I know it's mean, but this was too funny to pass up...

Weird…During a TV timeout in the Eagles game on the weekend, a fan jumped onto the field, raced towards midfield with a plastic bag, spewing grey powder as he ran. He reaches the 50, kneels down, makes the sign of the cross and lays down waiting to get arrested. Turns out he was spreading his fathers ashes across the field in tribute…Know what I want to know? How security lets a guy sneak a bag of grey powder into the stadium, get onto the field and do whatever he wants for 50 yards…

Number 1 pick…Andrew Bogut had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and then blocks Jason Terry's potential game-tying shot at the buzzer to lift the Milwaukee Bucks past the Dallas Mavericks 113-111 last night.

The Kobe Stopper…Bruce Bowen held Kobe Bryant to 25 points 9-33 from the floor including 0-6 from three with 4 rebounds 0 assists and 3 turnovers in a 90-84 Spurs win over the Lakers…

AI and C-Webb are working it out…Iverson scored 38 points and Chris Webber had 16 points and 15 rebounds, leading the Sixers over the Portland Trail Blazers 107-83 on last night.

Stinker: Denham Brown had 2 points on 1-6 from the floor in a 68-54 UConn win over Army last night…

Great stats from Elias…here’s a list of the 20 guys with the most dunks so far this year…the most remarkable one on the list is Dwyane Wade who’s only 6’3”:

Rank Player Pos Team Dunks
1 Marcus Camby C DEN 31
2 Dwight Howard PF ORL 31
3 Shawn Marion SF PHO 29
4 C. Anthony SF DEN 25
5 Dwyane Wade PG MIA 25
6 Steven Hunter C PHI 24
7 Ben Wallace C DET 23
8 Pau Gasol PF MEM 21
9 Andre Iguodala SG PHI 21
10 J. Richardson SG GS 21
11 B. Haywood C WAS 20
12 LeBron James SF CLE 19
13 Kevin Garnett PF MIN 18
14 Kenyon Martin PF DEN 18
15 Darius Miles SF POR 18
16 A. Mourning C MIA 18
17 S. Abdur-Rahim SF SAC 17
18 Chris Bosh PF TOR 17
19 Eddy Curry C NY 17
20 R. Jefferson SF NJ 17

1) Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com reports on the guys who are out of the league from last year:

Insider What happened to that guy?

Latrell Sprewell is not the only one with a family to feed but with no NBA paycheck to buy the groceries. There's also a 6-foot-7 forward with nearly 700 career 3-pointers driving dump trucks in North Carolina, a 34-year-old sharpshooter knocking down buckets in his Alabama driveway, and a six-time All-Star trying to knock off a few more pounds after melting 55 away already. Not to mention about 25 other name guys on the loose. Here is a look at the free agents still out on the market, what they've been up to and where they stand in terms of regaining employment in the NBA (along with an update on a few of the far-flung places some ex-NBA players have surfaced):

Sprewell: There still hasn't been a public word spoken since the end of last season by the 13-year veteran, who turned down a three-year, $21 million extension from Minnesota, making the now infamous comment that he had "a family to feed." His representative, Robert Gist, is no longer listed as Sprewell's agent of record, and his publicist said Spree has been unwilling to speak on the record because writers always twist his words and use them against him. Miami is the only team with enough of its midlevel exception remaining to offer Sprewell anything resembling what he believes he's worth, but the Heat have maintained they're not interested. The Wolves can still do a sign-and-trade, but there would first have to be a team willing to give Sprewell a three-year contract -- the minimum for sign-and-trades. At this point, the most likely scenario appears to have Sprewell sitting out until late February or early March, then becoming a hired gun -- probably an underpaid one, at least in his opinion -- for a playoff-bound team.

Rodney Rogers: Last seen hoisting 76 3-pointers for the 76ers last season, Rogers is running his construction company in Durham, N.C., while beginning to put in a few workouts in an effort to shed the excess weight he added over the summer. "Our goal is to have him with a team by late December, early January," agent Butch Williams said. Wesley Person: Having played for five teams over the past two seasons, Chuck's younger brother is back in Brantley, Ala., waiting for a team seeking a shooter to call. Agent Herb Rudoy said he expects the phone to start ringing after Dec. 15, the date players who signed over the summer become eligible to be traded.

