The Pride of New York?

The Knicks have taken their fair share of criticism and licks over the past decade. Their last playoff appearance was during the 2003/04 season with a record of 39-43 (7th seed) and they lost in the first round at the hands of the New Jersey Nets. Enter the Mike D'Antoni era. D'Antoni, known for his fast-paced offensive attacks, smaller lineups and lack-luster defense, has been at the helm for a couple of seasons, cleaned a little house and worked well with Donnie Walsh to bring in some talent. The biggest move was bringing in Amar'e Stoudemire, who had formerly played in the D'Antoni system in Phoenix, to serve as their go-to-guy, a move that has transitioned nicely, Amar'e is putting up 26.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2 blocks per contest. The Knicks are 16-10 on the season, including a heart-breaker against the Celtics on Wednesday night. Amar'e Stoudemire has scored at least 30 points in his last nine games and has been an absolutely dominating force in the east. I'll be the first to admit that i was a critic of the Amar'e move, i thought that perhaps Amar'e was made to look like a better player than he actually is because of Steve Nash, and most people probably understand my assumption, Steve Nash could probably make any player look better, right? Well, i still believe that Nash is the standard as far as point guards of the last decade go, but, i must admit my poor evaluation and reconsider my take on Stoudemire. This guy is the real deal, with or without Steve Nash, he demands a double team, can out-leap just about any player at the four or five position and can just, flat out, play the game.

Another key reason for Knick success has been a 6'1 point guard from the University of North Carolina, Raymond Felton, the former Tar Heel is on pace for major statistical jumps in points per game (18.7), assists (8.9), steals (2.0) and field goal percentage (.464). He was always a very good on-the-ball defender in Charlotte and showed flashes of offensive greatness, but, always seemed to lack the leeway from Larry Brown to really unleash and run the offense the way he wanted to. I always got the impression that Felton was kind of like coach Brown's puppet in Charlotte and really wasn't allowed to break it open. Well folks, Raymond Felton has broken it open in the Mike D'Antoni system and has became one of the leagues better point guards this season. Felton has posted double-digit scoring in every game except one, this season, and has netted double-digit assists in thirteen games. Felton's play has impressed me thus far and he should really be thrown into the discussion when talking about the leagues top point guards. He and Stoudemire really seem to compliment each other nicely and this should be the start to something very special for Knicks fans.

Now that I've won most of you New Yorkers over, I'm going to give you some tough love. I believe the Knicks have started great and have put some pieces into play, but, these Knicks are not going to win a championship, not without help. They need to land Carmelo Anthony, or another big-time scorer. Right now you're probably thinking, what the heck, this guy just praised Amar'e and Felton for two full paragraphs, and now he's telling me that the Knicks can't win? And, i am. The Knicks can NOT and will not win, or even compete with the top teams in the Eastern conference with their current team. Can they land the 5th or 6th seed in the East? Probably, and they'd likely win a couple of games against a top team, but, there is no way they can hold up for seven game with the likes of Boston, Orlando, Miami or Atlanta. These teams have been there before, they're too deep and they have more weapons. Raymond Felton got worked by Jameer Nelson in the first round last season and the rest of the Knicks players, with exception to Stoudemire, have never even sniffed a playoff game, let alone battled a dominate team for seven games. A couple of harsh facts that stand out to me are, they played at the absolute highest level they can possibly play against the Celtics on Wednesday night, and they still lost, it was a good, close game, but, they played out of their minds and they still couldn't win, at home. Imagine if that game was in Boston? They might have lost by ten. Another harsh fact is that Amar'e Stoudemire is averaging close to 38 minutes per game, which has to concern you if you're a Knicks fan. He's had injury issues in the past and playing that many minutes, while being the focal point of an offense can really put the miles on a guy who plays with his level of intensity. You have got to wonder whether or not he'll break down.

As a New Yorker, I'm glad to see the strides the Knicks have made and hopefully they keep grinding and make some noise later on this season. I just believe they need that extra piece to become a legit contender, maybe they'll get it this season, maybe it will take the off-season. Either way, it's exciting to see this franchise breath some life again.

Nets 2010/11 Assessment:

The post Jason Kidd era has been tough on the Nets. Jason Kidd was traded to Dallas, fifty-one games into the 2007/08 season, they would finish 34-48 and miss the playoffs. Since then, the Nets are a combined 46-118 in the past two seasons, they started 0-18 last season and finished 12-70. Kidd is gone, Richard Jefferson is gone, Vince Carter is gone. The Nets haven't made the playoffs since 2006-07 and they're in a slump, but, these are all things that happen when a team is rebuilding. These are the tell-tale signs, people. This isn't the time for hanging your heads. This should be the time that Nets fans start to get excited about their future. Look at the list, it's all there, these are the things that teams do before and while trying to rebuild, and the Nets have done them all. Here are the four phases, in no specific order, that should let you know that a rebuild is happening/coming.

1- They go out and grab big named help: The Nets landed Vince Carter, believing maybe the talk about him folding in big games was all just hype.

2- Panic sets in and the fire-sale on all big named players with big money ensues: They deal Kidd to Dallas, the move RJ to Milwaukee and they trade Carter to Orlando.

3- They draft a stud, who can essentially be the future of said team: Brook Lopez. In this case, the phases weren't exactly in order, because Lopez was drafted before the fire-sale was completed, that tends to be the way it works sometimes.

4- While dealing these big named guys, the team locks up some young prospects, contracts to dump and draft picks. The Nets did all of these things, they landed prospects such as Devin Harris, Travis Outlaw, Anthony Morrow, Courtney Lee. They got contracts they could dump or trade, like Troy Murphy, Rafer Alston and Tony Battie. They also did a good job of using some draft picks. They got Terrence Williams, Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson and Derrick Favors.

Fast-forward to the 2010/11 season, and the Nets are still playing abysmal ball, and now my "phases to a rebuild" theory has more holes in it than Dennis Rodman's brain https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGdI2RQ0uVLNxH4Sxj9WQ9wHcgjClypCYNExc2z_CtUDfylc3Xa7KAokX-vGJGuYl0940UEMxwSeylYe1KgT8MPo5a5IVL20imh9mLsm46TZVJkhdw-j2VzR05aWmUyV6kLyGHKZPe9k/s1600/Rodman+ventral+brain.jpg (that is a real ventral of Rodman's brain, folks). Anyways, the point I'm trying to get at, is this. Things normally get worse before they get better, the quiet before the storm, if you will. Even celebrated franchise teams, such as the Lakers and the Celtics have hard times, people forget things fast, but, both Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce were asking for trades before their GM's went out and got them help. Brook Lopez is the Nets future player, he's not as good of a rebounder as i though he would be, he's not greatly athletic, but, he commands double teams with his inside post game, can score in bunches, can shoot the ball well and blocks shots. Finding "Big Men" in today's NBA that can score is a big deal, they're not a dime-a-dozen. A lot of teams don't have an answer for it. Name me five NBA centers that you would bet your life savings on to go out and get you twenty points for three games in a row..... Still nothing? I'll make it easier, name three... I didn't think so. Brook Lopez and Dwight Howard may be the only two, and that could be pushing it. The thing is, Brook has a better offensive game than Howard, he has a back-to-the-basket repertoire and he can convert from the line (.812 career). If you think that having a 7-footer with an offensive arsenal isn't coveted, go ask Stan Van Gundy, or watch the fits he breaks into http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rztY0oxObXI when Howard can't convert from inside eight feet, or make ten of his twenty-two free throws to seal a playoff victory.

