Monday Morning Mehta 12/18/06

Edition # 189
December 18, 2006

Next MMM: Tuesday December 26, 2006

This is our 100th posting on the web! WOW!

www.mondaymorningmehta.com

www.nba-jam.blogspot.com

Derreck's First Quarter Pole Review TODAY!! See below!

EAGLES/NFL

The Philadelphia Eagles get a huge win against their divisional rival NY Giants 36-22 in what felt like a playoff game. The Eagles now stand 8-6 and in the drivers seat for the playoffs. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, let's breakdown and savor this huge win yesterday (I hope you have some time, this is record breaking MMM information today...)

Game Positives:

- Brian Dawkins. I don't know how to compare games from years ago, but I don't remember Dawkins having a much bigger game than this one in his career. Dawkins has really stepped up his game in the past 2 games and is playing like a defensive player of the year would. With the inconsistency up front, Dawkins almost needs to play like he did yesterday. The cliche "He was all over the field" could be defined by Dawkins play yesterday.

- Brian Westbrook. Every time Westbrook touched the ball it seemed like something positive happened. Now back into the hyperbaric chamber until Christmas day, Brian.

- Jeff Garcia. Yes, these are the same positives as last week. Garcia has been amazing. I'll be the first to get into line and admit I was dead wrong on Garcia. The guy is like the anti-McNabb. Not the zip of an arm of Donovan, but way more demonstrative. The guy's nuts.

- O-Gat. Omar Gathier officially has a nickname after two straight weeks in the Game Positives column. This guy just makes tackles. Give the man a number in the 50's!

Game Negatives:

- The penalties. On the road you have to expect some more penalties than the home team, but yesterday was ridiculous.

- Anybody covering Plaxico Burress. Whether it was Lito, Sheldon or Hood, any pass that went up for Plax was a disaster. There's something about this guy that just kills the Eagles.

The Eagles now stand at 8-6 and control their own destiny for a playoff spot. If they win out, the Eagles are NFC East champs at 10-6. Winning 9 games will guarantee the Eagles a playoff spot with their impressive NFC conference record (it would be 8-4, in case of three way tie the Giants would also be 8-4, the Falcons would be the odd team out with a 7-5 conf record).

If the Eagles lose both of the games, all bets are off. This would also bring Minnesota or Green Bay into the mix (they play each other next week). But even so, the Eagles would still be in good shape because of their good conference record.

What do I see happening? I'm out of the Eagles predicting business! Who knows. They'll be hard pressed to win their 3rd straight road game, but who knows.

It's going to be sweet listening to the fallout from the Giants loss up in New York.

Why is it that our Receivers are suddenly making every catch? I honestly can't remember more than 2 or 3 drops in the last 3 weeks. Hank Baskett making diving catches, you got Greg Lewis giving you YAC. It's great stuff.

The balance yesterday was perfect. You'd really like to see about a 55% pass to 45% run ratio. That seems ideal. Yesterday was 27 run/31 pass (I'm counting the 3 Garcia runs as pass plays). That's 53% pass. YEAH!

The rush defense while not terrible, still didn't inspire confidence in me. Darwin Walker finally had a half decent game, his first in about 3 months.

We rarely look too much into next week here at MMM until the playoffs, but next week's Christmas day game at Dallas is certainly worth breaking down in detail. The Cowboys have won 6 out of their last 7 games and are probably the hottest team in the NFC. Tony Romo is passing at an amazing 66% clip and getting everyone involved, especially Terrell Owens.

There's obviously many keys to this game with turnovers and 3rd down conversions being the usual generic keys. One thing I'll mention is the Eagles better be ready to defend the run on 3rd down. Marion Barber III (not to be confused with Marion Barber I) is a real key on offense for this team. Julius Jones plays first and second down and Barber III takes 3rd downs and goal line situations. I've watched enough Cowboys games to know that you'll have Dallas stuck on 3rd and 7 only to see Barber III get 11 yards and a huge first down. It's just a killer.

