Who Can You Trust?

The old playoff saying goes, "You play nine and trust eight (I think those numbers are right)." Or, as Brian Windhorst described the Cavs' experience last season, you play seven and trust four.

The playoffs are a different animal and sometimes it's hard to know who can be trusted and who cannot. Well, I'm here to tell you.

100% Trustworthy

• LeBron James
• Shaq'uille O'neal
• Delonte West
• Daniel Gibson
• Leon Powe
• Anderson Varejao

That's six players I absolutely trust in the playoffs. Two of them are new (Shaq and Powe) but two of them probably won't play (Powe and Boobie Gibson). Aside from the obvious, here's how I know these guys are up to the task.

Shaq has always been a big game Center. The one criticism of him is that he often doesn't try in games that aren't huge but the reason he even needs an explanation is because sometimes, when you get old, you don't do anything well that you used to. Shaq still has it. Not physically all the time anymore, but he might actually have it together upstairs more than he used to, and I know we all like to think everyone gets smarter as they age, it's not really true.

As for Delonte and Varejao...does anything ever affect them? They both might be so crazy already that they don't even understand pressure. They have a history of playing the same or better when the pressure is on. I'll stake my reputation on all of these guys without blinking.

Boobie and Powe actually have a record of success in big games but they might both be in suits most of the time. What're ya gonna do?

I THINK They're Trustworthy

• Zydrunas Ilgauskas
• Antawn Jamison
• Jamario Moon
• Anthony Parker
• Jawad Williams

This seems like a dis to big Z and Jamison but here's what I've got:

I have no doubt Z will just do what he does no matter what the situation. The only reason he's not in the first group is because I don't trust his body. I can see missed 1-footers and dunk attempts on LeBron spoon feeds. It won't necessarily happen, but I've seen it happen. He's frail, but I love 'im.

John Glenn literally 2 hours ago just told me that he can picture Jamison getting really tight in the playoffs and missing everything. I see where he's coming from. Jamison is cut from the Chris Webber/Kevin Garnett cloth of handsome finesse big men with good jump shots and generally likable personalities. I think Jamison has two things over both of those guys.

1. He's not as good as they are.

2. He knows it.

All this means is that he doesn't have nearly as much pressure on him as either of those other guys and he's smarter than they are. Smart enough to realize the situation he's in and adjust. I believe in him but I'm not 100%.

The other three? I trust them enough but I simply don't know them well enough. Jamario won't be put in any position of pressure and neither will Jawad most likely, but Parker could. I'm worried simply about him not being very good. That is his Achilles heel...not being good. He's better than Wally though so I'm not complaining.

Don't Bet On 'em

• Mo Williams
• JJ Hickson

Without a doubt the two biggest wild cards in this playoff run for the Cavs. One was overwhelmed last year and one is in his second year and younger than I am. The fact that these guys are the 3rd/4th and 5th option (respectively) is working in their favor. I can't tell you whether these guys will put up in the playoffs but I can tell you this: If they do, the Cavs probably won't play more than 5 or 6 games in any series.

Here's my picks for the first round:

East

1-Cavs over 8-Bulls in 4

2-Magic over 7-Bobcats in 5

3-Hawks over 6-Bucks in 5

4-Celtics over 5-Heat in 7

West

1-Lakers over 8-Thunder in 6

2-Mavericks over 7-Spurs in 6

3-Suns over 6-Blazers in 5

5-Nuggets over 4-Jazz in 6