So now that I've convinced you of Brook Lopez, i have convinced you, correct? If not, scroll back up and re-read. Let's move on to the next step for the Nets. They have some pieces in place to compliment Brook, they have a solid, all-star caliber point guard in Devin Harris, they have prospects in Terrence Williams and Derrick Favors and they also have role players in Travis Outlaw, Troy Murphy, Chris Humphries, Anthony Morrow and Jordan Farmar. To be realistic, my guess is they'll need a SF or SG with big time scoring capability before they become a true contender in the East. Which also means that some of the before mentioned names will have to be on the block, the most obvious is Troy Murphy, because he has an 11 million dollar contract that is nearing expiration and because Murphy is a pretty solid player, making him a decent trade prospect, beyond just his dollar value. Another trading piece the Nets may need to exercise, would be their rookie, Favors. Favors could be the asking price of many teams willing to part ways with a skilled veteran, because of his upside. My last real trading scenario, not a popular one, is dealing Devin Harris, he's a crafty six year vet, with a skill-set that would undoubtedly draw in suitors from across the league. Of course, any of these trades would have to net the Nets something special, whenever you're talking about dealing a player of Harris's ability or a young, raw talent to be, such as Favors, the risk is high. Nobody wants to be the GM to trade the next big time stud. But, as with all trades, there is a risk and reward factor, and that will be for the Nets front office to figure out. Carmelo Anthony in a Navy and Grey uniform does have a subtle, attractive lure to it. Only time will tell. In the mean time. I believe that the Nets still have a decent enough shot at taking the 7 or 8 seed for the 2011 playoffs, it's not impossible. Chemistry is a tricky thing, i think they have a solid eight-man rotation to work with, they have their stars, in Lopez and Harris. They just need to find a way to mesh together and make things work. I can see them finishing 42-40, which could net you a playoff birth in the East, the Bulls netted the eight-seed at 41-41 last season. But, for all of you optimists, lol, for all of you who have given up hope completely this season. Here is a list of free agent help for next season.

Caron Butler, Carmelo Anthony, Tayshaun Prince, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Zach Randolph, David West, Jason Richardson, Carl Landry, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Andrei Kirilenko and Josh Howard all come off the books after next season. All unrestricted free agents, some are far more ideal than others, but, i believe they all have value when mixed and matched correctly. Happy hunting!

Point Guard Power Rankings, Week 2:

This week saw some great point guard action, the league is really starting to shape up into a point guards playground, and these guys make a living at making the opposing defenses look silly. Two new players break into the top 5, leaving two others on the outside, and a Rookie crashes the party!

#1- Derrick Rose (Last week #1): Rose has played five games since our last rankings, leading the Bulls to a 3-2 record, losing their first two against tough conference foes, Boston and Orlando. Rose and company bounced back to win their last three, over the Rockets, Thunder and Cavs, bringing them to 12-8 on the season and two games ahead of the Pacers in the Central division. Rose averaged 21 ppg and 8 assists over this stretch, putting together 30 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds and 5 steals in a winning effort over the Rockets.

#2- Russell Westbrook (Last week #2): Westbrook turned in a great week of action, the loss to Chicago and Rose may have been the only thing keeping him out of the #1 spot this week, like Rose, Westbrook led his Thunder to a 3-2 record over the last five outings and Russ, averaged 23.4 ppg and 8.8 assists during this stretch, including a near triple-double in a triple overtime win against the Nets on Dec. 1st. Westbrook was absolutely on fire that game, recording 38 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals in the win.

#3- Deron Williams (Last week #3):  Deron played four games since our last rankings, bringing the Jazz to a 2-2 record over that stretch, Williams averaged 21.2 ppg and 10.6 assists for the week. Deron has continued to be the complete package this season and is really fighting hard to topple Rose in the standings. Rose and Westbrook both turned in monster games last week, leaving Williams in 3rd.

#4- Raymond Felton (Last week #8): Felton makes the big jump from 8th to 4th this week. There are three reasons for that. 1) Felton has looked amazing this week and all season, averaging 18.6 ppg and 8.8 apg. 2) The Knicks won all four of their games this week and eleven of their last twelve, i believe Felton is a huge reason for this. 3) He looked better than last week's 4-7. Felton recorded a double-double in each of his four games this past week, with exception of the Toronto game (18 and 8) and the Knicks are running on a full tank.

#5- Steve Nash (Last week #7): Nash and the Suns went 3-2 this week and Nash brought in a double-double in four of their five games. Nash is averaging in 18.1 ppg and 10.5 apg on the season. This latest run has helped Phoenix reach .500 on the season at 11-11 (2nd in the Pacific) and Nash is the reason for this.

#6- Rajon Rondo (Last week #5): Rondo and his league leading 14.1 assists per game (13.6 on the week) helped Boston cruise to three wins this week, on the December 1st, 3rd and 8th, including a 12 point and 19 assist game. Rondo has been the premier assist man this season and really has a knack for running the Celtic offense. I'm still waiting for an offensive breakout from the four year Kentucky guard, time will tell if Rondo can harness his offensive game.

#7- Chris Paul (Last week #4): Paul has slipped a few spots due to his abysmal offensive performances this week. Paul managed 12 assists per game, but, only gave us two games in double-digit points, while leading New Orleans to 2-2 on the week. You should expect to see Paul break from his slump, he had a bad week in terms of scoring, I'm sure he'll get back on the horse in time for next week's rankings.

#8- Tony Parker (Last week #9): Parker had a non-existent game in the loss to the Clippers on the 1st, but, since then, he's put up 20 and 5, 19 and 7 and 19 and 9, in three straight winning efforts. The Spurs still have the best record in the league and Parker's play can't go unnoticed.

#9- Monta Ellis (Last week #6): Ellis and company lost all four games this week, but, Ellis turned out good performances, averaging 23.2 ppg and racking up 38 point and 29 point efforts on their losing streak. The Warriors may not be winning games, but, Ellis is turning in a convincing all-star bid thus far.

#10- John Wall (Last week NA): John Wall crashes the party this week at #10. The Rookie guard, out of Kentucky has strung together some nice games, as well as some nice highlights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWInFqVdjyE, Wall has been in double-digit scoring for all four of the Wizards games last week and also turned in 22 and 14 and a 12 and 12 performances for the week. This kid has one of the best stop-and-go moves I've ever seen and should be an elite PG for many seasons to come.

