Shawn Marion has lost his mind over the last three games…here are his numbers:

In a 103-94 win over Boston he had 44 points on 15-22 from the floor (68%) – 10-10 from the line and 4-7 from three (57%), 15 rebounds, including 7 offensive, 4 steals and 3 blocks…In a 136-121 win over Charlotte he had 31 points on 11-19 from the floor (58%) - 7-9 from the line (78%) and 2-+4 from three (50%), 24 rebounds including 5 offensive, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks…In a 111-94 win over Houston he had 30 points on 12-19 from the floor (63%) – 4-4 from the line and 2-6 from three (33%), 18 rebounds including 3 offensive, 3 assists and 3 steals…His averages per game over the three games are 35 points on 63% from the floor – 91% from the line and 47% from three, 19 rebounds including 5 offensive, 2 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks…ridiculous numbers…

Pau Gasol went for a career-high 39 points last night in the Grizzlies 108-98 win over the Wizards…Gasol was two points short of the franchise-high 41 set by Bryant “Big Country” Reeves in 1998….

Dirk “Diggler” Nowitzki limped to the locker room after spraining his ankle in the first minute of the third quarter but still returned to score 11 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter and the Mavericks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 104-92 on Monday night for their 19th victory in their last 20 games. Jason Terry added 24 points and went 6-for-7 from 3-point range for the Mavericks who extended their home winning streak to 15 games with Monday's victory against the 76ers. Dallas is only the third team in the last three years to win 15 consecutive home games within a single season. The Heat (18 in a row) and Spurs (16) both did so in 2004-05.

Jeez…I know I’ve said it before, but imagine how good the Atlanta Hawks are if they draft Chris Paul instead of Marvin Williams…

Don’t look know, but Charlotte Bobcats’ rookie PG Raymond Felton is averaging 16.8 PPG and 6.9 APG over his last 10…

When Rasheed Wallace made his 1,000th career block against Indiana on Thursday, he joined Shaquille O'Neal, Cliff Robinson, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Chris Webber as the only active players with 12,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 1,000 blocks. Wallace doesn’t lack for jokes though as after pregame introductions, he realized he hadn't put on his game shorts. He was wearing only the North Carolina practice shorts he always wears underneath his uniform. Trainer Mike Abdenour , who had to scramble to get him some game shorts, said: "I have seen it all now."

Vince Carter is going for an MRI because he felt a CRAMP in his hamstring…a freakin cramp…what a baby…like the time he had his knee scoped and they found inflammation…no ligaments torn or frayed, no cartilage needing to be shaved or trimmed, no joint defects of any kind, just inflammation…he has got to be the biggest sucky baby in all of sports…

Coaching Rumour: the next coach of the Charlotte Bobcats will be the University of Kentucky’s Tubby Smith…book it…

1) Marc Berman of the New York Post rags on the Knicks:

NOW, LARRY ONE OF THE STOOGES

Larry Brown is no different than his players now. Overpaid, underachieving — stealing Knicks owner James Dolan's money. Isiah Thomas has assembled some mismatched pieces during his catastrophic reign. But the biggest mismatched piece Thomas added is the head coach.
Mismatched and overmatched. As the Knicks disgrace the franchise night after night, the blame goes well beyond the personnel Thomas acquired. The Knicks moved at half-speed in surrendering 71 points in the first half against the Wizards Saturday when it was so obvious the players had stopped putting out for Brown. When the players give up on their coach, it's hard to get them back. Which is why, with 27 games left, including tonight's potential massacre in Alamo City vs. the Spurs, the Knicks are headed to their worst record in franchise history (21-59). They will give Charlotte a legit run for the league's worst record. (Go ahead, Chicago, throw another parade). It's been nearly eight years since Brown found himself in a losing environment. That was his first season in Philadelphia, when the Sixers were 31-51. Brown, 65, is older now, the players are younger, different, with less college experience and less love for the game. You wonder if Brown will even want to finish the season. The concern in late July that Brown would be out of his element in a rebuilding program after his years winning in Philly and Detroit was a bull's-eye. I once scoffed at that theory because of his reputation as basketball's greatest teacher. Given two weeks, Brown could turn the last place team in the East Hampton P.A.L 10-year-old division into a winner. Brown has practiced his players too hard, demeaned them too often and changed their roles too often. Those are not traits of a great coach. Ultimately, that is why he has lost the locker room, why the young players have regressed instead of gotten better, why they are 15-40, the joke of the NBA, the shame of the city. "We have too many young players right now," the $40 million defensive genius said as recently as Friday night. Brown should stop his whine about the Knicks being too young and start doing what he was brought in to do — get the most out of them, make them a team. The Knicks' core group now isn't as green as Brown wants you to believe. The starting perimeter is Stephon Marbury, 29, Steve Francis, 29, and Quentin Richardson, 26. The two perimeter players off the bench are Jalen Rose and Jamal Crawford. The starting center, Eddy Curry, has been in the league five years. Brown now starts rookie Channing Frye at power forward, but he's worthy. Last time we proofed them, Malik Rose and Maurice Taylor weren't teenagers. The veterans have shown no leadership and Brown has been incapable of motivating this group. The players want to run. Brown wants to run set plays. The players don't seem to care about winning anymore. Two Knicks — without mentioning names — munched down on Chicken McNuggets and McDonald's fries an hour before tip-off Saturday night in Washington. During the Wizards' rout, a heckler yelled at new Knick Steve Francis, "Hey Stevie, Where are you going next?" Francis turned to the fan and quipped, "To the bank." It took only three days for Francis to feel the emptiness of a lost season. The Knicks get the defending champions in San Antonio tonight. Last time Brown coached a real game here, it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals, his last as the Pistons coach. After the loss, Brown wondered if he could coach again because of his bladder issue and he underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Then Brown followed the money to New York. Like Francis, Brown's next stop is the bank. Or perhaps the hospital.

2) Greg Anthony of ESPN.com thinks the Mavs are the favourites in the West:

Mavericks know the score

Some hope to win the championship. Some hope to win enough just to make the playoffs. And others hope to win the lottery (hello Sonics, Blazers). Looking at the West, the way the best players are shining now speaks to the sense of urgency that's rising as we head down the stretch.
Here's how I see the West's teams finishing.

1. Dallas Mavericks (45-11) -- The Spurs are a great team, but I think Dallas is a team more suited for winning over the long haul of the regular season. Dallas has more guys offensively that can carry them. Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry are all capable of being No. 1 options. Then you throw in Keith Van Horn and Marquis Daniels, even Devin Harris. They don't rely on a smaller core of guys like San Antonio. The Mavs won won 18 of 19. And they've beaten a lot of good teams. March is going to be more difficult for them, with a stretch of 6 of 7 on road. When they get through that, they've got a good April. Still two games left with the Spurs.

2. Phoenix Suns (38-17) -- Shawn Marion has been equally as good as Steve Nash. When Amare Stoudemire's back, how quickly they can integrate him into the flow will be key. The Pacific Division (and No. 2 seed) is theirs, even with the injury to Kurt Thomas; I don't think the Clippers or Lakers can overcome their lead.

3. Denver Nuggets (30-27) -- Carmelo Anthony has become a legit leader, and a better basketball player overall. They've had significant injuries, with Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby in and out. Any challengers for the Northwest champ and No. 3 seed? Utah doesn't have the leadership and Minnesota's been stale.

4. San Antonio Spurs (44-12) -- It's hard to look at a team that will win 60 games as a four seed. And defending champs. The NBA needs to do what the NFL does and avoid the possibility of a team with a better record having home-court disadvantage against a team with an inferior record.

5. Los Angeles Clippers (31-23) -- Being No. 5 is like a punishment, drawing the defending champ Spurs, compared to the No. 6 team, which gets the Nuggets. The Clippers have not really played that well down the stretch. They've had a tough stretch of 7 of 11 on the road in March.

6. New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (31-25) -- David West's improvement has made an impression. Not overly athletic as some of the other small forwards, but he's a great mid-range shooter and a solid rebounder. The team's playing very good basketball at home. Getting young guys to believe -- great job by coach Byron Scott.

7. Los Angeles Lakers (28-28) -- Their frontline has been extremely inconsistent, led by Kwame Brown. But Kobe and Phil are too good not to get there. At the very least, they'll go .500 the rest of the way. Barring injury, that gets them in.

8. Memphis Grizzlies (31-26) -- Losing Damon Stoudamire was big; he really figured out how to play winning basketball. Chucky Atkins will be serviceable and Bobby Jackson must stay healthy. Whether they make it or not is going to come down to their guard play.

ON THE OUTSIDE - Houston Rockets (25-32) -- Playing great now. They're kind of like a team that has been down 20 in a game, and is making a strong comeback. But they dug a hole too big for Yao and T-Mac to get them out of. Sacramento Kings (26-30) -- Has gotten better D with Ron Artest, who gave them some toughness, one thing they lacked. They're going to make a good push, but they are a horrible, horrible road team. At 7-19, only Portland is worse in the West. Utah Jazz (27-29) -- In a lot of ways, they remind me of Chicago. The Jazz have everything you want, but not that go-to guy in crunch time. Andrei Kirilenko is a great player, Mehmet Okur is a perimeter-oriented big player. You need to have that guy who you can go to inside and score. If you look at the teams that are battling for a playoff spot, they feature a guy who can carry you offensively. Minnesota Timberwolves (24-31) -- Kevin Garnett is at his best when he's got a big-time scorer helping him. Ricky Davis is the key. KG did his best when Sam Cassell was making big shots. So, is Ricky this year's Cassell? That's the question we'll get the answer to in the coming weeks. Golden State Warriors (24-32) -- Too many guys who do the same things, and its toughest players are guards. A jump-shooting team like Sacramento, and that makes it hard to win on the road.