George Lynch: After being waived by the Hornets earlier this season, the 35-year-old forward and 12-year veteran was hoping to be signed by Dallas before the Mavs settled instead on Adrian Griffin. "He can still defend, still play three positions. At this point in his career, he's trying to help a good team win," agent Steve Kaufman said.

Darvin Ham: Darvin the Dunker was last spotted at the NBA Finals, logging a total of 11 minutes in five games for the Pistons and grabbing three offensive rebounds. Word around the league is that Philadelphia might be interested in becoming Ham's seventh team in nine seasons.

Dajuan Wagner: There was a sighting of the former prep phenom (who once scored 100 points in a high school game, lest we forget) at a Memphis-Duke game at Madison Square Garden during the NIT, but NBA teams aren't biting on a player who shot 32 percent in 11 games for Cleveland last season, even if he was the sixth pick in the draft just three years ago.

Jay Williams: After working out for the Rockets, Heat, Hawks and Raptors, Williams decided he wasn't yet ready to come back from his near-fatal motorcycle crash. He's now in Los Angeles trying to strengthen his left leg, according to agent Kevin Bradbury, and he plans to reassess his options some time around Jan. 1.

Ron Mercer: The Nets' amnesty cut over the summer, he underwent knee surgery with Dr. James Andrews three weeks ago -- his second such procedure in the past year. "People have inquired and I've told them he's had to have the surgery done first to get things correct," agent Andy Miller said.

Andrew DeClercq: The 10-year veteran was cleared Friday to resume full workouts after he underwent knee surgery. A big body with experience, there will undoubtedly be a job for the former Gator somewhere by the end of January.

Shawn Kemp: The Reign Man has reportedly shed 55 pounds in his effort to make a comeback 2½ years after he logged his last NBA minute for the Orlando Magic. A report over the weekend said Toronto and Denver were interested, but Raptors GM Rob Babcock said the 36-year-old is not a fit for a 1-14 team on a youth movement.

Christian Laettner: The last active member of the 1992 Dream Team is living comfortably in Florida, and it's anyone's guess as to whether he still has the desire to play professional ball. "Several teams have inquired. It's a question of what he wants to do," agent Lon Babby said.

Rodney White: The ninth pick of the 2001 draft was cut by the Clippers at the end of training camp. He averaged 8.8 points and 17.0 minutes for Los Angeles in eight preseason games.

Marcus Fizer: Had 21 points and nine rebounds and then 15 points and seven rebounds in his first two games for the Austin Toros of the NBDL, which also is the current home of former NBA players Cezary Trybanski, Andre Barrett, Andre Emmett and Theron Smith.

Glenn Robinson: The first overall pick of the 1994 draft, who made a cameo for the Spurs at the end of last season, is home in Atlanta. Agent Charles Tucker said four teams have called to inquire over the past month, and added, "He's ready to go, his mind is right and he's ready to move forward."

Clarence Weatherspoon: Unemployed since the Rockets made him their amnesty cut over the summer, Spoon is working out in Houston with John Lucas. Agent Jimmy Sexton said two or three teams have made preliminary inquiries, but nothing serious.

Jermaine Jackson: A victim of the numbers game in Chicago after being sent from the Knicks to the Bulls in the Eddy Curry trade. "He'll end up doing what he always does, hooking up with somebody," Kaufman said.

Qyntel Woods: Not a peep from the Staffordshire terrier fan since he was dumped by Boston on the first day of training camp.

Erick Strickland: Cut by the Mavericks in training camp, thought he might be headed to Milwaukee before the Jamaal Magloire trade went down. Still hoping to get a call.

Robert Traylor: A heart defect was discovered during a physical when Traylor was getting ready to sign with the Nets, and he underwent surgery last week to repair an enlarged aorta -- the same defect that afflicted Timberwolves guard Fred Hoiberg and Lakers draft pick Ronny Turiaf.

