As Marv Albert would say: " Oh, Channing Frye administering a facial to Darko Milicic!"

Injured no more: Grant Hill and Shaquille O’Neal will both be back to Magic and Heat practices respectively today after recovering from injuries…

NCAA Football note: USC’s offense is the best offense in the history of college football….seriously, if you go game-by-game this year it’s like this: 63, 70, 45, 38, 42, 34, 51, 55, 51, 35, 50, 66. A season low of 34 points? Ridiculous…

Mavs beat the Pacers 84-75 last night with Dirk Nowitzki leading Dallas with 31 points and 11 rebounds, while the defense held the Pacers to only 34.3 percent shooting from the field

Drubbing…Meanwhile, the Suns destroyed the Blazers 130-85 with James Jones scoring 22 points as the Suns extended their winning streak to an NBA-best seven straight…The Matirx added 21 points for the Suns, while Steve Nash had 14 points and 12 assists, Kurt Thomas added 12 points and 13 rebounds, Boris Diaw finished with a career-best 13 assists, and Pat Burke had a season-high 12 points.

Interesting…When Sebastian Telfair (20 years, 178 days old) and Martell Webster (19 years exactly) started in the backcourt for Portland against Utah on Sunday, they comprised the youngest backcourt in modern NBA history. Compared to the combined age of that Blazers backcourt, Heat guard Gary Payton is only 2 years, 52 days younger. The previous youngest backcourt had been Cleveland's LeBron James (19 years, 14 days) and Dajuan Wagner (20 years, 343 days) when the Cavaliers played Seattle on Jan. 13, 2004.

Jarvis Hayes had 21 points and eight rebounds including six points with two steals in overtime as the Pacers beat the Raps 119-111last night…Gilbert Arenas scored 16 of his 37 points in the final 12 1/2 minutes and had 10 assists for the Wizards. Antawn Jamison added 26 points, 14 rebounds and six assists, and Jared Jeffries had 14 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. Chris Bosh scored 27 points, and Morris Peterson had 21 for the Raptors…Jose Calderon added eight points, nine rebounds and a career-high 13 assists. ''The guys played hard, they played together, they tried to help each other,'' coach Sam Mitchell said. ''Sure, they make mistakes, but young guys do that. We can live with those, I can. The guys try to do everything I ask them to. What am I going to say to them? The good thing about it is we had an opportunity to win the game and we didn't get it done.''

Bab Robcock watch:

Player Pos Min FG-A Reb Ast St To Blk PF Pts
Rafael Araujo C 12 2-3 2 0 2 1 0 4 4
Jose Calderon G 42 4-9 9 13 0 4 0 2 8
Charlie V. PF 28 8-15 2 3 1 2 1 3 18
Joey Graham SF 31 2-5 0 5 1 0 1 3 8

Funny Quotes from Jerome James: On healing from injury…"My name is Jerome, not Jesus."… On returning to Seattle…"This is actually a sad occasion. It's bittersweet. I am happy to be in this situation, but I miss Ray, Rashard, Flip, Reggie, Cleaves, Luke, Nick, everybody. I wish I could have been here to help Robert Swift out a little more. He looks like he needs it." On criticism…"Mailmen get bit by dogs; professional athletes get criticized in the newspaper. It's part of the territory." On the Knicks' acquisition of Eddy Curry…"The idea of me and him playing together was brought to me as a possibility, and I was like, 'Yeah, bring that dude over, he is a beast.' We will have the biggest lineup in the NBA if he and I can get healthy and learn how to play together." On playing with Curry…"If I have to slim down and play the four man, then oh well, I'll go out and defend the fours. I am not looking to score 20 points, but I am looking to get 10 blocks, 10 rebounds and six fouls."

1) Frank Hughes of the Tacoma (Wash.) Tribune actually misses Jerome James out West:

