In Honor of Mark DeRosa

Beloved by all Cubs fans, here is a cartoon that summarizes what DeRosa meant to all of us:

Today's Links

• McDonough says the timing is right to hold the NHL All-Star Game in Chicago. Agreed.
• Hey, it's Super Bowl week! Here's a little on the big game with an interesting point about the second possession of the game.
• The Big Ten is overrated in basketball so says The Big Lead. More on this later.
• There was some ugly behavior at the end of the Michigan-Michigan State hockey game Saturday night. More video with UM's student section reaction about one minute in.
• Greg Oden turns 21, says he can't wait until someone doesn't recognize him and cards him. Yeah Greg, it's because they know who you are that their "ID if under 30" policy is a little lax with you.
• The Cubs have sued Under Armour for allegedly reneging on a sponsorship deal. Does this mean no more ads on the outfield wall?
• Illinois is ranked 19th in the AP, 20th in the Coaches' Poll and they continue to confound expectations.

Vinny Del Negro May Be On The Way Out, And He May Have Company

Peter Vecsey of the New York Post has "sources" that indicate VDN may not be the Bulls coach much longer. They also think Pax's days could be numbered (Thanks to Zoner for finding this and getting my hopes up):

Chicago's correspondents get the distinct feeling Vinny Del Negro may be the NBA's eighth head coach to get vaporized. I'm hearing Bulls managing partner Jerry Reinsdorf may soon varnish GM John Paxson. Toronto ended a seven-game slide Friday with a convincing, 20-point win at Chicago. Far be it from me to suggest the closing moments were uneventful, but Oprah took her second-half combo meal to go.

I'm not sure what it means to "varnish" someone, but it doesn't sound positive. I know I'm reaching here, being as that I'm not sure who these Chicago correspondents are or if they even exist, but God I hope it's true. Watching the Bulls shit the bed last night against the Timberwolves was just painful. Out of about 10-15 timeouts and first plays of quarters, the Bulls ran half the plays to Deng for a contested 20 footer and the other half to Rose for him to dribble around into triple teams and get a bad look.

Firevinnydelnegro.com is still available...

Illinois Downs Wisconsin

Make it eight straight at home. Five game losing streak to Wisconsin? Over. There's a different streak involved here and that is the four straight games UW has dropped in Big Ten play. The Illini were ranked 24th coming into the game and after an impressive week, they're sure to move up.

It's all about the numbers in college basketball and it's hard not to be excited about the ones associated with Illinois basketball this season. After a season to forget last year, the Illini are 17-3. 17 and 3!

Demetri McCamey continued his great play with 25 points and Mike Davis helped out with 10. McCamey also had seven assists and Davis had 8 boards. Aside from McCamey's great night, it was another example of Illinois spreading the scoring around and playing great team defense.

Illinois will try and continue their success as they hit the road for a Thursday night game against Minnesota. If the Illini can win up at the Barn, they'll be a virtual lock for the tournament barring an outbreak of some kind of debilitating illness...although something tells me Tisdale would still know what to do.

Kane and Toews get a Goal Each, but East Wins All-Star Game

A game that features over 100 shots and 22 goals in regulation is an offensive player's dream. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews fit that description nicely and both performed well in their first all-star appearances.

In a game that victimizes goalies and defensemen, Brian Campbell was able to add an assist to the gaudy statistics in Sunday night's event. Campbell, Toews, and Kane all started for the Western Conference, but the East was able to pull the game out on penalty shots when Alexander Ovechkin netted the winner after a shifty move.

With no hitting in the game, we got to see some amazing passing and some moves that prompted me to rewind on the DVR. Evgeni Malkin had one of the moves of the night and it didn't even result in a goal. The Pittsburgh forward took a pass on the right side and tried a spinning between the legs shot that should have counted for a goal regardless of whether it went in.

As for Kane and Toews, the young Hawks both had goals that had chances to be game winners. Toews roofed a shot about two minutes into the third period to give the West a 10-9 lead that stood until Martin St. Louis evened the game about 10 minutes later. Then Kane scored on a breakaway with 4:41 to go for an 11-10 lead, but that advantage lasted just over a minute and the game headed to overtime and the eventual 2-1 loss in the shootout.

All in all a good showing from the Blackhawks in the game. Kane and Toews looked like they were feeling things out at the beginning, but once they got in the flow of the game they put on a show just like everyone else. Kane had an assist to go along with his goal. Hopefully the goal for Kane will help him break out of his scoring slump. This is likely the first of many experiences at the All-Star game and Kane and Toews are off to a good start.

The Hawks start a long road trip Wednesday night at Anaheim.