Close but no cigar: Mike Conley, Brandon Jennings, Tyreke Evans, Andre Miller, Jrue Holiday, Devin Harris, Jameer Nelson.

NBA Recap,Wednesday, Dec 1st:

Didn't have a chance to catch all twelve games on Wednesday night? We got you covered!

Hawks edge Grizz for their 4th straight, and they do so without All-Star, Joe Johnson, who will undergo surgery (right, shooting elbow) on Thursday to remove loose objects. Horford leads the way for Atlanta with 20, five other Hawks reached double figures. Rudy Gay had 23 and Mike Conely added 22, in the loss. Memphis loses for just the 2nd time in six games, Atlanta sweeps the season series at 2-0.

The Thunder need triple OT to beat the Nets, 123-120 in NJ. Russell Westbrook explodes for 38 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals, Westbrook also scored all 13 of the Thunder's overtime points. Apparently Russ read my point guard power rankings and is none too happy with ranking #2, behind Derrick Rose, point taken. Jeff Green had 37 as the Thunder do it without Kevin Durant (sprained knee). Brook Lopez notched 28 points and 10 boards, Jordan Farmar had a career high 28 points and a career high 52 minutes, in the loss. Devin Harris did not play (knee strain) and is day-to-day.

The Raptors knock of the Wiz, 127-108, John Wall returned after missing two games and Gilbert Arenas vanished, shooting 1-10 from the floor and finishing with just 7 points. Wall had 19 points and 9 assists, in the loss. The Wiz face Portland, Phoenix and the Lakers in their next three. DeMar DeRozan had 20 to lead all scorers, Sonny Weems and Andre Bargnani each added 18, there were seven Raptors in all to reach double figures in the route.

Boston Drops Portland by four, 99-95, at the TD Garden. Paul Pierce led all scorers with 28 points, while KG added 17 and Glen "Big Baby" Davis had 16. Wesley Matthews was Portland's high man with 23, Andrew Miller had 20 and Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge both had 18 in the loss. Boston wins It's fifth straight, while on the flip side of that, the Blazers lose their fifth straight.

Pistons at Heat, Miami (11-8) rolls past the Pistons by 25, to win 97-72. Detroit is hardly a worthy opponent, but, I'm sure it will do for the Heat, who have struggled this season. Lebron James led the way with 18, Bosh and Wade helped out with 16 apiece. Detroit continues to have their problems on both ends of the floor, Rookie, Greg Monroe had 15 and Charlie Villanueva added 10 to be the only two Pistons in double figures. Detroit is 6-13 on the season and will probably land somewhere in the lottery for next season.

Orlando storms into Chicago to defeat the Bulls, 107-78. The Magic (14-4), led by Jameer Nelson (24) and Vince Carter (22) looked to embarrass the Bulls on their homecourt, and succeeded. Brandon Bass had 17 and Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis both struck for 13, to round out all Magic players in double figures. Noah had 16, Derrick Rose had 15 and Taj Gibson finished with 10, in the loss. Carlos Boozer made his highly anticipated Chicago debut, but, only managed to score 5 point in 21 minutes of play. Tail of the tape is that Orlando has now won five straight and did so by outrebounding the Bulls, 44-21.

The Hornets stung the Bobcats, 89-73. David West led the way with 22, Chris Paul turned in 9 and 14  assists, while Emeka Okafor grabbed a double-double with 14 and 13. The Hornets (13-5) look to have a good thing going, but, could meet some tough times against division foes such as Dallas and San Antonio. Gerald Wallace had 18, Dj Augustin and Boris Diaw both supplied 13 and Stephen Jackson (suspension) didn't play during the loss.

Dallas (14-4) kept their strong start alive by beating Minnesota (4-14), 100-86. Shawn Marion led the way for the Mavs with 16, Jason Terry had 12, Dirk Nowitzki and Caron Butler both chipped in with 10. Michael Beasley had 16, while Kevin Love and Darko Milicic both connected for 10, in the loss.

Houston stuns the Lakers, 109-99, behind Kevin Martin's 22 points. Shane Battier had 17 and Luis Scola supplied 14 in their payback victory over LA. Houston has struggled with Yao Ming and Aaron Brooks both suffering early injuries, my projected "second best team in the West" has not done so hot thus far. Maybe this is the big win they needed to right the ship. The Lakers (13-6) were led by Kobe Bryant's 27 and Lamar Odom's 25, although it wasn't enough to get the W.

Denver bests the Bucks, 105-94, behind 24 from Nene, JR Smith also kicked in 20 points and 10 rebounds in the win. John Salmons scored 21 for the Bucks and Corey Maggette added 17, in the loss.

The Jazz trump the Pacers, 110-88, led by 24 points and 16 assists from Deron Williams, Kirilenko had 18, Al Jefferson added 17 and Paul Millsap finished the night with 16. With the parting of ways with Carlos Boozer, this has really become Deron's team, and he's really taken to the task nicely. He looks primed for an all star appearance, as well as a playoff birth. The Pacers had five players in double figures, led by Darren Collison, with 16. The Pacers are 9-8 and need to really put a stamp on their season before it is too late.

LA: The Clippers shock the world and grab a W against the Spurs. The Clippers (4-15) have been, well... The Clippers this season and, the Spurs (15-3) have been the Spurs. The Clippers looked pretty good, maybe all they needed was a little Baron Davis, he finished with 7 points but, really controlled the court with 10 assists. Blake Griffin had a huge night with 31 points and 13 rebounds and Eric Gordon chipped in 21. The Spurs were led by George Hill, who had 17 and Manu Ginobili who had 15. Tim Duncan was a non-factor and Tony Parker goes into hibernation, just one day after i ranked him inside the top 10 of the PG rankings, and the Spurs lose.

2010/11 NBA Power Rankings, PG Edition:

As i search the net each day, looking through blogs and articles from a vast population of sports writers and bloggers, i always find opinions on NBA power rankings and overall lists of top teams. The elite players from these teams, Kobe, Lebron, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, and the list goes on, always generate a lot of chatter and get tons of face time on these blogs and articles, so basically, i thought, what if somebody did these power rankings, but, instead of doing power rankings for all 30 NBA teams, somebody did power rankings based solely on the players at their respective positions. So, I've decided to start a power rankings system for point guards and possibly extend that to each position. I'll do this on a bye-weekly basis. Here is your top 10.

#1- Derrick Rose: 26.6 ppg, .468 FG%, 8.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals per contest.  Rose has been absolutely on fire this season. Upping his point per game by 7.2 from his career total of 19.4. Rose has also seen increases in his assists and rebounds. The Memphis product, has led the Bulls to an early division lead in the Central, at 9-6, without the newly acquired Carlos Boozer. Rose has notched double-doubles four times this season and has also reached at least 30 points on six occasions. The numbers don't lie, folks, D-Rose is the man right now and you can take that to the bank!

