Although he did get blocked on a dunk attempt by 5’9” Knick PG Nate Robinson, Yao Ming was all over the Knicks again with 26 points, including 41-16 from the line, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks as the Rockets beat the Knicks 97-90 last night…remember the last time the Knicks tried to stop Yao? Yao had 35 points, 17 rebounds and seven blocked shots in the Rockets' 104-93 victory in Houston on Nov. 10…Eddye Curry was hi usual dominating self getting 7 points and 5 reboudns in the Nov 10th game and 8 points and 4 rebounds in this one…and Yao’s quote after New York Daily News reporter Frank Isola asked him about the block? "I was blocked by a 5-3 guy before, so that's not a record."…too funny…

Funny conversation from Nuggets practice:

Carmelo Anthony: “Got my average up to 31 a game now…” (on his cell phone talking to someone)

Assistant Coach Adrian Dantley overhears and chimes in: “You averaging 31 for about a week now right? Where nobody can touch you in today’s NBA and you’re actually talking about it?” Dantley leaves shaking his head.

Anthony gets off the phone and says to nobody in particular: “What’s he on about?”

Head Coach George Karl overhears the whole thing and wanders over to Anthony and say: “You know AD averaged 30 PPG for four straight years? You know he shot 56% from the floor for those four years? You know he averaged 82% from the line for those four years? And 6 rebounds? And 4 assists? You know he played the 3 and 4 spots right? You know he’s only 6’4”?

And finally: You know he’s the best player not in the Hall right?”

Anthony just stared at Karl, eyes wide…

Steve Nash hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds left to snap the Warriors' five-game winning streak with a 113-110 victory last night.

Raptors suck…no news here…Carlos Boozer scored a season-high 35 points on 14-16 from the floor as Utah pasted the Toronto Raptors 101-96 last night…best player of the night was Jazz rookie Paul Millsap about whom Coahc Sloan said: "I think Millsap has shown us a great deal about what team basketball is. We don't like to talk about it. We just go do it." Millsap, a second-round draft choice, established a career high with 20 points and had five offensive rebounds, four of which led to second-chance points. Millsap is fast becoming the steal of the 2006 NBA Draft. Picked 47th last June, he had 18 and 10 in 22 minutes on Saturday against the Suns and 20 and 7 in 23 minutes last night. "I just wanted to come in and make some impact. If it's just getting one rebound, one steal a game, it's all right with me," Millsap said. "I'm going in there and doing what I've got to do." Chris Bosh on Millsap after the game: "He had a phenomenal game tonight. He just got those key loose balls and then when he got them he scored 'em. Those are the points in the paint. He got the crowd into it with his hustle plays and we should've kept a body on him.” However, it’s not like Toronto didn’t have chances…Jorge Garbajosa, T.J. Ford and Fred Jones all good looks from three to tie the game in the final few seconds, but nobody could make the shot. TJ finished with 16 points and Jones had 15 for Toronto. It was a good game for Number 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani who scored 15 points on 4-7 from the floor and 6-6 from the line, but he only had 3 rebounds, which for a 7 footer playing 27 minutes is very weak.

Speaking of Utah, EnergySolutions, a nuclear waste services company based in Salt Lake City, has bought the naming rights to the downtown arena that has been known as the Delta Center since it opened 15 years ago.

From Elias: Michael Redd's 57 points against the Jazz last week were the most by a non-first-round draft pick since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976.

1) Joe Juliano of the Philly Inquirer reports that Iverson and Cheeks see things differently:

