Yeah, Chris Paul or Deron Williams. Both of whom they passed on, in order to procure the amazing Marvin Williams.
Sure, the Hawks have talent, but they're a little bit like the Knicks South. Their talent is mismatched. And although they don't have the idiotic drama of Isiah/Dolan, their screwed up ownership situation continues to paralyze them in similar fashion.

As for Sam Mitchell, Pat -- I didn't really come up with that Amercian tough guy vs. European finesse player on my own. The sports press is full of that observation, and it makes sense to me. But, maybe we're wrong.

Well it doesn't look like the silent treatment worked on Bargnani either and now you've got to wonder how much playing time Bargnani is going to get. This past week was a busy one for the Raps with 5 games in 7 days. And out of those 5 games - Bargnani really only played OK in one. That was the Wednesday game against Sacramento in which he played 26 minutes, scored 7 and had 6 rebounds and played well defensively too. But the other four games Sam was obviously not impressed.

Sunday - a double overtime game - so there was 58 minutes of available playtime but he only played 14 minutes while the other four starters racked up huge minutes. Bosh - 55:25, Calderon 53:55, Parker 50:45 and Moon 36:41. Even Delfino off the bench played 44 minutes. Bargnani managed only 4 points and 2 rebounds.

Tough night Tuesday in Detroit too. He played only 16 minutes - not many minutes for a so-called starter - and ended the game with 0 points. Friday - a very entertaining high energy game against the Hawks - but not much energy from Bargnani. Only 14 minutes as a starter - with just 2 points.

And then last night in that debacle in Philly with the Raqps allowing the Sixers to go on a 43-16 run at one point and falling behind by 20. (But at least they did mount a furious comeback and were within 4 with possession of the ball with just over a minute to go. No Bargnani in that furious comeback. He played less than 12 minutes, 3 points zero rebounds.

The Raps need him to snap out of it if they are going to take a real shot at 3rd in the east behind Boston and Detroit. And they are going to have to rely on the strong 40 minutes per game point guard play of Calderon for at least 3 more weeks - but at least now they have set a target date range for the return of TJ Ford. They hope he will back in 3-5 weeks. He's been out since December 11 recovering from a head and neck injury caused by that brutal foul against him by Hawk player Al Horford. Speaking of which another Hawk apparently wanted to do the same thing to Calderon this past Friday as Atlanta guard Anthony Johnson gave Jose a nasty elbow shot to the back of his head and he was immediately given a flagrant two and ejected from the game.

J.Kidd wants to be traded. "It used to be if I got a triple-double, that was an automatic win," he said. "That's just not the case now. We tried to make this work. We've found out it doesn't. It's time for us all to move on."

Where will Damon Stoudamire end up?

C.Webb is back in the league.

Jason, that's because when you get a triple double now, you shoot 2 for 10 from the field! Your turnovers are also up, and you're slower on defense than you used to be.
Why is that when Kobe tried to force a trade, everyone bashed him, but now that Kidd is forcing a trade he gets a free pass?

I will officially have to root against the Spurs, if they sign Damon Stoudamire today. Just like I rooted against Eddie Jones and the Heat last year. I'm sick of players passed their prime wanting someone else to carry them to the championship and get them a ring. Reggie Miller doesn't have a ring, but he does have more class than Eddie Jones and Damon Stoudamire.

Smokey, I think that's a bit harsh regarding Eddie Jones. He is definitely a classy guy, and he's had some of the worse luck around -- he got traded by both the Lakers and the Heat, right before each team won the championship. It wasn't like he wanted to leave. He could easily have had 2 rings by now.

Stoudamire, on the other hand, I don't particularly respect, so you can bash him all you want. By the way, does your condemnation extend to Grant Hill signing on with the Suns?

So both the Lakers and the Heat didn't need Eddie Jones to win a championship! And he couldn't get the Heat a 2nd championship. Now, he's riding Dirk's jock in hopes of getting a ring. After Eddie's behavior last year, No, I don't respect him and don't see him as all that classy. He has earned 0 rings, and I hope he gets zero rings.

Also, Grant Hill has earned 0 rings, but he didn't force a buy-out.

Back to steal more money, eh?

J.Kidd: Mavs or Cavs?

===============

All Star reserves announced (*starter):

EAST
Chauncey Billups, Chris Bosh, Caron Butler, *Kevin Garnett, Richard Hamilton, *Dwight Howard, *LeBron James, Antawn Jamison, Joe Johnson, *Jason Kidd, Paul Pierce, Dwyane Wade

WEST
*Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, *Kobe Bryant, *Tim Duncan, *Allen Iverson, *Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Brandon Roy, Amaré Stoudemire, David West

===============

Rookie - Sophmore game:

ROOKIES
Mike Conley, Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Jamario Moon, Juan Carlos Navarro, Luis Scola, Sean Williams New Jersey, Yi Jianlian, Jeff Green

SOPHMORES
Lamarcus Aldridge, Andrea Bargnani, Ronnie Brewer, Jordan Farmar, Daniel Gibson, Rudy Gay, Paul Millsap, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Roy

Man O Man

To chime in, my hometown Trail Blazers can now finally come out of the dark closet and be proud of themselves. They truly are this year's significant turnaround story, next to the Celtics, which was bound to happen with KG and Jesus Shuttlesworth.

I saw a few comments and people are saying that LaMarcus is turning the ship around. He is part of the answer but downright it is Brandon Roy that is carrying the team, with true professionalism and leadership from Joel'Zilla, Steve Blake, and James Jones. The entire team is accountable for the remarkable difference in wins from last year. This team is going to be scary come two years when the chemistry gels and little intangible pieces are added.

My only concern so far is the amount of young talent GM Kevin Pritchard has assembled and next year there are a projected 22 players with only 15 available roster spots of course. But I do not doubt Pritchard one bit and I have faith in him to continue working his magic on draft night and expect a major shakeup then, if not earlier.

And everybody keep an eye out on Sergio Rodriguez. Not only is he talented and a magician with the ball. He is SEXY and has a great smile. He is definitely on my NBA First Team Hot List.

Random Rumbles and Replies:
Darko Milicic is terrible. And I am glad Orlando let him go this summer. He will never gain back his confidence after what Larry Brown's benchings did to him.

Chris Webber's return only means that Golden State will get the 8th and final playoff spot. Only to lose because in sports, CWebb means losing. If Detroit, his hometown, doesn't bring him back, it means something.

Jason Kidd -
** He is not moving to Dallas - Devin Harris is pretty much unmovable until the summer, nobody really wants a combo of Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse and Erick Dampier as a 3rd team involved.
** Denver is an ideal fit, but what would/could New Jersey or a 3rd want back from them? Camby is untouchable, Martin will never live up to his contract, Nene's status is up in the air, and it's too early to give up on the Iverson/Anthony experiment.
** Cleveland's problem is that besides LeBron James and Daniel Gibson, there is not one player on the ENTIRE roster worth more than a bag of rocks. The veterans are overpaid (http://heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.com/), contracts are not expiring, and the supporting cast just flat out sucks.
** Lakers are playing too well to shake up their roster.

** A Kirk Hinrich/Ben Wallace swap for Jason Kidd/Jason Collins would work financially. Hinrich and Gordon have proven they both don't work in the backcourt together and bringing in Jason Kidd, a bigger guard and a true point guard to find open shooters such as Luol Deng and Gordon would be successful. Plus Kidd's arrival and Wallace's departure would wake up Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas especially. Why would New Jersey do it? They reload at PG and have a core of Hinrich, Vince Carter and Jefferson for 3 more years, which is when they will FINALLY move to the Bronx. Wallace finally makes the Nets frontline more bearable.

In Pritchard We Trust!

And don't forget Travis Outlaw's clutch play (best headline in the NBA, after his buzzer beater won the game vs. Griz: Outlaw Steals Game in Memphis)

All this and Greg Oden arriving.

I still beg to differ. Eddie has always been a (great, although he's over the hill now) role player -- he's not the kind of player who is going to get you a championship. And I would say that the Lakers won the championship in 2000 despite trading Eddie, because it was a bad move, netting the disappointing (and whining) Glen Rice, who contributed nada (except a lot of complaining, but he didn't even have the guts to do the complaining himself; it came from his wife instead).
And we're not talking about something like J. Kidd trying to force his way out (or Kobe, earlier) of a team that cast its fortune around him. Memphis wasn't using Eddie very much. It wasn't like he was a player they were counting on. So why not do him a favor and set him free?
Finally, you traded away Posey for Eddie Jones, didn't you? If so, you have only your own team to blame.



Welcome to the board, Dean.

I agree with you that the Webber signing makes no sense. I think Golden State gets in the playoffs without him. And he won't play much, once Nelson realizes what is already painfully obvious to everyone else -- Webber is playing on one leg, and there's no way he can keep up with what's maybe the fastest offense in the league. And they've already got a guy in the middle they don't use enough -- Andris Biedrens has a heck of a lot of promise, and he's a rebounding machine.

The trade rumor that ESPN is trying to perpetrate (not based on any evidence, but just to get more viewers, I'm sure) is that Devin Harris ends up with Portland! That makes absolutely no sense to me (except in Portland's dreams), since if Dallas were willing to give Harris up for Kidd (which, as you say, it isn't), why wouldn't the Nets insist on getting him?

The Lakers/Kidd scenario involves LA "giving up" Kwame Brown (i.e., a large expiring contract) Radmonovich and other spare parts, flat tires, blown gaskets, etc. Again, it would be a great deal for the Lakers, but you'd think the Nets could get more than just cap relief, flotsam and jetsam in exchange for Kidd.

As for Ben Wallace, he's so over the hill he's turned into Darko. New Jersey wouldn't touch him with a 10 foot pole.

I guess the Lakers aren't going to give up Kwame Brown for J. Kidd after all. They just got Gasol for him!! Smokey, what is your team smoking? (But, hey, thanks.)

Edited to add: Now I see you've picked up yet another big stiff in Jason Collins. And unlike Brown, he's got another year on his contract. Enjoy Kwame while he lasts!

The Lakers have gotten Pao Gasol from Memphis for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and first-round picks in 2008 and 2010.

(Oops you just beat me to it Larry!)

And Memphis also got draft right's to Pau's brother, Marc Gasol. Has there ever been a trade before that involved siblings?

I'll be ticked if my Raps don't come back and beat the shorthand Lakers tonight - down by 6 early in the third quarter as I write this. They had no business losing that game in Washington Tuesday night - especially with how they blew them out here the very next night. I was at that game and WOW! What a blowout - Raps by 39 and that was playing the bench most of the night! Including that NBA rarity - the all white team of Bargnani, Calderon, Kapono, Humphries and Delfino for extended stretches. We had a couple of black guys sitting next to us who were in a very good natured fashion joking around with us saying things like 'Man - our team's too white!' It was all in fun.

One of the great things about the crowd the Raptors draw is that it really is a complete cross-section of Toronto - which is one of the most multicultural cities in the world. The Raptor crowd is a much more accurate reflection of the city, especially when contrasted with the almost all white - season ticket holders for 30 years crowd - the Leafs tend to draw. We had a mixture of Asian guys with some East Indian guys in front of us with a couple of their 'white' friends. The black guys next to us, an older mixed couple the other side and that sort of mix was visible everywhere throughout the ACC. It is great to see how all the communities within the city are really getting behind what is happening with the Raps these days.

They certainly have the fans with them and the bandwagon continues to grow. Another sell-out 19,800 tonight to go along with the 19,800 that were there for Raptor bobblehead night Wednesday. That was 7000 more than what Washington drew when the two teams played there on Tuesday night. My Raptor bobblehead is now displayed proudly on my desk at work - the Raptor - best mascot in the league!

And even though Calderon I think got ripped not being picked to join Bosh at the all star game - I'm glad he'll get the rest. For most games since TJ Ford went down he has been playing over 40 minutes a game - the break will be good for him. Plus TJ joins the team for practice tomorrow and is expected to finally return within a week or 2. He's been gone for about 6 weeks now!

Besides we've got enough Raptor presence in New Orleans between Bosh in the main game, Moon - the leagues January rookie of the month who is in the Slam dunk contest and on the rookie team, Kapono in the 3 point shooting and Bargnani on the sophomore team playing against Moon in the Rookie/Sophomore game.

Argh! Still down by 8 now in the 4th. This is one they should win - especially with the Lakers having arrived into town late last night after losing in Detroit. Come on Raps!

I am soooooooooo mad about this trade. I can't even speak on it now. But Larry you had better to good to my boy in L.A., I still have his back.

Who knew Pau Gasol could be had for so little? What a complete giveaway! In 7 years in the league, Gasol has never scored less than 17.6 ppg (his first season), and has a career average of 18.8 ppg and 8.6 rpg. And although many think his production has gone down this season, he's averaging 18.9 ppg and 8.8 rpg, basically his career average.

Kwame Brown is a career underachiever, who has never scored more than 10.9 ppg (03-04), and has a career average of 7.6 ppg and 5.7 rpg. This season he's producing only 5.7 ppg and 5.6 rpg.

Javaris Crittenton has averaged only 3.3 ppg 1 rpg and 0.8 apg in only 7.9 minutes per game and only 22 games played.

Heisley's cutting cost and plans on selling the team. He hired Wallace so he could show the brilliance he used for Boston with Memphis....Las Vegas Grizzlies? Heilsey's a bum. Wallace is a brown-nosing bum. And Iavarroni is a bum, as well.

The only real winner for the Grizzlies this season is Casey Jacobsen. Casey must be an incredible lay. How else can you explain him getting signed by the Grizzlies and getting playing time. Casey gives Iavarroni playing time....Iavarroni gives Casey playing time! YES, I SAID IT!

I suppose I should be defending Casey, since we both have a degree from Stanford, but....I can't.

Smokey, you have my empathy. Did you know that you now have (at least until the Stromile trade goes through) 3 of the top 5 underachievers in the NBA (based on a recent SI survey of actual NBA players)? Kwame is #1, not surprisingly, but Darko and Stromile also make the list.
We will take good care of Pau. Thanks again!


As in, the Wizards are so bad right now, we could even beat them with 5 white guys.

That's really funny. You know, Sam Mitchell is always talking about how in scrimmages he has the white team going against the black team. And that's exactly what I thought he meant! It was only recently that I realized he was actually talking about the color of the jerseys.

I just read about the Swift-for-Jason Collins deal. Apparently both are to make $6.2 million next season. For what?! Collins is averaging 1.4 ppg and 2.1 rpg (in his career he only averages 4.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg). Swift is averaging 6.8 ppg and 3.7 rpg (career 8.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg). For that you are paid $6 million in the NBA?

Is Memphis intentionally tanking? Are they looking for the #1 draft pick to go along with cap room? Who would want to go to that team, though?

How does an assistant coach get traded as part of an exchange of players -- and not by the team he's coaching for? And get almost a million buck out of it? And the possibility of resuming his playing career to boot? Aaron McKie is cashing in!

All these moves in Memphis are purely financial- cutting cost in an attempt to sell the team.

Even as dumb a GM as Wallace is, he could have gotten a better deal for Gasol than that.

And I don't believe Heisley loved Damon Stoudamire so much that he would buy him out, instead of trading him to a bad team.

Both these deals SMELL!

As for Jacobsen, I have never looked closely at him, but now I'm going to. He must have a hidden talent, and I know it ain't basketball!

I have to admit that Stanford (one of my alma maters) has one of the most embarrassing track records for how its stars make out in the NBA. Jason Collins (not one of the top 5 underachievers, because he couldn't score in an empty gym even when he's overachieving), his brother Jarron, Mark Madsen, Curtis Borchardt, Adam Keefe -- stiffs all the way. Josh Childress is our big "success" story, and he's a backup for a crummy team. I guess Brevin Knight had a few good minutes. You'd have to go all the way back to George Yardley to find a decent player.

You really know how to kick a fellow, when he's down. The Stromile Swift-Jason Collins trade should become official Monday. I talked to Jarron last night and told him Jason should not feel bad about the trade- Kwame Brown and Casey Jacobsen can only made him look better (by comparison of course)! Now, you tell me even they can't make him look better. He'll just be a member of their club. Thanks alot!

man was i wrong :smh:

lakers got good, now it's up to phil jackson to make them all gel.

lol at standford's NBA alum. at least you have the lopez twins to look forward to in the league, i guess.

i think the nba should just fold the Grizzlies. they have stunk ever since they came onto the scene in Vancouver. bad draft after draft after draft - bibby, abdur rahim, BIG COUNTRY, dickerson, etc... all the mentioned players were only considered good because they were the typical "good player, crappy team" where their numbers were over-inflated.

now if Mike Miller gets traded for another expiring contract (San Antonio/Brent Barry anyone?), you know for sure the team is done-zo.

my qualm about the Grizzlies and IF they were to tank, who are they going to draft? Rudy Gay is their supposed star SF, Mike Conley is the PG of the future, Mike Miller is still here for now, and they have a commitment to Darko, albeit a short term one. The team is going to be built as a fast-paced team.

Rose and Mayo are PGs. Beasley is a SF.

As of today, there really isn't a stand-out stud at PF.

What did Jarron say to that??
The really sad thing is that the only thing that Jason and Kwame can do is play interior defense. So not only are their skills rather meager, they are duplicative.


Brook Lopez is going to be Stanford's next bust.

Ooh, Smokey isn't going to be happy about your comments on his Grizzlies. After all, Bibby was the consensus #1 or 2 pick in that draft (in fact, the Clippers should have taken him with #1 instead of the Stiff of the Ages Olowokandi, who I'd rate as even a bigger bust at #1 than Kwame), and they hoodwinked the Hawks into taking Abdur Rahim in exchange for what became Gasol (for which the Lakers continue to thank them!).

In this era of "small ball," I'm sure they would play Beasley at PF. And Mayo is really more of a shooting guard than a point, since that's all he does anyway. But I wouldn't want him -- OJ will end up being Jerry Stackhouse II, one of those players who puts up lots of points but doesn't improve his team at all.

Yeah, Smokey is pretty pissy these days! If you don't believe me, ask Chris Wallace!

Good night for the Raps last night. Great to see TJ Ford back playing after two months out with the neck/back injury - and looking good too! The team shooting over 59% from the field and the suddenly resurgent Bargnani shining again with another good game with 22 points last night. That's the good news as a Raptors fan.

But the bad news - what is with all these blowouts! The last three Raptor games:
Raps 122 - Washington 83 (39 point win)
Lakers 121 - Raps 101 (20 point loss)
Raps 114 - Miami - 82 (32 point win - 33-12 at the end of the first quarter IN Miami for the Raptors)

And it is not just the Raptors - just look at all these blowouts from the last 7 days alone.

Tuesday Jan 29 - Suns 125 - Hawks 90 (35 points) and Boston 117-87 over the Heat - 31-14 at the end of the first quarter in Miami again! Would love to be a Heat season ticket holder!

