Colangelo takes time to look back Team USA success

Jerry Colangelo is busy with roster decisions, schedules, sponsorships and anything else he believes USA Basketball needs to be successful next summer.

That should be easy compared to the challenges he faced when he took over four years ago.

The Americans had plunged to their lowest point before Colangelo stepped in and built a program that returned them to the highest of heights -- the Olympic gold medal platform. The story of how he did it is told in the new book "Return of the Gold."

Written by Arizona Republic columnist Dan Bickley, Colangelo said the book offers many lessons, including the opportunities that are available for those who aren't afraid to fail.

"It's also a book that I believe has some business components as it relates to building team and also leadership," Colangelo said in a phone interview while traveling to New York, where he will sign copies at the NBA Store on Saturday. "Then I share a lot about my personal life, which is all part of my own personal journey, and hopefully it depicts what the whole Olympic experience was about."

The book tells of the difficult year Colangelo endured in 2004 -- the same year he was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He sold the Phoenix Suns in June, stepped away from baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks a month later, got into a fight on the streets of Paris when his wife was mugged, and had surgery for prostate cancer in December.

American basketball had been beaten up that year, too.

The United States lost three times and managed only a bronze medal at the Athens Olympics. Furious with the bad play and worse press, NBA commissioner David Stern turned to Colangelo in early 2005, asking his longtime trusted colleague to take control of USA Basketball.

Colangelo, saying he felt a "little antsy" realizing he was otherwise out of the game, agreed.

"The call came at a perfect time," Colangelo said. "We've always had a close relationship and I think he's always known he could trust me and always believed in me and my ability to get things done, and he knew if I would accept it there was a good chance that it would be successful."

The book gives glimpses into why it was. Colangelo invited former Olympic players and coaches to a meeting in Chicago, where Dean Smith endorsed former rival Mike Krzyzewski as coach, and potential players were recommended. Colangelo would personally meet with all the ones he wanted so he could show them his passion.

He no longer has to go finding players. The accomplishments of the 2008 team have players reaching out to him, hoping they can be considered for next summer's world championships and the roster for the 2012 Olympics.

"I think there are individuals who are kind of campaigning a little bit and that's wonderful," said Colangelo, mentioning Portland's Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. "I think it's great, it's exciting to see that there are so many players who want to be a part of this."

The national team roster could be named sometime next month. Colangelo believes the Olympians who committed to returning will keep their word, though there is still concern that the pending free agency of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh could impact their availability.

Like the players and Krzyzewski, Colangelo could have walked away from international basketball on top after he completed his three-year commitment. Instead, he's looking for a repeat of the 2008 story, which he considers his greatest success in sports.

"I'm putting it at the top of the list," he said. "Representing your country on an international stage in the Olympics and having the opportunity that I did to rebuild something, I'll put at the top of the list."

Van Gundy dismisses issue with Lewis as 'no big deal'

Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy says it was "no big deal" that Rashard Lewis refused to re-enter the game in the second quarter Thursday night at Utah.

Speaking before the Magic played the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, Van Gundy called the incident "a one-time thing"

Van Gundy said he knows Lewis' act was not in defiance but in what he thought was best for the team, that he had two fouls and his replacement was playing well.

"He had thoughts and thought that was what was best for the team," the coach said. "One thing I have confidence in with him all the time -- even if I disagree with him as I did at the time -- he is thinking about the team. He isn't thinking about himself."

Van Gundy said he has never had a disagreement like that in the "couple of hundred" games he's coached Lewis. He said he wished he got along with everyone in his life as well as he does with Lewis.

"I'm not going to blow that out of proportion," Van Gundy said. "If I got along with everyone else in my life as well as Rashard, then I would be in good shape."

Van Gundy said he had talked with Lewis so he would understand "exactly what my thinking was."

Famed broadcaster Hundley briefly reunites with Lakers

Just when Hot Rod Hundley thought he was out of basketball broadcasting, the Los Angeles Lakers pulled him back in -- for a few games, anyway.

Hundley, the venerated voice of the Utah Jazz, has joined the Lakers' television broadcast team for six games, starting Friday night against Minnesota.

