ESPN NBA

There's an NBA player who had these per game stats in the month of January:

• 32 points
• Eight rebounds
• Three assists
• 52% field goal shooting
• 53% 3-point field goal shooting
• 90% free-throw percentage

The answer is after the jump.
(Read full post)

Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes about the NBA's first Israeli:

Clusters of spectators occupy sections in every arena, waving Israeli flags, chanting his name, pleading for an autograph, a high-five, or even a glance.

These past few days in particular have been a blur of activity: Pregame and post-game chats with a throng of fans Sunday in Toronto; a post-practice gathering Monday at Madison Square Garden with members of the media, including several Israeli television and print journalists; a private audience with Commissioner David Stern in his Olympic tower office hours later; a reception sponsored by the Israeli Consul General in the early evening and, finally, tonight's long anticipated Kings-Knicks matchup that is being marketed as Jewish Heritage Night. ...

The attention in Sacramento, Casspi's adopted hometown, is only slightly less intense. High school coaches ask him to address their teams. Congregations compete for his presence at religious functions. Jewish mothers try to fix him up with their daughters – requests he coyly refuses, he says, citing time constraints.

Then there's the baby, the namesake, another first. But little Omri Ruben Nelson, son of Tami and Louis Nelson of Elk Grove, probably won't be the last.

"Both of our parents are Israeli," said Tami Nelson, an elementary school teacher, "and we wanted our child to have a Jewish name. Then when Omri came to the Kings, we thought his story was inspiring. My sister actually wanted to name her baby Omri, too, but we beat her to it; she isn't due until March."

By Chris Broussard

The Boston Celtics and Charlotte Bobcats are discussing a trade centered around Glen "Big Baby'' Davis and D.J. Augustin, according to league sources.

The sources cautioned that nothing is imminent, but said the clubs are having discussions.

The Bobcats have been searching for a power forward, and the 6-9 Davis could be their man. The Celtics, meanwhile, have been longing for a backup point guard, and Augustin, who's fallen out of favor with Charlotte coach Larry Brown, would be more than adequate.

A straight-up trade would not work because Davis is a base-year compensation player, so other players would have to be involved to meet the financial requirements. That could be a sticking point in the deal.

While teams don't typically trade big for small, Boston is a bit aggravated with Davis, who's had a few off-the-court problems this season. Most notably, he missed the first 27 games of the season after breaking his thumb in an early morning scuffle with a friend.

The Celtics have been rumored to be shopping Ray Allen, and while league sources insist the word "shopping'' is too strong, they say the shooting guard is definitely available. Few believe he'll be traded before the Feb. 18 deadline, though, because the Celtics aren't likely to get a better player in return.

