NBA Previews: Atlanta @ Cleveland & Boston @ Phoenix

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It is quite possible that this week there won’t be an NFL picks article, however fear not, the NFL Picks Challenge will still occur. Just make sure to have your picks in by Friday at midnight and we’re good to go peoples. Glad we got that out of the way. Now back to the business at hand. Two weeks ago, I mentioned that every week the readers and I would vote on the two best NBA games on the schedule for the week and that I would then proceed to preview those two games. Just like a great Eminem track, the fans have spoken to me this week and have asked for their games. But before we get to the games, who wants Power Rankings? You know you want them right?I mean, everybody loves Power Rankings! It’s like the walk off in battle in Zoolander, you might think that they are ridiculous but you can’t pull yourself away from watching and eventually you end up enjoying them. So play the song Beat It in your mind and race through my NBA Power Rankings. The rankings are divided into groups who are all identified by a lyric stemming from a song.

Artist: 98 Degrees
Song: Invisible Man
Lyric: “Baby to you all I am is the invisible man…”

30. NEW JERSEY (2-29)
29. MINNESOTA (7-25)
28. PHILADELPHIA (8-22)
27. GOLDEN STATE (9-22)
26. INDIANA (9-21)

Artists: T.I. ft Chris Brown
Song: Don’t Matter
Lyric: “It don’t matter tonight….”

25. WASHINGTON (10-20)
24. DETROIT (11-20)
23. NEW YORK (12-19)
22. MILWAUKEE (12-17)
21. CHARLOTTE (12-17)
20. NEW ORLEANS (13-16)

Artist: Big Punisher
Song: You Ain’t A Killer
Lyric: “You ain’t a killer, you still learning how to walk from New York to Cali…”

18. LA CLIPPERS (13-17)
17. MEMPHIS (14-16)
16. TORONTO (15-17)
15. SACRAMENTO (14-16)
14. OKLAHOMA CITY (17-14)

Artist: Big Punisher
Song: You Ain’t A Killer
Lyric: “Any last regrets before you meet your maker?”

13. UTAH (17-13)
12. HOUSTON (19-13)
11. MIAMI (16-12)
10. SAN ANTONIO (18-11)

Artist: Joe Budden
Song: Blood on the Wall
Lyric: “Jay-Z, Saigon, Nas already killed’em, Tupac he ain’t alive but you ain’t kill’em”

9. DENVER (20-12)
8. PORTLAND (20-13)
7. ATLANTA (21-9)

Artist: Joe Budden
Song: Forgive Me
Lyric: “Seems the things yall never forget, I never remember…”

6. PHOENIX (20-12)
5. ORLANDO (22-8)
4. DALLAS (22-9)

Artist: LL Cool J, Method Man, Redman, DMX, Canibus (verse by Canibus)
Song: 4,3,2,1
Lyric: I’m the illest &%$# (rhymes with trigger) alive, watch me prove it, I snatch your crown with the head still attached to it..”
3. BOSTON (23-7)
2. LAKERS (25-6)
1.CLEVELAND (25-8)



PREVIEWS
Atlanta Hawks (21-9) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (25-8)

Last night, the Cleveland Cavaliers traveled to Atlanta for what was a statement game for the young Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta tried as best as they could to contain LeBron James hoping that him having a bad night would translate into a win. The athletic forwards defended James well; his output last night: 14 points, 4 turnovers, 6-20 field goal shooting and 0-5 from three point range. Normally this should be sure fire way to defeat Cleveland, especially at home. But the Cavs did what every dude does after a break up: they went looking for a rebound. The Cavs owned the boards on this game (43-30 edge) which in turn allowed them to control the paint. Cleveland shot 49.8% from the field while scoring 50 points in the paint, all the while limiting Atlanta to 44.3 field goal shooting and 32 points in the paint on their way to a 95-84 road win. Needless to say, when both teams play again tonight, the Hawks will have to try and be more physical on the boards in order to limit the Cavs rebounding opportunities and also to get out on the fast break. Atlanta wants Josh Smith to get out in transition to finish hard at the basket; mind you that can’t happen if Atlanta fails to rebound.

If you remotely follow comic books, you are aware that Superman’s one great weakness is kryptonite. Because he knows that it’s the only thing that could kill him, he obviously tries to limit his contact with it and also has tried destroying all the kryptonite on the Earth. The point I’m trying to make here is that it is important to understand your weaknesses, and then find a way to combat them. In the Hawks case, they were exposed on the boards last night. However, they managed to expose the Cavaliers knack for turning the ball over. Indeed, the Cavs are 15th in the league in turnovers whereas the Hawks are #1 in the NBA in ball security. The problem last night though, was that the Cavs forced Atlanta to turn the ball over as well. Therefore, the turnover battle was fairly even (Cavs 18, Hawks 16) and Atlanta’s advantage there was nullified. So if Atlanta wants to win at the Quicken Loans Arena tonight, they will have to do a solid job on the boards, force turnovers and limit theirs. Tiny problem they might encounter though: LeBron James rarely has consecutive bad games (this qualifies as bad line for him: 14 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 5 steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 6-20 field goal shooting against the Hawks last night). In other words, I’m picking the Cavaliers tonight. Pick: Cavs win 97-95.

Boston Celtics (23-7) @ Phoenix Suns (20-12)

In the movie How High, Mike Epps plays the role of a pimp named Powder who drops some knowledge on his assistant pimp: “My daddy was a pimp, my grand daddy was a pimp, my great grand daddy was a pimp. It’s in my bloodline. But you ain’t neva gonna be more than an assistant pimp; cuz yo daddy was an assistant pimp and yo grand daddy was an assistant pimp. That’s in yo bloodline”. And just like that, you understand the nature of the Phoenix Suns. This season, the Suns have defeated the Lakers, Celtics, Magic and Spurs so far. And yet, I cannot take them seriously as a contender. The reason is simple: this team has teased us before in recent years with a high win totals and big performances in statement games. However, when the games truly counted (you know, in the playoffs) the Suns eventually fizzled out and left their fans disappointed. While teams like the Lakers, Magic, Celtics and Cavs have made it least one trip to the Finals this decade, the Suns have only been able to manage trips to the Conference Finals.

So tonight, when Phoenix hosts a shorthanded Boston team (Paul Pierce is injured), I expect them to run and gun as usual, shoot a lot of threes (13-24 from three point range in first meeting in early November) and limit their turnovers. The Celtics however will pound the boards and try to muscle the Suns inside. In their November 6th game, the Celtics outscored the Suns 60-36 in terms of points in the paint. However, keep track of the fouls tonight. The Boston Celtics are 2-2 in their last four games, and teams have been getting to free throw line with more frequency as of late. In their last four games, Boston’s opponents have gotten to the line 25 times per game. So if Phoenix starts shooting free throws as well as three point bombs, expect Celtics announcer Tommy Heinsohn to blow a fuse on the air and start blaming the refs. I do think though that Phoenix will take care of business at home tonight. Please make sure to pay attention to the Stoudemire-Garnett match up. Always tons of trash talk when they go head to head, and Amar’e usually tries harder when playing against the likes of Duncan and Garnett.Quick fantasy note: Absolutely startRajon Rondo against Steve Nash. Trust me on this one. Needlesss to say, the Lakers, Celtics and Spurs are pimps, the Cavs and Magic are pimps in training and the Suns are assistant pimps. Pick: Suns win 112-107

Lakers' Ron Artest says he suffered memory loss

Ron Artest, right, said teammate Kobe Bryant was the first person he texted after falling down the stairs at his home on Christmas night.

Lakers forward Ron Artest stood before the media Tuesday night and faced a barrage of questions seeking an explanation for how he suffered a concussion Friday that has forced him to miss the last three games.

Artest said he was walking into his Beverly Hills home after the Christmas Day game against Cleveland and fell down a flight of stairs.

Artest said his wife, Kimsha, found him asleep outside their home and that he didn't know who she was. Artest said his wife had to explain to him that the Lakers had played a game Friday at Staples Center.

Artest said the first person he texted was teammate Kobe Bryant. He said he informed Bryant that he couldn't remember anything and that he was going to the hospital.

