Alan Hahn

Asked before the Lakers played the Knicks Friday night if the Cavs would be a playoff team without LeBron, Artest didn’t hesitate.

“Actually I thought about that [Thursday],” Artest said. “If you take LeBron off that team, no. They’re not. They’re nothing. Not that they’re nothing, they’re still human beings. But you take him off that team, no. I guess that’s why they got me, to take him out of the game. [Thursday] it didn’t work. They got us this year, so all we can do is move on from that and see what happens in the playoffs.”

This topic was tweeted about by Alan Hahn of Newsday earlier this week when he wondered to twitter nation, "would be interesting to see on 2/6 in CLE if LeBron was DNP (flu?): Cavs-Knicks, without LeBron."

The today, Harvey Araton of the New York Times tweeted, "I agree with Artest....Cavs without LeBron might be worse than Knicks. That's how good LeBron is"

They're all correct. Mo Williams can ball and Sideshow Bob is a rotation player on a playoff team as are a couple others, but they are all made exponentially better by the open looks LeBron gets them. Even on the defensive end, LBJ erases mistakes with blocks and deflections all game long.

The Knicks beat Cleveland without LeBron handily, if for no other reason than Mike Brown would have to do some actual coaching for the first time in 5 years and he's not particularly good at that.

Araton's succinct comment put it best "That's how good LeBron is" and he's only getting better. As Bill Simmons wrote earlier this week for ESPN, the King has not come even close to reaching his full potential yet and the ceiling for LeBron's talent remains downright scary.

Alan Hahn had a chat earlier today on Newsday.com, one of the users wrote, check out Hahns response.

<>Dave:<> Considering how the Cavs are playing and getting better and better, I have a feeling LeBron will stay with the Cavs. I also don't see Wade ever leaving Miami. I don't this Bosh and can lead a team like the other two. That being the case, who do they target in 2010? Bosh and .......? It CAN'T be just Bosh and Nash. That won't cut it.

<>Hahn:<>I still say LeBron is thinking about New York like you think about that hot girl across the room who keeps looking at you, even tho she knows you're with your girlfriend. Just my feeling. Knicks are singing that PCD song, "Don'tcha"...know what I mean? LeBron knows he shouldn't look. But he does.

Great analogy... I mean why would you look, you got all you need right next to you... but hey...she is looking good...maybe?