• A treasure trove of NBA dunk contest video.
• Tim Varner of 48 Minutes of Hell, agitating for a Spurs trade, perhaps for Tyrus Thomas: "I’m not at all convinced this season’s struggles amount to the end of an era. The Spurs still have time to get back to the top during the Duncan window. But it’s going to take a radical re-approach, and the clock is ticking. But really, the Spurs are one move away from being next year’s popular dark horse selection. Watch it happen. R.C. Buford and his staff rarely make mistakes. And the Richard Jefferson trade wasn’t one of them. It was, as I said, the right move. The mistake in this situation is to deny the obvious: the current team doesn’t work. Call a mulligan, R.C. You’ve earned it. Take what you now know and go get this one back."
• Pete Mickeal, former Mavericks' draft pick and now Ricky Rubio teammate in Barcelona, tells the Painted Area about his young teammate: "As flashy as he is with his moves, his ballhandling skills or his unbelievable passes, he’s sometimes as good on defense as he is on offense. That’s his skill that might go unknown in the NBA world, but here in Europe they can already appreciate that. I don’t know if he still leads the league in steals, but this guy plays unbelievable defense on the point guard and he rebounds the ball and he’s improved his three-point shooting. He has so much more confidence in his three-point shooting, and we all know he can put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. I mean, you’ve got a guy who can do everything. His confidence is so high, this is the reason he’s so good. It doesn’t matter if he misses a shot or if he makes an unbelievable pass and doesn’t complete it perfectly, he’s still going to go back the next play and continue to play. For being 19, he’s well beyond his years. For me, his mind is the same type of mind as Steve Nash for passing and having the mindframe to control the game. We’re not talking about having the exact same skill level, we’re talking about having the mind to control the game, in any situation. He’s 19 years old, but believe me, nobody in this locker room looks at him as 19. We look at him as Ricky, that’s it. He’s proven himself. I’m the only one who jokes with him and calls him 'Young Fella' (laughs), but that’s it. He’s proven himself. He goes to work every day, he comes in early to shoot. What I’ve learned for him is that his work ethic is second to none -- this is what’s going to get him to the top." (Rubio is in several of these highlights from the last week, by the way.)
• A little chart Kevin Durant would like you to examine, showing points per possession vs. number of offensive possessions. Durant and LeBron James are on their own, although Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, Corey Maggette and Amare Stoudemire are looking really good, too.
• Mark Ginocchio of the Nets are Scorching on Yi Jianlian: "While he’s more aggressive and taking hypothetically 'better' shots closer to the rim, he’s actually shooting the ball at a worse clip than last season. How a player is shooting at a lower percentage despite taking a higher quantity of higher percentage shots is a bit mystifying, but that logic more or less sums up Yi’s career in the NBA. The question remains what kind of player the Nets have in Yi. Obviously if he could regain his form from December and early January, the front office would likely consider keeping Yi around for the long-term for his offensive talent. But as many predicted, Yi is looking like he’s regressing back to the shoot-too-much, pass-too-little, no defense player of yesteryear. If his game continues in this downward direction, the front office and coach Kiki Vandeweghe have to consider meaningful change ..."
• Niall Doherty of Hornets247: "There wasn't much the Hornets could have done differently against [Vince Carter]. He had some open looks in the game, but more often than not he was taking well-contested shots. I'd go so far as to say that many of them were ill-advised. But he was hitting them, so it worked out well for the Magic."
• A serious video breakdown of the Magic's game-breaking third-quarter run against the Celtics.
• Darius of Forum Blue and Gold: "Pau Gasol was just tremendous. I don’t care that he missed some easy ones. The fact that he was even in position to miss those easy ones was an indicator of the work that he was doing to establish position and skill he possesses to get himself a good shot. Plus, when he’s doing all the other things that he can do to affect a game, I’ll take some missed shots. He didn’t miss ‘em all though. 21 points, 19 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 blocks for the big Spaniard. That’s putting in work. Add to that Tim Duncan needing 17 shots to get his 16 points (no FT’s!) and give me more of that Pau, missed shots and all."
• J.J. Hickson's defense: Not there yet.
• Jeremy from Roundball Mining Company on Carmelo Anthony's injured ankle: "I am really shocked that Carmelo Anthony has not played since spraining his ankle two weeks before the Utah game. Carmelo himself said the ankle was not as badly sprained as those he has suffered in the past. After seeing video of him working out before the game against the Lakers and knowing he has been practicing I started questioning both his toughness and how badly he wants to play. I do not take making accusations like that lightly ... Perhaps Carmelo’s ankle is much worse than any of us know, or have been led to believe. Perhaps working out is causing more pain than you or I could endure. We simply do not know. While an absence of this length is suspicious, it is not enough to lead me to proclaim Melo is a sissy or is more interested in making sure he can drop 30 points a night when he returns. I have not seen evidence of Melo skipping out on playing when he was banged up in the past. In fact, if you recall he finished the game against the Indiana Pacers in which he broke his hand last season."
• Everyone is ready to list Amare Stoudemire's shortcomings, but Mike Schmitz of Valley of the Suns is that guy in the back of the room, quietly raising his hand, waiting to say "he's a pretty good player, you know." He writes: "The man is a weapon, unmatched by very few others in the league. When motivated, he is arguably the best offensive big man in the NBA, period. He can hit the jumper from 20 feet on in, drive to the hoop from inside of the paint or out, and finish with contact as well as anyone in the league. Oh yeah, one other important detail: He is still 27 years old. He may not be worth max money, but with the right contract, he could be the building block to something special."
• The photo showing Louis Williams really has the flu. And Allen Iverson is said to be back at Sixers' practice today. More at Philadunkia.
• When Jeff Pendergraph's mom is visiting, they do not need restaurant recommendations. She will do the cooking, thank you.
• Ed O'Bannon's lawsuit against the NCAA is moving right along.
• How to be a sports fan.

Joe Dumars has long been hailed as one of the best general managers in the NBA, but John Hollinger (Insider) says he's living on his reputation at this point:

Check out the résumé and find me a correct decision. Just one. Fire Saunders? Wrong. Hire Michael Curry? Wrong. Trade Chauncey Billups? Wrong. Extend Richard Hamilton? Wrong. Sign Kwame Brown? Wrong. Go after Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva? Wrong again.

