The high profile Miami Heat will host the Dallas Mavericks in Game One of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night. The Heat are led by their “big three” LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are rested and ready for a run against Dallas. The best-of-seven series is being billed as “the rematch” of the 2006 finals.

LeBron James

In 2006, Dallas held a 2-0 lead and was up 15 points in the second half before the Heat got their act together. Dwayne Wade starred for Miami and it remains to be seen if the Mavericks can contain Wade and his two henchmen.

Since that bitter loss, Dallas has gone 10-0 against the Heat. The Maverick that has been there for all the action is center Dirk Nowitzki. The center presents some matchup problems for the offensive minded Heat. Throughout the playoffs, Nowitzki has been the NBA’s steadiest and most impressive player.

Other than Nowitzki and 38-year old point guard Jason Kidd the balance of Dallas players are no-names compared to the deep Miami bench. Dallas plays with focus and this is a much better defensive team than in 2006.

It is no secret that the Dallas game plan begins with Nowitzki. The team’s first offensive choice is always Dirk but the multi-dimensional Nowitzki and company have proved to be outstanding at moving the ball in search of an open shot.

At the beginning of the year, Miami struggled to find their game. Without question the Heat will run, run and then run more. This allows their “big three” to all touch the ball. There is a lot of talent on Miami but there is also a ton of ego. Balancing those egos is what has gotten the Heat this far.

Coach Carlisle is hoping that foul-prone Tyson Chandler can log some serious playing time. The Mavs have had great success rebounding against Miami. The team averages 47 rebounds per game compared to their average against the rest of the league, which is 41 rpg.

With the Heat, any one of the James, Wade, Bosh superstars can carry the scoring load. James, Wade and Bosh will provide a real test foe the Mavericks who will be looking to take some air out of the ball and slow down play.

This may be a best of seven series but Game One on Tuesday night may well foretell the outcome of the Championship series.

The Chicago Bulls, led by probable Player of The Year Derrick Rose, used their multi-dimensional attack to stun the Miami Heat in game one of the Eastern Division finals. Game two will be played in Chicago Wednesday at 8:30PM ET and then again on Sunday, when the best of seven series moves to Miami.

Derrick Rose

Chicago was 20th in the league on offense (98.6 points per game) but 2nd in rebounding averaging 44.2 per game and most importantly 2nd in defense (91.3). The Bulls held the high-profile, high-flying Heat to just 82 points in the opener and lead the series 1-0 going into Wednesday’s battle.

The top seeded Bulls (62-20) used their youth and speed to their advantage and controlled play for most of the opening game. LeBron James was swarmed with young defenders and Dwayne Wade received similar attention. Only Chris Bosh with thirty points performed well for the Heat.

It is a credit to the Heat that they expect to overpower teams, but in Chicago, the Bulls are not buying it. With a win in game two, Chicago will be poised to claim the Eastern crown which was not expected. With high-priced Bosh, Wade and James the expectations are high and the disappointments could be even bigger.

Dwyane Wade scored 36 points on 12-of-26 shooting (including three 3-pointers) with 10 rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block in the Heat’s 108-102 overtime loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday. He is playing like a man possessed lately, averaging 32.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 2.2 steals per game in the month of March.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Orlando: Dwight Howard got his 15th technical foul of the season, and played just 31 foul-plagued minutes on his way to 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting with 11 rebounds, one assist, and four blocks in Thursday’s win over the Miami Heat. One more technical foul for him and he will be suspended for a regular season game, which only serves to put owners on edge for the rest of the season, since it’s unlikely he’ll be on their benches unless his free throw woes and/or turnovers are proving to be too meddlesome.

Orlando: Matt Barnes logged 40 minutes against the Heat on Thursday despite his sprained toe, and finished with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting (including a three) with nine rebounds and three assists. Surely the Magic didn’t want him to have to play this much, but with Mickael Pietrus (ankle) out for at least a week they don’t really have a choice. Barnes defended Dwyane Wade for much of the game, illustrating how much Orlando needs him, and luckily for him his next game isn’t until Monday.

Charlotte: Peja Stojakovic (groin) said Thursday that he still doesn’t have a timetable for his return as he has hit the halfway point of his original two-week projection. “It has improved,” said Stojakovic. “But I wouldn’t say a great deal. I’d say it’s better this last week, since we started the road trip. It’s getting better.” These are not words that fantasy owners should be counting on, as it’s looking like he’ll be back for just a handful of games.

Oakland: Kelenna Azubuike said Thursday that he is leaning towards taking a $3.3 million player option available to him for the 2010-11 season, which is the last year of his contract. “I’m leaning toward a certain way – coming back,” said Azubuike, which is a welcoming piece of news for the Warriors.

Washington: Andray Blatche (sprained left ankle) said that he will play Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers, but coach Flip Saunders has been a bit less optimistic saying he is 50-50 to play. “It’s a little tender. I’m going to try to play – no, I’m not going to try, I’m going to play,” Blatche said. “I’m just going to work through it.” He also added, that “the pain, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being worst, it’s probably a five.” This will be a case of a player’s heart versus a coach’s mind, and owners would be wise to heed Saunders’ assessment of “50-50.”

