Tim Duncan on ice...where he belongs…

"This is the best series I've ever played," Duncan said. "Both teams gave it their all." Well, that about says it all…in the end, it was too much Dirk who finished with 37 points on 11-of-20 from the field and 15-of-16 from the line, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, and 0 turnovers in 50 minutes…Time Duncan was special as well with 41 points on 12-24 shooting including 17-23 from the line, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal…In fact, on his bad foot, Duncan has had a terrific playoffs averaging 25.9 points on 57 percent shooting, 10.5 boards, 3.3 assists, and 3 blocks in the postseason for Tim, playing 37.8 minutes per game…However, the Mavs won because they were too tough…to wit:

Physically tough…DaSagana Diop holding Tim Duncan to 1-of-7 shooting in overtime…Nowitzki slashing to the basket for the game-tying layup and free throw in the final seconds of regulation going around and through the Ginobili and Bowen, the twin bitches of the apocalypse…Nowitzki making a game-saving block at the other end over the back of Duncan as time expired in regulation…

AND

Mentally tough…the Spurs hit 33 of 39 free throws in the game…Duncan was 17-of-23 and still crying for more on every possession…the Mavs hit 28-31 for 90% as a team (!!) and did not whine at all…

In Phoenix, it was a blowout…The MVP was spectacular with 29 points on 11-16 from the field including 4-5 from three, 11 assists, 2 rebounds and as the Suns routed the Clippers 127-107…Nash was his usual self, with his passing leading to seven suns players in double figures… Shawn Marion had 30 points -- including 5-of-9 3s…Leandro Barbosa added 18 points, Tim Thomas 16 and Boris Diaw 14. Raja Bell and James Jones scored 10 apiece…However, the Suns won because they stayed true to themselves and set tempo…to wit:

The Suns shot 48-80 or 60% from the field overall and made 15 of 27 3-pointers… Phoenix made 15 3-pointers to the Clippers' zero

The Suns gave up post points to Elton Brand who had 36 points and 9 rebounds…in fact Brand was unbelievable in the seven-game series, averaging 31 points on 59 percent shooting, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 4 assists per game…

The Suns can pass and the Clippers cannot…The Clippers had 11 assists on 48 made field goals, while the Suns had 32 assists on 48 made field goals…

By running and “rebounding to run”, the Suns held Los Angeles to just seven second-chance points…

Fun and Games before the draft…http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/lottery2006/mockdraft

All your pre-draft workout news here: http://draftexpress.com/workout.php?


Coaching Rumour: TNT mouthpiece Doug Collins to coach Sacramento…

Here’s the list of odds for winning the Draft Lottery:
Team Record Lottery Balls %Winning
Portland 21-61 250 (25%)
Chicago 23-59 199 (19.9%)
Charlotte 26-56 138 (13.8%)
Atlanta 26-56 137 (13.7%)
Toronto 27-55 88 (8.8%)
Minnesota 33-49 53 (5.3%)
Boston 33-49 53 (5.3%)
Houston 34-48 23 (2.3%)
Golden State 34-48 22 (2.2%)
Seattle 35-47 11 (1.1%)
Orlando 36-46 8 (0.8%)
New Orleans 38-44 7 (0.7%)
Philadelphia 38-44 6 (0.6%)
Utah 41-41 5 (0.5%)

1) Mike Kahn of FOXSports.com with a game report from the Suns drubbing of the Clippers and some other tidbits:

