Austin Collie's possible third concussion

Here's the clip of Austin Collie going down again. Kinda scary to watch his neck get bent and his head hit the ground. They probably need to just bench him for the year, give him time to heal so no permanent damage is done.

Jazz improve to 15-5

The Indiana Pacers would have been the perfect foil for a hot Jazz team. The Pacers were 7-2 on the road and have lots of long bodies, an obstacle the Jazz have previously struggled with. But the Jazz get better with every game. Al Jefferson is more comfortable in the offense. They're rebounding more. Raja Bell is making smarter shots. Earl Watson's the backup point guard they'd hoped they'd signed. The bench, while not the most talented on paper, have great chemistry.

As a result, the Jazz had their most convincing win of the season. if they can play with the same intensity against Dallas tonight, they should make it to 16-5.

Stan Van Gundy calls out PJ

It's nice when other coaches push back against Phil Jackson. Now I do think on some level, Phil's playing a little psychological warfare on the Miami Heat when he says that he can see Pat Riley taking over as head coach if the Heat don't improve. Phil does the same head-games with referees before every playoff game. But Stan Van Gundy, who was a high-profiled target of a Riley hitjob a few years ago, wasn't going to let Phil Jackson get away with it.

Gordon Hayward watch

Gordon got his second DNP-CD of the season tonight, in a game where the Jazz only seemed to have energy when the bench players were in the game. So how is he stacking up against the guys drafted after him?

9. Gordon Hayward
- 11 gm - 2.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.4 apg, 11.6 mpg, 41.2% FG
10. Paul George
- 7 gm - 5.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.9 apg, 17.6 mpg, 36.8% FG
11. Cole Aldrich
- 5 gm - 1.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0 apg, 9.6 mpg, 50% FG
12. Xavier Henry
- 10 gm - 5.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.2 apg, 13.6 mpg, 38.8% FG
13. Ed Davis
- has not played
14. Patrick Patterson
- has not played
15. Larry Sanders
- 7 gm - 1.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.1 apg, 5.4 mpg, 41.7% FG
16. Luke Babbitt
- 5 gm - 1.2 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0 apg, 5.2 mpg, 25% FG
17. Kevin Seraphin
- 2 gm - 1.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0 apg, 5.5 mpg, 14.3% FG
18. Eric Bledsoe
- 13 gm - 9.8 ppg, 4 rpg, 5.2 apg, 31.2 mpg, 47.2% FG

Looks like Paul George and Xavier Henry are doing a little better. Sure, Eric Bledsoe's blowing it up but it's not like the jazz were going to draft a backup point guard at #9.

Jazz go 8-4, need to improve rebounding

The steady dismantling of the New Jersey Nets still didn't diminish a glaring flaw with this year's Utah Jazz squad. Rebounding. The Jazz always had the rebounding edge last year. Rebounding and free-throw shooting's what allowed the Thunder to win in SLC earlier in the week. Part of it is the Jazz miss Mehmet Okur, who's still a good month away from returning, but they also miss the defensive rebounding of Carlos Boozer.

Through 12 games, Jazz opponents are averaging just over 3 more rebounds a game. Now the Jazz have the advantages in shooting percentages, assists, and forcing turnovers, but they need to improve rebounding if they want home-court advantage in the spring.

Jazz 2.0 have arrived

After watching an unrecognizable Jazz team go 0-2, the team we thought they were showed up to since go 2-0. Let's just pretend those first two games didn't happen. Hiccups. They just wanted to give the Nuggets some hope before Carmelo leaves them, and Steve Nash, well, he could use some wins before the lack of a supporting cast sends him to the lottery.

What's worked in these past two games? Offensive execution to perfection. Not real perfection, obviously, otherwise there'd be a goose-egg in the Turnover column, but you don't score 122.5 a game playing selfish basketball. Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, in that order for now, are a fierce 4/5 line-up in the low post for teams to deal with. D-Will's assists-first, points-second approach has launched his fantasy value through the roof.

It also looks like this is the year that CJ Miles will live up to his potential as an explosive scorer.

The bench needs to step up more. Francisco Elson is a definite improvement over Kosta Koufos. I imagine the second half of the year we'll see Earl Watson and Gordon Hayward play better than they are right now. I also look forward to how Mehmet Okur fits into this team once he comes back from injury. Does he come off the bench? I would think he has to. How do you remove Millsap or Jefferson from the starting lineup with the way they're playing?

NFL midseason look

Best Five AFC Teams
1. New England Patriots
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
Stock Rising: Oakland Raiders

Worst Three AFC Teams
1. Buffalo Bills
2. Denver Broncos
3. Cleveland Browns
Stock Dropping: Cincinnati Bengals

The best and worst teams in the NFL are in the AFC. The Raiders may be 4-4 but they've looked like the best team in the entire league the past two weeks. The Chiefs still look good; the Pats, Colts, Ravens, Steelers, and Jets have been looking as good as expected (minus the Jets' shutout this week). Meanwhile the Bills and Browns are still the Bills and Browns. Josh McDaniels' Broncos, after starting 2009 at 6-0, have since gone 4-14.

Best Five NFC Teams
1. New York Giants
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Atlanta Falcons
4. Green Bay Packers
5. Seattle Seahawks
Stock Rising: Philadelphia Eagles

Worst Three NFC Teams
1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Carolina Panthers
3. San Francisco 49ers
Stock Dropping: Minnesota Vikings

I get the feeling a 9-7 team is going to make the playoffs from this conference. No one's really distinguished themselves, and the Dallas Cowboys have to be the best team to ever be the worst team in a conference. How can they have this much talent and be doing this badly? I blame the defense.

How'd the NBA rookies do?

How did the 2010 NBA Draft picks do in their first game of the regular season?

1. John Wall (WAS) - 35 min, 14 pts, 1 rb, 9 asts, 3 stls
2. Evan Turner (PHI) - 30 min, 16 pts, 7 rbs, 4 asts, 1 blk
3. Derrick Favors (NJN) - 20 min, 8 pts, 10 rbs
4. Wesley Johnson (MIN) - 18 min, 13 pts, 4 rbs, 1 ast, 1 stl
5. DeMarcus Cousins (SAC) - 26 min, 14 pts, 8 rbs, 5 asts
6. Ekpe Udoh (GSW) - DNP-IR
7. Greg Monroe (DET) - DNP-CD
8. Al-Farouq Aminu (LAC) - 39 seconds
9. Gordon Hayward (UTA) - 20 min, 9 pts, 5 rbs
10. Paul George (IND) - 22 min, 4 pts, 3 rbs, 2 asts, 2 stls, 1 blk
11. Cole Aldrich (OKC) - DNP-CD
12. Xavier Henry (MEM) - 14 min, 6 pts, 2 rbs
13. Ed Davis (TOR) - DNP-IR
14. Patrick Patterson (HOU) - DNP-IR
15. Larry Sanders (MIL) - 4 min, 1 ast, 1 blk
16. Luke Babbitt (POR) - DNP-CD
55. Jeremy Evans (UTA) - 11 min, 11 pts, 2 rbs

Blake Griffin had a phenomenal opener with 20 points, 14 rebounds too.

