Quick pic of "Big Girl" 2 months away from baby day...with Buck the dog taking an apparent interest...

Here’s a link to Lang Whittaker’s fantastic Blog on SI.com where he annually details the funniest and weirdest stories of the year:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/lang_whitaker/04/17/nba.oddities/index.html

Seattle's Ray Allen broke the NBA record for 3-pointers in a season, finishing with 269, in a 109-98 over the Nuggets on Wednesday night…dude certainly has the prettiest jumper and the fastest release in the league…

Utah centre Greg Ostertag ended his 11-year NBA career Wednesday night…he was given a 5 minute standing ovation by the Utah crowd…I’ll always remember him at Kansas in the tournament getting dunked on by Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson of Purdue… the 6’7” Big Dog posted up the 7’2” Oostertag and basically turnaround dunked right on Ostertag’s head, immediately followed by Robinson talking trash to him…to which Ostertag relied: “OK, you got me, you’re bad….you’re a bad man I get it…” So Funny…

Oh my god…they cannot be stopped…http://jackiechristie.com/

Darius Miles' days in Portland figure to be nearing an end as he continues to be a disruptive force. The latest incident occurred last week in Los Angeles when Miles inexplicably changed into street clothes at halftime of Portland's loss to the Clippers. Coach Nate McMillan told Miles that he didn't plan on playing him because he had been having problems with his surgically repaired right knee, but wanted him in uniform and be ready just in case. But after he didn't play in the first half, Miles changed out of his uniform at halftime, saying that the only reason he suited up was because he thought he was going to play.

Apparently Knicks PG Nate Robinson was playing pickup at the West 4th St courts in Brooklyn Wednesday night, the night before the Knicks season finale…

Perennial International prospect, 7 foot centre Tiago Splitter will officially enter his name into the draft today…I’ll believe it when I see it…

MVP Picks, which for me is the guy who is the most valuable to the team, and runner’s up:

MVP - Steve Nash Phoenix Suns 18.9 ppg, 10.4 apg, 4.1 rpg, 0.76 spg, 51.0 FG% / W-L: 53-28 – last year’s MVP joins Larry Bird, Mark Price, Reggie Miller and Steve Kerr as the only players in NBA history to shoot at least 50% from the field (51.3), 40% from three-point range (43.3) and 90% from the free throw line (92.4).Phoenix lost Amare Stoudamire and Joe Johnson… Nash’s numbers are all up across the board this year…he led the league in assists, despite the fact that for the 1st 20 games of the year all of the new players on the Suns were dropping passes all over the place… he shoots 51% from the floor, which at 6’2” and with limited vertical (he apparently cannot dunk) is ridiculous…plus 4.1 RPG? Well, Joe Johnson, who is 6’7” and playing 5 more minutes per game is only getting 4.1 RPG…Stephen Jackson, at 6’7” is only getting 3.9, Tayshaun Prince at 6’9” is only getting 4.1, with both of these players playing the same number of minutes…and the list of players Nash has made better? Check it out: Boris Diaw goes from (2004-05) 4.8 PPG, 42.2 FG%, 2.6 RPB, 2.3 APG, 0.3 BPG to (2005-06) 13.3 PPG, 52.6 FG%, 6.9 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.0 BPG…basically he goes from 12th man to the new Derrick McKey…Leandro Barboaa goes from (2004-05) 7.0 PPG, 47.5 FG%, 36.7 3FG%, 2.1 RPG, 2.0 APG to (2005-06) 13.1 PPG, on 48.1% FG%, 44.4 3FG%, 2.6 RPG, 3.0 APG…James Jones, Eddie House, Tim Thomas, Raja Bell, all have seen their numbers improve across the board…his unselfishness actually seems to permeate to his teammates, making everyone a passer at any moment, combined with the fact he makes the team run constantly…take him off this team and they become selfish, shooters with no facilitator for the offence, they stop running and basically they suck…maybe a 20 win team…