Your Morning Wake-Up Video: Tyrus Thomas Puts Nasty Dunk on Jermaine O'Neal

Thanks to Docksquad for finding this video. Yeah, umm, the Raptors are definitely going to need a timeout after that one:

Today's Links

• Just when you think things can't get any worse for Eddy Curry, the mother of one of his children gets murdered. Even after everything that has gone on with him, my sympathies go out to him.
• The Bulls suck.
  
• Joe Torre's new tell-all book about the Yankees is very interesting. Some highlights include ripping on A-Rod and Steinbrenner being the evil emperor you thought he was. Big surprise.
• Derrick Rose is thinking about rejecting an invitation to take part in the skills challenge at all-star weekend. First Tyrus disses his invite to be in the dunk contest, now this? What is it with Bulls rookies?
• The East beat the West in the NHL All-Star game, but apparently Toews and Kane looked good.
  
• Illinois gets a big win at home against the Badgers. If only Indiana could have pulled out the win against Minnesota, the Illini could have moved up in the Big Ten standings. That's right, I'm cheering for IU since they are so bad I'm not worried if they get a win here or there.
  
• Michael Redd's knee goes "CRACK" and so goes the Bucks season. Good luck getting to the playoffs with the rest of that bunch Coach Skiles.
• Even Sox fans are acknowledging the Ricketts family may be good for the Cubs.
  

Your Weekend Viewing Guide

Well say goodbye to football for the next 7 months or so (besides the Super Bowl next week). There's a ton of great college basketball this weekend though, and who doesn't love the NHL All-Star game? Well, I've never seen it, but who ELSE doesn't love it? *Must see games.

Saturday:

11:00 a.m. - NCAAB Maryland at (2)Duke (ESPN)
1:00 p.m. - NCAAB Depaul at (10)Marquette (ESPN2)
2:30 p.m. - NCAAB (24) Memphis at Tennessee (CBS)
3:00 p.m. - NCAAB Wisconsin at (24)Illinois (ESPN)*
6:00 p.m. - NCAAB (3) Connecticut at (19)Notre Dame (ESPN)*

Sunday:

2:45 p.m. - NCAAB (7)Michigan St. at Ohio St. (ESPN)
5:00 p.m. - NHL West Allstars at East Allstars (VS)*
6:00 p.m. - NBA Chicago at Minnesota (WCIU)

What's Going on at the Aussie Open?

Well, besides tennis, there seem to be a lot of crazy things going on at the Australian Open this year. We'll show you in video form...

First, a ballboy gets hit in the face. This isn't too exciting, but fun to watch nonetheless.



Next, a fight breaks out and chairs are thrown all over the place. Much more awesome.



And finally, a streaker! Finally as in last on the list...not that I was hoping for a guy with no pants to get on camera. NTTAWWT.

Gambling Website Asks StevieY19 For Betting Advice Podcast, Listeners Lose Millions of Dollars

Earlier this week BetUS.com asked us to do a podcast about Illinois basketball, the road to March Madness, and college hoops in general. StevieY19 was brave enough to accept the challenge. We are very excited to present:

Steve from Not Qualified to Comment talking college hoops on BetUS.com!

Based on his college football picks, I wouldn't exactly bet on what he says, but at least you don't have to hear my nasally voice. Enjoy!

Is Private Ownership Good For The Cubs?

In the last 24 hours news has come out that the Tribune Company accepted the bid of the Ricketts family. This sale could have far-reaching consequences for the Cubs, but what seems most interesting is the differences between a public owner, like the Tribune, and a private owner, like Ricketts.

In Chicago, we have had mostly private owners except the Tribune and the Cubs. Reinsdorf and his ownership group with the White Sox and Bulls has had mixed results. There seems to be some kind of commitment to putting a winning product on the field/court there, though clearly old Jerry can be a stingy bastard at times.

The Halas/McCaskey family has owned the Bears since the beginning of time. They are a good example of what can happen when a family owns a team. Obviously Papa Bear Halas was committed to winning, but since Virginia McCaskey took over, it has been unclear what their goal is. Obviously profits are a major driving force, since it is a business. But was she really hiring the best personnel to make decisions regarding players and coaches? We all remember the Mike McCaskey fiasco, when she "hired" her son to run the team and he was just terrible. On the other hand there have been periods of prosperity under Virginia (high school class of 1938 by the way, I looked it up, she's an old lady).

The Tribune corporation on the other hand, was in it purely for profit. It was clear from the crummy teams they put on the field the last 20 years or so. In recent years things have changed. They hired competent individuals to run the teams operations (Hendry, MacPhail, McDonough, etc.). As a business, they had a vested interest in hiring the best people for the job, not just their family members.