Jazz go 0-1

Well, THAT wasn't what I expected after an 8-0 preseason. Yes, preseason isn't supposed to mean much, but the Jazz looked like it was the first time they'd ever played together.

Plenty of missed lay-ups, bricked jumpers, turnovers, and fouls. Deron Williams looked like he wanted to scream at his teammates. Al Jefferson couldn't seem to pass out of the double-teams. Andrei Kirilenko and CJ Miles were whistled for fouls as soon as they stepped on the floor.

Let's put it this way. AK and Miles shot 0-8.

Bright spots? Rookies Gordon Hayward and Jeremy Evans combined for 20 points. And a George Karl-coached Nuggets teams is supposed to be one of the best in the league.

Time to wash their hands of last night's abomination and focus on playing a real game.

Jazz 7-0 in preseason

The last 11 teams to go undefeated or only lose 1 game in preseason have made the playoffs. So now that the Jazz have clinched the playoffs, I'm ready for the regular season to start.

Jazz 3-0 in preseason

I know preseason's meaningless, but I've been dying for the NBA season to start, and it's pretty cool to have them doing so well.

So, BYU loses again...

I was at the Nevada game where BYU lost 27-13. If receivers could just catch passes, Jake heaps might have been able to get them back into that game. But what's stunning about BYU losing to Utah State is that BYU has made Air Force, Florida State, Nevada and Utah State all look like the same team. They've lost those four games in about the same fashion, similar scores, similar stats.

Bronco Mendenhall knew he was losing some talent when Max Hall, Harvey Unga and Dennis Pitta all left, but I don't think he imagined the dropoff would be this steep. He's now presiding over BYU's worst season since the Crowton era. Salvaging this season to a .500 record now seems out of the question. They still have TCU and Utah to play, and the way they're going, not a single game left is a gimme. San Diego State has a legitimate shot at beating this team. So does Wyoming. So does UNLV. I have a hard time fathoming losses to CSU and New Mexico, but then, last week I couldn't fathom them losing to Utah State.

Bronco is to blame. Hopefully he'll elarn from this. He's been too good a coach up til now no to. Not deciding on a quarterback cost the practice reps Jake Heaps needed, and more importantly, Jake Heaps's receivers needed. Jacobsen, Ashworth, Hoffman, DiLuigi... if the ball hits your hands, it's your fault if you miss it.

BYU blows it

BYU made headlines when they announced they were going independent. But getting blown out by Air Force 35-14 is not the way to impress the Powers That Be.

- The two-quarterback system clearly doesn't work. Bronco Mendenhall needs to own that. With each QB getting half the reps in practice, the receivers getting different passes half the time, it's just not working. None of the receivers looked good Saturday, but I at least believe McKay Jacobsen could catch a pass.

- The defense got embarrassed by the option. Air Force ran it all day and BYU couldn't stop them. If you consider yourself the better team, you do not allow the other team to get 400+ yards rushing on you.

BYU's in trouble already. They're 1-1 and still have Florida State, Nevada, TCU and Utah on the schedule.

You Watching, Big 12?

Boise St. def. Virginia Tech 33-30.
BYU def. Washington 23-17.

Wouldn't they fit in nicely in the Big 12 North with Nebraska and Colorado going away?

TJ Houshmandzadeh joins Ravens

So just a couple days after we hold our fantasy football draft, my third wide receiver taken gets cut by the Seahawks and picked up by Baltimore. I hope that somehow he can fit right in. I've always liked Housh. And part of it might be I like watching Chris Berman recap what Housh does in games.

The Burying of Jay Mariotti

Tough reporters don't make many friends, and Mariotti apparently is no exception. but you can't really call him a tough reporter at this point. He's a tough columnist/talking-head who makes harsh judgments on every sports story of the week. Not since Peter Vecsey has there been such a celebration among athletes and colleagues over a sports writer's comeuppance.

Personally, if he's guilty, I think he's getting what he deserves. Ye are judged by the measures which ye mete out. If you're going to rip on athletes for hitting women, don't hit women yourself. Actually, ignore everything before that comma in the previous sentence and leave it at that.

Carmelo Anthony Wants Out

By not signing the extension, or at least by continuing to put it off, Melo's made it clear where his head's at. It's on Cloud Uncertain, and just because he signs it doesn't mean he instantly wants a trade.

He can see how bad the Nuggets chemistry is without Coach George Karl. Chauncey Billups is getting older. Melo sees the SuperFriends in Miami and knows if he'd done his contract different, he could've set up his own Justice League elsewhere. Hey, Chicago would've had the room, and he could be a Bull with Rose, Deng, Boozer and Noah right now. He could be in New York right now with Amare Stoudamire wondering if they're going to get Tony Parker or Chris Paul to join them next year.

Karl Malone now a Hall of Famer

Some Mailman love here and http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jack_mccallum/08/11/malone.pippen.hof/index.html.

Very classy, moving speech he gave tonight.

Keith Olbermann off Sunday Night Football

Hooray! Now I can watch that show without cringing!

Who I Want to Win the 2011 NBA Finals

30. LOS ANGELES LAKERS - Highest payroll in the league. Kobe's got five rings now, Phil Jackson's got eleven. Enough! Someone please knock them off their horse! If Kobe and Phil left and it became Pau's team, maybe I could like them again, which I haven't been able to do since Magic retired.

29. MIAMI HEAT - If the Finals come down to Lakers-Heat, you bet I'm rooting for the Heat. Otherwise I'm looking forward to the soap-opera year this team is sure to have. And Miami won a championship not too long ago.

28. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES - A team run this badly does not deserve to win.

27. DALLAS MAVERICKS - Come on, is there an owner more fun to hate than Mark Cuban? I don't really hate Mark Cuban, in the way I didn't really hate Nature Boy Ric Flair when he was backstabbing good guys left and right in his pro-wrestling prime. Both are showmen. I guess it's called sports-hate. What can I say? The Dirk-era Mavs are like the C-Webb Kings. I'm glad they're good, but I enjoy rooting against them. Again, if it's the Lakers and Mavs in the Western Conference Finals, I'm going back to my Amarillo roots and becoming a big Mavs fan. (From now on, when I say hate, I mean sports-hate.)

26. DETROIT PISTONS - They already have three rings in the past twenty years. And see #28.

25. SAN ANTONIO SPURS - Four rings in the past decade is plenty. They're getting old, and they're not even fun to hate. They're just annoying. Annoyingly effective, but annoying nevertheless.

24. DENVER NUGGETS - I lived in Seattle in the late 1980's/early 1990's, so I am a Coach Karl fan, but I revelled in the Nugs falling apart under Adrian Dantley's watch. Melo's like Dirk. I can respect his game, but he's fun/easy to hate. And K-Mart, and J.R. Smith...

23. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS - They're owned by Michael Jordan and coached by Larry Brown, so...

22. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS - They won in the 1980's once, so no.

21. PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS - For firing Kevin Pritchard on draft night, and for trying to steal Jazz players every year with toxic contract offers (and succeeding this year with Wesley Matthews), I say there are 20 other teams I'd rather have win.

20. NEW ORLEANS HORNETS - No Jazz fan wants Chris Paul to win a ring before Deron Williams, nor a New Orleans franchise to win a ring before a Utah one.