Artest went to the UCLA Medical Center emergency room, where he had staples put into the back of his head and received stitches in his elbow, which also was injured in the fall.

"I can't remember everything," Artest said at halftime of the Lakers' game Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors, his first comments since the accident. "It was for Christmas -- maybe it was the presents. I can't remember much in between. . . . My wife said I was asleep for like two or three minutes. Obviously I don't remember that part. I went to the hospital. It took me about an hour to get my senses back."

Artest said he still is a little "woozy at times, so it's definitely not safe to be playing."

He said he doesn't have any pain or headaches, but he is dizzy at times.

"I don't know how bad it could have been," Artest said. "I'm definitely grateful to be able to be up and talking and even having the possibility of being back pretty soon."

Artest was asked to explain how he injured his elbow.

"Trying to brace the fall," he said. "I guess it was trying to brace. I can't even remember. . . . I just went to the doctor and he said, 'You need stitches in your elbow.' And I was like, 'For what?' Then they showed me the picture. It was a deep cut."

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said before the game that Artest probably would work out today, an off day for the team. The hope is that Artest can play Friday night against the Sacramento Kings.

"The big danger obviously is elevated heart rate, blood pressure with this kind of situation," Jackson said. "So it's going to be something that we monitor a little bit."

Artest saw a neurologist for the fourth consecutive day and was said to be making progress.

"He said I'm getting better," Artest said. "But it's just testing the reactions. The first day was bad. The morning I woke up, I went to go see a neurologist and I really wasn't remembering much. But it's getting better," he said.

Artest has had a history of controversy wherever he has played and many of his critics said when he signed with the Lakers that he probably would become a distraction.

Artest, his agent and the Lakers are calling his concussion an accident. Artest was asked whether he was worried about public perception.

"I'll leave that for public opinion," Artest said. "I don't want to answer that."

D.C. police probe Gilbert Arenas's guns at Verizon Center

The D.C. police department is investigating the circumstances surrounding Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas taking guns to Verizon Center this month, a police official said Monday.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said police are looking into the original account of the incident released by the team.

The District has strict laws that prohibit carrying guns, openly or concealed.

The NBA and the Wizards said Thursday that Arenas was being investigated by the league. In a statement, the team said that Arenas "stored firearms in a locked container in his locker, unloaded and without ammunition."

"The Wizards organization and Arenas promptly notified the local authorities and the NBA [and] are cooperating fully with law enforcement during its review of this matter," the team said. The Wizards issued the statement after the NBA probe was reported by CBSSports.com.

Through a team spokesman Monday, Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld declined to comment. Wizards players, coaches and front-office personnel have been placed under strict orders not to make any comments regarding the investigation, according to multiple sources on or close to the team.

The NBA allows players to possess guns, but under the collective bargaining agreement between players and the league they cannot have weapons at league facilities.

Arenas has not been charged with a crime, but he could face a fine or suspension after the investigation is completed. "We're obviously taking something like this very seriously," one league official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Arenas initially said that he took the guns to the arena after deciding that he no longer wanted them in his home after the birth of his third child. The girl, Hamiley Penny, was born Dec. 9.

In a text message Thursday, Arenas said he had already turned his guns over to police. A person familiar with the situation said that the weapons were registered and that Arenas gave them to team security officials last week.

Arenas, a three-time all-star, is in the second-year of a six-year contract worth $111 million. Back in action this year after missing most of the past two seasons because of an injury to his left knee, Arenas is averaging a team-best 22.4 points and 6.9 assists.

He scored 26 points with nine assists in a 101-89 loss to Minnesota on Saturday and said afterward that the investigation was not a distraction.

"If you want it to be, there is. Not with me," he said.

Arenas has a prior weapons charge and was suspended for the season opener in 2004-2005 after he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges for possessing a concealed weapon and driving without a license in 2003.

Life goes on for Rockets as McGrady era nears end

Coach Rick Adelman didn't believe Tracy McGrady would accept the role the Rockets could give him.

The news spread until Rockets players did not need to read the official statement to know the club would try to accommodate Tracy McGrady's trade request. His absence, however, was far from new or noticeable.

The Rockets said they would do what they have done while McGrady played in only 41 games over the past two seasons, just 46 minutes since his microfracture surgery last February.

“Pretty much, the team situation is the same,” forward Luis Scola said. “Tracy wasn't here the whole year, so ... the things we do on the court don 't have to change. It doesn't have to be an adjustment.”

Unhappy with small role

Rockets coach Rick Adelman said McGrady was not playing at a level to grant the increased playing time McGrady wanted. Instead, McGrady began a leave of absence.

“I wish him the best of the luck,” Scola said. “Hopefully, he will get a team and get what he wants. Hopefully, everyone wins.”

Adelman might have been willing to continue to play McGrady in the limited minutes he had been playing, but he said McGrady was not happy with that and the coach didn't believe McGrady would accept the role the Rockets could give him.

Moving on the best thing

“It didn't work out,” Adelman said. “He wanted more minutes than that. I just really did not know what the answer was, but I knew it would not be just increasing minutes. I wanted to be positive whatever we did was going to go in the right direction for this team. When we sat him down for two games, he decided he wanted to move on. Maybe that's the best thing.

“We watched him practice and we saw the same things in practice we saw last year when he was hurt. Now he's coming back. It was all understandable. He's played at such a high level. I truly believe he thinks he can turn it on and be an effective player, but the way we're playing didn't jibe with that. Maybe with another team he can play 25 minutes and they can go to him. I saw the way it was going, it was going to be a difficult task.”

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey issued a statement on Tuesday confirming the decision to seek a trade. By then, the reaction by teammates was more about McGrady's career than how he could have impacted their season.

“He's my friend and teammate first before anything so if that's what's going to make him happy, I'm all for it,” forward Carl Landry said. “I wish him the best if that's what he wants. Houston is home. He loves Houston. It's sad to see him part ways with the city of Houston and the Houston Rockets.”

No distraction

The Rockets, however, did not consider McGrady's absence a factor to overcome. Rather, it's a different version of the sort of thing they have dealt with for several seasons.

“It's part of the business,” center Chuck Hayes said. “It's a situation I guess the organization felt needed to be taken care of and they did it the best, most professional way they could. I'm sad to see him in this situation.

“We don't consider it a distraction at all. We have a good group of guys around here who are able to stay focused and stay committed. We don't let the outside stuff or whatever is going on outside that locker room affect us and how we play.”

Forman gives Del Negro tepid support

Before the game Tuesday against the Pacers at the United Center, Bulls general manager Gar Forman tried to mitigate the media frenzy over coach Vinny Del Negro's job status.

''Vinny is our coach,'' Forman said. ''Our goal is to get better each and every day. We as a management team are exploring all options to get better. We expect our coaches to work each and every day to get this team better.''

Even though such proclamations are basically meaningless, Forman was pressed about whether he'd give Del Negro ''a vote of confidence'' by committing that he would finish the season.

''I feel we shouldn't talk about evaluations with any personnel that we do internally,'' Forman said. ''We are all being evaluated at all times. That goes from me to our management staff to our coaching staff to our players, and those are things that we keep internally.''

Is management behind Del Negro? ''Our organization is behind what we're doing,'' Forman said. ''We're still optimistic of where we're going. Like I said, I don't think anybody is happy where we're at today, and our goal is to get better each day."

Important role

Even though guard John Salmons is coming off the bench, Del Negro didn't agree when someone suggested he has a lesser role.

''I have to go with the guys that are performing the best,'' Del Negro said. ''John's had a lot of opportunities, and he'll have more. We need John to play well, so he doesn't need to be tentative or worry about that. Just go out and play hard on the defensive end, get after it, move the basketball, make plays off the dribble -- which he's very capable of doing -- and score when the opportunity's there.''

Salmons played well in the first half offensively, scoring five points on 2-for-3 shooting in 12 minutes. He then was pressed into duty quickly in the second half after starter Kirk Hinrich picked up his fourth foul four minutes into the third quarter.

Salmons responded with one of his better quarters of the season, scoring 12 points on 3-for-4 shooting in eight minutes. He finished with 17 points.