Thaddeus Young has a fractured right thumb and is out indefinitely. So much for Thadd just having a cracked thumbnail. His thumb will be placed in a removable cast and he’s been ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the New Jersey Nets. The only good news is that the injury is to Young’s non-shooting hand, but there is no timetable for his return. This means Lou Williams’ spot in the starting five should be safe going forward.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Indiana: Danny Granger exited with under a minute remaining in Tuesday’s game after being elbowed in the face. Granger appeared woozy on his way to the locker room and didn’t return to the game. He scored 26 points with three 3-pointers, eight rebounds and five turnovers before leaving.

New Jersey: Nets big man Josh Boone swooped in for a season-high 20 rebounds in Tuesday’s game, adding 13 points on 5-of-7 FGs and 3-of-5 FTs. Clearly Boone was doing something right tonight, but the eventual return of Yi Jianlian is one reason for skepticism, as is Boone’s career 45% free throw shooting.

New Jersey: Terrence Williams made just 5-of-16 shots in Tuesday’s loss, but added 5-of-6 free throws to finish with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists.

San Antonio: Manu Ginobili led the San Antonio Spurs with 22 points on Tuesday, making 7-of-14 FGs, 2-of-5 threes, and 6-of-6 FTs. Manu played nearly 36 minutes after playing just 18 in an easy win on Saturday.

Miami: Michael Beasley returned from his bruised thigh on Tuesday with just six points on 3-of-10 shooting, five rebounds, and zero assists. The Miami Heat were dead in the water for most of this game (interrupted only by a brief, bench-led surge in the second half) and it’s hard how much of Beasley’s struggles were caused by his recent injury.

Atlanta: Playing SG on Tuesday, veteran Mike Bibby (back) had 10 points, two 3-pointers, three rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes.

Atlanta: Jamal Crawford made 11-of-18 field goals for 25 points on Tuesday, adding two 3-pointers, three rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes. It didn’t hurt that Joe Johnson was out, but when Crawford gets hot he tends to score 20+ regardless of the circumstances.

Charlotte: Stephen Jackson was very active with Gerald Wallace out on Tuesday — he piled up 20 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals, two blocks and six turnovers in over 47 minutes.

Utah: Deron Williams aggravated his shoulder during Sunday’s loss to the Thunder, and briefly left the game, but returned and finished with 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting (including a three) with two rebounds, 14 assists, and a steal.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Miami: Dwyane Wade scored 38 points on 14-of-25 shooting (including a three) with five rebounds, two assists, five steals, and a block in the Miami Heat’s 104-91 win over the Sixers on Sunday.

Miami: Jermaine O’Neal was ejected during the second half of Sunday’s game against the Sixers after grabbing Samuel Dalembert’s face in retaliation for an accidental poke in the eye by Dalembert. He finished with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting with eight rebounds and a block. He could be facing a suspension from the league

Utah: Wesley Matthews scored a career-high 29 points with the Jazz missing Andrei Kirilenko (calf) and Mehmet Okur (back) on Sunday, hitting 9-of-11 shots from the field including six 3-pointers, three rebounds, and no assists in 35 minutes. He has been starting and playing a very consistent 25 mpg over the past few weeks, but with the Utah Jazz ailing they needed him to step up — and he did.

Orlando: Matt Barnes told reporters that he expects to play Wednesday against the Spurs despite a sprained big toe in his left foot that caused him to miss Sunday’s game. Coach Stan Van Gundy was reportedly optimistic about his chances even if his words were measured, saying “I would hope with us not playing again until Wednesday that this would be the only one he’d miss, but you never know.” With the Orlando Magic playing just two games this week, we’re not sure if it matters.

Orlando: Mickael Pietrus started for injured Matt Barnes (sprained toe) on Sunday, and scored 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting (5-of-7 from downtown) with five rebounds and no assists in 42 minutes of action.

Charlotte: Stephen Jackson scored 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting (including three 3-pointers) with six rebounds, six assists, and a steal as the Charlotte Bobcats went into Orlando and beat the Magic by a score of 96-89. The win ties a franchise record for consecutive wins with six, and for Jackson we may be seeing the beginning of a hot streak, as he has scored at least 24 points in three straight games.

Cleveland: Antawn Jamison returned from a one-game absence due to a sore knee on Sunday, and double-doubled with 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting, 12 rebounds, no assists, and two blocks in 30 minutes.

Michael Finley will sign with the Celtics in the next couple of days, a source tells Yahoo’s Marc Spears. The Celtics are stocking up on scoring off the bench, but Finley isn’t a real answer. He’ll eventually take some minutes away from Tony Allen and Marquis Daniels. Finley was waived by the Spurs on Monday after complaining about his role and is expected to report to the Boston Celtics on Saturday.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Memphis: Zach Randolph scored 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting with 18 rebounds, one assist, and one steal in Thursday’s 105-96 win over the Bulls. This marked his 43rd double-double of the season, and he is the second-best rebounder in the NBA (11.8 boards per game entering tonight), with the 12th best scoring average (20.7 points per game entering tonight).