19. INDIANA PACERS - I could care less about this team, but if THIS squad won a ring, I would then be looking for the last few signs of the Apocalypse.

18. HOUSTON ROCKETS - They won twice in the 1990's, so no. Though I do hope Yao Ming doesn't have to retire.

17. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS - Coach Don Nelson has become a parody of himself, so no.

16. WASHINGTON WIZARDS - Good thing they changed their name from the Bullets, right, Gilbert? Gilbert? Sheesh, what's eating him?

15. L.A. CLIPPERS - If they won, it would justify everything Donald Sterling has ever done, and we can't have that.

14. CHICAGO BULLS - They had MJ. They're not allowed to get more rings just yet.

13. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES - In a way, I'd like them to benefit from the otherwise brutal Pau Gasol giveaway. On the other hand, this is the team that handed two more rings to Kobe on a platter.

12. NEW JERSEY NETS - I must admit, I'd enjoy the Russian Billionaire geting more pub, but see the Pacers.

11. NEW YORK KNICKS - See the Pacers.

10. SACRAMENTO KINGS - See the Pacers.

9. TORONTO RAPTORS - Noh Canada. On one hand, it'd be cool to see a team thrive after its superstar leaves, but no.

8. ATLANTA HAWKS - We're actually getting into teams I kinda like now. Hawks seem constantly on the verge of breaking through, and it'd be nice if they can figure it out. But man, they're going to regret that Joe Johnson contract in three years!

7. BOSTON CELTICS - I can like Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and company. They play hard. They were two minutes away from winning last year, and I would've loved it. (Actually it would have felt more like relief.) And in a way I'd like Shaq to tie Kobe for championship rings.

6. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS - I don't really like the Cavs, but it'd be awesomely funny for the city if the team could pull it off.

5. MILWAUKEE BUCKS - Small market team doing what they can with the limited resources they have. They look like they're making smart moves. Plus Andrew Bogut came out of Utah, so I'd like to see him excel.

4. ORLANDO MAGIC - If a team in the East wins, I'd like it to be these guys. Let coach Stan Van Gundy get some long-due revenge against Pat Riley for his Fredo-style execution from the Miami family.

3. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER - Part of me still sees them as the Sonics, and while it sucks Seattle doesn't have an NBA team anymore, Kevin Durant is the humble superstar this league really benefits from.

2. PHOENIX SUNS - It'd be cool if old man Steve Nash could pull it off after all he's been through. The Donaghy playoffs, losing D'Antoni, Steve Kerr devastating the team, Amare bailing...

... but it's distant #2 compared to...

1. UTAH JAZZ - Jerry Sloan. The Miller family, carrying on the tradition of the late great Larry H. Deron Williams emerging as the best point guard in the league. Al Jefferson finally being on a winning team. The winningest franchise of the past 25 years without winning a ring winning a ring. Jerry Sloan. Make it happen!

T-Wolves get even worse

The Minnesota Timberwolves are trading Ramon Sessions and Ryan Hollins to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair. Um, why? They have Jonny Flynn, they have Luke Ridnour, they have Ricky Rubio out there. How many point guards do they need?

NBA Power Rankings

Off-Season Power Rankings

WEST

1. L.A. LAKERS
Best 7: Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Derek Fisher, Steve Blake

They're the champs, and they haven't really lost anybody. Blake should see significant time as Fisher's backup.

2. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Best 7: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, Thabo Sefolosha, Nick Collison, James Harden, Serge Ibaka

When you look at the jump in improvement from 2009 to 2010, you'd have to expect that much more improvement this season, right? Durant's proving to be one of those really special players, one to mention in the same breath as LeBron soon enough.

3. DALLAS MAVERICKS
Best 7: Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Caron Butler, Shawn Marion, Tyson Chandler, Brendan Haywood, Jason Terry

They also have JJ Barea and Rodrique Beaubois. This is a deep team that could do some damage if Kidd's as effective as he was last year and Mark Cuban doesn't trade a third of the team like he seems to do every mid-season. Cohesion is the key with these guys.

4. UTAH JAZZ
Best 7: Deron Williams, Al Jefferson, Andrei Kirilenko, Paul Millsap, Mehmet Okur, CJ Miles, Raja Bell

They replaced a 6-8 20/10 power forward (Boozer) with a 6-10 20/10 center forward (Jefferson). They drafted Gordon Hayward, who showed in summer league he'll be able to handle the shooting and perimeter passing the Jazz will miss without Kyle Korver and Wesley Matthews. And they're bringing back Raja Bell, who won the hearts and minds of 14 other Western fanbases when he clotheslined Kobe in the playoffs a few years back. Now if they can just stay healthy...

5. DENVER NUGGETS
Best 7: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Nene, Kenyon Martin, JR Smith, Ty Lawson, Al Harrington

Al Harrington was a great pick-up for them, especially for a team with injury issues. The most important thing for this team is to have coach George Karl back. The Adrian Dantley experiment proved disastrous.

6. PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
Best 7: Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Miller, Greg Oden, Nicolas Batum, Marcus Camby, Wesley Matthews

They overpaid to bring over Wesley Matthews. Now Rudy Fernandez has to be wondering what his role is. Still, if Greg Oden can stay on the court, the Roy-Aldridge dup can only excel.

7. SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Best 7: Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, George Hill, Antonio McDyess, DeJuan Blair, Matt Bonner

Health, health, health. Let me beat the drum. The Richard Jefferson experiment didn't work, and they're definitely not done looking around in the free agent market. In fact, Jefferson might even return to the Spurs at a lower price. I think the championship window has closed on this team, but not the playoffs window.

8. HOUSTON ROCKETS
Best 7: Yao Ming, Kevin Martin, Trevor Ariza, Shane Battier, Luis Scola, Aaron Brooks, Chase Budinger

It will be good for the NBA if Yao Ming can return as his old self after missing the past year or so. This is a talented group that should be able to make some noise.

9. PHOENIX SUNS
Best 7: Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Jason Richardson, Goran Dragic, Hedo Turkoglu, Josh Childress, Robin Lopez

They've brought in some good players, but they will collectively not make up for the absense of Amare Stoudamire. And I predict this is the year the fountain of youth wears off and Nash loses a step. And Grant Hill.

10. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
Best 7: OJ Mayo, Marc Gasol, Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley, Marko Jaric, Tony Allen

If they had an All-Star point guard on this squad they'd be much higher, but Conley so far has not proven to be more than serviceable. They threw away a draft pick by trading for Ronnie Brewer and then passing on him to bring in Tony Allen.

11. L.A. CLIPPERS
Best 7: Baron Davis, Blake Griffin, Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, Ryan Gomes, Al-Farouq Aminu, Randy Foye

Great starting five. No bench. A lot is riding on Griffin and Aminu, who have yet to play a minute.

12. NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
Best 7: Chris Paul, David West, Darren Collison, Emeka Okafor, Peja Stojakovic, Marcus Thornton, James Posey

A talented team that's been in disarray. Would they dare trade CP3?

13. SACRAMENTO KINGS
Best 7: Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Francisco Garcia, Samuel Dalembert, Beno Udrih, Carl Landry, Jason Thompson

I'm trying not to put too many rookies in the best 7 but Cousins has been dominant in summer league. He bodes well for the Kings' future, and they'll be in prime positions for the free agent class of 2011.

14. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Best 7: Stephen Curry, David Lee, Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright, Dan Gadzuric, Charlie Bell

Curry-Lee-Ellis-Biedrins should be able to do some damage, but Don Nelson's still coaching and that's all they got.

15. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Best 7: Kevin Love, Jonny Flynn, Martell Webster, Michael Beasley, Corey Brewer, Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins

This team's a mess.


EAST

1. MIAMI HEAT
Best 7: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Mario Chalmers, Udonis Halsem

The Big Three are getting decent help. They're instantly the most hated team in the East, and the favorite. It's going to be a special year.

2. ORLANDO MAGIC
Best 7: Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus, JJ Redick, Chris Duhon

I wonder if Fran Vasquez is ever going to join this team. Anyway, if the Heat ever have a chemistry meltdown, these guys are right there. And they will be there for years to come.

3. BOSTON CELTICS
Best 7: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Glen Davis, Jermaine O'Neal

I'd heard Rasheed Wallace was retiring but I don't know if that's official or not. They're keeping the gang together, and while age may have been a factor in the finals, they were only a minute away from winning their second championship in three years. They have high hopes for Avery Bradley too.

4. CHICAGO BULLS
Best 7: Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer

They took the consolation prize of Boozer in the free agent market. I can't help but think they regret giving away Kirk Hinrich now. But hey, they're getting three Jazz players, and those guys know how to get to the playoffs. They still need to fill out their bench.

5. ATLANTA HAWKS
Best 7: Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford, Al Horford, Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachulia

They overpaid to keep Johnson, but after the top-heavy teams, the East is pretty thin. They should be in the mix of it all year.

6. MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Best 7: Brandon Jennings, Andrew Bogut, Michael Redd, Corey Maggette, John Salmons, Luc Mbah a Moute, Drew Gooden

This will be an interesting team to watch. I really like the pieces they put together. I wonder if they try trading Redd or just let his salary come off the books next year and go for a big-name free agent.

7. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
Best 7: Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson, DJ Augustin, Tyrus Thomas, Erick Dampier, Boris Diaw, Matt Carroll

I'm not crazy about their current roster, but Larry Brown is still there as coach and no team below them has made any moves to jump above them. I predict they'll be the 7th seed in the East with a 41-41 record.

8. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Best 7: Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao, Antawn Jamison, Delonte West, Anthony Parker, JJ Hickson, Daniel Gibson

After years of building the roster to compliment LeBron James, he's gone, and now they're stuck with a James-less, Z-less, Shaq-less roster. But I don't see this team rolling over and dying, especially not with Byron Scott as their coach.

9. NEW YORK KNICKS
Best 7: Amare Stoudamire, Anthony Randolph, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Ronny Turiaf, Kelenna Azubuike

Amare and Mike D'Antoni are reunited, and the result will be the Knicks have their best season in years. Just not good enough to make the playoffs, unless they get a good mid-season deal.

10. TORONTO RAPTORS
Best 7: Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon, Leandro Barbosa, Marco Bellinelli, Jarrett Jack, Amir Johnson, Demar DeRozan

Another team that'll play with a chip on its shoulder now that they've lost their star player. But Barbosa should fit in nicely, and Ed Davis will get every opportunity to contribute right away.

11. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
Best 7: Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner, Elton Brand, Andres Nocioni, Thaddeus Young, Jrue Holiday, Jason Kapono

Evan Turner wasn't great in summer league, but he should pick the NBA game pretty quickly and get this team back on the right path. A lot hinges on his progress and Brand's health. I don't know if Doug Collins still has it in him to be a great coach. I remember his Wizards stint.

12. WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Best 7: Gilbert Arenas, John Wall, Al Thornton, Kirk Hinrich, Andray Blatche, Nick Young, JaVale McGee

Arenas, Wall, Hinrich. One heck of a backcourt. But what do they really have for a frontcourt?

13. DETROIT PISTONS
Best 7: Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Gordon, Rodney Stuckey, Austin Daye, Charlie Villenueva, Jason Maxiell

Greg Monroe will be a nice addition to this club, but last year made it look like it's time to blow this thing up and start over. I'm sure they'll entertain plenty of offers for Tayshaun's expiring contract in the midseason.

14. INDIANA PACERS
Best 7: Danny Granger, Brandon Rush, TJ Ford, Jamaal Tinsley, Roy Hibbert, Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy

Seems like this season will just be a formality so they can get all these ex-Warrior contracts off their books next year.

15. NEW JERSEY NETS
Best 7: Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, Courtney Lee, Travis Outlaw, Josh Boone, Jordan Farmar, Terrence Williams

The worst team in the league last year and their big free agent signings were Jordan Farmar, Anthony Morrow and Travis Outlaw. And if summer league's any indication, it's going to take Derrick Favors a year or two to develop. I don't really think they'll be the worst in the East but I think the bottom five of six will only be three or four games apart.

Does Raja Bell make the Jazz the 2nd best team in West?

He certainly helps. I think the Al Jefferson acquisiton was great, and adding Raja just gets me excited. I'm ready for the NBA season to begin.

Here's what a West-Coaster has to say about the Jazz:

Raja Bell joined a Utah Jazz team that quietly put together one of the best off-season’s of any organization and could be a load for the Lakers to handle come playoff time. Deron Williams is a top-tier point guard, in Bell they now have a player that’s comfortable guarding Bryant, and the front line is one that’s formidable enough, at the very least, to contend with the Lakers having acquired Al Jefferson to go along with Paul Millsap, Mehmet Okur and a now healthy Andrei Kirilenko. Add in first round draft pick Gordon Hayward who can shoot lights out and the Jazz might very well be the 2nd best team in the West.

NBA Summer League - Game 1 - Jazz vs. Bobcats

I watched the first half.

Gordon Hayward - His defense seemed pretty good, never got beat by his man. He had nice passing skills, and when they finally figured out how to get him the ball, he did good things.

Sundiata Gaines - Seemed to suffer a bit from Carlos Arroyo syndrome, a lot of dribbling, a lot of trying to do everything himself. Had trouble in general getting the ball to people unless it was a dump up high. Played with the confidence of an NBA player.

Kosta Koufos - He looks bigger up top, a little stronger, but he's not necessarily quicker, even though he showed hustle. He should dominate the summer league, but Alexis Ajinca outplayed him more often than he outplayed him.

Jermareo Davidson - Looked like the second coming of Mikki Moore.

Jeremy Evans - Long and skinny but quick. Interesting body. He'd be a good weapon when they're playing up-tempo teams.

On the Bobcats, in addition to Ajinca, Gerald Henderson looked really good.

Free agency frenzy, as of Monday

I'm reading at ESPN, Hoopshype, etc., that

- Paul Pierce is staying with the Celtics for approx. 4 year, $61 million.

- Joe Johnson is staying with the Hawks for 6 years, $120 million (which the Hawks will regret in three years).

- Dirk Nowitzki is staying with the Mavericks for 4 years, $65 million.

Amare Stoudamire is leaning toward New York.