Wolves deal for Tucker, draft pick

SAN ANTONIO - The Timberwolves sent away never-used backup point guard Jason Hart to Phoenix on Tuesday in yet another deal all about acquiring an "asset."

In this case, it was a 2010 second-round pick obtained along with unproven forward Alando Tucker and cash to pay for Tucker's salary the rest of this season.

"When you have an opportunity to acquire a pick basically for free, it's hard not to do," Wolves basketball boss David Kahn said before Tuesday's game against the Spurs.

The Wolves discussed a deal with New Orleans that would have brought veteran guard Devin Brown and had trade talks with other teams about an aging, journeyman reserve who had played five minutes this season.

Hart was sought by teams seeking to reduce their NBA salary-cap luxury tax obligation because of his nonguaranteed contract. The Suns immediately waived Hart after dealing Tucker's guaranteed $1 million contract.

"As I said to Jason, he was one of the most popular players in the league the last several days," Kahn said as the NBA deadline for all contracts to become guaranteed approaches in early January. "We received only calls about Jason on our team."

Analyzing Alando

In return for Hart, the Wolves receive Tucker, an undersized third-year small forward out of Wisconsin who was the 2007 Big Ten Player of the Year but never could find playing time with the Suns. He doesn't know the triangle offense his new teammates have spent the past three months learning and he will be searching for minutes at positions already occupied by Corey Brewer, Ryan Gomes, Damien Wilkins, Wayne Ellington and Sasha Pavlovic.

"He was a high draft pick, but nobody really knows if he can play at this level," Wolves coach Kurt Rambis said of the 29th player taken in the 2007 draft. "We'll have to see how he assimilates in practice. That [shooting guard/small forward] position is fairly full. He'll have to earn time. We'll see what we've got."

John Salmons' contract could affect Bulls' options for 2010 free agents

It's impossible to definitively predict the Bulls' salary cap situation for next summer, but one very important moving part is John Salmons' player option.

Should Salmons exercise his $6.7 million option, the speculation is the Bulls wouldn't be able to offer a maximum contract to any of the big names in the most decorated free agent class in NBA history.

That isn't entirely accurate. But if Salmons opts in, achieving that optimum financial flexibility becomes more difficult and might involve renouncing the rights to restricted free agent Tyrus Thomas.

"I didn't even know my situation had that big an impact and don't look at the numbers like that," Salmons said.

This marked the first time Salmons has spoken publicly about his decision-making process.

"I'm happy here," Salmons said. "My agent and I will sit down after the season and talk and see what the reality of the market is and pray on it. ... I don't have any pressure and I don't have to have a great season to opt out. I have another year if I want it."

For starters: Coach Vinny Del Negro reiterated his preference to use Thomas off the bench for now. Thomas played his second game after missing seven weeks following surgery to repair a fractured radius in his left forearm.

"Nothing is permanent, but we need bench production," Del Negro said. "Tyrus can play the [small and power forward] and that gives us more versatility."

Del Negro said he would approach the situation on a game-by-game basis and that Thomas becoming a permanent reserve or returning to the starting lineup are both possible.

"Whatever's best for the team and gives us the best chance to win," Del Negro said.

T-Mac time? The Rockets granted Tracy McGrady an indefinite leave as they work to trade the disgruntled guard and his expiring $23.2 million contract. McGrady is scheduled to make Chicago his home base as he trains with Tim Grover.

Word around the league is Houston is seeking expiring contacts and a young asset. The Bulls are one of many teams to have talked generally about acquiring McGrady, but core players Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah never would be included.

Typically, asking prices drop as the February trade deadline nears.

Lakers' Artest doesn't remember exact details of fall

Lakers small forward Ron Artest still can't remember the exact details about his Christmas night tumble that resulted in a concussion and stitches in his elbow, which forced him to sit out his third consecutive game Tuesday night.

One minute, Artest said he remembered coming home from Staples Center with his hands full of Christmas presents.

The next minute, he was inside his home and his wife was standing above him and asking him, "Are you all right?"

Artest said he believes he must have tripped on the stairs leading to his front door, but he doesn't remember falling. He couldn't say whether he fell forward or backward, and he doesn't recall whether he made it inside on his own or whether he had help.

"My wife said I was asleep for two or three minutes," Artest said in his first public comments since he was injured. "It took an hour to get my senses back. I didn't feel it (falling). That's the scary part. I'm still woozy at times."

A neurologist has examined Artest daily since he was injured. Artest has not been cleared to resume practicing with his teammates or to play in games. He said he doesn't have headaches, but still feels woozy when he lies down.

"I feel grateful to be up and talking," he said at halftime of the Lakers' game Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors. "I'm getting better. … The first day was bad. I couldn't remember much. I'm happy it's not worse."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Artest was scheduled to work out on his own today, his first physical activity since his tumble only hours after the team's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday afternoon.

"It's going to be an off day for the players, but he'll work out," Jackson said of Artest. "The big dangers are elevated heart rate and blood pressure in this situation. It's something that has to be monitored."

Artest said he didn't know about today's scheduled workout, but Lakers spokesman John Black clarified matters by saying that the workout would not be basketball-related. Artest would instead walk and/or run on a treadmill at the team's practice facility in El Segundo.

Medical news

Lamar Odom played Tuesday with his sprained right index and middle fingers taped. He was injured in the first half of the Lakers' loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday, and Jackson didn't like the way he played after the injury.

"He got injured and it was distracting for him in the second period," Jackson said of Odom, who had nine points on 4-for-13 shooting and 13 rebounds against the Suns.

Bryant update

Jackson chalked up Kobe Bryant's poor shooting to start Monday's game against the Suns to a lack of an off-day workout, then admitted a strained right elbow and a fractured right index finger had roles, too.

Bryant recovered to make 14 of 26 shots and score 34 points.

"He didn't shoot between the games (Saturday at Sacramento and Monday at Phoenix)," Jackson said. "I thought he was a little off. … The only thing that's bothering him is ballhandling and passing, not shooting."

Kevin Garnett could miss two games

PHOENIX — Kevin Garnett just went through a full shootaround with the Celts and a post-practice shooting session, but he could well be held out of the next two games — tonight against the Suns and Saturday against Toronto.

Garnett missed one game last week with a right thigh bruise, and he got kicked in the same leg in Monday’s loss to Golden State. Though these latest issues are in the same area, trainer Ed Lacerte said, through the team, that this current situation is not related to the problems that caused Garnett to get surgery on the right knee this past offseason.

Still, Celtics [team stats] coach Doc Rivers doesn’t want things getting worse, and the schedule is set up to get Garnett a maximum break with minimal missed games.

“If I do decide to sit him, I’m not sitting him for one game, I can tell you that,” Rivers said. “And I told Kevin that. I don’t think he loves to hear that. If I decide, I’m sitting him for a while.

“I just don’t want to go down that road. It’s early in the season. We’ve got tonight and then we’ve got two days (without a game) and then we’ve got three days after that (before playing next Wednesday in Miami). To me, if you’re going to rest guys, this is the perfect time to do it. And, again, I don’t know if I’m going to do that, but right now I can tell you I’m leaning that way heavy.”

As the team got on the bus to head back to its hotel here, Rivers was saying he’s more concerned with getting Garnett right for the long term.

“Obviously you have to look big picture,” Rivers said. “That’s what this is all about. So we’ll see, but right now I can tell you I’m leaning heavy that way. Someone would have to talk me out of it.”

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo [stats] is still bothered by a sore left hamstring, and while Rivers said he is questionable for tonight’s game against the Suns, the point guard said he is playing.

Celtics bottom out

PHOENIX - For better or worse - depending on the opponent - the Celtics [team stats] have taken to playing to the level of their competition. They will soar with the eagles and sink with the swine.

Having completed the dastardly double of losing to the worst two teams in the Pacific Division on consecutive nights, there is only one positive way to spin this: The Celts will be fine when the playoffs get here because the bad teams will have left for the year.

But that 1 vs. 8 matchup could be a bear.

“We’ve had our troubles against some of the lower teams,” said Ray Allen, “and that’s not a habit you want to get into.”

