Formula

As we approach the NBA All-Star break, I thought I would give my personal formula on what it takes to win a championship. I believe that the teams that go deeper into the playoffs will have these characteristics.

First and foremost, NBA championship teams have a superstar. In most cases, he doesn't have to be pointed out to you. You just know. The last five championship teams had names such as Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Dwayne Wade and Tim Duncan. They are generally your go-to guys late in the 4th quarter. And usually, they come through in the clutch. In the case of the Heat, they are multiplying this quotient by 2 (or 3 if you count Chris Bosh).

This next one is somewhat unusual: You have to have at least three guys that can give you 20 or more points on a given night. This may sound strange, but they don't all have to score 20 or more, but could give you 20 or more. I'll just let you chew on that.

Championship teams usually are strong defensively. In recent history, there is at least one player from each championship team that was on the league all-defensive team. I'm from the old skool adage that defense wins championships. This usually includes the "enforcer", the guy who protects the superstars and skill players. Examples of these include Ron Artest and Kevin Garnett.

Enjoy your weekend!!! Here's the early Friday Freeze Jukebox:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPzy6b2k2dA&feature=BF&list=FLHStSLkDL0H0&index=1