Travis Best: Unwilling to wait until midseason for an NBA team to call, he's plying his trade in Russia, where team owners are throwing money around the way the Greek teams did seven or eight years ago. One of Best's teammates on Unics is Lithuanian forward Saulius Stombergas, a player Spurs coach Gregg Popovich once compared to John Havlicek.

Vin Baker: Opened a restaurant (Vinnie's Saybrook Fish House) in Old Saybrook, Conn., Monday, but says he's open to the idea of returning to the NBA around the All-Star break, or next season. Reportedly agreed to a buyout of his contract with Houston, which would have paid him $3.5 million. He's still being paid $5.2 million by the Celtics.

Reggie Miller: Despite incessant chatter among Pacers fans that he'll return late in the season, Miller insists he's done. If he were to change his mind, he couldn't return to Indiana this season because it waived him under the amnesty rule.

Keon Clark: Back living in his hometown of Danville, Ill., he recently told the Toronto Star that the Pacers had called in October. But Clark said he has no interest in returning to the league, preferring to live comfortably off the money he banked during his six-year career.

Others: Not that we should expect to see them back in the NBA, but a few notable names playing in far-flung locations include Dickey Simpkins (Lebanon), Chris Herren (Iran), Ben Handlogten (South Korea), Gary Trent (Italy), Chris Morris (Jordan), Todd Day (Qatar), Chris Washburn (Switzerland) and Jelani McCoy (China).

Domestically, Rodney Buford is in the CBA with Sioux Falls, and former prep stars Lenny Cooke and Ronnie Fields are teammates on the Rockford Lightning.

Former Heat guard Tim Hardaway was Player of the Week in the ABA, where he is the player-coach for the Florida Pit Bulls. We can only hope he eventually gets a chance to play against Dennis Rodman and the Tijuana Dragons.

2) David Walstein of the Newark Star-Ledger reports that Tim Thomas is due to be traded again any day now:

Knicks: Bulls plan to deal Thomas
GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- With Tim Thomas on his way out of Chicago, the idea of him returning to the Knicks was brought up at yesterday's practice. Sound far-fetched? Maybe not. The Knicks are starving for a starting small forward, and Larry Brown acknowledged yesterday that if Thomas were still on the Knicks, he would have been playing substantial minutes instead of sitting on the bench as he has been doing in Chicago. "He'd be playing a lot of minutes here," Brown said. Bulls general manager John Paxson announced Monday that Thomas has likely played his last game for the Bulls and he plans to trade him. For the past week Thomas has been back at his home in Manhattan and was expected at his mother's home in Montclair last night, but he did not return calls. As Thomas awaits word on his future, Brown expressed warm sentiments for the former Paterson Catholic star, whom he drafted for the Sixers out of Villanova in 1997. Brown could not make any statement about whether the Knicks have interest in Thomas because of tampering rules, but he did endorse him. "You can't comment on anything," Brown said. "I don't know if he's a free agent or still on the team or anything. Do I like Timmy Thomas? Yeah, I like Timmy Thomas a lot. I drafted him." Thomas was traded on Oct. 3 along with Michael Sweetney and Jermaine Jackson to the Bulls for Eddy Curry and Antonio Davis, who initially expressed a desire to remain in Chicago. Paxson said it was against league rules to trade Thomas back for Davis, but the Knicks do have a perfect match in Penny Hardaway. They make roughly the same money ($14 million) and are in the last year of their contracts. Hardaway has barely played this season -- due to tendinitis in his right knee and because he doesn't fit into Brown's scheme. His best value right now for the Bulls would be his expiring contract, the same as Thomas. Hardaway practiced yesterday and said he is ready to play, and hey, guess whose coming to town? Da Bulls. Isiah Thomas could not be reached for comment to ascertain if the Knicks have any interest, but it is not believed any talks have taken place or that the Knicks have even had internal discussions about Tim Thomas. Chicago would initially look elsewhere for more in return than just Hardaway's expiring contract, hoping to use Thomas to acquire a valuable asset later in the season. But if they are just looking to clear more cap space for next summer, Hardaway provides that. "We have certain ideas of what it would take," Paxson told reporters in Chicago on Monday. "Right now we're in a position where we want to go a certain direction with our team." If he did return to the Knicks, Thomas might be as surprised as anyone. After being traded, he noted that this was the second time Brown had dealt him (including his first trade from Philly to Milwaukee). Thomas said he and Brown started off well in Philly, but the ending left a bad taste, which he wasn't looking forward to a repeat. "My experience with Coach Brown in Philly, it started out great but it ended (as a) real, real shady sort of thing," Thomas said last month. "I still have respect toward him, but I didn't really want to deal with that. And it's obvious that coach Brown, he didn't want to deal with it as well, because they traded me." Notes: Curry, still nursing a sore left calf, practiced yesterday and was optimistic he could play against his old team tonight. Brown said he is still questionable.... Tonight's game marks the first time Brown and Skiles have faced one another since their little tiff following the Curry deal. Brown said he was surprised at the things Curry didn't know, and Skiles shot back, "Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure Larry invented the game."

