Justin Kubatko of Basketball-Reference.com has joined in on the playoff probability game with his own report. Unfortunately, it's a black box for now. But it makes for a good complement to John Hollinger's creation.

The Cavs' patience at the trading deadline not only bodes well for the team in the long-term (all of the rumored deals had the Cavs taking on more salary and longer commitments to overpaid players) but also, perhaps, in the short-term. Basketball-Reference.com currently has the Cavs as the favorite to win the Finals, at 33.8%. Hollinger has that a little lower, at 21.1%, but the Cavs are still most likely behind Boston. If the team is already the leading contender to win the championship, is it really necessary to sell the farm for that "last" piece?

That's a question without an answer, obviously. There are some deals that would benefit the Cavs, even if it meant bringing on more salary or losing Wally Szczerbiak's expiring contract. But you have to respect the front office for going with the team that has made them the best in the N.B.A.

Now these playoff odds aren't perfect. We can't assume that the Cavs have a near-50% chance of making the Finals because the model tells us so. I mean, both project the Wizards as mathematically eliminated from the playoffs when we all know that they're going to sneak in as the eighth seed, only to be destroyed by the Cavs in the first round. It's called fate.

Here's a comparison of the two systems, with today's numbers:

            Kubatko  Hollinger
Final W-L     64-18      63-19
Playoffs     100.0%     100.0%
Win div.     100.0%     100.0%
#1 seed       54.2%      41.3%
Make Finals   47.6%      32.3%
Champions     33.8%      21.1%