1st runner up - LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers 31.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 6.6 apg, 1.56 spg, 48.0 FG% / W-L: 49-32 – only the 4th player in NBA history to average 31 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, the other three being Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West…he is also the only player in the NBA with at least 100 three-pointers and 100 dunks…has he made anyone better? Well, Larry Hughes is not better, his PPG is down from 22 to 15.5, his shooting percentage is down from 43.0% to 41.9% from the field, his rebounding is down from 6.2 to 4.5 per game, and his assists are down from 4.7 to 3.6, Gooden, Ilgauskas, Jones, Mrshall all have lower numbers this year…and LeBron’s team might be more talented than Nash’s Suns...seriously, Ilgaukas at centre vs. Kurt Thomas and Hughes at SG vs. Raja Bell are in Cleveland’s favour…Shawn Marion and LeBron is a wash…Nash is a better PG than Damon Jones (and a better shooter) and at the PF spot Drew Gooden is not quite the player Diaw is but close…certainly to start the season, you’d have to say that Cleveland should have been the equal of the Suns with Amare…If LeBron is off this team they win suck too, but not as much as Phoenix without Nash…

2md Runner up - Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers 35.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.5 apg, 44.9 FG% 84.9 FT% / W-L: 44-37…1st player to average 35+since MJ in 1987, the 81 points on the Raptors, the run of 40+ games…but…does he make anyone better? Smush Parker? Yes, much better…Lamar Odom? No…Chris Mihm? Yes…Kwame Brown? No…2nd question is. Does Bryant taker a lot of shots? Yessir…piles of them…in fact, Kobe has taken 2691 (2’s and 3’s together) shots this year, which is 34 shots per game...MJ in 1986-87 took 2345 to average 37 for comparison…so my point? Well, I think if Kobe was off this team, within the context of the triangle, Lamar Odom is much better without Kobe hogging the ball, and Kwame Brown gets more touches and this team still wins about 25 games…

Honourable mention:

Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks 26.6 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.02 bpg, 48.0 FG% / W-L: 60-21…The diggler is good, but he doesn’t make anyone better…and if he’s not there Josh Howard steps in to be the new star and they still win 45 games…

Chauncey Billups Detroit Pistons 18.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 8.6 apg, 0.88 spg, 41.8 FG% / W-L: 64-17…is part of the best starting 5 in the world, but imagine how good they’d be with Nash…and if he’s not there, they still win 45 games…

Shawn Marion Phoenix Suns Stats: 21.7 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.98 spg, 52.2 FG% / W-L: 53-28…the most underrated player in the NBA, maybe in NBA history…but I’ll underrate him once more…if he;s not there, they still run and gun their way to 30 wins…

Elton Brand Los Angeles Clippers Stats: 24.8 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.55 bpg, 52.7 FG% / W-L: 46-34…one of my favourite players and the hardest working star on the court…however, without him they keep Chris Wilcox and still win 30…

1) Anonymous but genuine scouting reports on some draft eligible prospects:

Adam Morrison - Quick notes: Awkward, fiery, defensively challenged, scoring machine, well-developed offensive skill set…Overview: Forget the Larry Bird references; Morrison is a vastly different player. Morrison's competitive desire, though, might be his biggest strength -- and his ultimate weakness. Morrison has a tendency to chase the ball like a moth chases light, which simply will not work in an NBA structure. He does, however, want the ball to take (and usually make) every timely shot for his team. Don't be deceived by the gawky way in which he runs. Morrison is quicker than you think, stronger than he looks and is a difficult matchup because he can hit you inside with awkward low-post moves and outside with increasing range. Morrison loves to go right and has an uncanny ability to fade away so his shot is virtually unblockable, thus his lack of true explosive speed is hidden by his feel for various ways to score the ball. Defensively, he's a zone waiting to happen. It's not that he lacks the speed, quickness and long arms to at least be a viable defender. It's whether the desire to be one ever hits him. Say what you want about Morrison, but there is one thing for certain: Whatever team he plays for eventually will be able to count on 15 and maybe upward of 20 points a night from a guy who knows how to score.

LaMarcus Aldridge - Quick notes: Long, rangy, soft, skilled, can score with back to basket and face up from 17 feet and in…Overview: Aldridge might very well be the No. 1 overall pick, but the sight of him being pushed continually off the block by Glen Davis might have sent shock waves across the teams that think Aldridge can be their next star big. The most common comparison thrown around is Marcus Camby, and while Camby has had a highly effective NBA career, he's never been the star he was in college. If that's the case with Aldridge, his label of being soft, especially with his back to the basket, might stick. Make no mistake about it -- Aldridge is at least 6-foot-11, has long arms, a nice hook shot and an immense level of skill for a guy who has played all of a season and a half of college basketball. Still, there are some questions.

