Red Sox will be the playoff teams in the American League. … Charlie Frye will be the starting quarterback for the Browns, and Brady Quinn will sit unless Frye and Derek Anderson get hurt. … Jamal Lewis is an ancient 27 and will show it this season. … Kent State football will make a run at the MAC title game. … Jimmie Johnson will win the Coca-Cola 600 because he does just about every year. … Expect the David Beckham talk to pick up after the holiday. His arrival to MLS is two months away. … The Yankees are done, and Joe Torre will not survive the season.

Ottawa will beat Anaheim in six games to win the Stanley Cup. … David Stern had to cringe when his next two potential superstars ended up in the Northwest with the Trail Blazers and SuperSonics winning the draft lottery's top two spots. Greg Oden will go to the Blazers and Kevin Durant to the Sonics. … Will anybody see them play? … Despite all of the offseason moves, the Patriots will not win the Super Bowl. No team has bought the Super Bowl, like you can a World Series. … Barry Bonds won't break Aaron's mark until late July at the earliest. … C.C. Sabathia will sign with the Dodgers after next season for $140 million over seven seasons. … Travis Hafner will sign a contract with the Indians, something like $75 million for five years, maybe more. … USC despite having so many players back will not win the BCS title. … Tiger Woods will win the U.S. Open next month at Oakmont C.C., near Pittsburgh. … Wait until you all see the changes to that great course.

It seems to me that Brian Windhorst got it right a couple of days ago in his thinking that the NBA, more than any other sport, sees a team take gradual steps to a championship.

And if Game 1 was any indication, that is what will happen this year, too.

The Cavs don't have a point guard, and they desperately need one — the Pistons proved that.

If LeBron doesn't have the ball, then he can't get it in good spots on the court. If he does have the ball, then his psyche is programmed to pass it off. It's easy to see that a point guard is needed but harder to find.

At some point, though, GM Danny Ferry will have to earn his money and get one. Larry Hughes most certainly is not. And he is even worse when he can't find his shot.

Took my boys on a family trip to Charlotte for the NASCAR All-Star race.

What a great time, go-kart tracks, good time with family and 180,000 gear heads.

The race was outstanding with the no-holds barred format. Kevin Harvick was victorious but Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon showed that they can dominate at Lowe's Motor Speedway. And that should make the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend worth the price of admission and your time on TV this Sunday.

Don't forget about the Indy 500, which will also be raced Sunday. Three women in the race for the first time.

Folks can talk about the NBA and NHL and Major League Baseball, but the attendance marks and TV ratings show that NASCAR is second only to the NFL in the U.S.

Here are links to other views of the Cavs and Nets series:

New York Times

ESPN

Newark Star Ledger with 1 and 2 and 3.