Miami: Dwyane Wade scored 27 points on 9-of-21 shooting with five rebounds, a season-high 14 assists, and a steal in the Miami Heat’s 114-111 overtime win over the Lakers on Thursday.

Chicago: Kirk Hinrich injured his right ankle during the beginning of the fourth quarter of Thursday’s game, and stayed in the game until the two-minute mark when he tweaked it again and did not return. He left with 13 points, four assists, four steals, and two blocks. He was limping significantly throughout the fourth quarter, and surprisingly stayed in the game until he turned the ankle again late.

Houston: Trevor Ariza (hip) will not play in this weekend’s back-to-back games against the Wolves and Pistons. The Houston Rockets were hopeful Ariza would be ready for Saturday, but he’s now targeting Tuesday for his return. He has missed the last five games and Houston has gone 2-3 over that span.

Charlotte: Chris Paul (knee) has still not been given clearance to run. Paul is exactly four weeks removed from the surgery that cleaned up meniscus cartilage in his left knee, and the Hornets still have no official target date for his return. He’s riding a bike and shooting around, but admitted that the knee still doesn’t feel great. Mid-March has been speculated as a return date by beat writers.

Philadelphia: Tawanna Iverson has filed for divorce from Allen Iverson and for custody of their five children. The Sixers cut ties with Iverson for the remainder of the season yesterday. Obviously Iverson has more important things on his plate than basketball.

Dallas: Jason Terry will see a doctor on Thursday due to swelling in his face after he took a shot from Corey Brewer on Wednesday. We’ll know more about his future status after the visit to the doctor, but he was able to return and finish tonight’s game. He had 26 points and five threes in the absence of Jason Kidd.

The Wizards and Mavericks sound very close to pulling off a trade, with the principle figures being Caron Butler and Josh Howard. Other players possibly included in the deal are Washington’s Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson, and Dallas’ Drew Gooden and Tim Thomas. Additionally, Antawn Jamison could possibly be going to the Boston Celtics. Any deal won’t likely be finalized until Monday, but it does sound like Butler and Howard are very likely to change teams.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Sacramento: Tyreke Evans was named MVP after leading the rookies to a 140-128 win over the sophomores on Friday night. Evans finished with 26 points, six boards, five assists and five steals on 11-of-15 shooting in the win, while DeJuan Blair went off for 22 points and 23 rebounds. Evans said after the game he wanted to share the award with Blair, which is another example of how good a leader the young Evans really is. Russell Westbrook led the sophs with 40 points.

Denver: Carmelo Anthony is still feeling pain in his elbow after injuring it against the Spurs on Thursday night. Melo better watch out before he gets a “soft” label, although it might be too late. Coach George Karl admitted that Anthony won’t be at 100 percent for Sunday’s All-Star game and he may limit his franchise players’ minutes. We’d expect Anthony to be fine when the Denver Nuggets come out of the break, but he may actually have to play at less than 100 percent.

Miami: Dwyane Wade said Friday that he wants to remain in Miami Heat next season. Wade is an unrestricted free agent after this season and will be one of the most sought-after players on the market. “I want to make sure,” he added, “that we do everything we can to make sure we build a winning program. We do that … I’m satisfied.” We’ll see if that statement provokes the Heat to make a move at the deadline.

Cleveland: The Cavaliers have reportedly put acquiring Antawn Jamison and Troy Murphy on hold as the team targets Amare Stoudemire. The Cleveland Cavaliers could send a package including Wally Szczerbiak, the expiring contract of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and possibly J.J. Hickson. Nothing is set in stone at this point, and Amare’s name is still linked with several possible teams. But it does appear the Cavaliers are very serious in their interest.

Charlotte: In an interview with reporters, Chris Paul shared that he could be walking with less supports soon. “I’m on two crutches right now,” Paul said. “I’m hoping by All-Star Sunday I’ll be down to one crutch or no crutches. It depends on how the rehab goes.” He shares that he’s not reentering the lineup until he’s “100 percent”, so he’s still got a long way to go before returning.

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.

Robin Lopez

Robin Lopez started for the second straight game and posted 20 points, seven rebounds and block, but most importantly it came against his brother. Brook had his usual 23 and 13, but it’s Robin that is one of the hottest young names in the NBA.

Robin Lopez has appeared to steal the starting center position away from Channing Frye, who only played 14 minutes on Wednesday night. It appears that Robin could be a good young big man that will grab rebounds, block shots and shoot for a high percentage from the field.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Detroit: Rodney Stuckey hit 11-of-24 shots for 27 points, a career-high 11 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block in Wednesday’s win over the Celtics. Stuckey hit just 8-of-26 shots in his last one, so this was a nice bounce back game for him. His production should decrease mildly when the Detroit Pistons get healthy, but who knows when that might happen.

Charlotte: Bobcats SF Gerald Wallace played through his sprained ankle and had 20 points, 10 boards, two assists, two steals, five blocks and two 3-pointers on 5-of-11 shooting in Wednesday’s easy win over the Miami Heat.

Miami: Michael Beasley pulled a Rasheed Wallace and suggested that “it should be an easy win” for the Heat over the red-hot Bobcats on Wednesday, if they stayed focus. The Bobcats came in as one of the hottest teams in the league and throttled the Heat by 39 points, good for a franchise record. Beasley, who had 20 & 10 on Tuesday, hit just 3-of-11 shots for six points, two rebounds and three steals on the night. Maybe he learned a lesson tonight.

Miami: Dwyane Wade hit just 6-of-16 shots for 16 points, four rebounds and one assists as the Heat fell to the Bobcats by a final score of 104-65.

Washington: Randy Foye got hot early and hit 9-of-14 shots and two 3-pointers for a season-high 26 points to go along with three assists, a steal and a block in Wednesday’s loss. Foye has been on fire for the struggling Wizards, and should stay hot as long as they don’t trade for another point guard.

Portland: Brandon Roy said after Wednesday’s win that he’s likely to miss a couple games after aggravating his hamstring injury. “Odds are high that I’ll miss the next two (games) just because we want to be smart with (the injury),” he said

Boston: Rajon Rondo hit 8-of-16 shots for 21 points, eight boards, seven assists and four more steals as the Boston Celtics fell to the Pistons to lose their third straight game for the second time in a month.

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.

Houston Rockets SG/SF Tracy McGrady and Head Coach Rick Adelman on Friday both denied a Yahoo! Sports report that the two had engaged in a heated argument behind closed doors on Wednesday.

McGrady said he put on his game uniform Wednesday, despite having no targeted date to return from a knee injury, because “I was excited. I put it on, like a little kid. It felt refreshing to put it on because it was in sight.” Adelman said he simply reminded McGrady that he wouldn’t play, at the earliest, until after his Nov. 23 MRI, and that “We haven’t had any arguments. He wants to know what we’re going to do.” Check back after Nov. 23 for updates. It has long been rumored that the Rockets would like to trade McGrady, but there have been not takers.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Toronto: Toronto Raptors C Andrea Bargnani hit 9-of-14 shots and two 3-pointers on his way to 24 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks on Friday. Bargnani, who is starting to live up to his talent, is averaging nearly 18 points, six boards, two threes and more than a block per game thus far in 2009.

Miami: Heat G Mario Chalmers hit 9-of-15 shots and five 3-pointers to score a career-high 30 points in Friday’s loss to the Raptors. Chalmers also added three assists and three steals on the nigh.

Philadelphia 76ers: Lou Williams hit 12-of-16 shots and four 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 31 points to go along with two rebounds, five assists and six steals. Even with the steller performance, Williams and his team lost to Memphis at home.

Indiana: Pacers F/C Troy Murphy returned from a six-game absence with a back injury and had 12 points, 10 boards, on three pointer and two steals in 24 minutes. Barring a setback, Murphy should see steady minutes in Indiana.

Minnesota: An X-Ray revealed that Kevin Love’s broken hand is progressing, but he’s still about two weeks from practicing and three weeks from playing in a game. Love did some outside shooting Friday, and though he says he feels almost no pain in his hand, he is unable to do anything physical. If he returns Dec. 11 against the Los Angeles Lakers, that would put him right in the 6-to-8 week recovery time originally reported when he broke his hand Oct. 16

Washington: Wizards C Brendan Haywood had 14 points and 16 rebounds in Friday’s loss to the Thunder.
Haywood has play great thus far this season, averaging 11 points, 11 boards and 2.5 blocks.

Boston: Celtics F/C Rasheed Wallace hit just 4-of-16 shots and was 0-for-8 from downtown for nine points, 13 boards, three steals and a block in Friday’s loss to Orlando.

1. Celtics (8-3): Nobody has stepped up to knock them off the top yet.
2. Lakers (8-3): Came back down to earth a bit.
3. Suns (10-2): Playing better than expected.
4. Nuggets (8-3): Really dangerous team, both regular and post season.
5. Hawks (9-2): Young and playing good basketball.
6. Magic (8-3): The Magic are a very solid team.
7. Cavaliers (8-3): I though they would be top three in the beginning.
8. Mavericks (8-3): Can they hold up without injuries?
9. Portland Trail Blazers (8-4): They go as Odem goes.
10. Heat (7-3): Wade is carrying this team.
11. Bulls (6-4): Looking to take the next step.
12. Spurs (4-4): They will be there in the end, like usual.
13. Kings (5-5): Surprise of the young NBA season?
14. Bucks (5-3): Middle of the pack, as expected.
15. Pacers (5-3): A few good young players.
16. Thunder (6-5): Exciting to watch.
17. Rockets (6-5): They stay competitive with what they have.
18. Raptors (5-6): Nothing exciting here.
19. Pistons (5-6): Offseason moves not paying off yet.
20. Jazz (4-6): Surprisingly struggling.
21. 76ers (4-6): See Jazz statement above.
22. Clippers (4-8): Clippers will be the Clippers.
23. Hornets (4-8):
24. Bobcats (3-7): Time to start over (for the fifth time)?
25. Wizard (2-7): Finally healthy, look for them to climb a bit.
26. Warriors (3-7): Horrible.
27. Grizzlies (2-8): Can’t believe they were good recently.
28. Knicks (1-9): They don’t even have a first round pick on 2010.
29. Timberwolves (1-10): Terrible.
30. Nets (0-11): I’m taking bets on when the first win will come, 17 sounds good.

