Tim Hardaway, Gay People LOVE You

After Tim Hardaway went crazy with his outburst that he "hates Gay people" following John Amaechi's revelations that he went through his career in the NBA as a gay person (being the first to do so publicly), Hardaway tried to gain redemption.

Then, former Star Trek star George Takei came out with this hilarious response to Tim Bug:

Blazers links: Magloire won't be back

The Oregonian reports that Jamaal Magloire will not be back next season. Magloire has played well in the limited minutes he has been given and has been an adequate replacement as a starter primarily for the injured Joel Przybilla.

The key concern with Magloire, according to coach Nate McMillan, is his defense in combination with Zach Randolph.

"The combination of Zach and Jamaal has not been a good combination defensively," McMillan said. "And will Jamaal accept that reserve role next season? I doubt it."

After the melancholic news regarding LaMarcus Aldridge's condition and subsequent rehabilitation, The Feed jokes that the Knicks will have to try and acquire him.

The Blazers announced that Vulcan Inc (Paul Allen's management company), today completed purchase of the Rose Garden.

"This is a major milestone and a positive step for the franchise," said Paul Allen. "My efforts are focused on continuing to support the Trail Blazers and the long-term financial health of the franchise. By reuniting ownership of the Rose Garden and the Trail Blazers, we have moved another step forward in achieving those goals. We want to thank our dedicated fans, committed employees and loyal corporate sponsors for their continued support."

Wednesday night the Blazers take on the Rockets at the Rose Garden. Given that the Rockets are going through the Bonzi Wells drama, T-Mac and Yao have only just returned and the Blazers are missing key components in Przybilla, Z-Bo and LaMarcus, it will be an interesting outcome. At this point of the season, any further experience for Jack and Roy leading the team is cream on top.

NBA News Roundup

Bonzi Wells flees the Rockets : somewhat disturbing news that Bonzi Wells has walked out on the Rockets. The season is almost over, but despite Wells' claims that he is not good for team chemistry, surely his walking out is worse. Perhaps the more admirable thing for Bonzi to have done would have been to try and fit in with the team for the closeout of the season, rather than creating an additional distraction. The injuries to Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady have already been enough for them to deal with. What disturbs me the most however was:

"He's not here tonight. I don't know where he's at. I haven't talked to him," Van Gundy said. "I want to make sure he's safe first."

Is there some issue with Wells mentally that we don't know about?

Julian Wright of Kansas announces that he's going pro.

Kevin Durant watch continues... Contrary to popular opinion, he did not make his NBA/College announcement at the team banquet the other night and Texas and the lower echelons of the NBA must continue to wait. Players have until 29 April to declare for the draft.

In an inconsequential decision, the NBA downgraded its previous flagrant foul call on Mo Pete, allowing him to play in tonight's game. Given the little impact Peterson has had on the Raptors this season, it matters little.

As if injuries to key Heat personnel were not enough, James Posey was arrested for DUI on Monday. The return of Dwyane Wade was meant to signal a push for a return to the Finals, but distractions such as this will not help the team as they are also missing Shaquille O'Neal tonight (grandfather's funeral).

James White really can fly, no REALLY

I'm typically not one for hyping up non-Blazer players, but this kid James White can really fly. I just saw a video on youtube today of him dunking from the free-throw line, putting the ball between his legs (yeah, nothing special) and thought I'd have a look for more.

White was taken by the Blazers as the 31st pick in the 2006 Draft, before being traded to the Pacers and eventually making his way to the Spurs, after Rick Carlisle cut him, calling it the hardest decision he'd had to make in 23 years. The Spurs sent him to the D-League, as obviously there wasn't a lot of playing time available with the roster they have assembled. However recently he got the call-up and has to date played 3 games.

The main thing with White is his raw athleticism. He is a college sprinter and high jumper -- and it shows. Check out the video below and if it peaks your interest, have a look at this link which shows a wide array of White's dunk competition exploits and footage of him almost touching the TOP of the backboard (13 feet high) at Spurs practice.

