Game three: Will Yao get fronted again? That's a rhetorical question. Of course he will. But last time it happened the team still managed to get 35 points from the bench, put up over 100 points and shoot 50% in a tight contest. Defense is what's going to make the difference at home.

The NBA has entered it's best era since the 1980s. The Bulls (and Rockets) dominated 90s were fun but Jordan never had a suitable rival. The reason why the Celtics and Lakers were so much fun in the 80s was that they lifted each others' game. Plus, there were a lot of other compelling, fun-to-watch teams like the Rockets, Sixers, Hawks, Spurs, Pistons, etc.

Right now we have so many marquee names to enjoy besides the obvious: Lebron and Kobe. Unfortunately, for this first round series, Brandon Roy is one of them. Throw in Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Tony Parker etc. and you have a lot of young players who are helping this league be as competitive and nearly as entertaining as it was when Magic and Larry roamed NBA arenas.

The Astros bullpen is a concern. They won the first two games from the Dodgers and lost three of four against Cincinnati. In five of the six games the pen had trouble holding leads. Whether it's Geary, Byrdak, Fulchino or Sampson, it's been way too much of an adventure. Good thing the offense is coming around and the team won the Dodgers series despite struggling with relief pitching. You should be encouraged that the starters have pitched pretty well and the 'experts' say the forecast for the pen is good, especially with Brocail coming back soon.