LeBron James and the Miami Heat head to Los Angeles for a Christmas Day showdown with the Lakers.

The NBA has five games scheduled for Christmas Day with the big one being the Miami Heat taking on the L.A. Lakers in Los Angeles.

You’ve got Miami’s Big 3 going up against the two-time NBA champions with all the celebrities sitting courtside.

By the time that game comes on, I’m might be snoozing after eating my mom’s turkey and dressing, but as long as I wake up by the fourth quarter, I’m good to go.

Anyway, the other four games aren’t too shabby either, but is each one worth missing out on a meal or gift giving? Will you fall asleep on them or fight fatigue to tune in? Here’s how I see the appeal of the five games on a scale from 1-10.

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Dwight Howard and the Magic the only team to sweep a first round series this season.

With only one more first round series remaining (Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference ) a conference semifinal series beginning tonight (Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference) , let’s look at see how I fared in my opening round NBA playoff predictions.

Eastern Conference

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Chicago Bulls
Series result: Cavaliers win series, 4-1
Rankin prediction: Cavaliers, 4-1
Final word: Bulls just didn’t have enough to overtake LeBron James and the top-seeded Cavs.

(2) Orlando Magic vs. (7) Charlotte Bobcats
Series result: Magic win series, 4-0
Rankin prediction: Magic, 4-2
Final word: Even with Dwight Howard a non factor offensively, Orlando was good enough to sweep the Bobcats.

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Kobe Bryant is ready to repeat, but are his teammates up that tremendous challenge?

(1) L.A. Lakers (57-25) v. (8) Oklahoma City Thunder (50-32)

Series schedule: Game 1 – Today at Los Angeles 3 p.m. ET (ABC); Game 2 – Tuesday at Los Angeles 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT); Game 3 – Thursday at Oklahoma City 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT); Game 4 – Saturday at Oklahoma City 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN); Game 5 – Tuesday 4/27 *at Los Angeles TBD; Game 6 – Friday 4/30 *at Oklahoma City TBD; Game 7 – Sunday 5/2 TBD. *If necessary.

Series keys: For Los Angeles: 1. Wake up Ron (Artest has got to pick it up slack on both ends). 2. Set the tone (Win Game 1 convincingly). 3. Contain the rest (Kevin Durant is going to get his, but slow down the rest, particularly PG Russell Westbrook). For Oklahoma City: 1. Embrace the moment (The young Thunder should rise to this challenge). 2. Stick to principles (Ranked 5th in NBA in field goal percentage defense, Oklahoma City must remain defensive oriented). 3. Show and prove (Durant is dubbed as superstar. Play like one in the playoffs).

Series outcome: Lakers have the better team, so they will win the series in six games, but the longer it goes, the better chance Oklahoma City has to pull off the upset.

Series stories:

1. Kobe’s shooting through the pain – ESPN
2. Is this Phil Jackson’s last shot – The Los Angeles Times
3. Durant, OKC out to end Purple reign – New York Post

“I’ve said all along we all know how the vote is going to go. LeBron will win the MVP every year until he retires.” – Stan Van Gundy.

Stan Van Gundy has been a strong advocate for Magic center Dwight Howard winning the league MVP honor this season.

He speaks his mind. Don’t we love that?

Nod your head. You do. I know I do.

Even if Stan Van Gundy’s voice can sound a tad bit on the whiny side, you’re going to get an honest answer out of the guy.

 So when talking to the media before today’s game at Cleveland against the Cavaliers, the Orlando head coach had a few words to say about Magic center Dwight Howard’s deservement of the NBA MVP award and LeBron James being a clear cut favorite to win it for a second straight season.

On being an advocate of Dwight Howard being the NBA MVP and if he’d disappointed if LeBron James won the award unanimously: “I would never diasappointed on anything that happens on a vote type of thing. As I’ve said, look, I’ve also made very clear you can’t argue (with James getting the MVP). It’s not I’m saying somebody else doesn’t deserve it. I haven’t come out and tried to say that LeBron doesn’t deserve it. I think you can make a case for him. I think you can make a hell of a case for Dwight. I think you can make a hell of a case for Kevin Durant and what he’s done for that team. I think there are six or seven guys you can make very good cases for, but no, I wouldn’t be disappointed with anyone in the vote. I know good Dwight has been and I know how important he is to us. We know his value like Cleveland knows LeBron’s value.”  

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At 6-foot-9, the rangy Durant is the closest thing to George Gervin since the Iceman himself ripped the NBA up with his offensive arsenal. Durant, who has five 40-point games, has put himself in the MVP race.

In today’s NBA, the scoring title is a honor for the younger guns.

See, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who lead the league in scoring two seasons ago, is battling it out with Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant for this season’s title. Only a tenth of a point separates the two.

James is at 29.8. Durant 29.7.

If James does in fact winning the scoring title, his block on Durant in Cleveland’s 100-99 home win against the Thunder on Jan. 23  may be the deciding factor.

Now although James is just 25 years old, he’s in his seventh NBA season.

As for Durant, he’s only 21. For a player like him, he needs to win the scoring title to start making that push to becoming one of elite players in the NBA.

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Overall, I wasn’t impressed.

Maybe because I put so much faith in the Slam Dunk Contest, but NBA All-Star Weekend wasn’t all that this year. Especially the Slam Dunk Contest.

Shannon Brown let me down. Big time.

Now just because it all took place in the new ginormous Cowboys Stadium with the Hulk-Size HD Flat Screen doesn’t make it the greatest show on earth. However, having 109,000 people – the largest crowd ever to watch a basketball game – at Sunday’s All-Star game was impressive.

I know. I sound like a hater.

I’m not. Just wanted more.

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Nike has this new commercial featuring four NBA players. I recognized one right off the bat – Kevin Durant.

Took me a while to identify Andre Iguodala and Rashard Lewis, but the fourth guy? I’m saying to myself, who is this cat with the jheri curl?

Since the commercial is so long, I finally figured it out.

Mo Williams. Fog Raw? Six fingers? Wow. He’s made the come up since coming to Cleveland during last off season, but that wig has got to go.