Kobe is no Wilt...

OK, so Kobe Bryant is averaging 45 points a game over his last 4, which is something Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Larry Bird, or anyone else has done for 41 years…since, of course Wilt Chamberlain… Bryant scored 45 points, making him the first player to score at least that many in four consecutive games since November 1964, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers 96-90 Monday night for their third straight victory. Let’s compare:

KOBE WILT
PPG 47.0 50.8
FG% 45% 56%
FT% 78% 61%
3pFG% 56% N/A
RPG 8.8 26.8
APG 4.8 1.3
MPG 43.0 48.0

Now while Bryant’s feats are impressive, he does have some advantages:

a) As a guard Bryant dominates the ball off the dribble creating his own shots, whereas Wilt received the ball in scoring position from a guard

b) Bryant has the advantage of the 3-point line, from which he is shooting a very high percentage…

c) Bryant had 25% more shot attempts to get his points…

Chamberlain also has some obvious advantages:

a) He’s 7 feet and 270 lbs, while Bryant is 6’7” and around 215 lbs.

b) He rarely takes a shot outside of 10 feet…

c) He’s a better athlete than Bryant…don’t get me started, Chamberlain is one of the 5 greatest overall athletes ever, whereas Bryant is not…period…look it up if you don’t believe me…

So, which is more impressive? Taken in the contest of the 4 game microcosm, the points are probably more impressive for Bryant, but the rebounds are off the charts for Chamberlain…let’s call it a tie…but at the end of the season, Chamberlain, who averaged 50.4 PPG and 25.7 RPG that year, will be borne out as more impressive by far…

Milk Carton: Charlie Villanueva…11 minutes, 2 points…complete irrelevance in the loss to Chicago…nuff said…

Here’s something that should have had more publicity…Kevin Garnett wrote Oprah a letter that she read on-air…the letter said he wanted to donate something to her Angel Network…Garnett committed to building houses for those who lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina….His pledge: To build one house per month for the next two years…24 homes! Wow…that’s two seasons of "Extreme Makeover." funded by one personwith nothing in it for him…that is truly remarkable…

Quick football note: Hey Tiki…you’re a great RB, but shut up already…during his postgame chat with Pam Oliver he says:"There's no reason to hang our heads even though we didn't play well today." Dude…you got spanked 23-0 on National TV in a playoff…you’re head should be hanging like a lonely dog…

NCAA great matchups this Saturday: Villanova at Texas and Washington at UCLA

1) Marty Burns of Si.com with his Inside the NBA column:

These are the breaks - Nets streak to division lead with a little good fortune

With apologies to the Phoenix Suns, who took down the Heat and the Spurs over the weekend, the NBA's hottest team right now has to be the New Jersey Nets. They won their 10th in a row when Vince Carter hit a 26-foot 3-pointer with 0.1 left to stun the Raptors 105-104 in Toronto on Sunday. Amazingly, it wasn't even the luckiest shot Carter hit during the game. That distinction came earlier in the game, in a slapping incident with Mo Peterson worthy of those old Frank Layden blooper tapes seen on ESPN Classic. During a break with 23 seconds left in the second quarter, Carter was setting up to guard Peterson in front of the New Jersey bench when he playfully reached out and slapped his former teammate on the cheek. Peterson, not amused, retaliated by lightly slapping Carter back. Unfortunately for Mo Pete, referee Steve Javie didn't see Carter's initial smack. He only saw the retaliation and handed Peterson a technical foul…To make it worse, since Peterson already had been rung up for a T seconds earlier, it meant an automatic ejection. Just like that, the Raps were without the services of their third-leading scorer and their best defender on Carter (which might have come in handy on that last-second shot). Naturally, this did not sit too well with Peterson or the Raptors. An enraged Peterson ripped off his jersey and threw it into the crowd. Carter, meanwhile, looked on sheepishly. In a rather sportsmanlike gesture, he eventually went over and tried to tell Javie what had happened. But Javie, who is famous for his quick trigger, was hearing nothing of it. "I felt bad because it was far from what they assumed it to be," said Carter, who even offered to pay the fine for Peterson's technical. Should Carter have said anything to Javie? After all, it's not the responsibility of any player on the field to make calls for officials or decide what's fair or not fair. Nets fans justifiably might argue that lots of calls go against their team during the course of a game and nobody on the other side is expected to lobby on their behalf. On the other hand, Carter's guilt had to be eating him. He clearly didn't intend to goad Peterson into getting kicked out. Besides, why would Carter want to disappoint all those Raptors fans who were so warmly welcoming him back to the Great White North? And why didn't the other officials intervene and tell Javie what had transpired? At any rate, that's just the way things have been going for the Nets of late. Left for dead at 9-12 after an embarrassing home loss to the Bobcats just a few weeks ago, they suddenly have found the Midas touch. The next game after the Charlotte loss, they went out and stomped the Nuggets to kick off their current 10-game run. The reasons for New Jersey's U-turn are myriad. Carter (see below) has been sensational. Jason Kidd has started to look like his old self again. And Richard Jefferson has been quietly efficient. Perhaps most important, the Nets also have regained some of their defensive identity. In their first 21 games they scored 93.6 points per game while allowing opponents to average 96. Since then, New Jersey has averaged 104.4 while holding foes to 93.7. With the Nets, the defense always fuels the offense, allowing Kidd and Co. to get out on the fast break. In fact, New Jersey has seen its fast break points go from 11.9 to 18.5 per game over the span. While the Nets have played much better of late, it's still too early to consider them alongside the Pistons and Heat as top contenders in the East. Their victims on this win streak have included the Knicks and Hawks, as well as the struggling Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers and Magic. The big test will come this week, when New Jersey heads out on the road for showdowns at San Antonio (Tues.), Memphis (Fri.) and Dallas (Sat.). New Jersey's players don't need to watch the tape of the Carter-Peterson exchange to know they have caught their share of breaks during this hot spell. "We're getting there," said Jefferson, who actually left Sunday's game early with back spasms but is expected to be ready for the Spurs. "We still have a long ways to go. "Things weren't as bad as they seemed when we were losing. Things aren't as great as they seem right now. There are still a lot of things we can improve on, things we can get better at."