3) Marty Burns of SI.com thinks Garnett might need his checkbook:

Acting up - Garnett could feel wrath of errant pass; Marion on fire

The Academy Awards aren't until March 5, but Kevin Garnett, no doubt, has his own nominee for best actor. Given the reaction of the fan who got hit by a ball Garnett tossed into the stands (after KG had been whistled for an offensive foul) in Sunday's game, Joaquin Phoenix might not want to clear space on his mantle for that Oscar trophy just yet. The fan, a middle-aged man, reacted as if he'd been, well, kicked in the groin by Dennis Rodman. He sat there stunned for a long time. He didn't seem to acknowledge Garnett, who came over immediately to apologize. After a few minutes, the fan's pain seemed to get worse. Never mind that Garnett didn't really throw the ball that hard, and that it appeared to strike the guy in the side of the face. For some reason, the fan suddenly couldn't walk under his own power. He had to be wheeled off in a gurney. Some T'wolves fans even began to boo as the fan was being led off the court. One fan, who was seated behind the man who was hit, said the ball didn't appear to have much velocity on it. "It wasn't real hard," Kevin Zenk told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Asked about the man's reaction, Zenk said, "Overreacted.... You know, I kind of figured the Oscars were next week, but I don't know if the nominations are all in. He played it up." NBA rules stipulate that any player who throws a ball into the crowd and strikes a fan be ejected immediately. KG also was fined $5,000 on Monday but received no suspension from the league office. Oddly, this is the second time a player-fan incident at the Target Center has led to questions of dramatic license. As a member of the Bulls in 1997, Rodman fell out-of-bounds while battling for a loose ball, stumbling over some photographers positioned there. As Rodman got up, he kicked with his right foot, nailing cameraman Eugene Amos in the upper thigh/groin area. After a momentary delay, Amos suddenly doubled over in pain and had to be carried off in a stretcher. Bulls coach Phil Jackson said he thought Rodman's kick had landed in Amos' knee area, not the groin, and implied the shutterbug was hamming it up. "The guy suddenly turned into a falsetto," Jackson said. Whatever the case, it cost Rodman a pretty penny. The NBA suspended him for 11 games. He also had to pay Amos $200,000 in an out-of-court settlement. It remains to be seen whether this fan will go the same litigious route. Garnett (unlike Rodman) was never really out of control. He was just a little upset, and he flung the ball. He clearly had no intention of hitting the fan, and he immediately apologized. Apparently the NBA took the circumstances -- and KG's rather clean record - into account when they issued the light penalty.

WHO'S UP - Shawn Marion, Suns…Even by his usual All-Star standards, it was an exceptional week for the Matrix. He followed Wednesday's 15 rebounds and career-high 44 points against the Celtics by torching the Bobcats for 31 points and a career-high 24 boards on Saturday as the Suns ran their win streak to a league-high six games. Marion became the first Sun to score 30 or more points and grab at least 20 rebounds in a game since Charles Barkley (34 points, 26 rebounds) in March 1995. He has double doubles in nine of 10 games, running his league-leading total to 42 for the season.

WHO'S DOWN - Isiah Thomas, Knicks…So far the Steve Francis trade is going over about as well as President Bush's decision to turn over those ports to Dubai. The Knicks president is being ripped for adding another big contract to New York's league-leading payroll without any apparent regard to the team's chemistry. It doesn't help that the Knicks have lost both games since Stevie Franchise arrived, making it 19 defeats in their last 21 games. Meanwhile, that sexual harassment lawsuit hasn't exactly gone away. At this point Thomas might jump at the chance to take the soon-to-be-vacant Indiana University coaching job.

RUMOR MILL - Bulls to waive Tim Thomas? The Bulls are working on a potential buyout of veteran forward Tim Thomas, who was sent home in November because he didn't fit into Chicago's plans. The 6-foot-10 sharpshooter, acquired by the Bulls from the Knicks in the Eddy Curry trade, is in the last year of a contract that pays him $14 million this season. If the Bulls waive him, they would still be on the line for the rest of the deal. Thomas, meanwhile, would be free to sign with any team for the pro-rated veteran's minimum (around $1 million). However, Thomas has to be waived by March 1 in order to be on any team's playoff roster. Thomas has said he is interested in joining the Nets, Sixers, Spurs or Heat. However, Bulls GM John Paxson has said he would be reluctant to waive Thomas if he were going to sign with an Eastern Conference team battling with the Bulls for a playoff spot (i.e., the Sixers). If the Bulls can't get assurances from Thomas' agent, Arn Tellem, that his client won't sign with Philadelphia, they might not agree to let him go. Chicago probably would not have an issue with Thomas' signing with the Nets. New Jersey, in fact, traded Marc Jackson, Linton Johnson and $100,000 cash to the Hornets for Bostjan Nachbar, in part to clear some salary room under the luxury-tax threshold so they can sign Thomas if he becomes available.

GRUDGE MATCH OF WEEK - Thurs., March 2: Mavs at Spurs (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT)…Home court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs could be at stake when these Texas and Southwest Division rivals meet for the third time this season. The teams split two games in Dallas, the Mavs winning 103-84 on Nov. 5 and the Spurs taking a 92-90 decision on Dec. 1. Because of the way the NBA seeds teams for the playoffs, the division runner-up can't get higher than a No. 4 seed, so a lot is at stake. Throw in the fact that Dallas coach Avery Johnson is returning to San Antonio for the first time this season, and Spurs swingman Michael Finley is waiting to welcome his former Mavs teammates to town, and it should make for a spicy affair all around.

THREE SECONDS - The Raptors are showing real commitment to go after Suns president and GM Bryan Colangelo as the team's next architect. They reportedly have offered Colangelo a deal worth almost $3 million per year, or three times more than his current salary, with greater control over personnel decisions. No surprise, Colangelo is expected to take the job. The Knicks' master plan to bring Garnett to New York next summer seems more than a bit optimistic. For one, it assumes the T'wolves will be looking to move KG, which is still a big leap. For another, several teams appear to have better assets to offer Minnesota -- including the Lakers, Celtics and Bulls. Meanwhile, New York might want to be careful or it might find itself charged with tampering. Kings GM Geoff Petrie pulled off a coup last Thursday when he sent seldom-used forward Brian Skinner to Portland for Vitaly Potapenko and Sergei Monia. By shedding the rest of Skinner's contract (two years, $10 million), Petrie got the Kings' payroll just under the $61.7 million luxury-tax threshold. Meanwhile, Monia is a decent prospect.

AROUND THE RIM - USA Basketball chief Jerry Colangelo is expected to announce later this week the 25 players selected for the Olympic tryout camp this summer.... Phoenix's 136-121 victory over the Bobcats was the NBA's highest-scoring regulation game this season. At one point in the first half, Charlotte coach Bernie Bickerstaff pointed out to the officials that the 24-second shot clock had not been working for the previous two possessions. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni told Bickerstaff, "We don't use them anyway. We turned them off." ... The Suns, by the way, will be without center Kurt Thomas (stress fracture in his right foot) for at least the next six weeks. Without him, their defense might have more nights like it did against the Bobcats.... The Raptors blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead in Saturday's loss at Dallas, wasting one of the most balanced games in franchise history. Toronto had four players with 20 or more points (Chris Bosh 29, Mike James 25, Charlie Villanueva 23, Morris Peterson 20) for the first time since Nov. 1996.... Hawks rookie Salim Stoudamire was suspended for two games for conduct detrimental to the team. The rookie guard has clashed with coach Mike Woodson repeatedly this season over playing time issues, sometimes showing outward signs of disdain when being removed from games.... Veteran guard Tony Delk, waived by the Hawks, is expected to sign with the Pistons.

4) Chris Broussard of ESPN.com is right no the money:

Cavs fans crazy to boo LeBron

As someone who finished high school in Cleveland, someone who lived there for 13 years, someone whose parents are Cavaliers season ticket holders, let me say this to the fans at Quicken Loans Arena: What in the world are you thinking? You booed LeBron James? When I first heard it, I didn't believe it. I thought, "There's no way they could be so dimwitted, not the folks in C-Town." ABC ran with the story Sunday in Detroit, reporting that LeBron told Stuart Scott, "It makes you wonder ... '' That made it sound like the whole building was jeering, but after checking it out for myself, I understand it was just a smattering -- though a noticeable, unmistakable one. Still, even a smattering of boos is too much. So he shot 0-for-8 in the second half of a loss to Washington. So he missed eight foul shots and scored just four points in the final two quarters. So what?You don't boo LeBron James in Cleveland. Not when he can walk out the door in less than two years and destroy your historically pitiful little franchise in the process. Do you realize how many people, both inside and outside of the NBA, would love to see LeBron go to a bigger, sexier market? Do you realize he could go to Orlando and play with Dwight Howard or to Toronto to play with Chris Bosh for the next 15 years? Do you realize that 20 years from now, this will be known as the beginning of "The LeBron James Era," that all of the other great youngsters -- D. Wade, Bosh, Howard, Carmelo, Tony Parker, Chris Paul, Amare -- will be viewed as supporting actors in his blockbuster, like Barkley, Ewing, Malone, Stockton, Olajuwon, Robinson, etc. are in relation to Jordan? Do you realize that no one outside of Ohio would blame him for leaving what many regard as Podunk for the bright lights of Chicago, or elsewhere, as a free agent? Luckily for you, LeBron hasn't been listening to the whispers. He's from tiny Akron. He's fine at Cracker Barrel; he doesn't need a five-star Zagat's-rated restaurant on Broadway. He wants to turn the hometown team into a winner, a champion. But you just gave him a reason to at least consider listening to those who sing the praises of the large market, those who are eager to remind him that the modern-day greats, the icons on and off the court, didn't hang out in Cleveland, Sacramento, Portland, Milwaukee and places of that ilk. They were in L.A. (Magic, Shaq, Kobe), Boston (Bird) and Chicago (Michael). Still, you booed him. You of the 17 wins the season before he arrived, you of the seven straight seasons outside the playoffs, you whose most memorable moment -- "The Miracle of Richfield'' -- took place in 1976. In the first round! You boo LeBron for a bad half? Is he not averaging 31, seven and seven? Even in the boo game -- one of the worst performances of his career -- he finished with 25, nine and seven. If he has a bad game, even a bad week, you don't boo him. If he has a month of 35 percent shooting, 10 Ls, and 16 ppg, then maybe you boo him. But he won't put up numbers like that until he's about 40 years old, so it's a moot point. I hope you haven't been jaded by the recent and senseless hype about LeBron not being a closer. First of all, entering Friday's game, he was leading the league in FG percentage (.560) in the last two minutes of play. Secondly, he's only 21. I remember Magic Johnson costing the Lakers a game in the NBA Finals by absentmindedly dribbling out the clock. I remember Isiah Thomas costing the Pistons a game and perhaps the Eastern Conference title by throwing a last-second pass into the hands of Larry Bird. I remember Kobe launching air balls in the playoffs against Utah. Can we give LeBron a little time before we expect him to be as clutch as MJ? And please don't start hating because LeBron refused to be in the dunk contest. In case you haven't noticed, as great as LeBron is, he's not as graceful and artistic as Michael, Vince, Dominique and Kobe. He's a heck of a game dunker because of his power and vertical, but when he's on the court by himself, his dunks won't be as pretty as those of the legendary sky walkers. There's no shame in that. Where does it say you have to win the dunk contest to be an all-time great? How many times did Magic or Bird win it? How many times did Oscar throw down on someone? LeBron knows he's not the best dunker out there, and if he won the contest, it would only be because of his name. So why enter? Look, you're paying customers, and you can do what you want, but please take this advice from one who would love to see you enjoy a Bulls-like run: Make last Friday the last and only time you reserve such treatment for LeBron. Otherwise, you may end up with plenty of chances to boo him in the future -- when he returns to the Q in a visitor's uniform.