#2- Russell Westbrook: 23.8 ppg, .447 FG%, 8.6 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals per contest. Westbrook has helped lead the young Thunder to a 12-6 record this season, trailing only Utah in the Northwest, by a game and a half. Westbrook has upped his career ppg by 7.3, is a great defender and is also a tough matchup for opposing PG's, the former Bruin has great size and strength for a point guard without lacking speed and quickness on offense. Westbrook has great upside and is knocking on the door for the #1 spot.

#3- Deron Williams:  21.9 ppg, .464 FG%, 9.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest. D-Will is as advertised, big (6'3), strong (210lbs) and possesses an unmatched ability to control the flow of every game. He may not get to the rack as fast as D-Rose or Rajon Rondo, but, he does possess a complete game. He, Steve Nash and Chris Paul are probably the 3 most complete point guards in the game right now, and Deron is leader of the pack. His team is leading the Northwest division at 14-5, he's almost at 10 dimes per game and he averages over 20 ppg. He's really getting it done and Utah's success has him to thank.

#4- Chris Paul: 16.5 ppg, .490 FG%, 10.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds and (league leading) 2.9 steals per contest. CP3 looks to be almost back to form, he's putting up pretty good numbers, we wish he'd score a bit more, but, everything else looks like it's there. I'm assuming he'll be right around 20 ppg before the season ends, and if healthy, he'll probably top this list. His Hornets are 12-5, which puts them 3 games behind the Spurs in the Southwest division, they should contend with Dallas and San Antonio for the entire season.

#5- Rajon Rondo: 11.5 ppg, .511 FG%, (league leading) 14.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per contest. Rondo may find himself out of the top 5 if he can't find a way to do more damage in the scoring collum, he's a great athlete, but, his jump shot isn't coming along and he still seems to rely on the "Big Three" too often. Where is the Rondo that took the league by storm during the 2009/10 playoffs? I'm in the process of faxing a picture of Rondo's scoring ability to every post office in the country, if anyone has seen it, please contact Doc Rovers immediately, because he'll need it for Boston to make a repeat appearance in the 2010/11 finals.

#6- Monta Ellis: 24.2 ppg, .476 FG%, 4.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals per contest. Ellis has been a scoring machine for the 8-10 Warriors, eclipsing the 40 point mark 3 times already this season. We'd love to see him dish a bit more, but, playing in a two point guard set with fellow Warrior, Stephen Curry, who averages 5.9 dimes per matchup could be the reason that Ellis is only hovering around 5 per contest. I'm more concerned with watching the damage Monta can cause while driving, he is one of the most explosive players to play the point guard position and is an elite scorer on most nights.

#7- Steve Nash: 18.9 ppg, .490 FG%, 9.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and about a steal per contest. Let me start by saying sorry to all of the Nash loyalists out there, i understand that it is hard to see Nash outside of the top 5, and believe me when i say that it sort of pains me to stick him here, but, i feel that i have to be true to my opinion and not place Nash inside the top 5 at this point. While he (Nash) is a great talent and probably the best PG of the last decade,  the Suns (8-9) are under .500 and they're competing with the best team in the league (LA) for the Pacific division, and things won't get any easier for Nash and company unless they can find a way to work this smaller unit, without Amare Stoudemire.

#8- Raymond Felton: 18.2 ppg, .471 FG%, 8.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2 steals per contest. I'm jumping on the Felton bandwagon right now and I'm riding that thing all the way to the Knicks first playoff appearance since 2004. Felton is on my radar for most improved player of the year. His last years numbers go something like this: 12.1 ppg, .459 FG%, 5.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest. That means he has improved in every possible way thus far. He's a great defender, shoots 36% from deep and really has the Knicks clicking.

#9- Tony Parker: 17.5 ppg, .513 FG%, 7.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest. TP has been working the helm nicely for the NBA leading Spurs (15-2) and he seems to be at the top of his game. As long as Parker stays healthy and the Spurs start winning, expect to see Parker in the top 10. He's scored over 20 nine different times and, yes, he's done what even Tiger Woods couldn't.. He's done all of these great things in the midst of a cheating scandal (sorry Tony).

#10- Stephen Curry: 20.8 ppg, .479 FG%, 5.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. Curry has been what many thought Curry would become, early into the 2010/11 season. I'll be the first to admit that i was a skeptic, i recall seeing Curry ranked inside the top 10 during a fantasy basketball draft and i thought that there was no good reason for it. He has played beyond my expectations and really could make a convincing argument for the top 5 if he becomes more of an assist guy and the Warriors start collecting some wins. Playing side-by-side with Ellis probably effects his assist numbers, but, probably also helps them in some sense.

Close but no cigar: John Wall, Brandon Jennings, Gilbert Arenas, Devin Harris, Tyreke Evans, Rodney Stuckey, Mike Conley and Jameer Nelson.

NBA Tid-Bits, Tuesday, Nov 23rd:

Tuesday night saw six matchups, including two that were decided in OT.

The Pacers downed the Cavs, 100-89, to win their second game in a row, their previous win came against the Heat. Indana is now 7-6, which puts them a half game behind Chicago in the Central division. Cleveland, now 5-8, have dropped their last three games and really seem to be in trouble. Darren Collinson has now been back for two games and the Pacers have won both. He played limited minutes (22) vs. Miami on Monday, but, saw 34 minutes against the Cavs and took full advantage of the playing time. He was 5-11 from the field, including a 3 and added 7-8 from the line to end with 18 points for the evening. Danny Granger led all scorers with 24, Brandon Rush had 16 and Mike Dunleavy chipped in 10 as the Pacers rolled. Indiana should continue to get solid play from Granger and Collinson, with the added support of their role players, Dunleavy, Rush, Hibbert, McRoberts and Hansbrough, they should be a pretty tough division foe for the Bulls down the stretch.

The Nets (5-9) knocked off the the fading Hawks (8-7) in overtime to defend their home floor, on Tuesday night. New Jersey, led by Brook Lopez and Devin Harris really needed this game, not so much for their playoff hopes, because let's face it, playoff hopes are a pipe dream for this team, but, because Lopez has been struggling and really had a huge performance against the Hawks, who are supposed to be a contender in the East. Lopez led all scorers with 32, on 12-19 shooting from the field, he also pulled in 9 boards, with only 1 turnover. Devin Harris chipped in 27, on 9-17 from the field, including three 3-pointers. Other players in double figures for the Nets were Kris Humphries (12) and Anthony Morrow (13). Atlanta is really starting to fall quickly, after starting the season 6-0, they have now lost 7 of their last 9 games, to fall backwards, almost to .500 on the season. Atlanta only attempted 13 free throws, compared to the Nets 33. Jamal Crawford led the way for the Hawks off the bench with 21, including 3-3 from three-point-land in the Loss, Horford and Joe Johnson combined for 30, while Josh Smith added 20. Atlanta had better figure out a way to end this slide and get back on track because, Orlando and Miami are already thinking about April. The Hawks will catch a bit of a break over the next five games, with the Wizards, Sixers and Grizz at home, Knicks and Raptors on the road. Then the fun begins with Orlando and Miami on the road.

