During the 2009 NBA playoffs, we’ve heard a lot about The Great Debate. Who is better — Kobe Bryant or LeBron James? While that debate definitely is great, we’ll look at this debate based solely on fantasy basketball stats.

Scoring: LeBron - The King is averaging 35.3 points in the playoffs
Assists: LeBron - The great Cavalier dishes an average of 6.9 assists.
Rebounds: LeBron - Mr. James is grabbing 8.6 boards per outing.
Blocked Shots: Kobe - The Black Mamba is just barely ahead.
Steals: Kobe - The former #8 is averaging 1.93 steals in the playoffs.
FG%: LeBron - The crab dribbler is shooting 53.1%.
3P%: Kobe - Vanessa’s husband is hitting 37.7% of his threes.
FT%: Kobe - Jellybean’s son is nailing more than 88% of his freebies.

After these eight fantasy basketball categories, Kobe and LeBron are tied at four. I guess The Great Debate will have to continue.

The 2009 NBA Conference Finals are set. In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers will host the Denver Nuggets. In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Orlando Magic.

If you are playing playoff fantasy basketball, which players should shine in the NBA’s version of the Final Four? Here’s a look at the best players at each position:

C Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
It seems like Howard and Stan Van Gundy are now on the same page. Superman will concentrate on rebounds and blocked shots while allowing his teammates to handle the scoring. Even though he probably won’t have any huge offensive outbursts, Howard is still a fantasy stud at this point.

PF Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
This is the weakest spot in the remaining NBA teams. Gasol is very talented but sometimes struggled against the Rockets. He has the highest ceiling of any remaining power forward but he could find it tough to produce against the physical Nuggets defenders.

SF LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
This is a no-brainer. LeBron is not only the best small forward in fantasy basketball right now, he’s by far the best fantasy basketball player. If he’s on your team, thank your lucky stars.

SG Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Now that Kobe won’t have to go against Shane Battier and Ron Artest, he could find some more room to breathe. That said, the Nuggets have been playing good defense as of late.

PG Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets
Speaking of the Nuggets, whether or not they advance will likely depend on the play of Big Shot Billups. If he can continue is outstanding play, Billups could topple the Lakers … again, just like in 2004.

For those playing playoff fantasy basketball, you now have eight teams to choose from instead of 16. Here is the fantasy All-Star team comprised of those players still alive in the 2009 NBA Playoffs:

Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (Image: Newscom)

C Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
After plenty of rest following his Game 6 suspension in the first round, look for Dwight Howard to try to beat up on the depleted Boston Celtics. With Kevin Garnett out, Howard could go off.

PF Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
The Nuggets are a difficult matchup but Dirk Nowitzki should be able to have a solid series. He started off slow against the San Antonio Spurs but is starting to heat up.

SF LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Nobody is playing as well or as determined as LeBron James. He’s a fantasy basketball beast at this point.

SG Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are going to get a tough test from the Houston Rockets. That said, expect Kobe Bryant to get loose for a few big games.

PG Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets
In the first round, Chauncey Billups was amazing. Against the Mavs, he’ll try to continue that magic.

With the 2009 NBA playoffs underway, some fantasy basketball owners who can’t get enough are playing playoff fantasy basketball. If you are one of those obsessed with NBA fantasy, here are the top players to grab for the playoff fantasy basketball:

1) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Far and away, LeBron is the best fantasy player on the planet right now. Especially in the playoffs since his road to the NBA Finals looks like it’s clear sailing due to Kevin Garnett’s injury.

2) Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe is basically the LeBron of the Western Conference bracket. He has a great chance to make it back to the Finals and should post great numbers along the way.

3) Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
In the first round of the playoffs, the Heat are forced on the road to take on the Hawks. Wade is undoubtedly leave it all on the line and could help Miami pull the upset.

4) Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
With Garnett out, expect Pierce to show the heart of a champion. He’s going to come out blazing and his all-around game will be on full display.

5) Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
The Hornets might be a seventh seed on paper but CP3 is going to put up great stats for however long the Hornets remain in the playoffs.

Chris Paul 2009 mix:

5. Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
Although Bosh had a stretch of the season in which he struggled, he’s back to playing great basketball. The acquisition of Shawn Marion has opened up his game a little bit and he’s able to concentrate more on scoring the basketball.

4. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron has been shooting the ball extremely well from the outside, shooting better than 41% on three-pointers in the month of March. If he can add good outside shooting to his repertoire, he’ll become even more impossible to defend.

3. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
His three-pointers aren’t dropping at their normal rate (30% in March) but Nowitzki is still a scoring machine. He’s had a few recent games in which he’s looked as good as ever. If he can remain hot, he could be the best fantasy bigman down the stretch.

2. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
As the Lakers make their push for homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, Bryant is starting to pick up more of the load. Scoring more than 30 points per game in the month, he’s peaking at the perfect time for Kobe fantasy owners.

1. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
There’s simply no player as hot as Wade is right now. His numbers since the All-Star break have been ridiculous. For the month of March, he’s averaging more than 37 points per game.

This soon to be released NBA commercial is hilarious. The commercial features LeBron James singing “Time After Time”. The video of the commercial with LeBron singing can be found at the end of this entry.

For fantasy basketball owners, LeBron James singing the Cyndi Lauper classic “Time After Time” is definitely apropos. If you have LeBron on your fantasy basketball team, you can count on him — time after time — to come through for your squad. This season, LeBron is averaging a career low in minutes but his production is still very good. Best of all, he’s shooting at a career-best percentage from the floor and from the free throw line.

Here is the video of the LeBron James commercial with LeBron singing “Time After Time”:

Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons
While Chauncey Billups could have another solid season, there are some red flags. First of all, he has Rodney Stuckey behind him and Stuckey is viewed as the future of the franchise in Detroit. Second of all, Joe Dumars seems ready and willing to trade Billups if the right trade becomes available. If Billups ends up in a bad situation, his value could plummet.

Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers
Common sense says that if you play next to a very good passer like LeBron James, your fantasy value will rise. However, that hasn’t really been the case. A lot of players have gone to Cleveland as good fantasy players and then fall off the map. Williams should be okay but don’t over value him.

Randy Foye, Minnesota Timberwolves
Ever since he’s come into the league, Randy Foye has gotten fantasy love around the draft time. But each of his first two seasons, he underachieved. He’s once again ranked highly but that is based mostly on hope instead of reality. Don’t draft him expecting a huge jump in numbers.

Beno Udrih, Sacramento Kings
While in San Antonio, Beno Udrih had problems with dedication and staying healthy. He played very well in a short stint on the Kings but don’t let that fool you into thinking he’s a safe player. Now that he has financial security, he could fall back into being an undermotivated injury risk.

Although training camp hasn’t started yet, it is never too early to take a look at the MVP favorites. For the 2008-2009 season, five players have a really great shot at winning the MVP award. Here are the top five 2009 NBA MVP candidates:

5. Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets
If the Rockets can live up to their lofty expectation and Tracy McGrady can stay healthy all year, T-Mac has a chance to be in the MVP running. He’s an immensely talented player who could impress a lot of voters this season. Staying healthy will be a challenge, however.

4. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
In the Olympics, no player looked as surprisingly good as Dwyane Wade. Wade looked like it was the 2006 NBA Finals all over again. If he can remain healthy and lead the Miami Heat back into the playoffs, he should get a few MVP votes.

3. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers should once again be very good. Kobe Bryant should once again be very good. The only thing that is a negative for Bryant in the MVP chase is the fact that he won the award last year. The MVP voters could be wanting to give it to someone new.

2. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
Many NBA experts thought that Chris Paul deserved the MVP last season. If he can have another great season and help the Hornets achieve their lofty goals, there is no reason to not expect CP3 to be near the top of the voting again.

1. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
The time has come for LeBron James to win the MVP award. He’s arguably the best player in the league who hasn’t won the MVP and after a strong Olympics showing, he should be primed and ready to take home that trophy this year.

How good can LeBron James be in the 2008-09 season? MVP good?

Photo: Newscom

Delonte West, who was one of the best players for the Cleveland Cavaliers last year in the NBA playoffs, has re-signed with the Cavs. The Cavs acquired West from the Seattle Supersonics in the three-team mega deal that also brought Ben Wallace to Cleveland.

Last year in the playoffs, West started at point guard. This year, things will be different. The Cavs traded for Mo Williams and he will be the team’s starting point guard. However, that doesn’t mean West won’t play. He should see many minutes behind Williams and even next to Williams.

As far as fantasy basketball is concerned, West is still an intriguing fantasy prospect. He can score a bit, pass adequately, get some steals and he’s a pretty good rebounder for his size. If he gets enough minutes, he could be a player that helps you out in a lot of statistical categories. The main question will be how much he’s going to play.

Look for Williams, West and Daniel Gibson to vie for minutes next to LeBron James in the 2008-09 NBA season for the Cavs.

Photo: Newscom

How would you like to play a game of HORSE against an NBA superstar? David Kalb took that dream a step further. He not only got to play LeBron James in a game of HORSE, he actually beat LeBron. Twice! Check the end of this entry for the David Kalb video of him beating LeBron.

While LeBron was riding the high of helping Team USA bring home the Gold Medal, this loss against a construction worker will definitely be talked about. In terms of fantasy basketball, I think it is safe to assume these pair of losses won’t hurt LeBron too much. He should recover by the time the regular season begins.

Here is the LeBron James video of him losing a game of HORSE against David Kalb:

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