Watching the Lakers in Games 4 and 6 against Houston, I thought the answer was yes, because, because how hard is it to get past a team that picks its nose all game?

But let's face it: the Lakers are the most talented team in the West and have home court. And for anybody who thinks the Lakers are sleepwalking their way out of the playoffs, let's remember what happened a year ago.

The Celtics needed seven games to dispatch the lowly Hawks, another seven to beat an undermanned Cavs team, then six to beat the Pistons.

Meanwhile, the Lakers swept Denver, beat Utah in six, and beat the defending champion Spurs in five games in the conference Finals.

There was no doubt that the Lakers were playing better than Boston.

Yet the Celtics beat the Lakers in three of the first four Finals games and won the title.Cleveland is the heavy favorite right now, for obvious reasons. The Cavaliers have swept two straight playoff series and won 24 of their last 27 games. They are now 74-16 for the season. (For comparison's sake, that is the exact same record that the 1985-86 Celtics had after 90 games — and those Celtics might have been the best team ever.) But better teams than this have failed to win the championship.

A LeBron-Kobe showdown is on the horizon, but two gifted teams lie in wait. The hype says the NBA's preeminent players will meet in the finals.

The games may say otherwise.