LeBron on Brian Cook...

Kobe Bryant got the best of Shaq in their matchup last night as he scored 37 points in the Lakers to a 100-92 win the Heat last night. Befor ethe game O’Neal seemingly buried the hatchet with Kobe…"I had orders from the great Bill Russell," O'Neal said. "Me and him were talking in Seattle the other day, and he was telling me how rivalries should be. I asked him if he ever disliked anybody he played against, and he told me, 'No, never,' and he told me that I should shake Kobe Bryant's hand and let bygones be bygones and bury the hatchet. Today is a day of peace. Dr. Martin Luther King was an ambassador of peace. So when I talked to Mr. Russell, he told me he said that him and Chamberlain spoke once or twice a week before he passed away. And even though people thought they hated each other, there was nothing but love there." "It made me feel good," Bryant said, adding he was surprised at O'Neal's gesture. "We've been through so many wars together. Now, just be able to move on, try to do the best for this team, wish him the best in South Beach. I think it's good for the city of Los Angeles, good for the NBA, good for the youth, being Martin Luther King Day." Lamar Odom had 19 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for LA, while Dwyane Wade had 34 points and seven assists for Miami…

Almost Perfect…Spurs PG Tony Parker scored 28 points on 12-of-13 shooting in the Spurs' 93-83 victory over the Grizzlies on last night...it was easy too, with 11 of Parker's field goals coming on layups….

Domination…Elton Brand scored 35 points, had 14 rebounds and had 6 blocks as the Clippers beat the Jazz 102-93 to take sole possession of first place in the Northwest Division…Sam-I-Am Cassell had 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists for the Clippers, who have won three straight after losing nine of 12…

Whiniest quote of the week: "It's something that used to bother me in my first couple of years but at this point, I go into every game knowing I'm not going to get any calls, and just play through it." - Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich, after scoring 20 points in a 97-94 loss to Denver…

Trade Rumour: Celtics send C Mark Blount to Minnesota for C Michael Olawakandi…

1) Kelly Dwyer of Si.com with his Champs and Chumps column:

Winning ugly - Neither Grizz nor Jazz pretty, but both are effective

They're telling us that outside of three guys averaging over 30 points per game, this is the dullest NBA season on record. "They" have things to measure this with, y'know, all sorts of gauges and readers hooked up with needles and wires, and those little bubbles that float inside of levels. I'd probably be up in arms about this, of course, if I weren't under such heavy sedation. For those bored to tears with the 2005-06 NBA season, I humbly direct you toward a riveting NFC final between Carolina and Seattle. For those who love foreigners in short pants, however, I give you the Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz ...

Champs - Hardly the two coolest crews in the NBA, the Jazz and Grizzlies would nevertheless start the playoffs with the third and fifth seeds if David Stern got cranky and ended the season today. It's not as if Mr. Stern is relying on either of these teams to entertain the masses anyway, because following this evening's Spurs-Grizzlies tilt in Memphis (8 p.m. ET, TNT), Utah and Memphis have a single national TV appearance the rest of the way. Younger, more insecure groups tend to bleat on endlessly about perceived slights and scary shadow groups that never seem to "give them a chance," (and never seem to exist), but the Jazz and the Grizz don't feed off the thoughts of others, much like the unique towns they call home. Memphis' sublime musical output includes the spare yet enticing Stax sound, typified by Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, and Irma Thomas. Meanwhile, Salt Lake City's finest export just might be that giant, faceless Tabernacle Choir, whose CDs your parents put on every year around Christmas just to appease the in-laws Both cities are just as original on the basketball court. Eschewing the fashionable triangles or motion offenses popular today, Memphis stubbornly slows down the game and forces teams to react to their ball movement and low-post threats, while the Jazz like to foul a lot, run an endless stream of pick and rolls and out-rebound their opponents, which they do by about five caroms per game. The Grizz tend to ride Pau Gasol quite a bit, and, so far, he's been up to the task. His overall statistical output is in line with his previous few seasons, but he's also starting to do more of the little things that contribute to winning. He's nearly doubled his assists per game average, while leading the team in overall dishes. Fun stuff to watch, especially as he lopes to the basket with that improved left hand, or unleashes one of those set-shots from the top of the key. The beard? That's not so fun to watch, but I've little room to talk when the whole facial hair argument rears its hirsute head. Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello is doing wonders with the rest of the squad as well. Wings Mike Miller and Shane Battier are having career years, while Eddie Jones and (before his horrific patella tear) Damon Stoudamire were enjoying career renaissances under the Czar's tutelage. Battier typifies Memphis' ugly resolve -- half his shots seem to roll awkwardly around the rim before falling in, his attempts at skying through the lane often end with him releasing the ball just before being called for an up-and-down traveling violation and he seems incapable of gliding from baseline to baseline without a pained expression on his face. No matter, because the guy gets the job done. Losing Stoudamire for the entire season hurts, though, and with Bobby Jackson scanning WebMD for his next six-week malady, the Grizz should be looking for point guard help. Jerry West says he's searching, but according to a couple of papers, he hasn't been in touch with Charlotte bossman Bernie Bickerstaff regarding the services of Brevin Knight, whom Fratello coached during Knight's first two seasons. While not as deep as the Grizzlies, the Jazz have a player -- Andrei Kirilenko -- who plays as if he's some unholy mix of both Battier and Gasol, using his angular frame to score from all points 25 feet and in, while supplying the sort of all-around contributions (both in air and on ground) that tend to frustrate opponents and threaten knee ligaments. He's second on his team in assists per game (4.4) and second in the league in blocks (3.2). He makes the extra pass, tries his best to set the screens that initiate coach Jerry Sloan's offense, and his ebullient locker room presence serves as a perfect foil to Sloan's harsh tones and owner owner Larry Miller's nervy fits and fulminations. The rest of the contributors to a Jazz team that has turned an 11-15 start into a 19-18 record have not been as pretty, but they have been helpful. They've won eight of nine with Keith McCloud starting at point guard, and though rookie Deron Williams has performed admirably so far (10.5 points per game, 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio), fellow point man Milt Palacio (a journeyman if there ever was one) has served as the go-to guy late in several wins over the last three weeks. Imagine what this team might be capable of if the Jazz hadn't punted most of their first-round draft picks (Kris Humphries, Kirk Snyder, Sasha Pavlovic, Curtis Borchardt, Raul Lopez, DeShawn Stevenson, Quincy Lewis) recently. Miami's Heat took down those same Jazz last Saturday, in spite of Kirilenko's 25-point, eight-rebound, six-assist, three-block effort. As he has been all season, Dwyane Wade had to do the heavy lifting, turning in 31 points with eight rebounds and assists, along with four steals. Since his second straight disappointing Christmas turn against Kobe and the Lakers, Wade has turned his stuff around -- averaging 27.7 points, 8.9 assists, 6.8 rebounds and two steals in nine games. Fab, marvy and all that. The 22-15 Heat get the Lakers and Spurs this week, which should be entertaining stuff.

Chumps - The 17-19 Warriors have lost five straight, falling past the Lakers in the Pacific and the Timberwolves and Nuggets in the West. Everyone knew that Golden State would have a solid chance at securing its first playoff berth in 12 years this season, but once the campaign started (and in spite of Golden State's winning touch), it was obvious that the Warriors' style of ball could not hold up over 82 games. They shoot way too many 3s, it's as simple as that. And though coach Mike Montgomery has improved considerably by way of scouting and recognizing how to prepare for NBA talent, he needs to wield some control over this group. During this skid, the Warriors have averaged 26 3-point attempts per game, despite making only 29 percent of them, and they average 24.5 a game for the year (on a 33.5 percent clip). This is no way to run an NBA offense. Last year's Phoenix Suns team, that vaunted the NBA ideal of how to chuck and win, averaged 24.7 3s a game, but made 39 percent of them. Not only are the Warriors drawing iron from long range, they're failing to recognize that their opponents are freely firing away on the other end. Over the five-game slide, Warriors opponents are shooting a little more than 20 a game, but making 45 percent of their attempts. Maybe they should trade for Ron Artest, because if you shoot too many 3s around Ron-Ron, he'll throw a camera at ya. Much has already been written about Steve Francis' indefinite suspension from the Orlando Magic, but most have greeted the news with a big yawn. This guy has done nothing but exude his own brand of off-putting petulance since his short time at Maryland, and it's no surprise that Francis (soon to be 29-years old) would eventually mope his way into trouble with new coach Brian Hill. What hasn't been noted as much is just how insufferable it must be to play in Hill's offense, and how his schemes create the sort of environment that would lead a whiner like Francis to refuse to enter a game. It's a snooze to watch and must be hellish to play in and execute -- even for an overdribbler like Steve-O. The likes of DeShawn Stevenson and Hedo Turkoglu are given chance after chance to fire off low-efficiency 20-foot jumpers and 3-pointers, and diminutive guard Jameer Nelson is encouraged to fire at will. That isn't a crime in itself, but when emerging All-Star-to-be Dwight Howard is given the same amount of offensive pie, then something is amiss? Why is this monster-in-waiting relegated to offensive rebound duty and simple post-ups? Hill runs the same left block plays for Howard that he ran for Shaquille O'Neal and Shareef Abdur-Rahim (while in Vancouver), and while Howard has held his own in the isolation game, why doesn't Hill trust either Nelson or rookie guard Travis Diener to run a screen and roll attack with Howard? DH's game reminds of Amaré Stoudemire, both in the manner he drives toward the hoop or pulls up for the free-throw line jumper. Hill's offense reminds us of the late 1990s in the worst way possible -- two men dribbling out the clock on one side of the floor, while three teammates yawn away on the weak side.

The weeks ahead - Dallas is playing tremendous basketball, losing only once in six games (to the then-white hot New York Knicks, in overtime), while receiving increasing contributions from an improving bench. The Mavericks are a just a game behind the Spurs in the Southwest, but this could change soon. They take on the struggling Bucks Monday night at home before heading out on a very do-able five-game road trip. Games against the Rockets, Clippers, Trail Blazers, Warriors and SuperSonics await them, with home turns against the Jazz and Bulls closing out the month. Meanwhile the Spurs, who refuse to rebound, have the Grizzlies, Bucks, Heat and Nuggets this week. Charlotte forces a league-leading 19.8 turnovers per 100 possessions per game, but the Bobcats have lost seven of eight, and the blowouts are starting to pile up. Bernie Bickerstaff could only dress 10 guys against the Pistons on Saturday night, a number that isn't too bad, but some of the wounded included bigs like Emeka Okafor, Jake Voskuhl, Marvin Ely and Sean May. The Bobcats didn't stand a chance, losing by 23. The team could round into form this week, preparing for full-on spoiler mode the rest of the way. They have games against the Hornets, Pacers, Magic and Bucks -- and while you shouldn't be surprised to see the Bobcats take the collar, if they start losing close ones again, it'll be an improvement. Those New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets welcomed rookie guard Chris Paul last week after he missed just three days (as opposed to the expected 14-day spate on the shelf) with a torn ligament in his thumb. They've won five of seven in 2006 to up their mark to 17-19 overall, better than anyone could have imagined. The honeymoon might be over, however, as the squad plays five of their next eight games on the road. The run includes trips to see the improving Wizards and Knicks, two matchups with the Grizzlies and home dates against the Spurs and Bucks. The Cavaliers are sliding, losers of five of their last six courtesy of shooting slumps defensive leaks and injuries. Some of those losses -- a two-pointer to the Trail Blazers, a one-point miss against the Lakers and a nine-point loss to the Suns that was a lot closer than the final score would indicate -- could have gone either way, which has to frustrate. There's little help in sight, either, as they'll play six of their next eight on the road.

2) Chris Broussard of ESPN.com with his NBA All-Star Choices:

Tough choices for Houston

As we near the end of voting for this year's All-Star Game in Houston -- the final day of voting is Jan. 22 -- I feel compelled to name my Eastern and Western Conference reps. In the East, the starters are simple: AI and D-Wade at the guards. LeBron and Jermaine O'Neal at forwards and Shaq in the middle. I'll pick my seven reserves according to league rules: at least two guards, two forwards and one center. The center is easy -- Ben Wallace. It gets a little tougher at the forward spot, but I'm going with Paul Pierce and Chris Bosh. I know, I know, both guys are playing for losing teams. But it's certainly not their fault. I hate to leave off Richard Jefferson, but Pierce is having a monster year (career highs of 26.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 49.1% FG), and Bosh is fantastic, regardless of the Raps' record. C Webb's playing well, but his 20 and 10 gets diminished in my eyes because even with AI playing great, the Sixers are still just .500. Plus he's shooting 42 percent and not exactly shutting folks down on the defensive end. Despite the nice numbers, this is nowhere near vintage C Webb. If it were, the Sixers would be a force, not just a team that squeaks into the playoffs. As difficult as the forward selections are, the guard spot gets downright crazy. Chauncey Billups and Vince Carter are musts, which leaves me with only two spots for Michael Redd, Rip Hamilton, Jason Kidd and Gilbert Arenas. I can't win here because all four are legitimate All-Stars. See, this is what happens when centers cease to score. Now we've got all these guards putting up "all-star numbers'' because many centers are all but useless. I could also throw in Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis as All-Star caliber guards in the East, though there's a slight drop-off there, particularly with Francis. Anyway, here goes: I have to put Redd on the squad because he's averaging a career-high 24.7 points and most importantly, the Bucks (19-16) are winning. They've gone stretches without Mo Williams, T.J. Ford and Bobby Simmons and yet, Redd keeps them alive. At first, I gave my final spot to Rip, then I thought, "How can I leave J Kidd off?" Then I said, "Arenas is averaging 29 points and six dimes. Am I nuts?" I could easily pick this last spot out of a hat and be satisfied, but I guess I have to go with Arenas. His numbers are pretty ridiculous and his league-high turnover average (4.1) is less than one gaffe higher than Kidd's 3.29 miscues a night. It seems unthinkable to leave Kidd off -- I'm second-guessing myself as I type -- because he's still a top three PG in the league. But the East is so full of guards it's ridiculous. On to the West. Starters: Guards -- Kobe and Steve Nash; Forwards -- Tim Duncan and Elton Brand; Center -- Marcus Camby. My reserve at center is Yao, and one of my guards is Tony Parker. My last guard spot is between Warriors' teammates J Rich and Baron Davis and New Orleans rookie Chris Paul. I'm going to shock you with my choice because I'm going with the youngster, Paul. If the Warriors were still winning, I'd pick Davis since he makes them go, but Paul is winning more with a much weaker roster. He's also ahead of Davis in steals (2.17 per game to 1.7), turnovers (2.2 to 2.89), FG shooting (43 percent to 38 percent), FT shooting (79.9 to 65.7) and rebounding (5.7 to 4.5). Davis is ahead in ppg (17.9 to 15.9) and assists (9.3 to 7.2). Now it gets even harder because as the East is full of guards, the West is full of forwards. KG, Dirk and Shawn Marion are no-brainers, leaving me with one spot for three deserving players: T-Mac, Carmelo and Pau. Four if you throw in Kirilenko. Pau's the first to fall. He's having a great year and once again leading the Grizz to 50-plus wins, but it's just that tough in the West. Carmelo is really balling, and T-Mac has been laden with injuries. Nevertheless, I'm going with T-Mac. I realize that Camby, Yao and T-Mac may miss because of injuries, which could make the center spot fairly ugly out West. If Commissioner David Stern stuck to adding two centers as reserves, you're probably looking at Mehmet Okur and Brad Miller. Ouch. Now that I'm done, here's a suggestion for the league: increase the All-Star rosters from 12 players in each conference to 15. Now that there are 30 teams, it's only right. Then just about all the truly deserving players would make it. And it would save me from trying to explain how I can leave J Kidd and Rip out of the midseason classic.


3) Tony Meija of CBSSportsline.com thinks the Warriors need some Ron-Ron:

Weekly Essentials: Is Artest what reeling Warriors need?

Based on preseason expectations and the talent level of its roster, Golden State is not supposed to be below .500. It's not supposed to be on the outside looking in as far as the playoff picture is concerned -- even if it's only mid-January. Particularly after a strong start, no one could have envisioned the Warriors would be closer to last than first in the Pacific Division. Panic looks to be setting in. "Last couple of games, we haven't done it, so it's tough not to press," Troy Murphy told the San Francisco Chronicle following a loss in Phoenix the team labeled a must-win. "I know I'm pressing. I can't speak for anybody else, but I know I am. "There's something missing with us right now. We had something -- you could feel it when we were winning games. You could feel it there. I don't know what it is, but you can feel that it's not there right now. How you get it back is another question." It makes you wonder if that something isn't the acquisition of Ron Artest. It's a drastic alternative, but the Pacers have made no secret about being interested in pieces of Golden State's young talent pool, with names like Murphy, Ike Diogu and Mickael Pietrus tossed around. Artest would instantly ramp up the team's defensive intensity and toughness. As presently constructed, none of the team's big men inspire much fear from opponents attacking the basket. Diogu, their top post player, is still a rookie and doesn't get the ball enough. In a Warriors uniform, Artest might be the physical matchup problem he claims Rick Carlisle didn't take advantage of enough with the Pacers. In a dream best-case scenario, he'd infuse the Warriors with the type of energy Baron Davis brought with him upon his acquisition last season. Consider that a trio of Davis-Artest-Jason Richardson would give Golden State three All-Star-caliber players as its nucleus -- and perhaps a clearer identity than it has now. The other route, the one currently being taken, is a supposed recommitment to defense. That strategy seems hard to believe considering how easily opponents are scoring on them, shooting 50 percent or better seemingly every game. Davis, whose triple-double Saturday night wasn't enough to help the team end a five-game losing streak, plans on ramping up his resistance and has urged teammates to do the same. Can they, though? Is this a team that, despite an abundance of individual talent, isn't properly built to last through 82 games without this kind of collapse? How long will the Warriors have to struggle to force team execs Chris Mullin and Rod Higgins into making a drastic move? Almost certainly, some formula must be decided upon before this weekend's crucial home-and-home against the L.A. Clippers; falling further and further behind their division mates is a sure-fire way to make the next few months moot. That has become customary for Golden State over the past few years, but remember, it wasn't supposed to be the case this time. ***Barometer game - When San Antonio visited Miami last season, the game was billed as a Finals matchup. It was a chance to see Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan duel, along with young studs Dwyane Wade and Manu Ginobili. The Spurs visit South Florida on Friday, but, partially because of Detroit's dominance, it isn't laced with that kind of Finals buzz. However, thanks to Miami's resurgence -- cemented by an impressive performance on a six-game Western swing -- it will be a chance to see just how good the Heat are. This isn't simply media hype, either. For starters, O'Neal voiced his belief that he'll be able to see what type of team the Heat are right around February, so maybe they've actually hit their stride early. Especially because of Miami's drastic offseason overhaul, this game has been circled on the schedule since the season began, a chance, against the champs, to see whether this is a title-caliber team. Gregg Popovich never gets overly concerned about regular-season affairs, but this will be a telling game for his bunch, too. Following the beatings they took against the Pistons, a strong road victory in a difficult venue would make an excellent statement. ***Barometer game, too - Larry Brown takes on the Pistons for the second time on Thursday evening, welcoming his old crew to Madison Square Garden. It won't have the emotion of his return to the Palace on Dec. 2, but it's meaningful in that he can get to see just how far his new group of kids has progressed. He has finally settled on a rotation, experiencing success in the form of a now-expired six-game winning streak that was the team's longest in five years. New York was able to hang around for a half in the previous meeting before fading during a third quarter in which it was outscored 24-8. Simply put, they were out-toughed, and right now, you would expect them to be tougher. Undoubtedly, they'll be an underdog, but the current state of the organization is all progress, and this will provide a significant opportunity in a game the Knicks will try to win for their boss. ***Star returns - Tracy McGrady says he's prepared to play as soon as Jeff Van Gundy deems it necessary, but clearly the coach is taking precautions and ensuring his star's back is truly ready. Monday afternoon, Van Gundy took a pass on playing McGrady and watched his team fall to 0-12 without him, losing in Atlanta. The next opportunity he'll have will be Wednesday when Dallas visits the Toyota Center. ... Steve Francis, who might have worn out his welcome in Orlando when he refused to re-enter a game, is expected to return Wednesday after a Monday meeting with Magic officials, but the word on the street is the team is seeking to deal him. ... Bobcats forward Emeka Okafor's ankle is expected to be healthy enough for him to rejoin the lineup later this week, perhaps as a part of a weekend back-to-back against Orlando and Milwaukee. ... Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal (ankle) missed Monday's game against New Jersey and will likely be a game-time decision all week. ... Clippers forward Elton Brand (hip) and New Jersey forward Richard Jefferson (back) each returned Monday. ... Marcus Camby is expected back in the next 10 days from a finger injury that has kept him out. ... All of these players save for Jefferson and obviously Francis should be considered shoo-in All-Stars, an indication of how many of the league's teams have been forced to rough it lately because of attrition.

4) Ian O'Connor of The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News and USAToday.com thinks that Garnett is being wasted:

Wolves' Garnett paying a high price for loyalty

Impossible is nothing, swears the adidas ad introducing Kevin Garnett as a Roman gladiator, a general fighting aliens, a superhero saving a damsel in distress, and a standup comic knocking dead an easily amused crowd. Oh, there's also his inner child frolicking on a playground, having much more fun than Garnett can have on his grownup team. Impossible is nothing, except when these Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to make a champ out of a star who deserves better than his lightweight supporting cast. You think Peyton Manning was betrayed by his offensive line? Take a quick survey of the roster weighing down Garnett's Peyton-like pursuit of a ring, and wonder why the 6-11 forward isn't pointing a Peyton-like finger at Kevin McHale and saying, "I'm trying to be a good teammate here, but ..."Eddie Griffin. Trenton Hassell. Marko Jaric. Michael Olowokandi. Troy Hudson made some big shots to beat the Knicks on Monday, but let's face it: There's no Marvin Harrison or Edgerrin James in sight. Garnett's teammates combine for a grand sum of one All-Star Game appearance, made by Wally Szczerbiak, who won't be confused with a Pippen for Garnett's Jordan. Sam Cassell is busy making the Clippers competent, and Latrell Sprewell is searching for new ways to feed his family. Chauncey Billups is working on Title No. 2 in Detroit, where Flip Saunders, Garnett's former partner in postseason pain, has apparently found a redemptive path to the back end of June. Garnett is the one left behind, the last Wolf standing, the man who endured seven straight first-round playoff defeats before finally landing in the conference finals at the end of his MVP season two years back, only to have his team use the fall of the Shaq-Kobe dynasty as an opportunity to retreat itself. Seven years after Stephon Marbury abandoned him, Garnett couldn't be blamed if he pulled a marker out of Marbury's old locker and wrote "All Alone" on his ankle tape. "I'm just a loyal person," Garnett said after delivering his standard line of 24 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists. It just isn't easy being loyal to this cause. "Being professional is easy," Garnett maintained. His Timberwolves were expected to take over for the Lakers, or at least engage the Spurs in some Western Conference classics, not miss the playoffs in '05 before threatening to miss them again in '06. They left Madison Square Garden as just another 18-17 team, just another eighth-seed scrambler that built a three-game winning streak to snap a seven-game road losing streak. "We've sort of been bitten by our success," Garnett said. "This team has changed dramatically, but we're making strides. We're making some young strides." What a long, strange trip it's been for the player who revolutionized the NBA draft and inspired a lockout. When Garnett came out of Chicago's Farragut Academy in '95, nobody saw the parade of high schoolers forming behind him, or the obscene riches that would be thrown the kids' way. Times and draft requirements have changed. Not even 30, Garnett is already the league's Old Man River, his appearance, maturity and life experiences all well beyond his years. He's spent 11 seasons weathering the Marbury exit, the Joe Smith disaster, the Terrell Brandon injuries, the comings and goings of Billups, Cassell, Sprewell and Saunders. He's logged nearly 31,000 minutes, more than McHale did in his entire career. Garnett has been around long enough to sign two nine-figure deals — his landmark $126 million contract, followed by his bargain-rate $100 million extension. He took less on the rebound to help the owner, Glen Taylor, help him. Only Taylor has shaved the payroll, leaving Garnett a lineup with a fabulous talent for fumbling his passes. "There's no guarantee it's beautiful on the other side, anyway," Garnett said. "I'm invested in it with full mind, body and soul. Until something dramatically happens to where it turns me off, then we'll talk about it. But that's not my style to just up and run when stuff gets tough." Garnett won't pull a Charles Barkley to force a trade, a refreshing fact at a time in sports when even Peyton Manning blames his teammates. "I'm like the quarterback," said Garnett, who allowed that he relays the opponents' signals to his bench. "I'm always looking for an advantage out there, so you can call me a coach." Most coaches would tell Garnett he passes too much to unworthy receivers. Most coaches, on truth serum, would tell him that the right free agents might never sign up for life on the frozen tundra. Deep down, Garnett would probably love to make like one of his characters in the commercial, and bust his way out of this jam. But life won't be imitating art here. In the NBA, plenty of things are impossible, like one great player getting his ring with a not-so-great team.