Carlos Boozer is waiting to see what LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh do to see where he can then go. It looks like he'd go to Chicago or Miami, whichever place Bosh doesn't go. I've also read one scenario where Wade could sign with Chicago and then Boozer would sign for the leftover $13.6 million, or Chicago may try sign-and-trading Luol Deng to make room for a second max guy.

If they could keep Deng, get Wade and Boozer, and still have Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, that's an impressive starting five in the East. And if LeBron leaves Cleveland, and Boston doesn't retain Ray Allen, suddenly it's Chicago and Orlando duking it out for Best in the East.

I wouldn't count out New Jersey or New York making big moves, but no matter what they do, I see them lucky just to make the playoffs.

Free Agent Frenzy

What I'm hearing today:

- Memphis offering a 5-year $80 million deal to keep Rudy Gay.
- Minnesota offering a 4-year $20 million deal to keep Darko Milicic.
- Milwaukee offering a 5-year $32 million deal to land Drew Gooden.
- Atlanta offering a 6-year $120 million deal to keep Joe Johnson.

Pat Riley's still hoping he can keep Dwyane Wade, land LeBron James, and then still get Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudamire or Carlos Boozer (in that order) as the third star.

The Lakers plan to keep Derek Fisher and let Jordan Farmar walk.

NBA coaching

Phil Jackson & Gregg Popovich have won 15 of the past 20 NBA titles. The other five were won by Rudy Tomjanovich (2), Larry Brown, Pat Riley and Doc Rivers.

One reason I can see truth in the Miami rumor of LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining Dwayne Wade is that I can easily Pat Riley knifing another coach to guide some All-Stars to a ring. And credibility is big with players.

#10 - Pacers - Paul George

Still in shock over the Hayward pick. Still hoping to hear the Jazz have a trade in the works.

Paul George is supposed to have a freaky amount of potential, but he's a big question mark.

#9 - UTAH JAZZ - Gordon Hayward

I'm a bit deflated. This is the Jazz's second Top 10 draft pick in about 27 years, and I was hoping some of those other guys might slip. But we'll see. I wish him well. I hope he lives up to his potential.

#8 - L.A. Clippers - Al-Farouq Aminu

They have Baron Davis (PG), Eric Gordon (SG), Blake Griffin (PF), and Chris Kaman (C) so Aminu makes sense.

#7 - Detroit - Greg Monroe

Nooooo! I was hoping he'd fall to the Jazz. Solid pick by Detroit, can't argue with it. They need to rebuild, and big men is a good place to start.

#6 - Golden State - Ekpe Udoh

I'm surprised by this pick. The Warriors probably could have traded down for him and got some other assets. I see the Warriors being a lottery team again. I don't get how Don Nelson is still employed there.

#5 - Kings - DeMarcus Cousins

This one has potential to be huge. I'd wager he lives up to it, as long as he has good coaches. Who's even coaching the Kings these days?

#4 - T-Wolves - Wesley Johnson

Still no surpises, and while Minny has an effective front-court with Kevin love and Al Jefferson, and a solid PG prospect in Jonny Flynn, they take better wings, and Johnson fills that need.

#3 - New Jersey - Derrick Favors

Good choice by New Jersey. They're not going to land any of the top five free agents this summer, so they should groom their talent and get the sixth or seventh best free agent, they can be on the right track in a hurry. Favors will need a year or two.

#2 - Sixers - Evan Turner

He's projected by most to be the early favorite for Rookie of the Year. Smart pick.

#1 - Wizards - John Wall

Supposed to be the next franchise player. Good for the Wizards. They have a lot o draft picks; I anticipate them trying to trade Gilbert Arenas at midseason if they're not above .500 in January.

Mock Draft... minutes before

Minutes before the actual draft starts:

#1 - Washington - John Wall
#2 - Philadelphia - Evan Turner
#3 - New Jersey - Derrick Favors
#4 - Minnesota - Wesley Johnson
#5 - Sacramento - DeMarcus Cousins
#6 - Golden State - Epke Udoh
#7 - Detroit - Greg Monroe
#8 - LA Clippers - Al-Farouq Aminu
#9 - Utah - Ed Davis
#10 - Indiana - Luke Babbitt
#11 - New Orleans - Paul George
#12 - Memphis - Patrick Patterson
#13 - Toronto - Cole Aldrich
#14 - Houston - Gordon Hayward

I assume at least six first-round picks will be traded today.

Lakers suck

Did I say "suck"? I meant "win." Ah well. Boston played great but when Ray Allen's shooting remainded off and the Lakers got 20 more free-throw attempts, what could they really do?

Phil Jackson has won 11 of the past 20 NBA championships with the teams of Jordan/Pippen, Shaq/Kobe and Kobe/Pau. If Phil really wanted to go to Chicago, and Chiacgo somehow got LeBron, does anyone dobut in a year or two, he'd get a 12th with LeBron/Rose?

Kings-76ers trade affects NBA draft

The Sacramento Kings have traded Andres Nocioni to the Philadelphia 76ers for Samuel Dalembert.

Seeing as how the Sixers pick #2 and the Kings pick #5, this could signal the directions the two franchises are going. It's been widely believed John Wall will go #1 to the Wizards, but there's been uncertainty where the Sixers will go. Do they go with Evan Turner, allegedly the next Brandon Roy? Or do they go with Derrick Favors, the best big-man in the draft? This would signal they're leaning Favors, which is who coach Doug Collins... likes. (Favors pun avoided!)

Then we go to #5. Most mocks have Wesley Johnson going at #4, but if he doesn't, the Kings are poised to pick him, and if not, they could also go for athletic wingman Al-Farouq Aminu.

If the Wolves pass on DeMarcus Cousins, he could then fall to #6 with Golden State or #7 Detroit.

So does Greg Monroe then fall to #8 or #9? In my draft-scenario dreams for the Jazz, but we'll see.

Go, Celtics, go!

Doing a little dance since the Celtics went up 3-2. I'm a big Celtics fan this week.

MWC - The 5th BCS Conference?

Utah and BYU are anxiously watching the shuffling of the Pac-10, Big Ten and Big 12 with great interest. One possibility, after the dust settles, is that the Pac-10 would be the Pac-16, the Big Ten would be the Big Sixteen, the SEC and ACC would grow, the Big 12 and Big East would collapse, and the MWC, with the recently acquired Boise St., could get the Big 12 left-behinds (Kansas, Kansas St., Iowa St. and Baylor) and be the fifth BCS conference. It's one theory from Roy Kramer, the BCS godfather.

Who can the Jazz get at #9?

Assuming the Jazz don't trade the pick, what can they really get from the slot that's produced players as varied as Amare Stoudamire and Patrick O'Bryant?

1. John Wall - won't be there.
2. Evan Turner - won't be there.
3. Derrick Favors - won't be there.
4. Wesley Johnson - won't be there.