Knicks' James is rich with golden nuggets

I hate to admit it, but I kind of missed the big lug. Perhaps it was because I had not seen -- or, more appropriately, heard -- Jerome James in about six months that I guess I had forgotten just how amusing and endearing that deep baritone voice can be, even while knowing that two-thirds of what comes out of that smile is pure fertilizer. But it was good to see and hear 7-foot-1 James, who will play against the Seattle SuperSonics tonight for the first time since leaving them for the Isiah Thomas-bestowed riches ($30 million) of the New York Knicks. It was good to know he hasn't changed, hasn't been jaded by the features of the five boroughs, hasn't allowed his mama's advice to keep that trap clamped to make him stay quiet or docile for long. James is, was and always will be a talker; he should have been a preacher. He'd just need a bigger church and a wider pulpit. When Thomas informed the players Monday that Quentin Richardson had left the team for personal reasons, it was James who stood hovering over the huddle and led everybody in prayer, after which several folks heading for the team bus expressed admiration for his oratorical skills. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's throw this doozy at you to complete the dichotomy. Earlier this season, on this very Web site, it was opined that the five-year contract James inked was the worst free-agent signing of the summer, given his history. Said James in response: "It's early. Before it is all over, they will be chanting my name and lifting me up on their shoulders and carrying me around the building." James didn't really clarify who "they" were, whether it was the editors at ESPN.com who published the opinion, his teammates or the Madison Square Garden fans who would like nothing better than to get their hands on James. Come to think of it, he didn't really specify which building, either; maybe he was thinking about one of the ESPN commercials in which athletes go into the network's headquarters and hang out. Either way, it was a bold statement for a man who has 15 fouls, six turnovers and 11 points in his first 38 minutes of play in a Knickerbockers uni and has career averages of 4.9 points and 3.5 rebounds. Not sure I can remember the last player sporting those numbers who was carried around the building on "their" shoulders. Maybe Rudy Ruettiger, but that was for hard work and dedication, and um, well, yeah ... I don't really have a drunk uncle, at least not one who comes to Thanksgiving dinner, but if I did, I imagine he'd be like James, making outrageous statements that amuse but can't be taken too literally or seriously. In any case, this is the story about a man named James, who was tearing up the Sacramento Kings in the playoffs the last time we saw him, waving around a garbage bag from a partially fictional story and making one wonder why a physical specimen of his height and girth has not been more effective over the course of what can be described only as an unfulfilled, and unfulfilling, career. Sonics All-Star Ray Allen, who took it upon himself to mentor James last season in an effort to get the most possible production from him, has an interesting theory on the often frustrating approach of a man who is playing basketball only because he was spotted walking across the Florida A&M campus one day and a coach thought to himself, "Hmm, why isn't that tall guy on my team?" "We all played youth basketball, we played in AAU programs, we always had somebody hovering over our backs to make sure we did the right thing basketballwise," Allen said. "Jerome was just thrown out there because of his height and told, 'Just stand out there and put your hands up when somebody shoots.' "Then he started to realize he was good at it. But I don't know if he ever had to run or dribble or work hard to understand what basketball was about. Now people say he doesn't work hard or he doesn't want it. But Jerome was never one who had to thrive on basketball growing up. He doesn't live, sleep and breathe basketball like I did when I was growing up. "Now people want to criticize him for it. But he grew up with a different train of thought." In a way, James did this to himself, raised expectations beyond what they ever had been, because he had such a scintillating playoff series against the Kings, which hoodwinked Thomas into setting James up for life, at 30 years old and with creaky knees and weight issues. In that series, which Seattle dominated, James, playing against his former team, averaged 17.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks -- after a regular season in which he averaged five points and three rebounds "I don't think Jerome did anything that was outside his abilities," Allen said. "He was playing like he is 7-feet, being athletic. That is what he is supposed to do. I don't know what's going on in New York as far as the team chemistry, or even his motivation to get out there and play. Jerome, he has tendencies to go out and be lazy." To be fair, James has pulled his hamstring three times since the start of training camp and never has been able to get healthy or into shape. Whether he suffered those injuries because he came into camp fat and happy, only he knows. On top of that, the Knicks traded for Eddy Curry, relegating James to a backup role. But the question always will remain: If you had that series against the Kings, which earned you wild and perhaps undeserved riches, why can't you produce like that on a consistent basis? "If the opportunity and situation calls for it, yes, I have always been capable of providing it," James said. "If that is asked of me in New York, then I am more than capable of providing it. If not, whatever role I can fit into to win games like we did here in Seattle, then that is my honest, utmost intention." Whether you believe that or not, it certainly sounds good.

2) John Hollinger of ESPN.com grades the free agents so far:

Grading the free agent class of '05

In business, there's a phenomenon called the "winner's curse." What it says, essentially, is that the winner of an auction usually regrets it, because making a winning bid and overpaying tend to go hand in hand. That seems to apply in basketball too. For example, let's say there are three teams bidding for a free agent, whom we'll call "Jerome." All three get their personnel people working to determine the player's market value and come up with a contract offer. Team No. 1 estimates the player's market value correctly and makes a fair offer. Team No. 2 underestimates his value and makes an offer that's too low. But Team No. 3 overestimates his value and comes up with an offer that will overpay Jerome considerably. Guess who wins the bidding? That's right, the team that overpaid. And that's why winning free-agent wars are often pyrrhic victories -- overpaying on a multiyear deal can put a team in a tight salary cap spot for years. It seems a particularly appropriate time to discuss the winner's curse because so many of this year's free agents have been such crushing disappointments. Of the offseason's 25 most prominent free agents who changed teams, only a couple have been unqualified successes. The rest have either failed miserably or, at best, underperformed for their contracts. And most of the successes have been in the lower tier of players -- those who make less than the midlevel exception. For proof, let's take a look at those 25 team-switching free agents and, much like Professor Ford out in Hawaii, assign grades based on how they've done so far. As you'll see, it ain't pretty. In order of total salary:

Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks, 5 years, $70 million. Johnson has played hard and shown that he's a quality NBA shooting guard. That's not the problem. The issue is that he's clearly not a superstar, or even an All-Star, but he's being paid like one. Making matters worse, the Hawks gave up two first-round picks and swingman Boris Diaw to get him, and right now Diaw is outplaying Johnson. Finally, the original plan to play Johnson at the point proved unworkable, leaving Atlanta with a glut of wingmen and a paucity of point guards.
Grade: D


