Cavs
Record: 61-21
Analysis: If the Cleveland Cavs were destined to win a championship, this would be the season to finish what they started. LeBron James and company have jammed down on the accelerator for 82 games and need to continue to apply that pressure to every team they face if they want to reach the NBA Finals. Cavs'' owner Dan Gilbert spent the money to bring the remaining pieces of the playoff puzzle to Cleveland. Shaquille O''Neal, though hurt now, will return to join forces with Anthony Parker and Antawn Jamison, the other two fresh faces in the Cavs postseason line-up. From the perimeter Mo'' Williams and Delonte West will continue to carry the load with Daniel Gibson acting as their long range threat. The X-factor in this post-season remains Anderson Varejao, but don''t discredit the contributions of Jawad Williams and J.J. Hickson who have proved themselves throughout the course of the season as viable options off the bench.

Magic
Record: 59-23
Analysis: The Orlando Magic have gotten stronger as the season has progressed. Dwight Howard remains the catalyst with a healthy Jameer Nelson feeding him the rock. The addition of Vince Carter has added a dash of athleticism along with a veteran leader to lean on come the playoffs. Rashard Lewis does a little bit of everything for Orlando and because of his length will help create mismatches on the perimeter. When J.J. Redick is on the floor the Magic add a deep threat that can help erase double digit deficits in a hurry. The "Master of Panic", as Shaq so affectionately refers to Stan Van Gundy, has himself a team capable of winning a championship this year and for year''s to come.

Player of the series: Cavs - LeBron James (32.4 ppg, 12 rpg, 6 apg)

Chances of Winning Conference Finals: Cavs 44.3% - Magic 39.5%

Lakers
Record: 57-25
Analysis: The defending NBA champs march into the playoffs as the Western Conference''s #1 seed for the third straight year. However, the Los Angeles Lakers have more chinks in their armor than in years past. Letting Trevor Ariza depart in favor of Ron Artest has been a failure, Pau Gasol has become more vocal about his role (or lack thereof) on the offensive end, and Kobe Bryant is finally starting to show some wear after competing in nearly 1,200 games (not counting contests with Team USA). Despite these concerns, Los Angeles is still the Vegas favorite to return to the Finals.

Blazers
Record: 50-32
Analysis: How the Portland Trail Blazers made it to this juncture of the season is a miracle in itself. No team in the NBA endured as many bumps and bruises as Portland. The latest is Brandon Roy''s knee injury that could force him to miss the entire playoffs. (See how Whatifsports.com's computers predicted a Blazers' trip to the NBA Finals.) When you add that to the extended absences throughout the season by Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez, and the season-ending injuries suffered by big men Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla, the Blazers are a playoff anomaly. Yet through all the adversity, Rip City is still is playing in the spring. After an initial adjustment period, offseason acquisition Andre Miller has paid dividends, averaging 14 points and 5.5 assists off the bench. A mid-season trade for Marcus Camby helped replace the loss of Oden and Przybilla, with Camby chipping in 7 points and 11 rebounds a game.

Player of the series: Lakers - Kobe Bryant (31.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg)

Chances of Winning Conference Finals: Blazers 34.8% - Lakers 17.5%