The issue was brought into full contrast when the Celts went into Orlando Christmas Day and spanked the Magic with Paul Pierce [stats] back up north watching on television. While losing to the Clippers and Warriors in the ensuing days may have been a bit of a shock to the Celtics senses, the fact they played poorly should not have been a surprise.

The Celts have now lost to four teams that are in the bottom two in their respective divisions (Philadelphia, Indiana, the Clippers and Golden State). And they’ve had very shaky wins over the Knicks, New Jersey, Washington and Memphis.

Yet they’ve won at Cleveland, San Antonio and Orlando. Go figure.

On one hand, Doc Rivers has derided his team’s play even in victories. But he seemed to be debating himself when he let his guys off the hook.

“If you look around, all the good teams have tight games against the lower teams,” he said. “These are NBA players, so they’re going to play well. And it’s tough to win an NBA game. I think if you ask the bad teams, they’ll tell you that.”

The problem the Celtics encounter is a boredom of sorts. They generally lose the mental energy to simply run their stuff and make extra passes when they get around teams they see as beneath them. On the rare occasions when they stick with their plan, they systematically run the foe out of the building.

But too often they take the ball and try to make individual plays. The issue is even more acute down the stretch. With the experience and alleged wisdom on the team, it just shouldn’t be happening this often.

“The expectation level for that is here,” said Kevin Garnett of playing smart basketball. “We expect to execute coming down the latter part of the game. You hit it right on the head, man. We’re an older team. We’re a veteran team, so some of the things we’re doing, we know better than. When we get some practice time, I’m sure we’ll work on some things and get better.”

Garnett then talked about some of the double-teams he’s been receiving and promised to fix things.

“I’ve got to do a better job of consolidating the ball,” he said. “I know I can do that. I think at this point everybody’s going to look at themselves in the mirror and try to do what they can to get ready for Phoenix. But I can do a lot more, and I will.”

Looking at the team overall, he added, “It’s got to be more grit. I feel like we’re playing hard, but we’ve got to put the grit into it.”

Without the grit, things could get rough. With a 23-7 record, a few stray losses don’t mean a great deal - except one measly regular-season game can be what separates them from, say Cleveland, and forces them to play Game 7 on the road.

“Everything will be defined in small moments at the end of the year,” Allen said. “We’ll look at these moments and they’ll add up. We’ll stand in a certain position, and we have to hope we don’t look back on these kind of games and regret what happened.”

Scouting report: Celtics at Suns

TONIGHT - 9, U.S. Airways Arena; Phoenix. TV - CSN. Radio - WEEI-AM (850).

THE NUMBERS

2: Consecutive Celtics [team stats] losses on the road.

9: Consecutive wins on the road before those two losses.

32: Career-high points by Rajon Rondo [stats] the last time the Celts played in Phoenix.

WHO’S HURT

For the Celtics, F Glen Davis (sprained right ankle), G Marquis Daniels (left thumb surgery) and F Paul Pierce [stats] (right knee infection) are out. The Suns are healthy.

WHO’S HOT

For the Celtics, C Kendrick Perkins [stats] has made 11-of-14 shots on this three-game trip.

WHO’S NOT

For the Celtics, F/C Rasheed Wallace has made only 6-of-21 shots in the last two games.

BOTTOM LINE

The Celtics need to keep an eye on Jason Richardson, who made six treys on the way to 34 points when the Suns won in Boston early last month. The C’s won’t like facing a running team to end this trip, but that means they have to be more deliberate on offense and not get caught in a quick-shooting game.

Kobe Bryant is MVP, but GasPau Gasol is Lakers’ most vital player

Pau Gasol right now is the single most important player on the Lakers. Period.

There, we’ve said it. Now you can begin to mock it, as soon as you stop wetting yourself with laughter.

Listen, we know just like you do that the Lakers without Kobe Bryant basically are the Rockets with better uniforms.

Bryant on Monday was named the Western Conference’s player of the week for the second consecutive time, meaning he’s the player of the fortnight, the MVP of the pay period.

But we’re here today to counter that the Lakers without Gasol basically are the Rockets, too, with more minutes available for DJ Mbenga.

If Bryant is the Black Mamba, Gasol is the White Samba. The Lakers wouldn’t be the same without their most dangerous weapon or their most dangerous weapon’s multi-talented dance partner.

It’s absolutely true. One could make the argument that Gasol is just as important to this team as Bryant is. One would lose the argument, sure, but the fact it even could be made is revealing.

The Lakers wouldn’t have advanced to the Finals in the spring of 2008 without both Bryant and Gasol. They wouldn’t have won the Finals in the spring of 2009 without both of them.

And they have no chance of successfully defending their championship in the spring of 2010 without the pair.

The same three statements cannot be made involving any other current Lakers player. No one else is even close.

In a previous lifetime, the championship Lakers had a big man who gave himself nicknames like "The Big Aristotle." In keeping with this tradition, Gasol would be "The Big WD-40."

With a mere spray of Gasol, the Lakers suddenly go from just well-heeled to well-oiled, from missing the occasional beat to humming along in usually uninterrupted harmony.

Yeah, the team has oddly stumbled the past week, but these are the dog days of December. Gasol’s importance only grows as the season does.

Immediately after the Lakers acquired him in the winter of 2008, they won 11 of 12 games. Gasol missed the start of this season because of injury before returning in mid-November, at which point the Lakers won 10 in a row.

These streaks were coincidences the same way it was amazing how the other teams always struggled to score when Greg Maddux happened to pitch.

Remember when Gasol became a Laker? Remember how the team went from playoff contender to Finals favorite in the time it took him to fit into his first pregame layup line?

Since the start of the 2007-08 season, the Lakers are 103-25 in games in which Gasol participates, 44-23 in games in which he does not.

If you can’t comprehend his worth now, you probably also can’t comprehend how socks work.

When this season opened, the Lakers at times looked exceptionally average. Without Gasol they suddenly appeared thin, old and vulnerable. This is precisely how they would look without Bryant.

Their offense bogged down in a loss to Dallas and halted completely in a defeat at Denver. Without Gasol, there was a lack of cohesion.

Given the way Bryant can dominate the ball, it is conceivable that Gasol is the more vital of the two in regards to offensive movement.

The Lakers certainly understand Gasol’s value. The team, in fact, just placed a number on it — an impressive number, assuming you consider making an estimated $32,800 per hour impressive.

Gasol last week agreed to a three-year contract extension that could be worth nearly $65 million. In dealing with this sort of money, the NBA doesn’t need a salary cap as much as a salary sombrero, something giant to collect the loose $100 bills.

Also this month, Gasol had consecutive 20-rebound games. Shaquille O’Neal never did that in the regular season as a Laker.

In a four-game stretch, Gasol had three 20-rebound games. O’Neal spent eight years here and had more 20-rebound games than that in an entire season exactly once.

Now, there is no petty Kobe-Shaq debate with these Lakers. This is definitely Kobe’s team, Kobe’s franchise, Kobe’s legacy.

No one is claiming that this is Pau’s team. We’re trying to provoke thought here, not provide evidence of insanity.

But there is no way to oversell the significance of Gasol in the Lakers’ bid to repeat as champions.

In that regard, he is Bryant’s equal, only as vital to his teammates’ chances as their next breath.

Few have matched Bryant in his time with the Lakers. Gasol, at this moment, is one of the few.

He is the single most important player on this team. Period.

You can argue differently, true, but we can argue the point. And that, today, is the point.

Rookie Rankings: Future's bright heading into next decade

On draft night, did anyone think Tyreke Evans would be this good, this soon?

With a 2010 upon us, I felt it appropriate to take a quick inventory of the 2009 Draft class as a whole.

While many considered this to be one of the weakest classes, it's clear the next decade will be a good one. Tyreke Evans has established himself as a future (if not now) superstar. Brandon Jennings grabbed everyone's attention with his 55-point night and looks to be a steal at No. 10. And foreigners like Jonas Jerebko and Omri Casspi have quickly made names for themselves.

But the quality of this draft class may be, surprisingly, in its depth. To grasp the impact this class has had, consider this: 24 different rookies have started at one point this season (18 of the 30 teams have started a rookie) and 12 players are seeing at least 20 minutes of action per game.