So what does the future hold under the Ricketts regime? There is no way to tell, but we can only hope that they continue to hire competent people and spend money to put a good team on the field. Word is that massive renovations must be done to Wrigley Field. Also there is also the possibility that there will be a change in personnel, as happens when a new regime takes over. But if I hear anything about Ricketts' long lost cousin Joey taking Hendry's job, I will be the first one outside the Cubs offices with a torch and pitchfork.

Jeff Jordan put on Scholarship by Illinois

Illinois coach Bruce Weber said Thursday that Jeff Jordan was on scholarship for the second semester. This is great news and a testament to the work Jordan has put in for the Illini.

I'm sure being the son of Michael Jordan isn't an easy task to begin with, and turning down scholarship offers from various mid-majors to walk on at Illinois to earn a scholarship there is remarkable.

Jeff said that he wasn't expecting the scholarship to come so soon, but he has been part of the Illini rotation playing about nine minutes per game as a sophomore. Weber said that the staff is getting more confidence in Jordan every day.

Aside from the story of "hey look what's happening with Michael's kid!" I think that earning a scholarship says a lot about Jeff and about the Illini this year. For Jordan, to turn down the mid-majors and prove himself at Illinois shows he didn't want anything handed to him for being Jordan's son. Not only that, it shows that he is a legit D-1 basketball player and found his role as a defensive stopper that can knock down a mid-range jumper.

In terms of the Illini, I think any time you honor a role player with a scholarship it's good for the team. Not that Pruitt and Randle were bad guys, but without the two "stars" from the past few years, the Illini have becomed more of a balanced, team oriented club and it has led to a lot of success.

Saturday, Illinois will put their 8-game home winning streak on the line against a Wisconsin team coming off an OT loss to Iowa. The Badgers have won five straight against the Illini, including knocking them out of the last two Big Ten Tournaments.

I Just Can't Write Anymore About How The Bulls Suck, So Take It Away Pax

Apparently John Paxson has given a "State of The Bulls" address recently. He is pretty spot on regarding most of the things he talks about. Here are the highlights (Sorry about how long this is):

John Paxson was matter-of-fact and candid in delivering a midseason state-of-the-Bulls address Wednesday at the Berto Center, admitting the Bulls are "not very good right now" and acknowledging that he had failed to create the team he wants.

Know this about the Bulls' general manager: For all those who criticize him for failing to make a move or perhaps making the wrong one, Paxson already has pummeled himself over it.

On the first day of training camp, Paxson said his top priority was to re-create the selfless, hustling, lunch-bucket teams that made three straight playoff appearances under Scott Skiles from 2005-07.

Asked his assessment of where this season's team stood in that category, Paxson said, "It's not good enough."

Here's Paxson on a variety of topics:

On the Bulls' play: "I'm obviously not happy. I don't think my expectations were such going into the season thinking we were going to be a top-level team. But what I want to see is the team play together. And right now, through 40-plus games, we're not doing that. And that concerns me."

On the coaching staff: "The only person I'll evaluate right now is myself, and I obviously haven't done the job of putting the type of team I want on the floor in terms of competitiveness and effort. That falls on me."

On the possibility of a trade: "What's inhibiting a lot of deals is the luxury tax because you have a ton of teams right up against it. To do a deal, the dollars have to work within a very small amount of money. Paying the tax is a real issue, especially with some of the things going on in the world business-wise. It's just a smart move to be respectful of what that tax means.

"We're looking. And players can't be looking over their shoulder all the time either. They have to accept that they have to play and compete and perform. My job is to field that team. Right now, we're not the type of team that I want."

On the porous defense: "It's two things. The level of personal commitment to that side has to be there. And paying attention to whatever the scheme is you're trying to run. I know [coach Vinny Del Negro] and his staff have tried to simplify a lot of things we're doing defensively to try to get consistent at something. Even though we haven't always been consistent moving the ball offensively, I still think we can score enough. But we're giving up far too many points and far too many easy points. The defensive end has to get better, or we're going to continue like [this]."

On whether the Bulls purposely will clear salary-cap space to wait for the stellar 2010 free-agent class: "I want to try to make our team better today — 2010 is a long way off. There are always avenues you can go down to get off contracts. Teams like a lot of our pieces because they fit alongside an established star. I'm not saying they're offering a lot in return. And that's what we're trying to find, another established player to put alongside [ Derrick] Rose."

On whether Rose is regressing: "I wouldn't say that. I'm not sure what's expected. He's going to have games where he doesn't play as well as he would like. I haven't seen one rookie who doesn't have some ups and downs. He's playing very well."

On Luol Deng since returning from injury: "He has been good, real active. He's running the floor and doing the things he does well. We get mired in quick shots that always hurt you as a team. If they don't go in, you have no floor balance and your transition defense is poor. Then other guys start hunting for their shots because they haven't touched the ball for a while. Lu isn't a quick-shot player. He needs an offensive flow. When he's at his best, we're moving the ball."