As for the Eagles, I think they need to exploit Roy Williams' aggressiveness. This means lots of play action and possible a reverse or even a flea flicker.

Around the League

Is the hottest team in the league the Titans? They just find ways to win. Yesterday, it was defensive turnovers turned into touchdowns. To win a game in which you had 31 offensive plays versus 77 is just mind boggling.

Also at 7-7 playing great football is the Steelers. They could end up at 9-7, again, just like last year. Will it be good enough to get in the playoffs? Doubt it. But a Bengals loss tonight would go a long way towards helping their cause.

The AFC picture is becoming more of a playoff mess, which is great. The division winners appear set with the Jets, Jags, Broncos and Bengals all fighting for the Wild Card. Miracles needed for Steelers, Bills, Chiefs and Titans

The Seattle Seahawks are the strange team of the week. The defense of Seattle just hasn't been the same as last year's version and they're in slight danger of blowing the division. They play red hot San Diego next week and could be fighting for a division at Tampa the final week.
Who would they be fighting for the division against?? Joe Montana...eerrrrr, Alex Smith and the 49ers! A tough two wins to have to win out as they have Arizona and @ Denver. But why the heck not?

In Exhibit # 386 of how crazy the NFL is this year, the Saints after looking like the team to beat in the NFC pull a clunker to the Redskins. Talk about absolutely no life in a game, the Saints appeared to sleepwalk through the game.

Some people are concerned about the Bears play yesterday. Me? I'll call it an impressive win. When the defense struggles, which it rarely seems to do, the offense has to step up. While 13 2nd half + OT points isn't exactly Earth shattering, they got the job done.

The worst organization in football currently resides with the Detroit Lions. Maybe Matt Millen will get a contract extension this year?? There aren't many executives who have done a worse job in my sports watching lifetime.

The Clunker of the Week belongs to the Miami Dolphins and Joey Harrington. (next week this award will be named the Raiders award)

And finally, there's LT2. What does LT2 have to do to not be called, LT2? At this pace, he's going to be better than LT1. Not yet, but holy eff is the guy good.

NHL Week in Review By : Ed Wasser

- Well that was nice while it lasted. "The Hockey News" is reporting that scoring in the NHL is down almost a full half goal per game and the neutral zone trap is slowly starting to rear it's ugly head again. Considering that attendance is also down in a lot of cities and ratings are down in Canada (yes the ratings suck in the US but they always do) and the fact that the amount of the player salary cap is tied to league wide revenues....well, you get the picture. The league is suffering. And I love when NHL officials are pressed on these questions how they lash back with "OH YEAH!! WELL NBA RATINGS ARE DOWN TOO!!!" Yeah, so what? What does that even mean? The NHL should be taking advantage of the NBA's low ratings and try to grasp the headlines, not picking on them. Ahhhh....trying to teach the NHL how to market their game is like trying to teach algebra to a chimpanzee, can't be done.

- So I don't even know what to do anymore. You all tell me....I can try to continue to report on the Flyers, ignoring what it's doing to my health and well being not to mention my drinking habit, or we can think of something else. I can write about Ultimate Fighting, movies, you could send me money to go to bars and I can write beer reviews, whatever you want. Anymore I'm at a loss to explain just how bad the Flyers are; anybody got a thesaurus? But that's not the half of it. The announcers, the press, even some fans have given the Flyers such a free pass that it makes me sick. I mean people pay thousands and thousands of dollars to see this team play, at least give them a straight answer about what's going on. OK just for laughs, here's the top 10 things about the 2006 - 2007 Flyers that infuriate me.