That's a serious contribution.

NBA.com's Rookie Rankings are just one man's opinion and are released every Wednesday during the season. If you've got an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for Drew Packham, send him an e-mail. You can also follow him on Twitter. For past week's rankings, click here.

1. Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
28	37.0	20.3	5.1	4.9	1.5	0.5	.461	.250	.778

Last Week: 1 | Drafted: 4
The only thing slowing down Evans these days, at least statistically, is a bum ankle. Evans was hurt in the Kings' tough 112-103 loss to the Lakers on Dec. 26 and missed Sacramento's win over Denver on Monday. Evans is doubtful for Wednesday, when the Kings (14-16) can surpass last season's win total with a victory over the Sixers. Over the last two weeks, Evans has gone from extreme high -- helping the Kings overcome a 35-point deficit to stun the Bulls -- to an extreme low -- coming up empty down the stretch in an overtime loss to the Lakers. "It was the worst I have ever played in the NBA," Evans said. "This is definitely the worst I have felt after a game. I had two chances and I really had one chance to win the game and I didn't pull it out."

2. Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
29	35.0	19.5	3.7	6.1	1.0	0.3	.408	.407	.807

Last Week: 2 | Drafted: 10
Jennings has been vocal over the past two weeks, from saying the Bucks will make the playoffs (I have no problem with the confidence) to tweeting immediately after a Bucks win (for which he got a $7500 fine). It's obvious Jennings has been trying to distribute the ball more (he said recently the 55-point game was a "curse" in that everyone sees him as a scorer only). In seven games over the last two weeks, Jennings is averaging 6.7 assists (to go along with 14.4 points) and continues to lead all rookies in the category.

3. Jonny Flynn, Minnesota Timberwolves

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
32	29.3	14.4	2.3	4.1	1.1	0.1	.433	.337	.807

Last Week: 3 | Drafted: 6
Flynn must be licking his chops for another meeting with Deron Williams and the Jazz. The Wolves have won the two meetings this season, and Flynn and the Wolves welcome Utah to town Wednesday for the third meeting. After seeing Flynn average 22.0 points and 4.0 assists in the two games, Utah's Carlos Boozer was impressed. "He's a stud, man," Boozer told the Salt Lake Tribune. "I didn't know how good he was until we played them. And he played great both games. ... He wasn't afraid of D-Will. You know, we have an all-world point guard and he wasn't afraid of him at all."

4. Omri Casspi, Sacramento Kings

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
28	25.9	11.8	4.2	1.2	0.6	0.3	.490	.439	.604

Last Week: 5 | Drafted: 23
Over the last two weeks, Casspi scored in double-digits in six of seven games, while averaging 14.6 points and 4.8 rebounds. Casspi is looking more and more like he belongs, and his play -- along with that of Tyreke Evans -- may have been a big reason for the Kings rewarding president Geoff Petrie with a three-year extension. You can follow Casspi's progress on the newly launched Web site casspi18.com, which features videos, a blog and a way for fans to interact with Casspi.

5. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
31	31.9	11.8	3.7	4.5	1.8	0.3	.443	.396	.842

Last Week: 4 | Drafted: 7
During the past two weeks, Curry had two of his best games of his young career. Against the Wizards on Dec. 18, Curry had a career-high 27 points (but the Wizards got the win). Then, five days later, Curry just missed a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists (but Chris Paul and the Hornets got the win). Of course, he followed that up by going scoreless in 11 minutes after being abused by Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo in the Warriors' 103-99 win over the Warriors. Still, Don Nelson likes what he sees out of Curry, especially on the defensive end. "He's doing a lot better than he was at the beginning of the season," Nelson told the San Jose Mercury News. "I know coach (Keith) Smart has been working with him a lot, talking about his stance and not backing up so much in transition. He's doing a lot better. He's taking on the challenge, and he's meeting it."

6. Jonas Jerebko, Detroit Pistons

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
29	28.6	8.7	5.5	0.7	0.7	0.3	.478	.265	.695

Last Week: 6 | Drafted: 39
You know that rookie wall many first-year players hit? When it comes to Jerebko, Pistons coach John Kuester might be waiting in vain. "Boy, Jonas has been a pleasant surprise for us this year," Kuester told the Detroit News. "I keep saying that because I'm afraid he's going to hit a wall someday and I'm going to finally have to yell at him, 'You're not working hard enough.'" Jerebko has 'hard work' in spades, and continues to make a solid contribution, even with the return of Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton.

7. Ty Lawson, Denver Nuggets

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
32	21.5	8.3	2.3	3.4	0.8	0.1	.490	.409	.806

Last Week: 8 | Drafted: 18
The Nuggets have lost five of their last six, and Lawson -- who has filled in admirably for Chauncey Billups sidelined with an ankle injury -- knows he'll need to stop up as a shooter to help the Nuggets out of their funk. "I think first, no one really knew about me, so I was getting a lot of things easily," Lawson told the Denver Post. "But now, people are changing their defenses, going under screens and stuff like that, just clogging the paint. I haven't shot it yet, but that's what I've been working on lately. So I've got to adjust to what they're doing. It's probably going to take a little bit of work, but I'm adjusting to the game real well."

8. James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
31	22.4	9.8	3.4	2.5	1.1	0.3	.382	.352	.817

Last Week: 10 | Drafted: 3
Harden has made the most of increased playing time. In the Thunder's last eight games, Harden has averaged 11.6 points and scored in double-digits in five straight at one point. But with so many options in OKC, Harden continues to fly under the radar, thanks to his team-first attitude. "You can never have enough unselfish playmakers," Thunder coach Scott Brooks told the East Valley Tribune. "The thing I like about him is he's unselfish but he can do a lot of things scoring-wise. Some guys are unselfish because they can't be selfish. They can't score. They can't make plays. James can, but he puts his teammates first."

9. Wesley Matthews, Utah Jazz

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
30	24.9	8.3	2.0	1.2	0.5	0.1	.476	.317	.754

Last Week: 7 | Drafted: FA
Utah's rookie isn't making life on coach Jerry Sloan any easier. With the return of C.J. Miles from preseason thumb surgery, Matthews saw his playing time drop. But, Miles has struggled to get reacclimated and Matthews has done what he's done all season -- be ready when his number's been called. Last Saturday was a perfect example of that as Matthews scored 16 points and grabbed seven boards to help the Jazz beat the Sixers 97-76 on a night when Miles had just two points in 11 minutes. Carlos Boozer called Matthews the "key to the game" and Miles was left answering questions about a position battle. "Wesley has been playing well all year," Miles told the Salt Lake Tribune. "So if a change is made, a change is made. I mean, there were a couple of games where I played a little better and they made a change. So, if it comes down to it, I'm sure they'll do it again. They're going to play whoever is playing well. That's what [Sloan] is supposed to do. He's the coach."

10. Tyler Hansbrough, Indiana Pacers

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
25	19.0	9.2	5.1	1.1	0.6	0.3	.365	.000	.782

Last Week: -- | Drafted: 13
Hansbrough has finally caught my attention. For whatever reason -- oh, maybe his 36 percent field-goal percentage -- I held Psycho T ouf of the top 10, but the UNC product finally makes his debut in the rankings. In seven games over the last two weeks (he missed Tuesday's game with an inner-ear infection), Hansbrough has averaged 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds and finished with back-to-back double-doubles. Hansbrough still struggled from the field in that period, going just 20-for-65 (30.7 percent), so if he hopes to stay in the top 10, he'll need to improve from the floor.

Honorable Mention: DeJuan Blair, Spurs: Has started the last five games, averaging 8.2 points and 7.2 rebounds; Taj Gibson, Bulls: Saw playing time dip slightly with Tyrus Thomas back, but still averaged 8.5 and 6.3 in last six games; Sam Young, Grizzlies: Has averaged 9.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in last six games (Grizzlies won four of the six); Jeff Pendergraph, Trail Blazers: had 11 points, five rebounds in his fourth game with the team

Aftermath of Katrina still reverberates around the league

Mayor Mick Cornett's dogged pursuit of an NBA team was instrumental in the Thunder landing in Oklahoma.

Hurricane Katrina brutalized the Gulf Coast on Aug, 29, 2005, a moment worldly in scope and still national in importance. That is the perspective that matters. Period.

But it is impossible to have a conversation about the NBA in the 2000s without discussing the impact of how nature's unforgiving assault forever changed the professional basketball landscape. Changed it in ways the smartest, most forward-thinking minds in the league could not have seen, changed it in towns thousands of miles apart, changed it so much that events shaping the league are still unfolding more than four years later.

New Orleans had a team, lost a team, got a team back, then got a special All-Star weekend that stands as one of the genuinely impactful moments for the NBA. Seattle lost a team. Oklahoma City, which knew pain and the healing process all too well, got a team, then got a good a team that in December 2009 has rewarded its fans for their laudable early support.

All because of Katrina.

Maybe Seattle would have lost the SuperSonics anyway. Attendance was down, the lack of a new arena was a major problem, the owner could have sold to someone from a different city not looking to pirate a team. Maybe New Orleans would have gotten the same magical 2007-08 second half from the Hornets and All-Starapalooza. Those are the uncertainties in a very complicated process.

The Hornets and Thunder will always be linked.

The certainty: it happened as a package spinning off of Aug. 29, 2005.

Oklahoma City? Oklahoma City was nowhere with the NBA before Katrina. Mayor Mick Cornett lobbied David Stern to consider the Ford Center for a relocation or expansion team, visiting the commissioner twice that year in New York and leaving the second time, in April, with the clear understanding that the campaign was pointless. To Cornett, Stern was diplomatic but frank.

Oklahoma City would pursue an NHL team, hoping to continue a trend that stretched the sport into the Sun Belt: Nashville, Atlanta, Raleigh, Tampa Bay, Phoenix, Miami and Dallas -- all "non-traditional" hockey markets -- got a team. Except the NHL announced a lockout in September 2004 that made it impossible for Cornett to get anything close to a commitment in three trips to meet with hockey officials in New York.

Katrina made landfall in New Orleans on a Monday morning. Cornett called Stern on Wednesday, telling him that Oklahoma City would like to be considered if the Hornets needed to relocate. The mayor did it knowing he could be branded a looter -- the way San Antonio officials got blasted for trying to move in on the Saints -- but Cornett would have liked the image even less of missing out on the basketball team that might be leaving Louisiana anyway.

The Ford Center in Oklahoma City got the Hornets with the promise of one season and the potential of a second, depending on the New Orleans recovery. Fans embraced the team as their own and the corporate backing seconded the adoption papers. Unplanned as it was, unwanted as it was because of the circumstances that sent the NBA there, it turned out to be the audition that proved Oklahoma City could support the product.

When the SuperSonics were sold to an Oklahoma businessman and applied to move in the summer of 2008, the bid was overwhelming approved by the other owners. And when the relocation became official after legal settlements in Seattle, it took the re-named Thunder five days to sell approximately 13,000 seats that had been set aside for season-ticket purchase, with the remaining 5,000 or so in Ford Center held back for single-game sales.

Oklahoma City cherished the chance to be on the national radar for something other than the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. That was a major reason civic leaders wanted a professional team there, to show off the inspirational spirit of people who came together with immeasurable heart. Sports could project themselves in a new way.

As 2010 beckons, the people of Oklahoma City have a winning team building into something special, with a budding superstar in Kevin Durant surrounded by a solid core of young talent. And the Thunder, based in a city with a 2008 population of 552,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, are 11th in the league in attendance.

The Hornets moved back to New Orleans, and the league welcomed them with the All-Star Game in 2008, showcasing the recovering city in a socially significant weekend that Stern would call the one of the highlights of his time as commissioner.

The Hornets received an attendance bump that was especially meaningful at a time when it had become commonplace to speculate how much longer the team could stay in a city that was getting hit hard economically even before Katrina. They won 56 games and the Southwest Division title and then made a strong run in the playoffs. Those few months were much-needed stability for the franchise.

Its been tougher this season in New Orleans, where the Hornets are 26th in attendance and likewise struggling to gain traction in the standings. But it's not as difficult as it is in the old home of the SuperSonics.

Seattle is the only one of the three locations that got left empty-handed. The oldest pro team in the town was lost to Oklahoma City because of the unimaginable circumstances that put the events in motion. The hurricane of 2005 caused death and destruction, and on a lesser level -- a much lesser level -- changed the landscape of the league.

Nothing has been the same in the NBA since.

Rockets not getting caught up in McGrady saga

Tracy McGrady (left) is due to make about $23 million this season in the last year of his contract.

HOUSTON -- The Internet positively crackles and the Rockets simply crack their knuckles.

Twitter is all atwitter with the word that Tracy McGrady wants out of Houston and inside the Rockets locker room there is only the dull hum of fluorescent lighting.

"It doesn't affect us," said forward Chuck Hayes. "It's part of the business. I guess the organization felt that it needed to be taken care of and they did it in the best professional way they could. I am sad to see him in this situation. But it happens."

As far as distractions go, the latest chapter in the McGrady story is no different to his teammates than one of those posters of a bikini-clad model that are sometimes held up along on the baseline when you're attempting a free throw. It's just part of the game.

Now it's a part that is definitely in the past with general manager Daryl Morey issuing a statement that said the Rockets have agreed to look into trade opportunities and coach Rick Adelman closing and virtually bolting the door on any chance of a McGrady return in a Houston uniform.

"I would seriously doubt that," Adelman said. "He's made it clear that he wants to move on and we'll see what we can do."

After Tuesday night's 108-100 win over the New Orleans Hornets, the Rockets now have a 19-13 record because they've had the narrow focus of a laser beam in a season when they've had to play without their two linchpins, McGrady and Yao Ming, both of whom underwent major surgery in the past 10 months.

Yet the Rockets have survived and even thrived by employing a faster tempo and a sharing-the-ball philosophy that Adelman wasn't ready to compromise for the sake of one player attempting a comeback from microfracture knee surgery.

"He wanted more playing time, and we weren't ready to do that at this point," Adelman said. "So it came to a head, and we'll see where it goes from here.

"He has been hurt for a year and a half. The thing people want to write about is who he was two years ago. He isn't that right now. We have a whole team. It's not just about what he wants or what he was going to want. It was about what can he do to help us win? That was the bottom line to me."

"Last year, we were able to work him in, but we had Yao, we had Ron (Artest), we had a lot more room for error. We could run things through him in the past, and he was able to create a lot of offense for everybody else. We're playing a different way. We're trying to push the ball. We have to play a certain way to give us a chance to win. We needed him to be part of that. I don't think that was possible today.

"Believe it or not, I had a feeling this was going to happen all along."

When McGrady arrived for the start of training camp, pronouncing himself ahead of schedule in his rehab, Adelman braced himself for the storm that was brewing. When McGrady announced in a November e-mail that he was planning his return on a certain date, Adelman could feel the ground begin to quake. Then when Adelman agreed to a trial period starting on Dec. 15 that would put McGrady back onto the floor for 7-8 minutes a game in four sets of back-to-backs in the schedule, the coach had more than a few doubts.

McGrady made his cameos for six games, looked slow and often unable to keep up or compete, and then said he wanted more playing time.

"I didn't know what the answer would be after 7-8 minutes," Adelman said. "Do you go up to 15, up to 20, then you do that for one or two games and it was going to have to be 30? It seemed that was the direction it was being pushed, and I was not comfortable and not ready to do that."

With the exception of one game, McGrady showed no explosiveness going to the basket.

"I think that's pretty obvious if you watch him," Adelman said. "He's such a great creator. I still believe he has so much skill and he's so talented and so smart that he can be an effective offensive player. But it has to be a certain way. The ball has to go through him."

The Rockets were not going to change their style or their attitude on the court to squeeze McGrady back into the mix and the sense in the locker room is they haven't now limited their potential for this season by agreeing to cut McGrady loose.

"I don't believe so," Adelman said. "He could have had a real positive effect if he was willing to accept the minutes and play like we're trying to play. I didn't know if that was going to be possible going down the line.

