Russell Westbrook had 30 points, five boards, 13 assists, a steal and a 3-pointer in Tuesday’s win over the Kings. Westbrook is having a dream season and has proven to be one of the more valuable point guards. Also, Kevin Durant had 39 points, 10 rebounds and a 3-pointer on 13-of-26 shooting. The Oklahoma City Thunder have now won nine out of the last eleven games.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Miami: Dwyane Wade went off for 35 points, six boards, 12 assists and three steals on 15-of-23 shooting Tuesday’s win over the Warriors. Leave it to the Golden State Warriors to let an injured guy get healthy. Wade looks good to go for now, but as usual, keep an eye out for news on his tender calf.

Boston: Paul Pierce returned from a thumb injury on Tuesday but had just nine points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and one 3-pointer on 2-of-6 shooting.

Detroit: No word yet on the severity, but Wallace finished with six points, 12 boards, a block and an 0-for-5 free throw shooting night. Hopefully the injury’s not serious and he’s back for the next one.

New Orleans: Sources close to Chris Paul (knee) tell beat writer John Reid that the all-world point guard is about 10 days or so from returning. Reid guesses that Paul “may return” for the beginning of the New Orleans Hornets’ five-game road trip that begins on March 14. Paul is taking part in pregame warmups right now and is doing some running as part of his rehab

Phoenix: Leandro Barbosa (wrist) got full medical clearance on Monday to return to the court. Even though he’ll be practicing, Barbosa likely won’t return to game action until March 12 against the Lakers. When he returns, he’ll wear a light wrap on his right (shooting) wrist. We’re skeptical about how effective he can be and with Goran Dragic’s emergence, it’s hard to expect much.

Shaquille O’Neal left Thursday’s game against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter after taking a hard foul, has suffered a “significant right thumb sprain” according to TNT’s David Aldridge, and will not return to the game. Shaq’s short-term future doesn’t look bright, and Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson are worth a look if Shaq is out. Varejao has better size for the position, and projects to be a more consistent option than Hickson, who will provide more upside and scoring possibilities. Both will struggle with foul trouble.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Boston: Coach Doc Rivers said Thursday that Paul Pierce’s thumb is not healthy enough to sustain contact during a game, and that he could miss “a couple of games of for sure.” “We just want to get him to the stage where if someone hits it he can sustain the hit, and right now if someone hit it it would go right back to where it was at,” said Rivers.

Oakland: C.J. Watson will miss Thursday’s game due to the flu and a possible appendicitis according to team officials. The Golden State Warriors are decimated by injuries, which means that Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry are strong candidates to play close to a full game, and Anthony Morrow and Anthony Tolliver will get more touches.

Utah: Andrei Kirilenko made it through Thursday’s practice and is expected to play Friday against the Sacramento Kings.

Sacramento: With Jason Thompson out for up to two weeks with a back injury, Kings beat writer Ailene Voisin reported that Spencer Hawes worked with the first team during the portion of Thursday’s practice that was made available to the media. His status for Friday’s game against the Jazz is still unknown, although beat writer Sam Amick said he would be surprised if he didn’t suit up.

Sacramento: Jason Thompson will miss up to two weeks with two non-displaced transverse processes fractures in his lower back, which were confirmed by X-rays taken Thursday.

Chicago: Joakim Noah missed Thursday’s practice due to a prescheduled doctor’s appointment about his plantar fasciitis.” No worries,” Noah said. “I’m just trying to get back as much as I can and help this team. I’m hurting, obviously, but it’s the end of the season right now and I want to be there for my team and I want to be as ready as possible come playoff time.”

The Wizards and Mavericks seven-player trade is official — Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson are headed to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross, and James Singleton. Butler could still be the Mavericks’ #2 option on offense, but he’s joining a more talented team that won’t lean on him nearly as much as Washington did. Then again, he was struggling under Flip Saunders and has a history of elevating his game after being traded, so his owners shouldn’t be overly concerned.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Boston: Paul Pierce saved his best for last during Saturday’s 3-point shootout, winning with a competition-high score of 20. Golden State Warriors rookie Stephen Curry finished second, followed by Chauncey Billups, Danilo Gallinari, Channing Frye and last year’s winner Daequan Cook.