Larry Hughes, Cleveland Cavaliers, 5 years, $60 million. Hughes has reverted to his low-percentage ways in Cleveland, hitting only 38.7 percent from the floor and struggling to adapt as a defensive stopper -- a role he needs to fill so LeBron can focus on offense. Like Johnson, Hughes cost superstar money but is delivering only midlevel performance. The key difference here is that he didn't cost the Cavs draft picks and a player. Grade: C-

Eddy Curry, New York Knicks, 6 years, $56 million. Curry has been effective when he's on the floor, with per-40-minute rates of 21.1 points and 10.8 rebounds. The operative phrase here is "when he's on the floor." Between injuries and foul trouble he's played only 245 minutes, ranking him ninth on the Knicks. For $10 million a year and the loss of Michael Sweetney, New York needs much more. Grade: C-

Antoine Walker, Miami Heat, 6 years, $53 million. - 'Toine is adjusting better to life as Miami's sixth man than some expected, shooting a career-best 43.3 percent. (Your eyes did not deceive you: The number "43.3 percent" just followed the words "career-best.") He's also giving a passable defensive effort when he's been forced to play small forward and hasn't chucked too many ill-chosen 3-pointers. That makes him a decent midlevel player, but at nearly $9 million per the Heat still overpaid. Grade: C

Bobby Simmons, Milwaukee Bucks, 5 years, $47 million. That soft jumper he showed as a Clipper hasn't surfaced in cheese country. Simmons is struggling with marks of 41.3 percent from the floor and 26.1 percent from 3-point range, and he hasn't provided the expected upgrade to the Bucks' porous defense. Fortunately, the Bucks don't necessarily need him to score, but $47 million is awfully expensive for a role player on a small-market team. Grade: D

Cuttino Mobley, Los Angeles Clippers, 5 years, $42 million. A stellar acquisition by the standards of this list, Mobley fills two important needs for the Clippers. He provides a durable shooting guard, and gives the Clips a respectable long-range shooter to open things up for Elton Brand in the paint. It's still hard to get excited about paying over $8 million a year for his ho-hum production, but as long as the Clips stay in first, Mobley's grade will stay above the curve. Grade: B-

Marko Jaric, Minnesota Timberwolves, 6 years, $40 million. Jaric has played decently, especially at the defensive end, and his versatility has been a bonus on a team with a thin bench. That's helped Minnesota surprise the soothsayers thus far, and the money wasn't too excessive. Unfortunately, as with Johnson, he also cost his team a player and a draft pick. With Sam Cassell looking spunky in L.A. and a Wolves first-rounder committed to the Clips, Jaric doesn't seem like such a bargain. Grade: C-

Jerome James, New York Knicks, 5 years, $30 million. The worst free-agent signing of the summer, hands down. For those of you familiar with my Player Efficiency Rating (PER), James has managed the difficult feat of posting a PER below zero thus far. He has taken one foul shot all season, has averaged a foul every 2.5 minutes and needed only a week to fall out of the Knicks' rotation. And he cost the Knicks only their full midlevel exception. Brilliant. Grade: F-

Antonio Daniels, Washington Wizards, 5 years, $30 million. Daniels was supposed to help fill the void left by Hughes' departure, but instead he's dug a deeper crater. He's shooting 31.9 percent and averaging a pathetic 8.4 points per 40 minutes, while his 2-for-19 3-point marksmanship has failed to stop defenses from collapsing against Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison. Grade: D-

Stromile Swift, Houston Rockets, 5 years, $30 million. A big reason the Rockets have been such a disappointment is that their major free-agent acquisition, Swift, has failed to deliver. He's underperforming his career numbers across the board and has failed to pick up Houston's defensive concepts, a major reason he's still suffering the indignity of being Juwan Howard's backup. Grade: D+

Earl Watson, Denver Nuggets, 5 years, $30 million. Good news: The Nuggets got a coveted free-agent point guard in Watson. Bad news: They already had two better players who play the same position. As a result, Watson is sitting around waiting for Dec. 15, when he can be traded for some frontcourt help. The grade would be worse but for the fact that Watson still can be converted into an asset after next Thursday. Grade: D+

Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Sacramento Kings, 5 years, $30 million. Half a billion dollars later, we finally get to a free agent who's lived up to the expectations. Abdur-Rahim cost the Kings only their midlevel exception and he's given them exactly what they expected: A high-scoring, high-percentage power forward, albeit one who's a bit soft on D. The grade would be an A except for Abdur-Rahim's supernatural ability to have his teams disappoint, as the Kings have been surprisingly mediocre. Grade: A-

Kwame Brown, Los Angeles Lakers, 3 years, $25 million. Food for thought: Now that Brown is disappointing a second franchise and, in five years, has provided virtually zero highlight material, can we consider the possibility that all those scouts were wrong four years ago, and he just didn't have as much ability as we initially presumed? Isn't that a much better explanation for what's taken place since? Grade: F

Raja Bell, Phoenix Suns, 5 years, $24 million. Bell probably wasn't worth all the money Phoenix paid and he hasn't exactly lit it up offensively thus far. On the other hand, his feisty demeanor has been a key to the one of the league's most improved defenses, as he's ably filled the stopper role vacated by Johnson's departure. All told, I doubt the Suns regret it. Grade: B-

