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.