Denham Brown had a HUGE dunk on Villanova’s 6’8’ 250 lb. PF Will Sheriden…the UConn Canuck finished with 23 points on 8 for 13 from the floor, 5 rebounds and 1 block…and he handled the ball frequently against Villanova’s very good ¾ court press, only giving up 1 turnover…

Raps gave up a 24-point lead to lose in OT to the Mavs…it’s got to be a Raptors record for suck…

I don’t want to jinx anything, but if the Raptors land Bryan Colangelo as GM is will be the most significant thing they’ve done since drafting Vince Carter…

The Lakers are in the top 5 in offensive rebounding as a team…why? Well, whenever Kobe gets the ball, the other four guys start getting in position to rebound since the ball’s probably going up…

Shaquille O'Neal channelling Bill Walton against the Sonics on Saturday night…O'Neal made his first 14 shots, finishing 15-for-16, and the Heat extended their winning streak to a season-best five games by beating the short-handed Seattle SuperSonics 115-106 Saturday night. O'Neal finished with 31 points despite going 1-for-6 from the line. His only missed field goal attempt came on a short turnaround with two minutes left, and he hit the follow for a 111-104 lead. Wade added 26 points and 11 assists for the Heat, who had 35 fast-break points, 84 points in the paint and 51 field goals, all season highs.

Gilbert Arenas scored 46 points, including 33 in the first half, and the Washington Wizards beat the New York Knicks 110-89 Saturday night for their ninth straight home win. "I don't need to say anything, I really don't," Arenas said of originally being snubbed for the All-Star game. "I thought I played great the first half of the season. If not, I'm going to prove it now in the second half of the season. "I'm the Eastern Conference assassin right now. It's a tour, from city to city. I just hope they all have a good game plan." Arenas shot 13-for-16 from the field, including 7-for-10 on 3-pointers, and made 13 of 14 free throws. He made a season-high seven 3-pointers and had four steals and two assists….by the way, he did not play in the 4th quarter…her could have had 60 or 70 points…

Crazy…Shawn Marion had 31 points, 24 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in a 136-121 Suns win over the Bobcats on Saturday night…

Misc. Stat that may only interest me:

Top 15 most dunks this season

Player Pos. Team # of Dunks
1 Shawn Marion SF PHO 140
2 Dwight Howard PF ORL 134
3 Shaquille O'Neal C MIA 124
4 Carmelo Anthony SF DEN 112
5 Dwyane Wade SG MIA 101
6 Pau Gasol PF MEM 99
7 Andre Iguodala G PHI 93
8 Ben Wallace C DET 92
9 Kenyon Martin PF DEN 80
10 Eddy Curry C NY 78
11 Richard Jefferson SF NJ 77
12 LeBron James SF CLE 76
13 Kevin Garnett PF MIN 65
14 Chris Bosh PF TOR 60
15 Samuel Dalembert C PHI 60

1) Chris Eckstrand of SI.com with some underground draft prospects:

Off the radar - NBA prospects not limited to power conferences

The perception in much of the country is that the only players who have a chance to play in the NBA come from college basketball's six power conferences, the ones that sign all the McDonald's All-Americans and garner most of the face time on national TV. But we're close to that time of year -- March Madness -- when terrific players outside the realm of the elite reveal themselves for all of college basketball fandom to see. Conference tournaments, the NCAA tournament and even the re-energized NIT will showcase the skills of players who play outside the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10 and SEC. Sure, Adam Morrison of West Coast Conference power Gonzaga doesn't have to worry about receiving national exposure: Leading the nation in scoring most of the season and erupting for 40 points every couple of weeks usually takes care of that. There's also no need to crank the hype machine for players like Nevada junior big man Nick Fazekas or high-flying Rodney Carney of Conference USA ruler Memphis (or his precocious underclassman teammates Darius Washington and Shawne Williams). But there are several other accomplished players who also have been enjoying outstanding seasons away from the national TV spotlight, and they'll make a strong push to wear NBA uniforms too. One such player is La Salle's Steven Smith, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound workhorse who impressed scouts at the pre-draft camp last June in Chicago before deciding to return to La Salle for his senior year. That decision, a calculated attempt to get into the first round of this year's draft, has resulted in the resurrection of the basketball program at La Salle (17-8), which is guaranteed its first winning season in a dozen years. Still, ask the average college basketball fan about Steven Smith, and, well ... "He's not under the radar with NBA people," said Explorers coach John Giannini, who has made La Salle into a winner in only his second season in Philadelphia. "It's just that we are not one of those programs that are on national TV all the time. Steven might be under the radar to the average fan." Any NBA personnel unfamiliar with Smith knew him after the pre-draft camp. Playing about 20 minutes per game, Smith averaged 16 points and shot 56 percent from the field. He scored in postups, drained jumpers on the baseline and finished off his drives. Giannini believes that performance has helped Smith play within himself this year, confident that he doesn't have to try to put up numbers to further impress scouts. “He is a known quantity," Giannini said. "A lot of times, players feel they have to score a lot of points to improve their status. The questions about Steven have never been about whether he could score, they have been about other aspects of the game. He knows that and, to his credit, has become more a student of the game. "He's focusing on his defense, rebounding and passing more because he knows people are looking to see if he will defend, see what kind of decision-maker he is. He's focused on being a better player. Steve is secure about his scoring, because he has always been able to score, including at the pre-draft camp." Smith has been a rock of consistency this season, averaging 19.3 points and 7.8 rebounds. While he is taking fewer shots, his field goal percentage (48.8) is way up from last season's 42.8. With better players around him, Smith is finding other ways to help his team win. He has improved as a passer by necessity, since he constantly sees double teams. He's sliced his three-point attempts by half and is shooting a better percentage from there as well. The clincher for NBA teams interested in drafting Smith should be Giannini's endorsement of his star player's character. "He is zero maintenance," the coach said. "He lives his life in a clean and responsible way. He treats other people wonderfully. La Salle people still rave about how during the hard years, when there were a lot of losses, he would still come out of the locker room, sign autographs and be great with the kids. He is a model citizen. You couldn't ask for a more mature person off the court." Here is a quick look at six other players excelling outside the power conferences.

Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech, 6-8, 245, Junior - Key Stats: 19.9 ppg, 13.0 rpg (1st in nation), 56.6 FG%, 2.3 bpg…Although most college basketball fans have never seen him play, Millsap's name is well known to two groups of basketball aficionados: statistical enthusiasts and NBA GMs. Millsap is poised to become the first player in the history of NCAA Division I men's basketball to lead the nation in rebounding for three straight seasons. Millsap is strong and has excellent hands, but the reason he gets the rebounds he does is sheer determination mixed with some physical power. Playing in the Western Athletic Conference has enabled Millsap to put up impressive offensive numbers that might not be as big if he were in a stronger conference, but his work ethic and hustle would make him a premier rebounder against any competition. You don't need to go to a big school to be a big-time player. Or have you already forgotten a previous Louisiana Tech big man named Karl Malone?

J.P. Batista, Gonzaga, 6-8, 265, Senior - Key Stats: 19.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 60.1 FG%, 83.2 FT%…While it's true Batista hasn't suffered in total anonymity this season as television networks clambered to get the Bulldogs and national scoring leader Morrison on air as much as possible, Batista still has been somewhat overlooked because he is not a spectacular athlete in the NBA mold. Batista is averaging career highs in every category this season and is one of those highest-percentage shooters who actually scores a lot of points. Among the things NBA people really like about Batista is that he has great hands, doesn't force shots and is a big guy who can capitalize when he gets to the foul line, where he often resides. Batista will never be a shot-blocker, but if he is committed to getting into top condition, he could have a long NBA career using his big body to set picks and rebound.

Yemi Nicholson, Denver, 6-10, 240, Senior - Key Stats: 20.2 ppg, 11.1 rpg (6th in nation), 59.9 FG%, 2.7 bpg…Few players come as far as fast as has Nicholson. As recently as 2004 he was just another big body with a great off-court story (he's an ace with a saxophone) whose coaches hoped he would blossom one day. That day came last season, when he got serious about working on his game and ended up averaging 18.1 points and 8.4 rebounds. This season has been even better. He's the favorite to repeat as Sun Belt Player of the Year and is considered one of the few true centers available for this year's NBA Draft. Scout have flocked to his games, so he's no secret to the people doing the drafting. How Nicholson performs at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament and the pre-draft camp will determine how high he goes. His rebounding prowess alone assures he will be among the top 60 players selected.

Andre Collins, Loyola (Md.), 5-10, 180, Senior - Key Stats: 26.6 ppg (3rd in nation), 2.6 spg, 4.8 apg, 36.1 3-pt FG%…In 2002, when Maryland won the national championship behind Juan Dixon, Collins was the unfortunate soul who had to shadow Dixon in practice every day. Collins obviously took his licks, but Maryland head coach Gary Williams told the Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook, "There were times in practice when we couldn't stop him." Collins left Maryland a year and a half later, stymied by a lack of playing time behind Steve Blake and John Gilchrist. He had just one year of eligibility left, and he's made up for lost time. With sub-6-foot players like T.J. Ford, Earl Boykins and Nate Robinson showing they aren't too small for the highest level, a tempo-changer like Collins, who is super quick and can find the basket, will get consideration from NBA teams.

Jose Juan Barea, Northeastern, 5-11, 165, Senior - Key Stats: 21.3 ppg (18th in nation), 8.4 apg (2nd in nation)…Like Collins, he plays the game at a speed not often visited by mere mortals. However, sometimes Barea is a little too fast for his own good. He averages more than four turnovers per game, but he has so many assists that his assist-to-turnover ratio stacks up favorably against most starting point guards in college. He's a small guy who needs to be a volume shooter and producer for his team to be successful, as he averages close to 10 points more than Northeastern's second leading scorer. Barea has lots of international experience, having played many big games for the Puerto Rican National Team. He plays the game with a tremendous amount of passion and is surprisingly physical for his stature. Despite his high scoring totals, Barea has the ability to deliver the ball to teammates, a skill not often overlooked by draft-day decision-makers.