Jazz fans who have missed Hundley's rat-a-tat voice and unusual aphorisms since his retirement last spring will get a chance to see their longtime play-by-play man in Salt Lake City on Saturday night when the Lakers visit.

The 75-year-old Hall of Fame honoree is filling in for television commentator Stu Lantz, who's taking a break to be with his wife while she recovers from surgery.

Although Hot Rod appeared cool and relaxed about 90 minutes before his return at Staples Center, the loquacious former Lakers guard acknowledged a case of nerves.

"But this is fun, and I love coming back here," Hundley said. "It's my favorite city. ... I just said, 'I can do it.' I've got nothing else to do. I was on the golf course when they called."

The temporary arrangement reunites Hundley with the franchise he joined as a flashy ball-handler from West Virginia 52 years ago, sticking with the Minneapolis Lakers through their move to Los Angeles until 1963. Hundley, the No. 1 pick in the 1957 draft, started his broadcast career with Chick Hearn for the Lakers from 1967-69.

"I learned more from him in two years than I would have if I'd went to school," Hundley said of Hearn, who died in 2002.

Rejoining the Lakers led Hundley to reflect on that brief stint with Hearn, as well as a meeting with him after Hundley joined the Jazz in 1974. Hundley had adopted several of Hearn's unique phrases in his broadcasts, including the practice of putting victories "in the refrigerator."

"Chick told me, 'I heard you've been stealing some of my lines,"' Hundley said. "[I said] 'Not some of them, Chick. All of them.'"

Hundley moved with the Jazz from New Orleans to their tough early seasons in Utah. He was there for their initial success with coach Frank Layden and stars Adrian Dantley and Darrell Griffith in the 1980s, followed by their ascent to consecutive Western Conference titles with Karl Malone and John Stockton in the 1990s.

Through it all, Hundley was the voice of owner Larry H. Miller's small-market franchise. He was responsible for both the television and radio broadcasts of Utah games until 2005, many years after most teams hired separate radio and television broadcasters.

Hundley preferred the better seats and schedules of the TV job, and a few years on radio persuaded him to retire with a year left on his contract. His final game for the Jazz was at Staples Center when the Lakers eliminated Utah from the playoffs' first round, and the warm reception he received from the Los Angeles crowd and Kobe Bryant was on his mind when the Lakers called for help.

Hundley has spent his retirement largely at his warm-weather home in Peoria, Ariz., although he still keeps a home in Salt Lake City -- and that's where he's headed on Saturday night when the Lakers touch down on the first stop of a lengthy, cold-weather road trip where Hundley will spend the rest of his stint. He plans to swing by his house "to pick up three more ties."

"I got tired of the traveling, and here I am," he said with a laugh.

The Lakers had a second substitute broadcaster on Friday night, with injured forward Luke Walton filling in for radio color commentator Mychal Thompson, who will miss two games because of a death in his family.

Top scorers (and T-Mac) lead pack in All-Star voting

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Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony are rivals now, but they could be teammates in Dallas in February.

There's Kobe and LeBron, D-Wade and 'Melo, Dwight and KG. Many of the usual suspects rank high atop the leaderboard in the first round of All-Star balloting released Thursday.

Five of the NBA's top six scorers are in position to start in what promises to be the most-attended basketball game ever. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is shooting for 100,000 fans -- 80,000 might be more realistic -- when the 2010 All-Star Game sets up shop at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 14.

The record gathering is expected to feature the NBA's best and brightest, and if the early returns in the voting by the fans are any indication, that's exactly what's going to happen. Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant, the league's top scorers, pace the Western Conference voting, while LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, fourth and fifth, lead everyone out East. (See the complete totals in the official release.)

Bryant is the overall leader with 692,518 votes and, naturally, first among West guards. The three-time All-Star MVP is averaging 28.8 points a game for the defending champion Lakers, who own the league's best record. One of the few early surprises: Tracy McGrady (281,545) is second among guards in the voting, in line for a starting spot. The injured Houston swingman has yet to play a game this season. He is a seven-time All-Star.

Assists leader Steve Nash (272,135) of the Suns is right behind T-Mac. Nash, a two-time MVP who didn't make the All-Star team last season in Phoenix, is playing the best ball of his career, according to Suns coach Alvin Gentry. Chris Paul (Hornets) and Jason Kidd (Mavericks) -- second and fifth in assists, respectively -- are the only other guards with more than 200,000 votes. Deron Williams (Jazz) is third in assists, but 10th in voting.