In two years, the Pistons have gone from one of the best teams in basketball to among the worst. They stink, they're capped out, and they don't have much in the way of young talent; for all we know, in two years they're going to be the Pittsburgh Pisces or the Seattle Grunge or something. If Isiah Thomas or Rob Babcock had done this, we'd have buried them alive by now, so it's only fair for us to point out that regardless of his previous track record, Dumars is on a two-year losing streak of McHalian proportions.

Jerry Stackhouse apperas on SIRIUS XM’s Mad Dog Radio in a segment called "Stack's House." Yesterday, before Vince Carter's best scoring night of the season, he had this exchange:

Caller: “I don’t want to disgrace one of your fellow Tar Heels but Vince Carter is not playing very well for the Magic. Do you think they made a mistake by not trying harder to get [Hedo] Turkoglu back and then trading for him? I almost think he’d be better off the bench as kind of like a spark maybe that would help out. I don’t know, you tell me.”

Jerry Stackhouse: “I got the scoop on that when we played them [February 2 in Orlando] and I’m glad we got to that, because I asked him. I was like, ‘Man, what’s going on? Is it the team? Kind of being close to home? What is it?’ He’s like, ‘Stack, man, my knee isn’t right. I’m basically not able, I’m able to play but ...’ I think he kind of has a number in his mind of how long he really wants to continue playing because of all of the pounding and jumping that he has on his knees, and that’s what he told me, so I think that maybe that’s some of it. Hopefully he can find a way to weather that or strengthen it and be able to at least turn it on for them in the playoffs. But him playing at the level that he’s playing right now, I don’t see them really getting back to the Finals. They need him to be that guy, they need him to be that closer because they don’t have a bona fide closer on that team. Rashard Lewis has won some games for them late but you can’t really throw the ball down to [Dwight] Howard late because if he goes to the free throw line, [there’s] a good chance of having an empty possession with that. So you’ve got to have Vince Carter, who is a guy that has been a closer for the most part of his career, to step up and be that closer for them. And, I think, as far as he’s concerned, his body might not allow him to do that.”

Veteran Juwan Howard barely made the Blazers as 12th man, but thanks to injuries has become a starter, and seems to be holding up nicely despite turning 37 a couple of days ago. Insights into Howard's lifestyle from those who know him best:

A video trove of NBA players playing H.O.R.S.E. -- not just in the official competition that will be repeated (sub-optimally) this weekend, but also from TV commercials, unofficial events and more. Pistol Pete Maravich, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Steve Nash, Larry Bird, Kevin Durant and more.

On Hardwood Paroxysm, Zach Harper was more disturbed than impressed by Vince Carter's big scoring performance.

As I watched Vince lead the Magic from a 17-point deficit to a six-point win, I couldn’t help but resent him for this performance. To me, Andre Miller’s 52-point outburst the other day was far more probable than this 48-point game from Vince. ...

It’s not like he was soaring through the air. His steps on the court are the NBA equivalent of intensive labor. He looks out of shape and out of breath most of the time. He moves like one of the old guys at your local gym or YMCA. All of this makes it even more frustrating that he was able to put up a game like this. I was resigned to the fact that Vince Carter simply didn’t have it anymore and didn’t want to have it. I was actually okay with that. Instead, he tried and he tried hard and it worked to the tune of 48 dramatically efficient points. How does that happen?

Ultimately, I still feel cheated by Vince Carter and his career with nights like this reminding me just of that when I thought it was behind me. Did Vince owe the fans and me a different story arc to his career? Not really. Maybe you could argue he owed it to himself but if he’s happy fading into “what could have been” obscurity then that’s on him.

I just could have done without the diabolical casualness of his career. And I could have done without the 48-point reminder that he was an Allen Iverson heart away from burning this place to the ground.

• Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: "Dwight Howard put it best Monday night. 'Oh my God,' Dwight said after Vince Carter scored 48 in the Magic’s 123-117 victory over the New Orleans Hornets, 'Vinsanity is back!' We echo those sentiments. Oh my God, did you see Vinsanity Monday night? Driving to the hoop for dipsy-doodle scoops. Nailing 3-pointers. Crossover dribbles that tied defenders up in knots. Wow -- 48 points, 19-of-27 shooting and 6-of-10 from 3-point range. Just wow. This is the Vince Carter Magic fans have been waiting for ever since the deal was made during the offseason to bring Vince to town. Not that he has to score nearly 50 points to justify his worth to the team, but he does need to be able to occasionally take over games and lead the Magic to victory. Fans don’t want to boo Carter like they have recently; they want to cheer him like they did Monday night. They want to believe the Magic did the right thing when they gambled after going to the Finals last season, retooled their team and brought in Carter."
• Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times: "They did it again, indelibly, as if to show the first time wasn't a fluke. Two days after weathering a typically stormy game in Portland without Kobe Bryant (when it started) and Andrew Bynum (when it ended), the Lakers undercut a more refined San Antonio team Monday night. They played again without their two starters, but it didn't matter, in case the raucously appreciative Staples Center crowd didn't demonstrate it with a series of ovations. Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Ron Artest took turns pushing and prodding the Lakers in a 101-89 victory over the Spurs, a testimony to their depth, 36 minutes of strong defense and a dose of hustle that isn't always associated with this team."
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: "On this final march to the Feb. 18 NBA trade deadline, there is no imminent Amar'e Stoudemire trade, but a deal with major franchise implications remains quite possible. The Suns' most frequently mentioned potential trade partners are Cleveland and Philadelphia. A trade prospect with Cleveland combines a financial windfall and a young, promising power forward replacement in J.J. Hickson, whom the Suns liked in the 2008 draft when they tabbed center Robin Lopez. Phoenix would stand to save several million dollars in a deal involving center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who received most of his salary up front and could be bought out to move Phoenix toward the possibility of being a luxury tax recipient rather than payer. Possibilities with Philadelphia could be stronger with two fronts, a deal between bringing in swingman Andre Iguodala for Stoudemire with perhaps young power forward Marreese Speights or a three-way deal involving Detroit with Pistons guard Ben Gordon winding up in Philadelphia and the Suns getting Iguodala and Detroit power forward Chris Wilcox."
• John Jackson of the Chicago Sun-Times: "Whether he's dealt before the Feb. 18 trade deadline or let go this summer when he becomes a restricted free agent, Tyrus Thomas' days with the Bulls are numbered. Too many in the organization have grown weary of his mood swings and petulance to bring him back. The issue for Thomas the rest of the season -- and this is an amazing statement to make about the fourth pick in the 2006 draft -- is whether he can show enough to make another team interested. General managers usually are willing to take flyers on players with as much physical ability as Thomas, but his reputation is so bad that no one might want to deal with him. After his one-game suspension for the tirade in Del Negro's office, Thomas was back at practice Monday at the Berto Center and will be in uniform tonight, when the Bulls visit the Indiana Pacers. But showing he still has a lot of maturing to do, Thomas took the back exit off the practice court and turned down a request to speak with reporters."
• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: "This is Jason Maxiell's second season as player rep. He shared the duties last season with Arron Afflalo. 'Myself not being very outspoken, but I will sit there and listen and understand what's going on,' Maxiell said. 'It's a great opportunity to understand ... not just what's going on the court, but behind closed doors.' Despite speculation of a lockout if an agreement isn't reached before the 2011-12 season, Maxiell chooses to remain confident as the sides appear to be far apart. 'That may be the way it is now, but toward the end, we'll be on the same page,' he said."
• Howard Beck of The New York Times: "From the moment he settled in as the Knicks’ president in the spring of 2008, Donnie Walsh made salary-cap purging his top priority. Winning was important. The playoffs were a goal. But 2010 cap space was paramount, and that meant allowing the roster to atrophy. It could all be rectified in July, when Walsh will finally have the chance to spend his hard-earned cap space -- an estimated $20 million -- and dump half the roster. But there are 32 games to play first, and priorities to clarify: Do the Knicks want to make the playoffs at any cost? Or will they focus on developing their young core of Gallinari, Chandler, Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas? It is an internal debate that has been brewing for two years. Coach Mike D’Antoni has been hyperfocused on buffing up the Knicks’ record for the sake of restoring the franchise’s credibility and making it more attractive to top free agents. So he has given major roles to veterans with no place in the Knicks’ future, including Harrington, Robinson, Larry Hughes and Jared Jeffries. Meanwhile, Hill and Douglas, the Knicks’ top two rookies, have been stuck on the bench. It could all change soon. The clarifying moment will come with the Feb. 18 trading deadline."
• Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: "With 7 minutes, 40 seconds remaining Saturday and the Timberwolves trailing Memphis by seven points, Ramon Sessions, Kevin Love and Al Jefferson combined on a three-way passing play that inspired a fourth-quarter comeback to extend their current winning streak to four games. Love's instant touch pass to Jefferson for a dunk demonstrated the pair of undersized power forwards can play together. But ... can they play together? Wolves boss David Kahn reiterated Monday he won't deal any of his top players -- 'Firm as firm can be,' he said. 'It'd be a mistake of epic proportions.' -- by the Feb. 18 trade deadline. ' But can two similarly sized players with disparate games defend the basket well enough to play together side by side for years to come?"
• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Most NBA teams tend to run the same plays over and over and over, whether the coach adds a 'twist' or not. It's the execution that's everything. And yes, Dwyane was correct in pointing out Monday that the execution comes from the players. But there is one undeniable factor in all of this: The Heat is on a five-game losing streak, a slide that includes two losses to the Bucks and one to the Bulls. And that, beyond any rhetoric, is reason for concern. Losses to Boston and Cleveland are one thing; the Heat is not there yet. But Milwaukee and Chicago are something different. Yes, Erik Spoelstra is correct, a victory or two would be the perfect tonic. But there is nothing wrong, at times such as these, with accepting and acknowledging that more is needed. Because the 'approach' does matter. And sometimes, the approach has to change."
• Fred Kerber of the New York Post: "Chris Douglas-Roberts has one word for this season with the Nets. 'Hell.' There is no way to argue with the man. Unless you want to say the Nets' 2009-10 folly really hasn't been that good. Douglas-Roberts wears his passion on his sleeve. He spoke his mind all season, ruffled some feathers and now picks his words as carefully as fresh produce. He has heard his name mentioned in trade rumors, that his will be the next ticket out -- although team president Rod Thorn said this weekend the Nets are not looking to trade the second-year wing. But all the recent developments, including a move to the bench, have affected him. 'A little bit. I'm just more cold. But all that stuff, I don't care one way or the other,' said Douglas-Roberts. 'Caring about winning? Absolutely. But everything else doesn't matter. All of this is because I want to win. I take losing bad. All of this, everything comes from me being a sore loser. I don't like losing.' "
• Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "Trying to solve the mystery of Brandon Rush is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. His body language and expressions are the same whether he has scored 20 points or missed 10 consecutive shots. 'That's always been me. I never show too much emotion,' Rush said. 'I never show it when I get down on myself or anything like that. That's always been my personality. It's too late to change me.' His teammates have tried to encourage him only to receive an occasional cold shoulder. His coaches have basically given up trying to flip the right switch. Coach Jim O'Brien can't talk about the second-year swingman without looking flustered or throwing up his arms in annoyance. What drives those in the organization up a wall is that Rush has as much potential as anybody on the roster."
• Eric Koreen of the National Post: "Everyone has a vice. Reggie Evans' is candy. Airheads. Mambas. Skittles. Jolly Ranchers. The Toronto Raptors forward lists them with the love and sincerity usually reserved for one's children. 'Lord have mercy. Morning, breakfast, I can eat candy, all day, every day,' Evans said after his practice yesterday. 'If I could eat candy for dinner, it would be all right. The kind of money I make, people don't know what I want for Christmas or whatever, so they give me a box of candy.' That made the last four months nearly intolerable for Evans. The bruising big man suffered a mid-foot sprain on Oct. 14. For the better part of the intervening months, Evans was not able to do any conditioning that required putting weight on the foot; as the Raptors struggled to diagnose and treat the injury, Evans' options for exercise were limited. In the interim, though, Evans did not put on any weight. 'For being a guy who was immobile,' Raptors coach Jay Triano said, 'that's pretty impressive.' Evans is expected to play tomorrow against Philadelphia."
• Geoffrey C. Arnold of The Oregonian: "Kevin Durant's teammates will receive a package in the next couple of days. Durant said he purchased gifts, 'Beats by Dr. Dre' stereo headphones, for each of his Oklahoma City teammates in appreciation of their help in making him an NBA All-Star this season. 'My teammates mean a lot to me, because they helped me get there. They made me into an All-Star this year,' Durant said. 'They were believing in me, trusting in me. Getting me open, passing the ball to me so I can make shots. It's important to me to let them know how much I thank them.' Durant's All-Star selection is only part of an impressive season that has established him as an NBA star. In addition to his All-Star selection, the Oklahoma City forward is pushing hard to lead the Thunder into the playoffs, chasing LeBron James to win the league's scoring title and expecting to be selected as a member of the USA Basketball team that will compete in the World Championships this summer. Some even mention Durant as a Most Valuable Player candidate."
• Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon-Journal: "Finding water in the arena has become more of a challenge since November, when the Cavs decided to remove all water fountains because of the outbreak of H1N1 flu. The change came as a gradual process. First the fountains were blocked off, then the water was cut off, then the fountains were removed. Complimentary 9-ounce cups of tap water are available at permanent concession stands, which excludes movable specialty carts. Signs advising patrons of this new practice have been posted where the fountains used to be. The Cavs insist the decision -- which came to light in a Monday story in the Plain Dealer -- is a cutting-edge move to improve sanitation. Team spokesman Tad Carper compares it to the installation of full-body magnetometers at the entrances for enhanced security, considered an unnecessary expense by many teams. But to Joe Fan, the removal of the fountains looks like a blatant attempt to make more money by selling $4 bottled water. And that might not be all they're hawking. Standing in line for the complimentary cup subjects fans to the temptations of hot dogs, pizza, popcorn and nachos while they wait. How many have the willpower to take that free water and head back to his or her seat otherwise empty-handed? What if your child is the thirsty one? How likely is it that you'll escape the line without at least a candy bar?"

Last year, for the first time in decades, All-Star Weekend featured H.O.R.S.E., and Kevin Durant defeated O.J. Mayo and Joe Johnson.

This year, word is the competitors will be Rajon Rondo, Omri Casspi and Kevin Durant.

A team executive is worried that the League does not properly understand the appeal of H.O.R.S.E., and expressed the following in a gmail chat:

The league selects the absolute worst H.O.R.S.E. competitors.

Rajon Rondo???

Here's how you make H.O.R.S.E. good:

You gotta have the guy who hits crazy impossible shots. Steve Nash would have been perfect.

You gotta have guys with OVERSIZED trash talking personalities. A guy like Eddie House or Rasheed Wallace or even Brandon Jennings. Just an all-round talker.

Nash, Nate Robinson, Rasheed, and Baron Davis. Now that's a HORSE competition worth watching.

Omri Casspi should be interesting. He looks like he has some off-the-wall stuff.

Not Kevin Durant's boring a--! And definitely not Rondo! Knock him out making five consecutive free throws!!

• Cavaliers' general manager Danny Ferry says that at the moment he expects the Cavaliers won't make a trade, but adds that the team is being aggressive in making phone calls to find out what's out there.
• Wayne Winston's adjusted plus/minus suggests Ray Allen has been very important to the Celtics, and a healthy Kevin Garnett is essential.
• Insight into Del Harris' departure from the Nets.
• In beating the Grizzlies on Saturday, the Timberwolves had something amazing happen: Ryan Gomes scored 20 first-half points. Then Corey Brewer had 15 in the third quarter, and Al Jefferson had 16 in the fourth quarter. "All these teams that play isolation basketball," says David Thorpe, "I wish they'd see the value in using a system like Minnesota does, where they can move the ball to where it's most effective."
• Long two-pointers are inefficient, which is almost certainly why the Rockets don't shoot a lot of them.
• Brent Barry tells Jason Friedman of Rockets.com that Aaron Brooks has a chance to make a name for himself: "There’s going to be a huge turnover in our league at the point guard position in about three years. Most of the guys that we’re talking about -- Steve Nash, Chauncey Billups, etc. -- will be finishing up their playing days whereas Aaron is basically just getting his started. So that window of opportunity to take over an elite spot as an elite point guard in the Western Conference is certainly there."
• A must-read column about the merits of big-time college sports by The New York Times' David Brooks: "American sport teaches that effort leads to victory, a useful lesson in a work-oriented society. Sport also helps Americans navigate the tension between team loyalty and individual glory. We behave like the British, but think like the Greeks, A. Bartlett Giamatti, a former baseball commissioner, once observed. [Duke's Michael Allen] Gillespie appreciates the way sports culture has influenced American students. It discourages whining, and rewards self-discipline. It teaches self-control and its own form of justice, which has a more powerful effect than anything taught in the classroom. But, he argues, college sports have become too Romanized. Seasons have become too long and the arenas too gargantuan. Athletes have become a separate gladiator class, and the recruitment process gives them an undue sense of their own worth. Spectators have been reduced to an anonymous mass of passive consumers of other people’s excellence. Coaches have a greater incentive to satisfy the braying crowd with victories than to teach good habits. Gillespie values sports, in other words, but wants to reform college sports into something smaller and more participatory. I’m not so sure. I think he misses some of the virtues of big-time college sports."
• Please welcome Pro Basketball Talk, featuring a whole bunch of TrueHoop Network bloggers, and run by Kurt Helin, founder of Forum Blue & Gold.
• Dwight Howard plans to go soccer's World Cup in South Africa this summer.
• Check out Boston's "rugby scrum" play. It hypnotizes opponents into setting picks on each other.
• HoopData has created an amazing new tool, that lets you see just about any stats for any players you choose, playing out through the years in colorful animated graphs.
• Earlier today, TrueHoop had some thoughts about the future of internet comments. Here's another alternative: ChatRoulette. (Via Kottke.)
• Crafty Hilton Armstrong. Hilarious video. (Via Basketbawful.)
• "The Boozer face."
• Jeremy from Bucksketball on Carlos Delfino: "My relationship with Delfino has actually paralleled the one I have with Lady Gaga surprisingly enough. At first I was firmly in the camp that opposed both Gaga’s constant presence on the radio and Delfino’s on the basketball court. I didn’t want to deal with a world where both of them were so prominently featured in my day to day life, but eventually I realized the inevitability and stopped fighting it. I caved it and admitted, Gaga pumps out some catchy tunes and Delfino can be productive on a basketball court. I’ve found that since I’ve learned to stop fighting and start Del-Gaga I’ve found myself much happier."

By John Hollinger

NEW ORLEANS – Down Canal St., they kept coming and coming like something out of a zombie movie. Wave after wave of exhilarated humanity streamed past with no end in sight, jumping, cheering, high-fiving, and “Who-Dat?”-ing, all headed toward Bourbon St. to join several thousand of their closest friends in celebration.

As soon as the Gatorade hit Sean Payton, torrents of Saints fans spilled out of every packed-to-the-gills bar and hotel in the French Quarter and CBD and made a beeline for Bourbon. Many of them ran. And as I stood at the corner of Bourbon and Canal and watched the spectacle, I was overcome by just how many people had arrived to take part.

Here’s the thing about the experience in New Orleans last night: It was as much a cultural event as a football event. The locals who flocked into all the bars in the French Quarter and CBD were joined by a crush of expats (Mrs. Professor included) who went to New Orleans—not Miami, but New Orleans—to take part. Every hotel in the city was full this weekend, and almost none of the arrivals were tourists. These were returning locals, clad in “9” jerseys and yelling “Who Dat?” to passing strangers.

When the Saints defied the odds and won, those people turned into a tsunami of humanity seeking out their fellow man. Even the ones who weren’t in the city at first made a beeline afterward—for several hours after the game, cars backed up trying to get into the city and join the fun. The revelry wasn’t short-lived, either. I wasn’t surprised that I was falling asleep to honking horns, screaming and dancing … but it took me aback was when I woke up to fly home and still heard the horns and music.

There’s a story behind the story here, and the Hornets are part of this too: A threatened community clinging to its cultural touchstones. Based on strict demographics, there is no way either the Saints and Hornets should be viable—they represent a poor city that saw 21% of its residents leave and never come back after Hurricane Katrina, one that has the nation's 46th largest metropolitan area and not a single Fortune 500 company.

Yet both clubs are doing well. Government largesse helps, yes, but I also believe the support for those teams is in part a response to Katrina, one that says something much larger: in a nutshell, that This Thing Can Work. At some level, the idea is out there that if New Orleans can preserve the Saints and Hornets, it can preserve all the other things that make New Orleans such a unique and worthwhile place too. (And a little part of me can’t help but wonder if native New Orleanian Peyton Manning thought the same thing, and if that wasn't lurking somewhere in his subconscious last night.)

The NBA, I’ll point out, did its part in this equation by putting the 2008 All-Star Game in New Orleans and showing everyone a city getting back on its feet. But the Saints’ Super Bowl? That was the cherry on top of the sundae.

And man, did these folks know how to commemorate the occasion. You could hardly ask for a better place for a post-game party than a dense warren of compact streets amidst people who love to wear costumes, play music, drink in public, and celebrate. The guy in flowing robes with No. 9 and “Breesus Christ” written on the front took the cake, but lots of folks went beyond the standard garb: the throngs featured countless jester hats, feather boas, and black-and-gold beads. Somehow a guy with a tuba picked his way through the Bourbon St. maelstrom while keeping tune; other assorted brass instruments magically appeared as well.

It wasn’t just Sunday night either. The festivities started during the week with the first wave of Mardi Gras parades. With this being the first time in history that the Saints were still in season before Mardi Gras, virtually every parade had at least one impromptu Saints float added to the mix, usually featuring a giant Drew Brees at the front. (At least one parade also had a Hornets float with a player in a No. 3 jersey at the forefront; unfortunately its Chris Paul statue may have been the single worst depiction of another human being I’ve ever seen. It looked more like Popeye Jones than CP3.)