Justin Williams, Wyoming, 6-10, 230, Senior - Key Stats: 11.1 rpg (7th in nation), 5.3 bpg (2nd in nation)…Ten years ago, word spread in scouting circles that there was a 6-foot-10, 230-pound forward at Wyoming who was changing his team's games, not by scoring or rebounding but by blocking shots. The player won the conference's defensive player of the year award and was second in the nation in blocked shots as a senior. That player was Theo Ratliff, who has been a shot-blocking presence and stabilizing influence in the NBA for the past decade. Ratliff's Wyoming shot-blocking records are safe, but only because Justin Williams attended junior college for two years before enrolling at Wyoming. Williams is No. 2 in the nation in blocked shots, and, like Ratliff, he picked up the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year award in his first year with the Cowboys. Williams was recruited by big-name teams before he went to junior college, so his success is not a total surprise. However, barring a quick turnaround, Wyoming (12-14) won't qualify for postseason play, so scouts are getting their last looks at him right now.

2) Pat Forde of ESPN.com thinks UConn should win it all:

UConn's A-game is best in the land

STORRS, Conn. -- The reason why Connecticut is undeniably the team to beat over the final five weeks of this college basketball season can be condensed to a 20-second sequence Sunday against Villanova. The remarkable Wildcats, Short America's team, were obdurately hanging around against the lavishly talented Huskies. Nova trailed by eight with just more than six minutes remaining when leading scorer Randy Foye did what Wright's Runts do best: He burst past his defender on the dribble and drove to the basket. But no basket in the country is harder to reach than the one UConn is defending. Foye encountered two landlords a-leaping: 6-foot-11 Hilton Armstrong and 6-10 Josh Boone. They turned the 6-4 Foye's shot into an over-arched prayer that boinked off the rim and was snatched by the most versatile player on the floor, UConn forward Rudy Gay. Rudy Gay and Co. made driving difficult for the diminutive Wildcats.Gay whipped the outlet to Marcus Williams and the fast break was on. The nation's best distributor pushed the ball across halfcourt and fired a pass to Rashad Anderson on the wing. Anderson pulled up and flicked in his fifth and final 3-pointer of the day for an 11-point lead. Jay Wright couldn't call a time-out fast enough, but school was out. UConn had flexed its March muscles in an 89-75 payback victory. In those 20 seconds the Huskies unveiled their full arsenal: intimidating interior defense, dominant rebounding, peerless point-guard play, deadly shooting and dazzling depth. (Anderson, the team's second-leading scorer, comes off the bench, part of a studly eight-man rotation.) "They were on top of every aspect of their game," Wright said. When that's the case, UConn is unbeatable. Duke, Memphis, Texas, Villanova and the rest of America have been put on notice: The Huskies have assumed the favorite's role for the stretch run. When All-America candidate Gay only takes five shots and plays 27 minutes and you beat the nation's No. 2 team by 14 points? You've got plenty of weapons. UConn got 8-for-8 shooting from Armstrong and Boone combined, got a rugged eight points and nine rebounds from freshman strongman Jeff Adrien, got 12 dimes from Williams and got a career-high 23-point explosion from Denham Brown. No other team has that many quality players. "That's what makes us special," Gay said. The question is whether the sometimes-distracted Dogs can remain zeroed in the rest of the way. The only legitimate knock on UConn is that its focus can sometimes wander. "I just think we're so talented, it's a lack of competition," said Brown, who went scoreless last time against Villanova. "I'm not saying it's a lack of great teams in the Big East, but when we get up 15 we think we're going to put another 15 up." UConn got competition Sunday. Sorry, Duke-Carolina, but this has become the Rivalry of the Year in college basketball. These two teams are stylistic opposites, and we know that opposites attract. UConn is overwhelming around the basket with its length and size, while four-guard Villanova is all about perimeter play and quickness. Wright is young and handsome and on the rise in his profession, while rumpled Jim Calhoun glowers beneath banners celebrating his 2005 Hall of Fame induction and two national titles. Coming into this year, Villanova's seniors hadn't beaten UConn since their freshman season. But the Wildcats got over on Connecticut on Feb. 13 in a frenzied Philly atmosphere, knocking the Huskies out of the nation's No. 1 ranking and setting the stage for a high-powered rematch of top-five teams and Big East top dogs in cozy Gampel Pavilion. With the game on campus instead of in UConn's spacious home-away-from-home, the Hartford Civic Center, this became the toughest ticket in recent Huskies history. Students camped out in bitter cold weather Saturday night, then rushed in when the doors opened to begin heaping abuse on Villanova (the abuse included one low-class sign aimed at injured Nova star Curtis Sumpter that is too tactless to report here; fortunately, it disappeared from public viewing well before tip-off). Foye added a dash of pregame spice with comments that appeared in Sunday's Hartford Courant, talking about Nova's upset win in Philadelphia: "We wanted it to be a statement game for us," Foye said. "So when people look at us, they know that we're not a team to be pushed around or we're not afraid of someone that's going to try to bully us. "We're just trying to make a name for ourselves. We're being the bullies in the Big East now and we're bringing it to anybody who we play against and we're going to be tougher and stronger than anybody we play against. That's why the game was so big for us and so important to the student body, mostly to us because [the Huskies have] been the big bad bullies for the last couple years. "But the way things are going, times are changing, so it's time for a new face on the block, I guess." Foye didn't mean any disrespect to UConn, but what self-respecting coaching staff wouldn't jump at the chance to use those quotes as motivation? Judging from the postgame comments, Connecticut clearly played up the part about Villanova being the new Big East bullies with its players. "I think everyone took that to heart," point guard Williams said. "That was sort of like calling us out, like if they want to fight." So the fight was on. And early on it was Villanova taking the fight to UConn. Gay took a severe poke to his left eye early, then caught an elbow on the chin a short time later. As is their wont, the ferocious Wildcats scrambled all over the floor, shoving UConn players out of the way in pursuit of loose balls or for position inside. Sufficiently challenged, Connecticut did not back down. This was no time for a laid-back response to a pugnacious challenge. "We started to see them pushing and fouling us and the refs weren't calling it," Williams said. "We sort of took the initiative to give it back." Williams gave it back memorably on one possession. Competing with fearless Villanova point guard Kyle Lowry for a loose ball, Williams lowered his shoulder and sent Lowry sprawling -- and wound up with the ball. "As the game evolved, we realized that a cross-body block is fine, as long as it's now below the waist," Calhoun cracked. Clearly, the hard-edged coach enjoyed his team's vigorous response to Nova's tenacity. "You don't have a chance in the Big East unless you're tough," Calhoun said. "You can have a talented team, but you've got to be tough. ... It's been the signature of our league." Calhoun found toughness where he expected it -- Adrien, Armstrong and Boone -- and perhaps where he didn't. That would be Brown, whose thunderous drive and dunk in the face of Villanova center Will Sheridan brought 10,000-plus to their feet. Calhoun called that play "a statement" from his occasionally reticent forward. “The one who doesn't believe in Denham the most tends to be Denham," the coach said. "It's a constant job of getting him up." One thing is certain: There will be no difficulty getting either team up for a possible rubber game in the Big East tournament final -- or, down the road even farther, a possible fourth meeting at the Final Four. "I don't want to particularly see them again," Wright said with a smile. "But if we do, it'll be in a good spot."

“So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention.”– Bryant Gumbel, HBO's Real Sports, Feb. 7, 2006. Gumbel said this a while ago and the firestorm, especially on the FAN590 here in Toronto continues…so here are my thoughts:

I can't recall when anyone claimed that athletes in Winter Games were: “the world's greatest athletes". However, did you see the Beckie Scott pictures when she was changing her shirt and just standing there in a sports bra? Her muscle definition is out of this world…anyway, I think what you hear most often is that the athletes in these sports are the best in the world in their sports…

Gumbel's remarks remind us that when it comes to discussions about race in sports, people tend to be hypersensitive…

Gumbel seemed to indicate that because he was black and because the Olympic athletes competing for the medals at the Winter Games were almost exclusively not black, he would not be watching since he’s sure that the greatest athletes in the world are as a rule black. Huh? In that case, what’s his opinion of the Tour de France? By his logic, if only there was a black cyclist, he would definitely be better than Lance Armstrong…

Does he means that the great athletes in American sports such as football and basketball, who are by and large black athletes, were to focus on Winter Olympic sports they would dominate? Really? I’m a firm believer that a tremendous athlete can work himself into any sport, regardless of their color…

Or does he mean that he can’t watch sports without black athletes in them…in that case, he must have only recently started to watch golf…seeing as the tour really only has one black player (half a player by Gumbel’s exacting race-stimation I’m sure) of any significance in Tiger Woods…

Maybe he means that American blacks are not drawn to winter sports necessarily…well the truly great thing about the US and Canada is that we get exposed to all sorts of sports, both in person and on TV…and we’re free to pursue whichever ones we want…now of course there is going to be some sort of regional bias…like football and baseball in the south because you can play it all year round, skiing and snowboarding in the north, because, heck we’ve got mountains and snow…Unlike the Summer Games, which has athlete representation from around 200 nations from all over the world, the Winter Olympics has only 87 nations participating…leaving 57 percent of the world’s countries left out in the cold...actually, most of them are left out in the warm…because realistically, you’d expect countries with cold climates to have the best athletes in the Winter sports…because, well it’s actually cold…

Regardless of how you slice it, Gumbel has managed to achieve only 1 thing: claiming racial superiority is embarrassing to yourself and those that look like you, regardless of what you look like…

Watch out for the Cavaliers who stole SG Ronald "Flip" Murray from the Seattle for PG Mike Wilks and cash…Flip has been buried behind Ray Allen, and rightly so for a few years, but dude can score and with LeBron James facilitating, he will…

Lastly, did you see Rashweed Wallace last night? He ended up with 28 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals in the Pistons 88-83 win over the Pacers, but the best part is he gets a technical early in the 4th quarter and then reels off 11 points in the next 97 seconds as the Pistons surged to a 28 point 4th quarter for the win…

1) Kelly Dwyer of Si.com with the duds of the season:

Leaving a lot to be desired - Recognizing the most dubious figures of the first half

The NBA's All-Star Weekend was a lovely experience, full of dunks and swishes and Beyonce and Kelly Rowland and that other girl. But it's time to get back into the swing of the regular season, and what better way to kick off the second half of the 2005-06 campaign than by looking at some of the more distressing and depressing exploits of the men in shorts before the break?

Worst Performance(s) by a Player, Single Game - In compiling this list, we tried our hardest to give Antoine Walker a pass. He's kept quiet down in Miami, trying to fit into the team's offense while making nary a peep about coming off the bench for 45 of his team's 53 games. Yes, he's a well-compensated good soldier, but that hardly seems to hinder half of this league's haranguers, so give the man his props. But Walker being Walker, he just couldn't keep his hands off the hardware, grabbing it from the likes of Ricky Davis, who had no points in 45 minutes one night. On Nov. 25, Walker missed 12 of 13 shots in 21 minutes against the Mavs, scoring two points while dishing exactly zero assists, ripping down two rebounds and fouling four times. Two weeks later, against the Clippers, he missed all 10 of his shots in 18 minutes, including six from three-point range, again fouling four times and adding one assist with four rebounds. Combined, Antoine shot a fiendish 1 of 23 in 39 minutes, with two points, six rebounds, two assists and eight fouls. Suffice to say, the Heat lost both games.