5. DeMarcus Cousins - He's an obvious NBA talent, but there's a lot of question marks about his off-court behavior. Maybe that'll scare enough GM's away, but somehow I doubt it. Odd of being there at #9: 5%

6. Greg Monroe - He's about the same size as Cousins, but with better attitude and passing skills, but doesn't have the potential or wingspan. There are a lot of big men to choose from this year, and he seems to be one of the best, after the no-brainers. Odds: 10%

7. Al-Farouq Aminu - I keep hearing great things about his athleticism. Odds: 25%

8. Patrick Patterson - Should be a really good power forward but one that'll have to compensate for not having the height so many teams crave in their bigs. Odds: 70%

9. Each of these guys will likely be available but I think they'll go with

Ekpe Udoh - (6'10"/PF/Jr) - His profile was raised by Baylor's deep run in the tournament. Best-case scenario: the next LaMarcus Aldridge. Worst? Marcus Haislip. But the potential, the long arms, I think if the above 8 are gone, they go with Udoh, but other possibilities:

Cole Aldrich - (6'10"/C/Jr) - Hm, a tall white American guy. How many of those develop into something? He doesn't have the immediate obviousness of Kevin Love or Chris Kaman, so what is he, a shorter Kosta Koufos?

Luke Babbitt - (6'9"/SF/So) - The Jazz don't really need a small forward, with Andrei Kirilenko and C.J. Miles there.

Ed Davis - (6'10"/PF/So) - Seems to be the biggest question mark in this range. Will his game translate? Will he be a starter in five years or out of the league?

Xavier Henry (6'6"/SG/Fr) - Long arms and athletic. But with Boozer likely leaving and Okur injured, the Jazz really need more front-court help than back-court.

Hassan Whiteside - (7'0"/C/Fr) - Great potential, would have benefitted from another year or two at college, I see the Jazz passing him on him because they don't have the time for another big-man project; they need an immediate rotation player, if not starter.

Jazz season ends

Deron Williams said the front office needs to "make some moves."

The Utah Jazz fell short again. True, it was the second round this time. Last year, it was the first round, but both times it was by the Lakers. And the front office is paying attention to what D-Will says. They know if the team's not winning and he's not happy in two years, he'll bolt for greener pastures in a bigger market where he feels like he has a better chance of winning.

Free agents: Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Wesley Matthews, Kyrylo Fesenko, Sundiata Gaines, Othella Jeffers.

Last year of contracts: Andrei Kirilenko, Ronnie Price.

Next step is to see if their #9 ping-pong ball lands in the Top 3. Odds are against it. Then they focus on the draft, then they focus on who they want to bring back, who they can re-sign, who they want to trade, who can they get...

Crucial, crucial summer. Last year they decided the team had been riddled with injuries, so let's bring them all back to give it one more shot. They traded away Eric Maynor and Ronnie Brewer, had key injuries at the end of the season to Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur, and here they are again.

Jazz down 3-0 in second round

Well, there wasn't much time to celebrate the Jazz getting to the second round. They had to go right into L.A., plastic surgery capital of the world, to face the defending champs sans two starters. They played hard, they came up short. Sure they lost by single digits each time, they were right there, but stuff just went the Lakers' way in the last couple minutes of each game.

Game 3 back in Utah. Andrei Kirilenko's back. Awesome. Time to get this series to 2-2. Dick Bavetta's reffing. Noooooooo!

Seriously, NBA. This guy should never ref in SLC again. What are you doing to us?

I didn't have a problem with how the game was called, minus the non-call when Fisher hacked Boozer with seven seconds left in the game. For those who want to complain there may have been a non-call with Fisher hitting the ground at four seconds, maybe they were doing a make-up non-call there, but it wouldn't have been an issue if they'd called the obvious hack-across-the-arm under the basket.

Regardles, regardless, they had a chance. The Jazz were right there. Deron Williams had been shooting with confidence, and he barely missed the 20-footer he launched, and still they had a chance if Wes Matthews, who had a horrible shooting night, had just tipped the ball five degrees to the left.

The Jazz, in their current form, cannot match up to the size, length and payroll of the L.A. Lakers. Even with their starting center Mehmet Okur, they would have been underdogs. But their two seven-footers, Kyrylo Fesenko and Kosta Koufos, are barely in the NBA. They have the almost 6-9 Boozer and the almost 6-8 Millsap and a just-returning Andrei Kirilenko. I think if AK had been healthy all along, it'd be a 2-1 series right now. Maybe even 2-1 Jazz. But too much happened. For the second season in a row, Jazz crumble down the stretch with injuries. For the third year in a row, it's going to be the Lakers who oust them.

There's still a chance. I still think the Jazz will win Game 4, and then go back to L.A. for a Game 5. But realistically, the next thing Jazz fans can hope for is if their #9 pick from New York turns into a Top 3 pick when the lottery happens.

Thoughts on last night's games

Was LeBron complimentary of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah after the Cavs eliminated the Bulls because Chicago is on his short-list of possible destinations next year? Will Vinny Del Negro get fired partially because the Bulls want a coach that LeBron might be more inclined to play for?

Despite how good they looked in Game 5, does anyone really think the Mavericks can pull off the win in San Antonio to stay alive? And will Mark Cuban blow up this team AGAIN?

I'm glad Ron Artest shaved tha blond thing off his head. It seemed to help with his decision-making. And even though the laker blew them out, I still expect the series to go to seven games.

Jazz go up 3-1 in series

In the words of ESPN's Kevin Blackistone: "It's over."

Adrian Dantley has been thrown in to the deep end of the coaching pool and has proven he's not up to task. Denver's talented, but it takes a special type to corall the talents and personalities into a winning unit, and AD can't do it. AD's just as likely to grumble about flopping or ref-bias as JR Smith. Armchair quarterbacks everywhere ask why the ball isn't dumped into Nene in the low post every time he has Kyrylo Fesenko guarding him.

Carmelo Anthony looks like a guy who wishes he was going to be a part of the free-agent party of 2010. On one hand, it's hard to believe this is the same unit that pushed the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals last year. On the other hand, it shows just how valuable George Karl is.

Meanwhile the big reason the Jazz are winning this series was pointed out by Chris Webber. In Game 4, Utah had 34 assists, Denver had 13. The Jazz are playing team basketball. The Nuggets are standing around hoping Melo can shoot them into a victory.

Jazz win Game 3

My streak continues. The Jazz have never lost when I've attended. The Miller Group should get me season tickets and fly me to Denver.

I was in the fifth row of the upper bowl, hovering over the Denver bench like a vulture. It was a lot of fun. D-Will continues to amaze.

Jazz beat Nuggets in Game 2

Kyrylo Fesenko got his first start in an NBA playoff game, and he contributed just enough. His 20 minutes allowed Boozer and Millsap to get proper rest. But the real key was Deron Williams. He proved to the world he's the best point guard in the NBA right now with his 33 points, 14 assists as the Jazz, without Andrei Kirilenko or Mehmet Okur) beat the Nuggets 114-111. It was a fun game to watch. It provided clues as to how the Jazz could win this series too.

The Jazz got into the Nuggets' heads. They played tougher defense on Carmelo Anthony. They frustrated them with their slicing and dishing. That said, it took top games from D-Will and Boozer to squeak out a three-point win. The jazz will have to keep playing at that level to hold home-court.

I'll be there for Game 3.

Injury-plagued Jazz lose Game 1

It was going to be an uphill battle for the Utah Jazz to win a series without home-court advantage. It was a steeper hill without Andrei Kirilenko. And then the hill got even steeper when Mehmet Okur went out. The Jazz's nine-man rotation is down to seven, with the tallest being the 6'8" Carlos Boozer. (They say he's 6'9", but look at him and Andrei stand next to each other).