Tyrus Thomas - Quick notes: Long … longer … longest, ridiculous athlete, upside galore, mean streak that came out in key situations, raw, highly unproven, no position, can't shoot. Overview: In a draft filled with uncertainty, the one thing that is certain is that Thomas is considered the pick with the largest upside in this class. Thomas can jump to the moon, blocks everything in sight, catches mostly everything thrown this way and is not afraid to compete with older, stronger, more refined players. However, he has improved at a sensational rate in the two years since he nearly attended North Texas. Can we expect that same curve of improvement over the first four years of the NBA career? Like Aldridge, as well as Dwight Howard two years ago, Thomas is considered a sensational kid. He has a smile that lights up a room and lacks a posse that will follow him around on the road for 41 games a year. With no apparent baggage, Thomas might supplant Aldridge as the No. 1 overall pick.

Rudy Gay - Quick notes: Smooth, effortless motion, at times disinterested, extremely long, more complete game than you would think. Overview: Gay is a more refined guy who seemingly has all the tools to be a star. He has the length to guard three positions, goes left as well as to the right, seems to have improved his range on his 3-point jumper and can create Morrison-type separation in the lane. The problem is … is he a killer? Gay might be the first player from Baltimore to be considered too nice on the court. UConn coaches told me Gay's a great kid, his mom's a great lady, but only the fact that he's a lock to be a top-five pick is making him go to the NBA draft. Say what you want about Morrison's lack of athletic ability, but he'll tear your heart out to win a game. Gay seems OK with having three or four nice dunks, a couple of nice, high-arcing jump shots, and packing a shot or two with style, but he lacks the killer instinct that makes players stars in the NBA. It is possible that he's just not selfish enough, or driven enough, to be a big star at the next level. In that league, nice guys really do finish last, and Gay is one nice guy.

Rajon Rondo - Quick notes: Wiry, huge hands, long arms, potential lockdown defender, solid passer in transition, average decision-maker in halfcourt, poor shooter, surly disposition. Overview: Rondo was handed the keys to the Cadillac that is Kentucky basketball and drove it like he was constantly looking around for the Maybach that belonged to him. Five months ago, he was a lock to be the first point guard taken, but his awkward jump shot leaves me wondering just how he will be able to keep defenses honest at the next level. While he has the arrogance that Rudy Gay lacks, it doesn't necessarily play out as quality leadership while he's running the point. In fact, Kentucky didn't make its move this season until Rondo was moved to the 2. Rondo can single-handedly change a game with his defense and finishing around the basket. Dare I say, he's the new and not-really-improved version of Rod Strickland? Believe it or not, that's a compliment to Rondo. Strickland was very respected in NBA circles. He never missed around the basket, created for his teammates and defended at a high level, despite the lack of a jump shot. If Rondo can improve on his perceived leadership issues, he can be a starting point guard while his jump shot develops.

Nick Fazekas - Quick notes: Long, skilled, can shoot out to 22 feet. Overview: With shooting and size at a premium in the depleted draft pool, Fazekas would be a solid pick if you are a playoff team and can develop him. He has tremendous scoring and rebounding ability around the basket, can pick-and-pop with the best of them, and even though he has a weird running gait, he's deceptively athletic. If he can add 20-25 pounds, he'll play in the NBA for 10 years.

Guillermo Diaz - Quick notes: Springy, tweener, lacks court sense, major-league athlete, has solid range to 21 feet. Overview: For some reason, Diaz decided to sign with an agent although the buzz around him has diminished a bit from his sophomore year. He is about 6-2 and has no real position on an NBA floor. Despite that, his ability to shoot and jump over people when he enters the lane probably will allow him to make a team as either a late first-rounder or a second-round pick. I like Miami backcourt mate Robert Hite's game better for the next level.

Thomas Gardner - Quick notes: Athlete, shooter, scorer, needs to learn better guard skills. Overview: Gardner is a highly draftable player with an NBA physique and the ability to get his own shot off the dribble or the catch. While he's not a true 2, he can mask it by finding ways to put the ball in the basket. A bigger, stronger, less prolific version of Ben Gordon.

Richard Roby - Quick notes: Silky smooth, 2-guard with a nice game using screens to catch and shoot. Overview: Roby can put the ball on the floor and create and has the size in the lane to get his shot off against more athletic defenders. He is a consistent scorer and seems to have the potential to score more as he develops the ability to create fouls through penetration.