Worst Performance by a Player, Season - One of the guys Walker backs up, seventh-year forward James Posey, has been pretty dismal himself this season. More than any other variable, Posey's potential for all-around play could have put the Heat over the top this season. Yes, he's stuck on a team with a lot of mouths to feed, and yes, his forte basically is outside shooting and defense, but his defense has been substandard all season, and his 7.7 points in a little more than 31 minutes a game doesn't help. Out West, Houston's David Wesley has also had a rough go of things this year. We've always liked Wesley; he's a tough competitor who came out of nowhere to start as a 6-foot-1 shooting guard for several playoff teams. But he shouldn't be averaging as many minutes (35) as he is years old. And though the veteran is usually counted on to lead in times of peril, we've caught Wesley making far too many mistakes this season. Quick 3s in transition, being caught watching the ball on defense and ineffective rebounding (height aside, if you play 35 minutes, you have to bring down more than 2.7 boards a game) knock his reputation down a notch. And Damon Jones? You also lucked out, and showing up to the Dunk Contest looking like a member of the Romantics didn't help your cause.

Worst Coaching Performance of the First Half - The logical choice here would be Larry Brown, who has needlessly utilized 30 starting lineups in coaching his Knicks to a 15-37 record while also submarining both player and front office alike with his postgame observations. And though we expected the Knicks to at least fight for a lower-rung playoff spot, this was only because we expected Brown to force his mismatched team into overachieving. The Sacramento Kings, however, should be on pace for 45-50 wins just by playing to their talent level. Yet at one point in late January they were 18-26 and stuck at the bottom of a division they once ruled. Rick Adelman was given several disparate new parts to work with before the season, and he has essentially had to face his first season as Kings coach without Chris Webber (in Philly) or Peja Stojakovic (uninterested until he was traded to Indiana), but this doesn't excuse the way he has coached the team. Though Bonzi Wells was this team's best all-around player in the first few months of the season, starting him alongside the like-minded Shareef Abdur-Rahim didn't make any sense. Wells is a role player, a strong scorer who doesn't need the ball much to efficiently put up points, but his scoring services are best served coming off the pine. On the other hand, the Kings are 11-1 when second-year guard Kevin Martin scores 20 points, yet Adelman waited until a few days before Christmas (and an injury to Wells) before starting him. Granted, Mike Bibby hasn't helped, with his inconsistent effort or his hair-trigger shooting hand. But the Kings have a roster that goes 11 deep, which makes it all the more puzzling that two or three players a night receive DNP-CDs. The Kings are 24-29 now, 6-5 since Ron Artest donned number 93. Still, they're just two and a half games out of the last playoff spot in the West. Not bad, but they shouldn't have started this poorly.

Most Overrated Player - Most fans are well aware of Damon Jones' struggles by now. How he's struggled to graze the rim most of the year with his jumpers, how he's become one of the worst big-minute players at defending his position and how his eccentricities and played-out braggadocio leave him ripe for ridicule. We're not ripping Jones because he's a loudmouth. That's too easy, and as someone who can spot insecurity from three states away, we kind of understand. What we do miss, however, is the Damon Jones we used to know. That guy used to know how to ball. He attacked the rim, never turned the ball over (4.6 assists for every cough-up in '03-04) and shot the trey to set up his drive. The Cavs desperately needed three-point shooting heading into this season, but nobody needs it badly enough to put up with this entire package. Seventy-five percent of this guy's shots come from behind the arc, and Jones is making about 36 percent of his looks. That's about all he offers at this point, aside from fewer than two assists in 26.6 minutes per game, a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio and atrocious defense on fellow point guards. Jones has become so-so at defending shooting guards, but he isn't a good enough shooter at this point to warrant big minutes at the two, so that hardly helps. No, Damon might not be as overrated as he was last summer, but his sense of self-worth has gotten well out of hand, and it pains us to see this guy forget what got him in the league in the first place.

Worst Performance by a Team - This wasn't even close. Though the Hawks, Bobcats and Trail Blazers have struggled mightily this season, their issues were expected -- and encouraged by forward-thinking front offices. Those teams have plenty of youngsters to work with and loads of cap space and lottery selections to anticipate. And if you add up the respective player payrolls of Atlanta, Portland and Charlotte, you get a number that approximates what the New York Knicks (including their coach, Larry Brown) will collectively pay its staff and coaches this season. The Knicks have been a dreary, dreadful bunch since November, sniping and griping and looking as if a home matinee against the Minnesota Timberwolves was the most excruciating thing they've ever been forced to endure. No defense, inconsistent offense and drama, drama, drama. Please, end it.

The Benoit Benjamin Award - Jerome James takes home the hardware. The sadist in us is looking forward to a five-year run that lasts the duration of the $30 million contract Isiah Thomas signed James to, one that will last until 2010. With James out of shape, out of sorts and altogether uninterested in earning a fraction of what he's guaranteed, it must be beyond frustrating for Knicks fans to watch this waste of a player offer five points and rebounds, combined (and one foul for every 4.1 minutes he plays), in token minutes ahead of the promising Jackie Butler in the New York pivot.

Least Impressive Second-Year Player - Perhaps '04-05's most impressive rookie, in spite of his limited minutes and injury-plagued season, Shaun Livingston has had a frustrating run in '05-06. Though his Clippers have surprised, running out to a 30-21 record and looking like a lock for the fifth or sixth seed in the West, Livingston has struggled to find his L.A. groove, averaging 5.2 points and 4.4 assists in just over 25 minutes a game. Perhaps unrealistic expectations are clouding our view of the 20-year-old guard, but stats aside, the youngster has shown himself to be hesitant and unsure of himself in the big minutes he's played. He has had trouble meshing his playmaking instincts alongside dominant players like Elton Brand and dominant personalities like Sam Cassell. Livingston thinks too damn much, looking over his shoulder at the bench and acquiescing to his veteran teammates at every turn. Too often we've seen Livingston corral a rebound and start to break for the opposite end, only to stop short as walk-it-up guys like Cuttino Mobley and Cassell demand a slower pace. Please, basketball gods, make this a one-year detour.

Least Impressive Rookie - Based upon projections, lottery status, scoring opportunities and that vaunted "wow" factor that means absolutely nothing, we're going to have to give it to the Hawks' Marvin Williams. He's improved quite a bit over the last five or six weeks -- that three-point stroke came out of nowhere -- but he just hasn't shown much this season. In 22.7 minutes per game, the No. 2 pick in the draft has averaged 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds -- solid stats for a 19-year-old, but he's yet to really distinguish himself on the court. And blaming the Hawks' roster (littered with a bevy of like-minded forwards) only excuses so much. Beyond that, many of the prep-to-pros off guards (Martell Webster, Gerald Green) have made a few pretty plays but otherwise have contributed next to nothing. As usual with players this young, the proof of their pudding is years away.

Worst Move of the Season - Isiah Thomas' signing of Jerome James was laughable the day it happened, mainly because all the pieces were in place for hilarity: an out-of-shape big man with two weeks of strong play to his credit, money to burn, 7-footer envy -- the whole package. But since James "only" makes around $6 million a year, he can still be included as a throw-in to a trade (though we're reaching there). Even if he stays with the Knicks, he'll probably be bought out by the time his deal is half over. Still, the trade that Isiah put together to bring Eddy Curry to New York has done the most damage to the Knicks. Curry's a good guy and a fine scorer, but his work is best appreciated on a tough-nosed defensive team that needs his low-post scoring -- a team heady enough to absorb the impact of his obvious faults (no defense, 13 turnovers for every assist). The Knicks are no such club, and giving Curry franchise-player money for his role-playing talents was absurd. Compounding the pain is that Thomas gave the Bulls two draft picks, giving Chicago New York's unprotected first-round selection and allowing the Bulls to select the better of theirs or New York's first-round pick in '07. As things stand now, the statistical probabilities indicate that Chicago will get the second pick in the '06 draft. While Chicago banished its trade throw-in (the superfluous Tim Thomas) to his New Jersey home, letting his contract expire while preparing to utilize some newfound cap space, Thomas sent Antonio Davis' expiring contract to Toronto for Jalen Rose and his two-year deal (and a lower-rung pick). No, the Knicks wouldn't have been under the cap had Davis stayed in New York, but who's to say Thomas won't turn around and deal Rose for an even bigger deal by next February?

Quoted, Unfortunately - Some of the more memorable utterings from the season's first half:

"No." -- Bulls coach Scott Skiles, when asked if Chris Paul (coming off a 25-point, 13-assist, three-steal effort) was "doing the same things you used to do"

"It was so amazing -- wow -- because all the best players on every team were calling me. I got a call from Garnett. I was like, Garnett wants to play with me! Wow. Then I'm going to Minnesota. I got a call from Kobe. Oh, my goodness, Kobe wants me to play with him! And then I'm going to the Lakers. Then I get a call from Elton. Then I'm going to the Clippers. Then 'Melo. I didn't think I was that good." -- Ron Artest, happy like a child at Christmas

"He's a turnover waiting to happen." -- Larry Brown, caught by TV mikes in the midst of a game, on Lakers guard Smush Parker

"He's a really talented kid who can defend. He's athletic, and Phil [Jackson] likes big guards. He'll flourish in that system." -- Larry Brown, postgame, on Parker, to the assembled throng of media

"I'm smart enough not to ever get into that situation. My moon is aligned very closely with [Tim Duncan's]. I'm waiting for his retirement announcement, because mine will be 30 seconds after it. I have no need to prove this, that or the other by going to this, that or the other city, [so critics can say] 'Oh, he did it again, so he's for real.' 'For real' can kiss my ass." -- Gregg Popovich. I'm glad somebody finally called "for real" out. For real, yo.

"I don't know how to be scared by anybody. I don't know how to run from nobody. I'm from the old school, old school New York guys. Just keep hammerin' the nails in, baby." -- Mark Blount, crazy man

"I got calls from Vegas, St. Louis, Kansas City, Anaheim, San Diego, Tampa, just all over. But David Stern and I were talking, and David suggested Oklahoma City. And I said, 'Oklahoma where?'" -- Hornets owner and obvious geography major George Shinn. Way to endear yourself to those OKC faithful.

