Don't Watch This Before Making Your Playoff Picks

The part of me that registers fear and worry tells me that the Spurs are probably going to win the title this year and sap my joy for the NBA in the process. My head tells me that the Mavs and the Pistons will clash in the Finals. My "basketball soul" yearns for a run-and-gun Suns title. But my heart? My heart belongs to the Rockets this year. I've always had a soft spot for T-Mac and I am convinced that this is the year he gets his due. I think Shane Battier is the defensive player of the year. I find Yao Ming to be the most commonly overlooked dominant force in the NBA. I believe Chuck Hayes is the best 6'6" rebounder since Charles Barkley. I've even come around to enjoy Beetlejuice and his evil sidekick, Rafer Alston. I love the Rockets. There, I said it.

That is why it was a very dangerous and stupid thing to pull up the old T-Mac 13 points in 33 seconds clip. After watching that, a hope and a wish somehow crossed over and became a belief; one that I am now prepared to endorse and affirm and then support with flimsy statistics.

All of which means that I now have virtually no chance of accurately predicting the NBA champ this year. And I haven't even posted my picks yet. Good times.