Paul Millsap - Quick notes: Strong, athletic, high basketball IQ, perfect worker bee for a playoff team that needs a rebounder. Overview: While he might not be taller than 6-8, that matters little because he knows his strengths and plays to them -- and the NBA game is more about defining one's skill and specialization. He dominates the boards and scores in and around the basket, and there is no one better or more developed at the college level.

Marcus Slaughter - Quick notes: Great rebounder/scorer with range out to 18 feet. Overview: Uncanny ability to get to the line and shoots a high percentage when he gets there. He's somewhere between a 3 and 4, but he's still draftable because of his athleticism and tenacity on the glass.

Curtis Stinson - Quick notes: A 2-guard in a 1's body, great off the dribble, average off the catch, streaky shooter, creative passer, lacks some sound fundamental decision-making. Overview: Stinson should be able to come into the league in the mold of Gordon, Troy Hudson, Eddie House and others who are essentially scoring 1s or combo guards. He needs to improve his consistency on his long-range jump shot, but with the shot clock winding down, he can create his own shot and is a willing passer.

Quincy Douby - Quick notes: Deep range, wiry, strong combo guard who can score points in a hurry. Overview: Douby fits into the same mold as Stinson, only he shoots the ball at a much more prolific clip and probably is two inches taller. Douby has unlimited range and a knack for taking and making the big shot. A willing passer and an above-average defender, Douby might be this year's Luther Head.

Josh Boone - Quick notes: Body like Tarzan, finishes like Jane. Overview: Boone seemed to have a bewildered look on his face at times this year. Put Millsap's tenacity into Boone's body and you have a heck of a player. Still, some NBA scout will stake his career on Boone, because as the saying goes, if you are going to make a mistake, make a big mistake. Boone is quiet and, at times, too polite on the floor and the lack of fire in his belly is the only thing keeping him from being a star.

Brandon Heath - Another combo who can score in a hurry. He has unlimited range, but is a poor decision-maker and will take (and sometimes make) any shot. He probably will come back to school, but his shot-making ability is the type that, if he got it going in Orlando at the predraft camp, might allow him to stay in the draft as a first-round pick.

Mustafa Shakur - Came along nicely at end of the season. Was rated ahead of Chris Paul coming out of high school and seems to read those old articles and tries to become something he is not. Shakur probably will play in the NBA, but not this year.

Will Blaylock - Great ballhandler, below-average long-range shooter, can make anyone look bad while he's going by you off the dribble. While he has some skills passing the basketball, he's overly fancy in everything he does, so his turnovers sometimes can match his assist levels. He should return to school.

2) Chris Sheriden of ESPN.com has the 1st round picked:

We've got the winners

It was well past midnight on the East Coast by the time all the NBA playoff matchups were finally set, and now there will be just two short days of downtime before the real season gets started. The defending champion San Antonio Spurs will go up against Ron Artest and the Sacramento Kings, who won't be a pushover if their 10-point victory on the Spurs' home court just two weeks ago was any kind of a preview. The defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons will get an opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks, generally regarded as the postseason's most legitimate pushover candidate, although the Bucks took the Pistons to overtime in their first visit of the season to The Palace and were up by 17 in the third quarter of their second visit before crumbling down the stretch. The East playoffs will have three heavy favorites -- Detroit over Milwaukee, Miami over Chicago and New Jersey over Indiana -- along with one series that should be more of a toss-up: the playoff-tested Washington Wizards vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first postseason game of LeBron James' NBA career. The West offers slightly more intrigue, at least on paper. The Spurs will be solid favorites over the Kings, and the same goes for Dallas over Memphis, but the Phoenix-L.A. Lakers series has the Kobe Bryant factor at play, and the Los Angeles Clippers-Denver series offers the oddity of the sixth-seed, the Clips, having homecourt advantage over the third seed by virtue of having a better regular-season record. "This is the most wide-open I've ever seen the NBA playoffs," TNT analyst Charles Barkley said. "If the Clippers make it to the Western Conference finals I wouldn't be shocked, and if Denver makes it to the Western Conference finals I wouldn't be shocked." ABC, the league's network rightsholder, got first choice of which games to televise and selected Wizards-Cavs for the Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET time slot and Lakers-Suns for the same slot on Sunday. The playoffs begin Saturday with Wizards-Cavs at 3:30 p.m. ET, Sacramento-San Antonio at 5:30 p.m., Bulls-Heat at 8 p.m. and Nuggets-Clippers in the uncoveted 10:30 p.m. slot. Sunday's games are Pacers-Nets at 1 p.m. ET, Lakers-Suns at 3:30, Bucks-Pistons at 7 and Grizzlies-Mavericks at 9:30. Here's the briefest of looks at each series, along with the Sheridan picks (I went chalk, big-time).