10.) Nobody can ask head coach John Stevens a tough question. It's like it's illegal. After the Flyers lost to the Rangers 3 - 1 last Tuesday Stevens said during the post game news conference "the effort was there. It was a really great effort tonight". Now isn't the logical next question from a reporter something like "WHAT THE @^%* ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?!?!?!?!?!?" The Flyers got crushed. They only had 16 shots on goal in the entire game and Jaromir Jagr flew past the Flyers defense like he was Paris Hilton going through the velvet rope at the Viper Room. That's a great effort?


9.) Everybody associated with the Flyers just leans on the injury crutch, 7th year in a row by the way. Wanna know who's injured that matters? Peter Forsberg, Peter Forsberg, and Peter Forsberg. Do you honestly believe the Flyers miss Jeff Carter and his 1 goal in 12 games? Or Robert Esche's 5.64 GAA? Or Mike Rathje's being the worst defenseman in the NHL? Please, don't insult our intelligence.


8.) Imagine if the Phillies brought a kid up from the minors and during his first at bat, after strike 3, he just stood there. And then you heard Harry Kalas say "well he's a young player, he doesn't know that at the major league level it's 3 strikes and you're out". You'd wonder if Harry was sucking back the hooch in between innings. So how come when the young Flyer players make atomically stupid plays, or take ridiculous penalties, or quite simply appear not to know the rules of a fairly simple game, the press and the Flyers announcers say "well he's a young player". Huh? Young players don't know that blind behind the back passes aren't a good idea? They teach that to 6 year olds. Young players don't know that you don't rocket passes to the last man high because if he misses it then it's a break away going the other way? I know it and I've never had a pair of ice skates on in entire my life. Young players don't know that they shouldn't pull down opposing players when they're 10 miles away from the puck, taking stupid and unnecessary penalties? It's a joke and a cop out. The Flyers have no worthwhile young talent is the real answer.


7.) Players diving to draw an undeserved penalty against the opposition exists in the NHL. It sucks but it's a fact. So since every team in the league is utilizing this technique to gain an advantage why don't the Flyers? Oh yeah that's right, the Flyers want to be the Elliott Ness of the NHL and not resort to such wild west antics. They are above such novelties. And as such the Flyers announcers will cry about the diving until the day they die while other teams use it as a strategy.


6.) Name me any sport in the history of mankind were penalties are a good thing. They're not, that's why they're called "penalties". So why do the Flyers broadcast team, along with a lot of the members of the Flyers press continue to mention that Ben Eager leads the team in penalty minutes like it's a badge of honor? It's 2006, the Broad Street Bullies are long gone. When Todd Fedoruk came back to the Flyers all I kept hearing was "he's a guy that knows how to drop the gloves". WHAT!?!?!? Fighting went the way of wide lapels and Studio 54 a long time ago. Imagine if the Eagles went out and specifically got a player and the broadcasters said "now this is a guy who knows how to get an offsides penalty like nobody's business". You'd think they were on crack. Why is it OK in Flyers hockey to be a penalty getter?


5.) The Flyers desperately need to change the culture in the front office. So guess who the Flyers recently named as their new senior vice president. BOBBY CLARKE!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me? First they finally get rid of Bobby Clarke after he was one of the biggest spending GM's in the game yet he produced I don't even know how many Stanley Cup-less years but then they hire Paul Holmgren who was just Bobby Clarke's bitc....protégé. And then they rehire Clarke. You think if a trade comes up Clarke won't throw in his 2 cents? Of course he will. So what has changed? Nothing.


4.) The player recycling is maddening. The Flyers brought back Todd Fedoruk. Why? He was terrible when he was here the first time. Same story when they brought back Chris Therien. Over the years they've brought back guys that they should have been happier then a pig in you know what to see go. Yet the one guy that I would LOVE to see back in a Flyers sweater, Rod Brind'Amour, remains in Carolina. And guess what, they ain't giving him up. And how would a quick, puck moving defenseman look on the Flyers right now? Pretty good huh? Someone like Kim Johnsson who the Flyers foolishly let walk.


3.) The Flyers are the kings of the worthless, unnecessary trades. Last week they traded Freddy Meyer to the Islanders for Alexi Zhitnik. Why? Who knows. All I know is that Meyer was a young player who may have became something and Zhitnik is 34 years old, slow, and has a reputation for not practicing hard and being late to games. The move makes no sense.


2.) There is no sport quite like hockey in that it completely disappears from the public consciousness when the local team is bad. Right now the Flyers may as well cancel the rest of the season due to lack of interest because the only way they'll get on the back cover of the Philadelphia Daily News is if Peter Forsberg murders someone.


1.) So here's the bottom line. When you watch the Penguins, Capitals, or even the damn Blue Jackets they have great young players making contributions. The 4 best players on the Penguins are Sidney Crosby (19), Evgeni Malkin (20), Jordan Staal (18), and Marc-André Fleury (22). These may not be the best teams in the league right now but they have a very bright future. The Flyers future is bleak. All these kids that they were depending on to develope aren't doing anything. And as long as they have Bobby Clarke hovering over every decision it'll never change.



- So as you may have guessed it was another craptacular week for the Flyers. 3 losses last week, 6 losses in a row in total, making for a record of 8 and 20. They're going neck and neck with the Blues for the worst record in the NHL. They lost to the Rangers 3 - 1, they were crushed by the Penguins 8 - 4 with Sidney Crosby having his first ever 6 point game, and then they lost to the Capitals 4 - 1. Oh and by the way, there's no real stars in the 2007 draft so there's really no end in sight as far as the Flyers are concerned. It'll probably be pretty bad for at least a few more years. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

NBA - Derreck Sura


I've been avoiding writing about teams and their performance thus far because I hate to start out any analysis with "it's early, but." Now that every team has played more then 20 games, it's safe to start making predictions about what the future holds for each and every club. That's not to say that everything is completely set in stone at this point, because a few squads will still move up and/or down, but for the most part the trends of the first quarter of the season carry on throughout the year.

On to the third annual 'Quarter Pole Review'…

TITANTIC

Boston Celtics (10-13)

Watchability - Medium.

Surprise - Al Jefferson finally making the most of his opportunity over the last seven games.
Disappointment - The three-headed PG rotation of Sebastian Telfair, Delonte West and Rajon Rondo has been less then stellar.

Overall - If Al Jef continues his quality play when Kendrick Perkins returns, and the rest of the cast remains somewhat healthy, there is no reason the C's can't win their division.

Toronto Raptors (10-14)

Watchability - Medium to low without Chris Bosh.

Surprise - That they are even remotely competitive without Bosh.

Disappointment - Morris Peterson's production in his contract year.

Overall - The Raps have a bright future once they get a new coach (paging Marc Iavaroni). I think they're still a year away, but don't be surprised if they are on the fringes of the playoff race all season.

New Jersey Nets (9-14)

Watchability - Medium high.

Surprise - Jason Kidd finding the fountain of youth and having his best season since 2003-04.
Disappointment - Richard Jefferson having his worst year since his sophomore campaign in 2002-03.

Overall - The Nets still have the most talent in the division with four legit scoring options, but NJ will have to play the type of defense they are capable of more consistently to reach their full potential.

New York Knicks (9-17)

Watchability - Low to unwatchable.

Surprise - Eddy Curry showing a pulse when he gets the ball in the low post on offense.

Disappointment - Stephon Marbury pouting his way to his worst season ever.

Overall - Believe it or not, coach Isiah Thomas has his group playing pretty well. They undoubtedly have a lot of "ifs", but I'm not ready to count the Knicks out of the 8 th seed just yet.

Philadelphia 76ers (5-18)

Watchability - Extremely unwatchable to low.

Surprise - If you look closely enough you can see Andre Iguodala making incremental progress, albeit slight.

Disappointment - Take your pick of Chris Webber, Samuel Dalembert, Willie Green or coach Maurice Cheeks.

Overall - Brighter days are ahead, but make no mistake, things are going to get much worse before they get better.