Amar'e Stoudemire (Suns) has a healthy lead of nearly 150,000 votes over Andrew Bynum (Lakers) in the West center race. Chris Kaman (Clippers) is having one of the better seasons for West centers, averaging 18.7 and 8.5 rebounds, but he wasn't on the ballot and didn't grab enough write-in votes to appear among the leaders.

Anthony leads West forwards in votes (588,958) and the league in scoring (29.8). 'Melo has been voted the starter once in his career (2008) and appears well on his way to a second selection.

Dirk Nowitzki (Mavs) has the inside track on the second forward spot with 366,300 votes. The 2007 MVP is an eight-time All-Star, but he's never been voted a starter. (He did start in 2007 as an injury replacement.)

"It would be an honor to be voted as a starter by the fans, but either way I hope to play in my home city," Nowitzki said Thursday.

Tim Duncan (Spurs) has been the West standard bearer at forward for a decade, with 10 All-Star starts in 11 appearances. Duncan is currently fourth, trailing Anthony, Nowitzki and Pau Gasol of the Lakers. Kevin Durant (Thunder) is third in scoring overall, but just fifth in voting among forwards.

In the Eastern Conference, the trio of James, Wade and Dwight Howard might as well book their tickets to Big D. James, a five-time starter representing the Cavaliers, has 649,327 votes to top all East forwards. Kevin Garnett (Celtics) is second with a respectable total of 533,187. Chris Bosh (Raptors) is the only forward currently in striking distance at 303,550.

"It means a lot to me to be a guy that the fans voted for,'' Howard said. "It's the best when the fans are voting for you and that's the highest praise. The All-Star Game is still a lot of fun, and I always like being around the other guys.''

The East backcourt could be an all-Florida affair with Wade (Heat) joined by Magic newcomer Vince Carter, who's tallied 292,002 votes. Carter may have five All-Star starts under his belt, but a sixth won't be a slam dunk. Gilbert Arenas (Wizards), Ray Allen (Celtics) and Derrick Rose (Bulls) are all around 200,000 votes. And don't forget the reborn-Sixers favorite Allen Iverson, who's in sixth place. Iverson has made very All-Star game since the 2000 game in Oakland, Calif.

"It's always an honor. It's actually hard to believe that I'm up there,'' Carter said. "If I'm fortunate enough to get there, then it's a great honor. But we'll see.''

Howard (Magic) is running away with the East vote at center with 625,279, more than doubling perennial All-Star scene-stealer Shaquille O'Neal of the Cavs.

The All-Star Game is being broadcast live on TNT and ESPN Radio domestically, and to more than 200 countries (in 40 languages).

From Minnesota with Love: Wolves finally looking better

Kevin Love, right, and Al Jefferson are two reasons the Wolves are looking up.

Your first thought in assessing Kevin Love's impact on the Minnesota Timberwolves is to locate point guard Jonny Flynn and urgently cordon him off with yellow police-scene tape. Wrap him up in a blanket, maybe, or even go all Bubble Boy on him to keep the kid from Syracuse out of harm's way.

Bad things happen to high draft picks in Minnesota, where first-round selections become second-year casualties. Dating to their 2005 choice, Rashad McCants (knee), Randy Foye (knee), Corey Brewer (knee) and Love (broken left hand) all have endured significant injuries that messed with their development. It's not exactly a curse of Walton-Bowie-Oden proportions, but it is enough of a pattern to make you worry about Flynn's welfare. And, while you're at it, text a "Be careful out there!'' message (Tenga cuidado ahí fuera) over to Barcelona for Ricky Rubio.

Your second thought in assessing Love's impact in one full NBA season and a second belated one is that this is a much improved team with the versatile, resourceful power forward from UCLA available again.