The other guys on the team are the 7'0" Kosta Koufos, who's still a softie in his third year, the 7'1" Kyrylo Fesenko, who might've been a good player if Sloan would have given him more time, but his off-court goofiness has not endeared him to Jerry, and then two D-League players. Koufos and Fesenko on the floor together is a nightmare.

But no use crying over spilt milk. Okur's done for the year and they won't have AK back for two weeks, IF they're still alive. Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Wesley Matthews, CJ Miles, Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Price are all going to have to play at the top of their games for the Jazz to have any chance at all.

Jazz over Thunder 140-139

The Utah Jazz were lucky in their overtime victory, and yet in a way it's karma for the bogus call that let Nick Collison sink some free throws way back when the Thunder beat the Jazz in their second meeting. Now the Thunder need to get their chins up and beat the Nuggets. As a Jazz fan, I do not want to face the Thunder first. I'd rather see the Blazers or Spurs or Suns, thank you.

The Blind Side 2: The Paul Millsap Story

Maybe Angela Bassett can play Paul Millsap's mama in the movie coming soon based on his life. Then she can win the Oscar she should have won in 1993 for playign Tina Turner.

Phil Jackson complains about officiating again

No coach complains more about referees than Phil Jackson. No coach has been the beneficiary of more questionable referee calls than Phil Jackson. No coach makes more than PJ and therefore can afford the fines that come from complaining about the refs.

NBA Western Conference Playoff Picture

Current Standings
1. L.A. Lakers - 54-20
2. Dallas Mavs - 49-25
3. Utah Jazz - 49-26
4. Phoenix Suns - 48-26
5. Denver Nugs - 48-27
6. OKC Thunder - 45-28
7. Portland Blazers - 45-29
8. SA Spurs - 44-29

Only a few games left. So to see how I think the season will end.

Lakers Remaining Schedule
@Atlanta - Loss
Utah - Win
SA - Win
@Denver - Loss
@Minny - Win
Portland - Loss
Sacramento - Win
@LAClips - Win

Final record - 59-23 - 1st

Mavericks Remaining Schedule
@Memphis - Win
Orlando - Loss
OKC - Win
Memphis - Win
@Portland - Loss
@Sacramento - Win
@LAClips - Win
SA - Win

Final record - 55-27 - 3rd

Jazz Remaining Schedule
GS - Win
@LALakers - Loss
OKC - Win
@Houston - Win
@NewOrleans - Win
@GS - Win
Phoenix - Win

Final record - 55-27 - 2nd

Suns Remaining Schedule
@NJersey - Win
@Detroit - Win
@Milwaukee - Loss
SA - Win
@OKC - Loss
Houston - Win
Denver - Win
@Utah - Loss

Final record - 53-29 - 4th

Nuggets Remaining Schedule
Portland - Loss
LAClips - Win
@OKC - Loss
@LALakers - Loss
SA - Win
Memphis - Win
@Phoenix - Loss

Final record - 51-31 - 6th

Thunder Remaining Schedule
@Boston - Loss
@Dallas - Loss
Minnesota - Win
@Utah - Loss
@Denver - Win
@Phoenix - Loss
@GSW - Win
@Portland - Loss
Memphis - Win

Final record - 49-33 - 7th

Trail Blazers Remaining Schedule
New York - Win
@Denver - Win
@Sacramento - Win
@LAClips - Win
Dallas - Win
@LALakers - Win
OKC - Win
GS - Loss

Final record - 52-30 - 5th

Spurs Remaining Schedule
Houston - Win
Orlando - Loss
@LALakers - Loss
@Sacramento - Win
@Phoenix - Loss
Memphis - Win
@Denver - Loss
Minny - Win
@Dallas - Loss

Final record - 48-34 - 8th

That would pit
1-LA Lakers
8-SA Spurs

2-Utah Jazz
7-OKC Thunder

3-Dallas Mavericks
6-Denver Nuggets

4-Phoenix Suns
5-Portland Trail Blazers

Should be an interesting playoffs.

Jazz in Hollinger's PER system

According to ESPN's John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Ratings, the Jazz have the 4th best point guard, the 9th best shooting guard, the 8th best small forward, and the 7th best power forward in the NBA. And the 32nd best center.

PG - Deron Williams - 4
SG - Kyle Korver - 9
SF - Andrei Kirilenko - 8
PF - Carlos Boozer - 7
C - Mehmet Okur - 32

Rest of roster:
PG - Ronnie Price - not in top 50
PG - Sundiata Gaines - not in top 50
SG - Wesley Matthews - 46
SF - CJ Miles - 47
PF - Paul Millsap - 23
C - Kyrylo Fesenko - not in top 50
C - Kosta Koufos - not in top 50

So by this, of the Top 250 players in the NBA, the Jazz have eight. Eight times thirty is 240, so there are teams out there that have 9 or 10 or even 11.

Now going by the actual PER number, the league average is 15.00. Channing Frye ranks as a 15.00. LeBron James is 1st, at 31.85. James Posey is 250th, at 8.55.

So who are the best teams if you go just by their PER's of their top players?

1. Cavaliers. 2. Magic. 3. Lakers. 4. Suns. 5. Jazz 6. Nuggets.

NBA Trade Deadline Passes

Post NBA-Trade Deadline Analysis, ranked by where I think they'll finish the season.

The West

1. LA LAKERS - Standing pat. Which is fine. Even without Kobe, they're one of the top teams in the West.

2. DENVER NUGGETS - Standing pat. Which is fine. They're the only team that makes the Lakers nervous.

3. UTAH JAZZ - They traded away Eric Maynor and Matt Harpring for rights to a Euro who will never play in the NBA to save $12 million. Then they traded away their starting SG Ronnie Brewer for a protected first-round pick to the Grizzlies. It saves another $5 million this year, but it either says they don't believe they have a shot at the Finals this year, or that they believe that Wesley Mathews, CJ Miles, and Kyle Korver can be just as effective splitting up his 31 minutes a night.

4. DALLAS MAVERICKS - Dallas had a great start, but they'd fallen off as of late. This trade should steady the ship. Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood have been paroled from Washington to a bona-fide title contender. Now Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki can get their hopes up about playing in another Finals.

5. PHOENIX SUNS - Standing pat. Not sure how beneficial that is after June, but for this season, the core knows they're together, and they can push.

6. PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS - With Oden & Przybilla out, the Blazers got a deal for Marcus Camby. It also solves their PG drama between Andre Miller and Steve Blake, with Blake out. Now if they can stay healthy, Brandon Roy and company should be able to make some noise.

7. SAN ANTONIO SPURS - Well, the Richard Jefferson experiment isn't working out like they'd hoped. They're standing pat and as such, they seem doomed for a first-round exit. In fact, as Duncan ages and Manu gets hurt every year, it feels like the end of an era.

8. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER - They got Eric Maynor to back up Russell Westbrook a while back, and now they're standing pat, which is probably good for this young team destined to make the playoffs for the first time since they were in Seattle and had a guy named Ray Allen on the roster.