New York: Nate Robinson won his third Slam Dunk contest on Saturday, beating out impressive rookie DeMar DeRozan, as well as Shannon Brown and Gerald Wallace. Nate and DeMar both had a few impressive moments, but this tweet from Utah Jazz beat writer Ross Siler tells the true story — “Nate Robinson won with 51 percent of the vote. The other 49 percent voted to end the dunk contest for good.”

Oklahoma City: Kevin Durant successfully defended his H-O-R-S-E title during All-Star festivities on Saturday. Omri Casspi airballed his first shot and was the first player to lose, then Durant defeated Rajon Rondo in a surprisingly long sudden-death 3-point shootout from the top of the arc.

Washington: Wizards beat writer Michael Lee tweeted on Saturday, “For the 1st time in weeks, I finally got the impression that the Wizards ARE open to moving Antawn Jamison.” Ken Berger of CBSSports.com also writes that the Wizards seem “committed to trading Jamison.” The Cavaliers seem to be the primary target, but haven’t officially made any offers as they consider adding Amare Stoudemire instead.

New Jersey: Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Louisville coach Rick Pitino have both denied that the Nets are interested in hiring them to take over head coaching duties next season. “No one’s contacted me,” said Coach K, “And if they do, I think ‘nyet’ would be easy for me to say.” There have also been rumors that New Jersey wants to pry GM Bryan Colangelo away from the Raptors this summer, when his current contract is set to expire.

Milwaukee: Jerry Stackhouse hasn’t ruled out returning for another season with the Bucks.
“If anything significant happens again, as far as injuries, I would come to that point of retiring,’’ Stackhouse said. “But, hopefully, I can help the Bucks get into the playoffs and then come back next year with them. That would be a no-brainer.’’ He’s giving Milwaukee a nice boost off the bench but remains a questionable fantasy player.

Warriors G Monta Ellis hit 17-of-23 shots and a career-high four 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 46 points in Wednesday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Ellis is hot again, despite a sore right wrist. He had a steal, a block and some circus shots, but also committed seven turnovers. With nearly no defense being played in Oakland, Ellis could have another big game on any night.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Oklahoma City: Thunder G Russell Westbrook hit 11-of-18 shots for 26 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists and a block in Wednesday’s win over the New Orleans Hornets. Westbrook has nearly double-doubled in each of his last two games and appears to be out of his recent slump. Kevin Durant chipped in with another 30-point performance, which should put him in the lead for the scoring race, but also committed a season-high eight TOs on the night.

Charlotte: Bobcats F Gerald Wallace said in a television interview during Wednesday’s game that he simply “tweaked his hammy” and expects to return to action on Saturday.

Toranto: Raptors F Hedo Turkoglu is expected to return to action on Sunday against the Kings, according to the post-game recap. Turkoglu is being fitted with a mask and should be back on the court this weekend.

Boston: Paul Pierce will not play on Wednesday and is not likely to play on Friday either, according to Doc Rivers. This should not come as a surprise and it’s entirely possible that he could rest until the All-Star break with his sprained left foot.

Boston: Rajon Rondo had 22 points, six rebounds, 14 assists, three steals and two 3-pointers in Wednesday’s win over the Miami Heat. He’s on fire and is proving to be one of the most valuable point guards around.

Sacramento: Kings’ forward Jason Thompson will miss his next two games to a attend a funeral on the East Coast. That means he’s out Wednesday and Friday, but is supposed to rejoin the team for Sunday’s game at Toronto. Maybe this will give him time to clear his head and get back in the mix for Paul Westphal. In the meantime, look for solid play from Spencer Hawes and Jon Brockman.

Portland: LaMarcus Aldridge torched the Jazz for 27 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in Wednesday’s loss. Aldridge has been stepping up with Brandon Roy (hamstring) out. He has 20+ points in four of his last five games and even has five blocks during that span.

Utah: Mehmet Okur went off for 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting in Wednesday’s win over the Blazers. After three straight subpar showings, the Turkish Tornado put up a season-high even though he made just one 3-pointer. It should be a big confidence booster for Okur going forward.

Martell Webster

Martell Webster poured in a career-high 28 points and six 3-pointers for the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, adding seven rebounds, two assists and one steal in 48 minutes.

Webster is having a huge month of January, despite a two-point dud last Wednesday. He’s averaging 17.1 points, 3.0 three-pointers, 5.6 rebounds and 0.8 blocks, with just 0.6 turnovers in 37 minutes. This isn’t likely to continue when Brandon Roy, Nicolas Batum and Travis Outlaw filter back into the lineup, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Phoenix: Suns guard Goran Dragic scored a career-high 20 points off the bench on Saturday, making 5-of-9 FGs, 3-of-6 threes, and 7-of-8 FTs. He added three rebounds, four steals and one block in 26 minutes.
Standard disclaimer — this career night came against the Golden State Warriors. On the other hand, it’s probably no coincidence that he broke out while Leandro Barbosa (wrist) was unavailable.

Oakland: Warriors forward Anthony Tolliver was impressive again on Saturday, racking up 19 points (9-of-15 FGs), one 3-pointer, 11 rebounds and one assist in 38 minutes.
Tolliver was called up from the D-League to help fill out the Warriors’ decimated rotation, but he may be carving out minutes even when healthy bodies start returning.

Milwaukee: Carlos Delfino hit 9-of-11 shots and four 3-pointers on his way to 24 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals in Saturday’s win over the Wolves.

Utah: The Jazz frontcourt of Mehmet Okur (20 points, 11 rebounds) and Carlos Boozer (22 points, nine rebounds) was simply too much for the Nets on Saturday. They combined to shoot 18-of-26 from the field, and Okur even blocked three shots despite playing just over 21 minutes in the lopsided victory. This was the second-highest scoring game of the season for Okur, and with any luck it’ll jumpstart his middling offense.

Chicago: Bulls’ rookie Taj Gibson stepped up in 43 minutes on Saturday, recording 16 points and a season-high 14 rebounds in a road win against the Rockets. Gibson got extra playing time with Joakim Noah (foot) sidelined with an injury.

Cleveland: LeBron James had 37 points, six 3-pointers, nine rebounds and 12 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers edged the visiting Thunder in dramatic fashion on Saturday, 100-99. LBJ continues to flirt with nightly triple-doubles, though so far he only has two this season. He made 9-of-19 FGs and 13-of-19 FTs, and his season-high six 3s

Rafer Alston, whose contract was recently bought out by the Nets, is poised to be signed by the Miami Heat and become the teams starting point guard. Alston, who is expected to replace current starter Carlos Arroyo if he does officially sign with Miami, has to be excited about escapting one of the worst teams in the league for a playoff contender. The Nets acquired backup point guard Chris Quinn for a heavily protected draft pick on Tuesday, clearing the way for Alston to go to the Heat.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Washington:  In the continuing saga that is Gilbert Arenas, the NBA is reportedly considering suspending Arenas before the legal process involving his gun possession concludes. While the league usually waits until the courts have made a decision, “Arenas has already admitted to breaking league rules on gun possession both publicly and to federal investigators.” The incident took place in a lockerroom is already smearing the NBA’s public image and most expect David Stern to come down hard on Arenas.

Los Angeles:  Ron Artest (concussion) and Lamar Odom (flu) are expected to play Tuesday against the Houston Rockets.

Utah:  Jazz PG Deron Williams (bruised and sprained right wrist) will be a game-time decision on Wednesday vs. the Grizzlies. X-rays were negative but Williams will have an MRI on Tuesday afternoon, which should determine his status. He is officially listed as day-to-day.

Portland:  Brandon Roy is dealing with a sore right hamstring, which bothered him Monday, when he scored just six points and had his streak of scoring at least 23 points in a game broken at 15. “It’s pretty sore,” Roy said. He suffered the injury during Saturday’s victory over the Golden State Warriors. Roy should be able to play on Tuesday.

Toronto:  Hedo Turkoglu is expected to resume starting at SF on Wednesday after missing one game with the flu. Turk has also been battling a knee injury lately, making him a shaky start until he gets going.

Indiana:  Coach Jim O’Brien said Tuesday that he thinks Danny Granger (heel) is still about two weeks away from returning to action. O’Brien’s estimate would bring Granger back by around Jan. 20, on the long end of the original 4-to-6 week prognosis Granger received Dec. 8.

Philadelphia:  The Philadelphia 76ers have announced that Allen Iverson’s contract has been extended for the remainder of the season.

Iverson has played decently through injury this season, averaging 15.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in nine games with the 76ers. While he’s not the star he once was, he continues to put up consistent stats.

Warriors coach Don Nelson flatly denied a report that he would be stepping down as the Golden State Warriors head coach or that the club is shopping guard Monta Ellis. The Warriors have quickly become one of the worst teams in the league and are even comical at times. Even if Nelson doesn’t step down during the season, he will likely be fired in the offseason.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Dallas: Mavericks C Erick Dampier is showing “marked improvement” since being transported to a Detroit-area hospital, after feeling light-headed during pregame warmups on Sunday. Although H1N1 has been ruled out, Dampier has been taken to the hospital because the arean lacked proper testing equipment. He is being kept overnight for observations and will miss Monday’s game against the Bucks.

Oklahoma City: Thunder SF Kevin Durant scored a season-high 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting (2-of-4 from downtown, 10-of-11 from the foul line) with eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block in the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-93 loss to the Clippers on Sunday. Durant continues his great play and is developing into the nest NBA superstar.

Los Angelas: In LA-type fashion and an ongoing soap opera regarding Pau Gasol’s injured hamstring, it is being reported that he “may” practice this week. Coach Phil Jackson said that he has been without “pain” for five days and he has advanced to light court work.

Orlando: Magic PG Jameer Nelson (flu) is expected to play Monday against the Bobcats. The Orlando Magic Sentinel updated their earlier report, adding that coach Stan Van Gundy expects him to play. Use him as you would normally in the Magic’s four-game week.

Boston: Celtics SF Paul Pierce blamed his sore left knee for a weak defensive effort on Saturday. It was also mentioned in the Boston Herald that he might take a “few days” off in order to let the knee heal. “I was able to make it through the game, but I obviously hurt us tonight,” he said. “I was a step slow pretty much all night and it really hurt us. Dahntay Jones goes out and has one of his best nights, with me guarding him.” The Boston Celtics don’t play until Wednesday, so Pierce will get some much needed rest.

Phonix: Suns PF/C Channing Frye hit an amazing six 3-point buckets in a win over the Raptors on Sunday, racking up 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting with seven rebounds, one assist, and one block. Frye only took one two-point attempt tonight, and has become the poster boy for what a move to Arizona can do for a fantasy basketball player. It’s hard to say if his stock is still rising, or if he should be sold-high, but it’s clear owners got a bargain on draft day.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Indiana Pacers

2008 Record: 36-46
Division Finish: 3rd – Central
2008 Playoffs: Missed the playoffs.

Head Coach: Jim O’Brien
Season: Going into second season
Record At Indiana: 36-46
Career Record: 218-204

Offseason Acquisitions:
TJ Ford, G, 12.2 ppg, 6.1 apg. – Traded from Toronto Raptors
Radoslav Nesterovic, C, 7.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg., – Traded from Toronto Raptors
Austin Croshere, F, 3.9 ppg., 2.4 rpg. – Signed from Golden State Warriors
Maceo Baston, F, 2.7 ppg., 1.7 rpg. – Traded from Toronto Raptors
Josh Davis, F, 2.5 ppg., 1.7 rpg. – Signed as free agent
Jarrett Jack, G, 9.9 ppg., 3.8 apg. – Traded from Portland Trail Blazers
Josh McRoberts, F, 1.5 ppg., 1.3 rpg. -  Traded from Portland Trail Blazers

Offseason Losses:
Jeremaine O’Neal, F-C, 13.6 ppg., 6.7 rpg – Traded to Toronto Raptors
Ronald “Flip” Murray, G, 11.0 ppg., 3.5 apg – Signed with Atlanta Hawks
Kareem Rush, G, 8.3 ppg, 2.4 ppg – Signed with Philadelphia 76ers
Shawne Williams, F, 6.7 ppg., 2.7 rpg. – Traded to Dallas Mavericks
David Harrison, C, 4.2 ppg., 2.1 rpg. – Signed with Minnesota Timberwolves
Andre Owens, G, 4.0 ppg., 1.5 rpg. – Sign with Serbian League
Ike Diogu, F, 5.6 ppg., 2.8 rpg. – Traded to Portland Trail Blazers

Offseason Transactions:
Signed Jeff Foster, C, to a contract extension.
Exercised the option on Stephen Graham,G, through 2008-09 season.

Rookies:
Roy Hibbert, C, 7-2, 13.4 ppg., 6.4 rpg., Georgetown
Brandon Rush, G, 6-7, 13.3 ppg, 5.1, rpg., Kansas

The Skinny:
Before the Detroit Pistons were the team to beat in the Eastern Conference it was the Indiana Pacers that everyone had to get through to make it to either the conference or NBA Finals. However, the last few years have not been kind to the Pacers, but they look like may have turned the corner and will be a playoff team in 2007-08.

Six years ago the Pacers won the Central Division with a 61-21 record, which is the franchise record for victories. With Reggie Miller only getting better with age like a fine wine and Jermaine O’Neal playing great basketball, the team was on the doorstep of the NBA Finals. They lost to eventual World Champion Detroit in the Eastern Finals.

There are certain moments in sports where you know where you were when something happened. I was in my living room casually watching the Pacers and Pistons in the fall of 2004 when the infamous brawl between the two teams broke out. That might have changed the relationship between the fans and players in all of professional sports It also started a downward spiral for the Pacers.

Indiana managed to get into the second round of the playoffs in 2004-05, but the next year they were bounced in the first round. Three years after playing for the Eastern Conference title, the Pacers were a dismal 35-47. Last season was not much better for the team as they posted a 36-46 record.

But things are not as bad as they may seem in Indiana. As bad as the East is, they still had an outside shot at the playoffs last season and made a great effort to get in. The Pacers won nearly a third of their games during the last month of the season, going 11-5 down the stretch and 7-3 in their last 10 games.

Unlike some teams – New Jersey I am looking in your direction – that purge their teams with a fire sale, Indiana has gradually made changes over the last two years. Last season they brought in Jim O’Brien as head coach, who had Boston in the conference finals in 2001-02 and his teams have made the playoffs in three of the five full seasons he has coached.

Two years ago they started trimming the fat and brought in Troy Muphy and Mike Dunleavy, Jr from Golden State. During this last offseason they traded the face of the franchise, O’Neal, to the Toronto Raptors. While those two trades completely changed the face of the organization, I think they were greatly needed. Between the fight with the Pistons and the retirement of Miller the team needed a new identity. I think they have made the right moves for a fresh start.

I will admit that I have never been a Dunleavy fan, dating back to his days at Duke, but I am also one to admit when I am wrong and this case I am wrong. I would have never guessed that he was averaging double figures the last six years and last season he posted a career-best 19.1 ppg,, an improvement of five points per game. That improvement got him in the running for the NBA Most Improved Player award.

A player who probably does not get enough credit is forward Danny Granger. He quietly led the team with 19.6 ppg. last season. Granger has made huge strides in his three years in the league. He upped his scoring averaged by six points from 2006-07 and by 12 since his rookie season.

While Indiana gave up O’Neal – who has been hampered by injuries of late – they did pick up a big piece of the puzzle in point guard T.J. Ford. The Pacers desperately needed an experienced point guard and Ford’s 6.1 assists per game and 12.2 ppg. will fill that role nicely.

The departure of O’Neal obviously leaves a whole in the front court. As part of the O’Neal trade the Pacers got center Radoslav Nesterovic. He was a spot starter for the Raptors, but was a key part to the San Antonio Spurs’ success, including their 2005 NBA Championships team. I could see him being the starter for the first portion of the season until rookie Roy Hibbert comes along. I am a big Hibbert fan and I like that Indiana has him instead of Australian Nathan Jawai that they originally drafted.

Troy Murphy is a solid power forward, but probably the weakest link in the Indiana starting five. Do not get me wrong, his 12.2 ppg. and 7.2 rpg. is solid, but I think that is the one area that still needs to be addressed. He averaged a double-double for two seasons with Golden State, but his production has slipped of late.

Prediction:
If Indiana stays healthy I think they are a playoff team. They made a good run at the endof the season and have made some good moves to make their team even better. Their biggest problem is their depth.

One through five they have a playoffs caliber team, but their reserves are shaky. Nesterovic and Hibbert are two solid players at the center and Ford has a very good back-up at the point guard position in Jarred Jack. He was a good back-up for the Trail Blazers and Indiana should not miss a beat with him in to spell Ford.

Another spot where they have a good back up is at the shooting guard position. I like players who know how to win and Brandon Rush led the Kansas Jayhawks to the national championship. He will make a good reserve behind Dunleavy and one day could be a great starter in the league. I like that Indiana swapped the draft rights of Jarryd Bayless for Rush.

That leaves the two forward positions as the susceptible ones. Behind the very talented Granger they only have Stephen Graham, who is below average. The Pacers have brought in a bunch of players to compete for the back-up spot to Murphy. The four players Indiana signed – Austin Crosher, Maceo Baston, Josh Davis and Josh McRoberts – did not averaged as many points combined as Murphy. Crosher is the choice for now. He played for Indiana during their heyday, but is starting to get old. Do not ask me why McRoberts left Duke early. He could have used an extra year there. Instead he has been mediocre, but most Duke pro players do not pan out.

With a strong starting five I think Indiana will get into the playoffs this year. I expect to see them a few games over .500 or right around there. That should put them in the sixth or seventh seed. I think their frontcourt is too weak to get them beyond the first round, but if they upgrade the power forward position they could make a run in 2009-10.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Orlando Magic

2008 Record: 52-30
Division Finish: 1st – Southeast
2008 Playoffs: Lost, 4-1, to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Semifinals

Head Coach: Stan Van Gundy
Season: Going into second season
Record At Orlando: 52-30
Career Record: 163-103

Offseason Acquisitions:
Signed Mike Wilks, G, 2.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, Free Agent
Signed Jeremy Richardson, F, 1.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg, Atlanta Hawks
Signed Dwayne Jones, C, 1.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, Cleveland Cavaliers
Signed Anthony Johnson, G, 5.6 ppg, 3.8 apg, Sacramento Kings
Signed Mickael Pietrus G-F, 7.2, ppg, 3.7 rpg, Golden State Warriors

Offseason Transactions:
Excersiced option on guard JJ Redick through 2009-10
Resigned center Adonal Foyle

Offseason Losses:
James Augustine, F, 1.6 ppg., 1.2, rpg, Waived
Carlos Arroyo, G, 6.9 ppg., 3.5, apg, Free Agent
Kenyon Dooling, G, 8.1 ppg, 1.8, apg, Traded to the New Jersey Nets
Maurice Williams, G-F, 9.3 ppg, 3.1 ppg., Signed with Atlanta Hawks
Pat Garrity, F, 2.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg., Retired
Bo Outlaw, F, 2.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg. , Wavied

Rookies:
Courtney Lee, G, 20.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg., Western Kentucky

The Skinny:
Outside of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, no player in the NBA may be more exciting than Orlando’s Dwight Howard. I haven’t watched the Slam Dunk competition in I don’t know how many years, but I was tuned into last year’s competition based solely on the performance of Howard. He did some amazing things with the ball and along with James could be the new face of the NBA.

Prior to Howard’s arrival in O-Town the team was struggling. They finished seventh in the Atlantic division and as a result were able to take Howard with the No. 1 pick. Within three years he had the team back in the playoffs despite a sub-.500 record which just goes to show that the East is a very weak conference.

Last season the Magic won the Southeast Division with a 52-30 record and won their first playoff series since the 1995-96 campaign as they beat Toronto, 4-1, in the first round. Their record was their best since that 95-96 campaign when they lost to the Bulls in the conference finals and was 31 wins better than the year before Howard was drafted. They were subsequently tossed from the playoffs by Detroit, 4-1.

Despite not being the prototypical NBA center that you normally think of at only 265 pounds on a 6-foot-11 frame, Howard is one of the best in the league. He averaged 20.7 points per game and 14.2 rebounds per game. He led the NBA with 69 double doubles and his 14.2 rpg. was a full rebound better than the next closest player (Marcus Camby).

As good as Howard is, he obviously can’t do it all by himself. He’s got a pair of really good supporting cast members in guard Hedo Turkoglu and forward Rashard Lewis. Turkoglu was second on the team at 19.5 ppg while grabbing 5.7 rpg. and handing out 5.0 assists per game. Lewis was just a shade back at 18.2 ppg., 4.2 rpg. and 5.4 apg. Also doing a solid job was point guard Jameer Nelson as he produced 10.9 ppg. and handed out 5.6 apg.

The problem with the Magic isn’t a lack of production at the offensive end of the court, it’s at the defensive end, particularly during the playoffs. Orlando ranked sixth in the NBA last year at 104.4 ppg. and were pretty decent at 99.0 ppg. on defense, which surprisingly ranked 11th.

However, as anyone will tell you defense is what wins you championships. If you don’t believe me, the top three defensive teams in the NBA – Detroit (90.1 ppg.), Boston (90.3 ppg.) and San Antonio (90.6 ppg.) – all made the conference finals. The Phoenix Suns have been mentioned a lot the last few years as a potential champion, but their model of all-out offense has yet to come to fruition. Twice the Suns got to the Western Finals, only to be beaten 4-1 by San Antonio and 4-2 by Dallas. Last year they dropped another 4-1 series to the Spurs.

When going up against a great defensive team like the Pistons in the playoffs, Orlando scored a mere 91.6 ppg. This shows the flaws in the idea of just trying to outscore opponents and not putting much stock in playing defense. Nine times out of 10 the better defensive team will win. Also, because Orlando had to work harder to score, they didn’t have the energy to play the necessary defense – not that they do anyways – but Detroit was only 0.5 ppg. under its regular season average of 90.7 ppg.

The playoffs is all about who can stick to their game plan and go about business as usual. Unless you’ve got a serious injury, the playoffs is not the time to have to change approach. Detroit was able to follow its game plan better than Orlando and the Pistons were the one who were able advance.

Between Howard and Lewis the Magic seem to have the defensive end pretty well covered. Where they are struggling on defense is the back court. Richard Hamilton scored more than 30 against Orlando in the final two playoff games and Chauncey Billups tossed in 28 in game two.

Prediction:
Orlando is a pretty solid team, but they need to get Howard more help. San Antonio and Detroit have five great players on the floor while the Lakers have a super star and a great player in Pau Gasol to help out Bryant. While Lewis, Turkoglu and Nelson are all pretty solid, they’re not great. The Magic must make a decision to either get one big gun, kind of like a Scotty Pippen, or build up the four other guys to be pretty good.

They lost Maurice Wiliams, who averaged 9.3 ppg., to Atlanta and replaced him with Mickael Pietrus from Golden State and his 7.2 ppg. Shooting guard JJ Reddick was one of the best college players of all time, but he has been a dud as a pro. Maybe he’ll get better or maybe he’s just going to be another in a long string of Duke players that are great in college but a flop in the league. If he could ever rise to anything close to the level that he had in Durham he could be that great No. 2 guy.

Rookie guard CourtneyLee has some potential to be a good player. He scored 20.4 ppg. at Western Kentucky, which is a pretty solid program that you’ve probably never heard much about. Lee is a good start, but he’s not going to be enough. Orlando should have another good record so they’re not going to have a draft spot where they can really get an impact player. To move up to the Detroit, Boston and Clevelands of the world they’ll have to make a trade or sign a big free agent.

There might not be a worse division in the NBA than the Southeast so unless Howard gets hurt the Magic should have no problems winning the division again this year. Orlando should win a first round series again, but that’s as far as they are going to get. Unless Stan Van Gundy can get the Magic to play better defense in crunch time they’ll be watching the conference semifinals from home.

Like many NBA teams, the Golden State Warriors are currently in a state of flux. The team, which is based in Oakland and plays its home games at Oracle Arena, was hailed as an up-and-comer in the Western Conference two seasons ago. Since then, they have been up and down, a talented young team capable of pulling off stunning upsets or losing a string of games. In the ultra-competitive Western Conference, the Warriors have struggled to find their place.

Early Years

The Warriors began their existence on the East Coast, as a member of the old Basketball Association of America (BAA). The Philadelphia Warriors were one of the original league members, winning the BAA’s first championship over the Chicago Stags. They boasted one of the league’s stars, “Jumping Joe” Fulks.
In 1959, the Warriors drafted Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain, a strong and agile big man who changed the way the game was played. As a Philadelphia Warrior, Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single game on March 2, 1962, against the New York Knicks. His single-game scoring record still stands today.

The team moved to San Francisco, Calif., in 1962, and were renamed the San Francisco Warriors. They began playing home games at the Oakland Coliseum Arena in 1966, and in 1971 they changed their name to the Golden State Warriors. To this day, they are the only NBA team whose nickname does not include their home state or city.

Championships

The Warriors have won two NBA championships in their history, one on each coast. As the Philadelphia Warriors, they defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons, four games to one, to win the 1955-56 title. As the Golden State Warriors, they upset the heavily favored Washington Bullets to become the 1974-75 champs. That team was led by notable players like Rick Barry and Jamaal Wilkes, yet they were tremendous underdogs. Someone forgot to tell the Warriors that; they swept the Bullets in four games.

“Run-TMC”

The Warriors faded into NBA obscurity during the late 1970s and early ‘80s, but a trio of draft picks would put them back into the limelight in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin played so well together, and scored so many points in such a high-flying style, that they garnered the nickname “Run-TMC.” The nickname was a play on the rap group Run-DMC, incorporating the first initials of Tim (Hardaway), Mitch (Richmond), and Chris (Mullin).

The trio played a high-speed, run-and-gun style that flustered many opponents and cemented head coach Don Nelson’s reputation as the mad genius of the NBA. They were the NBA’s highest-scoring threesome of the 1990-91 season. But Nelson, who is known to tinker with his teams even when they’re successful, traded Richmond for Billy Owens and broke up the trio.

2007-08 Season

After upsetting the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2006-07 playoffs, hopes were high for the Warriors in 2007-08. But shooting guard Jason Richardson was traded away to the Charlotte Bobcats for Brandan Wright, and forward Stephen Jackson was suspended for an incident involving a firearm. The team did not live up to expectations and ended up missing the playoffs.

The offseason brought change to the organization. Star point guard Baron Davis opted out of his contract and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. Corey Maggette migrated to the Warriors from the Clippers.

2008-09 Outlook

The Western Conference is historically tough, and has gotten tougher with the addition of Pau Gasol to the Lakers, Jason Kidd to the Mavericks, and Shaquille O’Neal to the Suns. Whether Golden State’s off-season acquisitions will allow them to keep pace remains to be seen. But teams around the league know that Don Nelson thrives in the role of underdog. If the Golden State Warriors can make the playoffs, few teams will want to see them in the first round.