Nash, Suns ran all over Clippers in Game 7

A well-rested Steve Nash returned to his MVP self with 29 points and 11 assists as the Suns beat the Clippers 127-107 in Game 7. Hear from Nash, Suns' coach Mike D'Antoni and Clips' Elton Brand. Doing it without knee-challenged Amare Stoudamire and Kurt Thomas due to a broken foot, the 32-year-old Nash earned a second consecutive Most Valuable Player Award because he proved again Monday night that he is an inexorable leader. Looking much stronger after three days off, Nash overcame his aching bones to score 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting and doled out 11 assists — many of which were pivotal in the 30 points of Shawn Marion — on the way to a 127-107 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Game 7 victory advanced the Suns to the conference finals for the second consecutive season, but this time against his former teammates — the Dallas Mavericks, also a Game 7 winner following an overtime knockout of defending champion San Antonio. The Mavericks have never been to the NBA Finals before; the Suns have been there twice without coming away with a championship. The Suns set a franchise record with 15 conversions of 27 attempts from 3-point range — outscoring the Clippers (0-of-4) 45-0. Six different players scored in double-figures for Phoenix, which shot 60 percent from the field. The upstart Clippers, who have played so well the majority of the playoffs, failed to reach the conference finals — something so close for a maiden journey — but were well within striking distance. Elton Brand completed his magnificent series with the Clippers, with 30 points, nine rebounds and a block, and Corey Maggette added 18 points and nine rebounds off the bench. But this was all about RPMs, and Nash had the Suns red-lining throughout the game. It's why the Suns shot so well from 3-point range. Not only do they have superb shooters, but pushing the ball provided them with confidence and rhythm. Nash, in particular was different. He had been 2-of-19 from beyond the arc prior to Game 7 and he responded with 4-of-5 and dishing out at least a half dozen more to his constituency. Nonethless, the Clippers made it to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since they were the Buffalo Braves and Jack Ramsay was their coach some 30 years ago.
But Sam Cassell, so instrumental in their wins, never got it going Monday night. He had 11 points and six assists in nearly 40 minutes. If the Clippers were going to win, they had to have a consistent plan of attack on the floor, and Cassell's penchant to just keep firing away instead of setting up his teammates couldn't possibly work in Game 7 partially because nobody else thought about the others' success. And the cardinal sin is conceding to the Talladega Tempo the Suns like to play. It often becomes an insurmountable urge, but in this case it was nothing of the sort. After taking a 4-0 lead, the Suns began their 3-point rampage and never looked back. So now we look forward to Dallas playing host to the Suns in what figures to be just another example of high-powered offense. And that's not to mention the fact that neither the Mavericks nor the Suns have ever won an NBA title and hope to do so over the next month.

The stud - Dallas Mavericks All-NBA forward Dirk Nowitzki not only had 37 points and 15 rebounds, but converted a 3-point play with 21.6 seconds left to force overtime to lead the Mavs to a 119-111 win over the defending champion Spurs in San Antonio. He averaged 33.3 points and 15.3 rebounds in the final three games of the series.

The dud - Clippers free agent forward Vladimir Radmanovic, so spectacular with five 3-pointers in Game 3 when the Clippers nearly pulled out a come-from-behind win, was scoreless in 10:26 in Game 7 with listless body language. In fact, Radmanovic had just two points in Game 6. Having already turned down a six-year, $42 million deal from the Sonics last season, it's hard to fathom he'll get anywhere near that this summer.

The quote - "Unfortunately we knew they were capable of putting a game like this together at some point in time," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "That it happened tonight wasn't the best. In a one-game series, they can be unbeatable."

This and that - The Mavericks moved into the conference finals for only the third time in club history with their stunning 119-111 Game 7 win at San Antonio to eliminate the defending champs. It was surprising after the way the Spurs bounced back from a 3-1 deficit to force a Game 7 in Dallas, but Dirk Nowitzki had 37 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Mavericks, and they got spirited play at center against Spurs star Tim Duncan from Erick Dampier, Keith Van Horn (who also added a trio of treys), and young DeSagana Diop was huge in overtime against Duncan. Mavs point guard Jason Terry, suspended in Game 6 for punching Michael Finley in the final seconds of Game 5, bounced back strong with 17 of his 27 points coming in the first half. The Mavs were an amazing 25-of-36 (.694) from the field in the first half and were 17-of-45 (.378) the rest of the game. The Spurs, who set a club record with 63 wins this season, got nothing from their bench, well, two points, but you get the picture. Duncan was spectacular with a career-best 41 points and all 15 of his rebounds after intermission. Tony Parker chipped in with 24 and Manu Ginobili added 23. But there was little else the Spurs could muster beyond their three All-Stars as coach Gregg Popovich and the staff will undoubtedly reconsider the concept of their aging bench heading into next season. You want interesting perspective of a close comparison, consider the first playoff experiences of LeBron James and Michael Jordan. James averaged 30.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists, while Jordan averaged 29.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists. James is 21 and Jordan was 22. However, Jordan's average spanned just four games in his rookie year and James played 13 games, but this was his third season. Magic Johnson, just 19, averaged 18.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 9.4 assists in 16 games as rookie for the NBA champion Lakers. The draft lottery is scheduled for Tuesday to see which team earns the first pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. The Portland Trail Blazers had the worst record during the regular season, followed by the New York Knicks, Atlanta, Charlotte and Toronto. The top picks are expected to be among the group of Texas forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Italian post player Andrea Bargnani, Gonzaga super-scorer Adam Morrison, Washington guard Brandon Roy and LSU's athletic forward Tyrus Thomas. The 6-foot-6 Roy has the most mature, complete game at shooting guard, but the potential of the bigger players is always more intriguing for teams in the draft. The first major step toward rebuilding the NBA mindset in post-Katrina New Orleans was the official announcement of the 2008 NBA All-Star game. The Hornets will play a limited schedule of games there next year with the bulk of the games to be play in Oklahoma City as they were this season. Still at issue is a local New Orleans commitment for a new practice facility for the Hornets.

The statbook - The most disappointing player in the Cavs-Pistons series was easily Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The only member of the Cavs still on the club from the 1998 playoff team, his scoring average was down 5.2 from the regular season to 10.4 per game and his rebounding dipped to 6.3 from 7.6, his shooting percentage was down from the field and the line. But even more, he was incredibly weak in the clutch, forcing Cavs coach Mike Brown was forced to play aggressive Anderson Varejao instead. ... Monday night was the eighth Game 7 for Spurs forward Robert Horry, and he was 6-1 coming in — the active leader ahead of Clippers guard Sam Cassell, who was 5-1. The all-time leader is former Celtics center Bill Russell at 10-0. And in the wake of Monday's losses, Horry now is 6-2, Cassell 5-2 and Russell is, well, still 10-0. ... After hitting 10-of-17 from 3-point range in the first two games against Cleveland, Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace was 5-of-18 in the final five games of their series. ... Spurs center Tim Duncan didn't get his first rebound until four minutes into the second half of Game 7 against the Mavs, but finished with 15 and a career playoff-high 41 points. He finished the series averaging 32.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. ... The Spurs-Mavs game marked the NBA postseason record ninth overtime contest, with a third round of the playoffs still to play. ... The Spurs bench, outscored 29-2 in Game 7, was outscored by an average of 25.8-17.8 during the series.

2) Jack MacCallum with some history:

Seven Game 7s to Remember: Basketball

NBA Finals, April 13, 1957, Boston Celtics vs. St. Louis Hawks, Boston Garden - During the second OT, long-legged Celtics rookie Bill Russell disentangled himself from the basket support after missing a layup, ran upcourt and blocked a shot by the Hawks' Jack Coleman. "Greatest play I ever saw," said Tom Heinsohn. Established stars Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman made only five of 40 shots, but the kids (Russell had 19 points and 32 rebounds, Heinsohn 37 and 23 rebounds) led the way to a 125-123 victory.

NBA Finals, May 5, 1969, Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers, the Forum - Before the game the Celtics' John Havlicek got his hands on a script that described plans for a postgame Lakers celebration, including a rendition of Happy Days Are Here Again to be played by the USC band. When the Celtics walked out, they saw 5,000 balloons suspended in nets from the ceiling. Talk about the best-laid plans. Don Nelson's jump shot, which bounded off the back rim straight up into the air and down into the basket, was a key shot in a 108-106 Celtics' win.

Eastern Division Finals, April 15, 1965, Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Garden - With the Celtics clinging to a 110-109 lead -- coach Red Auerbach had lit his traditional victory cigar when it was 110-103 -- the Sixers' Hal Greer tried to inbound the ball to Chet Walker under his own basket. But John Havlicek anticipated the play and was immortalized with Johnny Most's gravelly voiced call: "Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball! It's all over! It's all over!"

NBA Finals, May 8, 1970, New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Madison Square Garden - True, the game wasn't really close, with the Knicks dominating 113-99 behind Walt Frazier, who scored 36 points and handed out 19 assists. But there's probably not a basketball fan alive who hasn't seen the film of Willis Reed hobbling out on an injured right thigh just before tip-off. Once he made his first two jump shots, he really wasn't that effective, but the morale boost jump-started the Knicks.

Western Conference Semifinals, May 19, 1990, Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs, Memorial Coliseum, Portland - Call it Willis Reed Redux. Though the hoops world in general doesn't remember Blazers center Kevin Duckworth emerging from the locker room to start the game after missing the previous six with a broken hand, it's remembered in Portland. The Duck provided the emotional lift, but the Blazers, who had trailed 97-90 with 2:32 left in regulation, needed five free throws from Clyde Drexler in the final 26.2 seconds of OT to prevail 108-105.

Eastern Conference Semifinals, May 22, 1988, Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks, Boston Garden - The game turned into such a two-man shootout that it's known as "the Bird and Dominique Game." The Human Highlight Film, Dominique Wilkins, was never better, pulling out an endless variety of dunks, spin shots and jumpers banked high off the board to finish with 47 points. But Larry Bird scored 20 of his 34 in the fourth period as the Celtics won 118-116.

Eastern Conference Semifinals, May 11, 1986, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Philadelphia 76ers, Mecca, Milwaukee - The Sixers owned the Bucks until this day, having beaten Milwaukee in the playoffs in four of the previous five seasons. But Julius Erving missed an open 15-foot jumper with two seconds left and Milwaukee held on for a 113-112 victory.

3) Marc Stein of ESPN.com with a Mavs-Spurs piece:

Mavs love that Dirk-y water

SAN ANTONIO -- It's not ugly or muddied water to Dirk Nowitzki. It's not Mark Cuban's favorite tourist destination, obviously, but Dirk loves that Riverwalk. It's in the shadow of San Antonio's renowned landmark, after all, where America discovered him. It's also where, nearly a decade later, Nowitzki announced himself to the NBA louder than he ever has. San Antonio, remember, was where this league got its first glimpse of Nowitzki, who made the likes of Larry Bird drool with his 1998 domination of the nation's best high schoolers. Monday night more than ever, San Antonio was left wishing Nowitzki never made that trip. The big German stunned the city and its Spurs with the steeliest performance of his career, leading to the victory his Dallas Mavericks have been chasing since they got him. Nowitzki did have help here, in the finale of a series so taut that Game 7 simply had to go to overtime, but he also had the clutchest touch on the floor in Dallas' 119-111 overtime triumph. The same floor where Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili stood. It was Nowitzki, most of all, who made sure Dallas didn't add a 20-point blown lead at the AT&T Center to the 3-1 series lead it couldn't hold. Duncan and Ginobili hauled the hosts back from 58-38 down, preserving the Spurs' dream of finally following a championship with another championship, but then Nowitzki earned his Mavs five more minutes and Duncan promptly disintegrated. Duncan's legs began to cramp and his shots started missing short, only one of his seven shots dropping in OT. Dirk? His drive, layup and free throw in the closing seconds -- followed by a game-saving block of Duncan's follow shot at the regulation buzzer -- were merely the highlights. You saw lots of Nowitzki's new You Can't Guard Me sneer in this one, as well as a tongue wag or two, as he rang up 20 of his 37 points in the third and fourth quarters. It was priceless offense in the face of a Spurs second-half siege and it kept the Mavs in the lead for all but 108 seconds. They were too weary to celebrate wildly at the OT buzzer, skipping the court-rushing scenes witnessed after their first-round upset at Utah in 2001 in Nowitzki's first trip to the playoffs, but the Mavs' joy was unmistakable as they clinched a berth in the conference finals opposite Phoenix and Nowitzki's old friend Steve Nash. "That monkey that's been on our back for so long, it's gone," Cuban said. Coach Avery Johnson admitted that he wasn't sure if he was asking too much for his Mavs "to get over this particular hurdle" in his first full season. Second-year guard Devin Harris suggested that the Spurs shouldn't be referred to as a hurdle. "They're more like a wall," Harris said. Yet Nowitzki and his starless supporting cast managed to scale it, with the Spurs fading in OT and Dallas, which fell three wins shy of San Antonio's 63 in the regular season, claiming a whopping 29-2 edge in bench points in the decider. "It seems like everybody did something special tonight," said Mavs swingman Jerry Stackhouse, "and it started with Dirk." The Mavs did have everybody ready, quickly dispelling fears of a Game 6 hangover after failing to finish off the champs at home. Dallas made its first seven shots, checked in at 15-for-18 after a quarter and was still shooting a stunning 77 percent from the floor with two minutes left in the first half. The Mavs were doing it with pure shot-making, too, as opposed to fast-breaking, unlikely as that seemed given the stakes and the venue. Terry returned from his one-game suspension for punching Michael Finley with a redemptive 27 points. Stackhouse and Keith Van Horn both threw in some big shots. Even DeSagana Diop, suddenly demoted to third-string center after starting the first six games, outproduced San Antonio's empty bench by himself with two buckets and two huge offensive boards in a late third-quarter flurry. Johnson used 10 players on a night his mentor Gregg Popovich relied mostly on only five, defying the playoff maxim that says regular-season depth doesn't mean much in the playoffs. Nowitzki did the rest. He had 15 boards. He only had three assists but was much more of a playmaker than that stat suggests, passing quickly out of double-teams to get the Spurs scrambling. He was aggressive throughout, as well, driving his way to 16 free-throw attempts, 15 of them makes. The new Nowitzki, asked by Johnson to play more of a Duncan style, showed just how much progress he's made operating inside the 3-point arc by playing Duncan (41 points and 15 boards) to a virtual draw statistically when it mattered most. Better yet, Nowitzki's crunch-time successes to finally KO Duncan's team might have finally hushed the skeptics who've questioned his and the Mavericks' toughness. "They used to say all the same [negative] stuff about the Spurs," San Antonio's Robert Horry said. Fitting that this is where they had to stop saying so about Dirk and his Mavs. "I guess San Antonio has been pretty good to me," Nowitzki said with a smile.

4) Marty Burns of SI.com thinks Big Ben could be out in Detroit:

Big change for Big Ben? - Free-agency market could be brisk for Ben Wallace

For most of the season it has been assumed that Ben Wallace, a free agent this summer, will re-sign with Detroit. The Pistons have said all along that they want to keep their 6-foot-9 center, and Big Ben has said he is happy in Motown. Given that the Pistons can offer Wallace more money than any other team, it seems like a no-brainer. But money often complicates simple matters. And the Big Ben situation is going to involve a lot of money. Perhaps as much as $100 million over six years. Are the Pistons really willing to shell out that much for a soon-to-be 32-year-old whose game is so dependent on athleticism and energy? Won't GM Joe Dumars at least have to wonder if an aging Wallace can play at such a high level three or four years down the road? Keep in mind, any new deal for Big Ben might push Detroit over the luxury tax next season, and almost certainly will in 2008 or '09. Throw in a possible early Pistons' flameout in this year's playoffs, and it could get even more interesting. "Detroit will re-sign him because they're not going to have to pay him [the max]," says one veteran agent. "You don't see many max deals anymore. And the only teams with [significant] cap room, like Chicago and Atlanta, probably aren't going to make him that kind of offer." Of course, that's what many said about Steve Nash a few years ago, before he bolted the Mavs for the Suns. The Bulls, with some $12 million to $15 million in cap space, might be tempted to make a pitch for Wallace. Chicago could reap double rewards by strengthening its own frontcourt while dealing a blow to its division rival. If nothing else, Bulls GM John Paxson could make an offer to drive the price tag up and force the Pistons to take a bigger financial hit. But even if the Pistons are truly in the driver's seat, there is no guarantee that negotiations with Wallace will go as smoothly as many think. For one, Big Ben just doesn't seem to be enjoying himself on the court as much as usual. His refusal to re-enter a game late in the season might have been just a one-time occurrence, but it raises questions. Then there's the fact that Wallace recently hired Arn Tellem as his agent. Why hire a hardball agent like Tellem if you don't intend to at least test the market? By league rules, the Pistons can offer Wallace more money than anybody else. They surely will do so to keep him. But what if Big Ben feels insulted by a less-than-maximum offer and decides he'd rather take less somewhere else or try to force a sign-and-trade? Again, nobody is saying Detroit won't get a deal done. It just might not be the slam dunk many think. Especially if the Pistons bow out early in these playoffs.

Zebras under fire again - It happens every year. Some team gets the short end of the stick from the refs in a playoff game, and everybody starts talking conspiracy theory. At the very least they talk about the substandard quality of officiating. This year's playoffs have provided plenty of grist for the mill. Just consider some of the controversial calls seen so far:

- Nenad Krstic's touch foul on Pacers guard Anthony Johnson as the latter dribbled around him at the end of Game 1 of the New Jersey-Indiana series. Johnson hit both free throws, the difference in the game.

- LeBron James' game-winning layup against the Wizards with five seconds left in Game 3. The Cavs' forward appeared to take an extra step as he made his move into the lane, and then maybe another as he landed. No call.

- Anderson Varejao's apparent goaltending of a potential go-ahead layup late by Gilbert Arenas in Game 6. Varejao stuck his hand in the net as the ball was in the air, but the refs didn't call it. The Wizards wound up losing in OT.

- Bruce Bowen's questionable foul on Dirk Nowitzki as he defended the 7-foot Mavs forward on a final potential game-tying effort at the end of Game 4. Nowitzki wound up hitting both foul shots to tie the game and send it into OT, where the Mavs won.

- Shaun Livingston's drive to the baseline against the Suns late in the second OT of Game 5. He was called for stepping on the baseline (no visual evidence on the replay), basically icing the game for the Suns.

There are plenty more examples from this year's postseason, including the situation with Shaq, who seems to be facing a completely new set of rules all of a sudden. But has the officiating really been any worse this year? Or is it just that there have been so many close games, hence more scrutiny of those calls that have been missed? "The more close games, the more chances to be exposed," said an Eastern Conference executive. "That's just the way it's been this year. It seems like there's been something to chew on every night." "When you've got games being decided by a couple points, it lends itself to every call being questioned and reviewed," agreed a Western Conference assistant GM who has been in the league for more than 20 years. "[The officiating is] no worse this season. It's just the type of games we're seeing." Referees are human, and they're going to make mistakes. The important thing is that the NBA does all it can to make sure the most qualified people work the games and that they are trained and reviewed adequately to limit those errors so that the players on the court can decide the outcome. But clearly the officiating in the NBA could be better.

Next up for the Kings? - The Kings' search for a coach to replace the fired Rick Adelman continues. Among the names mentioned are Don Nelson, Larry Brown, Stan Van Gundy, P.J. Carlesimo, Terry Porter and Paul Silas. Kings GM Geoff Petrie isn't talking specifics, but the Maloof brothers have already said they would prefer a defensive-minded coach. Nelson has been the highest-profile candidate rumored to be in consideration, but he's known for offense. Brown, providing he's no longer with the Knicks, is a defense-first guy who can create a buzz, but some wonder if he'd clash with Petrie over personnel. Then there's John Whisenant, coach of the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs. He is defense-minded and said to be a favorite of the Maloofs. But his name doesn't exactly light up the Vegas marquee, does it? With the Brown situation in limbo, look for the Kings to ride this one out a little longer. They want to get the right guy, even if it means waiting a while. In the meantime, Petrie's staff is forging ahead with draft preparations and awaiting word like everybody else.

Diamonds in the rough - So your favorite team doesn't have a lottery pick in next month's draft? That doesn't mean it can't find a player who can make a difference. In fact, this year's playoff field is proof that good values can be found long after the lottery. Of the eight teams that reached this year's semifinals, seven featured at least two players in its regular rotation who were either undrafted or second-round selections. The list includes Bowen, Varejao, Wallace, Raja Bell, Marquis Daniels, Udonis Haslem, Manu Ginobili, Cuttino Mobley, Flip Murray, Eric Snow and Quinton Ross.
In terms of team totals, the Cavs led the way with four such overlooked players (Murray, Snow, Varejao and Damon Jones). The Spurs were next with three (Bowen, Ginobili, Nick Van Exel), followed by the Clippers (Mobley, Ross), Heat (Haslem, Shandon Anderson), Mavs (Daniels, Adrian Griffin), Pistons (Wallace, Maurice Evans), Suns (Bell, James Jones) and Nets (Cliff Robinson).

5) Bill Walton of ESPN.com makes some, but not all sense in this unique comparison:

Steve Nash and Bill Russell are one and the same

The similarities between Steve Nash (my favorite current player) and Bill Russell (my all-time favorite player) are astounding. Both were born in remote outposts of civilization that were wracked by unconscionable racial hatred and segregation. Both of their families spirited them off to more favorable environs at a very early age. Both came to basketball comparatively late in life. Neither one was a highly regarded high school player.
Each received only one college scholarship offer -- to different, but similarly small, Jesuit schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Neither one was expected or predicted to excel in the NBA. Both were traded early in their careers. Both were told at early stages in their careers that they would have little to no chance of being successful in basketball. Both are the most unlikely multiple-MVP award winners in the NBA's illustrious history.
Both play a totally unique game -- completely focused on the successes of their teammates. Both are wrongly considered one-dimensional players, supposedly with serious deficiencies in at least half of what the game is about. Both are relatively undersized and ungifted physical specimens who would never be considered winners of the genetic lottery. Both are very quiet, soft-spoken personalities who always let their game do their talking for them. Both are driven and guided by an extremely strong moral and social compass. Neither one has ever been remotely interested in individual recognition or credit. Neither ever tries to draw attention to himself. In their respective careers there was not a single other player in the entire league remotely like them in terms of style and/or substance. Both do endless amounts of charitable work that they never reveal to the world. Even though their games could not be more different from each other's, they both lead or led teams that defined their era's brilliance and popularity. Both have stood tall in the face of outrageous adversity and have spoken out strongly about the world's maddening injustices. Neither one ever blames other people or forces for their own failures, shortcomings or mistakes. Both Nash and Russell won MVP awards while generally acknowledged as not being the best player in the NBA. Both shared one clear attribute … their biggest impact was that they made the other four guys on the court better players. Neither one of these guys ever "coasted" in a game … they only knew how to play with total focus.