Memphis Grizzlies rookie center Hasheem Thabeet left Tuesday night’s game with a broken jaw. Thabeet collided with teammate Zach Randolph. No word yet on how long this will sideline him, but the #2 overall pick wasn’t offering much in the way of production. Thabeet, who has looked frail and lost early in the beginning of the season, appears to be the best bet for the dreaded “bust” label thus far. The Grizzlies will likely ask backup center Hamed Haddadi to log a few extra minutes per game.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Washington: Washington Wizzards PG Gilbert Arenas (sore calf) was a surprise start on Tuesday and subsequently finished the game with 21 points, five rebounds, eight assists, three steals and set a franchise record with an amazing 12 turnovers. Arenas came into this game averaging only 3.7 turnovers per game.

Denver: With Tuesday’s win, Nuggest head coach George Karl past Red Auerbach for the eighth-most wins in NBA history.

Denver: Denver Nuggets PF J.R. Smith returned from his seven-game suspension on Tuesday.
Smith played 29 minutes off the bench, finishing with five points on 1-of-9 shooting, three rebounds, five assists and three turnovers. Coach George Karl recently said his minutes would be in the “low 20s” for a while, but it’s a great sign that he played almost 30 minutes on a rough shooting night like this.

Miami: The Heat moved to 6-1 on the season due in large part to a 41 point performance by superstar Dwyane Wade. Wade had an outstanding shooting performance 14-of-29 FGs, 12-of-13 FTs) and also chipped in five rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and just two turnovers. Wade, who lead the league in scoring last season, is locked in for another big year.

Memphis: Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol led the team with 20 points on Tuesday, going 5-of-9 from the field and 10-of-13 from the FT line. Gasol also added one steal and two blocks with zero turnovers. Gasol, who is noticeably thinner this season, is becoming a solid NBA player.

Charlotte: Bobcats C Tyson Chandler was outplayed and overwhelmed by Magic center Dwight Howard on Tuesday, struggling with foul trouble and managing just two points, three rebounds and one block. He is coming back from an injury-marred 2008-09 season and missed most of the preseason, but if you can stay patient he might pick it up as the season wears on.

Orlando: Magic PG Jameer Nelson didn’t seem bothered by the slight knee injury he sustained on Sunday, finishing a win over Charlotte Bobcats with nine points, two 3-pointers, two rebounds and three assists. Nelson hasn’t had many big games yet this season, but we’re confident he’ll get rolling as he adjusts to new teammates Vince Carter, Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Chicago Bulls
2008 Record: 33-49
Division Finish: 4th – Central
2008 Playoffs: Missed the playoffs

Head Coach: Vinny Del Negro
Season: Going into first season
Record At Chicago: First season
Career Record: First season

Offseason Acquisitions:
Signed Roger Powell, F – Signed from Italy

Offseason Losses:
Chris Duhon, G, 5.8 ppg., 4.0 apg. – Signed with New York Knicks
Shannon Brown, G, 5.4 ppg., 0.8 apg – Signed with Charlotte Bobcats

Offseason Transactions:
Re-signed guard Ben Gordon
Re-signed forward Loul Deng
Tendered offer to forward Demetris Nicholas

Rookies:
Derrick Rose, G, 14.5 ppg., 4.7 apg, Memphis

The Skinny:
After a dark period in the franchise’s history following the end of the Michael Jordan era, it appeared that the Chicago Bulls had found their way back to prominence. The Bulls had made three-straight appearances in the playoffs and were building themselves into a pretty good team. Then the bottom fell out last season.

General manager John Paxton had put together a pretty good core of players. He had a lot of young guys from good college programs that knew how to win. They added Ben Wallace to the fray to give them someone to sure up the middle. Two years ago the Bulls swept the Miami Heat in the first round and gave the Pistons a run for their money.

It is hard o say what the Bulls’ problem was last year. There were swirling rumors during the summer of 2007 that may have contributed to the bad start. Young star Luol Deng and Ben Gordon were offered contracts, but both turned them down and did not go into detail as to why. However, they re-signed during this offseason. Conventional wisdom says they would sign after a successful one, not a bad one. On the other hand, maybe they can ask for more money knowing that the Bulls need them. Hard to tell.

There was also hints at the team was trying to bring in a big time free agent. Among the names swirling were Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol and even Kobe Bryant. Garnett and Gasol did eventual get traded, but neither ended up in Chicago.
Whether it was all the uncertainty or just the fact that they were now one of the top teams in the league and people were gunning for them, Chicago got the 2007-08 season off to a bad start. They lost 10 of their first 12 and head coach Scott Skiles – who was so instrumental in their previous success – was given the boot.

Things never turned up for the Bulls during the 2007-08 season. Needing a change, they shipped three players, including Ben Wallace, off to Cleveland and Seattle. In exchange they got some good players in Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes. Gooden was the number three scorer on the team (14.0 points per game) and Hughes was fifth (12.0 ppg.)

Something that I think hurt the team was consistency. Between dumping the head coach and the big trade in February, there was a lot things that disrupted the team. If you are going to have a successful team they need to gel on the court and there was just too much turnover for that to happen.

A dozen players made the starting line up in almost 20 percent of the Bulls’ games last year. I’m no mathematician, but I can’t even begin to tell you how many different starting line-ups that could be. Only Kirk Hinrich (72 games) and Deng (59) played in over 50 percent of the contests. That is really no way to get a team to play together.

Not helping the Bulls consistency this year is that they have a new coach and when I say new I really mean new. Up until this season, Vinny Del Negro had coached as many NBA games as you or I. Chicago brought in some experienced people to assist Del Negro, but I am just not in favor of the hire.

I just do not get why they hired Del Negro. A guy like Mike D’Antoni, who had a lot of success in Phoenix, would have been a great choice. With the young talent Chicago has his run and gun system could have worked. Avery Johnson would have been another good choice.

I know professional coaches get recycled all the time, but if you did not want to go with a guy who had already been a head coach, get an up-and-coming assistant. The last time Del Negro was on the bench he was in uniform for the Suns. At least Skiles spent some time as an assistant before getting the Bulls’ job.

One of the benefits of being as bad as they were was that the Bulls got into the lottery and actually won the thing. With the number one selection they chose guard Derrick Rose from Memphis. He was a really good point guard that led the Tigers to the national championships game. Rose needs to give the Bulls’ offense a kick in the butt as they were only 18th in the league last year at 97.2 ppg., but again I attribute that to inconsistency.

Prediction:
Since very few teams play defense in the NBA, the Bulls really need to focus on their offense. They saw a significant drop across the board from their star players and that is something they need to address during the season. If the offense is clicking that could help them prevent a poor start like the one they had last year. With very little player movement this year they should have a chance to gel a little quicker and get the offense humming.

One thing that will be interesting this year is that someone is going to see their playing time get cut. With so many guys playing last year they will all want a piece of that starting role. The question is how does Del Negro balance that or is someone going to get shopped around.

In the backcourt you have four very good players in Rose, Hinrich, Hughes and Gordon. Then in the front court you have got Deng, Gooden and Tyrus Thomas plus Joakim Noah. That is eight layers and they all cannot obviously be on the court at the same time.

I think that Noah is the first odd-man out. I can see them going with Deng, Gooden and Thomas in the front court. I never been a fan of Noah, I think he is soft and a whiner, but beyond that he really has not produced in the pros. He was a good college player, who was surrounded by more good players.

The front court is going to be more of a mystery. Rose and Hinrick are going to be in a battle for the starting point guard spot. I can see Hinrick being the starter at the beginning of the year with Rose eventually taking over the duties. Right now Gordon has a big toe injury and is not at 100 percent. That will give Hughes more playing time for now, but when Gordon is healthy he should be the starter.

If for someone reason everyone is happy being in Chicago then the Bulls are going to have one of the deepest, however youngest, teams in the league. Hughes is the only player with double-digit experience and after that the oldest player is Gooden and he is only going into his six season.

However, this is era of free agency and most players are not willing to just sit around and be a reserve. To go along with that, there are plenty of teams that are low on talent that could use one of the Bulls’ reserves. If Rose is the future I see Hinrick asking to be traded even though he just signed a multi-year deal two years ago. Gordon could be gone as well. He only signed a one-year deal and he could probably command a lot on the open market.

The Bulls are a tough team to get a read on. They have a lot of young, stockpiled talent, but things are uncertain with a new head coach who has zero experience. I have concerns about their front court and that could be their undoing. I think they have the talent to make the playoffs, but I just don’t think it will happen this year with Del Negro on the bench. If this was a much more experienced team that could overcome coaching mistakes then I would be higher on them. On the other hand, I could see them knocking someone like Toronto out of the mix.

Given the Miami Heat’s recent struggles, it’s difficult to believe the team won an NBA championship just two seasons ago. Since then, a shoulder injury to star guard Dwayne Wade and the Shaquille O’Neal trade have helped turn a champion into a lottery team.

The Miami Heat play their home games at the American Airlines Arena. Their head coach is Erik Spoelstra, and their general manager is former head coach (and former NBA player) Pat Riley.

Early Years

The Miami Heat joined the NBA (along with the Charlotte Hornets) in 1988. A ragtag group of rookies and veteran castoffs, they did what new expansion teams do — they lost, to the tune of 17 straight to begin the 1988-89 season.

In their first three seasons, the Heat averaged 19 wins, but their win totals grew steadily each year. In the 1991-92 season, they won 38 games and made the playoffs. The Heat had the misfortune of drawing the Chicago Bulls, and fell to them in a three-game sweep.

The Heat made the playoffs twice more in the next four seasons, but could not get out of the first round, losing to the Atlanta Hawks in 1994 and the Bulls again in 1996. The Heat got to the Eastern Conference finals in 1997, only to lose to the Bulls once again.

The Shaq Acquisition

In 2004, buoyed by the success of 2003 draftee Dwyane Wade, the Heat made a move destined to make or break the team. They traded Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, and Caron Butler to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Shaquille O’Neal. The superstar big man was given a huge public welcome, during which he promised to deliver a championship to the city of Miami. (He will probably be remembered as delivering on his promise, but Shaq had more than a little help.)

The Heat responded immediately. They won 59 games in 2004-05 and made it to the conference finals, where they lost to the Detroit Pistons in seven games. Pat Riley, who had resigned his coaching post to concentrate on his GM role, resumed his coaching duties in 2005. It has been speculated that Riley, intrigued with the prospect of coaching O’Neal, engineered the departure of coach Stan Van Gundy and took Van Gundy’s place on the floor.

The Championship Season

The 2005-06 season saw a slight decrease in regular season wins — from 59 to 52 — but the Heat were finally able to get over the hump. After beating the Bulls, the New Jersey Nets, and the Detroit Pistons, respectively, the Heat went to their first-ever NBA Finals, where they met Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks (who were also in their first Finals).

Dallas took the first two games at home and were winning Game 3 in the fourth quarter when Wade took over. The Heat came back to win Game 3 and never lost another game in the series, winning the NBA title, four games to two. Dwyane Wade was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

It was a fourth championship ring for O’Neal, and the first ring for veterans like Alonzo Mourning, Antoine Walker, and Gary Payton.

2007-08 Season

Injuries hit the 2007-08 Heat. Wade had badly injured his left shoulder the season before, and wasn’t back to his dominant self yet. Mourning suffered a season-ending knee injury. Shaq was in and out of the lineup with chronic hip problems. In February of 2008, Shaq was traded to the Phoenix Suns for forward Shawn Marion. The Heat won only 15 games.

2008-09 Outlook

The Heat drafted power forward Michael Beasley and NCAA title game hero Mario Chalmers in 2008, and moved assistant coach Erik Spoelstra up to head coach after Riley decided to return to the front office.

Spoelstra has his work cut out for him, but Wade has returned to form. If he can get a contribution from Beasley, plus some unexpected help, the Heat may begin the long return to playoff contention.

Greatest Players

Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, Glen Rice, Dwayne Wade

Due in large part to the stellar play of point guard Chris Paul, the New Orleans Hornets are considered one of the fastest-rising teams in the NBA. Paul (considered by many to be the NBA’s best point guard) anchors a young, energetic nucleus that turned a lot of heads before losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinal. With many of the league’s stars either in or approaching their 30s, expectations – and hopes – are high in the Big Easy.

Early Years

The Hornets were born in Charlotte, N.C., in 1987 when the NBA granted Charlotte one of four proposed expansion teams. The team began play in 1988. Led by Kelly Tripucka, Rex Chapman, and Muggsy Bogues (at 5’3” the shortest player in NBA history), the team went 20-62 in their first season.

In 1989-90, instead of improving, the Hornets finished one game worse, at 19-63. They picked up Kendall Gill, a highly-regarded guard out of Illinois, in 1990, and drafted power forward Larry Johnson out of UNLV in 1991. Led by these young players, the team appeared to contend for a playoff spot in the 1991-92 season, but faded in the spring.

The Hornets drafted Georgetown center Alonzo Mourning in 1992. Mourning, Johnson and Gill led the team to its first-ever winning record and playoff berth. They surprised the favored Celtics in the first round before losing to the New York Knicks in the second round.

Injuries to Mourning and Johnson derailed the Hornets over the next few years. They made the playoffs in the 1994-95 season, but couldn’t get past the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.

After that season, the Hornets traded Alonzo Mourning to the Miami Heat for three players, including shooting guard Glen Rice. This split up the Hornets’ promising young trio.

The Move to New Orleans

The Hornets moved to New Orleans, La., in 2002, due to decreased attendance and owner George Shinn’s disillusionment with the Charlotte arena. The team made the playoffs in the 2002-2003 season, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers.

They made the playoffs again in 2003-04, losing to the Miami Heat in seven games.

Hurricane Katrina

The entire city of New Orleans was affected by the cataclysmic destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. The Hornets were no different; they were forced to relocate to Oklahoma City for 2005-06 and 2006-07. The Hornets missed the playoffs both seasons.

2007-08 Season

The Hornets returned to the Big Easy for the 2007-08 campaign. Led by 2005 draftee Chris Paul, the team finished at 56-26 and won its first-ever division title. The upstarts from New Orleans beat the Dallas Mavericks in the first round and took the San Antonio Spurs to seven games in the conference semifinals.

2008-09 Outlook

The Western Conference is wide open in 2008-09. The Lakers, Spurs, Suns, Jazz, Mavericks and even the Houston Rockets all believe they have a legitimate chance to win the West. But it would be a mistake to count out the New Orleans Hornets. All-Stars Paul and forward David West have shown they aren’t afraid of anyone. On the other hand, teams would be wise to be afraid – or at least respectful – of the Hornets.

It’s been a pretty quiet offseason so far for the NBA and no one has been happier than commissioner David Stern.

The only real hiccup for the league has been the incident at the rookie seminar involving the No. 2 pick overall, Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers, who was the point guard for Kansas during its national championship run and Memphis Grizzly rookie Darrell Arthur.

Chalmers and Arthur – a teammates at Kansas – were kicked out of the league’s Rookie Transition Program before it even started after they were cited for having inappropriate guests in their hotel. Marijuana was also smelled in the area. Somehow the NBA’s vaunted security detail that was called to the room missed Beasley who was hiding.

Later it was discovered that Beasley was in the room and he was given the steepest fine of $50,000 see was not cooperative. Chalmers and Arthur got slapped with $20,000 fines and they have to come back to next year’s seminar.

I don’t know much about Chalmers and Arthur – it seems that Bill Self runs a pretty solid program at Kansas – but I do have some thoughts about Beasley and Kansas State.

Have you ever been to Manhattan, Kansas? The thought of Manhattan, Kansas, having the allure of island of Manhattan is like thinking you’re going to get outstanding Manhattan clam chowder from of can.

Beasley grew up just outside Washington D.C. I find it hard to believe that a kid who is used to being near metro area just heading out to the middle of nowhere when there are so many other schools – that are much better in basketball – in more similar areas.

Now I obviously don’t have facts to back up this, but I’m guessing that Beasley had other factors helping make his decision to go to Kansas State apart from its education, which I’m sure is just top notch.

The man that recruited Beasley to Kansas State was Bob Huggins. After Beasley made his commitment to play for the Wildcats, Huggins jumped ship to his alma mater, West Virginia. Again there was never anything proven about anything that Huggins has done, but his programs not always been on the up and up.

While Chalmers and Arthur are certainly at fault, I would be surprised if you hear a lot abut them off the court anytime in the near future or maybe even at all. Beasley, on the other hand, has a better than average chance of making the Miami Heat brass holding their breath every time he leaves the court.

And it’s not like he’s going to the tamest NBA city in the country, he’s going to freaking Miami. It’s Vegas southeast without the gambling. So let’s plop down a 19-year old kid, who is quickly establishing himself as a problem child, in the middle of all that and gee whiz maybe things will come out just fine. Ha!

Maybe I’m wrong on this. It’s quite possible. It happened once in 1992 and I haven’t lived it down since. Of course the opposite could happen. With all the temptations that are in South Beach maybe Beasley will completely shield himself from it and focus completely on basketball. Dwayne Wade could be a great influence on him and it will come out all hunky dorey. My bet is that Beasley gets into a couple of incidents for underage drinking, disorderly conduct, etc. I hope I’m wrong…

After all think about how much shit the Portland Trailblazers got into in what is typically a quiet region. Maybe that’s the problem, when there aren’t mainstream, legal outlets for social activity people with a disposable income and plenty of free time turn to illegal activities.

In Other News …

…As previously mention it’s been a pretty quiet offseason. Last week Darius Miles was suspended by the league for using a banned substance, phentermine, which is a diet drug. Miles grew up in a rough section called East St. Louis and spent some time in Portland so he’s probably going to be behind the 8-ball.

…Had he not wallowed with some bad teams during his career, Shareef Abdur-Rahim may have been considered one of the best players of this era and potential candidate for the Hall of Fame. Potential candidate, not actually getting in.

After an All-America career at Cal, Abdur-Rahim was sent to basketball purgatory, aka Vancouver. He spent five seasons with the Grizzlies, two and a half in Atlanta, a year and a half in Portland and two seasons and six games in Sacramento. Changes those to Los Angeles – the good one, not the Clippers – Boston, San Antonio and Detroit and you might have a different impression of his career.

What should shape your thoughts about his career is that he scored 15,028 points during his career, averaging 18.1 points per game, and grabbed 6,239 rebounds. In 2000 he averaged a double-double with 20.3 ppg. and 10.1 rebounds per game. Two years later he was an NBA All-Star. While there was no one incident that caused his knee problems, that was what ultimately forced him out of the game.