CENTRAL

Detroit Pistons (15-8)

Watchability – Medium low to medium on occasion.

Surprise - Tayshaun Prince continuing to develop into one of the best all around players in the game.

Disappointment - Sixth man Antonio McDyess' career low shooting percentage of 38.6%.

Overall – The Pistons have to be considered one of the favorites in the East. I'll let you decide if that's a compliment or a slight.

Cleveland Cavaliers (14-9)

Watchability - Medium high to medium.

Surprise - Rookie Daniel Gibson showing signs that he could be the long term answer at PG.

Disappointment - Zydrunas Ilgauskas' sudden and sharp falloff in production.

Overall - The Cavs have been nothing special so far and seem to be basically the same squad as last year. Meaning they'll go as far as LeBron James takes them.

Chicago Bulls (14-10)

Watchability - Medium.

Surprise - Coach Scott Skiles actually loosening up the reigns on offense a bit.

Disappointment - Ben Wallace not having near the impact expected.

Overall - The Bulls have yet to hit their stride, and probably have at least one big trade in them. I still think they will be very dangerous come playoff time.

Indiana Pacers (13-13)

Watchability - Medium.

Surprise - They have managed to stay out of trouble since the "wild west strip club shootout" incident.

Disappointment - Coach Rick Carlisle reverting back to his old ways and old lineup after only 14 games.

Overall - The Pacers are what they are as a team at this point, which is a mediocre playoff contender in the East. Look for a roster shake up coming soon where no one is safe, not even Jermaine O'Neal.

Milwaukee Bucks (10-14)

Watchability - Medium low.

Surprise –The admirable job Ruben Patterson has done filling in for the injured (and out for the season) Bobby Simmons.

Disappointment - I expected a little more improvement from second year C Andrew Bogut, but I do like his nasty streak.

Overall - The Bucks defense ranks last in John Hollinger's defensive efficiency (109.7) AND in opponents field goal percentage ( 48.3%). So yes, those are vultures you see circling around coach Terry Stotts' head.

SOUTHEAST

Orlando Magic (16-10)

Watchability - Medium high to high when 100% healthy.

Surprise - Dwight Howard imposing his utter dominance upon the league.

Disappointment - Dare I say that my boy Darko Milicic should be averaging more then 7.5 points on 45% shooting, 5 rebounds and 1.73 blocks in 22.5 minutes.

Overall - The Magic really struggle to score points when they are not at full strength because Howard is not yet comfortable dealing with constant double teams. Grant Hill is key to balancing the floor, but so are Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu. Their lack of experience will hurt them come playoff time, but Orlando has a very bright future.

Washington Wizards (12-11)

Watchability - Medium to medium high on some nights.

Surprise - Caron Butler having a career year.

Disappointment - Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood conspiring to make sure they get nothing out their C position.

Overall - After all of coach Eddie Jordan's pre-season talk about it, the Wiz still play no defense. They'll be in the playoff race all year, but are one and done if they get in.

Miami Heat (10-13)

Watchability - Very low to medium low.

Surprise - Third year swingman Dorell Wright finally showing a little something.

Disappointment - They don't seem to care all that much about anything. Playing hard, defending their title, procuring home court, you name it.

Overall - After Shaquille O'Neal is back playing for a month or so, the Heat will hit their stride. Will it be enough to win their division? Maybe, but it surely will be enough to make the playoffs in the putrid East.

Atlanta Hawks (9-14)

Watchability - Medium, because they play hard and compete every single night.

Surprise - Joe Johnson stepping up to have a career year.

Disappointment - "Big" free agent signee Speedy Claxton being hampered by a myriad of injuries.

Overall – If the Hawks can get any kind of substantial production from Claxton and Marvin Williams, they will be in the playoff hunt. Whether they make it in or not will depend on how many close games JJ is able to pull out for them.

Charlotte Bobcats (6-17)

Watchability - Medium low to low.

Surprise - Emeka Okafor coming back very strong after an injury plagued campaign.

Disappointment - Gerald Wallace reverting to his old self after breaking out last season.

Overall - I'm not the Bobcats fan I once was because this year's edition doesn't bring the same high energy nightly that has been their trademark thus far in their short existence. They have some pieces, but have no clue how to play as a team.

SOUTHWEST

San Antonio (19-6)

Watchability - Medium high to high if they are playing a good team.

Surprise - Brent Barry suddenly finding his touch again.

Disappointment - They have a tendency to coast against inferior competition .

Overall – Francisco Elson and Fabricio Oberto have done just enough in the middle, and the big three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have been their normal selves. Of concern though; Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley and Robert Horry all seem to have lost more then a step at the same time.

Dallas Mavericks (17-7)

Watchability - Very high.

Surprise - Josh Howard's continued evolution into a legit second scoring option.

Disappointment - Free agent Devean George shooting 32.9% from the field.

Overall - The Mavs have successfully avoided complacency and overcome a few injuries early on. This club is deep, dangerous and hasn't hit their stride yet. Look for them to make a deep run in the post season.

Houston Rockets (15-9)
Watchability - Medium high to medium depending on if Tracy McGrady is playing or not.

Surprise - T-Mac deferring to Yao Ming as the primary offensive option when both were healthy .

Disappointment - Bonzi Wells playing in only six games thus far.

Overall - The Rockets could be a very good team when healthy. As is, they will likely have to tread water during the regular season and hope that T-Mac's back is ready for the playoffs.
New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (10-12)

Watchability - Medium high when healthy, but medium low right now.

Surprise - The way Chris Paul controls the game on offense is nothing short of brilliant.
Disappointment - Injuries to David West, Peja Stojakovic and Bobby Jackson derailed their season before it had a chance to get started.

Overall - The Hornets were looking better then I expected, but then the injuries hit. If they can get healthy with enough time to spare they'll have a shot at one of the last two playoff spots in the West.

Memphis Grizzlies (5-19)

Watchability - Unwatchable to very low.

Surprise - Hakim Warrick leading them in scoring at 15.5 ppg.

Disappointment - Brian Davis' bid to buy the franchise seems a little less then feasible, and has hamstrung any moves President Jerry West might make to rebuild.

Overall - Pau Gasol is back already, but I don't see it mattering all that much. This is a bad team that has already stopped listening to coach Mike Fratello. Once the ownership mess is resolved, look for wholesale roster changes.

NORTHWEST

Utah Jazz (18-6)

Watchability - Medium high to high.

Surprise - Carlos Boozer bouncing back from injuries to have a career year.

Disappointment - Andrei Kirilenko kind of shrinking into the background.

Overall - The Jazz are very good now, and should get even better as the season progresses and everyone settles into their role. If they address their SG situation, Utah will have a chance to win it all.

Denver Nuggets (13-9)

Watchability - Medium.

Surprise - J.R. Smith being second on the team in scoring at 16.7 ppg.

Disappointment - Nene Hilario's oh so slow recovery from right knee surgery.

Overall - The Nugs did a nice job recovering from a slow start, but something is not right with this squad. Coach George Karl is where I'd lay my money. "Furious" has the unique ability to alienate players while still winning games. I see that same pattern repeating itself in Denver.
Minnesota Timberwolves (10-11)

Watchability – Medium low to medium.

Surprise - Rookie big man Craig Smith (36th pick overall) looks like a keeper.
Disappointment - Free agent pickup Mike James reverting to his old form after inking his big deal.

Overall - I give the Wolves credit for hanging around .500 with this motley crew. It's yet another testament to Kevin Garnett's greatness. However, I don't see this club making the playoffs even if they acquire a certain tough little man.

Portland Trail Blazers (11-14)

Watchability - Medium.

Surprise - Zach Randolph's return to the land of the living.

Disappointment - A left heel injury limiting rookie Brandon Roy to five games.
Overall - This team is the biggest surprise to me so far. I went from thinking they were terrible, to thinking they aren't half bad. Roy's return, coupled with Joel Przybilla finding his groove, followed by smart trades of Z-Bo & Jamaal Magloire, and this franchise will be back contending before you know it.

Seattle SuperSonics (10-15)

Watchability - Medium to medium high.

Surprise - Luke Ridnour finding the confidence to finally become a legit third scoring option.

Disappointment - Earl Watson not embracing his role as backup PG and sixth man .

Overall – They stink without Ray Allen, plain and simple. With Ray in the lineup and healthy their scoring ability makes Seattle as dangerous as anyone on any given night. While the Sonics are a long shot to make the playoffs, they are not out of it yet.

PACIFIC

Phoenix Suns (17-6)

Watchability - Off the charts high.

Surprise - While not his old self, Amare Stoudemire is much closer to what he used to be then most thought possible.

Disappointment – Free agent PG Marcus Banks has been a complete flop.

Overall - Not like this is a news flash, but the Suns are very good. They will be in the race for the best record overall and extremely dangerous in the playoffs. The question for Phoenix is the same as it's always been, can you really win it all playing that style?

Los Angeles Lakers (16-8)

Watchability - High to medium high.

Surprise - Kobe Bryant's willingness to play a more team oriented style as soon as he entered the lineup.

Disappointment - Losing Lamar Odom for *at least* a month to a right knee injury.

Overall – The Lakers had been looking very good in the early going, moving the ball and playing the *team* game, etc. While defense was still LA's major weakness, they were working on it. Now, with the loss of Odom, I fear that my boys are going to revert to the "stand-around-and-watch-Kobe-offense", and that will be step in the wrong direction.

Golden State Warriors (12-13)

Watchability - Medium, but could go to medium high if they ever get 100% healthy.

Surprise - Second year guard Monta Ellis bursting onto the scene.

Disappointment - Jason Richardson being hampered by left knee problems all season.

Overall - I'm still not sold on the Warriors. They can be exciting to watch, but have no discipline as a unit and play zero defense. In other words, they play typical "Nellie Ball". I'll be very surprised if they remain in the playoff chase all year.

Sacramento Kings (10-12)

Watchability - Medium low to medium.

Surprise - Third year SG Kevin Martin leading them in scoring at 21.3 ppg is probably thee biggest individual surprise of the entire season thus far.

Disappointment - Coach Eric Musselman seemingly losing control of the locker room already.

Overall - I like to refer to the Kings as "Team tick, tick, tick…" There seems to be something of a power struggle going on between the old guard (Mike Bibby & Brad Miller) and the new regime (Ron Artest & Martin). I expect to see some roster changes in the near future, and possibly a playoff push after that, but Sacto is definitely lottery bound if they stand pat.

Los Angeles Clippers (10-13)

Watchability - Medium low to medium.

Surprise - That owner Donald Sterling locked up his core and his coach before any of them hit the open market.

Disappointment - Where to start? Sam Cassell, Chris Kaman and Tim Thomas are all nominees for their play. Then there's also Corey Maggette who just requested a trade.

Overall - Something is very wrong in Clipperdom these days. My best guess is that LA thought they were better then they really are when the season started, and hence have had a hard time adjusting ever since. The Clips have too much talent to miss the playoffs, but seem headed that way unless they start playing the same type of defensive intensity that they displayed last year.

Quarter Pole Awards
Defensive Player - Emeka Okafor (Charlotte Bobcats)
Sixth Man - Tyronn Lue (Atlanta Hawks)
Coach - Jerry Sloan (Utah Jazz)
Rookie - Adam Morrison (Charlotte Bobcats)
MVP - Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz)

All NBA
PG - Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns)
SG - Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat)
SF - Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets)
PF - Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz)
C - Yao Ming (Houston Rockets)