Newman

I thought the Rockets were quite comfortable with Chuck Hayes as their 3rd center and starting like he did against the Warriors yesterday. They still got Jordan Hill and Patterson who are long enough to cover for Hayes' height disadvantage so I don't see the need for Dampier.

^ No surprise, they lacked passion and energy in comparison to the Suns and they did have an undefeated pre-season so the fans' hopes were raised.

Gotta keep in mind that the Wiz are without Arenas and Josh Howard, two scoring options.

I think most of us would have wonder about if Yao wasn't going to foul out, was Adelman going to pull him out of the game against the Lakers in an important situation? Clearly they need him, so it's good that they re-evaluate him later when his conditioning become better.

East - Raps West - T'Wolves Reason? Their best players are Andrea Bargarni and Michael Beasley/Kevin Love, both former 2nd/3rd options on the team last year. Yes they might score more, but still, with no notable fresh blood in either team it's hard to see them rack up wins.

No doubt, the answer to your question is a definite "no" without Boozer, and a "no" with Boozer. I am hoping Deng would be that type of player, but it doesn't look that way now. We definitely have the pieces to make a trade for that player though, so I am hoping Forman can make it work.

Clippers could have a chance to break into the playoffs after all.

Good point there. Rose can't be the one carrying the offense. We've seen Chris Paul does the same in NO and the result is not terrific. On a sidenote, Asik and Kurt Thomas, our two bigs off the bench, only played for like 5 minutes combined while Scal played for 10 minutes... I know Cole didn't play for OKC and Krstic played for like 17 minutes but I would have liked to see more of Asik out there rather than Scal.

Does he still have that creepy high voice?

We really should have taken T-Mac or re-signed Flip Murray when the Magic matched JJ Redick's offer sheet. Yes they are not the best options, but they can still put the ball in the basket better than Ronnie Brewer. Now, we are going to be using CJ and Bogans to try and shoot as a 2, which isn't very good. Hopefully we can make a trade or something for a wing scorer.

Money and years probably considering his agent is Arn Tellem.

Detroit and the former Lakers with Van Exel and Eddie Jones had 4 all-stars. Heat for sure then maybe Celtics have a chance as well. As for the West, can't really see any team that has a chance...maybe the Spurs if they stay healthy and play well?

Granger is more important to his team but I think Iggy is a better player, much more versatile. Granted, he isn't a leader, but he is a great second/third option. Granger can actually lead the team though.

Good to have an owner that is not as aggressive (in terms of criticism of the league) as Mark Cuban but also well-known amongst casual fans.

PPG: 12 RPG: 1-2 APG: 2 Anything Else: 45% 3PGM When you got Dwight Howard inside the post, all you gotta do is find space outside and shoot the J. JJ can do that.

PPG: 18.7 RPG: 6 SPG: 1.6 Anything Else: 40% FGM

Really impressed with Afflalo...Utah is no slouch on D and to score 20+ is pretty darn good.

Just looking at the stats here: KG and Shaq both got less than 10 points, Ray Allen missed all his 3-point attempts (5)...no wonder they lost.

I thought Rolle really played well to demand a spot. I figure since Pacers are shopping Danthay Jones + possibly someone else to clear up the logjam in the swingman position, Rolle would come back later.

McRoberts is really not starting material IMO and Hansbrough could turn into a really solid and productive player. I am going with Tyler.

More time for Wes Johnson then.

They wanted to sign Oberto and they had 16 players so I think that's why they waived Pendergraph. I think the article made a mistake in stating that there are only 14 players in the Blazers' roster now.

He's got the quick hands and fast speed to do so but I think as you gain more experience, you figure out a more efficient way to steal the ball as over time the opponent's movement can be read and so I don't think Wall will lead the league in steals next season, although he might do so 4-5 seasons later.

In the playoffs, yes. They would still lose to the Celtics.

He does get into foul trouble a lot, and I think he is more of that energy guy off the bench i.e. Varejao type of player than a starter like Krstic who can hit the J.