(1). San Antonio Spurs (50-16)

1st round foe: (8) Utah Jazz (36-30)

Biggest concern vs. Jazz: With big boys Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, Utah can cause the Spurs problems in the paint.

Last 10: 10-0 (Won 10)

Strengths: The hottest team in the NBA, the Spurs have great chemistry, Tony Parker is playing at a very high level and they’ve got one of game’s best coaches in Gregg Popovich.

Weaknesses: Still wondering if this regular-season success is a product of the schedule? Are they really as good as they appear to be? What happens if Parker gets in foul trouble early?

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It’ s been the talk of the NBA. Who had the better dunk?

Blake Griffin’s throw down over Kendrick Perkins or LeBron James literally jumping over John Lucas for a dunk?

I’m not a fan of neither. Yeah, call me Scrooge.

These thrown-in dunks like Griffin had over a guy who can’t jump does nothing for me. As for the one James had, catching a lob one handed is nothing new in today’s game. Had Lucas not ducked, that could have turned ugly.

I’ll take Vince Carter’s dunks over Mount Mutumbo or Alonzo Mourning or Kobe Bryant’s over Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady’s dunk over Shawn Bradley over Griffin’s and James’ respective jams because they went through them.

Then I’d take Michael Jordan’s pure posterization over Patrick Ewing over any of them.

Kobe Bryant is still the game's best player.

I made my list.

Checked it twice

Now you’re going to find out.

The NBA players I think are oh so nice.

These guys are why I love the game of basketball. Here are my 10 favorite players in the league right now.

These are the guys if I had the money to buy NBA authentic jerseys instead of the replicas, these guys would be on my wish list. They not only provide the highlights, but you have to keep your eyes on them every play because the moment you go to grab a slice of pizza, they’ve done something you may never see again.

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This picture is hanging on my wall. Check out the fro people. Dr. J. was one of the all-time great leapers, period.

These guys did more than just jump out the gym.

They made you go, “Oh lawd” like the late Bernie Mac used to say.

We’ll always miss you, Bernie.

Anyway, these guys had crazy hops and did things that no one else can duplicate. You got guys who can dunk, but can they have the hang time, elevation and do so with a forcefulness?

That’s the definition of a leaper to me.

So before continuing, you know the routine people.

These guys are not on my list: Kenny “Sky” Walker, Dee Brown, Harold Minor, Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin (he may be in the future if he stays healthy), Larry Nance, Steve Francis, Kobe Bryant, J.R. Rider, Josh Smith or Gerald Green.

So with that being said, let’s get to it.

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Stephen Curry has answered all the questions about whether he was too slight in stature to shine early in the NBA.

Ya’ll know Stephen Curry is my guy.

Just do a search of his name on my blog to find out.

When making my predictions for the 2009-10 NBA season, I thought the rookie of the year award would come down to Blake Griffin of Oklahoma and Curry, who was the most exciting college player while at Davidson.

Since Griffin, the top pick in the 2009 draft, had a major injury that cost him the season, (Darn L.A. Clippers curse), Curry became my choice by process of elimination.

For months, people have essentially given the award to Sacramento point guard Tyreke Evans out of Memphis, but Curry has been playing better and better as has his team.

The argument against Curry was the Warriors were a bad team. They still are but the Warriors are 5-5 in their last 10 days. The Kings? 1-9. Both teams are 24-54.

Being part of Don Nelson becoming the all-time winningest coach in NBA history will help Curry, but his play should merit enough to take home the honor.

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After hitting the game-winning shot to beat Pittsburgh, Scottie Reynolds (center with black glove) celebrated with his Villanova teammates as the third-seeded Wildcats are headed to the Final Four after upsetting the top-seeded Panthers, 78-76, Saturday night.

As Scottie Reynolds’ game-winning shot trickled down through the nets Saturday night, my NCAA Tournament bracket was set ablaze.

Not literally, of course, but Villanova knocked out the team I picked to win the national title – Pittsburgh.

The Wildcats won, 78-76, on a driving Reynolds’ layup with 0.5 seconds remaining. Levance Fields flung a near full-court heave that had a good chance to go in, but it banged off the backboard at the buzzer.

Got to feel for the Panthers. They get past the Sweet 16, finally, and then fall to Villanova, but their style of play leaves little margin for error.

So going 21-of-29 from the free-throw line cost them the game. Villanova was nearly perfect from the charity stripe: 22-of-23.

Only two of my Final Four predictions are alive: Louisville and Oklahoma.

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