The next overtime game was The Wizards vs. the Sixers, two young teams, trying to find their way in the ever-maturing, Eastern Conference. The Wiz, led by the ever impressive, John Wall and a growing JaVale McGee were able to withstand nine lead changes and three ties to escape Philly and a powerful performance from Andre Iguodala. Iggy, who has had his share of troubles this season, almost notched a triple-double, clocking 23 points, 11 rebounds and 8 dimes to, hopefully, break out of his early season slump. Elton Brand chipped in 19, which looks like something we should start getting used to, and five other Sixers reached double figures, Young (15), Speights (16), Nocioni (11), Holiday (10) and Turner (11). Philly has a young team, with plenty of talent, if Iggy and Brand can take control of this team and bring these younger guys to the next level, they could sneak an 8th seed and maybe give some teams trouble in the playoffs. John Wall was back and led all scorers with 25 off of the bench, including three free throws to send this thing into overtime. McGee had 24 points, 18 boards and 4 rejections, including a huge pass and slam from John Wall for the bucket, plus a free throw, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMGyKnR8OXg, that sent Brand packing with 3:32 to go in the 4th.  Arenas and Blatche both had 17 and Nick Young added 19 to round out all Wizards in double figures.

The Knicks topped the Bobcats 110-107 for their 4th straight victory. They seem to be meshing well, and i give a lot of the credit to Raymond Felton, Felton has emerged as top point guard this season and has finally seemed to find his way in the NBA. Felton, who had 16 points and 9 assists is averaging just under 18 ppg with 8 assists on the season, add in the fact that this kid sees the floor well and is a hard-nosed defender and you can see why he has been a breath of fresh air for Knick's fans. The five year guard out of UNC has really done a great job at connecting with the Knicks big gun, Amare Stoudemire, and has also done a great job at fitting, coach Mike D'Antoni's system of basketball. Felton and Gallinari hit four free throws in the last 15 seconds to seal the win for NY. Tony Douglas led all Knicks, with 22 points off the bench. The Knicks look good and they're starting to find that oh so important, team chemistry. Charlotte (5-10) is having trouble this season and will be vying for a playoff spot in a crowded Southeast division. Things aren't looking to get any easier for the Bobcats, as this should prove to be a long season. They'll be competing with Orlando, Miami, Atlanta and Washington, in what is quickly becoming one of the toughest divisions in basketball. Felton's replacement in Charlotte, D.J. Augustin, has stepped it up this season, he had 24  points and 7 dimes, to lead all scorers in the game, Gerald Wallace had 20 and Stephen Jackson chipped in 18 in the loss.

Dallas downs the Pistons, 88-84. Dirk Nowitzki pours in a season high 42 points and pulls down 12 rebounds in the win. Jason Kidd played his 1,200th game, Richard "Rip" Hamilton also reached a milestone, playing his 800th game. Kidd would finish the game with 7 points, 11 assists and 4 rebounds, Jason Terry had 16 and Caron Butler added 11. The Pistons had 4 players in double figures, Prince and Stuckey each had 19, while Maxiell and Gordan kicked in 10 apiece. Detroit (5-10) appears to be the early candidate for bottom-feeder of the Central division, while we're still trying to get a fix on Dallas. They have a superstar in Dirk and great role players in Terry, Kidd, Marion and Butler, now we'll have to wait and see if they can make it work.

Lakers/Bulls recap:

The Lakers win, 98-91 behind Shannon Brown and Lamar Odom who each had 21 in the contest, Brown's stock couldn't be higher at this point and Odom has been a solid mismatch scorer for the past few seasons. Kobe chipped in 20, while Gasol had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Derrick Rose led the way for Chicago, with 30 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds, Noah had 19 points, 13 boards and 3 blocked shots, Taj Gibson had 16 and 12 rebounds, while Luol Deng pitched in 13 points to round out all Bulls in double figures.

Millsap Snubbed?

The 2010/11 all-star ballot was released this week and the NBA is already catching fire for leaving a certain player's name off of the bid. This seems to happen every season and most of the time there is an easy explanation for why guys get "snubbed". Most of the time, these "snubs" happen because there are FAR too many players who are worthy of this honor, and let's face it, there are 30 teams in the NBA, there are five starters on each team and many of these teams have a productive player coming off the bench (the 6th man). Do the math, that makes over one-hundred-and-fifty players, vying for a seat at this glorious event, each season. With all of these possible suitors scrambling to claim a piece of the pie, someone who deserves the chance is bound to be left hanging. Right? Well, in this case, i believe the NBA should be ashamed. Paul Millsap has been an absolute nightmare off of the bench this season, he has 20.8 ppg, on 57.5% shooting from the field, while pulling in 9.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and more than a steal per contest and he's playing 37+ minutes per game. These are all career highs for Millsap, and let's not forget the 46 points he dumped on Lebron and company, to beat the Heat in OT, Millsap also tipped in a put-back to force the OT and ended OT on a pair of free throws. Further more, Millsap has been completely modest about the whole thing, he hasn't complained, he's just taken his lumps in stride and continued to do his job. That speaks a lot about the character of a guy. Think back to the off-season, when Boozer went to Chicago, there were a lot of people left wondering what the Jazz would do to replace him. I honestly thought it was a great move, let Boozer, his injuries and his bloated contract head to Chicago because, the Jazz have this 25 year old kid named Paul Millsap, who has already proved to be a beast when given PT. Then, instead of inserting Millsap into their starting lineup as the premiere inside presence, they sign Al Jefferson and Millsap becomes their 6th man. Millsap says fine, takes his lumps and does his job. This is the kind of player we should have on the ballot every single year. Plays hard, has the numbers, keeps his mouth closed, does his job and performs at the highest level.

Here are some forwards who have been far less productive, yet, they're named to the ballot and Millsap isn't.
Carlos Boozer
Boris Diaw
Antawn Jamison
Linas Kleiza
Rashard Lewis
Corey Maggette
Troy Murphy
Thaddeus Young..

We can all do our part by voting at NBA.com and writing in Millsap as your not-ballot vote. Each voter gets one non-ballot player to write in, you can vote once per day, and i plan to vote Millsap every day until they name the roster.

 

20,000 for Pierce:

Paul Pierce has reached his 20,00th career NBA point, on Wednesday night, in Boston. This is a great acheivement, and it was nice to see a player, such a Pierce, reach this feat, and to do it with only one team (The Celtics), on his homecourt, in front of 18,624 Celtics fans, who have cheered for Pierce since entering the league in 1998. This really is a special and rare thing to see in sports, today. Not many players reach the milestone of 20,000, and to do so with just one team, it really is rare. You don't even have to be a Boston, or Paul Pierce fan to enjoy this accomplishment. It's a great thing, and it's good for the sport. Pierce is in his 13th season (all with Boston) and has been one of the best Celtics players of all time, in my opinion. Pierce became the 37th NBA player to reach the 20,000 point mark and just the 3rd Celtic to do so. Pierce joins John Havlicek (26,395) and Larry Bird (21,791) and really seals his identity with the Boston Celtics franchise.

"Five years ago, I never would have dreamed I would have been scoring my 20,000th point in a Celtics jersey"-Pierce

Pierce's 20,00th point came on the first of two free throws, with 15.5 seconds left in OT, as the Celtics defeated the Bucks, in Boston on Wednesday night. http://www.nba.com/video/games/celtics/2010/11/03/0021000058_mil_bos_recap.nba/?ls=iref:nbahpt1. Congrats, Paul Pierce! Pierce may have locked in his HOF votes already. I believe he's a dead lock for the HOF if he is able to lead the Celtics to another NBA championship, but, the door is closing fast, Boston is not getting any younger and neither is Pierce. Racking up 20,000 points in a Celtics jersey should really add ammo to Pierce's HOF arguement, when the time comes.  

Factors for Pierce making the HOF:
20,000 points:

8-Time all star:

Has lead the Celtics to the playoffs from 2001-02-Present:

Has lead the Celtics to an NBA title in 2008 (maybe another yet to come):

Played his entire career for one of the most celebrated franchises in sports:

Career averages of 22.5 ppg, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting .445 from the field and, .370 from 3-point-land and .802 from the line:

889 career games and counting.

Trading Josh Smith?

So, Al Horford gets a contract extension from the Hawks on Monday, netting the former Florida standout, $60 million (5 years) and now, Josh Smith is popping up in trade rumors. Who knows if the Hawks really want to deal Smith, or if they're even entertaining the idea of trading him, but, the question that remains is, can they afford to keep him? As of right now, the Atlanta Hawks have some large contracts floating around, Joe Johnson ($18.5 million in 2011-12), Josh Smith ($12.5 million in 2011-12), Marvin Williams ($8 million in 2011-12) and toss in the $12 million that Horford is owed through 2011-12 and, we have an issue. Smith seems to be the guy that could be left out in the cold here. The problem for Rick Sund and company will be, do they really wanna deal Josh Smith? Here are some things that Rick Sund is mulling over right now. Smith has averaged 2.4 blocks per game for his career, 3rd in the league last season, behind only Dwight Howard and Andrew Bogut, infact, Smith was the only player to finish in the top 15 in blocks per game, who doesn't play the center position.

He is clearly their best defender inside, the Hawks enforcer, if you will. He is the guy who discourages guards from setting up shop in the lane, these type of players are hard to replace, he's a highlight reel waiting to happen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXdfH5BslOg, this is one of the most athletic players in basketball, today, if you ask me. He averages over a steal per contest, is a potential double-double guy (points and rebounds), hustles and has really started to get away from bad habits. Many people may not recall that there was a time where Josh Smith thought he was a 3-point shooter, seriously. He was taking far too many three's, for a player of his archetype. This guy is a shot-blocker, dunker, slasher, garbage-time-guy. He does the dirty work and makes this team better.

Josh Smith's 3-Point shooting by the numbers:
2005-06- 34-110, .309%
2006-07- 38-152, .250%
2007-08- 25-99, .253%
2008-09- 26-87, .299%
2009-10- 0-7, .000% (but, at least he only shot 7 all season)

I just won't understand what the Hawks are thinking if they part ways with Smith, they have Horford, don't get me wrong, i love Horford, great rebounder, good shot blocker and he has more offensive upside than Smith, they have an aging Mike Bibby, he's good for another season, MAYBE. Another guy i love is Joe Johnson, but, he's on the wrong side of 30 with a huge contract, that never translates into good things for a team, Marvin Williams is athletic and has a lot of upside, Zaza can play great ball at times, horrible attitude, but, he can do his job on most nights. The one thing that none of these guys have, outside of Marvin Williams, is athleticism. If the Hawks lose Smith, they lose most of their interior defense and a great hustle player. Atlanta went 53-29 last season (3rd best in the east), they play in the toughest division in the east, hands down, they will play Orlando, Miami and Charlotte (all playoff teams from last season), 4 times each to fight for the Southeast division, and guess what? The Southwest didn't get any less tough, they added Lebron and Chris Bosh. The last thing Atlanta should do is get less athletic. It doesn't make sense, part ways with somebody else, do whatever you can. Just keep Smith! That is their best bet.

Rondo/Gasol Named Players of the Week:

Today, the league named Boston Celtics guard, Rajon Rondo, and Los Angeles Lakers center, Pau Gasol, Eastern and Western Conference players of the week, respectively, for their play Tuesday, Oct 26, through Sunday, Oct 31.

Two players on contending teams who have really gotten off to nice starts this season. The Lakers have started off 3-0, with Gasol averaging 25.3 ppg, on .525 shooting from the field, 10.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 blocks per contest.

The big man from Spain, who is sometimes criticized for being soft, has been in true form through these first 3 games. He started hot at home, where the Rockets had no answer for the Spaniard, as he poured in 29 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. Houston really couldn't come up with an answer for the 7-footer, and ultimately lost the game. He continued his great play with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists, in Phoenix, to help nix Steve Nash and the struggling Suns. His finished the week of play with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists, to trump the Warriors, 107-83, at home.

Gasol is really starting to put his name on this basketball team, and Kobe doesn't really seem to mind the help. I actually have to give the "Black Mamba" a ton of credit on this one. We may be seeing the first time that Kobe has actually opened up the door and truly welcomed in another superstar player. This really shows Kobe's maturity and will to win. Gasol will help this team win more rings, and is more than capable to carry his share of the load. Pau does look to lack toughness at times, but, he seems to really have that look in his eyes, so far, and i think you have to believe that LA is the team to beat.

On the other end of this award, we have the scrappy Rajon Rondo, a Kentucky product, the 4 year pro has really started to become the face of the Boston Celtics and looks like he'll be a nice replacement when Paul Pierce retires, and with good reason. He is an absolute athletic nightmare for opposing teams. Although, he still lacks a reliable jumper and isn't a threat from deep, his defensive genius and crafty ball-handling make him a constant headache for coaches and opposing players, alike. Let's face it, trying to emerge from behind the shadows of Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett is no easy task. You're talking three possible HOFer's who still have a little hop in their step, but, it's becoming more and more clear that the Celtics are, infact, Rondo's team. Rondo's week started with a great win at home against Dwyane Wade and the "new look" Miami Heat, Rondo scored just 4 points but had 5 rebounds, 2 steals and a whopping, 17 assists. He went on to have 18 points, 9 assists and 3 steals as Boston fell to the Lebron-less Cavs, in Cleveland. Two nights later the Celtic's bounced back, defeating the Knicks, 105-101, in Boston, Rondo had 10 points, 7 rebounds and a career high, 24 assists. I believe that Boston will be a top 3 playoff seed, in the East and have a strong chance of making another finals appearance, behind the play of their all star guard.

