... haven't you been watching the NBA playoffs? I'm sorry, but I just can't write about anything else right now. (Note: In case you're DYING to know my thoughts about baseball at the quarter point of the season, I'll add them briefly at the end of this post.)

I got off the phone with my brother not too long ago. He is a die-hard Orlando Magic fan, but also takes the term "superstitious" to an almost unthinkable level. For whatever reason, he didn't get a chance to watch Game One of the Cavs-Magic on Wednesday (work-related reasons, I believe). Of course the Magic won that game 107-106. So, he figured that, since he didn't watch the first game and the Magic won, if he didn't watch the second game, they would win again. Sound logic, based on the simple formula of: If A = B and B = C, then A must equal C.

Well that's all well and good, except he betrayed himself by, at our mother's urging, flipping the game on just in time to see LeBron James drain his miracle three-pointer. (Another quick note: Stan Van Gundy, how do you allow LeBron to get the ball in that situation? You MUST double-team him. It's not even a question. Take your chances with anyone else.)

Fast forward to tonight and a pivotal Game Three. My brother again elects not to watch, but instead calls me while distracting himself with video games and other nonsense. I pick up the phone just as the game is coming out of halftime, and we discuss, among other things: Terminator Salvation (horribly disappointing), the overall state of film making (dreadful), the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl chances in 2009-10 (not as bad as everyone may think) and our pick-up basketball games over the years (intense). All the while, I watched the game, periodically updating him. Once it became apparent the Magic had Game Three in hand, he gave in and turned it on to see the final 30 seconds or so.

I'm both amazed and confused that a die-hard fan can do this, but I know my brother is not the only one in the world. I'm the type of fan that can't miss a minute of my teams' games. I have the season package for MLB.tv so I can watch the Diamondbacks. I just need to watch.

Regardless of who's watching what, however, the NBA playoffs have been nothing short of spectacular. They really have been top-notch. Boston-Chicago was a classic in the first round. Boston-Orlando and L.A.-Houston were both better-than-average series in the second round. And now Orlando-Cleveland and Denver-L.A. are both shaping up to be seven-game heart-stoppers. I think by now it should be clear to everyone that Orlando matches up with Cleveland better than any team in the league. LeBron James is still the unquestioned best player in the world, but his average cast of supporters is starting to stand out. Orlando, by comparison, has one of the top five talents in the league (Dwight Howard), complemented by all-star talent in Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. Just imagine if this team had a healthy Jameer Nelson. Had Orlando had him for the entire season and into the playoffs, I'm fairly certain they would have beaten out Cleveland for the top overall seed and would be favored in this series. Instead, as my brother pointed out, the sportscasters tomorrow will ask what is wrong with Cleveland, rather than what is right with Orlando.

Out west things are just as entertaining. I have told anyone that will listen that the Nuggets have been the most entertaining team to me over the last month or so. I love watching them play. It's a perfect mix of players, and they are following a formula that has produced NBA champions in the past. Let's take a look: One unquestioned stud (Carmelo Anthony), a veteran leader and viable second scoring option (Chauncey Billups), a standout defensive stopper (Dahntay Jones), a sparkplug off the bench (J.R. Smith), a handful of selfless bangers in the paint (Nene, Kenyon Martin, Chris Anderson). Does it equal a title for the Nuggets this year? Well, that remains to be seen, but I wouldn't be surprised. George Karl is also an underrated coach in my opinion. This is a guy that has taken his team to the playoffs 18 out of 21 years as a head coach. He might be due.

It's hard for me to root against the Magic, because I want them to win for my brother. I guess I would prefer a Magic-Nuggets Finals (me and ... Bueller ... Bueller .... no one?), though Cavs-Magic, or Cavs-Lakers, or Nuggets-Cavs wouldn't be so bad either. I just hope they both stay as entertaining as they've been.

Now, some quick – very quick – baseball thoughts at the quarter point of the season.

Biggest surprise: Texas Rangers. We all knew they'd score runs, but I figured another 80-84 win season was in store. But so far the Rangers look legit. If they can continue getting decent pitching, they could win the AL West. Honorable mentions: Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates.

Biggest disappointment: Arizona Diamondbacks. Let's see: Ace injured, manager fired, underachieving offense, weak bullpen, player's wife's death. BELIEVE me, I wish more than anyone I wasn't writing about this, but it's hard to argue for a bigger disappointment than the D'backs. They still have time to turn it around (19-25), but they better start soon. Honorable mentions: Cleveland Indians, David Ortiz, Chicago Cubs.

World Series preview: Hard to argue with the Dodgers. Even without Manny, they have stayed dominant. St. Louis looks legit, and I have a feeling the Cubs will be there at the end. The Mets and Phillies should battle in the east. In the AL, I'd have to say Red Sox, Rays or Yankees, though I like the Blue Jays a lot. I don't think they're going anywhere. So, right now, I'll say Dodgers and Red Sox. But check back in a few months to see how wrong I might end up.