The Blazers may or may not have lost a player with great potential, but either way, I hope he sneaks onto a roster next season in time to make the All-Star Weekend Dunk Competition.

Rasheed : "Both teams played hard"

We know how much Rasheed hates talking to the media. I love his standard line, "both teams played hard." A quick video here of how the joke has spread around the league. Times like this I miss Sheed not being with the Blazers. However, when I think about where we're heading and the new image of the team, I soon get over it...

LaMarcus Aldridge diagnosed with heart disorder

A press release has come through from the Portland Trail Blazers regarding LaMarcus Aldridge's sudden dizziness and resulting break from play:

Forward LaMarcus Aldridge underwent a series of tests today at Providence St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Portland. He was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW) and was treated for the condition by Dr. Daniel Oseran at St. Vincent’s. The procedure was successful.

Aldridge will be monitored by a cardiologist and will miss the remainder of the season. He is expected to make a full recovery and be cleared to resume physical activity, including basketball, in the near future.

Aldridge, complaining of dizziness, left Portland’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Rose Garden on March 31 and has been sidelined since that time.

Wikipedia defines WPW as follows:

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) is a syndrome of pre-excitation of the ventricles of the heart due to an accessory pathway known as the Bundle of Kent. This accessory pathway is an abnormal electrical communication from the atria to the ventricles.

The incidence of WPW syndrome is between 0.1 and 3% of the general population. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

While the vast majority of individuals with WPW syndrome remain asymptomatic throughout their entire lives, there is a risk of sudden death associated with the syndrome. Sudden death due to WPW syndrome is rare (incidence of ≤0.6%^{[3] [4]}), and is due to the effect of the accessory pathway on tachyarrhythmias in these individuals.

The guys at Oregon Live have been doing a bit of research on this as well.

Basically, all signals point towards the fact that LaMarcus should be fine to resume play next season and that he was very fortunate to have been diagnosed and treated when he was, as the condition can be fatal.

We wish LaMarcus all the best, not only for his return to basketball, but more importantly for his good health. Get better big fella.

Joel Freeland : Career stagnating

Remember Joel Freeland?

Portland selected him with the 30th and final pick of the 1st Round of the 2006 NBA Draft. The athletic 6'11" F/C's game has been compared to Keon Clark by NBADraft.net. The Blazers then told him to return to Europe, add some bulk and more importantly gain valuable experience at the senior level (the big man is only 20 years old).

It turns out that his Spanish team, ACB Gran Canaria has only been giving him 7 mpg in 10 of their 25 games to date. It should be noted that Freeland is stuck behind former NBAers Jackson Vroman and Kornel David. Despite this, his career could be somewhat stagnated, should he not get some burn at the Vegas Summer League this coming off-season.

There is an interesting article here in British newspaper The Times, on the scenario which Freeland is in. Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard said, "I'm not concerned about him, but I am concerned about the situation."

“He is practising, probably getting stronger, but is he getting better? Is he ready to make that quantum leap from Gran Canaria to the NBA? We want to make sure he has all the chances in the world to be successful in the NBA, but I can’t tell you right now whether those chances have increased or decreased,” comments Pritchard.

Basketball players from the United Kingdom are few and far between. The rise to prominence of Freeland could help to promote the sport in the UK. Sure there has been Luol Deng, however he only moved to England after his Dinka tribesman father gained political asylum in '93. Ben Gordon was born in London, however moved to the States shortly after his birth.

To state the obvious, the Blazers would love to see Freeland show some development and add to the stable of young potential stars already on hand. When you bare in mind his age and the fact that he had only played 3 years of organised ball prior to his drafting, the upside is huge.

Darius Miles : What comes next?

I'm interested to see what people think about the possibility of Darius Miles being back with the Blazers next season is? The team has been gelling really well this season with the array of young talent on hand. The swingman position is filled with a small group of talented players: Brandon Roy, Martell Webster, Travis Outlaw, Ime Udoka.