EAST:

Bucks-Pistons: Detroit's experience will be the determining factor in each fourth quarter, but the Bucks have the right combination of size, speed and shooting to keep up with the Pistons. Detroit in 4.

Heat-Bulls: Miami has too much size and too good a player, Dwyane Wade, to be threatened much. But Chicago has been playing playoff-type games for two weeks. Heat in 5.

Pacers-Nets: The Nets are pretty high on themselves these days, but Indiana never goes down easy in the playoffs. We'll tab Jason Kidd as the difference-maker here. Nets in 7.

Wizards-Cavaliers: LeBron takes the big stage for the first time, but is everyone going to underestimate Gilbert Arenas again? Cavaliers in 7.

WEST:

Spurs-Kings: Two of the game's best defenders and loosest cannons, Bruce Bowen and Artest, could make this a combustible series, and the Mike Bibby-Tony Parker point guard matchup is nifty. Spurs in 5.

Suns-Lakers: Kobe Bryant scored 39, 37, 51 and 43 in the Lakers' four games against Phoenix, three of which were losses. If you had to pick only one series to watch, this would be it. Suns in 7.

Nuggets-Clippers: Anyone who bets against Sam Cassell will eventually part ways with his money, although the Clips haven't been in the second round since 1976. Clippers in 7.

Grizzlies-Mavericks: There is no one on Memphis who can defend Dirk Nowitzki, and the Grizz still haven't broken their schneid of zero career playoff Ws. Mavs in 6.

3) Chad Ford of ESPN.com with his draft update:

Powe has something to prove

Cal's Leon Powe is the latest college underclassman to enter the draft. No surprise here. Powe has been itching to declare for the NBA since he was a senior in high school and he has the talent to be an excellent NBA player. But there is a big if attached to his draft candidacy. On talent, Powe is a potential mid-first rounder. He was one of the most devastating low-post scorers and rebounders in college basketball. Powe also possesses some nice perimeter skills with a good mid-range jump shot and solid ball-handling abilities. He has great hands, is very aggressive on both ends of the floor, has a legit NBA body and is an excellent athlete. While scouts believe he might be only 6-7, making him undersized to play the four, he makes up for it with super-long arms and explosive leaping ability. He sounds like a more athletic version of Ike Diogu -- a guy who went No. 9 in the draft last year. So why doesn't Powe have lottery buzz? Because he has had to overcome two serious knee injuries, a fact that worries scouts. Powe injured his ACL as a junior in high school and then reinjured it toward the end of his freshman year. He missed his entire college sophomore season recovering from the injury. And then a stress fracture kept him off the floor for the first month of the 2005-06 season. Given the conservative nature of Cal's offense, scouts are still wondering whether he's really regained the athleticism that he once had. That's going to make physicals and workouts essential for Powe. If he can go into NBA workouts and wow teams with his athleticism and get a clean bill of health from doctors, he'll probably fall somewhere in the 20s or early 30s. If he's lost a step or team doctors are concerned about the long-term prognosis on his knees, he could slip all the way out of the draft.

Morrison has star appeal, flaws

Adam Morrison's decision to declare for the 2006 NBA draft comes as no surprise. He was the best player in college basketball this year and could hardly have done more to help his draft stock next year. On the draft board this season, Morrison moved up and down a bit. He started the season as a top-10 pick based on a stellar sophomore campaign and, for a time, had moved all the way up to the No. 1 spot in the draft, according to some scouts. Morrison has several characteristics of an NBA star. He can score, he is a fearless leader and competitor, and he has a very good (though not great) jump shot. Just as important to some NBA executives, Morrison has star power. He and J.J. Redick were the faces of the college game during most of this past season. His long hair, wispy moustache and intense, quirky demeanor will sell tickets -- especially in the Pacific Northwest, where two teams, the Sonics and Blazers, desperately need an identity. Morrison's stock slipped a little bit in the NCAA Tournament due to a good, but not stellar, performance. Morrison had created an aura for himself through most of the season, but the Zags' disappointing early departure from the tournament damaged that. Now scouts are starting to focus on some of the weaknesses we've been discussing all year -- the guy doesn't play much defense, isn't a great athlete (especially in terms of lateral movement) and has to work awfully hard to get his shot off. Who's he going to guard in the NBA? If he had to work so hard in college to score, what's it going to take in the NBA? They're all legit questions about Morrison, and they lead many scouts to believe that he's a good prospect who will never be a big NBA star on the court -- think Wally Szczerbiak, not Larry Bird. Right now we have Morrison ranked No. 5 on our big board, but there are several scenarios out there involving Portland, Seattle and Orlando in which he goes higher -- maybe even No. 1 overall.

Opposite paths for Gay, Thomas

Today brings big announcements from UConn's Rudy Gay and LSU's Tyrus Thomas. How will they affect the draft? Six months ago, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Gay not only would declare for the draft but would also be considered a front-runner for the No. 1 pick. Gay's announcement that he's declaring for the draft and hiring an agent, ending his college eligibility, is the easy part. Becoming the No. 1 pick in the draft? Gay may have a much harder time pulling that off. While NBA scouts believe that Gay has the most potent combination of athleticism and skill in the draft, everyone still wonders why he doesn't use it more regularly. Gay had a solid sophomore season for UConn, but he never became the dominant player scouts thought he could be. With his length, strength and perimeter skills, scouts imagined that Gay would become a lethal inside-outside threat. After a dominant 28-point performance against Arkansas at the Maui Classic in November a number of scouts and NBA executives declared him the No. 1 prospect in the draft. What happened? After the Arkansas game, Gay never scored more than 22 points, and he cracked the 20-point mark just six times. He spent most of his time on the court as a complementary player, hanging out on the perimeter waiting for someone to kick it to him for an open jumper. Gay rarely put the ball on the floor or posted up smaller defenders. When his 3-point shot failed him (he shot just 32 percent from 3-point land this year, down from 47 percent last season), his confidence seemed to wane. Gay did get more aggressive toward the end of the season. In the NCAA tournament, he put up good numbers against Kentucky and George Mason ... but he wasn't dominant the way that players like Joakim Noah and Thomas were. Toward the end of each UConn game, it was Marcus Williams, Denham Brown and Rashard Anderson leading the charge. Gay looked like a bystander. That concerns NBA scouts, who are asking one key question about Gay: Does he have the desire and aggression necessary to be a great NBA player, or is he the second coming of Tim Thomas, an amazing talent without the motor it takes to be dominant in the pros? That question explains Gay's declining draft stock. Still, scouts are saying that Gay is a lock for the top 10 because at some point someone is going to gamble on the talent. Then again, scouts said the same thing about Pittsburgh's Chris Taft last year until about two weeks before the draft. Gay doesn't have some of the problems that Taft did -- Gay has an excellent work ethic, is a model citizen off the court and stays in great shape. But if he doesn't come in and compete at a high level in workouts, will he slip? Over the past few years a great motor has become more and more valuable to scouts. Gay still hasn't shown it. Gay ranks at No. 8 on our big board. But we'll be watching him closely for workout feedback. If he works out great (and he has all the tools to do it), he'll probably rise. However, in one-on-one workouts he better compete hard or he also faces the risk of slipping further. The other guy declaring, Tyrus Thomas, is the Bizarro version of Rudy Gay. While Gay was the consensus No. 1 pick on the preseason draft boards of most scouts, Thomas wasn't in the Top 100. After a redshirt season at LSU last year, no one expected Thomas to deliver the way he did. By January, scouts were referring to Thomas as a potential lottery pick for next year. By late January, they had moved up the timetable -- now he's a potential top-five pick this year. After a dominating performance in the NCAA tournament against Duke and Texas, Thomas is now considered by a number of scouts to be the top prospect in the draft. If Joakim Noah sticks to his guns and returns to Florida, the possibility that Thomas goes No. 1 increases dramatically. While Thomas' offensive numbers on the court aren't as good as Gay's, defensively he was awesome, averaging 9.2 rpg and 3.1 bpg in just 25 mpg. Thomas, like Gay, is long and super-athletic, with a body that is beginning to fill out. However, unlike Gay, Thomas has a motor that runs nonstop. Thomas flies up and down the floor, plays aggressive defense, is always crashing the glass and has an emerging offensive game that includes a sweet 15-foot jump shot. While it's clear that Thomas is still raw, especially on the offensive end, scouts feel that taking a player with those tools and with that motor is a low-risk scenario. Big, athletic prospects flop in the NBA every year, but they rarely do when they play as hard as Thomas. If the draft were held today, the Bulls, Warriors, Rockets and Hornets would all be leaning toward taking Thomas No. 1 if they won the lottery. If Noah stays out of the draft, you could add the Blazers and Timberwolves to that mix as well. Barring some sort of injury or background problem that would come up when NBA teams investigate more closely, there aren't many scenarios where Thomas slips out of the top five.

4) Marty Burns of Si.com looks back at the season that was:

Unforgettable - Playoffs bring time to reflect on season's memories
Wednesday night marks the end of the 2005-06 NBA regular season. What will we remember most about this year's regular season? It was the year Larry Brown's old team (the Pistons) dominated and his new team (the Knicks) imploded. It was the year the Clippers made the playoffs and the Hornets turned it around. It was the year they played some big D in Big D, while a few miles down I-45 they said, "Houston, we have some injuries." It was the year Steve Nash kept the Suns bouncing like a soccer ball on his head and Kevin Garnett got tired of carrying the T'wolves on his slender shoulders. It was the year one Franchise (Stevie) moved and two more (Seattle, Portland) threatened to follow suit. It was the year a 7-footer (Dirk Nowitzki) won the Three-Point Contest and a 5-foot-9 guard (Nate Robinson) won the Slam Dunk. Memorable contests? There was that wild 152-149 double OT Sonics win at Phoenix on Jan. 22, the most points scored in an NBA game in 11 years. There was LeBron James beating out hometown favorite Tracy McGrady for All-Star MVP in Houston. And, of course, there was Kobe Bryant's 81-point masterpiece, which came on the same day as the aforementioned Sonics-Suns tilt. To be sure there were some headaches for David Stern as well. Ron Artest put his Nikes in his mouth again. Antonio Davis took a walk on the wild side. Chris "The Birdman" Andersen tried to fly a little too high. But through it all, they kept playing. Now here we are at the end, with 16 teams getting ready to square off for the ultimate hoops prize. After more than five months and 1,230 games, it's finally time to get on to the real season. Soon enough the Pistons, Spurs, Heat, Mavs and all the other top title contenders will write the final chapter to this season. Until then, here's a look back at the top 10 things I'll remember most about the 2005-06 campaign (in reverse order):

10. TONY THE TIGER - Spurs point guard Tony Parker has always been a good finisher around the basket. But this year the fifth-year Frenchman took it to a whole new level, seemingly converting every runner and floater and teardrop he attempted. Despite standing just 6-2, he ranked among the NBA leaders in points scored in the paint all season and wound up shooting over 54.0 percent from the floor. Not since Tiny Archibald has a little guy been so deadly inside the land of the giants. It's not often one sees an established NBA star like Parker dramatically improve an aspect of his game like that in one summer. Especially when he could have spent the time hanging out with his girlfriend, Eva Longoria.

9. RILEY'S RETURN - One of last summer's hottest rumors came to fruition in December when Heat coach Stan Van Gundy abruptly resigned for "family reasons" and president Pat Riley took his place. Riley had stoked speculation he might return to the sidelines with comments he had made after Miami's disappointing loss to the Pistons in Game 7 of the '05 Eastern Conference finals. With the Heat off to an 11-10 start, Van Gundy apparently decided to jump before being pushed. Riley wound up leading Miami to the No. 2 seed in the East. But can the Hall of Fame coach finish the job and guide the Heat to the Finals? Van Gundy surely will be watching.

8. IGGY'S DUNK - Who says the Dunk Contest isn't worth watching anymore? Sixers guard Andre Iguodala unveiled one of the best dunks in recent memory, catching an alley-oop toss from Allen Iverson behind the backboard and then floating up and under it on his way to the rim. The 6-8 Sixers star literally scraped his head on the bottom of the backboard before cramming the ball home. Incredibly, he still lost the contest to Knicks guard Nate Robinson, who had his own impressive dunk over Spud Webb in the preliminary round and then clinched it in the finals with a between-the-legs number that required 13 tries but nonetheless dazzled the crowd at Houston's Toyota Center.

7. CP3 AND OKC - Displaced by Hurricane Katrina, the Hornets found a welcoming home in Oklahoma City and proceeded to become the NBA's feel-good story of the season. Led by rookie point guard Chris Paul, aka "CP3", the Hornets more than doubled their victory total from the season before (18-64) and stayed in the Western Conference playoff race until the end. Paul averaged 16 points, five rebounds and eight assists to wrap up the Rookie of the Year award early on. Meanwhile, OKC fans packed the Ford Center every night and turned it into a college-type atmosphere.

6. THAT'S (ALL) AMARE! - Having lost two starters and all-star forward Amaré Stoudemire to a knee injury before the season, the Suns were expected to struggle just to make the playoffs in 2005-06. But with reigning MVP Nash and a much-improved defense, Phoenix surprised the NBA by staying at the top of the Western standings much of the season. When Stoudemire returned to action with 20 points and nine rebounds in a promising debut against the Blazers on March 23, Suns fans had hopes of an NBA title. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. The 6-10 Stoudemire began suffering soreness in his knee and was forced to shut it down again after only three games.

5. A.D.'S WALK ON THE WILD SIDE- In perhaps the most bizarre incident of the '05-06 season, Knicks veteran center Antonio Davis ventured 10 rows up into the stands during a game in Chicago to check on his wife after she got involved in an altercation with a fan. During a timeout in the fourth quarter of a tight and emotional game, Davis suddenly left his New York team's huddle, hopped over the press tables and walked up into the crowd. The sight of the 6-10 Davis, in uniform, wading into the stands immediately conjured memories of the infamous Pistons-Pacers brawl the season before. While Davis clearly went in as a peacemaker, and the incident ended without incident, Stern was not amused. The NBA suspended Davis for five games.

4. RON-RON GOES BYE-BYE - For the second straight season, Pacers forward Ron Artest found himself at the center of controversy that threatened to derail his team's title hopes. It began in early December when the All-Star forward told the Indianapolis Star that he no longer felt he could thrive in Indiana and that he wouldn't mind being traded. Although Artest would later retract his comments, the damage was done. Pacers bosses Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh immediately suspended Artest and began shopping him around the league. After six weeks of speculation and rumor, Artest finally was dealt to the Kings for Peja Stojakovic. Artest went on to spark Sacramento to the playoffs, while Indiana continued to struggle amid injuries and chemistry issues.

3. NY BLUES - Brown's first season in New York turned into a tabloid headline writer's dream. The Hall of Fame coach feuded with his players, most notably Stephon Marbury, while constantly juggling the rotation in a futile effort to get the Knicks to "play the right way." Meanwhile, GM Isiah Thomas pulled the trigger on blockbuster trades for Jalen Rose and Steve Francis while fending off an embarrassing sexual harassment lawsuit brought by a former female Garden employee. In the end, nothing worked. New York's season ended in turmoil with Brown missing some games late with a stomach ailment and the Knicks posting their worst record in franchise history.

2. KOBE'S 81-POINT GEM - On Jan. 22, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant stamped his name alongside Wilt Chamberlain in the NBA record book by scoring 81 points in a 122-104 win over the Raptors at Staples Center. Putting his entire arsenal on display, the 6-6 guard hit 28 of 46 shots from the floor and 18 of 20 from the foul line. It was the second-most points scored in a game, behind only Wilt's 100-point classic in 1962. Bryant's masterpiece sparked a fun national debate about the historic impact of his performance, the effects of the new hand-check rules and whether such solo efforts were good for the basketball in general and the Lakers in particular. But there was one thing upon which everybody agreed: Bryant was spectacular.

1. PISTONS' 37-5 START - With new coach Flip Saunders at the helm, the Pistons didn't skip a beat. In fact, they were even better. Thanks to a souped-up offense, Detroit averaged more than 100 points per game for the first three months en route to a 37-5 record. The Pistons were so dominant, some began wondering if they could catch the '95-96 Bulls (72-10) for best record of all time. While Detroit ultimately wasn't able to sustain that pace, it did get four players in the All-Star Game (Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton) and finished with the NBA's best record and the resulting homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. Of course, if the Pistons don't go on to win the title this goes to the back of the list.