"Monday morning (late) wake-up call"

Only a caveman (or someone like that) would not be impressed with the Phoenix Suns right now.

After Sunday's relatively easy road win over LeBron (and the Cavs), Phoenix is now 36-8. It has won 17 consecutive games, the NBA's longest streak in seven years, and the 1972 Lakers' 33-game winning streak doesn't seem that far off in the distance.

While the Suns are extremely fun to watch right now, I must spoil the party. All of these wins... they mean nothing. Come mid April, Phoenix will begin the playoffs along with 15 other teams, all hungry to play for a full two months and come away with the Larry O'Brian trophy. No one will care in May that Phoenix won 18 straight, or 24 straight, or whatever its streak ends up being.

The playoffs are a new season, and Phoenix - like every other team - will start out at square one.

Last season the Pistons had an even better start than the Suns. They began the season 37-5, bringing up conversation about them challenging the '96 Bulls' record of 72-10, the best ever regular season by an NBA team. But, alas, the Pistons starters got so worn out by the end of the season, they didn't have anything left in the playoffs. They were able to sneak by LeBron n' crew in the second round, but didn't stand a chance against a fresh Heat team in the conference finals.

Their season was over and it was considered by every pundit who covers basketball a disappointing season. The league-leading 64 regular-season wins were forgotten. Ditto the 37-5 start. None of that mattered

The Heat went on to win the championship.

Speaking of the Heat, they're nowhere close to Phoenix right now. If the playoffs started today, Miami wouldn't even make the playoffs in the morbid East. Toronto would make the Second Season ahead of it. But would anyone say Miami's not going to be there in April, and May, and possibly June, battling for a repeat?

I didn't think so.

Shaq is just coming back now. By April, I'd assume, Pat Riley will be back pacing the coach's box. And the team will finally be hungry again to win.

As silly as it sounds now, come April I will give Miami - assuming it makes the postseason - just as good of a chance of repeating as I'll give Phoenix of winning its first NBA championship.

Even if that winning streak has reached 55 games.