Miles missing this season could have been a blessing in disguise for the team. It meant more room for the development of the young guys. It meant a departure from the controversy surrounding the team in previous seasons. A negative image which was largely associated with Miles and the equally controversial (yet much more productive on-court) Zach Randolph.

There are many questions surrounding Miles coming into next season. How will he respond to the micro-fracture surgery which has had such mixed results for players over the years (Webber, Kidd, Amaré, Zach)? Will the Blazers choose to integrate him back into the rotation which seems to be developing a good cohesion? Will the same off-court dramas surround Miles?

Is it just me or does Miles look like he hs put on a bit of weight in his time off? Check out this video:

For more on Darius Miles as he tries to make an NBA comeback, go to a stern warning.

Player profile : Luke Schenscher

Luke Schenscher

¦ 7'1" ¦ 255 lbs ¦

DOB: 31 Dec 1982, South Australia

College: Georgia Tech

Big Luke joined the Blazers in mid-March after it became apparent Portland's big man department was under a bit of strain. The season-ending injury to Joel Przybilla and injuries to LaMarcus Aldridge and Raef LaFrentz meant that Schesch was signed for the short remainder of the 2006-07 season.

Hailing from Hope Forest in South Australia, Schenscher went on to star at Georgia Tech and played in the 2004 NCAA Championship game with now NBA teammate Jarrett Jack.

To date Luke has only put up 2 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block for the Blazers, but hopes to crack into a full-time rotation for next season. He had a similar run of 10-day contracts with the Bulls last season. In the Blazers' win against the Jazz, Schesch had a chance to play against the top quality Utah frontline (Boozer, Okur, AK47) and did not appear out of his depth.

"It was good to get out there and have an opportunity to show what I can do in the minutes that matter", he said after the game.

Schenscher is not the type of player to possess amazing athleticism and thus will likely only find himself a permanent home in the NBA on a team that requires a big body to clog the lane. Then again, many serviceable big men have forged careers out of such traits.

Should he decide not to return to the D-League, there is plenty of interest in the big fella from the Adelaide 36ers in the Australian National Basketball League, who have been putting out feelers on him for some time now.

Ballhype : Hype, hype, hype it up!!

If you haven't heard about it yet, well you need to check out Ballhype.

You will soon one way or another.

It's more than just a site which collates articles -- in the same way as it's current parent lowpost.net does. Ballhype joins people together in likeminded groups and allows you to vote on stories. Check the site out and join up... check out this review here, as well.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Random NBA Statistic of the Day

Players averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds this season to-date:

1. Kevin Garnett ¦ 22.8ppg ¦ 12.9rpg ¦ Voted All-Star
2. Chris Bosh ¦ 22.7ppg ¦ 10.7rpg ¦ Voted All-Star
3. Tim Duncan ¦ 20.1ppg ¦ 10.7rpg ¦ Voted All-Star
4. Zach Randolph ¦ 23.6ppg ¦ 10.1rpg ¦ Not Voted All-Star
5. Carlos Boozer ¦ 21.1ppg ¦ 11.7rpg ¦ Voted All-Star

Task: Spot the odd one out...

Brandon Roy for...

Most of us Blazer fans have been saying it since the pre-season. Brandon Roy will be Rookie of the Year.

Roy for ROY.

We're now in March. As a Blazers fan it gives me great pride to say that not too many people are disputing this... The upsetting thing however, is that there are some detractors. How anyone can dispute the fact that Roy is deserving of ROY is beyond reason.

Andrea Bargnani? After a slow start to the season, he has picked up his production in February and March -- only to go down with an injury.

Jorge Garbajosa? The veteran Spaniard has provided the Raptors with some interior toughness in a supporting role.

Randy Foye? Get out of here. He has had flashes of brilliance and no doubt will be a solid player, but to date his rookie season can best be described as patchy.

