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16 party guests are showing up. Who’s staying for a while and who’s not?

Staying Until After Hours:
Cleveland (East #1 – 66-16)
There is no point in listing superlatives to describe the play of LeBron James. What is more important, however, is the Cavaliers’ status as the deepest team in the East, as the late addition of Joe Smith has made them two deep with better than serviceable players at every slot. Inside, outside, they’ve got it all. Cleveland also hung a 39-2 record at the Q (with one loss coming in the finale with only one starter playing) to sew up the rights to host any and all Game Sevens.

Los Angeles (West #1 – 65-17)
Kobe Bryant wants a title so that there is no doubting his individual greatness. With the return of Andrew Bynum, who has been superbly efficient on offense since returning, the deepest team of the West, which was already head and shoulders above the rest of the conference all season, gets its entire crew back for the first time in two months.

Boston (East #2 – 62-20)
While the team has gotten better than expected play from those filling in for Kevin Garnett down the stretch (Glen Davis – 12.2 points and 5.2 rebounds in 31.1 minutes per game, Leon Powe – 13.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in 25.8 minutes per game while missing time, as well), the return of a healthy KG is required for the team to make a legitimate run at Cleveland. Without him, the team is still formidable and can win a couple series, but the loss of their best interior defender will sink their repeat hopes.

Orlando (East #3 – 59-23)
The Magic are the NBA’s best-kept secret. I know, it’s hard to believe that a 59-win team is a secret. While Dwight Howard carries the load and gets national press, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis open things up for a fun offense and everyone chips in with an effective defensive scheme to funnel everything to Howard. Rafer Alston has been everything the Magic could have hoped for in the midseason trade, as the team went 19-6 after his arrival before dropping three of their last four.

Having a Few Drinks:
San Antonio (West #3 – 54-28)
Even with Manu Ginobili being gone and Tim Duncan being hindered by a leg injury, the Spurs can’t be counted out. Greg Popovich is still the coach, Duncan is still to be reckoned with, and Tony Parker can win games on his own.

Portland (West #4 – 54-28)
The Blazers are 27-10 since January 24, including 18-2 at the Rose Garden, featuring a pair of wins over the Lakers (not to mention seven straight over LA). Throw in one of the league’s best closers in Brandon Roy leading a deep crew (nine players average 15 minutes or more per game) and you can see how Portland is arriving a year early, even without getting much from Greg Oden.

Houston (West #5 – 53-29)
The Rockets are 22-8 since Tracy McGrady tapped out this year. They were 20-15 on the season with him. Bill Simmons made a big deal in his Wednesday column about Yao Ming being an “only” guy because he will give you a certain level of play and nothing more. Well, he’s getting more help then he did previously, as there are four other double-figure scorers, two guys over nine points per game, and Shane Battier. In particular, Yao is getting a lot of help from the first legitimate power forward to grace the Rockets’ roster in a while, as Luis Scola (who may be the most underrated player in the league) has averaged 13.6 points and 10.1 rebounds since McGrady was lost for the season.

Spilling the Dip and Slinking Out:
Denver (West #2 – 54-28)
This is not a question of Chauncey Billups, who transformed the Nuggets into a very good team. It is a question of the rest of the squad. Is Carmelo Anthony (a career 38.9 percent shooter from the field in postseason) ready to take the next step and lead his team in the postseason? Can Kenyon Martin and Nene stand up in the postseason? Can any of their shooting guards play good defense?

Atlanta (East #4 – 47-35)
Joe Johnson may carry the heaviest load of all participants in the first round. He is the Hawks’ do-everything player on offense… and has to check Dwayne Wade for most of the 40+ minutes he will be on the floor. It also remains to be seen if the rest of the roster is ready for primetime after last year’s postseason taste. At least they aren’t facing a premier point guard in the first round, thereby saving Mike Bibby some embarrassment.

Rude Guests Who May Overstay Their Welcome:
Miami (East #5 – 43-39)
Michael Beasley has ramped it up in his last five games, hanging averages of 24.2 points and 11.2 rebounds in that span. That’s an interesting development and could provide enough scoring as a complementary player to go with that Dwyane Wade character.

New Orleans (West #7 – 49-33)
Chris Paul can simply win a series for the Hornets on his own. He may have to, though, as David West has a leg injury, Peja Stojakovic is just coming back from an injury of his own, and Tyson Chandler made his first appearance in nearly a month in their finale. The Bugs are 29-24 since January 3, which includes a run of seven straight wins from late February to early March. Injuries have simply made them an inconsistent bunch.

Chicago (East #7 – 41-41)
The Bulls have closed strong, winning 12 of their final 15 games before dropping their finale and sliding into the seventh seed, outscoring their foes by 91 points in that 15-game stretch. The +6.1 scoring differential would have placed them fifth in the NBA over the course of the season. Ben Gordon (21.8 points per game) and John Salmons (20.1 points per game) were a dynamic 1-2 punch in that time in that hot streak.

Someplace Else to Go:
Dallas (West #6 – 50-32)
Age has finally caught up with Jason Kidd and his matchup with Tony Parker in the first round will illustrate that perfectly. The Mavericks’ biggest problem is that they cannot match up with the two best players on the Spurs in Parker and Duncan. It’s time for Cuban to go back to the drawing board.

Philadelphia (East #6 – 41-41)
A lack of outside shooting, an established go-to player, and polished interior talent make the Sixers overmatched when it comes to facing the Magic. At least they will have a longer offseason to try to figure out how they can blend Elton Brand into an uptempo style.

Utah (West #8 – 48-34)
This team is a shell of what they have been. While the names (Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirilenko) are the same, the game is not. There are seven players on the team who either will be free agents or can opt out of their current deals, so the “last hurrah” will be mercifully short. It will be more interesting watching Jerry Sloan react to the team being first round fodder than watching the actual games themselves.

Detroit (East #8 – 39-43)
Speaking of a “shell of what they have been,” the Pistons limp into the postseason, longing for the return of Chauncey Billups. Oh, he can’t return? Never mind, then.