NBA topics, Wednesday night:

So, opening night, Tuesday, saw Boston beat the Heat with a cool glass of defense and teamwork, Nash have 3 more turnovers than assists (6-9 ratio) and the Lakers defend home court against the emerging Rockets. Wednesday brought us 13 games packed full of some great action! Upsets, terrific guard-play, energized rookies and the Miami Heat recording their first win of the new season.

Blake Griffin:



ROTY top dog?



This kid continues to impress me every single time i watch him play. He's big, athletic, understands the game and has a non-stop motor on both ends of the floor. This kid is truly a beast! Griffin couldn't help the Clippers record their first win of the season, on Wednesday night but, he did show out, at least in my opinion. Blake logged 38 minutes (get used to that with this team), notching 20 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal, he shot 8 of 14 from the field and 4 of 6 from the line. The Clippers still lost by 10 on their home floor, but what's new? For a rookie, and for all intensive purposes, Griffin is still a rookie, he looked to know what he was doing out on the floor. He really showed me some things that you don't often see from young players, especially young players who play for bad teams. He made his rotations, picked up on what the opposing defense was doing and seemed very comfortable playing close to 40 minutes. I like his chances at taking ROTY honors this season, and i also like his chances at being a reliable 20-10 player for his NBA career. If i can convince you with words, maybe this will. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mswjjN68S30, that was also Blake's first NBA bucket.

Step it up, boys!

The Cleveland Cavaliers, they do the unthinkable and, without Lebron James, dust the Boston Celtics under the carpet, 95-87. Now, your all thinking that upsets happen all the time in the NBA, where they play 82 games per season, and your right, upsets are a common occurrence in this game, they happen, almost on a nightly basis, but, this particular upset was special because, the new look Miami squad, led by the previous Cavalier captain, Lebron James, couldn't get this very job done, one night prior. So, the question i pose to you now is this, are the Lebron-less Cavs better than we give them credit for? Probably. I don't believe they're a top 5 or 6 team in the East, but, i believe they could be a 7 or 8 seed. Here is my reasoning, they lost their best player, but, this team is made of role players, role players win you games if one or two guys can do some scoring, they will win games. Mo Williams and Jamison have proven they can score with other teams, JJ Hickson is emerging as a force and they have a laundry list of guys who feed into system basketball. Varejao, Parker, Moon, Powe, Sessions and Gibson. These players can give you quality minutes each and every night. I challenge Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison to step into leadership roles and take this team into the playoffs. How great of a story would Cleveland making a deep playoff run be? I think it would be pretty special.

One of the best PG match ups I've ever witnessed!

There were some spectacular point guard performances that took place on Wednesday night, including one of the best PG match ups i have seen in awhile, you all know the one I'm talking about, Russell Westbrook vs. Derrick Rose. Rose ended the game with 28 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and a blocked shot, he shot 12-31 from the field and simply wowed the fans every time he touched the ball, his mix of speed, agility and quickness just amazes me. 31 shots is a lot, but, sometimes you franchise players needs to take 31 shots. The other end of this amazing match up was, my boy, Russell Westbrook, this kid has great skill, he's an excellent rebounding PG, has great vision, strength and possesses all of the basic basketball skill int he world. Westbrook is currently my favorite new player in the league and i believe he flies well under the radar on most nights, of course, playing with Kevin Durant can do that to a guy. Westbrook notched 28 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and a block, on 8-15 shooting. These two were absolutely taking it to one-another, they both went hard and it was a great game to watch. I was impressed with the individual battle as much as i was impressed with how much they both still kept the other players on their teams in the game. They both did a great job of scoring and dishing. Perfect PG's by any measure, if you ask me. It was a great game, and one I'm glad i didn't miss.

PG of the future?

So, the Heat win their first game, yes it was against the 76ers and yes they are supposed to be winning games, but, now that they have gotten over the hump and won their first game, it should be all gravy from here. I see the Heat winning about 50-55 games and possibly winning their division, Orlando could also rack up 50-55 wins and maybe spoil the division title for Miami. Either way, They'll make the playoffs and be a nightmare of a match up for any team they play, Wade and Lebron CAN co-exist, Bosh may continue to look lost at times, but, he should eventually come around. My plead to the Heat's coaching staff is simple, LET KING JAMES RUN THE POINT! They will be a far better team if they just admit that Lebron is their PG, and let him play that position, he will dominate other PG's who try and guard him, his vision and speed are both good enough to play the position, he has unmatched strength and and size for that position. He will average 10+ assists a game. This is a win-win situation for the Heat, Pat Riley needs to get this get this process into motion. If Lebron becomes Miami's point guard, you can consider me an official member of the Miami Heat 2010-2011 championship fan-base.

Maniac Mode's Monster Performances:

Dwayne Wade- 30 points on 10-20 shooting from the field, 9-12 from the stripe, 7 rebounds, 4 dimes and 2 blocks, cashed in the W and steered the ship into the right directions for Miami. Russell Westbrook- 28 points on 8-15 shooting from the field, 12-13 from the line, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and a blocked shot. Dirk Nowitzki- 28 points, on an amazing 11-13 shooting, 6-6 from the charity stripe, 13 boards and a blocked shot. Roy Hibbert- 28 points on 10-17 shooting, 8-8 from the line, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 assists. Luis Scola- 36 points on 14-24 shooting, 8-12 from the line, 16 rebounds, a steal and a block.

Performance of the night:

Monta Ellis- Poured in a career high 46 points on 18-24 shooting, shot 1-2 from deep, 9-12 from the stripe, 3 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals in a win over the Houston Rockets and Luis Scolas's 36 point performance.

Game of the night goes to The Warriors vs. The Rockets. Luis Scola and Kevin Martin had big games but couldn't over come Monta Ellis and his career high, 46 points. Stephen Curry also chipped in with 25 and 11 dimes, in a win over who i believe to be the 2nd best team in the West, in Houston.

Opening Night in the NBA!

The Cleveland Cavaliers.. Uhh, i mean the Miami Heat!

Last night was officially the first night of the NBA season and i for one was very excited. I've been waiting in anticipation for the past couple of months for this season to kick off and it started last night with 3 great match ups. The new look Miami Heat "took their talents" to Boston to face the Rajon Rondo and the "Big Three". I was stuck at work until 10:30 and had to DVR this game, i tried hard not to load up ESPN MVP on my phone while at work to avoid seeing the score (okay, i peaked). As i sat awake at 3:30 this morning, i found myself wondering why? This game reminded me of a Cleveland vs. Boston game from last season, only the Cavs weren't making very many plays. Shaq was there, although, he was wearing green, Wade was basically Mo Williams and Bosh tossed up some very pedestrian numbers (8 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block, on 3-11 shooting from the field). I understand that Miami isn't going to "click" at the drop of a hat, Bosh and Wade are assuming new roles this season and they're going to have to find ways to be effective and unleash Lebron at the same time. This is something the Heat will struggle with at times. Throwing this revamped unit onto the floor in Boston, against the reigning Eastern Conference champs was a hostile way to start the season, but, these are the games that Miami is going to HAVE to win come April.