"We were hoping he could be a difference-maker. ... But then there has got to be an acceptance of how we were going to play and how he was going to fit into the group.

"I didn't know what was coming down the line. The envelope was being pushed every time we did something. ... I truly believe that maybe he thinks he can turn it on and be an effective player. The way we're playing didn't jibe with that. Maybe on another team he could fit in and play 25 minutes, and they can go to him. I don't know."

What Adelman knew was that he was not going to sacrifice his team and the chemistry that had been built to accommodate McGrady, who had gone so far as to childishly put on his game uniform and sit in his locker before a November game in Minnesota, weeks before the Rockets were ready to clear him to play.

"That was all part of the process," Adelman said. "He wanted to show he was ready to play. I didn't think it was real cool. We're all dealing with the whole situation. I told him at the time we've got a group here and we're trying to develop something. That's why I say the process wasn't going smooth. It was being pushed. It got to a point where the pushing wasn't going to continue."

Except toward the door.

Now that McGrady has himself on the outside, the Rockets barely notice.

Dallas leads the pack in competitive Southwest Division

The Mavs' impressive start has them atop the Southwest.

The Mavericks and Rockets meet for the fourth and final time New Year's Eve. The calendar hasn't flipped to 2010 and these Southwest Division neighbors are done for the regular season.

That's just not right, Mr. NBA Schedule Maker. Fans should be treated with at least a couple I-45 showdowns over the stretch run. Oh, well.

Dallas leads the series 2-1 and the division, while also checking in with the second-best record in the Western Conference at 22-9. According to the man who runs the Rockets, the Mavs are stocked and the class of the once-mighty Southwest.

They've got an MVP contender (Dirk Nowitzki), future Hall of Famer (Jason Kidd), Sixth Man award winner (Jason Terry), Defensive Player of the Year hopeful (Shawn Marion) and a wild card who may be the team's most versatile player (Josh Howard). Sounds like an unbeatable combo.

"This is Dallas' division," Rockets coach Rick Adelman declared. "They've got all the talent. They're deep. They were able to sustain even when they lost Howard, and I think that they're the best team in our division and probably they're up there in the conference. This is a team that is very strong and they're going to be there all year long."

Nothing like blowing a little smoke to flame the fires of a rivalry. Terry, though, is on board with Adelman's glowing assessment and flatly called the Mavericks the "best" in the division. Now whether the Southwest is a strong as recent years is up for debate.

The Spurs (18-11) are starting to show signs of turning around a poor start, but most of their wins lately have come against outfits that are lottery bound. Still, a team built around the Three Amigos -- Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili -- with a nice mix of athleticism (Richard Jefferson, George Hill) can't be overlooked.

"San Antonio, it's just a matter of can they get everybody together again, work the new guys in, but you always have to believe that they're going to make their run and they're going to be there," Adelman said. "The rest of us, we're just trying to find out who we are."

The Spurs are fifth in the West, have won nine of the last 11 and trail Dallas by only three games. Are the Mavs in their sights?

"Honestly, I'm not really focused on anybody else but us," San Antonio guard Roger Mason Jr. said. "We're playing better, but I don't think our record is a reflection of where we want to be. We've played well, but we have a long way to go."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was even more direct: "All I care about is how we're playing and if we're improving, and we have a long way to go."

The surprising Rockets are third in the division and motoring along at 19-13, seventh in the West. Houston is without Yao Ming (bad) and Tracy McGrady (good) while stringing together wins with a hard-nosed, overachieving group. Aaron Brooks and Trevor Ariza have All-Star talent. "Gritty" might as well be inserted before the names of Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, Shane Battier and Kyle Lowry.

New Orleans, the Southwest champs just two seasons ago, fired its coach and is wasting another MVP-caliber season by Chris Paul. The surging Memphis Grizzlies are actually ahead of the Hornets going into Wednesday. But as a whole, the division's best playoff hopes lie in the Texas Triangle.

"I still think it's one of the strongest divisions in our league," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "I think it's dangerous to overreact to the first seven weeks of the season and say that the division is down. There's still a lot of basketball to be played.

"Chris Paul goes out two, two-and-a-half weeks, that's going to change a team's fortunes tremendously. There's a long way to go. San Antonio is quietly winning games and they're getting better and better. At the end of January, whoever's opinion that is might change."

Zach attack

Speaking of those Grizzlies, Zach Randolph is quietly putting together another bang-up season. And judging by the squeaks from the turnstiles at FedEx Forum, it's really quiet.

Memphis' starting power forward should be in the All-Star discussion averaging 20 points (16th in the league) and 11.4 boards (fifth). He leads in offensive rebounding, with a career-high 4.8.

Zach Randolph: All-Star?

Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

"I'm just being aggressive," Randolph said, "Being aggressive on the offensive end. Being aggressive rebounding, trying to get offensive rebounds. Just the little stuff."

Little stuff that adds up. The burly left-hander totaled 65 points and 42 rebounds from Dec. 20-22, becoming the first NBA player to reach those levels over a two-game stretch since Hall-of-Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar amassed 67 points and 46 rebounds from Feb. 1-3, 1978.

Randolph destroyed the Nuggets for 32 points and a career-high 24 rebounds on Dec. 20, marking the first 32-24 game since Kevin Garnett (33-25) on Dec. 5, 2003. Z-Bo also has games of 33-18, 23-19 and 19-20 this month. He's failed to reach 10 boards only twice in 12 December games.

Better yet, the Grizzlies are starting to make a move in the standings. Memphis (14-16) has won three of four and has crept into the West playoff picture after a 1-8 start. Randolph, a nine-year vet in his first season with the Grizz, sees progress with a young but talented core that includes wings Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo, point guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol, who forms one-half of the best rebounding duo (with Z-Bo) in the league.

"It's just like anywhere else," Randolph said. "Guys get along and are comfortable with each other. It's a great thing. These guys want to learn. The chemistry is jelling. We compliment each other well. Rudy and O.J. are future All-Stars. We have some talent."

Randolph also knows his rep. Two of his previous three teams -- Portland and the L.A. Clippers -- traded him after winning the Draft lottery, fearing having Randolph around impressionable young minds like Greg Oden and Blake Griffin. Thing is, the Grizzlies are the league's youngest and least-experienced team.

Asked if he feels like a mentor, Randolph shrugged: "Yeah, I guess. I ain't no rah-rah type of guy, but I lead by example. It's cool."

While Z-Bo may be gobbling up stats at a record pace, the number on his mind lately is eight. He's played in only eight career playoff games and none since 2003.

"I definitely want to get back to that," he said. "There ain't nothing like the postseason. I'm just taking it one game at a time. We've got to get back to the .500 mark first. That's definitely something I want to do. We're not far away. We're right there."

Like fine wine

Steve Nash, 35, just keeps getting better with age. Not only does the Super Sun pass the eyeball test for those who see him nightly, but numbers don't lie. The two-time MVP is in the discussion again because of a season many are calling his best to date.

His numbers stack up to any of the great playmakers in the game today -- Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo and so on. Here's how Nash compares to other all-time greats at 35.

A comparison of Steve Nash with other NBA point guards at age 35

PLAYER AGE SEASON TEAM REC. PPG AST PG FG PCT 3FG PCT FT PCT Steve Nash 35 2009-10 PHX 20-12 18.6 11.3 54.0 44.0 94.1 Jason Kidd 35 2008-09 DAL 50-32 9.0 8.7 41.6 40.6 81.9 John Stockton 35 1997-98 UTA 62-20 12.0 8.5 52.8 42.9 82.7 Magic Johnson 36* 1995-96 LAL 53-25 14.6 6.9 46.5 37.9 85.6 Isiah Thomas 35 1996-97 Retired Mark Jackson 35 2000-01 NYK 48-34 7.6 8.0 41.9 33.8 78.5

*Returned for one season following four-year retirement; did not play in 1994-95 when he was 35.

Quotable

"Vinny is our coach. Our goal is to get better each and every day. We are exploring options to get better."
-- Bulls general manager Gar Forman on speculation Vinny Del Negro would be fired.

