Going to need some practice spelling this guy’s name.

The New York Knicks picked Kostas Papanikolaou with the 48th overall pick in tonight’s NBA Draft. The Knicks, who are the hybrid affiliate of the Erie BayHawks, had just one pick in this year’s draft.

There are more questions about him than answers just based on the fact he played overseas. However, Papanikolaou played for Olympiakos in Greece so he’s seen great competition.

He’s 6-8, a lefty, considered to be aggressive, which is a plus for an international player, and is versatile. In the Euroleague Championship game, he had 18 points (3-of-3 from 3-point range) in leading Olympiakos back from 18 points down to win, 62-61.

Papanikolaou has two years left on his contract overseas, which means he’ll likely not play for the Knicks this season. So it’s doubtful he’ll see any action for the BayHawks because he likely won’t be with the Knicks for the 2012-13 season.

That will give me time to practice spelling his name.

Has the time come for 3-time MVP LeBron James to win his first R-I-N-G? OKC doesn't think so./AP Photo.

Got to stick my with pick.

Before the season started, I picked the Miami Heat as one of the five favorites to win it all.

Before the NBA playoffs, I picked them to win it all.

Now with Game 1 of the NBA Finals about to start in a few hours, the Heat are right where they’re supposed to be, but face the team I picked they’d meet in the finals – the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Oh boy.

The Thunder are serious, folks.

They play fast, can score as will, defend the paint and their Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden are not only shot makers, but shot takers.

None of them are afraid to launch when all is on the line.

It’s hard to beat a team like that.

The Heat have the team to do it, but are they up to the challenge?

This isn’t the New York Knicks, who had talent, but couldn’t put it together in time to really challenge them.

This isn’t the Indiana Pacers, who although physical and tough, lacked the experience to put a team way.

This isn’t the Boston Celtics, who are savvy vets that ran out of gas.

This is Oklahoma City. The Thunder have the NBA’s best fans, just beat the league’s best team in San Antonio four straight times after the Spurs had won 20 games in a row.

However, this is LeBron James’ time.

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LeBron James and Dwayne Wade are playing as one. Do the Boston Celtics have an answer for the Heat duo./AP

The Boston Celtics are old and hurt.

This is their Big 3′s last stand.

The Miami Heat are going to the close the final chapter on the Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce era of the Celtics, but the truth is, they should put them away.

Miami has the game’s best player – three-time MVP LeBron James – and Dwyane Wade has reemerged. The two are working in unison and everyone else is falling in line.

Just don’t see how those aging and aching Celtics get past them.

Boston struggled with the Atlanta Hawks, but won. Got pushed to a Game 7 by the eighth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, but won.

Now the Celtics got Miami.

They shouldn’t win, should they?

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Marc Gasol and the Memphis Grizzlies couldn't come back from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the L.A. Clippers./AP Photo.

Not bad. Not bad.

With the Los Angeles Clipppers beating the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 7 Sunday to advance to the Western Conference semifinals, all the first-round series are complete. I finished 6-2 in predicting the first round.

Eastern Conference

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers.
Prediction: Bulls in 5
Outcome: Sixers in 6.
What happpened: Derrick Rose got hurt. Joakim Noah got hurt. Bulls didn’t have enough.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks
Prediction: Heat in 6
Outcome: Heat in 5
What happened: Knicks not ready as a team to seriously challenge Miami.

(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic
Prediction: Pacers in 5
Outcome: Pacers in 5
What happened: Without Dwight Howard, Magic had no shot to win this series.

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Dwyane Wade and LeBron James (w/headband) are eying an NBA title, but Indiana is doing the same./AP Photo.

It’s just a formality.

The Indiana Pacers will be just a footnote in their storybook championship journey. Just another team the Miami Heat had to beat because they’re going to win it all right?

Right?

They’ve got the game’s best player in LeBron James, who won his third NBA MVP today.

They’ve got the league’s second and third best option in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, respectively.

And they don’t have to contend with the Chicago Bulls, who lost Derrick Rose to a season-ending injury and their first-round series to the eighth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

The road is paved for Miami to take it all. Indiana is just a speed bump in the road right?

Right?

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(1) Chicago Bulls (50-16)

1st round foe: (8) Philadelphia 76ers (35-31).

Biggest concern vs. 76ers: Don’t have a true superstar, but enough good players to make you have to compete to beat them.

Last 10: 7-3 (Won 3)

Strengths: Defense. The Bulls lead the NBA in fewest points allowed (88.17 per game). They have front-court depth, great team chemistry and a closer in Derrick Rose.

Weaknesses: Key injuries to their two best players – Rose and Luol Deng – make them vulnerable. Although they’ve had success without Rose, in the playoffs, he’ll need to be close to 100 percent to reach NBA Finals.

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D.J. Kennedy

Here’s an interview Erie BayHawks point guard D.J. Kennedy did the day he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

The Cavaliers will play their final home game Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards.

A 6-foot, 6-inch, 215-pound shooting guard out of St. John’s Kennedy joined BayHawks teammate Donald Sloan, who earlier this year signed with the Cavaliers for the rest of the season.

Cleveland also had BayHawks small forward Mychel Thompson at the start of this shortened 2011-12 season before waiving him in February.

Kennedy averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 44 regular-season games. In the playoffs, the Pittsburgh native averaged 14.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists.

The Cavaliers were once an NBA affiliate of the BayHawks before Erie became hybrid partners with the New York Knicks.

The fifth-seeded Erie BayHawks (28-22) should have their hands full for their best-of-3 D-League playoff series against the third-seeded Austin Toros (33-17) that begins with Thursday’s Game 1 at Tullio Arena.

After Wednesday’s practice, I caught up with Erie coach Jay Larranaga, New York Knicks rookie Jerome Jordan, Kyle Goldcamp and D.J. Kennedy and asked them about this series.

A key matchup will be Jordan against Austin big man Eric Dawson, who is second in the D-League in double-doubles with 23.

With the New York Knicks having their share of injures, particularly to big men Amare Stoudemire and Jared  Jeffries, the Erie BayHawks aren’t expecting their NBA hybrid affiliate to send down 7-footer Jerome Jordan for a third time.

“You have to understand as an D-League organization and coaches that the NBA parent club is the most important thing,” Erie coach Jay Larranaga said.  “What is best for the Knicks is what will be done. If that means Jerome coming down, then we’ll do that. If that means Jerome being ready to help them, then we’ll do that. It’s out of my hands. Our hands. We’re here to help the Knicks get the most out of their investment in the BayHawks.”

Stoudemire is expected to miss two to four weeks with a back injury and Jeffries will likely be out at least another week with a knee injury.

Jordan averaged 18 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in five games with the BayHawks. Erie went 4-1 with Jordan. A rookie out of Tulsa, Jordan, 25, has averaged 1.5 points in 18 games with the Knicks this season.

Marvin Phillips is averaging 4.6 points in 17 games with Erie after averaging 11 in 12 games with Fort Wayne this season./Photo by Janet B. Krummerer/Erie Times-News

With two players injured, the Erie BayHawks used eight in today’s 106-81 win against Maine. Six of them scored in double figures.

Marvin Phillips is the exception to all this.

He was healthy, but didn’t play.

Why?

“Ask coach,” Phillips said after the game.

I did.

“Marvin?” Erie coach Larranaga said.

Twelve seconds later.

“I asked Marvin if he wanted to go in and he said no,” Larranaga said. “It was in the fourth quarter and it was about six minutes to go.”

Erie led 102-72 with six minutes left in the game.

Since coming to Erie from Fort Wayne in a trade for a fourth-round pick in the 2012 D-League Draft, Phillips hasn’t played in four games. Word is he wasn’t thrilled with not playing when returning to Fort Wayne for a road game against the Mad Ants on Feb. 16.

So this is nothing new.

The question is with the BayHawks being down a big man with Sharrod Ford (calf), why wouldn’t Phillips get a shot.

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