Charlotte Bobcats' D.J. Augustin is an emerging star PG in the NBA./AP Photo

With the NBA in lockout mode, it may be easy to forget how the 2010-11 season reestablished the league as one of the best in pro sp0rts.

While the owners and players try to work things out, here’s a look at my five favorite players who I consider to be under the radar. They can play.

Just aren’t on TV enough for people to notice or they’re playing for bad teams or they’re part of a team that’s a playoff contender or they’re one of many who excel at the same position (Hint! Hint!).

Now I tried to avoid guys who have made the all-star team. That kept hem from including Al Hortford. Guy is an very good player, but teammates Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and even Jamal Crawford get more pub than him in Atlanta.

I could have put guys like Houston Rockets forward Luis Scola on there, but people talk so much about how underrated he is, we all know who is he now.

In closing, I really wanted to put Philadelphia 76ers forward Thaddeus Young on the list, but I want to see how he does with coach Doug Collins for another season. I love Young’s game.

Look for more Top 5′s from me at www.goerie.com/blogs/giveandgo.

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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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Final score: Cleveland Cavaliers 97, Atlanta Hawks 82

Atlanta coach Mike Woodson and his Hawks had no answer for LeBron James in Saturday's Game 3 loss against Cleveland.

Analysis: The Hawks gave a better effort at home, but they had no answer for the league MVP. LeBron James scored 47 points, one short of his NBA playoff high, and carried the Cavaliers to victory. Atlanta actually lead in the second half, but lack of execution, plus not being able to stop James, led to defeat. Cleveland can close out the series in Monday’s Game 4.

The go-getter: Who else but LeBron James (Cleveland). James had a game-high 47 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and only one turnover. The guy was 5-of-10 from 3-point range. Simply unstoppable.
The brick-layer: Josh Smith (Atlanta) shot 8-of-18 from the field for 18 points. Hate to be so tough on the guy, but for someone who is 6-foot-10 and as athletic as even James, he settled for too many jump shots against a Cleveland front line that can’t match him physically. He only attempted four free throws Saturday.
The stunning stats: This is becoming the norm. James shot 12-of-16 from the free throw line. As a team, Atlanta was 7-of-11.
The play: James banked in 3-point shot with 1:25 remaining in the first half from the left side and he’s a right-handed player. Scary.

What’s next: Game 4 Monday at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
What to expect: Get out the brooms. Cavaliers will complete their second consecutive sweep of a playoff series with a win Monday.

Final score: Cleveland Cavaliers 105, Atlanta Hawks 85

LeBron James finished a drive around reserve Solomon Jones with a two-handed reverse dunk Thursday night.

Analysis: The Hawks were completely destroyed in this one. They were were already without Al Horford and Marvin Williams, whom are both injured, but they just tanked it tonight. The Cavaliers simply imposed their will on the Hawks from start to finish.

The go-getter: LeBron James (Cleveland) had a game-high 27 points, five assists, four steals, three rebounds and a block. Like in the Detroit series, James is simply a man among boys against the Hawks.
The brick-layer: Josh Smith (Atlanta) shot 2-of-13 from the field for eight points. He’s not polished offensively, but his athleticism can create match-up problems for the Cavaliers if he can stay on the floor. Tonight, Smith got in early foul trouble and was a non factor.
The stunning stats: The Cavaliers won despite shooting 6-of-19 from 3-point range and committing 17 turnovers. They made up for that by shooting 53.5 percent from the field overall and blocking 11 shots.
The play: On final play in the first half, James causally dribbled to the left across half court and hit a 36-foot shot at the buzzer using his regular form to give Cleveland a 59-35 halftime lead.

What’s next: Game 3 Saturday at Atlanta, 8 p.m.
What to expect: Counting last season, the Hawks are 6-1 at home in the playoffs. They are sure to play better in Atlanta, but here’s the problem. Cleveland has won with such ease so far that if it gets ahead of Atlanta big early, you wonder if the Hawks will respond. If Atlanta is going to win a game in this series, Game 3 is the one because if they lose Saturday, get the brooms out the closet for Game 4. If Atlanta All-Star Joe Johnson can’t play in Game 3 after injuring his ankle in Game 2, declare this series a sweep for the Cavaliers right now.

Final score: Cleveland Cavaliers 99, Atlanta Hawks 72

After NBA commissioner David Stern presented him the MVP trophy, LeBron James took off for 22 first-half points in Tuesday night's 99-72 win.

Analysis: LeBron James celebrated his NBA MVP award by leading the Cavaliers to a Game 1 victory. Josh Smith showed Tuesday he could be a major problem for Cleveland, but likely won’t be because he’s inconsistent (17 points in the first half, five in the second half). Overall, the Cavaliers made it look relatively easy in the sense that they got open shots whenever they wanted.

The go-getter: LeBron James (Cleveland) had a game-high 34 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and three assists in 34 minutes and 19 seconds of play. He scored nine straight points to help the Cavaliers build a double-digit lead in the third quarter they never relinquished.
The brick-layer: Joe Johnson (Atlanta) actually shot 5-of-10 from the field, but only scored 11 points. If Atlanta has any shot of winning even a game in this series, he’s got to score more points than that.
The stunning stats: The Hawks had several. They scored just 28 points in the second half. For the game, Atlanta committed 17 turnovers that lead to 23 Cleveland points. Finally, the Hawks had just 10 bench points.
The play: On the game’s first play, James, off a pick, went to the basket and finished the play with a powerful two-handed dunk. Smith avoided getting dunked on, but his hand was in the picture when James powered the ball through the basket.

What’s next: Game 2 Thursday at Cleveland, 8 p.m.
What to expect: With Cleveland having been off a week after sweeping Detroit in the first round, it didn’t play its best game as a team Tuesday. The Hawks had a chance to take advantage of that and didn’t. Now with a recent game under their belt, the Cavaliers should play better as a whole, thus really take it to the Hawks in Game 2.