In fact, the greatest competition for the prize would seem to be coming from Roy's own teammate, LaMarcus Aldridge. The versatile big man, given playing time after the all-star break with injuries to the Blazers' big men, has shown that he will be a future star in this league.

For the sake of comparison, let's compare the statistics of the top rookies to date:

Brandon Roy - PG/SG - 16.1ppg 4.4rpg 4.0apg 1.2spg 44.1%FG 83.3%FT

Andrea Bargnani - SF/PF - 11.5ppg 3.9rpg 0.8apg 0.8bpg 42.7%FG 82.8%FT

LaMarcus Aldridge - F/C - 8.9ppg 4.9rpg 0.4apg 1.2bpg 50.7%FG 71.4%FT

Randy Foye - SG - 9.3ppg 2.6rpg 2.6apg 0.6spg 41.7%FG 85.9%FT

Adam Morrison - SF - 12.4ppg 3.1rpg 2.0apg 0.4spg 37.6%FG 70.8%FT

Rudy Gay - SG/SF - 10.7ppg 4.3rpg 1.1apg 0.9spg 42.9%FG 70.7%FT

Jorge Garbajosa - PF/C - 8.5ppg 4.9rpg 1.9apg 1.2spg 42.1%FG 73.1%FT

The only player in that group that gives a solid challenge to Roy is Rudy Gay. The Memphis swingman has put up some impressive stats -- particularly in February and March where his numbers have risen to around 15ppg 5.5rpg 1.4apg 1.0bpg and 0.7spg. The thing is, Roy has been putting up stats at least that good ALL SEASON.

Aldridge's jump to 32 minutes per game in March has seen his numbers over those 11 games as follows: 16.4ppg 8.7rpg 1.9bpg 1.0spg 53.4%FG. Pretty imposing numbers for a rookie! Had LaMarcus been starting all season (as he has been since the injuries to Joel Przybilla and Raef LaFrentz), we could have seen a strong challenge to his teammate.

Of course, numbers are not everything when it comes to basketball. When you look at Brandon Roy on court, the thing that stands out is his composure and the way he leads the team. As a rookie, this is no mean feat. Roy has been an integral part of his team all season long, which can not be said for any of the other rookies listed above. He has started 47 of his 49 games -- and been a floor leader every night.

Roy for ROY.

Zach Randolph : grieving takes on many forms

Monday: Zach Randolph is granted bereavement leave to attend the funeral of his girlfriend's cousin, in Marion, Indiana.

Tuesday: Randolph is seen at strip club Exotica late in the night, having a few drinks and sampling the usual offerings of the club.

Friday: The Blazers' Assistant GM Kevin Pritchard releases a press statement. The general premise being that the team will deal with any matters internally and that certain aspects of player performance do not need to be discussed in the media. He added that "At the end of the season we'll sit down with each one of our players and review their performance, including their standing in the community."

Further news emerged from within the Blazers that Zach was on his way to the airport, catching a red-eye home to Marion for the funeral and stopped into the club to kill some time.

Enough media hype has been made over the last half-decade about the "Jail Blazers" and their reported infractions. There are two takes that can be made on this incident.

Firstly, private life is private. It should be that simple. Zach was in a state of grieving and possibly he felt at his most comfortable visiting somewhere he was familiar with on his way to the airport. Perhaps he made a poor choice at a difficult time. Whether a strip club is the the choice that all of us would make is a separate issue -- ignoring the fact that we are unaware of his long-term girlfriend's view of him visiting such establishments. The view that many would take (no doubt including Zach himself) is that his forrays into strip clubs are his business. Criticise and critique his on-court performance all you want, but leave his personal life in the domain to which it belongs.