Love returned last week in a game at New Orleans -- seven weeks after breaking the fourth metacarpal in his left hand in a preseason game at Chicago -- and made an immediate difference with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench. In four outings heading into the Wolves' game Friday against the Lakers in L.A., the 21-year-old with the buzzcut and the baby face has had three such double-doubles. The team's 1-3 record feels better already than the 2-16 mess that preceded it, largely because it has been: Since Love returned, Minnesota has been outscored by just nine points, an average of 2.3 per game, compared to its 12.8 scoring gap on a typical night without him.

His ability to snag a defensive rebound and almost instantly find teammates dashing upcourt with outlet passes that recall, oh, Wes Unseld or Dave Cowens, has been verified as well. In their three most recent games, the Wolves have scored 21, 21 and 22 fastbreak points, compared to the 14 or so they averaged during Love's absence. This is more how coach Kurt Rambis envisioned his young team playing.

"The guards will never have to come back to the ball,'' Love vowed upon his return. "I'll be getting rebounds, throwing them to Jonny or Corey, whoever. I don't know if [the team's attack] needs to change, but I think it will change.''

So might opponents' game plans now that Love -- playing with a black, padded offensive lineman's glove on his left hand for protection -- is available as a threat up front. Or at the elbow. Or wherever else he might wind up with the ball in Rambis' freshly installed triangle system, a style that seems to suit the 6-foot-10 player's mid-range shooting and passing skills. Love is 5-for-8 from 3-point range in four games, after going 2-for-19 in 81 as a rookie.

After Love hit a pair from the arc, en route to 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 108-101 victory over Utah on Saturday at Target Center, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan could only blink incredulously at someone who wondered afterward: "Does Love make a difference on that team?''

"You're not joking, are you?'' Sloan asked. "He's a terrific player. He knows how to play basketball. He passes the ball, he sets screens, he does whatever it takes to try to play the game. It's not that difficult, but we make it difficult because we think we have to do something sensational. He just plays and never gets off the floor. Those guys play for years and years in this league.''

Getting off the floor isn't a big deal with Love. Getting off the bench -- as in, into the starting lineup -- needn't be, either.

In time, Love will find a way ... er, will conquer all ... uh, will contribute in bigger and better ways to Minnesota's long-term rebuilding. If team president David Kahn's vision for the roster has Al Jefferson as the Wolves' "second-best player'' -- suggesting that an All-Star better than Big Al will be arriving somehow, some way -- then Love figures to rank as its third- or fourth-best performer. That suggests a starting spot, more responsibility, a fatter contract, long-term security, all those perks.

But going slower, rather than faster, on teaming Love and Jefferson as a tandem makes sense for now. There are advantages to be found in using Love in reserve, where he can win matchups against other teams' second units. He and Jefferson both are 6-foot-10 and, while their styles are very different, using them together remains an experiment.

Don't forget, Jefferson went down 50 games into Love's rookie season; Love logged 42 percent of his playing time in 2008-09 in those final 32 games, sans Big Al. They started just eight games together, with the Wolves losing all of them. This season, Jefferson played his first 16 games with Love unavailable. Since his return, Love and Jefferson have been on the floor at the same time for about 66 of Loves' 109 minutes.

There is no reason the two shouldn't be able to co-exist, even thrive, offensively. Jefferson has extended his game a bit but remains most formidable down low; Love can step out, face the basket and find cutters or nail 15-footers in Rambis' triangle.

The bigger challenge comes at the defensive end, where both men are undersized for the spots they're playing. Jefferson is the Wolves' default center but would prefer to play power forward. Love has small-forward ball skills but lacks the foot speed to guard those types of guys. Let's not forget that forward Ryan Gomes, so long a role player, has been excelling lately, averaging 20.3 points on 59 percent shooting in his six most recent games. Rambis has been reluctant to tinker with Gomes or Damien Wilkins at the forward spots.

There's no need to rush. Love's minutes can increase with his stamina. Starting games, we've all been told, means less than finishing them. And coming off the bench, for however long it lasts, can serve as homage to another Kevin with Minnesota ties.

It was Kevin McHale, after all, who won two Sixth Man awards with the Boston Celtics in 1984 and 1985, even making an All-Star team in '84. It was McHale, too, who maneuvered for Love on Draft night 2008, acquiring him from Memphis for O.J. Mayo while shedding some serious salary-cap ballast. It was McHale who touted Love as, first and foremost, "a basketball player,'' which was his way of swatting down labels on power forwards vs. small forwards vs. wing players vs. other assorted pigeonholes.