9. HOUSTON ROCKETS - It's tremendous that they got Kevin Martin for T-Mac. And if they get Yao back next year, they'll have Aaron Brooks a year better... this team has promise. It's going to come down to that final week of the season whether they make the playoffs or not. Will Jordan Hill turn out to be anything?

10. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES - Their bench just got deeper by adding Ronnie Brewer. They have a chance to squeak into the playoffs if someone else falters. It also makes Rudy Gay tradeable if they want to package something this summer.

11. NEW ORLEANS HORNETS - Darren Collison's done an admirable job in Chris Paul's absense. But without CP3, this team just doesn't have the talent to compensate in the West. And for a decade now, the West is full of lottery teams that could get to the playoffs if they were in the East.

12. L.A. CLIPPERS - Chris Kaman's an All-Star now. They have Blake Griffin to look forward to next year. Steve Blake's a better backup than Sebastian Telfair for Baron Davis. So yeah. There you go.

13. SACRAMENTO KINGS - Good for them to get Carl Landry, but Kevin Martin is gone and they'll need moves this summer to not be next year's New Jersey, Tyreke Evans notwithstanding.

14. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS - Standing pat. Stephen Curry's been great. Uh, Don Nelson's not still going to be there next year, is he?

15. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES - Darko Milicic is already booking his flight in April to join Ricky Rubio in Europe.

The East

1. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS - LeBron James, Mo Williams and Shaquille O'Neal now have Antawn Jamison to share the court with. Anything less than the NBA Title will be a disappointment.

2. ORLANDO MAGIC - Standing pat. Not sure how wise that is.

3. ATLANTA HAWKS - Standing pat. The next three months will be an audition to convince Joe Johnson he wants to stay.

4. BOSTON CELTICS - Nate Robinson might be a good spark for them off the bench. I'm sure he'll toe the line for KG, PP and Ray. But this is their last year for the Big Three to get that second title.

5. TORONTO RAPTORS - Many assume Chris Bosh is going to head to greener pastures, but why couldn't Bosh try to get another big name to join him in Toronto? Especially if they get to the second round or better.

6. CHICAGO BULLS - They got rid of team-pouter Tyrus Thomas and sharpshooter John Salmons, but got back draft-bust Joe Alexander, who has two months to sink or swim, and yeoman Hakim Warrick. Derrick Rose will keep it interesting, but methinks a first-round exit will equate Vinny Del Negro's firing.

7. MIAMI HEAT - Their cupboard is bare. Other than Dwyane Wade, they couldn't come up with enough pieces to entice Utah to give them Carlos Boozer, which means they ought to be nervous about losing D-Wade this summer. Though even if D-Wade leaves, I can see Boozer showing up on Pat Riley's porch in July with a suitcase and a grin, saying, "You have max money, don't you?"

8. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS - I think Tyrus Thomas will benefit from new surroundings, and Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson are finally, FINALLY, making this a credible team for coach Larry Brown. Theo Ratliff was also a good-citizen pickup.

9. MILWAUKEE BUCKS - Primox Brezec's an interesting piece to help them push toward that coveted 8th spot in the playoffs, in addition to John Salmons. They'd much rather go there, as they haven't proven too reliable with who to pick in the lottery. (See Alexander, Joe.)

10. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS - Francisco Elson. Yeah, that'll put them over the top.

11. NEW YORK KNICKS - The Knicks aren't going to have a decent first-round pick for years to come so they're moving all-in on getting big-time free agents this summer. They finally got Jared Jeffries out of there. Will Tracy McGrady play with some desire now? All this team has is Al Harrington and David Lee. Maybe Sergio Rodriguez will up his game under Mike D'Antoni, who only has one more year, after the big hoped-for summer signings, to prove he can get this team to the playoffs.

12. INDIANA PACERS - Standing pat. Probably not a good thing. But next year, everyone will be in the last year of their contracts.

13. DETROIT PISTONS - Joe Dumars will try again to trade Rip Hamilton and/or Tayshaun Prince and/or Charlie Villenueva and/or Ben Gordon this summer. He did assemble the 2004 championship team, but for all the smarts he's supposed to possess, this is the guy that drafted Darko Milicic above Carmelo, Bosh and D-Wade, and traded away Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson.

14. WASHINGTON WIZARDS - Too bad they can't waive Gilbert Arenas and completely start over. He and Butler and Jamison were supposed to be their Big Three, but it just didn't work. Now Al Thornton will have to see what he can do in his new home.

15. NEW JERSEY NETS - They're hoping to somehow win 10 games and then land John Wall to run with Devin Harris next year.

Jazz win seventh straight

The Jazz finished the first half of the season 23-18.
They've begun the second half 7-0.

Nothing like a win streak to catapult you from a lottery pick to home-court advantage in the first round.

What's made the difference? Oh a few things. Andrei Kirilenko moved back into the starting lineup and is playing his most inspired basketball in years. Deron Williams finally making the All-Star team. Paul Millsap playing with a chip on his shoulder when Boozer got hurt. Sundiata Gaines' feel-good story and dream three-point buzzer-beater to beat the Cavaliers.

They took 35 games or so to figure it out this year, and now their trajectory is one that can make a fan hope Jerry Sloan just might win that elusive Coach of the Year award.

Jazz are struggling

So why are the Jazz struggling so bad this year?

DERON WILLIAMS
Last year
19.4 ppg, 10.7 apg, 47.1 fg%, 31.0 3p%
This year
19.5 ppg, 9.8 apg, 49.1 fg%, 38.4 3p%

So he's improving in scoring; maybe his assists are down because other guys keep missing their shots and he feels he has to put the team on his back more in the fourth quarter.

CARLOS BOOZER
Last year
16.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.1 apg, 49.0 fg%
This year
19.3 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 3.5 apg, 53.5 fg%

He was injured last year and his numbers reflect he's better, and he's using his teammates more. Looks like one of D-Will's assists a game is comign from Boozer.

Then there's these guys...

MEHMET OKUR
Last year
17.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 44.6 3p%, 1.83 TO
This year
12.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 36.6 3p%, 2.20 TO

ANDREI KIRILENKO
Last year
11.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.2 spg, 1.2 bpg
This year
11.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.9 spg, 1.0 bpg

RONNIE BREWER
Last year
13.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 50.8 fg%, 70.2 ft%
This year
10.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 49.8 fg%, 61.0 ft%

CJ MILES
Last year
9.1 ppg, 1.5 apg, 45.9 fg%, 35.2 3p%
This year
8.7 ppg, 1.2 apg, 39.3 fg%, 33.3 3p%

PAUL MILLSAP
Last year
13.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 30.1 mpg
This year
10.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.9 apg, 25.6 mpg

And the Jazz were only an 8th seed in the playoffs last year.

More dead pro-wrestlers

Last month we lost Umaga, age 36, to a heart attack. He's best known for appearing in the WrestleMania Main Event of Hair vs. Hair (Vince McMahon vs. Donald Trump) where he fought for Vince and Bobby Lashley fought for Trump.

We also lost "Dr. Death" Steve Williams, age 49, to cancer. He was big in the 1980's, often in tag teams from everyone from Terry Gordy to "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase.