Hahaha yeah ... they should save themselves the trouble and just send the Pistons :)

T-Mac is injured, again. 5 weeks. This may 'cause the Rockets to be out of the playoffs unless Yao and everyone else can pull it together without him.

As for the Rockets, I was surprised Bob Sura wasn't playing, but then I found out he underwent surgery.

This has just been a unfortunate season for Rockets fans. I don't know how many years Tracy McGrady has left in him ... his back is just so bad. I wonder how much longer he can hold on.

I remember watching the Rockets-Nuggets game on January 8th, where T-Mac went up for a jumper -- just his standard, regular jumpshot -- and came down normally. But his back just spasmed, and he collapsed to the floor. He was wheeled out on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.

Carmelo Anthony hit the game-winner in that game.

I love T-Mac's game. When he's back is fine, his game is insane. But with the health of his back in question, he may have trouble playing past 30. He'll be 27 in May.

Yeah, I like your list; though you did remove Brad Miller. I'm a fan of the Brad Miller. Jesus Shuttlesworth is on your list, and while he's still hot now, he might be a bit more worn down by 2008. But sure, he'd be great to have, but Michael Redd out of the Ohio State University (I just had to say that) would be just as great a player, I think (which would probably be why they selected him). I don't really like Carmelo (not Kobe for that matter), but I suppose since they want to play, and they're good, let them. I don't think my boy, Gilbert Arenas, aka Mr. Ill-Advised, should be on it.

How is Miami Heat doing this year?

The Heat have been an interesting case this year. For most of the first half of the season they struggled, mainly because of adding so many new pieces to their team during the offseason. However at the tail-end of the first half, and so far into the second half, they are playing great ball. They seem to be forming a nice chemistry and are playing very well together. After the Pistons, I think they are clearly the 2nd best team in the Eastern Conference. Even though they are playing well, it still boggles me that they made so many changes during the offseason, despite being just 5 min or so from going to the Finals last year.

Melo is having a superb year. While he is still a ball dominator, and he needs to get his assists average up, but he's been really clutch this season. I think he's hit like, three or four game-winners this season.


On another note, Allen Iverson's sprined ankle yesterday was unfortunate. No, he didn't come down on awkwardly on his own. No, he didn't land on another player's foot.

He landed on a floor crew employee, after landing out of bounds on a final jumper to end the half.

Some of those guys sitting courtside and baseline, they sit way TOO close and packed. Especially those baseline photographers and floor crew members. Players have no room to stop their momentum, and they have to crash into them.

Allen Iverson had to carried off the floor by his teammtes. There's no reason why AI should ever have to get injured like that. He gets beat up enough on the court. Why is he getting beat up out of bounds too.

haha, I remember back in the day when Dennis Rodman went out of bounds after a ball and landed on a photographer. He hauled off and kicked the guy. Those photographers are indeed too close for comfort. It's tough enough worrying about getting injured on regular in-game stuff without having to worry about getting injured because of a photographer or cameraman. The league should address this issue. There's probably not a whole lot they can do though.

I guess there's not much the league could do about it. After all, those photographers take good photos.

Like this one: Gerald Wallace!

http://www.nba.com/media/gwallace_600_060306.jpg



Hey look, two Lakers trying out for the USA Team.

http://www.nba.com/media/lamarandkobe_400_060306.jpg

Lamar: Maybe he'll pass to me in the Olympics. I am a pretty good player.
Kobe: I'm not passing to anyone in the Olympics. I am da man.
Lamar: Those international teams play the right way.
Kobe: Just wait. 81 points ain't no thang.
Lamar: Maybe Lebron will pass to me.
Kobe: Maybe I can dunk on Lebron.
Lamar: There's a chance, come 2008, I won't make the 12-man roster.
Kobe: Why does he have the same number as me.

Allen Iverson wasn't the only one who suffered. The other A.I. got hurt too... some swelling in the right hand, also due to a cameraman. The 76ers just got abused by the paparazzi.

Gerald Wallace is ridiculously athletic. Too bad he's just gonna get a bloody head again soon.

Gerald Wallce plays that hard-nosed, tough-tough defense. The first I heard of him was when he appeared in SLAM magazine as a high-schooler.

If he keeps working hard, he's gonna be a star in this league. Especially with the sick athleticism and mad hops he's got.

I just finished reading an article about Amare Stoudemire being 50/50 on his possible return this season. He says he's going to wait a few more weeks and will make a decision. In my opinon, if he's still 50/50 at that time, he just needs to shut it down for the rest of the season. The Suns are playing excellent ball right now, and while they'd probably be even better (whch is a scary thought) with him in the lineup, he and the orgranization shouldn't risk him getting injured again or even worse. Just hold out on this season, rest up and get ready to hopefully play in the World Championships for Team USA.

What do you guys think?

I also think Amare should just sit out this season. Like you said, the Suns are playing really well. Trying to integrate Amare into their offensive and defensive sets would disrupt their current chemistry.

Even though Steve Nash would surely find a way to get him settled, there will always be that adjustment period for the whole team. Plus, Amare has GOT to be out of shape. Five-on-five team practice is no simulation for a real NBA game.

Even if he does come back this year, there's no way the organization is gonna play him 40 minutes a night. So he's looking at likely 20 minutes -- maybe even 10-15 to ease him back. That's just a disruption to the team.

Health-wise, Amare should be very careful. There's been a lot of players who had the same surgery, and were never the same again. But Amare is still young. He should make sure he's 100%, and in shape before he attempts to come back.

But if he's already at 100% right now and ready to go -- (which is unlikely) -- the Suns should bring him back right now. This gives him about 20 games to get in shape and into the flow of things before the Playoffs start.


It'd be funny if, in a weird twist of events, the Suns win the championship without Amare. Then what.

Not that they will. Just sayin'.

Nah, in a 7 game series, I don't think they have a very good chance of beating the Spurs. Maybe the Mavericks, but surely not the Spurs. Having Amare would greatly help them against San Antonio though, because he'd be able to bang in there and gets some dunks and easy buckets. He was a beast in the playoffs for them last season.

Yeah, they definitely won't win the West.

But even if for some bizarre reason they did make it out -- which they surely won't -- the Pistons would slaughter them.

But ... is anyone looking at Steve Nash as a likely MVP winner? Just look at the entire Suns squad flop when Nash sits out a game. He's also having a better year than last season, when he did win MVP. I hope the media won't hold it against him and vote for other players simply because Nash already won it last year.

Steve Nash is easily the favorite for the NBA MVP Award. There's nothing wrong with getting it back-to-back. Look at Duncan, Jordan, Magic, Bird,... And the Canadian very well deserves it, even more than last season.

Screw the media.. the NBA names it anyway, and David Stern is the man. The media won't sway him.

Actually, the MVP voting is done by the media. A panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the U.S. and Canada submit their votes.

10 points are awarded for each first-place vote
7 points are awarded for each second-place vote
5 points are awarded for each third-place vote
3 points are awarded for each fourth-place vote
1 point is awarded for each fifth-place vote


David Stern has no say in who gets MVP.

Aww boo. Dang.

Then David Stern should allow the media to have their vote, and if it's not who he had in mind, he should suspend the media for a year.

Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant are my front-runners for MVP this year. Nash is playing even better than in his MVP-winning campaign last season, Kobe is a candidate every year because he's the only guy on that team who can give them a chance to win and 'Melo is just plain tearin' it up this season. If I had to place a vote right now, I'd give it to Nash. That team is SO much worse when he's not on the court, not just when he misses a game, but even when the coach takes him out during a game to get him a breather. I think he'll win it too. It'll be yet another attempt at the NBA trying to "change their image" from the hood, hip-hop culture that has saturated their league. But, beyond that, he deserves the damn award.

What do you guys think the chances are for guys like Chauncey Billups and Dirk Nowitzki to win it?

Billups definitely has a chance to win it. The Pistons have been far and away the best team in the league this year, and he's the main reason why. He's a great distributer of the ball and he is as clutch of a shooter as anyone in the Association. However Nowitzki, while he's having a great season, I don't think he has has good of a shot. I mean, he had a pretty good year last season too and I don't remember anybody putting him in last year's MVP conversation. He's an excellent player but I just don't think he stands much of a shot to win it.

But what if Dallas finishes with the number one record in the West? :)

They have an identical record (50-14) with San Antonio right now.

It's gonna be a dogfight between San Antonio and Dallas for that #1 spot. But, I dunno man, I just think a lot of the voters will look at all the help he has and that will deter some of them from giving him 1st place votes. Removing either Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant or Carmelo Anthony would be more detrimental to their respective teams than if Nowitzki was pulled from Dallas, and that's what defines "MVP" for me.

I agree. Take away Dirk, and you would still have a decent Dallas team. Take away Chauncey, and you still have Big Ben, Rasheed, Prince, and RIP.

Take away Nash, and Phoenix collapses.

I think Dirk will get some votes from the media, though (Mark Cuban is probably cooking something up). Duncan will also get a lot of votes (though Tony Parker has arguably been more valuable to the Spurs this season).

Speaking of Melo ... it's unbelievable this kid didn't even make the All-Star team this season. For me, Melo was the biggest All-Star snub this year.

I agree. I can't believe that neither the fans or the league voted him in. He's having a sensational year.

Also, as far as the MVP race is concerned, Elton Brand deserves to be in the discussion as well. He's having a monster year for a suprisingly good Clippers team.