Who's up - Vince Carter, Nets…Last week it was his teammate Jefferson here. Now it's Carter's turn. The 6-foot-6 forward continued his own red-hot play of late with his dazzling performance Sunday in Toronto. Shaking off boos from the Air Canada Centre crowd, Carter poured in 42 points against his former team to lift New Jersey to the victory. For the game he finished 18-of-35 shooting, and added 10 rebounds and three assists. Carter now has scored more than 30 points in seven of his team's last 10 games, including a 51-point outburst against the Heat on Dec. 23. During that stretch he's averaging 33.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists. If he doesn't watch it, he's going to wreck those hopes for a vacation during this year's All-Star break.

Who's down - Chris Paul, Hornets…The leading Rookie of the Year candidate is expected to be out up to two weeks after tearing a ligament in his right thumb Friday against Portland. Paul, who suffered the injury while trying to keep Blazers guard Steve Blake from driving to the basket, figures to be sorely missed. He leads all first-year players in scoring (16.3 points), assists (7.4), steals (2.22) and minutes (36.2). He even ranks third in rebounds (5.8), no small feat for a guy listed at 6-0. For Paul, a Wake Forest alum, the timing was especially bad since he was hoping to play before friends and family from his native North Carolina when New Orleans visited nearby Atlanta last Saturday. Instead he was on the sidelines while his rooting section of 40 family members and 70 Wake Forest alums saw the Hornets lose to the Hawks 101-93 to snap a three-game winning streak.

Rumor mill - Ron Artest to the Warriors? The latest Artest trade talk has the 6-7 swingman going to Golden State in exchange for a package of players and draft picks. The Warriors desperately need to improve their defense and rebounding, and Artest would give them a third major perimeter weapon to go with Baron Davis and Jason Richardson. Golden State VP Chris Mullin is a New York guy like Artest, as well as a St. John's alum. It's no stretch to think he might be willing to take a chance on him. However, Golden State doesn't appear to have the assets to get this deal done -- at least right now. Troy Murphy would appear to be a good fit alongside Jermaine O'Neal, but the former Notre Dame star is a base-year compensation player, making any deal difficult to pull off under league rules. Also, trading Murphy would leave Golden State perilously thin in the front court, with only rookie Ike Diogu as a low-post presence. Meanwhile, the Pacers have luxury tax issues and are leery of taking on another long-term contract. They might be interested in Diogu, but then other players would have to be included to match the salaries.

Grudge match of the week - Thursday, Jan. 12: Pistons at Spurs (8 p.m. ET/TNT)…These teams don't have any history of bad blood, but they know what's at stake. This will be the second and final regular-season meeting between last year's Finalists. The Pistons won 85-70 on Christmas Day, but the Spurs were playing without All-Star shooting guard Manu Ginobili, who was nursing a foot injury. Ginobili is now back in the lineup, and San Antonio is humming along in Detroit's shadow. The Spurs are a veteran team that doesn't worry too much about any one regular-season game, but they surely don't want to give the Pistons any more psychological edge, especially at home. Meanwhile the Pistons would love to stay on pace for 70 victories and chalk up a win at SBC Center.

Three seconds - *The sight of Tracy McGrady being carried off the floor on a stretcher with back spasms in Sunday's game against the Nuggets at the Toyota Center had to have Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy feeling nervous. T-Mac's chronic back problems are becoming a long-term issue, and -- fair or not -- could ultimately cost Van Gundy his job. *If the Suns keep it up, Mike D'Antoni could become the first coach in NBA history to win consecutive Coach of the Year honors. Despite losing Joe Johnson, Quentin Richardson and Amaré Stoudemire, he has helped keep the Suns near the top of the West -- while transforming them from an offensive juggernaut into one of the league's better defensive teams. *Don't get mad at Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett for not wanting to play in the Olympics. They have done their duty with the U.S. team in the past, and they should be commended for being honest now and not dragging out the process. Besides, Team USA doesn't need any player who isn't 100 percent committed.

Around the rim - Grant Hill's comeback could be on hold (again). The Magic forward reinjured his sports hernia in last Tuesday's loss at Detroit and sat out Saturday's game against Charlotte. It's unclear when he will return. ... Jazz forward Carlos Boozer, who has been out all season with a strained hamstring, is back on the practice court and said to be nearing a return. A healthy and productive Boozer could push Utah over the top in the Northwest Division. ... Raptors center Rafael Araujo recorded his first block of the season in his team's 23rd game, Dec. 19 against the Magic. The 6-11 second-year pro now has three for the season. ... Before Wednesday's Sixers game at Phoenix, Allen Iverson got word that boxer Mike Tyson was seeking courtside seats for that night's game. Iverson's manager said his client was unable to score the last-minute ducats for his pal.

2) Kelly Dwyer of SI.com with his version:

Second chances - Reputations a disservice to play of Bryant, Carter

When you've got nowhere to go, and nobody to talk to, the Champs and Chumps are always here for you. Dig ...

Champs - You can be forgiven if you don't fully embrace the idea of Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter as, well, fully-embraceable NBA superstars. There's a lot to like, and dislike, about these two; as even the most dyspeptic of league observers and pie-eyed NBA optimists are often torn when deciding whether or not to root for Carter or Kobe. Appreciation of their craft, usually, isn't a problem; it takes a real nasty sort, frustrated with his or her own life, to deny themselves the pleasure of watching players as good as Kobe Bean and VC just because they find their attitudes so distasteful. We're dealing in the world of professional athletics, remember, so to dislike one because of his demeanor probably means disliking all. The amateur ranks aren't much cleaner, so unless you're ready to fork over some cash for the Ivy League Pass on your satellite dish, be ready to deal with a miscreant or 400. Based upon athletic skills alone, Carter may be the more detestable of the two. Sometime during the 2001-02 season, he gave up on his own skills. Scared of injury, Carter turned into a 6-foot-7 version of Steve Kerr, preferring the fadeaway jumper or ill-timed trey to an attack on the rim. It was a disappointing transformation, because when Carter was gliding toward the cup with a sense of purpose, or throwing his body into the paint at a pell-mell angle, he was a breathtaking player to behold. By the time his Toronto Raptors drafted Chris Bosh in '03, Carter had given up on his team -- listlessly sleepwalking through games, essentially begging his employers for a trade. The Raptors relented, and VC was needlessly gifted with a starting slot in new Jersey alongside Jason Kidd. (there's a shot to any karma-based faith system, eh?). Surprise of surprises, Carter actually played the way someone being paid $12 million was expected to play. In the second half of '04-05, Carter was as good as any wingman in the league. After an uninspired start, Carter and the Nets picked up this season where they left off last year and are currently riding a 10-game win streak, thanks in large part to the 33.5 points and 5.1 assists Carter has averaged during the streak. On Sunday, Carter nailed a game-winning 3-pointer to beat his former team in Toronto. It was an ordinary victory to everyone but Vince, who still feels unduly wronged by the organization that not only made him a star, but kowtowed to his every whim both financially and otherwise, and ceded to his final request to the (great) detriment of their entire organization. Yes, the Raptors made a series of bum moves with VC on board, but none came without an enthused blessing from their franchise star. In fact, the team's finest move (drafting Bosh) was met with a series of catcalls from Vince, demanding the team trade their current 22 and 10 guy for a vet. It's just more baggage we can't help thinking about while he tears up the Eastern Conference ...Kobe's case is an altogether stranger one, and while adolescent hoop-heads can swiftly point out just what that big meanie from New Jersey did wrong, it takes a view that goes beyond the hardwood to understand why most find Kobe so distasteful. For all of the ham-fisted descriptions many throw at Kobe -- "ball hog", "moody bastard", "team wrecker" -- no one can accuse Bryant of dogging it on the floor. But he can't avoid the taint of that legal imbroglio that consumed most of his '03-04 season, and therein lies a general aura of sleaze/disingenuousness that has surrounded Kobe since. And yet, as with Carter, Kobe is getting the job done. His cruelly undermanned Lakers team (How hard must it be for opposing coaches to jot down scouting reports of Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum without collapsing in fits of laughter?) is lodged at 17-16, and they'll probably hang onto to that low-rung playoff seed, and Kobe is a big reason. He's not the only biggest reason -- Phil Jackson has turned the worst defensive team in the NBA into, statistically, the eighth-best -- but 33.7 points, 4.5 assists and 5.7 rebounds a game sure does help. In the two games Bryant has played since the calendar turned to '06, he's averaged 49 points on 51 percent from the floor, with nine rebounds and five assists. The Lakers have actually played four games this year, but Kobe was suspended for two of the contests for trying to lodge half his arm inside of Mike Miller's trachea. Nice. Admittedly, there is something incredibly unsavory about just trying to watch these guys -- but their talent and ability to wow compels you to give each a look.

Chumps - We've been pretty harsh in this space on Kings coach Rick Adelman this season, but his Sacramento Kings appear to have hit a new low. They've beaten the Clippers twice over the last three weeks, which counts for something to them I guess, but otherwise he's presiding over a listless team that isn't showing any interest in improving their lot in life. Yes, Sacramento was without Bonzi Wells, Corliss Williamson and Shareef Abdur-Rahim on Sunday night, but that was no excuse for a pitiful performance against the visiting Pacers, one that saw Indiana up by more than 25 points for the bulk of the second half. Mike Bibby and Peja Stojakovic (5 of 20 shooting, combined, in 47 minutes, with six turnovers) simply did not want to be there, and while Adelman benched the deplorable duo early in the second half, his obvious response didn't help much. The loss left the Kings with a 13-19 mark with a three-game road trip lying in wait. No wonder they're last in the Pacific Division and 3.5 games out of the playoff bracket. The Kings are a mess. Usually, you have to feel sympathy for a coach who is handed a group of big names with substantial egos and asked to work up some on-court magic against substantial odds. These groupings are usually put together by GMs who have no regard for the ideals behind team chemistry and role-playing, and yet, these Kings don't feel like an example of such. Abdur-Rahim and Brad Miller should have set the screens they've always set, Stojakovic and Bibby should have nailed the perimeter jumpers they've always nailed and the rest of the parts should have fit in seamlessly. Instead, the team struggled in the preseason and struggled at the outset of November, giving the vets an early -- and easy -- opportunity to write the '05-06 campaign off as a lost season. Bibby's experiments with re-shaping his upper body didn't help, Stojakovic is a free-agent to-be and the new faces allowed for plenty of excuse-making. All of these are pathetic cop-outs, of course, because GM Geoff Petrie knows how to put together winning basketball teams and wouldn't leave his mate Adelman stuck with a group of ill-fitting parts.

The week ahead - The Atlanta Hawks won on back-to-back nights last Friday and Saturday, beating the Celtics and Hornets in entertaining fashion. When point guard Ty Lue plays above his station, these guys can really run, which makes their desperate need for a point guard not named "Ty Lue" all the more obvious. The run could continue this week for the Hawks, who have split their last 10 games. They'll play Boston in Atlanta, the reeling Wizards twice, and the improving but unsteady Knicks in New York on Friday night…Finally, the Jazz are starting to get their act together on and off the court. Andrei Kirilenko is apparently made of shiny metal and all sorts of buttons and transistors that I could never begin to intelligently detail. He's averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 4.2 blocks and 2.2 steals over his last five games. The Jazz have won six of seven to jump in front of the Northwest Division, a half game up on both the Nuggets and Timberwolves. Their road swing continues this week with games in Washington and Philly, before taking on the Heat in Salt Lake City next Sunday…San Antonio could really flex some muscle over the next 13 days, provided such flexing would be in good taste and within the defensive philosophy spelled out by G. Popovich in pages 372-419 of the Spurs' textbooks. Besides a chance at avenging their embarrassing Christmas Day loss to the Pistons this Thursday, they'll face the Nets, Bucks and Nuggets at home (with a home-and-home against the Grizz and a trip to Miami lodged in the middle). Though Tim Duncan's issues with plantar fasciitis won't get any easier until summer hits, Manu Ginobili might just challenge Milwaukee's Mo Williams for the Sixth Man of the Year award. The now-healthy Ginobili is averaging 16.3 points on 56 percent shooting since returning from the inactive list, averaging two steals a game in just over 21 minutes a contest…Good thing those Pacers have their you-know-what together. Rick Carlisle's team (and make no mistake, this is Carlisle's team) continues to pull out wins regardless of whatever flotsam and jetsam he has to make his eight-man rotation. Still, the next few weeks will be tough, even though Jermaine O'Neal seems past his bout with pneumonia. The team has ten games in the next 16 days, six coming on the road, all against quality opponents…New York's Larry Brown, certified genius, may have happened upon another brilliant coaching wrinkle. It appears as if Brown's Knickerbockers club gives itself a good chance to win if -- stick with me here -- they start and give extended minutes to their best group of players. So, even though Antonio Davis and Malik Rose are super-sweet guys who give out lots of Thanksgiving turkeys and split cabs home from LaGuardia, they haven't played much during New York's three-game winning streak. Talented kids like Channing Frye, Eddy Curry and David Lee have inspired Stephon Marbury to play his best ball of the season. The Knicks have averaged 120.3 points over their last four games, but they face a tough stretch over the next 13 days. New York will play eight times, with games against the Cavs, Mavs, Timberwolves, Bulls, Pistons and Hornets.

Ruminations - It's hard to describe just how much fun it has been to witness the Phoenix Suns' transformation into a complete basketball team. Though the Pistons have turned the league on its ear with their offensive spacing and clutch play, their defense has dropped into the ranks of the mediocre (until spring, we're guessing). The Spurs have maintained the potent tone on both sides of the ball, with the Heat a step or two behind them, but only Phoenix has managed to make both offensive and defensive ideals flow so swimmingly. Fun stuff here, and though that insane 47-point first quarter against the Heat last Friday was superdank and TiVo-worthy, it was the way the Suns held the Heat (and Spurs, the next night) to below-average scoring nights of 93 and 86 points, respectively, that made the eggs go over easy. Entering this season, Phoenix needed someone to break down opposing defenses with a dish after all the initial options had been exhausted. Along those same lines, the Suns also needed a strong weak side interior defender to do damage with Amaré Stoudemire out for half the year. Somehow, Phoenix secured the rights to both with the acquisition of just one player -- the "multi-versatile" (as Rick Pitino would call him) Boris Diaw. In his last five games, Boris has averaged 13.2 points, 6.2 assists, six rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals. Righteous. The Suns now boast a four-game lead in the Pacific Division.

3) Mike Kahn of Foxsports.com with his 10 things column:

Nash helping to prove Suns are for real

In case you were one of those ill-informed hoopheads who believed last season was a fluke for the Phoenix Suns, coach Mike D'Antoni and MVP point guard Steve Nash — think again. Nash continued to put up extraordinary numbers this past week to lead the Suns to a three-game winning streak and they've now opened up a four-game lead in the Pacific Division by winning eight of 10.

1. Item: Nash has recorded double-doubles in seven of the past eight games, including games of 22 and 19 assists, and they've defeated the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs in consecutive games heading into this week. What this really means: The Suns continue to be the third-best team in the Western Conference, despite the absence of young All-Star big man Amare Stoudemire. But everything is still pointing to Stoudemire returning from microfracture knee surgery next month, and in the process, they've discovered that Boris Diaw — acquired in the controversial Joe Johnson sign-and-trade from the Atlanta Hawks — is a perfect fit in their offense. At 6-8, 220, the 23-year-old Diaw replaces Johnson is a variety of ways in the lineup. While he doesn't defend or shoot like Johnson, he is effective moving the ball through at both the high and low post to the shooters, and he runs the floor extremely well. Averaging a solid 11.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists, the tendency now is to believe deposed Hawks owner Steve Belkin knew what he was talking about in his reticence to make the deal for Johnson. Diaw is the same age as Johnson and already helping enormously, while the two future first-round draft choices from the perennially lottery-bound Hawks will benefit the Suns in the years to come as well.

2. Item: Stephon Marbury scored 23 points and doled out 15 assists to lead the New Knicks to a 120-116 win over Seattle Sunday for their third win in a row — it's the first such streak for the Knicks since last week of February, 2005. What this really means: Maybe Knicks coach Larry Brown and Marbury are figuring out how to straighten out this team. This was the fourth consecutive game Marbury has recorded a double-double (averaging 23.5 points and 12.0 assists), something he had accomplished only one other game this season. The pressure had been building on the duo, with Marbury clearly not the traditional point guard Brown likes to have run his team. But Marbury is also the highest paid and most talented player on the team, and somehow they are coming to some compromises that now have Marbury leading this extraordinarily young core group progress. Brown and team president Isiah Thomas have apparently settled on youngsters Eddy Curry, David Lee, Channing Frye, Nate Robinson, Trevor Ariza and Jamal Crawford as the young nucleus — with players like Maurice Taylor, Quentin Richardson and Qyntel Woods also trying to earn the faith of the brain trust before the inevitable trades begin. But for the Knicks to even make a run at a playoff spot with a 10-21 record, it will require Marbury and Brown to accept each other's foibles and focus on winning games. Three in a row is, at the very least, a nice start.

3. Item: The hottest team in the NBA continues to be the New Jersey Nets, who hung on to end the five-game winning streak against the young and surprising Toronto Raptors for a one-point win Sunday — the Nets 10th consecutive win. What this really means: The Nets have opened up a five-game lead in the loss column over second-place Philadelphia in the Atlantic Division. Sunday's game was a showcase for Vince Carter — returning to the city of his NBA origin — by draining a 3-pointer from 28 feet just before the buzzer for a one-point victory. The winning streak is the longest in the NBA this season, and Carter, who scored 24 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter Sunday, is at the heart of the matter. During the 10-game run, he has averaged 33.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists. But point guard Jason Kidd is also showing signs of returning to his previous strength and quickness before microfracture knee surgery. Kidd had 22 points, 15 assists and six rebounds to follow up his 69th career triple-double — 16 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds — in Friday's win over Orlando. During the streak, Kidd has averaged 17.2 points, 10.4 assists and 7.4 rebounds. But all isn't perfect. Richard Jefferson strained his back Sunday, and young 7-footer Nenad Krstic, although very impressive in stretches, has been erratic. What we do know is the Nets should be fine when it comes to winning the division and grabbing the third seed. What we don't know is if they have enough around Carter, Kidd and Jefferson to make any noise in the playoffs.

4. Item: The odds of the Detroit Pistons pushing the Chicago Bulls for the all-time record of 72 wins with their fabulous start this season are long at best. But the one thing they do have going for them is they're finished with the indefinable Utah Jazz, who have tagged them for two of their five losses. What this really means: The Jazz have come out of nowhere to enter the week atop the weak Northwest Division. On the other hand, their 17-17 record includes a 2-8 run without All-Star forward Andrei Kirilenko, who in Saturday's win over the Pistons became only the second player in history to have at least six in five different categories. Kirilenko had 14 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, seven blocks and six steals in an astounding line score. What's more, the Jazz are allegedly getting power forward Carlos Boozer into the lineup in the next week after missing the entire season with a chronic hamstring injury. In a division where the favorites — the Denver Nuggets are decimated by injuries, the Minnesota Timberwolves are struggling to find consistent chemistry and the Seattle SuperSonics just fired their coach — can't get it going, the Jerry Sloan-coached Jazz may just figure this out yet. If Boozer can fit in and rookie Deron Williams continues to improve, they've got as good a chance as any of the other floundering teams to emerge from the Northwest.

5. Item: The Sacramento Kings, already without high-scoring guard Bonzi Wells due to a strained groin, are really concerned about the future of forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who suffered a broken jaw from an accidental elbow from his former teammate at Portland Zach Randolph. What this really means: If there is such a thing as a curse in this league, then Abdur-Rahim is the guy. The Portland Trail Blazers had been in the playoffs 21 years in a row before Abdur-Rahim got there, and they haven't been in since. The Kings have been one of the dominant teams in the Western Conference over the past seven seasons with 32 playoff wins in the seven postseason appearances. Now they're in last place in the Pacific Division. That's not to blame Abdur-Rahim. He was an Olympian, has had great numbers scoring and rebounding throughout his career. Even more to the point, he's an A-plus person off the court. Nonetheless, he's got the worst record of any player in the NBA and has played in more games without making it to the postseason than any other player by far. This season seemed certain to break the string — headed to either New Jersey or Sacramento as a free agent — and when he landed on the Kings, they instantly became favorites to compete for the division title. Instead, they're lost, he's got a serious problem with his jaw, and he's once again mired in loserdom. OK, maybe there isn't such a thing as a curse, but there is certainly something going on with Abdur-Rahim's basketball karma.

6. Item: Kobe Bryant returned from his two-game suspension for his cheap shot of Memphis swingman Mike Miller with 48 points to lead the Lakers over the 76ers and prevent the first six-game losing streak of coach Phil Jackson's coaching career. As if that wasn't enough, he came back Saturday with 50 points (40 in the second half), eight rebounds and eight assists to end a three-game losing streak to the Clippers. What this really means: Bryant took over the NBA scoring leadership with the effort, making all seven of his shots from beyond the arc, while making 19-of-29 shots, with two assists and two steals. He's averaged 40.8 points over his last seven games to raise his scoring average to 33.7 for the season. More important, the win over the Clippers pushed the Lakers back over .500 and sent the Clippers crashing to their ninth loss over the past 12 games. Perhaps more encouraging in the wins was the contribution from Bryant's supporting cast. Point guard Smush Parker made 9 of 10 shots to finish with 24 points and three steals against the Sixers. But the guy who makes it all go is Lamar Odom, who, reincarnating Scottie Pippen's point forward play in the triangle offense with Chicago Bulls from a decade ago, averaged 8 assists and 8 rebounds in the two games, while center Chris Mihm added 25 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks in the two games. The Lakers are hardly a certainty for the postseason, and have little depth, but the guys around Bryant continue to show enough spark to have the look of a 45-47 win team — which in this day and age, will be good enough to at least get to the playoffs.

7. Item: Cleveland Cavaliers guard Larry Hughes had surgery to repair the middle finger on his right finger Friday and will be out approximately eight weeks. What this really means: The worst fears of the Cavs — and the reason other teams were reluctant to offer Hughes the $60 million deal — have come true. There's nothing wrong with the talent of Hughes; he's a great accessory to LeBron James. But the guy has missed an average of almost 25 games a season over the past five years and now he's guaranteed to miss at least that many this season as well. Having said that, if Hughes is back healthy and effective for the last two months of the regular season — and presumably into the playoffs — then it's all well and good. But therein lies the difficulty in committing that kind of money to such a brittle player. Now they'll have little choice but to play both Eric Snow and Damon Jones bigger minutes, and they'll need a lot more out of second-year lottery pick Luke Jackson than they've gotten so far. That's the harsh reality of the Cavs and what James has to face again. Just when it appeared they were over the hump and in great position to challenge not only for a playoff spot but possibly a fourth seed, they lost a key player. The good news is swing power player Anderson Varejao will return soon and add more energy on both ends of the floor. But they need Hughes badly — that's why they gave him so much money.

8. Item: The Seattle SuperSonics fired coach Bob Weiss 30 games into the season after a particularly anemic effort at Indiana last week, replacing him with Bob Hill for the remainder of the season — and they finished the week 1-2 under Hill. What this really means: Hill is the diametric opposite temperament of the docile Weiss, whom the players lobbied for with ownership after Nate McMillan left for Portland last June. After the Sonics trampled all over Weiss on their way to becoming the worst defensive team in the league, Hill is putting them through rigorous practice sessions on the off days of a five-game road trip. He already has altered the lineup by inserting mishandled Vladimir Radmanovic into the starting power forward slot and virtually eliminated the minutes of Reggie Evans, who had four double-doubles in the previous eight games. Evans and center Vitaly Potapenko are both out of the rotation and many people anticipate a deal — perhaps for Denver point guard Earl Watson — coming over the next few weeks. The bigger question will be how the team responds to the aggressive tactics of Hill as they move forward. Perhaps Hill's admonishments, along with the embarrassment of lackluster play that cost Weiss his job will coerce them into playing defense despite a core of players who tend to be inclined to focus on just one end of the floor.

9. Item: Ten games back from a sixth surgery — the first five reconstructing his mangled ankle and this one for the "sports hernia" that is the 21st century term for a torn groin — Orlando Magic All-Star Grant Hill re-injured the groin Friday night. Finally back and playing well after the Houston Rockets were 0-8 while his tender back settled down, Tracy McGrady left the court on a stretch screaming in pain from back spasms before the Rockets turned over a two-point decision to Denver. What this really means: These two guys are inextricably linked forever as a warning sign for maximum contracts. Since the duo signed twin seven-year, $93 million with the Magic, Hill has had five surgeries, an ankle that now is merely an extension of his shin and is 33 years old and contemplating retirement in the wake of his latest frustrating tweak. With the brains, talent and certainly the money to do whatever he wants outside of the game, he's just about had it. If this season ends up being nothing more than just another futile exercise of play and rehab, his 12-year career officially becomes equal parts superstar play and injury-induced ineffectiveness. Meanwhile, although McGrady is only 26, he has already admitted quitting on the Magic before forcing a trade to Rockets prior to last season. He shed a lot of the critics last season with spectacular play in the Rockets' seven-game loss to Dallas in the first round. That said, they did take a 2-0 lead on the road before blowing the series at home — extending McGrady's streak of not getting out of the first round to, uh, his entire career. That's not to say it was wrong for the Magic to go after both players, even though Hill was in a cast after his first surgery at the time. But it's clearly a warning that the risk on maximum free agent signings is rarely worth the reward — just ask the Denver Nuggets how they feel about all the money locked up in Kenyon Martin these days.

10. Item: Every NBA writer has satirically mocked the league from time to time, and many have considered a novel as a parody of the league itself. But few have successfully pulled it off. Well, Sports Illustrated writers Jack McCallum and L. Jon Wertheim just pulled it off with their 319-page novel, Foul Lines. What this really means: Using the National Basketball Federation as the league, with the team under focus the Los Angeles Lasers, McCallum and Wertheim have taken some of the real stories that have occurred over the past 20 years that McCallum has covered the league and turned it into a frequently hilarious book. With names like Lo Mayne and Buenas Diaz and an out of control owner, the book is filled with sex, drugs, basketball and tragedy — a combination that mirrors the roller coaster that is the real-life NBA. It isn't so much a critique of the league as much as the realization that it is truly absurd for any of us to take it as seriously as we do, until real life inevitably strikes. It is a fun and quick read that is certainly a must read for any NBA fan, and could do for basketball novels what Dan Jenkins' Semi-Tough did for football.

4) Peter Vescey of the New York Post actually pays attention to the Raptors:

'RAPT' ATTENTION

Bosh & Co. are opening eyes…THE 10-in-a-row Nets are playing so well, I did a double-take to make sure Bye-Ron Scott hadn't been fired the day before the run started. Before Vince Carter's 42-point detonation and game-ending trifecta laid the Raptors to rest, Toronto had won five straight, its finest showing in more than two seasons. I'd be derelict not to acknowledge Rob Babcock for drastically recouping from the Carter hijacking and seemingly (I'm not so sure anymore he's going to be a bust) unspeakable decision to choose Rafael Araujo No. 8 overall in '04. Babcock made a miraculous recovery last June when he resisted the herd mentality by tabbing controversial Charlie Villanueva No. 7. He also took Joey Graham No. 16. Two months later, Jose Calderon was signed as a free agent. All three rookies are important pieces surrounding emerging franchise player Chris Bosh (Walter Berry with a head) to the Raptors puzzle that gradually but clearly is becoming visible. If those aren't redefining command judgments, then the next one unmistakably qualifies. The mark of a successful GM is to correct a glaring error as quickly as possible after admitting one was committed. That's precisely what Babcock did by rerouting Rafer Alston (in constant conflict with coach Sam Mitchell) and his $24M, five-year guarantee for Mike James. It's arguably the slickest ripoff of last summer. Think Houston counterpart Carroll Dawson might like a do-over on that obtuse move? Think Houston might have liked to have James in its starting lineup last Friday night instead of him adorning Toronto's? Think Tracy McGrady could've used his former running mate's 30 points, eight assists and seven rebounds? But that's not all James accomplishes. Counting his demonic defense, The Amityville Terror is one of the league's precious few quadruple threats. James does things that show up in the box score and he does things that limit opponents' impact on a box score. Aside from the above glitzy stats, he also goaded Juwan Howard into an early ejection (14 minutes) from that game and suspended from the next for shoving a Spalding into James' face with two hands. Fittingly, before Sunday's opening tip in Toronto, Carter threw his full support behind Babcock for Executive of the Province. I may be off the wall, but Carter, averaging 33.5 points during the win-fall, has almost made Net fans forget George Bruns…Off a 26-minute, 30-point, seven-rebound bombardment against the Wizards, Channing Frye earned just 21 minutes of daylight (15 and five) versus the Sonics. Larry Brown says he's saving him for the rookie game. A non-aligned source claims the Bulls offered Ben Gordon to the Celtics for Al Jefferson and Marcus Banks. A Chicago official contends that conversation never took place. A Boston official confesses being infatuated with Gordon but underlines that Jefferson is the foundation of the team's future…Word from the wise in La-La Land: Phil Jackson strongly encouraged Jim Buss to include Andrew Bynum in a package proposal for Ron Artest, but the owner's son fervently negated the notion. Though everyone in the front office maintained shared aims last June, people in the know maintain Buss and assistant GM Ronnie Lester were instrumental in the drafting of 7-foot Bynum, whereas Jackson and GM Mitch Kupchak preferred Sean May and Danny Granger. How the Lakers could hire Jackson for three years and select an undeveloped high-school project when the team clearly needed immediate help has never been explained logically or otherwise. I used to think Jackson was overpaid at $10M per. Now I'm convinced he's underpaid. Still, at least one cockeyed optimist within the organization remains convinced the Lakers somehow will bag Artest. "I'm looking forward to the peace and quiet Ron would bring to our locker room," he dryly declares…About a dozen DNPs (coach's decision) into the season, Earl Watson finally has earned the respect (i.e. meaningful minutes) of George Karl. Your feral guess is as good as my cultured one whether the point guard's elevated status results in him not being traded. There's positively plenty of interest; none of it grabs me. The Knicks continue to offer Quentin Richardson ($6.9M) for Watson ($5M) and someone else. The Sonics are offering Vitaly Potapenko ($3.325M) and Flip Murray (895G), who must agree to any deal, therefore owns a certain amount of leverage regarding a (wink, wink) commitment on a new contract. The Cavaliers (perhaps the moderately appealing Drew Gooden, $4.065M) and the Jazz, two of his most ardent free-agent suitors last summer, are making unknown pitches. And the Grizzlies would love to swap the unremittingly injured Brian Cardinal and his mid-level maximum deal for their former backup. Afterthought: Comparing Bosh to Berry is no putdown. Walter was the original "The Truth" before someone in the Boston media ingeniously bestowed Paul Pierce with the nickname 15 years later. To put Berry's talent in proper perspective, Lou Carnesecca confides to friends he was the best player he has ever coached.