Iverson and Cheeks see things differently

Whatever beauty the 76ers exhibited during their brief three-game stay in the West appeared to be in the eye of the beholder. Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks chose to look at encouraging signs, such as the fact that his team fought all the way in its overtime loss Saturday night to the Los Angeles Clippers despite the absence of two injured big men - starting forward Chris Webber and backup center Steven Hunter. "I loved our effort," Cheeks said after the game. But when asked whether he liked the Sixers' effort as well, Allen Iverson spit out a "no" as if he had just found something strange in his cheeseburger. "Look, I'm not trying to be an ass, I promise you," Iverson said in the visiting locker room at Staples Center before getting three stitches in his chin courtesy of an accidental elbow by Corey Maggette on Maggette's drive to the hoop. "But I don't care nothing about that. "I don't care who you're playing against, if you're playing a little rec-league team. The effort is supposed to be there every night. So it's not a big thing for me. To say, 'Yeah, we gave effort' or whatever, you're supposed to give effort. But when you go out and play basketball, you're supposed to win the basketball game. "If you're satisfied the effort that you give, then some positive things are supposed to happen, and the most positive thing that can happen is to win... . You don't pay nobody a million dollars, a whole bunch of money, then not give effort." Iverson, who played more than 49 minutes but needed 31 shots to score 29 points, was unhappy the Sixers "switched up what we were doing" after racing out to a 16-point first-quarter lead. When asked specifically what happened, he said he didn't want to start "a whole bunch of bullcrap." "We stopped doing what we were doing," he said. "We stopped playing the way we were playing. We had momentum. We had everything going our way, and we stopped playing like that." The loss concluded a 1-2 road trip and dropped the Sixers (4-5) below the .500 mark for the first time this season. It doesn't get any easier this week with the Sixers playing four games in five days, including games at Milwaukee and Cleveland and home contests with Detroit and Chicago. The Sixers lost the rebounding battle in all three games out West, including a 49-33 pasting Saturday night, while Webber (lower back stiffness and soreness) and Hunter (sprained right knee) watched from the bench. In 36 minutes, 6-foot-11 center Samuel Dalembert managed just three boards. The Sixers held Seattle to 41.7 percent shooting in their 96-90 win there, but Phoenix and the Clippers each shot better than 46 percent. After starting 2 of 15, Los Angeles hit 55 percent of its attempts from the field in the final 42 minutes. When talking about his team's effort Saturday night, Cheeks probably was comparing it to the near no-show of his team's offense and defense the previous night against the go-go Suns. "We talked about that, that we didn't play the way we're capable of playing," Cheeks said. "We were a very focused team [against the Clippers]. We didn't win but I thought our effort was big, was huge. Unfortunately, we did not get the win. But I think if we play games like that night in and night out, we'll win more games than we lose." After racing out to a 25-9 lead late in the opening quarter, the Sixers found themselves tied early in the third quarter and trailed for the first time, 78-77, on two free throws by Maggette with 5 minutes, 18 seconds left in regulation. The Sixers' best chance to win came when Cheeks called a time-out with 24.7 seconds left in the fourth and the game tied at 90. But the Clippers overplayed Iverson, and Willie Green's inbounds pass to Dalembert was slapped away by Elton Brand and picked up by Shaun Livingston. Iverson said he "believed more than ever" that the Sixers can be successful this season but added, "I don't have a choice but to believe it." But the feeling now is, after a 3-0 start, the Sixers are beginning to look more like last season's edition, a team that could tease but couldn't be counted on for the key stop or key rebound at crunch time.

2) Kiki Vandeweghe writing about yet another Grant Hill return for ESPN.com:

Long, arduous Hill climb

Grant Hill has experienced devastating injuries, having appeared in more than 30 games only once in his first five seasons in Orlando.
Most would have retired long ago. But it's a testament to his strength of will, and sense of loyalty to his team, that he's back again, giving his top effort for the Magic. Now 34 and healthy again, he's shown shades of the Hill of old, sending Orlando off to a 7-4 mark, including Monday night's 95-86 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He's leading the team in scoring at 16.1 ppg, out on the court for about 30 minutes per game. I wish more young guys would have watched Hill's example in this case. He could have just taken the money; instead, he gave them more than what they could have reasonably expected. Of course, when you're talking about the Magic, you're talking about the game's next great big man. And Dwight Howard is their best player -- that was 24 points and 23 boards he put up against Memphis. He's got the fierce will like we saw with a young Tim Duncan in San Antonio. But I see Hill as their leader, totally irreplaceable. I think his tenacity has led this young Orlando team that had been struggling much of last year. The team's start is direct result of his example. To weather as much as he did, I think his teammates owe him their best effort every night. Often, teams struggle with considerations of whether to take a team in a younger direction, or rely on veterans. But I think Brian Hill has done tremendous job blending these elements in Orlando -- too often we forget the coach is vital to making this all work. I thought the Magic were smart in bringing him back -- sometimes, a team makes a coaching change because it needs a new voice. His voice is welcome once again. His team's interior defense is tremendous. Heck, they even have Hedo Turkoglu playing D. In the game against Memphis, you saw Darko Milicic have one of his lesser outings. He's had some good ones, too. Milicic is a guy who has been through the ringer -- the pressures of the NBA can be a shock to system for a lot of players. I think it's going to take a while to recover, and learn where his place is in the league. He's a good player, but he needs to be strong-willled about these adjustments. Very difficult. I see the Magic becoming a playoff team this year. They're still some players away from becoming a championship team, and in going for those players, they've got to keep the identity of a tough-minded team. Much has been made about the kind of salary cap room the Magic will have when Hill's number comes off the books. Sometimes the best deals are the ones you don't make. I'd love to see Grant Hill have, finally, at long last, a positive outcome in Orlando. His basketball story won't stop when his playing days are over. Grant Hill would be a great coach -- he's a leader, with a strong understanding of the game. On the court now, he's obviously not player he was in Detroit, but he still has a lot to offer. The Magic are getting that rare chance to see it. It's a great thing to see.

3) Chris Eckstand of SI.com reports that there is no more stability in the NBA:

Constant flux - NBA teams dealing with changes in starting lineups

Stability is an important characteristic of any successful team. But less than three weeks into the season, just three NBA teams have penciled in the same starting five in every game: San Antonio, Minnesota and Washington. While the Spurs (8-2) have thrived, the struggling Wolves (3-6) and Wizards (4-5) have thus far resisted the urge to change their lineups. On the flip side, Golden State (7-3) and Phoenix (3-6) are already down to one player each who has started every game. Ironically, the oft-injured Baron Davis has been the lone constant in the Warriors' starting lineup, while iron man Shawn Marion, who has played in 491 of Phoenix's last 501 games the last six-plus seasons, is the only Sun to start each game. Of the 13 teams that have started four of the same five players each night, the alteration in the lineup has usually been a big one ... as in Miami, where the Heat have lost Shaquille O'Neal for the next 4-6 weeks with torn left knee cartilage. Other teams who have been without a key part include Detroit (Richard Hamilton), Cleveland (Larry Hughes), the Lakers (Kobe Bryant), New Jersey (Richard Jefferson), Philadelphia (Chris Webber), Orlando (Grant Hill), New York (Steve Francis) and Denver, which has lost Kenyon Martin for the season. For Miami, the loss of Shaq goes far beyond any statistics the Diesel generates: it defines who Miami is. And now the Heat must use a different style without the big man in the middle. "You can't reinvent the wheel in 24 hours, but probably over the next week we'll change things offensively to get more people involved and see what we can do to be more efficient," Heat coach Pat Riley told the Palm Beach Post. At least the Heat has superstar Dwayne Wade and several supporting veterans from which to fashion a new team blueprint. In Memphis, Pau Gasol's injury has devastated the team, relegating a playoff team that won 49 games a year ago into the NBA's basement with a 1-8 record. To compound matters, veteran guard Eddie Jones, who got off to a slow start, is sidelined with an injury while point guard Damon Stoudamire, coming off a major knee surgery, has lost his starting job to Chucky Atkins. While Miami and Memphis have lost All-Stars who cannot be replaced, the Bucks (3-7) have lost both starting forwards: Bobby Simmons and Charlie Villanueva. Simmons, who has yet to play this season due to a stress reaction in his right heel, might be back in early December. Villanueva, who averaged 14.6 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds in his first eight games, tore a left elbow ligament last week against Atlanta and is expected out until at least mid-December.

You still need lots of 'Bigs' - The evidence is everywhere: the league has changed to a quicker paced game with smaller lineups. When players such as Indiana's Danny Granger and Chicago's Andres Nocioni are playing some minutes at power forward, we've come a long way from the league of Charles Oakley and Otis Thorpe. But despite this dramatic change, it still seems you can never have enough bigs on your roster.
Take Denver. When the season started, rebounding specialist Reggie Evans, who received a handsome five-year contract in September, didn't even play the first three games despite being completely healthy. Then starting power forward Kenyon Martin went down. Now Nene, who missed all but one game last season due to ACL surgery, has missed several games due to soreness in his surgically repaired knee. Former bench igniter Eduardo Najera moved into the Nuggets' starting lineup following Martin's departure while Evans has gone from spectator to first big man off the bench seemingly overnight. He has averaged 19 minutes, 8.8 points and 8.0 rebounds since rejoining the working world. How about Boston? Starting center Theo Ratliff has played in just two of the first 10 games because of continued back problems, and power forward Al Jefferson underwent an emergency appendectomy two weeks ago. Backup center Michael Olowokandi, who could have realized substantial playing time in Ratliff's absence, was instead sidelined with a torn abdominal muscle. Leon Powe, a rookie from California who was inactive the first six games of the season, is suddenly playing about 15 minutes per game. He tallied 10 points and seven rebounds in his first NBA game. So if you see lots of front-court players filling out the tail end of NBA rosters, now you know why. Big men remain a coveted commodity ... especially when other big men are injured.

Update: 2007 Draft Prospects - A few of the better-known European players expected to garner interest from teams in the 2007 draft have encountered tough times this season. Tiago Splitter, the Brazilian big man playing for Tau Ceramica in Spain, missed four Spanish League games and two Euroleague games due to back spasms. Splitter has been slowed since returning, averaging nine points and 5.2 rebounds in five games. Splitter could be a first-round pick this June. Rudy Fernandez, the athletic big guard of DKV Joventut, also in Spain, suffered a groin pull that sidelined him for three games, including a blowout loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv. Fernandez, the sixth man on Spain's gold-medal-winning team at the World Championships, is averaging 13.3 points in his first seven games. Marco Belinelli, the quick-shooting 20-year-old guard from Climamio Bologna in Italy, is struggling from the 3-point line this season, nailing just 12 of 50 attempts (24 percent). But he's still averaging 15.7 points. Some prospects, though, have raised their draft profiles. Bosnian forward Mirza Teletovic has risen to the challenge in his first season in Europe's top national league, the ACB of Spain. Playing for Tau Ceramica, Teletovic has become a dangerous three-point shooter, hitting 18-of-37 from long range (49 percent). Another sharpshooter, Renaldas Seibutis of Lithuania, has made 15 of 30 three-point shots for his Greek League team, Maroussi. The 6-5 Seibutis is shooting 55 percent from the field and is averaging 11.7 points.

4) Mike Kahn of Foxsports.com has 10 things:

10 things we learned this week

Maybe the perception of Golden State Warriors general manager Chris Mullin that the athletic group he put together was the perfect fit for his own former coach on the Warriors Don Nelson was mere folly. After all, Nelson is 66, was retired in Hawaii and had been fired twice since he coached his star Mullin and the Warriors to the playoffs for the last time some 13 seasons ago. But 10 games into the season Mullin isn't looking so crazy.

1. Item: Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal had surgery over the weekend to repair a torn cartilage in his knee and will be out 4-6 weeks. What this really means: The Heat entered the week 4-5, and the likelihood is O'Neal will miss more than 20 games. This is comparable to last season when O'Neal went out early with a sprained ankle and Miami went 10-23 without him. This will again test what kind of stamina and skill Alonzo Mourning has left, while pushing an already mentally (and perhaps physically) tired Dwyane Wade. The general perspective is the Heat will have plenty of time to piece things back together if only because the East is so mediocre with only three teams above .500 entering this week. But the Heat didn't add any youth and this aging team will have a tougher time playing out a season well into June again. Besides, O'Neal is 34, still far too much tonnage over 300 pounds and proved last season he is no longer capable of dominating regularly. Getting Jason Williams back this week from knee surgery helps their backcourt, but they need more shooting and athleticism if O'Neal continues his downhill slide.

2. Item: The Warriors are off to a 7-3 start, with young players and veterans buying into the smallball that Nellie loves to play and is, in fact, the vogue style of the NBA these days anyway. What this really means: Right now, it's all about mercurial point guard Baron Davis buying what Nellie is selling, and so far, so good. Davis had the game of the week in their win over Sacramento with 36 points, 18 assists and eight rebounds. But it's more than him. Jason Richardson is getting stronger and recovering from knee surgery with a more controlled, mature game as he regains his strength and athleticism. And then there is the new sensation — 20-year-old guard Monta Ellis — in his second season straight out of high school in Mississippi. With Davis straining his rib cage Saturday night against Seattle, Ellis had 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to pace the 12-point Warriors victory — capping a 3-0 week during which he averaged better than 20 points. What we don't know is how the solid start of 6-foot-11 Andris Biedrins, 20, will hold up, nor the body overall of talented but injury-prone Troy Murphy, whom Nelson expected to be the primary power player. In other words, there are still plenty of issues with this young team off to its best start in 12 years. Davis doesn't always look beyond himself and also is injury-prone — plus the ages of Ellis, Biedrins and Mickael Pietrus, whom they opted not to sign beyond this season. But for now, they're fun, playing at a high level and exactly what Mullin hoped to see.

3. Item: Over the past week, Peja Stojakovic has had a 42-point game and a game-winning shot to lead the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets to a pair of victories to stay close in the Southwest Division race. What this really means: Stojakovic still has plenty of artillery, becoming the first player in NBA history to score his team's first 20 points in that 42-point effort against Charlotte. But the Hornets, a very impressive 7-3 under Byron Scott, still are only as good as second-year point guard Chris Paul allows them to be. He had 35 points Saturday night when they nipped Minnesota and will challenge for the NBA assist title. Nonetheless, for the Hornets to be serious contenders, Stojakovic has to prove he still has the physical tools and mental toughness to sustain his former All-Star capability throughout the regular season and into the playoffs. A lot of people were aghast by the $60 million-plus contract the Hornets gave him in the off-season, if only because he has backslid so dramatically in consistency the past two seasons in Sacramento and then Indiana. Three teams in two seasons speaks volumes, and this year is vital for the one-time "best international player" in the NBA to regain his previous status and help give Oklahoma City something special for playing host to this franchise for two seasons.

4. Item: Emeka Okafor became one of only a handful of players in NBA history to average at least 20 points and 15 rebounds during a four-game losing streak, then had 19 points, nine rebounds, five blocks and five steals as the Charlotte Bobcats beat the San Antonio Spurs for the first time in franchise history. What this really means: At 2-7, the Bobcats are still struggling on the floor and at the gate, but prevailing wisdom around the league believes this team has a lot of young talent that will eventually start winning. Okafor was out virtually all of last season after winning the 2005 rookie of the year and people forgot what a dominant player he is inside at both ends of the floor. With versatile Gerald Wallace and young guard Raymond Felton, they have great athleticism at both ends of the floor. But the big transition came last week with the win at San Antonio. Rookie forward Adam Morrison had an epiphany of sorts last week — going to the basket to help set up his rhythm from the perimeter with 27 and 21 points in succession. He was 21 of 41 from the field in the two games following a previous run of 10-for-43 — so the Bobcats have another potential rookie of the year on their hands. And yet, most of it will come from the play and leadership of Okafor, averaging 19.1 points, 12 rebounds and 4.1 blocks for Bernie Bickerstaff. Now if the fans will only buy into them in this second go-round in Charlotte, something special may happen — whether minority owner and president Michael Jordan actually participates or not.

5. Item: Portland Trail Blazers forward Darius Miles is out for the year due to microfracture surgery to his debilitated knee and Zach Randolph is back averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds. For some reason, nobody thinks these two circumstances are mutually exclusive. What this really means: The Blazers are better off without Miles for more reasons than are logical. No one player — particularly an underachieving and mediocre player — should affect a team that much. But that's what Miles has done, undermining and running coach Maurice Cheeks out of town — while dragging down the attitude of Randolph and any other mentally vulnerable player into the muck with him. Now his career is in jeopardy and they're better off for it. Meanwhile, Randolph has lost at least 15 pounds, and has regained the bounce and excitement to his game before he had microfracture surgery. Struggling last year with his weight and his game under the scrutiny of aggressive new coach Nate McMillan while recovering from surgery — Miles pulled Randolph into his cloud of negativity. The Blazers now must learn from that, not just because of Miles, but because Randolph is an extraordinary young talent prone to fall into the lowest common denominator crowd. Surround him with good young guys like rookies Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge; Martell Webster, Joel Przybilla, Jarrett Jack and Juan Dixon — and that gives Randolph a chance to blossom and McMillan to dig this team out of the Northwest Division cellar.

6. Item: The Dallas Mavericks have rebounded from their 0-4 start to win their fourth in a row Saturday night and one of the key reasons is the surprise start of Erick Dampier, who had 24 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks in the 12-point win over Memphis. What this really means: Coach Avery Johnson is ecstatic about the play of Dampier, who hadn't established any consistent production for the Mavericks but appears to have hit his stride. In the incredibly tough Southwest Division with the Spurs, Rockets and Hornets battling it out with them, it is necessary to be strong in the pivot as opposed to the rest of the league going mostly small. Between Dampier and DeSagana Diop, Johnson has a nice duo to work with.
But at the heart of the streak is still All-NBA forward Dirk Nowitzki, who averaged nearly 27 points and 11 rebounds during those four wins. Nowitzki drew a lot of MVP votes a year ago and rightfully so considering he led the Mavericks to the Western Conference crown. Still, his virtual shrinkage from a 7-footer to 6-2 in the Finals collapse against the Heat is still lingering in everyone's mind. Was it an aberration under the weight of a first trip to the Finals or a sign of weakness? This is the season we'll find out.

7. Item: The Chicago Bulls lost their fourth in a row Sunday night to the Los Angeles Lakers, and fell to 3-7 on the season — perhaps the biggest disappointment of this young season. What this really means: The Bulls early schedule, as always, is devastating — with seven of those first 10 on the road. And because of the way Scott Skiles has them defend night-in and night-out, they always regain their composure and finish strongly. The addition of Ben Wallace and P.J. Brown in the off-season, along with rookies Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha, only helps that propensity. However, they really didn't address their primary need — an offensive post presence. Most of their offense is generated from the perimeter by point guard Kirk Hinrich and explosive scorer Ben Gordon. Luol Deng has shown he can score too, and Andres Nocioni had a superb game with 30 points in Sunday night's loss at the Staples Center to the Lakers. But unless they find somebody who can get them points and/or to the free throw line consistently down the stretch, they can't possibly meet the great expectations to challenge for the East title.

8. Item: The San Antonio Spurs are off to an 8-2 start and set a franchise record by winning their first five road games. What this really means: While too many people are making a big deal about whether or not defensive star Bruce Bowen intentionally sticks a foot under jump-shooters, this team is off and running again to lead the Southwest Division. To address Bowen — he is one of the league's good guys and has made his living as one of the top perimeter defenders in the league the past 10 years. If his foot gets underneath a shooter once in a while stepping out, so be it. He's not trying to hurt players. That's ludicrous. Meanwhile, despite a horrible start from Manu Ginobili, the Spurs are doing just fine behind Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, their new big guys up front, and the veteran bench led by Michael Finley and Brent Barry. It has become almost cliché to say the Spurs will be there in the end because of their consistency and defense. But it wouldn't be said and written so often were it not true. Nobody has a more consistent approach and focus to the game than coach Gregg Popovich, which is why his team is the same way. As long as Duncan is healthy, the Western Conference champion must go through San Antonio.

9. Item: Philadelphia 76ers point guard Allen Iverson always talks about being real and this past week dealt with a real dose of reality when 22-year-old Kevin Johnson was taken off life support and died. Johnson was shot in the back of the neck three years ago when he was surrounded by teens demanding the Iverson jersey he was wearing. What this really means: This was devastating when it happened, and just as it gradually slipped from the minds of the folks who first heard about it — this ugly scenario returned raw and unnerving. Young Robert Ferguson received a 15-30 year sentence for shooting Johnson and Iverson called Johnson's mother last week, offering to pay for the funeral. He talked about how horrible the situation is in Philadelphia with guys causing so many unnecessary deaths, and how he'd like to help. Gun violence has reached epidemic proportions in this country and no other high-profile professional workplace is more representative of that than the NBA. People can talk about rap and the hip-hop era being about inherent music and expression. It is. But it's also about guns and violence, and has created a false impression of acceptable violence in America. If Iverson is serious about helping, then now is the time he should lead his teammates in the most important step of his life — drop their weapons and become a spokesman. It is a constitutional right to carry arms, but it's a human privilege for children to grow up in a society without having to pack heat and the adults to teach them why. Come on A.I. ... the kids love you and this one move could erase all the negative perception of your past. Start the "Drop your weapons" campaign now.

10. Item: It is now official ... not only have the Utah Jazz jumped out to the NBA's best start at 9-1, but they lead the league in scoring during the first 10 games at 108.3. What this really means: Expectations were high for Utah entering the season, and there were a lot of ways people could have anticipated the Jazz getting off to such a great start. At least on the surface, a Jerry Sloan-coached team leading the league in scoring was not one of them. But the way they are averaging so many points makes perfect sense. Even with perpetually injured star Andrei Kirilenko already sidelined with an ankle sprain after whining about not enough shots, they have been dominating the boards and getting continuous easy baskets off fast breaks. Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur are a great scoring/rebounding threat together up front, with rookie Paul Millsap a big surprise. And that's just up front. Now healthy, swingman Matt Harpring has been exceptional off the bench, as has the subtle addition of Derek Fisher for perimeter shooting. Add in youngsters Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Miles and Dee Brown leading the sprint up and down the floor, and they have athleticism and young depth like never before. But none of it works without the growth of second-year point guard Deron Williams. Do the Jazz have staying power? We won't know for quite some time because this group has been so injury-prone. Nonetheless, but this is the most exciting Jazz team since the end of the Stockton/Malone Era and appears to be the most likely year for Sloan to earn the richly-deserved coach of the year award that has wrongly eluded him for 18-plus seasons.