Other factors made this occasion so special too, of course—the Saints’ history as a punching bag for the NFL’s heavyweights, the near-religious fervor for football among locals, and the dramatic NFC Championship game that led up to the big event.

All told, it was a truly unique experience—a city celebrating its first championship, yes, but as a backdrop celebrating much more. New Orleans still has a long way to go in its recovery, but one can't help but think of last night as a symbolic statement that, yes, the Big Easy is very much back.

The All-Star game is in six days, and many times over the last week or so I have seen a promo for it promising "MORE STARS!"

Which is a little weird, because the number of All-Stars has stuck at 24 more or less forever.

But it's especially weird when you consider that they are dropping like flies.

Here are the full teams, as announced on January 28, with health notes:

• Steve Nash
• Kobe Bryant Sat out with a sore ankle on Saturday, but also has had knee, groin, elbow, back and finger issues.
• Carmelo Anthony Hasn't played since January 23 with a bad ankle.
• Tim Duncan
• Amare Stoudemire
• Kevin Durant
• Chris Paul Had knee surgery and won't play at All-Star Weekend.
• Dirk Nowitzki
• Brandon Roy Has withdrawn from All-Star with a hamstring injury.
• Zach Randolph
• Deron Williams
• Pau Gasol

• Allen Iverson Iverson has missed games recently because of an ill child.
• Dwyane Wade
• LeBron James
• Kevin Garnett Playing with a knee that seems to slow him notably.
• Dwight Howard
• Chris Bosh
• Rajon Rondo
• Joe Johnson
• Gerald Wallace
• Paul Pierce Pierce is playing, but with an injured foot.
• Derrick Rose
• Al Horford

But that's not all. The NBA has already announced Chris Paul's replacement, and it is Chauncey Billups, who also sat out on Saturday and is listed as questionable for Denver's game on Tuesday.

In fact, it's not obvious who will be next in line to join the decimated West team. Those next in line are almost all bigs, like Marc Gasol, Chris Kaman, Carl Landry, Carlos Boozer, Andrew Bynum (who recently left a game with a hip injury) and Nene (who is day-to-day with a foot injury).

But if Bryant and Billups join Roy and Paul in street clothes, the West team will have only Steve Nash and Deron Williams at guard. That's a problem! (If that happens, by the way, look for Williams to be an MVP candidate, spotting up and catching all those Nash passes.) Scanning PER and other metrics, other guard candidates include Monta Ellis, Manu Ginobili, Aaron Brooks, Baron Davis, Tyreke Evans, Russell Westbrook, Tony Parker and Andre Miller -- but none has played exceptionally well for a winning team, which is usually what it takes to be an All-Star.

UPDATE: Brandon Roy has been replaced by Chris Kaman.

In Sunday's New York Times, there was a bit of a rant from Alison Hendrie -- freelance writer and mother of a high-school aged basketball player.

She was pleased to find a place online where her son's games were discussed. And, predictably, disgusted at the tone of the conversation in the comments:

I remember one comment in particular, directed at my son. Suffice it to say, the term “overrated” was about the nicest of the colorful adjectives used to describe his performance.

There may have been a few remarks from students, but a majority of commentary had the wistful sound of middle-age regret, as if these people were trying to relive their youths as the sports heroes they wished they had been.

The thing is, they were talking about a bunch of high school students. Kids. Not professional athletes making millions of dollars. Not even college superstars with full rides to top schools. High school kids — all of whom had worked hard to push their team into the playoffs.

Ridicule. Trash talk. Insults. The boorish level sank even further when one commenter would respond to another, creating a caustic echo chamber.

I checked back recently to see if I had been too sensitive because my son was involved. But though the teams are different as this year’s playoffs approach, the tone is just as negative.

Sports fans are a zealous bunch, to be sure, so I thought I would investigate the wider blogosphere; surely rabid fans were to blame for such a breakdown in civility. Wrong. Political blogs, celebrity blogs, literary blogs and, yes, even some mommy blogs had one overwhelming thing in common: snark.

What to do about that? It's true! People have the nastiest things to say.

A few pages away, in the same paper on the same day, is the story of a Microsoft executive who proposes something bold: That internet users, like highway users, should have licenses that can be revoked for bad behavior. I can hear the outrage already, and don't know what the right answer is. But I certainly believe that it would be doing civility a favor to have internet comments connected to real names, one way or another.