In reality, we know that the lives of celebrities -- including sports stars -- are anything but private. Increasingly so with the push of the internet, information on the state of Tony Parker and Eva Longoria's relationship, the financial health of Scottie Pippen and which strip club Zach Randolph visited are becoming public domain. Zach knows this all too well. We saw the controversy in the pre-season that surrounded Z-Bo merely for being "involved" with a sex scandal. He doesn't need any lessons on what type of situations he needs to steer clear of. For Zach to become a leader on the Blazers in more than just the statistical sense, he needs to start making smarter decisions.

There's only so long that we can keep labelling Randolph's decisions as young mistakes.

Zach Randolph should be voted as an All*Star

Zach Randolph should be a Western Conference All-Star this season. And Uncle Sam wants YOU to vote him in. No, I don't mean that there is a chance of assurping either Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan (or even Dirk Nowitzki) as an All-Star starter. But a serious amount of votes and noise made by fans for Z-Bo will show the coaches that select the team that Randolph is a serious talent. The guy has led the Blazers to an admirable record to date with little help (with the injury to Brandon Roy). He is averaging 25.1ppg and 10.1rpg. Surely those are All-Star numbers?

I was just reading this article on AOL Sports which questions whether the young power forward is worthy of an All-Star selection. The author lists a number of candidates -- and the West is stacked with them, that much is clear -- at the forward position. However, most of them are flawed in one way or another.

Carmelo Anthony let his fist do the talking and will miss 15 games, surely putting a dent in his hopes. Elton Brand has had a slow start to the season by his standards and his team is doing poorly, despite boasting a greater talent pool than the Blazers. Lamar Odom and Rashard Lewis, whilst spectacular in the early-going, are both currently injured.

Two guys who definitely deserve bench forward positions ahead of Z-Bo are Dirk Diggler and Carlos Boozer, who is having a career year. The fight for Z-Bo no doubt comes down to Shawn Marion and whether one of the abovementioned 'flawed candidates' gets a gig.

All we can do is shout loud and clear that Randolph deserves his spot. The media had absolutely no qualms about giving him coverage when he was "accused" of being "involved" with a "suspicious" incident, which he was later found to have no guilt in. Surely they will see fit to do the same when he is successful. Hang on, that's crazy talk, isn't it?

NBA standings : A space oddity

As we approach Christmas and we have seen close to two months of NBA action, it's time to analyse the oddities of the standings to date. There are the usual expected results so far: Dallas and San Antonio have the best records in the league (20-7), Detroit have had to make some adjustments to the departure of Big Ben, but are leading the East (16-8). However, there have been many surprises as we reach the one-third mark of the season.

UTAH JAZZ (19-8): continuing to over-achieve

Behind the unexpected Dukesque form of Carlos Boozer and the solid sophomore season of Deron Williams, the Jazz have managed to far and away lead the Northwest division and aren't showing any signs of slowing down. Jerry Sloan knows how to run a team and has a fine stable of young swingmen along with do-it-all Andrei Kirilenko. Despite all of this, noone expected them to be this good.

ORLANDO MAGIC (17-11): young and not over the Hill

Grant Hill is past it all. Well, so everyone thought before this season. The popular swingman has had the worst string of injuries known to man in recent years, yet he proclaimed he would be back for more this season. Hill has provided scoring and veteran leadership and without his 15.4ppg (53.1 FG%), 3.9rpg and 1.2spg, the Magic wouldn't be where they are at the top of the Southeast division and narrowly behind Detroit for the lead in the East. Of course, when thinking of the Magic, Dwight Howard is like David Robinson to the Spurs of the 90s. The manchild is averaging 17.0ppg and a league leading 12.7rpg along with 2.0bpg. As he proved with Team USA over the Summer, the league will be in fear of Mr Howard for a long time to come. Darko Milicic has proven that he does not have the same superstar potential that he flashed glimpses of at the end of last season, but he has acted as an adequate support player. Should he improve his offence, the Magic's form will only accelerate.