Quote of the night supplied by King James: "We all know Rome wasn't built in one day. We understand that. We just need to continue to get better."

Stat Line for Miami: Lebron James leads the way with 31 points, 4 boards, 3 dimes, 2 blocks and 8 TO's. Mo.. Err, Wade notched 13 points, 6 dimes, 4 boards, 3 steals and 6 TO's. Nobody else was in double figures for the Heat, although, Haslim did chip in 8 points and grabbed 11 boards. Bosh was a non-factor, only putting up 8-8 on 3-11 shooting from the field.

Let's talk about Boston, they looked like they never missed a beat, playing great defense and jumping out to double-digit leads a few times throughout the night. Ray Allen led the way with 20 and Pierce added 19 of his own, to hold on after the Heat went on a 10-0 run late in the 4th quarter. Pierce laid down the law in the 4th quarter, scoring 10 of his 19 points late. Chants of "Overrated" could be heard echoing from every corner of the TD Garden as Lebron and company tried for a late run. Rajon Rondo had his difficulties shooting, as he went 2-9 from the field, but, made it clear that he's the play maker in Boston, pouring in 17 assists to go along with 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Rondo looked to have a little off season rust, as far as shooting went, he was met and blocked a couple of times at the basket and really didn't look to score much in the 2nd half. Kevin Garnett worked a double-double, notching 10-10 (7 TO's) as Boston "slayed the Giant" in game 1 of the regular season. I honestly had Boston winning this game, at home. It's clear that Miami has the early ballots to win the Eastern Conference, given their newly acquired star-power, but, you can still find my bets placed on Boston or Orlando to take the east. Boston and Orlando both have some great qualities that Miami doesn't have yet, and possibly never will. They both have great interior defenders, in KG and Dwight Howard, who can control the lane and make it tough on guys like Lebron and Wade have a large impact inside. They can also control the tempo at which Bosh plays the game. I'm not saying that Miami won't win games, or that Miami can't win the conference, I'm just saying that they have some issues to figure out, and teams such as Boston and Orlando already have these things figured out and are ready to play for the hardware.

Nash... The scorer?

Game 2 saw a rematch of last year's first round matchup between the 3 and 6 seed's in the Western Conference playoffs, which ended with the Suns winning in 6 games. Steve Nash led the new, smaller, run-and-gun Suns into Portland to go toe-to-toe with Brandon Roy and the Blazers. The Suns are, and will be missing the 6'10, 250lb, 5-time all star, Amare Stoudemire. Phoenix's season may not be lost, but, if Nash is going to have to do the things he did last night to stay in games, score, score, score, I'm not sure that these Suns can make the playoffs. With Nash leading his team in scoring (26 points) while sacrificing his greatest attribute, dishing the rock, Phoenix could be in serious trouble. Nash had 6 dimes last night and 9 turnovers to go with his 26 points and a loss. Jason Richardson started out hot and finished with 22 points on 12-17 shooting from the field (3-4 from 3-point land). Robin Lopez, 5-5 with a blocked shot and newly acquired, Hedo Turkoglu, 6 points on 4-11 shooting need to turn it on and get more involved in the scoring game if the Suns are going to have a shot at making a playoff run this season. Turkoglu flopped in Toronto last season after much success in Orlando, with the Magic, where he did a lot of ball handling and was the Magic's go-to-guy in the 4th quarter. Since leaving Orlando, via free agency after the 2008-2009 season, Turkoglu has failed to find his rhythm. Turkoglu was met with a loud roar of boos from the 20,603 in attendance at the Rose Garden, this was no doubt a reaction to Hedo's verbal commitment during free agency last season, before jetting to greener pastures in Toronto.

Portland looked to control the glass against the smaller Suns, and they did, out-rebounding Phoenix 48-30, the Trailblazers also had 5 players in double figures, including, Nick Batum (19), Marcus Camby (13), Andre Miller (10), Wesley Matthews (13) and Brandon Roy (24). Portland outscored Phoenix 106-92 in a game that saw 20 lead changes and 5 ties. Portland closed the game on an 18-1 run and outscored the Suns 31-11 in the final quarter to jump out to a 1-0 start. Pheonix needs to find a way to use Nash as the play maker instead of the play finisher, i don't mind Nash having 25+ points in a game, but, he needs to look to create for other players first, which means that Turkoglu, Lopez and Grant Hill really need to step it up if this team plans on doing anything this season.

Game 3 was the Lakers at home against the Rockets. Yao ming was to be limited to 24 minutes per contest for the seeable future, or, at least until he can get his endurance back and get into better basketball shape. I'll be the first to admit that it was nice to see Yao back on the floor, and he played pretty well in his 24 minutes of action, notching 9 points (4-11 shooting), 11 rebounds and 2 blocks, before fouling out at the 24 minute mark (coincidence). This was a night in LA in which the champion Lakers raised their 16th championship banner and received their rings (in which Ron Artest plans to hock). The Lake-Show came out in somewhat of a daze in the first half and into the 3rd quarter, being down 82-71 late in the 3rd, before new addition, Steve Blake, buried back-to-back 3's, dwindling Houston's lead to just 5. The Lakers play carried on into the 4th quarter as they went on a 15-4 run, giving them a 6 point lead. Shannon Brown came into the game and scored 14 or his 16 points in the 4th quarter, including four 3-point buckets to really drive the dagger into the Rockets. Pau Gasol led the way for LA with 29 (11 rebounds) and Kobe chipped in with 27, Lamar Odom notched 14 and 11 rebounds on a night where Luis Scola seemed to lose the 6'10, Odom, on a regular basis. Odom player very opportunistic basketball and the Lakers bench looked to have no chinks in it's armor.

How much can he do with limited minutes?

Health is always an issue.

Houston wasn't without it's share of big moments and nice signs for the future of this season. The Rockets came out in attack-mode, led by their back-court combination of Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin, the two combined for 50, and tallied up 7 three's. Brooks also poured in 9 assists and looked to have unmatched speed by anyone the Lakers assigned with the task of checking him. He caused a lot of havoc for LA in the paint, though it may not show in the stat column, Brooks spent a ton of time under the hoop, passing and setting up the Houston offense. Kevin Dallas Martin hit a few clutch three's and was able to get to the line 7 times, going 7-7. It always amazes me that a guy of Martin's smaller stature, and who is viewed as a jump shooter can get to the line so regularly. This guy, when healthy can make teams pay at the charity stripe, Martin is a career .856% FT shooter and no slouch on the move, he has very good body control and gets to the rack with more ease than most people would think. I think Houston really has a bright future with the 27 year old Martin and the 25 year old Brooks in their back court. If Yao can stay healthy and get back into basketball shape, Houston could be a deadly team, come April and May.

That's my take on opening night in the NBA: