There's a good chance this guy, five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, will make his share of lists, but is he one of the 10 best to ever play this game? What do you think?

Starting next month, I’m going to put out a variety of lists to spark debate on who are the greatest players to do work in the NBA. I’ll keep it going right up until the NBA season opener late next month.

For starters, got to rate the top 10 players of all time, but I’m going to take it a step further, folks.

I want to discuss the top 10 players under six feet tall and 7-foot or taller.

The greatest little man ever is Allen Iverson, or is it Nate “Tiny” Archibald? As for the big fellas, Wilt Chamberlain gets the old school nod, but give me Hakeem Olajuwon with his “Dream Shake.”

How about the top 10 teams to never win an NBA title? The 1987-88 Atlanta Hawks, with Dominique Wilkins in his prime, lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but I’d put them up against any team today and they’d have their way with most teams.

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That right elbow of LeBron James in the white sleeve there is the talk of this series.

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers (4-1) vs. (4) Boston Celtics (4-1)

Series schedule: Game 1 – Today at Cleveland 8 p.m. ET (TNT); Game 2 – Monday at Cleveland 7 p.m. ET (TNT); Game 3 – Friday at Boston 2 p.m. ET (ESPN); Game 4 –Sunday 5/9 at Boston 3:30 p.m. (ABC); Game 5 – Tuesday 5/11 *at Cleveland TBD (TNT); Game 6 – Thursday 5/13 *at Boston TBD (ESPN); Game 7 – Sunday 5/16 3:30 p.m. *at Cleveland (ABC). *If necessary.

Series keys: For Cleveland: Stop Rajon Rondo from penetrating (When he does, Boston’s offense opens up to the fullest). 2. Establish inside presence (Make Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett work defensively). 3. Speed up the pace (Test the older legs of the Celtics by scoring in transition). For Boston: 1. Test LeBron James early (If his elbow is good, find out early by going to the rim on him and guarding him tough). 2. Pick and pop (Put Shaquille O’Neal in situations where he has to stop Garnett or Rasheed Wallace from hitting jumpers. 3. Defy age (Many say the Celtics are too old. Prove them wrong.).

Series outcome: Cavaliers will win the series in six games, but if Boston splits the first two, it’s going seven.

Series stories

1. LeBron creating elbow room – Boston Globe
2. Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James’ ‘elbow‘ is talking on Twitter – Cleveland Plain Dealer
3. Cavaliers, Celtics just don’t like each other – Toronto Star