ATLANTIC DIVISION: a very cold winter ahead

The entire Atlantic division has been a disappointment. Toronto leads the division with a pultry 12-15 record. The Raptors started the season trying to play Phoenix Suns basketball at 1000 miles per hour, but when Sam Mitchell realised this wasn't the key to success and slowed things down, they have improved to win 5 of their last 10. The New Jersey trio of Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter has not been able to push their teammates beyond a .423 record. Part of the problem may be that Kidd as PG has had to lead the team in rebounding night after night. New York has been the mess that is expected season after season. Boston is still young with plenty of potential and will no doubt improve as the season continues. Philadelphia is only 2 losses ahead of Memphis for the worst record in the league after their shambolic season so far, which has seen the trade of team icon The Answer and the distemper of Chris Webber. There is no real sign of improvement to come this season for any of the teams in the Atlantic.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS (18-9): not exactly Showtime but not B-Grade either

The Lakers have been surprisingly competitive this season, to the point that they are second in the Pacific -- only 1 game behind the always tough Phoenix Suns. The wrap on the Lakers last season? They're a one man show... everyone is standing around watching the selfish Kobe Bryant... the Lakers are a bunch of D-Leaguers around a superstar (Kobe) and a supressed star (Lamar Odom). What has changed this season? Not a whole lot in terms of personnel. I for one have to admit that I thought that this season would be another disaster for the Lakeshow. Somehow though, the Lakers have managed to play some more team-orientated basketball. KB24 has reduced his shot attempts per game from 27.2 last season to 19.3 this season. Perhaps after the 2006 playoffs Kobe has realised that the team winning is not all about him scoring 50+ on a semi-regular basis. Odom has been his versatile best -- he is averaging 17.5ppg, 8.7rpg, 4.9apg and a career best 1.4 treys per contest. The supporting cast of Luke Walton, Smush Parker, Kwame Brown (yes, that Kwame), Andrew Bynum and even rookie Jordan Farmar have played the roles that Phil Jackson loves so much and suddenly the Lakers are 7 games ahead of their cross-town rivals. Of course, the Lakers remain one of those teams that noone wants to face in the playoffs due to the x-factor named Bryant who can win a game single-handedly.

MIAMI HEAT (11-14): D-Wade and... umm...

The Championship celebrations are long over and it seems like a decade ago that the Miami Heat were the most feared team in the league. Junior superstar Dwyane Wade is once again doing everything for this team. The only difference from last season is, he is the only one doing everything. Miami stacked this roster with superstars, yet at the moment they are playing like the Lakers v.05-06. Wade is averaging 28.6ppg, 8.0apg, 4.7rpg, 1.8spg and 1.obpg -- nothing short of stellar. The problems however, are many... Shaquille O'Neal (14.0ppg, 7.5rpg, 1.obpg -- all career lows) has only played 4 games due to injury. The Big Aristotle is clearly showing his age, as injuries start to take their toll. Antoine Walker has been disappointing to say the least, as he continues to jack up threes like they are going out of fashion. Jason Williams has been injured and in the 14 games he has played, has been a low-flavour variety of White Chocolate. Gary Payton is showing his age -- the Glove that guarded Michael Jordan is a distant memory. However it's not all doom and gloom. Alonzo Mourning continues to defy medical science with his cameo role, as his 2.9pbg are third in the league to go along with his 9.6ppg and 5.7rpg in 23 minutes. Rookie Dorell Wright has surprised many by gaining election as a starter by freshman-hater Pat Riley. Udonis Haslem has been the workman that we have come to expect him to be (12.0ppg and 8.8rpg). However the next championship for the Heat could be sometime away unless they get things together this season. O'Neal, Mourning and Payton are clearly not far from their retirement celebrations. Walker appears nothing but selfish and Williams needs to regain some confidence. Things aren't looking so hot in Florida.