And it was McHale who, even in his absence now, has kept alive a different Wolves Draft pattern: Landing a kid named Kevin in the first round has paid off for this franchise every time.

Waiting (a little nervously) on the Spurs nothing new

Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and the Spurs aren't panicking ... yet.

There are so many different ways of waiting.

You can wait on tables. You can wait on a bus. You can wait for Godot.

In the NBA, there's waiting on the San Antonio Spurs, who through the years have been to the regular season what the proverbial tortoise was to marathon running. They'll get there eventually.

That's why, as the season opener has given way to the quarter-pole of the schedule and Christmas decorations, the inclination all around the league has been to shrug off a quite pedestrian 10-9 record as the Spurs' way of clearing their throats.

"Oh, I'm always reluctant to write them out of the picture so early," said an Eastern Conference executive. "Because history says San Antonio will be there in the end, just you wait."

The waiting, as Tom Petty sang, is the hardest part.

Especially when the team crashed through the luxury tax threshold with the summertime addition of forward Richard Jefferson, who added $14.2 million to a payroll that is at an all-time franchise high of $80.6 million. All that to sit in ninth place in the always-competitive Western Conference?

It's not that the Spurs have been dreadfully disappointing, a la the Chicago Bulls or New Orleans Hornets. They've been merely uneven, confused and, well, just ordinary. San Antonio has fattened up against the dregs of the league, getting eight of its 10 victories against losing teams. The Spurs are only 2-8 against teams above the .500 mark.

When Utah rolled into town and snatched a game on Nov. 19, it was the first Jazz win in San Antonio in 20 tries over a span of 10 years. Even if they beat Charlotte at home on Friday night, the Spurs will have no better than their second-worst 20-game start in the Tim Duncan Era.

When the Spurs followed up with a five-game winning streak, there was a hope that a corner had been turned. But with the exception of a win at Houston, that string consisted of bottom feeders. Then the Spurs dropped three straight to Boston, Denver and Utah. The questions and a sense of urgency returned.

"We do know what our record is," said coach Gregg Popovich.

What the Spurs don't know yet is how to get the most out of a roster that many observers rated as the deepest in the NBA. Popovich has done more shuffling than a casino dealer and still hasn't turned up the right cards.

While the Spurs have increased their overall offensive production from 97 points a game last year to 100.9 , it's the output from half of their core four that has been lacking. Jefferson, who was supposed to bring speed and athleticism, has struggled to fit in. His 13.4 points per game is the lowest since his rookie season. He's topped 20 only four times.

Meanwhile Manu Ginobili has been tentative and often ineffective and already has missed five games due to a hamstring and a groin injury. When Ginobili popped in 20 points in Wednesday's win over Sacramento, it was only the fifth time he's made as many as five field goals in a game. He's connected on half his shots only twice.

"If we can get him in transition more often, I think it would help loosen him up and take advantage of his capabilities," Popovich said of Jefferson. The Spurs finally did that early in the game with the Kings and he broke out with 23 points.

With Ginobili, there's more concern about his physical condition than simply drawing up the right Xs and Os. With the Spurs going toe-to-toe with Boston in a fourth quarter battle last week, Ginobili -- their closer -- sat on the bench and watched.

"It was a precaution for several reasons," Popovich said.

Of course, the Spurs' history is a cautionary tale to anyone who would push them over the edge of relevancy so early. They were bumping along only slightly better a year ago at 12-8 and finished the season at 54-28. They opened the 2003-04 season at just 10-10 and finished at 57-28. There was also a pair of so-so 12-8 records to start 2002-03 and 1998-99. Both of those seasons ended with the Spurs winning the championship. In fact, in the strike-shortened 1999 season, the Spurs labored to a 6-8 start, but then closed with a 31-5 kick heading into the playoffs.

"That almost cost somebody (Popovich) his job, didn't it?" Duncan said. "I think it turned out all right."

Chances are, this one will too, since Popovich and general manager R.C.Buford are known for their patience. But the difference this season is that team owner Peter Holt and the franchise went against their usual fiscally conservative nature by breaking the bank for Jefferson in a bid to squeeze out one more title. And now all everyone in San Antonio can do is wait.

The hardest part.

So far, so good for Artest fitting into the Lakers' offense

Ron Artest (center) has quickly been able to pick up the triangle offense and mesh with teammates.

In other Ron Artest news, there isn't any. There was the interview-in-his-underwear thing and the confession that he used to get his cognac on during halftime as a Bull, but the opening weeks of his opening season with the Lakers have, outwardly, been uneventful. (Then again, the image of him sipping brandy, wearing a smoking jacket and sitting in a red leather chair beside a crackling fire in the United Center home locker room didn't come out for eight or nine years, so let's talk again in 2017.)

He has not gone off yet. No surprise. Artest does good first impressions, before the focus begins to drift, and there is particular interest in getting this one right after spending seasons imagining the possibilities as Kobe Bryant's wing man. Besides, he was a pretty good citizen in Houston in 2008-09, with some obligatory nuttiness but nothing close to the troublemaker some have wrongly portrayed.

The actual fitting-in issue was on the court, anyway. Few focused on the real potential conflict of a notorious ball pounder stepping into a triangle offense, which is based on passes and movement. Let's just say, as every team on the resume knows, that's not always his thing.

Dribble. Dribble. Dribble. Dribble. That's the Artest the Lakers had to be concerned about.

A quarter of the way into 2009-10, though, coach Phil Jackson notes Artest is making a smooth transition to a system some arrivals have needed a full season to grasp. Teammates praise his ability to quickly adapt. The statistical evidence is that Ron-Ron, while dropping from 17.1 points in the one Rockets campaign to 12.6 in the first 20 games in Los Angeles, is on an early pace for a career best in assists and has gone from shooting 40.1 percent in Houston to 43.1.

Oh, yeah. And the Lakers are 17-3, fifth in scoring (even with Pau Gasol missing 11 games) and 12th in shooting.

"He likes to pass the ball and we like him as a team player," Jackson said. "He gets a little bit too involved in playmaking and not enough in offensive opportunities, we think, at times."

"Ron has a great feel for the game and he's a student of the game," Lamar Odom said. "He has a really high IQ. He did a good job at dissecting everything that Trevor [Ariza, the predecessor at small forward] did and putting himself in that place. You might have to ask Ron, but for me watching Ron, it's been easy."

Ron was asked, and he dismissed any adjustment period as "pretty easy." There were, he reminded, the 2½ seasons in Chicago, where Tim Floyd and Bill Cartwright, an Artest favorite, also used the triangle. Plus, he's a lot more experienced now and in a locker room with strong leaders who will hold him accountable.

"Even coach Jackson noticed it," Artest said. "He noticed that I was picking things up. Sometimes, there's just certain things they have to explain to me, just things I haven't done. There's a lot of things I haven't done in the triangle. But for the most part, I knew most of the terminology.

"It's really just getting used to the players. Just the players. That was the main thing. The triangle as a whole and the players. Just getting used to playing with Kobe, getting used to his rhythm. That was the hardest part -- getting used to his rhythm. Once I got used to his rhythm, I knew how to fit in my rhythm."

Artest, always an able ballhandler, is third on the team in assists, slightly behind Odom and Bryant. He is not as 3-point happy.

Look who's become efficient on offense.

It won't get a lot of notice if boxer shorts continue to be his wardrobe of choice, as was the case when Artest went on Jimmy Kimmel Live in November. But the transition is going well. Just check back in eight or nine years to find out for sure.

Magic's Howard still looking up at elite tier of players

Free throw shooting and blocked shots are two stats that are down this season for Dwight Howard.

It's been a difficult month down there in Orlando, from Tiger Woods' "transgressions" -- which The Race thinks might be the same as "confessions" -- and Shaquille O'Neal's divorce. An impressionable young kid like, say, Dwight Howard, might wonder what the heck is going on.

Fortunately for Howard, the Orlando Magic have been on an extended road trip for much of the past week. He hasn't had to see the paparazzi invade his town and loot the souls of America.

It's been the perfect opportunity for Howard to focus solely on his profession -- which has allowed him to once again be thrown squarely into the mix of the MVP discussion.

