Don't look now, but my man Boris Diaw and the Charlotte Bobcats are within striking distance of a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.  With 19 games left in the regular season, a 13-6 record down the stretch should enable the Bobcats to land an 8th seed...and quite possibly even a #7.    If this happens, the Bobcats are a sneaky good team that has a legitimate chance of beating either Boston or Cleveland.  No, I'm not joking. 

This revamped team, led by a rejuvenated Diaw along with Emeka Okafor, Gerald Wallace, Raymond Felton and Raja Bell matches up very well against both the Cavs and Celtics.   Coach Larry Brown can also turn to recent acquisitions Vladimir Radmanovic and DeSagana Diop along with flashy rookie point guard  D.J. Augustin. 

Six weeks from now when The Big Three or LeBron & Co. are on the verge of being ousted from the playoffs by the Bobcats, just remember who told you it was going to happen...