Mike Conley had a season-high 26 points, seven assists, five steals and three rebounds as the Grizzlies knocked off the New Orleans Hornets. Conley has found his stroke and is suddenly playing with extreme confidence on the offensive end. Over his last four games, he’s averaging 17.5 points on 60 percent shooting. Consider this a simple hot streak as we don’t think Conley’s offensive game has turned the corner yet.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Sacramento: Tyreke Evans went 4-for-22 from the field on Wednesday night, but the Sacramento Kings won in Houston anyway. Evans field goal percentage coming into this game stood at a surprising 46.6 percent as he defies critics of his jumper. Consider tonight a mere blip on the road during his ROY campaign.

Sacramento: Beno Udrih started on Wednesday and had 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and a trey in 37 minutes of action Wednesday night. This was Udrih’s fourth straight start as coach Paul Westphal has been true to his word about sticking with Beno. Considering the Kings shockingly won this game in Houston, Beno’s leash just got a lot longer.

Minnesota: Corey Brewer had 24 points, seven boards, four assists, two steals and two 3-pointers in Wednesday’s close loss to the Mavericks. He’d scored 10 or less points in his previous four games, and like most of his teammates on the Wolves, is simply unreliable playing under Kurt Rambis.

Minnesota: Darko Milicic started at center for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, but only played 14 minutes. He had six points, two boards and zero blocks, and this is why we stopped trusting Darko long ago. No matter how good things are looking for him, he rarely answers the call.

Charlotte: Emeka Okafor struggled with foul trouble and ineffectiveness on Wednesday night en route to just 10 points, one rebound and one block.

Boston: Nate Robinson hit 5-of-8 shots and four more 3-pointers for 16 points, four rebounds and three assists in an easy win over the Charlotte Bobcats. Robinson posted an eerily similar line in Tuesday’s win over the Pistons, but the only problem is the minutes. He played 20 or less in both games and things are not going to be so pretty on nights when his long ball isn’t falling.

Josh Smith hit 7-of-14 shots to record his second career triple-double with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and added two steals and a block in Friday’s tough win over the Bulls. Smoove is feeling it again and should be primed for a big second half now that he has officially abandoned the 3-point shot.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Minnesota: Jonny Flynn hit 6-of-16 shots and three 3-pointers on his way to 19 points and seven assists as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Mavericks to snap a 13-game losing streak against Dallas. They’ve also won three straight for the first time all season. All five Wolves starters hit double figures in scoring, while Kevin Love double-doubled off the bench. Flynn surprisingly only had one turnover tonight, and was basically dominated by Jason Kidd and Rodrigue Beaubois, but still got it done for the Wolves.

Charlotte: Peja Stojakovic hit 8-of-14 shots and four 3-pointers for 23 points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in Friday’s loss. He’s averaging 16 points in his last five games and has hit either three or four 3-pointers in four of those.

Philadelphia: Samuel Dalembert, playing through a back injury, had seven points, 16 rebounds and three blocks in Friday’s win over the New Orleans Hornets. Don’t look now, but the Sixers have won three straight games. Rodney Carney, Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young all hit double digits in scoring off the bench, while Andre Iguodala filled the stat sheet in the win. Dalembert isn’t a reliable scorer, but doesn’t miss games and is playing for a contract.

New York: Nate Robinson started at point guard Friday and hit just 3-of-12 shots (zero 3-pointers) for 13 points, four boards, seven assists and a steal in Friday’s loss to the Bucks. Larry Hughes had two points in 20 minutes, while Chris Duhon had six points and three assists in 15 minutes tonight. Robinson will get more chances to start at point guard, so don’t give up on him after tonight’s struggles.

Washington: Caron Butler returned from a knee injury and exploded for a season-high 31 points, including the game-winning 19-footer with 0.5 seconds left on the clock in Friday’s win over the Orlando Magic.

Oakland: Anthony Randolph will remain in a walking boot for another month, according to the Warriors, which means he’s not likely to play again this season. With three torn ligaments in his ankle, Randolph was always a longshot to have an impact again this season. Now it sounds like he’s had a setback and/or the ankle is not healing was originally expected. Once he gets out of the boot, he’ll have a long way to go in terms of rehab and getting back in shape, and we’d be surprised to see him play again this year.

Devin Harris

Devin Harris (wrist) is not expected to play on Wednesday. Harris missed practice on Tuesday and spent some time putting up free throws left handed.

He didn’t rule himself out for Wednesday, but coach Kiki Vandeweghe essentially did. Harris has been playing through injuries all season and will try to do so again on Friday. Keyon Dooling will start in Harris’ place

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Minnesota: Ramon Sessions provided a lift off the bench for Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, scoring 20 points with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block in 31 minutes.The Wolves got blown out, the starting unit was awful, and we’re taking this big game (his second-highest point total all season) with a grain of salt.

Timberwolves GM David Kahn said on Tuesday that he won’t trade Al Jefferson unless he is offered a deal that is “preposterously one-sided.”

Jefferson will make $42 million over the next three seasons, but at 25 years old the dominant post presence is not exactly a liability.

Kevin Love played just 17 minutes off the bench on Tuesday, posting six points, five rebounds and four turnovers. Love shot 3-of-8 and had a team-worst +/- rating of -26 despite such limited playing time.

We still expect him to rejoin the starting five before long, so stay patient — starting PF Ryan Gomes had 13 points, two 3s, seven rebounds and two steals in 23 minutes.

Pau Gasol couldn’t be stopped on Tuesday, rolling up 26 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and one steal in a win over the Wizards. In fairness, Gasol also had difficulty slowing Antawn Jamison on the other end.

He has rediscovered his rhythm after sitting out with a hamstring injury and has scored 20+ points in three straight games.

Washington: Mike Miller moved into Washington’s starting lineup on Tuesday and had 15 points (7-of-12 FGs), one 3-pointer, five rebounds, four assists and one steal in a loss to the Lakers. Perhaps most importantly, Miller logged 36 minutes and looked perfectly healthy.

Washington: Playing through a sprained foot, Antawn Jamison finished Tuesday’s game with 27 points (11-of-22 shooting), two 3-pointers, nine rebounds and one turnover.

He didn’t seem bothered by the injury in a team-high 46 minutes, and fantasy owners can continue to use him normally. The Wizards’ defense didn’t put up much of a fight in this game, however, and L.A. shot 59% in another Washington defeat.

New York: Playing despite a sore knee, Al Harrington scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in an easy win over the visiting Timberwolves on Tuesday. Al made 8-of-18 FGs, 4-of-10 threes, and 6-of-6 FTs. His production is erratic, to say the least, and there’s no way to tell when he’ll go off — though the absence of Jordan Hill (illness) on Tuesday certainly didn’t hurt.

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 – Philadelphia 76ers

2008 Record: 40-42
Division Finish: 2nd – Atlantic
2008 Playoffs: Lost, 4-1, to Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference First Round

Head Coach: Maurice Cheeks
Season: Going into fourth season
Record At Philadelphia: 113-133
Career Record: 275-272

Offseason Acquisitions:
Elton Brand, F, 17.6 ppg, 8.0 – Signed from Los Angeles Clippers
Jared Reiner, C, – Signed from Spain
Donyell Marshall, F, 3.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg. – Signed off waivers
Theo Ratliff, F-C, 3.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg. – Signed off waivers
Kareem Rush, G, 8.3 ppg, 2.4 ppg – Signed from Indiana
Royal Ivey, G, 5.6 ppg, 2.1 apg – - Signed from Milwaukee

Offseason Losses:
Calvin Booth, F-C, 0.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg – Traded to Minnesota Timberwolves
Rodney Carney, F, 5.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg – Traded to Minnesota Timberwolves
Andre Emmett – Waived
Maurice Rice – Waived
Corey Underwood – Waived
Justin Reed – Waived

Offseason Transactions:
Re-signed Andre Igoudala
Re-signed Louis Williams
Exercised option on Thaddeus Young
Exercised option on Jason Smith

Rookies:
Marreese Speight, F-C, 6-10, 14.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, Florida
Antwayne Robinson, F, 6-8, – Signed from France

The Skinny:
Few teams may have made a bigger move during the offseason than the Philadelphia 76ers. Whether that gives them the edge they need to move up from a middle of the road team in a weak conference or a contender for the Eastern title remains to be seen.

During the middle of the summer it looked like the Los Angeles Clippers were going to be a major player in the Western Conference when Baron Davis was about to sign with the team to go along an already improving and young team. However, the Clippers had the rug pulled out from underneath them when the foundation of the team, power forward Elton Brand, signed with the 76ers.

Brand signed a five-year, $79.9-millon deal with Philadelphia and may be the missing ingredient the team needs to challenge Boston and Detroit. The 76ers had some solid talent, particularly in the backcourt, but needed a real superstar to be the go-to guy and bulk up their front court. They may have gotten that in Brand.

After a lackluster showing in the opening round of the 2005 playoffs, Philadelphia brought in Maurice Cheeks to be their head coach. Following some growing pains in his first two seasons, Cheeks appears to have the ship turned around as they won 40 games and made the Eastern Conference playoffs despite being under .500.

Up until this season the 76ers may not have had a person with the presence of Brand in the frontcourt since the likes of Charles Barkley. Brand is no Barkley, but he’s better than anything they have had since the Round Mound of Rebound.

Going into his 10th season, Brand is one of only four active players that have a career average of 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. He had a monster year in 2005-06, averaging a career-best 24.7 points per game. His scoring production has dipped the last two seasons, but a big reason for that is he has had better players around him so he has not had to carry as much of the scoring load.

Brand does come to Philadelphia as a bit of damage goods. Before the start of last season he ruptured the Achilles’ tendon in his left foot and missed the majority of the season. He managed to play only eight games last season, averaging 17.6 ppg. and 8.0 rebounds per game.

If Brand is back to his old self he has got the potential to make the 76ers a great team. Philadelphia brings back its top six scorers from last season and that group averaged 79.5 ppg.

Heading up this list of returning players is swingman Andre Igoudala, who is one of the top all-around players in the country. His 2007-08 numbers were 19.9 ppg., 5.4 rpg., 4.8 assists per game and 2.1 steals per game. Point guard Andre Miller does a good job of running the offense as he dished out 6.9 apg., while scoring 17.0 ppg. Add in guards Willie Green who averaged 12.4 ppg. as well as Louis Williams coming off the bench at 11.5 ppg. and you’ve got a pretty solid back court.

The front court was a different story. Six-foot-eleven center Samuel Dalembert did a solid job last season, averaging a double-double with 10.5 ppg and 10.4 rpg. The problem was without another good player in the frontcourt teams were able to focus on Dalembert and limit his scoring. Now with Brand beside him he could really make a big improvement this year.

Prediction:
Philadelphia is one of the teams I am high on this year as a potential sleeper in the East. As we stated here time and time again, the Eastern Conference is pretty weak. The 76ers are living testament to that as they made the playoffs last year despite a losing record. Outside of Boston and Detroit no team is really a major threat and no made a major move like Philly did. Jermaine O’Neal to Toronto does not really count.

The 76ers frontcourt was there major weakness and they did a lot to improve it by bringing in Brand. Yes he comes in having suffered a major injury, but up until now he has been pretty healthy so I do not see why he will not be back to his old form. He will make Dalembert a much better player and he will need to be against some of the top big men in the conference.

The addition of Brand really only leaves small forward as the only hole in the team’s line-up, but there is some potential there. Thaddeus Young stepped into the starting role in his rookie season and averaged 8.2 ppg. and 4.2 rpg. A year wiser and having Brand on the court could allow him to really grow in his second season.

Green and Williams give 76ers a pretty solid pair of reserves in the backcourt. The addition of TJ Ford in Indiana via the O’Neal trade made Kareem Rush expendable and he will be able to spell Iguodala or Young.

The team is a little thin in terms of its frontcourt bench. They tired to sure that up by drafting 6-foot-10 forward-center Marreese Speight from Florida, who averaged 14.5 ppg and 8.1 ppg. If they can stay healthy in the front court they could be a very good team.

I like all the moves the 76ers have done in terms of getting Brand, signing Rush and drafting Speight. After reserves Donyell Marshall and Theo Ratliff, Brand is the oldest player on the team at 29-years old. If they can keep this team together they could be a contender for the next few years.

I think Philadelphia will surprise a lot of people this year. I like them to win about 50 games this year and move up to second in the Atlantic. If all the chips fall into place they could win the division. I like them to get to at least the second round of the playoffs and do not be surprised if you see them on the doorstep of the NBA Finals.