Before Thursday night's loss to the Utah Jazz, the Magic had won seven consecutive games and were atop the Eastern Conference with the Boston Celtics, in no small part because of Howard's mammoth contributions. He is averaging 18.4 points and 12 rebounds. He has had double-doubles in nine of his past 11 games, including 25 and 12 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

That is not to say, however, that El Capitan is infallible. Believe it or not, he has a long way to go to be considered among the upper tier of players, a place reserved for Kobe and LeBron and Carmelo and Dirk.

The reason, frankly, is the folly of youth -- and not the type of follies being played out over there at Isleworth, Tiger's neighborhood.

During a trip to Golden State last week, Howard had 12 points in the first quarter against a woefully small Warriors team. He was simply getting the ball, turning and overpowering anybody around him because they were that much smaller. But then he started to pick up silly fouls. Second-year forward Anthony Randolph somehow figured out that he could draw offensive fouls on Howard by flopping when Howard motored to the basket.

Instead of making adjustments, Howard refused to believe the refs were making the calls and kept being called for fouls. He ended up on the bench for a long stretch.

Against Utah Thursday night, Howard dominated the paint in the first half, when the Magic were cruising along to what should have been their eighth straight win. Then Paul Millsap made a big block on Howard, enlivening the home crowd, and the Jazz made a run. Suddenly, Howard lost his composure and started getting in foul trouble again, picking up another five and falling apart when things went badly.

It has happened often this season, one reason that Howard's numbers are all slightly down. His 12 rebounds a game are 1.8 fewer than he had last season. His 18.4 points are 2.2 less than he averaged last year. His blocks have declined from 2.9 to two. His turnovers have increased slightly.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy says Howard's numbers are a direct result of the time he has spent on the floor. Because of the foul difficulties, Howard has been on the floor 2.2 minutes less than last season and four minutes less than the year before that. Van Gundy looks at Howard's stats on a per-48-minute basis.

"Really the only number, when you adjust for minutes, that is down is blocked shots," Van Gundy said. "I don't think he has done a great job defensive helping early on. But that is starting to come back."

Van Gundy also said that because the Magic now have added Vince Carter, and they have so many other offensive weapons, they got away from feeding Howard the ball in the post and giving him opportunities beyond those he creates himself.

"That was my fault. We have really focused on that the last five games and that has helped him come back," Van Gundy said.

His coach is realistic, though. He knows there is the tier that includes Kobe and LeBron. And he also knows his guy is one level below -- which, by the way, is not a bad level to be.

"I think he still has a long way to go," Van Gundy said. "We thought his free-throw shooting would take a jump, and that hasn't. In fact, it is down this year. So that's a disappointment. And he has some offensive development he has to do.

"But it is tough because you can work on stuff in the offseason but it takes a lot longer to show up in the season where there is a comfort level. It's going to take time. But you've got a 24-year-old guy and people tend to forget that because he has been so good for so long."

1. Kobe Bryant, Lakers (17-3)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
20	37.0	28.8	5.5	4.1	2.2	0.3	.493	.328	.847

Last Week's Rank - 1
Kobe is the MVP race's first repeat performer at the top. Prior to this, The Race had started to feel like Liz Taylor, a different man at the alter every week. But right after Kobe was named No. 1 last week, he hit that incredible fallaway buzzer beater that he deemed lucky. Coincidence? We think not. The Race saw Monta Ellis take four steps and get called for traveling in the same situation last week. It's only lucky if you don't get the shot off. But if Kobe gets it off, it's got a chance. That's what MVP's do.

2. LeBron James, Cavaliers (15-7)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
22	37.7	28.0	6.9	8.2	1.1	0.7	.504	.344	.790

Last Week's Rank - 2
LeBron almost wins this spot by default, which is a little like Penelope winning the runner-up spot by default over Gisele (which means you are wondering who won that contest as well. The Race will leave it to your imagination.) James was going to get knocked down a notch this week because the Cavs have lost two straight. But the Nuggets and the Mavs also have lost two games this week, throwing the universe out of whack but keeping The Race intact. Of more concern is whether Shaq's presence is being felt negatively on the floor again; after all, one of the losses was to Memphis.

3. Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets (16-7)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
23	36.7	30.3	5.9	3.1	1.2	0.4	.487	.345	.869

Last Week's Rank - 4
You could argue Carmelo and Dirk as the third and fourth best players in the league until the cows come home (which always makes The Race wonder where exactly they went.) The Nuggets dropped two games this week, though it appears through no fault of 'Melo, who had 40 points in a loss to Detroit. He did, however, score just 14 points in a victory over Philly, the first time this season Anthony has not scored at least 20 points in a game. Still, he leads the league in scoring at 30.3 per, which for now, gives him the nod over Dirk.

4. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks (15-7)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
22	38.5	27.0	8.5	2.9	1.0	1.5	.471	.327	.890

Last Week's Rank - 3
At 31, he is averaging a career-high 27 points a game, and also averaging a career-high 1.5 blocks, which means he is finally putting everything together on both ends. Even better, he is turning over the ball less than he has his entire career, meaning he is making the best decisions. The Race read somewhere this week that Mark Cuban will never get rid of The Big German. Umm, why would it ever be a consideration?

5. Dwight Howard, Magic (17-5)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
22	33.5	18.4	12.0	1.6	1.0	2.0	.643	.000	.592

Last Week's Rank - 5
Nine double-doubles in his last nine games. A seven-game win streak. A jovial personality. It's time for Howard to take the next step in career. The Race thinks that is only to going to come through maturity -- and perhaps a little heartbreak in the playoffs. But Howard is an exceptionally talented player based on physical skills alone. When the mental part catches up, he will be a force.

6. Dwyane Wade, Heat (11-9)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
20	3805	27.1	5.2	6.0	1.8	1.3	.430	.240	.763

Last Week's Rank - 6
Did The Race hear Wade call out his teammates recently, saying they need to get him open more often? There is a fine line between sour grapes and frustration, and sometimes it's difficult to decipher where that line lies. Wade, however, has been carrying an increasingly heavy burden, evidenced by his shooting percentage of 43, down from 49 a year ago.

7. Kevin Durant, Thunder (11-9)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
20	39.6	28.1	7.1	3.1	1.8	0.8	.464	.289	.880

Last Week's Rank - 7
Durant jut keeps motoring along as the league's best young talent. He is particularly highlighted now that Greg Oden is out for the year. We always thought those two would forever be linked and compared in their careers. And they will. But it may no longer ever be a comparable race. Which is too bad. Nonetheless, Durant continues to impress and recently became the second-youngest player in the history of the league to score 3,000 points, behind only the guy at the top of this list.

8. Steve Nash, Suns (15-7)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
22	32.8	17.5	2.6	11.0	0.3	0.2	.524	.474	.957

Last Week's Rank - 6
Only a few weeks ago, Nash was No. 1. Now, like the Suns, he has dropped dramatically. As Phoenix struggles, Nash seems to have changed his focus from distributing to scoring. He had 32 against Sacramento last week, 27 in a one-point loss to Dallas. He has double-digit assists in only one of his last five games, something that happened in 10 of his first 15.

9. Brandon Roy, Trail Blazers (14-9)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
23	37.3	21.0	4.6	4.9	0.6	0.1	.456	.329	.805

Last Week's Rank - 10
This is what The Race likes to see out of a candidate: Greg Oden goes down, Roy senses that his team needs something around which to rally, and he ramps up his game to accommodate. In the game Oden went down, he had 28, leading the Blazers to a one-point victory. The next game Roy had 27. Then he went for 29. Normally he allows his team to get involved. Now he is elevating his game when they need him. Wise beyond his experience.

10. Tyreke Evans, Kings (9-12)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
20	36.1	20.1	5.0	5.1	1.5	0.2	.464	.262	.774

Last Week's Rank - n/a
There are two different views of expectations that enable The Race to have some fun and throw Evans in the mix. First, there are the expectations of the Toronto Raptors, who should have a far better record than they do and whose record is keeping Chris Bosh from accompanying this journey on a regular basis. The Kings have a winning percentage that is similar to Toronto's, but they were not expected to be nearly as good as that. And because they are overachieving, the rookie Evans needs to be recognized for his 20.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists. Evans is a beast, and should only get better given he is playing the position most difficult to learn as a rookie.