PORTLAND TRAIL-BLAZERS (12-15): easybeats no more

Remember the Portland Trail Blazers of last season? The ones that were more interesting off the court than on it. The team that finished dead last in the league with only 21 wins... Well many expected exactly the same thing to happen this season. Have a look back in the archives here and you'll see that this site was one of the few to argue that the Blazers would be competitive this season. Not playoff material, but competitive. That they have been. The Blazers have won 5 of their last six, with that loss against the Raptors being by 1 in OT. They have gone most of this way without injured Rookie of the Year candidate, Brandon Roy. They have done it with a team full of youngsters and uncertain starters. Zach Randolph's play has been nothing short of all-star calibre. Z-Bo went through an off-season dominated by controversy but has put that behind him to average 25.1ppg and 10.1rpg. Night after night he provides the Blazers with a target down low that the opposition can not neutralise. Jarrett Jack has been surprising in his leadership at the point, as he has been thrown the starting role. Roy has shown in the little time he has had, that he will be the face of Portland basketball for years to come. His all-round game gives the Blazers a perimeter, penetrating threat to complement Randolph down low. Joel Przybilla committed to the Blazers long-term in the off-season and has been a defensive presence in the key, whilst swingmen Martell Webster, Travis Outlaw and Ime Udoka have pushed aside the injury to Darius Miles which has been such a distraction to the team. The Blazers will not push too many teams around this season, however they will not be bottom-fodder that they were last season and are building a solid foundation for the future.

NBDL gets ugly : fight leads to concussion

A fight in practice between Awvee Storey (Washington Wizards) and Martynas Andriuskevicius (Chicago Bulls) led to the latter being concussed with a bruised brain.

The Nuggets v Knicks brawl will attract a lot more headlines, but the medical consequences of this little altercation could be a lot worse for Andriuskevicius.

NBA Top 7: Did anyone expect...

There have been a few early surprises this 2006-07 NBA season. I ask you, did anyone expect...

1. Grant Hill to be this good again?

Yes, Grant Hill drinks Sprite. He's back to his entertaining best so far this season. He leads the Magic with 16.3ppg and 1.3spg, whilst also contributing 3.2rpg, 2.1apg and shooting at 55% from the field. What's better is he has played 9 of the Magic's 10 games so far. Keep it up Grant -- we missed you.

2. Utah to be leading the league?

Tonight the Jazz could become the first team this season to get 10 wins. They are currently 9-1. Yes, this is the same Salt Lake City team featuring a second year point guard in Deron Williams, an injured starting SG in Gordon Giricek, an injured star player in Andrei Kirilenko and being led by the exploits of the erstwhile disappointing Dukie, Carlos Boozer. Boozer has been nothing short of jaw-dropping with his 20.5ppg, 13.0rpg and 3.7apg whilst shooting 55.5 FG%. Who needs John and Karl anyway?

3. Chris Webber to be sitting?

Not him apparently. After recently scoring 6 points in 23 minutes against the Sonics, Webber said, "I'm not going to keep playing like this... I don't like this role. So you can take that however you want." I think we know how to take that, C-Webb. Webber is only averaging 10.3ppg on the season and is only being given just over 30 minutes per game by coach Maurice Cheeks.

4. LaMarcus Aldridge to be starting?

Aldridge came into this season injured and in a very tight position in the Portland Trail Blazers frontcourt having to fight for minutes behind Joel Przybilla, Zach Randolph, Raef LaFrentz and Jamaal Magloire. Well, Przybilla and LaFrentz have been injured and Magloire has been just plain disappointing, thus meaning not long after Aldridge's return he has seen a starting C position as his. He has been proving deserving so far with his initial rookie minutes proving very promising and worthy of his selection so high in the draft.

5. Gerald Wallace to be this ordinary?

After a stellar 2005-06 NBA season for the Bobcats, which saw many Fantasy league owners wringing their hands with glee, Wallace has come into this season well below his previous averages -- especially on the defensive end. His 1.6spg (05-06: 2.5spg) and 0.6bpg (05-06: 2.1bpg) have been disappointing, as have his 5.4 ppg drop in scoring and 3.3rpg decrease. Gerald has provided the excuse of hitting his head during the season opener -- us FNBA owners hope he will be back to full form very soon.