Donyell Marshall, Cleveland Cavaliers. 4 years, $22 million. Marshall's shooting (38.5 percent) isn't up to his usual level despite the many open shots that LeBron & Co. provide, and defensively he's of limited value. But he's helping out on the boards and comes at a bargain price, so even if the jumpers don't start falling, he's providing decent value. Grade: B-

Damon Stoudamire, Memphis Grizzlies, 4 years, $17 million. Few small guards have aged better than Mighty Mouse, who even at 32 is having no problem filling it up. He's hitting 40 percent on 3-pointers and contributing solid numbers across the board at a bargain price. That's helped the Griz to the second-best record in the West despite a thorough offseason housecleaning. Grade: A-

Damon Jones, Cleveland Cavaliers, 4 years, $16.1 million. Cleveland hired the motormouthed guard to hit 3-pointers, and so far he's making 39.5 percent of them. He doesn't provide much else and the numbers don't match what he did in Miami a year ago, but the shooting-starved Cavs aren't complaining. Grade: B-

Zaza Pachulia, Atlanta Hawks, 4 years, $16 million. Zaza has a soft touch around the rim and has proved surprisingly adept as a rebounder, averaging 11.7 caroms per 40 minutes. Considering his youth (21) and the bargain-basement price for a big man, this was a steal, but the grade won't reach the A range until he stops getting abused on defense. Grade: B+

Steven Hunter, Philadelphia 76ers, 5 years, $16.5 million. Like Pachulia, Hunter provides a reasonably effective big man at an innocuous price. The 58 percent shooting is eye-catching, but the Sixers would be happier if he grabbed a rebound once in a while. His rate of one every six minutes is among the worst at his position. Grade: B

Brian Scalabrine, Boston Celtics, 5 years, $15 million. It doesn't exactly take Marco Polo to find the negatives on the Scalabrine deal. For instance, he has as many turnovers as field goals. He has nearly as many fouls (26) as points (28). Office pools are starting up throughout the Boston area on when he'll finally play his way out of Doc Rivers' rotation. Not that we saw this coming or anything. Grade: F

Sarunas Jasikevicius, Indiana Pacers, 3 years, $12 million. I was skeptical about his ability to give Indy bang for these bucks, but so far Jasikevicius has been absolutely brilliant. In fact, through Sunday's games he had the best 2005-06 PER of any free agent on this list at 21.72 (the league average is 15.0). For more evidence, check out these shooting numbers: 51.7 percent from the floor, 51 percent on 3-pointers, and 94.9 percent from the line. Per minute he's Indy's No. 3 scorer, and he may use Jamaal Tinsley's absence this week to take over the starting point guard job. Grade: A+

James Jones, Phoenix Suns, 4 years, $11 million. A cheap replacement for Quentin Richardson's "just hang out at the 3-point line and wait for Nash to deliver the ball" role, Jones is taking more than half his shots from downtown and hitting 40 percent. He's not completely one-dimensional either, throwing in a little D to complement the jump shooting. At this price point, it's hard to ask for anything more. Grade: B+

Keyon Dooling, Orlando Magic, 3 years, $10 million. Dooling seemed to be justifying Orlando's investment in him with some quality scoring performances to begin the year, but a heel problem knocked him out after six games and he hasn't been heard from since. He should be back in the lineup by Christmas, however, and we'll see if he can keep it up then. Grade: Incomplete

Dale Davis, Detroit Pistons, 2 years, $7 million. It's great to have frontcourt depth, but right now Detroit is paying Davis quite a bit of money to keep Jason Maxiell company at the far end of the bench. Once playoff time rolls around, his role may increase, especially if the Pistons need somebody to take a few fouls against Shaq. Grade: Incomplete

Eddie House, Phoenix Suns, 2 years, $1.8 million. Other than Jasikevicius, House has been the league's best free-agent pickup thus far. Per 40 minutes he's averaging a whopping 25.6 points, and the notorious gunner is even throwing in 4.9 assists. The 48.2 percent shooting mark is a career high, too. Now for the punch line: He's barely costing the Suns more than the minimum salary -- or about 3 percent of what the Hawks owe Joe Johnson. No winner's curse here. Grade: A

3) Brian Windhorst of the Akron Beacon Journal reports that LeBron is staying in Cleveland:

James not beckoning for royalty - Although friendly with Kings owners, he's eager to remain with Cavaliers

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. - Before this story begins, let's get this part out of the way so nothing can be misconstrued. Lounging after practice Monday at Arco Arena, LeBron James again stated his long-term plans. ``I can't wait until I re-up next year,'' James said, referring to next August when he can sign a five-year contract extension with the Cavaliers. ``Then I can get the max.'' That sounds just as firm as his statements before the start of the season when he expressed his extreme support for the organization. Of course, oral assurances in Dec. 2005 aren't binding, but James continues to make his point loud and clear. If there's a franchise, though, besides the Cavs that James favors -- despite what media in New York and Los Angeles have assumed eagerly in the past -- it just might be the Sacramento Kings, whom the Cavs face tonight to close their West Coast swing. James and his family have become quite friendly with the owners of the Kings, Joe and Gavin Maloof. The relationship goes back two years to before James' rookie year, when he first met them. The Maloofs, who have a long history in the NBA, yet, hold the reputation as the most stylish of the new crop of young owners, treated James like he was a Kings player and not a member of the opposition. ``They've treated us very well,'' James said. ``You have to respect a class act like those two guys.'' The Maloofs were welcoming James when he shot his first Nike commercial in September before his rookie season at Arco Arena. Then, when James played his first game in the building, the Maloofs openly considered it as a honor and took care of James' every wish for the game. Since, he and his family have been welcomed guests at Kings games and at the Palms hotel in Las Vegas, which the Maloof family owns. Last season, James' mother, Gloria, sat with the Maloofs in their courtside seats when the Cavs came to town. ``I'm happy to know them,'' James said. ``They're a good group of guys.'' ***Pavlovic hurt, out: Cavs swingman Sasha Pavlovic sprained his left ankle while doing a drill in practice Monday. He went to a local hospital for X-rays, which proved to be negative. The Cavs believe that he'll miss 2-3 weeks with the moderate sprain. They likely will activate Martynas Andriuskevicius from the inactive list tonight. Luke Jackson, who was dueling with Pavlovic for the backup small forward role, likely will pick up Pavlovic's minutes. ***Dribbles: The Cavs turned the ball over just five times in Saturday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. It was just the eighth time in the past 15 seasons they've turned it over five times or less.... Guard Eric Snow currently ranks second in assists per turnover (4.5) and ranks sixth in steals per turnover (1.21) in the NBA.... The Kings have lost three consecutive games and coach Rick Adelman benched his starters in the fourth quarter of Sunday's home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

4) Chris Mannix of Si.com ranks the rookies:

Frye filling the void - Rookie may finally let Knicks turn Ewing page

What does it mean to be a big man for the New York Knicks? Recent history suggests that all that title guarantees is a one-way ticket out of town. Before this season, New York had been unable to fill the cavernous void left by Patrick Ewing, who left Broadway in 2000 in a trade with Seattle. Five years later and maybe -- just maybe -- the Knicks may have finally found the solution to their problems. It's not free-agent signee Jerome James, who has lived up to his enigmatic billing, giving New York an 11-point return on its $30 million investment. For the time being it's also not Eddy Curry, whose attempt to repudiate a reputation as a score-first, rebound-later center has been foiled by a combination of poor conditioning and injury. The answer may be Channing Frye, whose play on both ends of the floor has earned him the adoration of the public as well as the public support of a coaching staff that is loathe to offer much to anyone. Frye is a double threat on offense; a solid perimeter shooter with a fearless streak. Defensively, the 248-pound forward/center is susceptible to being pushed around, but the positioning skills he honed under Lute Olsen at Arizona have made him an effective rebounder, and his 7-foot wingspan makes him a threat to send back any weak attempts around the rim. Frye's only problem these days might be Chris Paul, who refuses to relinquish his status as the front runner for the Rookie of the Year award. The Hornets guard was the only rookie to have a better week than Frye, which is why he keeps the top spot in this week's Rookie Power Rankings (All statistics through Sunday).

1. Chris Paul, PG, Hornets (16.9 ppg, 6.8 apg) The greatest testament to Paul's impact is the Hornets' position in the standings. If the season ended today New Orleans would claim the eighth seed in the Western Conference, something Nostradamus would have had trouble prognosticating two months ago. The Hornets need a big week from their star rookie, with showdowns against Phoenix, San Antonio and the Clippers looming.

2. Channing Frye, F/C, Knicks (15.4 ppg, 51.1 FG%) So when can we expect the "You Want Frye With That" McDonald's billboard in Times Square? Frye has been a scoring machine for the Knicks, posting 20-plus points in three straight contests. One worry is that his numbers will dip when he hits the rookie wall in January. Since Thanksgiving he has averaged 36.3 minutes a night, well above the 26.7 minutes he averaged in four years at Arizona.

3. Charlie Villanueva, PF, Raptors (12.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg) Break up the Raptors! It's kind of funny hearing people get excited about a two-game win streak, especially when one of those wins came against the inept Hawks. Villanueva climbs in the rankings thanks to a solid week that included a game-winning tip-in to beat Atlanta on Friday. After striking out with Rafael Araujo a year ago, Raptors GM Rob Babcock appears to have hit a home run with Villanueva.

4. Deron Williams, PG, Jazz (13.4 ppg, 4.7 apg) Undefeated Illinois might not be missing Williams yet, but the Jazz certainly would if he came out of their lineup. Williams' versatility (and Gordan Giricek's inconsistency) has allowed Utah coach Jerry Sloan to utilize Williams at both guard spots. Trouble could be brewing though: after lighting the Lakers up for 20 points, Williams sat the entire fourth quarter in a Jazz win over Portland.

5. Andrew Bogut, C, Bucks (7.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg) Bogut dropped 19 on Dallas last Tuesday night and preserved a Bucks win with a textbook block of a Jason Terry runner. His numbers aren't all that impressive, but the Bucks are 3-1 since Bogut returned to the starting lineup on Nov. 26.

6. Jose Calderon, PG, Raptors (6.6 ppg, 6.1 apg) It's becoming fashionable (even in this space) to suggest that Calderon needs to make himself more of an offensive threat, but give the kid credit, he knows where he makes his money. He was steady in Toronto's back-to-back wins over the weekend, while continuing to be economical with his shots. Doesn't hurt that he's sixth in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.44:1) either.

7. Sarunas Jasikevicius, PG, Pacers (9.6 ppg, 51.0 3FG%) Indiana limped home after a grueling West Coast swing, but things could have been a lot worse if not for Jasikevicius. The Lithuanian guard averaged 12.0 points and 3.6 assists and helped the Pacers win three out of five on the trip. With Jamaal Tinsley nursing a groin injury, Jasikevicius' minutes should continue to increase.

8. Salim Stoudamire, PG, Hawks (11.1 ppg, 42.6 3 FG%) Memo to Mike Woodson: scrap the Joe Johnson point guard experiment and make Stoudamire a starter. The Hawks are going nowhere and the only thing undecided in Atlanta is how big a piece Stoudamire will be in the team's puzzle. With Texas' LaMarcus Aldridge earmarked for Atlanta, Woodson needs to find answers to the questions in his backcourt.

9. Luther Head, G, Rockets (9.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg) Not even Tracy McGrady's return could force Head to the bench. The 6-foot-3 combo guard would be higher in the rankings if he could figure out a way to help his team win a game. The Rockets have lost eight out of their last nine and are easily the league's most disappointing team. Head's nine-point effort against Memphis snapped a streak of five consecutive double-digit scoring nights.

10. Marvin Williams, F, Hawks (6.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg) You know how boxers can sometimes steal a round with a flurry of punches at the end? Well, the same thing can be said for Williams, who sneaks back into the Top 10 with a 17-point, 11-rebound performance against Phoenix on Sunday. Sometimes a big game can act as a springboard for future success -- maybe Williams is next in line for the big bounce.

Who's out: Ike Diogu cooled off considerably after a hot start for the Warriors. The former Sun Devil is still rounding into shape after missing the first 12 games of the season with a hand injury ... Jarrett Jack is an enigma; he doesn't need to put up big numbers to be effective, but tossing up goose eggs in Nate McMillan's offense is unacceptable. Who to watch: On Saturday, Orlando's Travis Diener looked every bit the star he was at Marquette, scoring 14 points and going 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Jameer Nelson better watch his minutes ... Johan Petro is blowing a major opportunity to get big minutes in Seattle; the Sonics big man hasn't scored a point in the last three games ... You wonder why the Knicks were so determined to keep David Lee in the offseason if they had no intention of playing him. The ex-Gator is averaging 17.3 rebounds per 48 minutes.

5) Peter Vescey of the New York Post is crazy:

NO KIDDING: NETS AREN'T IN-VINCIBLE

December 6, 2005 -- HOOP DU JOUR NOT so puzzlingly the Screw Jersey Nets aren't as good as projected. I hate to break this to Lawrence Frank, but unrealized high expectations have been known to get a coach capped. Where's Gordon Chiesa when a fall guy might be needed?
Their lousy loss at the Continental Breakfast Arena only served to confirm what people within the organization have been whispering for weeks and weeks: Their defense stinks. Opponents are finding it irresistible, especially when Jason Collins' Stanford education is out of the mix, not the case when the Raptors spread-eagled the Nets, 95-82, following an 80-80 square knot. That defect and Vince Carter's off-season conversion from Vin-sanity into Half-Man, Half-Mouseketeer have dragged them down to 7-9. Team officials had hoped his L.A. ransacking by Kobe Bryant last week would provoke a tide of pride but it hasn't happened, as evidenced by 15 points, one rebound and three assists versus ex-coach/critic Sam Mitchell. OK, so Carter injured his ankle with 8:22 left in the third quarter, but he looked more like Wince than Vince long before Rafael Araujo landed on his foot. Fact is, Carter's play perked up after returning to the court five minutes later, limping all the way. Here's the dilemma: If the Nets don't improve their motivational approach and mental toughness, it's reasonable to deduce they're not about to get better, period. After all, for all intents and purposes, their cupboard is bare of assets. Trade a reserve and there's no guarantee of getting back someone not sub standard. The Nets' only replication is at swingman and center. Management wouldn't dream of dealing Nenad Krstic. Trading Carter is an impure thought. On the other hand, it's almost impossible to deal Collins or Richard Jefferson; both are base-year players. Even if it were doable, Jefferson would be the last guy that should be moved. First off, the decision was made two summers ago to invest in him long-term vs. Kenyon Martin. More important, his game keeps escalating and getting more buffed with no sign of an impending upside in sight. If I'm Nets owner Bruce Ratner and things don't get appreciably cheerier by the new year, I'd seriously consider shopping Jason Kidd for a combination macho forward/brute center who's big on rebounding, blocking shots and scoring 12-14 per game; you can do a lot worse than have Jeff McInnis as your regular playmaker. Should Shaq ever get back in cruise ship shape, I wonder if Pat Riley would accept Kidd for Alonzo Mourning?

6) Marty Burns of SI.com with his Inside the NBA column:

Net loss - New Jersey's defense sinking Nets' big plans

The Knicks aren't the only New York area team that's struggling so far this season. With so much focus on Larry Brown, it's been easy to overlook the happenings on the other side of the Hudson River. There, the Nets have quietly been producing their own mini soap opera. Expected to dominate the Atlantic Division, the Nets instead have limped along to a 7-9 record so far. On Saturday they lost at home to the lowly Raptors, 95-82. Besides being a personal kick in the gut to Vince Carter, it was New Jersey's second straight loss and fifth in seven games. "No effort. From top to bottom, we just didn't come with any effort," Nets point guard Jason Kidd said. "We're not very mentally tough," added Richard Jefferson. "We're not very physically tough. It's consistent. At some point in time you've got to get mad." Even Nets coach Lawrence Frank doesn't seem to know what to make of his team's lackluster play. He was so frustrated after Saturday's debacle that he slammed the door to his office. New Jersey has not looked right all season, mainly on the defensive end. The Nets rank second in field-goal percentage allowed (42.4 percent) but it's misleading. They're yielding 96.2 points per game (16th in the NBA) after giving up 92.9 a year ago (sixth). Much of the difference has come from beyond the 3-point arc. Over a recent 10-game span, five foes hit at least 10 3-pointers against them. What has happened to the Nets' notoriously stingy D? Kidd, perhaps feeling the effects of age (32) and his past knee surgery, has looked a tiny bit slower at times. Jefferson, now playing more at shooting guard because of Carter, has had trouble slowing down those smaller, quicker types. And Carter has never been known as a stopper. The Nets' big three hasn't received much help elsewhere on the floor. New Jersey's big men aren't very athletic and don't block shots. Nenad Krstic, Jason Collins, Marc Jackson and Cliff Robinson each has his strong points, but only two can be on the court at the same time. So the Nets are always collapsing in the paint and either fouling or giving up the open three. Off the court, New Jersey has had some rather Knicks-like controversies as well. The offseason pursuit of Shareef Abdur-Rahim ended in embarrassment for the organization when it suddenly withdrew its offer of a free-agent contract to the veteran power forward over fears about an old knee injury. Abdur-Rahim wound up signing in Sacramento, where he helped lead the Kings to a victory over the Nets on Nov. 23. Then the day before the season opener, assistant coach Gordon Chiesa, who had joined the team after 16 seasons with the Jazz, abruptly resigned. He later said he didn't feel he was being used properly, and suggested Frank was the reason. "I had worked for Rick Pitino. I had worked for Jerry Sloan," Chiesa told the Salt Lake Tribune. "They treated me well. I guess you've got to analyze who your bosses are. I'm leaving out some details because they wouldn't benefit anyone." Frank responded by calling Chiesa a great guy and saying he wished him well. The good news for the Nets is that it's still early. Despite its struggles, New Jersey is still basically tied with Philadelphia and Boston atop the mediocre Atlantic Division. With seven of their next 13 at home, the Nets should be able to work through their problems without falling too far behind before the New Year. Also, New Jersey fans can take comfort in the fact that their team is still ahead of the Knicks in the standings.

Who's up - Elton Brand, Clippers…Long one of the NBA's most underrated players, he's finally getting his due now that the Clippers are winning. The 6-foot-8 power forward had 30 points and nine rebounds in Saturday's win over the Cavs. It followed a similarly stellar effort (33 points, 13 boards) in Wednesday's loss at Cleveland. Brand is the only NBA player to rank in the top 10 in scoring (24.1), rebounding (10.6), blocks (2.56) and field-goal percentage (55.5), and his low-post defense has been a big reason why L.A. is holding foes to an NBA-best 41.5 percent shooting. No way he gets overlooked for the All-Star Game again this season.

Who's down - Voshon Lenard, Nuggets…The former 3-point shootout champ has been racking up DNP-CDs since losing his starting spot last month and now wants out of Denver. Lenard may have sealed his fate last week when he refused to enter the game with 17.1 seconds left in a loss to the Hornets. He was suspended for "conduct detrimental to the team" and forced to sit out Denver's game Friday against the Suns. "I'm in a situation that's not nice," says Lenard, who is averaging just 8.5 points on 40.0 percent shooting this season. "I'm going to stay professional as much as [I] can. But there is just so much you can take."

Rumor mill - Will Lenard be next to caddy for Shaq? Lenard's unhappiness has led to speculation he might wind up back in Miami, where he played under Pat Riley from 1995-2000. The Heat could use another outside shooter, and they have an available asset in backup center Michael Doleac (though it appears other players would have to be included to make the trade work under league rules). However, Lenard is in the last year of his deal ($3.27 million) and Denver GM Kiki Vandeweghe reportedly is reluctant to absorb the $6 million remaining on Doleac's contract over the next two years. Lenard's name also has been linked to the Bucks, but it is unlikely Milwaukee would break up any of its bench pieces right now.

Grudge match of the week - Friday, Dec. 9: New York at Phoenix (10 p.m. ET/ESPN) What is it about these visits from New York area stars to the Valley of the Sun? Five years ago it was Jason Kidd. Two years ago it was Stephon Marbury. Now it's Quentin Richardson who will be looking to make a statement to his former team after being sent packing for Kurt Thomas last summer. Last year Q was a key figure in the Suns' rise in the West, leading the NBA in 3-pointers made. This year, however, he's been mostly riding the pine under coach Larry Brown, averaging just 5.2 points and 3.3 rebounds. Marbury, meanwhile, might have a little motivation as well. Thomas recently came out and took a veiled shot at Marbury by saying he was glad to be playing with a point guard in Nash who looked to pass. Look for Steph and Q to be primed for this one.

Three seconds - Kudos to the Spurs for accepting the new global nature of basketball. The team has begun referring to itself as the 2004-05 NBA champs, not the "world champs", in its official marketing efforts. It even changed its 1999 and '03 championship banners at the SBC Center. Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and the rest of the Spurs' international roster surely approves. The Pistons showed what they are made of once again by coming back from a 15-point deficit in the first half to win at Chicago on Saturday night. It was the second of a back-to-back for Detroit, which had an emotional win over New York at home the night before. It's beginning to look as if only an injury could derail the Pistons, and that's a long shot since their starters never seem to get hurt. Two weeks ago we mentioned the Carlos Boozer karma factor as perhaps the reason for Utah's bad luck with injuries over the past two seasons. How about the Curse of the 'Reef to explain the Nets' struggles of late? Since pulling the rug out from under Abdur-Rahim last summer over fears about an old knee injury (see above), New Jersey hasn't been the same.

Around the rim - Add Sam Cassell and Jamal Crawford to the list of players who gained a measure of satisfaction over their former clubs during Grudge Week: Cassell had 13 points, to go with a huge 3-pointer late and six assists as the Clippers won at Minnesota; Crawford had 23 of his season-high 28 points in the second half to help the Knicks beat the Bulls. ... Shaq, who has been out since the first week of the season with a sprained ankle, says he expects to practice with his Heat teammates Tuesday. However, it remains unlikely he'd be in uniform for Wednesday's big game at San Antonio. ... In last week's Houston-Atlanta game, Yao Ming scored a basket to begin the second half only to have it wiped away when officials realized the teams had not switched sides. While the refs huddled to figure out what to do, Tracy McGrady put on a headset and did a TV interview. ... The Cavs' team bus got caught in traffic from the USC-UCLA football game Saturday night and it wound up taking them more than an hour to get to their game with the Clippers at Staples Center. LeBron James, by the way, said he's a Reggie Bush fan and that he had watched the game on TV at the hotel. ... More evidence of Andrew Bogut's maturity: The day after celebrating his 21st birthday, the Bucks rookie had 19 points and 14 rebounds to go with two huge free throws and the game-winning block against the Mavs. "I went out and had a couple drinks with some friends," Bogut told SI.com after the game. "It's not like I was going to come in all hung over or anything."

7) Greg Anthony of ESPN.com predicts the West:

Here's how West will finish

The Western Conference has been an 800-pound gorilla, ruling the NBA in recent years. But now we've seen a reversal. I don't think any team from the West, other than the Spurs, has a chance to win it all. The next two or maybe three teams that could win it after the Spurs come from the East. Here's how I see the West seeding come playoff time:

1. Spurs. I've talked about Detroit having the best frontcourt and backcourt, but the Spurs have the best trio with Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan. Gregg Popovich is the best coach in the game.

2. Suns. It's a tribute to the team that it is playing as well as it is right now, without Amare Stoudemire. Mike D'Antoni imposed his philosophy and style on the league. His formula's working again this year. Boris Diaw and James Jones have come in and boosted them on the perimeter.

3. Nuggets. Marcus Camby's health and Carmelo Anthony's improvement will determine to what degree Denver will be a factor in playoffs. Anthony simply needs to go to another level offensively and defensively. Denver gets this high seed by virtue of winning the Northwest.

4. Mavericks. You still have to worry about their leadership on the court, and that's going to be controlled by Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. A full year under Avery Johnson has helped develop their defensive disposition. Josh Howard has given them some good versatility.

5. Grizzlies. Eddie Jones has had a huge impact, especially on the defensive end. And he's given them a good second scoring option after Pau Gasol. I think they got great point play from Earl Watson and Jason Williams the last couple of years, but it's been even better with Bobby Jackson and Damon Stoudamire.

6. Sonics. They're obviously making the adjustment under coach Bob Weiss. Luke Ridnour and Ray Allen are keys. Last year was big for the team's confidence. I think they'll have enough for the playoffs.

7. Clippers. In the playoffs. The Clippers. It's hard for me to mouth those words. But I do like their coach, Mike Dunleavy, and the team's got a high basketball IQ with Elton Brand and Sam Cassell. Their mix of talent is very good. But will Sam be able to play at this level the entire season?

8. Lakers. I think they have too great a coach and too great a player in Kobe Bryant to not figure it out. Kobe is going to have to learn how to be a winner as the best player on his team. He's never had to do that before.

Bubble teams - Warriors. This team has always had injuries. And I can't remember the last time Baron Davis played a full season. Rockets. Yao hasn't gotten that much better. He just hasn't been that dominant player that people have labeled him. And the moves in offseason were not that good.