"I told him his shorts were too short. He had those Huggies on." -- Hornets forward J.R. Smith, trash-talking Bulls guard Ben Gordon. Yeah, screw him for actually wearing shorts that fit.

"I like our fans, but honestly, half of them don't know basketball." -- Jerome James. Wow.

"Yeah, they're booing me now, but they'll cheer me later. The same thing happened in Seattle. They booed me there, too. Now they're praying to have me back." -- Jerome James. Wow.

"If Jeff Van Gundy supplies [Stromile] Swift with minutes, he'll put up big numbers without needing the ball much and wrap up the Most Improved Player award by the All-Star break." -- Kelly Dwyer

"He really is like trying to push on an oak tree. The problem is, the oak tree's moving. And the oak tree's pretty good." -- Shane Battier, on guarding Ron Artest

"I woke up this morning and it just kind of fell out." -- Tim Duncan, on his then-newish short hairdo. Sounds like something George Costanza would say to a tenant board while trying to get a new apartment.

"I'm telling you, Darko is a Serbian gangster. Darko's got some bodies back there [in Serbia-Montenegro]. He can go psycho on guys." -- Rasheed Wallace, on Darko Milicic. You hear that, Pat Garrity?

"Great! Why don't we bring all of them in? Who else is in Miami? [Rony] Seikaly? [John] Crotty?" -- Pat Riley, after hearing Tim Hardaway outright beg for a contract with the Heat. Anything for a John Crotty reference.

"Who will be the biggest surprise of the season? The Detroit Pistons. The '04 champs will surprise initially by boasting a .500 record after the season's first two months, and they'll surprise again when spring comes along by zoning their way to a third-straight Finals appearance. When all is said and done, most players would rather wear a coat and tie to work than try to have to score on that frontline." -- Kelly Dwyer. By ".500 record" I of course meant they'd win 89 percent of their first 45 games.

"My reputation has been destroyed by Jerry Colangelo and Peter Vecsey from the New York Post, as simple as that. Ever since they went out and talked about me, my life sucks and my career and I blame them." -- Danny Fortson. I'd bust out a pigtail joke, but he'd either push me or sue me.

2) Chad Ford of ESPN.com reports on what’s next:

Looking ahead to what's next in the NBA

We expected an unprecedented flurry of player movement at the trade deadline Thursday and were left instead with Steve Francis, Earl Watson and the splinter patrol changing places. What did (and maybe more importantly, what didn't) go down in the past few weeks will have ramifications not only on the playoff race but also on what could be an equally snoozy offseason. With a fairly weak draft (at least in terms of star power) and an even weaker free-agent crop (you know you're in trouble when Al Harrington and Vladimir Radmanovic are considered among the prizes), the good are likely to stay good, and the bad … That's what makes it all the more surprising that many of the NBA's worst teams weren't active at the deadline. They may come to regret it later. Now that the trade deadline hangover has subsided, Insider breaks down what it all means and how it should affect a number of teams' plans for this summer.

THE FALL GUYS - Before we get into exactly what teams are planning to do this summer, it's probably appropriate to start at the top, where a number of changes in the front office and coaching staff could go down when the season is over. Two high-profile GMs look like they're poised to move this summer, if not earlier. Suns GM Bryan Colangelo has already had serious negotiations with the Raptors about their head position. The Raptors are going all out for Colangelo, offering him a deal that is reportedly worth three times what he makes in Phoenix. That makes sense for the Raptors. They have no organizational credibility. As much as they need talent, they have to change their culture at the top first. Wayne Embry's done a nice job restoring order in Toronto, but he's in it for the short term. It's time to let a heavy hitter like Colangelo take them the rest of the way. The Suns won't stop him if he wants to go. While Suns owner Robert Sarver is trying to work an extension for Colangelo, it's been rumored for more than a year that he'd really like Steve Kerr to take the reins in Phoenix. Kerr is ideally suited for the job, has a close relationship with Sarver and would make an ideal replacement for Colangelo. Nuggets president Kiki Vandeweghe's contract is up in Denver. Owner Stan Kroenke refused to give Vandeweghe an extension or pay raise last summer, meaning he's as good as gone. The Blazers will probably make a big run at him, and don't count out the Lakers -- Vandeweghe has a great relationship with Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant. Don't expect the Nuggets job to open up this summer, however. The word on the street is that director of player personnel Mark Warkentien -- a close associate with George Karl and Kroenke's main confidant, Bret Bearup -- will take over and do the bidding of Karl and company. Timberwolves VP Kevin McHale could be out of a job if the Wolves continue to falter. Then again, we've been saying that for years. McHale's inability to get a better trade done before the deadline (the acquisition of Ricky Davis, Marcus Banks and Mark Blount has yet to pay dividends) and Kevin Garnett's growing surliness could do in McHale. Everyone in the league wonders how Hawks GM Billy Knight still has a job. His missteps in Atlanta have been legendary. This year has been especially tough. First he passed on Chris Paul in the draft. Marvin Williams will be great someday, but he'll never be a point guard or a center, the two things the Hawks still desperately need. Then, he overpaid Joe Johnson. Johnson has played great, but when you consider what Knight gave up -- the contract, the draft picks and Boris Diaw -- to bring Johnson to Atlanta, it was too much. Knight's failure to move Harrington before the deadline is his latest stumble. The Hawks will have to either overpay to keep Harrington this summer or watch him walk away for nothing. Neither is appealing if you are a Hawks fan. If Knight selects another small forward in this year's draft, his fate is sealed … right? Maybe. Remember, the remaining owners of the Hawks went to court to back this guy. Firing him a year later may be a little more than their egos can handle. Two spots everyone thought would open up, with the Magic and Hornets, probably won't now. Both Otis Smith of Orlando and Jeff Bowers of New Orleans/Oklahoma City have done great jobs this season managing the payrolls and team assets. Suddenly, two of the NBA laughingstocks look like they are heading in the right direction. Of course, there's still one NBA team that seems to dig a deeper and deeper hole every year. Knicks fans are so worked up about Isiah Thomas that they're now sending e-mails pleading with David Stern to invoke the Ted Stepien rule on the Knicks. Remember, Stepien was such a terrible owner (he traded away just about every asset the team had, especially draft picks) that the league stepped in and offered the Cavs some compensatory draft picks to keep them alive. That's not happening this time, Knicks fans. But if Isiah's latest gamble on Francis blows up in his face the way everything else he's touched has, how can owner James Dolan stick with him? There are too many talented young executives in the league right now to let Isiah keep playing demolition derby with one of the league's most elite franchises. Possible new GMs? Put Indiana Pacers VP David Morway at the top of the list this year. He almost got the job in Cleveland last summer before Larry Brown entered the picture. Nurtured at Donnie "The Don" Walsh's side the past six years, he's got a lot going for him: youth, a great leadership style, cap knowledge and a keen eye for talent. "He has the background; he's paid the dues," Walsh told Insider last year just before the Cavs interviewed for their head job. "I think he's ready. When you're talking about a GM, you're talking about an executive. The job is more multidimensional than just scouting. That person has to know the finances, the cap, has to have experience assembling a team, has to know how to lead. It isn't just, can that guy play basketball? I think David fits the bill." As for coaches in jeopardy, there will be plenty: Rick Adelman's contract with the Kings is up this summer. Doc Rivers has never seemed like a great fit in Boston, though Danny Ainge has been pretty loyal to him. Mike Woodson's position in Atlanta has been tenuous all year. There's been talk that Bernie Bickerstaff may step down as coach this summer to focus on his front office duties with Charlotte. The Warriors' Mike Montgomery could be in deep water if Golden State's playoff drought continues. If Brian Hill doesn't get with the rebuilding program in Orlando soon, he could be looking for work. The Sonics might want to replace Bob Hill, depending on what he does the last third of the season. And it's tough to see what Sam Mitchell is bringing to the table in Toronto. If a new GM takes over there, Mitchell could be kicked to the curb. Who's out there to replace them? Jim O'Brien has had the whole season off to recharge. Many GMs are very high on Grizzlies assistant Eric Musselman. He's been the only guy in the last decade to give the Warriors a fighting chance to make the playoffs and he did it with less talent than they have right now. And don't be surprised if Stan Van Gundy gets some love somewhere. His version of the Heat was arguably better than the one that Pat Riley produced.

THE DRAFT - A number of teams have two first-round picks this summer. The Bulls have the best two (their own and the Knicks'). Other teams with multiple first-round picks: The Blazers (their own and the Pistons'), the Knicks (the Nuggets' and the Spurs'), the Hornets (their own and the Bucks'), the Nets (their own and the Clippers') and the Suns (their own and possibly the Lakers'). It looks as though five teams -- the Bobcats, Bulls (via the Knicks), Hawks, Blazers, and Magic -- will battle it out for the best chance at the top pick in the draft. This year's draft lacks star power at the top. Texas' LaMarcus Aldridge, UConn's Rudy Gay and Gonzaga's Adam Morrison are the only three prospects that scouts agree are indisputably worthy of a top-five pick in the draft. So who's No. 1? It really may depend on the team. The early indications I've received are that the Bulls and Hawks would lean toward Aldridge based on need. The Blazers and Magic are high on Morrison. The Bobcats, I'm told, like Gay. With high school players now banned from the draft and a thin crop of international players (only Andrea Bargnani, Tiago Splitter and Rudy Fernandez are considered locks for the first round), college players will be in the spotlight this year. The good news for NBA teams drafting later in the first round is that while there isn't much star power at the top, scouts feel the draft has excellent depth. "This is going to be one of those drafts where the difference between the eighth player in the draft and 31st player in the draft isn't going to be very wide at all," one veteran NBA scout told Insider. "There will be some dramatic mistakes at the top and some great steals at the bottom." The most interesting subplot of the draft may center on Duke's J.J. Redick. Typically, undersized shooting guards without great athleticism don't find homes in the first round. But Redick may be different. He's been so outstanding this season that scouts are now beginning to waffle just a bit on their low projections of Redick. While most GMs and scouts Insider has spoken with have him in the mid teens or early 20s on their draft boards, one NBA GM told me he thought Redick would be a top-10 pick, maybe even a top-5 pick, on draft night. The thinking goes that teams need what Redick delivers -- great shooting, toughness and a winning attitude. Whether he has the physical tools to become a star in the NBA may not be as important in this case.

THE SUMMER - Who will be the players in free agency? Assuming there's a $51 million cap (it came in at $49.5 million last season but league sources are expecting a slight uptick), the Bobcats, who will have the most salary cap room in the league, will have roughly $21 million to spend (assuming they don't pick up player options, and counting draft and minimum player cap holds). The Hawks and Raptors will have roughly $15 million in cap room. The Bulls and Hornets will have about $13 million. The Clippers will be approximately $9 million under and the Jazz will be almost $7 million under the cap. What does this mean? Not as much as it first appears given this year's free-agent class, because the free-agent market is pretty thin this summer. This is why it was so surprising that many teams (especially the Bulls) valued cap space this summer over making a trade before the deadline that made them better now. Sure, teams can always use free agents to broker sign-and-trades and use cap space to facilitate cap room deals … but that doesn't happen very often. Ben Wallace is the elite free agent on the market, but just about everyone believes he'll re-sign in Detroit at around $10 million per year for four or five years. The way Peja Stojakovic is playing lately, he could garner major interest. The Bulls might make a run. They're the one team that's appeared to be really enamored with him. The Pacers are saying all the right things about keeping him, but it may cost them more than they're willing to spend. Other hot names among the top unrestricted free agents include Harrington (who couldn't have picked a better year to put up career numbers and hit the free-agent market), Jason Terry, Radmanovic and Joel Przybilla. That's about it for unrestricted free agents expected to command more than the midlevel exception. A handful of restricted free agents, including Nene (if his knee heals properly) and Drew Gooden, may also command offer sheets for more than the midlevel if they can convince interested teams that the home team won't match. A few other restricted free agents, including Chris Wilcox, Trevor Ariza and Melvin Ely, may also garner interest. Looking for some midlevel free-agent bargains? Here's where the pickings look much stronger. Here's an early list of who might sign with your team, even if it's over the cap: Banks, Nazr Mohammed, Speedy Claxton, Sam Cassell, Mike James, Keith Van Horn, Tim Thomas, Matt Harpring, Tony Battie, Reggie Evans, Bobby Jackson, Bonzi Wells, Fred Jones, Jiri Welsch, John Salmons, Jarron Collins and Michael Olowokandi. Of course, the free-agent market isn't the only way to add players to your team. You can bet that many of the prominent names you heard before the trade deadline will be mentioned again once the summer comes around. If Minnesota can't get its act together, do the Wolves finally get serious about trading Garnett? Ainge continues to insist that he has no intention of trading Paul Pierce. But if the right opportunity comes up this summer, will the Celtics pull the trigger? Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Kenyon Martin, Lamar Odom, Zach Randolph, Jamaal Magloire and Carlos Boozer are expected to be the other hot names once the season ends. And, of course, the Knicks will be in the mix, trying to deal their new expiring contracts (Jalen Rose and Maurice Taylor) and possibly trying to thin out their loaded backcourt of Francis, Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson and Nate Robinson.

Reason number #4538 I love the NFL Draft combine? The freaks come out…case in point, 6’5” defensive tackle Haloti Ngata of Oregon, pictured above is expected to weigh in at 340 pounds with only 10 percent body fat, run a 4.7 40 and bench press 225 lbs. 50 times…read that again…ridiculous…

And let's not even get started with their decision to pass on Gilbert Arenas for Andre Miller in the summer of 2004.

Three team Trade…Denver sends PG Earl Watson, SF Bryon Russell and a future second-round pick to Seattle, for Sonics PF Reggie Evans, Blazers SF Ruben Patterson and Blazers SG Charles Smith while the Blazers get Nuggets SG Voshon Lenard and Sonics C Vitaly Potapenko.

Two team trade… The New Jersey Nets send C Marc Jackson and SF Linton Johnson to the New Orleans Hornets for SF Bostjan Nachbar…

The apple does not fall far from the tree…Abi Olajuwon, the daughter of former Houston Rockets star Hakeem Olajuown, will play for the West team in the girls MacDonal’s All-American High School game…She attends Marlborough High in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

So…Orlando sends Stevie Francis to New York for SG Penny Hardaway’s expiring contract and SF Trevor Ariza…Here’s what I think:

For the Knicks…I think Isaih Thomas is trying to screw Larry Brown…seriously, I think Isaih has realized that the Knicks are terrible, their salary woes are not correctable, basically by the hand of Thomas and he’s decided to fill the Knicks with talent, albeit mismatched talent, so that when Larry Brown fails Thomas cans say: “Well, I sent millions getting him talented players, it’s his job to coach them…”. The Knicks might not have a single “Larry Brown” type player on the roster other than Channing Frye and David Lee, both rookies…Francis has had problems with every coach he's had, except Rudy Tomjanovich. Of course, that's because Rudy T. let Francis do what he wanted in Houston…And the salary cap woes are truly atrocious…In the last month, Thomas has given up around $29 million in expiring contracts (Antonio Davis and Penny Hardaway) to take on $17 million from Jalen Rose, which is actually $34 million because of the luxury tax, and then Francis is owed $49 million over the next three seasons which works out to $147 million given that the Knicks will probably remain over the cap for the foreseeable future. It’s possible that the Frnacis deal is part of a plan to stockpile as many marketable assets as possible to make a play for Kevin Garnett this summer, but it’s hard to imagine that the T-Wolves would want anything to do with the Knicks…either way, for the here and now, Larry Brown is on the hot seat…Larry Brown is hard on guards. Stephon Marbury, Stevie Francis, Jamal Crawford, Jalen Rose, and Nate Robinson all need the ball a lot to be successful…these aren't really Larry Brown type of players…it will be interesting…

For the Magic…well, this is officially Dwight Howard's team. Jameer Nelson, Carlos Arroyo, Darko Milicic, and they still have the rights to Fran Vazquez…The Magic got a young player who can play defense in Trevor Ariza. And they also got the expiring contract of Penny Hardaway. the Magic would be $15 million to $20 million under the salary cap (depending on that year's cap number) when Grant Hill's contract expires after next season...good timing when you consider that Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, Gerald Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Mike Bibby, Rashard Lewis, Antawn Jamison and Jamaal Magloire. Are all free agents post 2007…also the same summer that the Magic will likely extend the deals of Dwight Howard and Nelson…

1) Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com’s Page 2 with a great article about the Little General:

It started with a hug. A warm one. An affectionate one. Nothing "Brokeback." Just friendship. A friendship that is more than 20 years old. There was a smile on his face. Different from the one that is there all the time. This one was wider, deeper. It wasn't the happy-to-be-alive smile that usually dominates his face. No sir, this smile was about a life accomplishment. One that he didn't even see coming. It started on Friday. The day he faced the media for the first time as the coach of the Western Conference All-Stars. An assignment given only to coaches whose teams have the best record in the NBA 51 games into the season. An accomplishment. He sat there inside the Hilton Hotel ballroom. Smiling. Answering every question thrown at him. Then he saw me. The media person who has known him the longest, the one who understands this more than anyone else because I was there when people called him "Duggy." Who knew? Who knew? That he'd be here this soon, this quickly. Before he turned 43. Who knew this would happen when he began this journey as a replacement coach only 11 months ago. Not me. Not when he took over the helm of one of the most misunderstood and underachieving teams not owned by the Maloofs. Not when he was proving Damon Stoudamire wrong after Stoudamire said San Antonio will "never win a championship with Avery Johnson as their point guard." Not when he and I were together in New Orleans; I at Xavier University, he at Southern University. Not when he would come down to the Barn for pickup games on our campus and display the gift that had him leading the nation in assists. Not when I replaced him for two games on a New Orleans semipro team, Team Gumbo, in 1985. None of us knew he would be here, on this stage, so soon in his life. On center stage. Watching Beyoncé sing her last song with her girls, watching 10 of the best ballers in the world compete for best intro during the introductions. His ecstasy took over his nervousness. This weekend he was like a kid in a GameStop, or a candy store. For four days … a smile. On Saturday he turned practice into his own personal mini-concert. Getting the crowd hyped, getting them to choose sides, getting them to know him. After no one seemed to want to make a basket during shooting drills: "If you all don't hurry up and and make a shot the coaches are going to get in and shoot for you all." After Tracy McGrady missed a few easy shots: "Tracy, you never miss when the Mavs come to visit the Rockets -- why are you missing now? What are you averaging against us? Like 45?" After he saw Kobe laughing: "We already know what Kobe's averaging against us. What is it Kobe, 55?" After verbally separating his first team and second team: "I'm saying first team, second team but we all know all of you all are first team to me." It was a public introduction to him, for a world who really didn't know him. Oh, they all knew who he was, the funny-talking "country" point guard from San An who they called the General to David Robinson's Admiral. But this was different. This was a new and improved Avery Johnson who never needed newness or improvement. This was a man who, in the first 62 games of his coaching career, might have found his calling. Discovered why God put him on this earth. But before this weekend no one had the chance to see him like this. In his first All-Star Weekend. Ever. On Sunday, God's love. Being honored at a gospel brunch. A recognition that had nothing to do with his being a professional basketball coach. His faith was served before the game. He came to the game in his Mavericks blue. Dark blue suit, soft blue shirt. Tie, cuff links, cursive signature over the wrists, blue square toes. Like he belonged. He got serious at the 6:19 mark of the third when he saw his 21-point lead evaporate to seven. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and walked out on the court while his team retreated to the bench. He brushed his hand down his tie. The smile was gone. Even inside the time of his life, Avery Johnson can't stand to lose. The fastest coach to 50 victories in NBA history could not have his first All-Star appearance as coach have an "L" attached to it. He had a plan to put five 7-footers in the game as soon as Flip Saunders put in all four of his Detroit players. Flip did it, Avery didn't. All gimmicks aside, he had a game to win. One that he eventually didn't. But the second the game was over, the smile returned. He walked behind the scenes, being led to the postgame podium, soaking in the moment. When he saw Tim Duncan, he said: "I put Tim Duncan out there to guard LeBron and he wound up getting the MVP." When he saw LeBron, he gave him a hug, congratulated him, then said: "You spoiled my first All-Star Game." But when it was all over, when no one else was around, I still don't think he had absorbed his last four days.
"Scoop," he said, "it's just unbelievable that I can call Kobe, T-Mac, Tim Duncan, Dirk, a lot of these guys I competed against, some -- Steve Nash, Dirk, Tim -- I've been teammates with. So for this weekend to go so well, in terms of me being a head coach for such a short period of time and coaching the All-Star Game in Houston … man it's just been …" "Unreal," I say. "Phenomenal," he corrected me. "Who knew, back in the day," I reminisced, "we'd be standing here? With you coaching an NBA All-Star team?" "Well, you know I didn't come into the season trying to be the All-Star coach," he says, accent intact, humor still serious. "I want to be coach of the month in June." And it ended like it started … with a hug. Me telling him how happy and proud I am of him, him continually saying thanks. Both knowing how far he's come. Then he walked off, smile on his face. Knowing, as he said just five minutes earlier, that the magic slipper would come off in less than an hour.

2) Jack MacCallum of Si.com thinks some teams need to look forward:

Which way to next year? - Like it or not, some teams forced to look to future

Now that the All-Star Game is (mercifully) over, and Steve Francis has found a home in New York City (where the Knicks, by the way, seem absolutely committed to implosion) it's time to look ahead. Way ahead. I mean, beyond-the-playoffs ahead. Yes, it's time to officially count out those also-rans that, although they won't say it, have nothing left except thoughts of next season. No one is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, but these teams are almost guaranteed not to be around in May. What did they do wrong, and what are they thinking about for next season? I can give you a five-pack from each conference, ending with the least competent. ...

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Chicago Bulls - It's hard to figure out exactly why the Bulls, some 20 games behind the Detroit Pistons in the Central Division, are this bad. It wasn't a stretch in the preseason to have them as high as fifth in the East. Scott Skiles is a good coach, but it's obvious that at times he's not in love with his guys and his guys feel likewise about him. Perhaps it's the curse of Tim Thomas: After the Bulls went out and got him from the Knicks (hard to believe the Knicks didn't keep this guy), he alienated Skiles and management and, like a petulant schoolboy, was sent home without his supper. (Although he does have his near $14 million salary.) And after trading Eddy Curry to New York, the Bulls are too small and too offensively challenged in the interior. Skiles has used more rotations than ER and none of them has been particularly successful. They need an inside scorer to balance the play of guards Ben Gordon and Kurt Hinrich.

Charlotte Bobcats - Because the Bobcats bear the name Charlotte, you tend to forget they're an expansion team. They do a lot of good things, not the least of which is display balance on offense -- six players averaging between 14 and 10 points. But your greatest strength is often your greatest weakness, and that's the case here. They don't have that one player who's a gold-plated go-to guy. So down the road they will dangle their most dependable player, veteran point guard Brevin Knight, as trade bait. Or, considering that their $33.3 million payroll is the lowest in the NBA -- the Knicks can put out a couple of backcourt combos that make that much in one season -- they will make a bold offseason move on a big-name free agent. Or both.

Atlanta Hawks - On which part of the Hawks' season do you concentrate? The victories over teams such as San Antonio and Detroit? Or the three -- three -- losses to the Toronto Raptors? One school of thought suggests that the Hawks are on a winning course. They have a big-time player in Joe Johnson, a versatile veteran in Al Harrington and lots of young pieces in players such as Salim Stoudamire, Josh Childress, Josh Smith and Marvin Williams. But this is a team with zero chemistry. Neither Johnson nor Harrington is a real leader, and a couple of the youngsters are head cases. Johnson is the building block, but look for Harrington (who has been the subject of more trade rumors than a blue-chip stock) and Smith to be dangled in the offseason.

New York Knicks - Despite their 15-38 record (as of Thursday), the Knicks aren't the most incompetent team in the East. They have too much potential talent for that tag. But Larry Brown, if he's up to the task, has to find a rotation that is somehow satisfactory to Francis, Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Jalen Rose and me-first rookie Nate Robinson. And while he's at it, Brown has got to get some shots for rookie Channing Frye and Curry. And that's not even to bring up the subject of 3-point gunner Quentin Richardson, who hasn't looked comfortable since he arrived in Gotham from Phoenix. If he straightens this out, Brown will have earned his $10 million.

Toronto Raptors - After the firing of general manager Rob Babcock, their front-office situation is unsettled, though they are in hot pursuit of Phoenix Suns GM Brian Colangelo. And I'm not sure how long Sam Mitchell is for the sideline world. A couple of Babcock's picks have panned out, especially Charlie Villanueva, but the team lacks depth. They have to get good quick enough so that franchise building block Chris Bosh doesn't utter those five most dreaded words: I want to be traded.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Houston Rockets - You could argue that a healthy Tracy McGrady and a healthy Yao Ming will put these guys back on course next season. But on course to where? Yao still has to improve and McGrady has as little fire in the belly as any superstar I've ever seen. It would be stretching a point to say that the injury to Bobby Sura doomed them to oblivion this season, but they have to go out and find someone to provide a spark.

Golden State Warriors - Yes, it's too early to declare the Warriors out of it. But they're holding onto fourth in the Pacific Division, and I see the Sacramento Kings passing them before it's all over. Both Baron Davis and Jason Richardson have to improve their shot selection, and Derek Fisher, a steadfast warrior and Warrior, is logging too many minutes. Troy Murphy says that he has heard so many trade rumors about him that he didn't bother to extend his gym membership. It didn't happen this season, but either he or Mike Dunleavy will be dangled in the offseason.

Minnesota Timberwolves - The T'wolves may finish with a better record than the Kings or, for that matter, Northwest Division rival Utah. But those teams know where they're going in the future. (Well, if you consider "following Ron Artest" and "getting back a healthy Carlos Boozer" to be knowing where you're going.) But Minnesota has bigger problems. GM Kevin McHale says there is "no way" he is trading Kevin Garnett, and I don't blame him for that. But Garnett has little rebounding or scoring help inside. (The T'wolves were better two years ago when they started non-shooter Ervin Johnson in the middle.) The point guard situation remains unsettled, and Ricky Davis, the new go-to guy after Garnett, hardly provides much glue. K.G., a seven-footer with multiple skills, is, to some extent, irreplaceable. But beyond one trip to the Western finals in '04, the T'wolves have gone nowhere with him. Perhaps it's time to try it without him.

Seattle SuperSonics - Having tried addition by subtraction--allowing Jerome James to escape to New York (good move), jettisoning coach Bob Weiss and trading complaining shooter Vladimir Radmonovic to the Clippers -- the Sonics just put together a deadline trade even as I wrote this. They got Earl Watson from Denver to spell Luke Ridnour at point guard and also got rid of rebounder Reggie Evans (to Denver) and discontented center Vitaly Potapenko (to Portland in the three-team deal.) Watson is certainly a better defender than Ridnour, but I only hear positive things about Ridnour around the league. So, considering the rebounding they gave up in Evans and to a lesser extent, in Potapenko, I'm not sure they gained ground. The Sonics may still have to talk about dealing Rashard Lewis and bringing in a veteran player to cover Ray Allen's back.

Portland Trail Blazers - They made an admirable commitment to improving their team and their citizenship, a move that began on that fateful Feb. 19, '04, day they traded Rasheed Wallace to the Pistons. But while 'Sheed has turned into a loveable rogue with a championship ring, the Blazers are still beset by chemistry problems and, well, a horrible record (18-35 after a home loss to the Bobcats on Wednesday night). Nate McMillan may be the right guy to lead them out of the darkness, but it's going to be a continuous head-butting contest with players like Zach Randolph, Darius Miles and even angelic point guard Sebastian Telfair. Management successfully unloaded serial malcontent Ruben Patterson (to Denver in the aforementioned three-team deal) and was apparently trying to unload Miles, too. The Blazers got some cap relief with the deals, and they better use it: They have a long way to go to get back even to the middle of the pack.

3) Mike Kahn of Foxsports.com

Deal for Francis completely misses the point

Leave it to the New York Knicks to have a great sense of humor. Steve Francis, Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas discuss how the former Orlando guard will fit in with New York. Francis is averaging 16.2 points this season, the lowest of his career. You take one of the great point guards in the history of the game, Isiah Thomas, and make him president of your team. Then you hire Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, unquestionably the best point guard coach ever. You frustrate both of them with a backcourt of Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson, Quentin Richardson and Jalen Rose — none of whom are pass-first point guards — and then you trade Penny Hardaway and Trevor Ariza to Orlando for Steve Francis Wednesday. That leaves you with six guards, all of whom look to shoot the ball the moment they step onto the floor; the highest-paid starting backcourt in the NBA (both Marbury and Francis have maximum contracts), and only one basketball between them. They can't be serious. Can they? The three best point guards in the organization are Thomas, Brown and assistant coach Phil Ford. Granted, Marbury had been making great strides in Brown's system until he ran into a Wally Szczerbiak screen and injured his shoulder. Since then, he's been a spectator. But that can't be the reason why they traded for Francis. Entering Wednesday's game with the Miami Heat, the Knicks had lost 16 of their last 18 games. Brown has spun more rotations out of their roster than any Firestone lawsuit, and putting Francis in the backcourt is like having Julia Child as your chef and hiring Paul Prudhomme as your sous chef. Then again, too many chefs can't spoil a 15-37 team anyway. Still, how is this going to work? That's not to minimize the fact that Francis has been a three-time All-Star, but he's prone to such mood swings and slumps, it's hard to fathom how he'll fit with Marbury. Even though the 65-year-old Brown has been a rigid point guard maven through generations of coaching, he seems convinced this will work, and said so in a statement posted on the Knicks' web site Wednesday afternoon. It seems obvious Marbury will be the point guard, and Francis the shooting guard by definition. This will happen, however, in a two-guard front with both players handling the ball considerably. The question remains the same as it's always been with Francis — will there be any air left in the ball by the time he is finished dribbling? "Acquiring a player of Steve's level and talent is very exciting for this team," Brown said. "In him, we have added a veteran that could help us in many areas, and assist with our young players' development." He will? That will be the ultimate accomplishment of Brown's career if he can transform Francis into a mentor. If he teaches Crawford to move the ball and cut, instead of looking for a shot, then Brown will have accomplished the work of genius. No one doubts the natural talent that Francis has any more than questioning that which Marbury has clearly shown throughout his career. But both players have become All-Stars in vain because they never subjugated themselves for the good of the team and learned how to make others better. To put them together in the same backcourt with $30 million worth of salaries, only exceeded by their need for even more exorbitant scoring averages, is unequivocal lunacy. Only Isiah Thomas, with the apparently bottomless wallet of support provided by owner Jim Dolan and Cablevision would be so daring. The perception that they didn't cut into their core of significant players is palpable, and after next season, both Jalen Rose and Maurice Taylor will be finished with their inflated contracts. But more than the money is the question of balance. There will be none with those two guys in the backcourt together and you don't need the Moody Blues to explain it to you. For all of Brown's ranting about playing the right way his whole career, it's ironic he ends up with Marbury and Francis as his primary ballhandlers just three years after he was frustrated with Allen Iverson and moved him to shooting guard. Like anything else in this wacky league, it's worth taking a look before we arrive at any conclusions. But it won't be easy. It's still obvious the guy best suited to run the offense on this team is wearing a suit. It just remains a tough call whether it's Thomas or Ford. Meanwhile, we'll just sit back and appreciate the sense of humor retained by the Knicks organization. Nobody who takes themselves seriously could ever allow this to happen. And while we're at it, uh, Mr. Dolan, I've got this bridge for sale that takes you right into Brooklyn, and if you blow it up, the Nets may not be able to move there after all. Pull off that deal, and yes, the Knicks will still be the best team on this side of the Hudson.