Wednesday Jan 30 - The Raps 39 point win over Washington and Philly over the Bucks 112 - 69 (43 points!) plus two other games with 16 points differentials

Thurs Jan 31 - all 4 games competitive - Oh my - all fans get their money's worth - apparently a rarity

Friday Feb 1 - The Raps 20 point loss to the Lakers, Warriors 127 - 96 over the Bobcats (31 points)

Saturday Feb 2 - Jazz by 19 over Memphis.

Sunday Feb 3 - Only two games and both were blowouts. Detroit 90-67 over the Mavs (23 points) and the Lakers 103-91 over the Wizards - which doesn't sound too bad if you were not watching the game - like me - because the Lakers were leading 63-41 by halftime and 85-62 at the end of the third quarter then shut it down and coasted home.

Last night - The Raps by 32 over the Heat - up by 21 at the end of the first quarter and the Jazz by 22 over New Orleans.

Too many teams mailing it in on certain nights I would say. And as a fan - especially one who pays to go to games like I did last Wednesday - I expect to see both teams at least compete. As much as it was great to see how well the Raps played when at the ACC last Wednesday - the fact that the Washington team just did not compete at all eventually resulted in the crowd becoming bored with most of us heading to the exits with the Raps up by over 40 with six minutes to go. Bad enough that somebody in the Upper deck like me had paid $40.00 to watch that, with it being one of 7 or 8 Raptor games I will attend this year - but what about the dad who can only afford to take his kids to one game a year and they end up at a game that is that one sided. Or people who splurge for lower bowl or floor seats for a game like that, spending hundreds if not over $1000.00 for a game that one team doesn't show up at. Wouldn't you love to be a Heat fan who months ago bought tickets to the Boston and Raptor games - thinking they would be games to see against two good Eastern conference opponents. Instead your team mails it in down to the Raps by 21 by the end of the first quarter last night and down by 19 to Boston by the end of the first last week. I'd be wanting my money back!

Shaq on the move from Heat to Suns? (for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks)

Gasol's Laker debut: 24 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists in 105-90 win over Nets in which Kobe held to only 6 points

Both teams should compete. But with there being so many regular-season games, and in such a timeframe that there are lots of times where teams play 2 in 2 nights or 3 in 4 nights, it's a physical and mental grind. Sometimes teams are just going to be flat.

I don't know if there are an unusual number of blowouts compared to other years, especially since I don't follow the NBA like I do the NFL, NHL and MLB. But from night to night you just never know. Last night the 76ers ran out to a 20-point first-quarter lead in Atlanta, but ended up losing. They flew home and played Washington tonight. Washington was off last night. In the fourth quarter the 76ers were down by 12, and then scored 17 straight points and went on to win.

This has to be a joke. This HAS to be a joke. Right????

WTF is Phoenix thinking? This is the team that gave Kurt Thomas away for nothing (and even threw in first round draft picks) to save money. This is the team that sells draft picks every year to save money. This is the cheap ass Sarver who won't spend enough to win a championship. And they're going to sign Shaq?? Shaq and his absurdly bloated $20m per year?

How the hell is Shaq going to keep up with the Suns? He'll be lucky to pass the half court line by the time Phoenix gets a shot up. And without Marion, how are they going to defend opposing power forwards?

This has to be a joke.

Man, I don't get this for Phoenix. It would be a win now at all costs and pay later (kinda like Miami is doing now). If Kerr doesn't this, he will rank right down there with Thomas (NY), McHale (Minn.) and Wallace (Memphis)!

And they had a better chance winning now with Marion. They're going to have to retool the whole offense mid-season to accomodate Shaq. That's a mighty fat order, even as brilliant as D'Antoni and Nash are.

This smacks of desperation, and the sad thing is there's no reason for the Suns to have been desperate.

Don't understand PHX either...Shaq is way past being effective and even being able to play on a reg basis...
The Heat's big problem is that they didn't move him and others the year after winning it all...It was pretty clear that injuries and age were going to dog this team, and yet they basically stood pat....
This is a great move for Miami...just don't how they were able to get someone to bite...

Riley sold his soul to the Devil for a championship and he somehow got it back.
It will be interesting to see how good Marion is without Nash, but it's a great deal for the Heat regardless.

How do they choose the competitors for the 3-point shooting contest at the All Star Game? Like, what's Kobe Bryant doing there shooting 35.3% (33.8% in his career), while the current #2 and #3 in the league (Anthony Parker at 48.9% and James Jones at 48.3%) are not invited? #1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are invited (Kapono, Nash, Hamilton, Gibson, Stojakovic), but Kobe is #82. I know he's a star, we're going to be seeing plenty of him during the All Star Weekend. Why not give exposure to some lesser known sharp shooters?

NBA trade rumors are spreading like wildfire, as the February 21st trade deadline approaches. I can say I know for a fact the Grizzlies are shopping Mike Miller, hard. If Chris Wallace can get the right expiring contracts and/or picks, Mike will be moved (hopefully to a contender!). Miller is not part of Wallace's so-called plan for the future. He sees the Grizzlies building around Gay, Conley, and Darko. If the Miller trade happens, my favorite two Grizzlies will have been moved in the same season. Mike is a great guy, and deserves to be on a winner. He could contribute to a championship, unlike certain players who need to ride someone else's jock to get there.
Another rumor is Utah sending my AK-47 to Chicago for Ben Wallace. I really don't see this happening. Wallace is a shell of his former self and a complete knucklehead. He and Jerry Sloan would NEVER get along. Plus, Chicago just waived Kirilenko's best friend, Viktor Khryapa. A GM would have to be a complete idiot to take on Ben Wallace. So look for him to go to the Knicks, Timberwolves, or Grizzlies (lol), if he is traded. OH, and Ben is way to old for Chris Wallace, so make that New York or Minnesota! Chris is a big enough idiot, don't get me wrong. I'm not discounting his ability to be stupid. He just likes chicken!

I see speculation that Chris Wallace is going to donate Mike Miller to Miami (for, what else, expiring contracts). It won't do the Heat any good this season (too far gone). Can't he give Miller to Cleveland? LeBron desperately needs a great outside shooter; Miller could make a huge difference there.

Regardless of who he gives Miller to, I think Wallace has already clinched Executive of the Year for what he did for the Lakers (hard to believe anyone could outdo Kevin McHale in that category, but Wallace has defied belief).

As for the Wallace/AK47 rumor -- the idea for Utah would be to exchange one malcontent for the other, but get a shorter (although bloated) contract out of it. Also, in theory Wallace could provide some of the interior defense the Jazz so desperately need. But I agree, I don't see Sloan being interested in dealing with the Artist formerly known as Ben Wallace.

Looks like Kidd has finally gotten his wish as the Nets and Mavs have reportedly agreed in principle to a trade. The Nets would get Jerry Stackhouse, Devan Harris, a couple of other players and draft picks plus cash.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3244102

That trade is on hold. Devean George of Dallas has "early Bird" rights that allow him to veto a trade. It seems quite complicated and stupid, as is everything to do with the NBA and its salary cap. But apparently it would be bad for him financially to allow himself to be traded and give up those "early Bird" rights.

Meanwhile, I see that the 76ers are now in a tie for seventh in the East --which, if the season ended now, would put them in the playoffs.

How comical that George blocks the trade. And then he goes out and shoots 0 for 11 just to reinforce how valuable he is staying in Dallas.

I want to say it serves Dallas right for signing that loser in the first place, after he proved to be such a bust with the Lakers. But the ironic thing is...I think he's actually saving Dallas's ass. It's a HORRIBLE trade. Dallas, like Phoenix, is panicking because of the Lakers' getting Gasol. Giving up Devin Harris is nuts. Also, they're giving up Diop, who is their only reliable defender of big men. The other teams in the West are (or were) probably rubbing their hands with glee.

Typically, you don't see San Antonio letting itself get panicked into a bad trade. Now that is one solid organization.

But you would think George would be in the dog house in Dallas and stuck on the end of the bench, but in last night's game (vs. Phoenix) he played 43 minutes (going 3 for 7, for 7 points), more playing time than Nowitski or Terry (who scored 36 and 29) or any other Dallas player. What message does that send?

It is odd. Maybe it's Avery Johnson trying to act like nothing is happening (and nothing may happen!) to avoid distractions. Good luck.

Now the Stackhouse shenanigans (him blabbing to everyone about how he'll be back in Dallas after the 30 day waiting period) may further derail the deal. Cuban should have stuffed a wad of sweaty socks in Stack's mouth.

Larry, your boy Eddie Jones says he'll take his toys and go home, if he's part of the Nets trade. Looks like Dallas has a lot of knuckleheads! But I secretly hope Dallas does make a trade and that Eddie Jones is part of it, so he'll have to put up or shut up!!!

The 23-28 Kings send Mike Bibby to the 21-28 Hawks for "guards Anthony Johnson and Tyronn Lue, center Lorenzen Wright and forward/center Shelden Williams" and a second round draft pick.

While it's not surprising that Bibby was moved, it is surprising that the takers are the lowly Hawks. But, given the weakness in the Eastern Conference (7 games below .500, the Hawks are only percentage points out of a playoff spot), the Bibby addition could propel them above either Philly or NJ, the teams that are marginally ahead.

=============

Anybody looking forward to the upcoming Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, Andre Benjamin 70's-era basketball movie Semi-Pro coming out later this month?

Well, that was the most creative Slam Dunk competition... ever. The man child, with a smile that could light up Broadway, Dwight Howard deservedly won.

Dwight Howard's Superman dunk.
Gerald Green blowing out the candle.

=================

Meanwhile, David Stern is now saying that it's inevitable that the Sonics will leave Seattle.

Dwight Howard was definitely the show stopper. He outshined everyone else. I must admit I was a little disappointed in Rudy Gay. I have seen him do better dunks in warm-ups than those. Still, I don't think he could have beat Dwight last night, even if he brought his A-game.

Kapono looked good winning the 3-point shootout. The defending champion came through again.

Not sure what to make of the Bibby trade to Atlanta. If Bibby stays healthy, Atlanta will be dangerous and will probably make the playoffs. Still, they won't be anywhere near competing for the championship. Sac-town looks like they are doing like Memphis- rebuilding to relocate.

If you would have asked me one month ago to named one major player that would be moved before the trade deadline, I would have said Jermaine O'Neal. Yet Jermaine still remains with Indiana, while Shaq and Pau have headed for higher ground. Just shows you can never tell.



And Cuban knows he needs to make a deal before the trade deadline. Dallas is no longer in the top tier of teams in the Western Conference vying for the championship this year. They are San Antonio, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Utah.
Houston and Golden State also need to make something happen, if they are serious about this year.

Dahntay Jones and Justin Williams were waived by the Kings, after the Bibby trade. I hate that for Dahntay. He's an extremely nice guy. I enjoyed him, when he played for Memphis. He had a winning smile and some incredible dunks, his jump-shot... not so great!

The only reason I'm surprised the Hawks did it is because their ownership mess has paralyzed them in recent years. But otherwise... they gave up absolutely nothing to get a pretty good PG, something they desperately need.

It's amazing to me how NJ was able to extract real talent in exchange for a soon to be over-the-hill Kidd (I would argue NJ got the better of the deal), and Miami got by far the better of the deal in giving up an already over-the-hill Shaq, whereas Memphis and Sacramento traded away stars who aren't over the hill and got nothing in return. Atlanta "gives up" expiring contracts and a draft mistake (Shelden Williams), and only a second round draft pick?? (Dallas had to throw in two first round picks.)

Sacramento basically did the same thing Memphis did with Gasol -- give up a star (although a lesser star) for cap relief and nothing else. So are they also going to do a fire sale with Artest before the 21st trade deadline?