6. Kevin Martin to be such a star?

Martin was given major minutes last season due to a Bonzi Wells injury. He took that opportunity with both hands and has now proven himself a regular NBA star. Martin is averaging 23.7ppg, 5.1rpg, 2.2apg, 1.9spg, 1.8 treys per game and impeccable shooting percentages across the board. Sacramento have got themselves a keeper at the two guard.

7. Chicago to be so bad?

The addition of Ben Wallace was meant to make Chicago title-town again. However the joke going around at the moment is that they are changing the name of the city to C-H-I-C-A-G. There's no "O" in the windy city. The Bulls are averaging 93.7ppg -- good for 5th last in the league this season (sadly the Blazers are one spot behind them). The Bulls are 3-7 to date this season. Big Ben has not been as advertised so far this season -- his averages of 5.5ppg, 9.7rpg and 1.6bpg are all his lowest since 1999-00 with Orlando (the year before he broke out as the freak we knew and feared in Detroit). It's not all doom and gloom in Chi-Town however. Opponents of the Bulls are scoring 0.1ppg less than them and are only marginally better in rebounds and assists. Maybe it's just that da Bulls have been unlucky so far. They've played San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Indiana, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Miami and Sacramento in 8 of those 10, none of them easy-beats. Things should improve with the lineup the Bulls have.

Zach Randolph is underrated!

I was saying here back in the off-season about how hard Zach Randolph had been working in the Summer and that people were vastly underrating the impact that he would make this season as they were blinded by his off-court "issues".

The mistake? People were finding it too easy to bundle him with Darius Miles and the whole "Jail Blazers" identity. The thing is, Z-Bo makes some knucklehead, immature decisions from time to time off the court. Sure he does, he's a millionaire in his early 20s. Many of us would do the same.

However, he works like crazy on the training court and has clearly come back this season with a vengance. Even better than he has been before.

Check the numbers this season: 26.0ppg (12th in NBA), 10.9ppg (7th), 47.4% FG, 83.3% FT.

Offensively he is a powerhouse. He is shooting a fantastic percentage given the pressure he has on him and the lack of supporting cast on offense. His two key supporting offensive players, Brandon Roy (temporarily) and Darius Miles (long-term) have not been able to go due to injury, making Z-Bo's performance even more impressive.

Two things he definitely needs to work on: his ability to pass out of a double team (they are plentiful) and his turnovers. But hopefully these things will come. I was just reading this great post at True Hoop, analysing Zach's game. A good read if you haven't already.

I don't think so many people are sleeping on Z-Bo any more.

LaMarcus Aldridge is back from injury!

Good news all around for the Blazers with news that LaMarcus Aldridge is back into full-contact scrimmaging and could be back into the rotation (slowly, slowly) by Tuesday and that Brandon Roy's injury wasn't as bad as first expected.

Roy had an MRI which showed no damage and he'll simply need a shoe insert. He'll miss the next game against the Lakers -- where Nate McMillan said Martell Webster and Ime Udoka will guard KB24 -- but should be back for the following game.

The Lakers go into tonight's game with a strong chance to out-do Portland, given the injury woes for Joel Przybilla, Raef LaFrentz, Roy, Aldridge and Darius Miles. However strong play so far from Zach Randolph, Jarrett Jack and surprising performances by Udoka and Travis Outlaw could pull it out for the Blazers.

RGB Prediction: Lakers by 8 behind strong interior play by Andrew Bynum (with no resistance from the Blazers) and an eventual breakout game by Kobe Bryant.

The friendly Clipper-Blazer bet at True Hoop

I feel for Henry at True Hoop. Looks like he's going to have to "pay up" on his little wager with Kevin from ClipperBlog.

And it couldn't have happened under closer circumstances -- only 1 point. I guess those sports betting line-makers know their stuff.