Starting 5

1. Let's get this straight, Ron Artest slips while carrying Christmas presents, hits concrete and blacks out for nearly two minutes only to wake up with a concussion and deep gash on his left elbow. I guess crashing your SUV into a fire hydrant outside your home was already taken.

2. It's time to trade T-Mac ... in 2007.

3. Rookie-Sophomore game at All-Star weekend might as well be an Oklahoma City intrasquad scrimmage.

4. Make sure Jared Dudley logs major minutes against all Los Angeles teams. In the last week, the Suns' sixth man and Twitter master scored 19 (Lakers) and 18 (Clippers). He's averaging 9.4 on the season. Oh yeah, he's from SoCal.

5. More excruciating drought: Hawks to open the fourth quarter Tuesday night with Cleveland in town or Cleveland's championship wait?

Give-n-Go: Chase Budinger, Rockets rookie forward

AG: Not a bad rookie year.

CB: It's been going well so far. The one thing that says it most is I'm on the court playing. (Note: He's currently out with a sprained ankle.)

AG: How do the Rockets get it done?

CB: This team knows what we have. We don't have our big guns out here, so every night we have to be the hustle team and bring the energy. If we don't, we lose. We have to play a certain way and that's how we've been playing all year. Scrappy, hustle. When we do that, we win.

AG: What's it like going against players you watched on TV growing up?

CB: It's shell-shocking playing against guys I've been watching for years and years. To be able to play against them is a great honor for me. I'm a competitor and going to do my best against them.

AG: Biggest adjustment from college at Arizona to the NBA?

CB: The travel and playing 82 games. In college you used to playing only twice a week -- for me it was Thursdays, Saturdays -- here you have back-to-backs, games at home one day and travel the next. It's a constant ride.

Ginobili's body of work sets example for Wolves

Wolves forward Kevin Love went after the ball as he was defended by Spurs rookie DeJuan Blair during the first half Tuesday.

SAN ANTONIO - Now all the Timberwolves must do with that second-round pick they acquired before Tuesday's 117-99 loss at San Antonio is find a guy like Manu Ginobili.

The Spurs drafted Ginobili 57th overall in the 1999 draft, well after such now-forgotten names as William Avery, Quincy Lewis and Trajan Langdon were selected.

A decade later -- after persevering through a list of maladies that include ankle, hamstring, groin injuries and a bat bite on Halloween night this season -- he continues to twist and spin and gyrate the Spurs to victory.

On Tuesday, he did it with a 14-point, 10-assist, nine-rebound performance off the bench on a night his team once again proved playing hard is as important as talent and experience.

The Spurs ended the Wolves' two-game winning "streak" by building leads of 16 points by halftime, 19 by late in the third quarter and 24 by the time fewer than seven minutes remained in the game. The Spurs tied a season high by scoring 66 first-half points.

"Did he really?" Wolves forward Kevin Love asked when told Ginobili was one rebound shy of a triple-double. "Quiet. But I guess he's just a great player. He's one of those guys who can be quiet and still do that."

He did so with an energy Wolves coach Kurt Rambis would like his team, someday, to play with every night.

"He just creates so much havoc with his energy," Rambis said. "His ability to crash the glass, get steals, play defense, shoot the long shots, penetrate, find guys open. He just plays an unorthodox style of basketball that makes it very difficult to cover him. He plays his butt off.

"He just plays so hard all the time. That's one of the reasons he has to be physically healthy because when he's healthy, he can play that way. In some instances, he's an offense onto himself. They let him out there and he creates things."

Heat begins grueling schedule stretch

Teams can either come together on the road or come apart.
In the Heat's case, center Jermaine O'Neal said he and his teammates formed a special brotherhood during the seven-day, four-game West Coast trip earlier this month partly by playing video games. That bond should serve the team well during an upcoming grueling stretch in which the Heat plays 10 of its next 14 games (and 21 of 29) away from AmericanAirlines Arena.
"It's the first time I've been into a regular extended room with a king-size bed with like eight big guys in one room playing video games since my Portland days,'' O'Neal said. "We wanted that away time when it's just us, not family and not other things available to you when you're home where you find more distractions.
"On the road it's basically us, hotel, practice, games. … We like being the underdog on the road. The vibe is even more upbeat on the road than at home and at times we've showed that on our home court, because it's us against the world.''
The "world" tour starts in New Orleans on Wednesday and shifts to San Antonio on Thursday for the first of three road back-to-backs this month. The 16-12 Heat is 6-4 on the road, while the Hornets and Spurs are a combined 23-8 at home.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after practice Tuesday that he no longer looks too far down the road.
"It's got to be every day, every meeting, every practice, every possession, every game,'' Spoelstra said. "We were certainly more focused on the [2-2] West Coast trip. We've also matured the last two weeks. We've been very focused. You have challenges on the road. We're going to be playing top-level teams in their buildings where they're playing very well.
"Your habits of being able to defend, developing some type of team resolve and resiliency. And you have to have some depth and contributions from our bench. The last 10 days we've had those things.''
Heat guard Dwyane Wade said the younger players are killing him in the militaristic Call of Duty videogame, but agreed that being in the same foxhole on the road has some advantages.
"It's not like we want all our games on the road but I think we're more consistent on the road because we play better as a team on both ends of the floor,'' Wade said. "Sometimes at home you can get into the crowd and get into being one-on-one too much.

Kevin Garnett props up Rajon Rondo

PHOENIX - Kevin Garnett has been one of Rajon Rondo [stats]’s biggest supporters, but his respect for the Celtics [team stats] point guard managed to grow Monday night.
A night after missing two free throws in a tie game in Los Angeles against the Clippers with 1.5 seconds left and watching Baron Davis hit the game-winning shot over him on the other end, Rondo had 30 points and 15 assists in Monday night’s fall to the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, Calif. Rondo made 11-of-18 shots from the floor and 7-of-9 from the line.
Garnett liked the way Rondo got back on the horse.

“Things happen to us that you turn and you ask yourself, ‘Why me?’ ” Garnett said as the Celtics had yesterday off in preparation for tonight’s road trip finale against the Phoenix Suns. “I told him when he went to the line (Monday), I smacked him and I said, ‘Yeah, redemption. Payback.’ I just kept filling him with that. It either makes you or breaks you, man. You can’t break this kid. This kid is made of carbon, man. Everybody knows what carbon is. You know that it’s damn near invincible. It’s just more than a pleasure to be his teammate.”
Rondo shrugged it all off, but he was seriously down in LA.
“I was bummed out up until gametime (Monday),” Rondo said. “But luckily it’s the NBA. We had a back-to-back, so I tried to redeem myself, but we still got another loss. For me, I get down on myself. I’m very hard on myself. But I’m still confident. I’m going to play the game and feel like I’m the best at it.”
Garnett continued to praise his young teammate.
“From the summer when he came in, I could tell how he answered some of the questions that I asked him that he was ready to play,” Garnett said. “Mentally I thought he was there to set a tone and prove something to everybody. And, you know what, I like that. I like that you come in and you’re here to prove something not only to yourself, but to your teammates, your peers, the ones you play against. There’s nothing wrong with playing with an edge. ’Do is a guy who always puts the team first. One thing I try to get him not to do is play against himself.
“He’s a counterpuncher. But, man, when it comes to turning it up and just taking over a game from all dimensions of it, I’ve yet to see anybody like him. I’m a huge Rondo fan. I stay on his (butt) and I tell him stuff, things that most people probably shy away from, but that’s the trust that he has in me and me being a vet.”
“It’s beautiful to watch his growth. It’s beautiful to see how he’s influenced not only some of his own peers and young guys he plays, but even the older guys,” Garnett added “I think he’s definitely gained our respect. I told him, ‘Man, you’ve got to be in love with getting better.’ And he’s just embraced that so it’s good to see.”
Celtics notes
The team is hoping Glen Davis’ sprained right ankle isn’t as bad as it looked when he suffered the injury against the Warriors.
Golden State’s Ronny Turiaf fell on Davis two minutes into the fourth quarter. Davis required crutches as he left the arena. . . .
Also receiving treatment from trainer Ed Lacerte were Garnett and Rondo. Garnett got his right leg kicked late in the Warrior game, and Rondo tweaked a left hamstring injury.