3) Mark Montieth of the Indianapolis Star reports that Jonathan Bender is done:

Bender's career may be coming to an end - Forward, slowed by injuries 4 seasons in a row, to meet with team execs next week

Indiana Pacers forward Jonathan Bender is awaiting word on MRI results that could determine whether he'll be able to continue his NBA career. Bender, the fifth pick in the 1999 draft, has a loss of cartilage in both knees and has missed a significant number of games in each season since 2001-02. He has played in just two games this season for a total of 21 minutes, and for the first time has not accompanied the team on a trip. We're going to see," Bender said when asked whether he thinks he will play again. "I'm not going to even talk about that yet." Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said Tuesday that the results of Bender's latest MRIs have been sent to his agent in Los Angeles, and that a meeting with Bender and doctors is scheduled for next week. Bender's agent, Thaddeus Fucher, did not return phone calls Tuesday. "Right now, we're putting his tests in front of people to get opinions on where they think he is," Walsh said. "When we have enough information, we'll make a statement." Bender said he remains optimistic, but he has little medical evidence on which to base that hope. "That's just the way I am," he said. "I'll see what the MRI shows compared to last year." Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal expressed sympathy when asked whether Bender might have to retire."That's up to him to talk about," O'Neal said Tuesday in Salt Lake City, where the Pacers played the Utah Jazz. "Whatever his decision is, I wish the best for him. "He's talked to his teammates to let us know what's going on. It's a hard thing and my heart goes out to him because he's worked so hard and he's not getting that opportunity." Bender said he has dealt with painful and swelling knees since high school, and has had to take anti-inflammatory medication. After playing 78 games in the 2001-02 season, he played in just 46, 21 and seven games in the three succeeding seasons. "It's been happening over and over," Bender said. "It looks like it's catching up with me." Bender said his injuries aren't frustrating. "God moves in mysterious ways," he said.Bender has two seasons, including this one, remaining on a four-year, $28 million contract. He is due $7,175,000 this season and $7.7 million next season. Insurance would cover his salary if he's forced into retirement by injury. Bender -- a 7-footer with a 39-inch vertical jump and an accurate perimeter shot -- has shown flashes of potential. But his constant absences have made him a target of frustrated fans. "I know it's a hard time for him," O'Neal said. "He has so much ability and people from the outside are hard on him because he hasn't played. He hasn't (not) played because he doesn't want to play. He hasn't played because he physically can't play. "Anybody who has seen J.B. play knows what type of player he is. He has unbelievable ability and it's just unfortunate that it's an issue that was given to him from a higher level."

4) Chris Mannix of SI.com with his rookie rankings:

Taking center stage - Frye forcing his way into Knicks' lineup -- to stay

How would you define the ideal All-Star? For me, great individual stats are a must; I like my guys to demonstrate some level of dominance over others in at least one facet of their game. I like leaders. Sometimes a team's best player isn't the one boasting the best numbers. In his prime, Dikembe Mutombo was a dominant shot blocker, but how often did you point to The Wagging One as the best player on his team? Finally, I like winners. Major League Baseball has a rule that dictates at least one player from each team be represented at its annual All-Star game. In 1994, for example, Scott Cooper was an above-average third baseman playing for a mediocre Boston Red Sox squad that, according to baseball bylaws, needed a representative at the midsummer classic. So Cooper, who batted .282 with 53 RBI in '94, was in, while more deserving players, like Ozzie Guillen and Rafael Palmeiro, were left out. Fortunately, the NBA has no such policy. Stat stuffers on crumbling franchises are routinely left out in the cold. The Atlanta Hawks, owners of a 76-170 record the last three seasons, haven't had an All-Star since 2002. You probably won't see that streak broken anytime soon. Which brings me to my point (I knew I had one). When I fill out my All-Star ballot this year, Chris Paul is sure to get a vote. He just fits the mold. Paul is a better-than-advertised scorer, an aggressive defender (2.08 spg) and an astute rebounder (fourth among rookies). But we're talking about the Hornets, right? Isn't their starting center the same guy who needed 57 attempts to complete a dunk in last year's Slam Dunk Contest (sorry Birdman, I stopped counting after five)? But the Hornets aren't as bad as you think. At week's end New Orleans was only a half game out of the eighth spot in the Western Conference, a remarkable turn of events for the nomadic franchise picked by many to finish at the bottom of the conference. The credit? That goes to Paul, who will have to wait a couple of months for that All-Star nod, but won't have to wait another minute to claim the top spot in this week's Rookie Power Rankings (all statistics through Sunday)

NBA Rookie Power Rankings
1 Chris Paul, PG, Hornets (17.0 ppg, 36.9 mpg) - Have you looked at the Hornets' roster? Without Paul, Fayetteville in the NBDL could give them a run for their money. New Orleans is hot, winning four out of its last five, with the lone loss coming on one of Paul's rare sub-par shooting nights. I'm begging you, Chris, learn to shoot (21.6 percent) the three. Add that to your arsenal and you're an MVP candidate.

2 Channing Frye, C, Knicks (13.8 ppg, 51.2 FG%) - The more Larry Brown tells reporters he likes Frye in the starting lineup, the louder that sound of seething comes from Eddy Curry. Frye has done everything the Knicks have asked and more, banging the boards while exhibiting a nice touch from the wing. It also doesn't hurt when you score 20-plus points in your team's two wins during the week.

3 Deron Williams, PG, Jazz (13.6 ppg, 5.1 apg) - I'll promise you one thing. Larry Miller's tirades aren't aimed at Williams. The Jazz owner vented his frustrations at his team earlier this month, but the punishing Williams continues to be one of Utah's lone bright spots this season. In six games as a starter, Williams is averaging 15.3 points, and with the ex-Illini general at the helm Utah has won two of its last three contests.

4 Andrew Bogut, C, Bucks (7.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg) - Ouch, talk about adding injury to insult. First Bogut loses his spot in the starting lineup, and then he has his nose broken by an errant Allen Iverson elbow. We're sticking with Bogut though, who was back in the starting lineup on Saturday and put up a nice 12-point, 7-rebound performance. Just for the record, since Bucks coach Terry Stotts sent Bogut to the bench on Nov. 16, Milwaukee is 4. Numbers don't lie, coach.

5 Salim Stoudamire, PG, Hawks (11.3 ppg, 47.5 3FG%) - Even Jordan had his off days. Stoudamire threw up a clunker against Portland but played a key role in the Hawks' back-to-back wins against Boston and Indiana last week. Guys like Stoudamire (read: streaky) are going to be plagued by inconsistency and are bound to have their occasional rough nights. But if there is one thing you can count on, it's this: they will always try to shoot their way out of it.

6 Charlie Villanueva, PF, Raptors (12.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg) - Charlie Villanueva is inconsistent. If you're reading that line and it looks familiar, it's probably because you've read it before. At UConn, Villanueva was a human rollercoaster, which is why so many scouts were surprised when Toronto used such a high pick (No. 7 overall) on him. Two double-digit scoring nights last week should help him shed that label, but if it doesn't, Toronto's strategy of baptism by fire certainly will.

7 Luther Head, PG, Houston (9.8 ppg, 49.0 3FG%) - Think the Houston front office is pining for the Steve Francis Era? Maybe not, but they have to be wondering how in the world the Rockets (3-11) can be this bad? The lone bright spot in Houston may be the play of Head, who has filled in admirably for the injured Tracy McGrady. A career-high 28 points followed by a double double last week moves him up on our list. But it hasn't helped the Rockets, who have lost seven straight.

8 Jarret Jack, PG, Trail Blazers (5.0 ppg, 3.5 apg) - OK, so his numbers aren't great and his team is a mess, but there is just something about Jack I like. He's smart, physical and cool under pressure, characteristics that could have described his coach, Nate McMillan, 15 years ago. He also protects the ball (3.82 assist/turnover ratio), which can't be said for many point guards in this league. Sebastian Telfair has the style, but Jack brings the substance.

9 Ike Diogu, PF, Warriors (12.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg) - I'm getting out in front on this one -- waaayyy out in front. Diogu, making his season debut last week after a broken hand sidelined him for the Warriors' first 12 games, posted double figures in scoring in his first three contests. Of course, the former Pac-10 Player of the Year has faced single coverage so far, so let's see how he responds to double teams.

10 Sarunas Jasikevicius, PG, Pacers (8.3 ppg, 48.3 3FG%) - Jasikevicius has carved out a niche for himself in Rick Carlisle's rotation and rewarded the Pacers' coach with a career-high 17 points last week. The European gunner hides his weaknesses well and always plays to his strengths. Few players have a better sense of court awareness than Jasikevicius.

Who's out: What happened to the brash and cocky Raymond Felton? This version can't get Brevin Knight off the court. Felton needs to stop shooting just because he thinks he needs his shots ... Teams are starting to figure out Jose Calderon; the Raptors point guard is a non-factor from the perimeter ... No one has more respect for Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff than I do, but Sean May as a small forward is a nightmare. He can't guard anyone and is reluctant to establish himself in the low block, where his 266-pound frame will be most effective

Who to watch: Nate Robinson may drive Larry Brown mad, but so did Allen Iverson and look how well that turned out. A game-winning three Saturday against Philadelphia should boost his confidence ... Things could get worse for Atlanta's Marvin Williams. A screaming match with coach Mike Woodson last week can't help his already broken spirit ... Gerald Green can't get off the bench in Boston, but fellow high-schooler Martell Webster posted his first two double-digit scoring nights for Portland last week.

5) Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports on the return of Tracy McGrady:

Houston's watching his back

HOUSTON -- This Christmas, they don't really have the assets to make another trade or two. They can't even think about trying to manufacture a roster spot for Latrell Sprewell, furthermore, unless Spree significantly slashes his contract demands. All the Houston Rockets can do at this point is what they did Tuesday night. Which breaks down to showing up for the games and hoping they find Tracy McGrady feeling this sturdy. The signs weren't promising at the morning shootaround, when McGrady's back stiffened just standing and listening to the game plan. Yet by tipoff time, with the pain as manageable as it's been since his awkward fall in practice Nov. 4, McGrady decided to make his grand return. A few hours later, finally smiling again and tapping his wood-paneled locker for luck, McGrady expressed cautious optimism that he can play through this level of discomfort for a while. "I'm not going to be 100 percent," he conceded, "regardless of what I do and how much rest I get." The Rockets, as a result, couldn't get too giddy about McGrady's 25-point, nine-rebound, five-assist comeback in a 100-85 defeat of the Atlanta Hawks. This is probably how it's going to be for them for the rest of the season, praying McGrady can grind away at whatever percentage accurately assesses his health . . . and wondering how he'll feel the morning after. Not that the Rockets have much choice. It's pretty clear, after they went 0-8 without him, that the only certain route to drastic improvement is a lasting upturn in T-Mac's health. Ten days as a spectator, helpless to rescue a needy Yao Ming and the needier souls Yao tried to carry, "felt like forever" in McGrady's words. Yet he seriously flirted with skipping this one as well and waiting to come back Saturday against Memphis, having promised himself that he wouldn't play if a cortisone shot was required. After rushing back earlier this month, this time he preferred to wait as long as it took until the pain subsided to last season's levels. "It's pretty much the same [back problem] I've had before," McGrady said. "So I know how to handle it. [But] I definitely don't want to come back and then have to shut myself down and set the team back again. "Everybody's been in my ear telling me not to be Superman [and] just sit my butt down." It was the prudent approach no matter how far Houston had sunk, considering McGrady hasn't been healthy since camp started. It was knee discomfort before the back, prompting the suggestion that T-Mac -- in his quest to atone for the 116-76 humiliation in Game 7 at Dallas that ended last season -- might have overworked himself in the off-season. Of course, he's spectacular even at this speed and even when rust and fatigue leads to eight turnovers. He overcame any conditioning concerns to fill up the box score and the highlight reel, swooping at each end to block a Zaza Pachulia dunk attempt and then duck under the rim to toss in one of his trademark twisting layups. He also liberated Yao from increasing scrutiny and criticism and you could tell how grateful Yao was. The big man has been promising to buy McGrady a new IPOD and promptly presented the gift in the locker room, after Yao suggested to the assembled media that this was "a new start for us to rebuild our whole season." They need one, since Houston's 6-11 record from last December looks enticing compared to the 3-11 depths that greeted McGrady's return to work. Especially knowing that they're unlikely to swing the sort of turnaround-sparking deals seen last Christmas, when the Rockets acquired David Wesley and Jon Barry to help change their personality. "I'm not happy with the win," McGrady said. "I'll take it, but we've still got a lot of work to do."

6) Seth Davis of Si.com with a terrific article on how the gap is closing amongst NCAA schools:

'Mids' playing like majors - Small schools have closed the gap on the big boys

Most Iowa State fans probably looked at the team's schedule and saw some easy wins early -- home dates against Iona and Northern Iowa, a road date with Drake. On Saturday night, however, those fans got a dose of reality when their Cyclones lost to Iona by 17 points. More comeuppance could be on the way: Northern Iowa, which visits Ames on Tuesday night, is 3-0 and has all five starters back from an NCAA tournament team. Drake, whom Iowa State plays on Dec. 5, almost knocked off eighth-ranked Boston College last week in Las Vegas before losing, 87-84. Iowa State is far from the only power-conference school falling to mid-majors these days. Bucknell, the Patriot League team which slew Kansas in last year's NCAA tournament, won at Syracuse, 74-69, on Nov. 22. Winthrop knocked off Marquette in Milwaukee on Nov. 19, the same night UC-Irvine beat Stanford in Palo Alto. Drexel, meanwhile, put a scare into Duke and should have beaten UCLA last week at the preseason NIT. Wichita State took No. 12 Illinois to the wire last Friday before losing by one. Take a look around the country. Nevada is ranked No. 20 in this week's AP poll. Bucknell, Northern Iowa and Hawaii are in the top tier of "others receiving votes." Old Dominion, Creighton, Ohio U. and Utah State can play with anyone. And, lest we forget, Gonzaga, which is currently ranked sixth and looking like a Final Four team, plays not in a power league but in the West Coast Conference. What does all this mean? I believe it means we are in a genuine Golden Age for mid-major schools. This is not a one-year phenomenon. It is a fundamental change in the national hoops landscape that has been a decade in the making -- most notably since the NCAA reduced the scholarship limit per team from 15 in 1992 to 13 in 1994. "I've never seen anything quite like this. I'm telling you, anybody can beat anybody," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim says. "I guarantee you we didn't play that badly against Bucknell. The so-called mid-majors have moved up and the top teams have dropped quite a bit. These [mid-major] teams are pretty good now, and there's not just a few of them. There's a bunch." To be sure, as a group, the mid-major schools will never completely eclipse the big boys' advantage in recruiting and scheduling. But there are three main reasons why the middies have been able to close the gap: 1. The talent differential isn't as big as you think. Sure, the Dukes and Arizonas will have first dibs on the top 30 high school seniors every year, but there are plenty of guys who fall through the cracks -- only to end up being better college players than their higher-ranked counterparts. "A lot of times, the perimeter players at mid-major schools are just as good as the ones at high-major schools," Iowa State coach Wayne Morgan says. Morgan correctly points out that the elite schools usually have better big men, but there are also numerous examples of mid-majors succeeding with big-man "projects" whom the power schools passed on. This is particularly true of foreign players like Bucknell's Chris McNaughton, a 6-11 junior center from Germany, and Old Dominion's Alex Loughton, a 6-9 senior forward from Australia. Mid-majors also excel at finding undersized post players whose guile and toughness make up for their lack of height. Current San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, who is 6-4, was just such a player when he led Kent State to the Elite Eight in 2002. 2. Mid-majors are far more likely to play upperclassmen with lots of experience. Between the lure of the NBA and the drastic increase in transfers, it's almost impossible for a power-conference school to have a top-to-bottom veteran lineup year after year. On the other hand, Bucknell, Northern Iowa and Winthrop each have five returning starters from teams that won 23, 21 and 27 games, respectively last season. Imagine the benefits Iona reaps from starting four seniors, three of whom played high school ball together. "Not only do we know where each other is comfortable with the ball, it also helps us communicate better off the court," says Gaels guard Ricky Soliver, who had 23 points, five rebounds and four steals in the win at Iowa State. "We can just give each other one [look], and we know it's time to make a backdoor cut." By contrast, Duke and Memphis each started two freshmen (and brought more off the bench) in last Friday night's NIT final. After the Blue Devils won, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski noted the best team in the NIT's Final Four might well have been Drexel, which has just one freshman in its rotation, even though the Dragons lost both their games. "That's the parity you have in college basketball right now," Krzyzewski said. "There are a lot of good players out there. Some of the ones who are 18 and 19 might have a little more talent, but those guys who are juniors and seniors are pretty darned good." 3. The mid-majors have something to prove and nothing to lose. This is the same dynamic that yields upsets in the NCAA tournament. The longer an underdog stays in the game, the more likely the favorite will succumb to what could politely be called the "pucker factor." Says Soliver, "When we first started making our run [against Iowa State], I could feel the tension on their side. They were yelling at each other and it seemed like they were getting nervous." Bucknell coach Pat Flannery notes that while all of his starters seemed comfortable shooting down the stretch against Syracuse (indeed, the Bison shot 82 percent in the second half), none of the Orange starters, save Gerry McNamara, seemed to want the ball. All of which begs the question of whether any of these middies can take the next step and become another Gonzaga. The answer is, probably not. Gonzaga was able to parlay its run to the Elite Eight in 1999 to a better schedule (and thus, better TV exposure), but most successful mid-major schools suffer the opposite fate. After Bucknell beat Kansas in last year's tournament, two schools canceled HOME games with the Bison that had already been agreed upon for this season. Winthrop coach Gregg Marshall -- who learned from perhaps the greatest mid-major coach of all time, John Kresse, while an assistant at the College of Charleston -- approached ESPN this year and offered to play in any arena to get a national TV game. Two schools whom Marshall says are "the elite of the elite" turned the network down. Ironically, Winthrop almost pulled off a classic mid-major upset in the first round of last year's NCAA tournament, when it led Gonzaga for 35 minutes before losing by 10. With five NCAA appearances in the past seven years (but no wins), it would appear Winthrop, which plays in the Big South, could be on the verge of duplicating the Zags' success. "I'll say this, we're as close as we've ever been," Marshall says. "We got our foot in the door last year. You can't knock down the door until you jar it open." After his team lost to the Zags last March, Marshall said Gonzaga was what every mid-major team wanted to be. I say they should be careful what they wish for. The way this sport is going, being a big-time program is no bargain either.