On the inability to close out games: "We're not very good right now. We're not playing well enough to win those games. … The turnovers we had throwing the ball away in the backcourt, it's just concentration and focus. I'm not going to say I'm pleased we've been competing better because we want to win. I don't like where we're at. I don't think anybody does."

Seems like he isn't exactly standing behind Vinny very strongly. I wouldn't either. There is no reason to break this down any further, but at least its nice to hear him be somewhat honest and critical. Is a trade imminent? God I hope so. Here's a little illustration I found that may help us better understand what Pax is trying to do here:

Today's Links

• Vinny asked the media to ask his players if they respect him, minutes later Ben Gordon was seen cussing him out for getting fined because he broke some team rule. (***Update: The rule he broke was being late for a team flight). How long do we have to deal with this yahoo?
• The Chicago Bears may have a little "Groupthink" problem. Think about it.
  
• Jay Mariotti lashes out at Ebert and the Sun-Times. How long do we have to deal with this yahoo? (I know, I already asked that question).
• 50 Greatest basketball commercials of all time. MJ is all over the list.
  
• Top Ten Chicago sports championship moments. The Sox only won one championship TTCS, so why do they get 3 spots on the list?
• Are porno freaks and sports nuts on the same level as abominations in the eyes of God? Apparently.
• The Bears have the 18th pick in this draft. Here's a little history of the 18th pick in past drafts. A lot of solid contributors.
• Is Adam Dunn really only going to go for $5 million a year? I really wanted that guy, but that would be crazy.

Sick Double Alley-Oop in a High School Game

Self-Explanatory and awesome:

ESPN Credits Deadspin with McGwire Story

Jay McGwire's intention to write a book revealing the "McGwire family secret" was big news yesterday. The story led Sports Center and amazingly contained a credit to Deadspin, the original source.

I'm not an expert, so I don't know if Deadspin, or any other blog has been credited on ESPN's flagship program before. The guys at Awful Announcing would know if it's been done, and they seem to be of the opinion this is a first.

A win for the bloggers, via ESPN of all places. I suppose if you're going to get a big win in the sports media world, it almost has to come from ESPN. Kudos to Deadspin for the recognition and also to ESPN for, well, doing what it should. Here's the video:

Blackhawks go to All-Star Break with a Loss

The Blackhawks had lost just one of their first 43 games at the United Center this year in regulation. Two games later, that total is up to three with a 4-1 loss to Minnesota Monday and a 2-0 loss to St. Louis last night.

The Hawks enter the all-star break having lost three of four and seem to be having some trouble putting the puck in the net. Chances that were sure goals a month ago just aren't finding the twine, including a great chance for Dustin Byfuglien last night. The breaks that were going Chicago's way are now near misses, like a play last night when Matt Walker had a goal, but for a whistle sounding just before it was in.

People always debate about timing in sports. Does it pay to have a longer break before a playoff series? Is it a good thing to play a rival during a slump? I tend to think that these things don't matter as much as we think. Whether the team wins or loses determines what the media says in these situations and you have a "post hoc, ergo propter hoc" situation. Yeah, I'll bring the latin.

In the case of the Blackhawks though, I'll say the mini-slump comes at a good time, as they'll have a week to refocus and let these wounds fester a bit. The week also gives Duncan Keith some time to rest and get back on the ice when the second half starts up. The Hawks will need the vastly underrated defenseman when the games start up, as they will be on the road for 12 of their next 14 games. That will be a hell of a test for this young team coming out of the break.

Meanwhile, don't forget that Kane, Toews, and Campbell will be starting for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game Sunday at 5:oo Central Time, so tune in. Or, just come back here to see how it went down. Dave Bolland and Kris Versteeg will also be participating in the Young Stars game on Saturday.

Chicago's Worst Contracts

In honor of Larry Hughes and his terrible contract, I decided to write about the worst sports contracts that currently exist in Chicago. I didn't include any Bears contracts since none of the money is guaranteed, so the team can cut a bad contract pretty much anytime. God willing Hughes and all these people will be gone soon, but until then, here goes:

Almost Over
Larry Hughes ($13 million a year through 2010): The issues with Larry Hughes have been well-documented here. While his numbers haven't been horrendous this year, he is a notorious team cancer and he steals minutes from a team that is trying to develop it's young backcourt. Are we really better off with Hughes than we were with Ben Wallace? I think its a wash.

Jose Contreras ($10 million a year through 2009): Ok, so Contreras had an unbelievable 2005 season that was key to the Sox title run. He had a decent year in 2006 and was then rewarded with this 3 year deal which made some sense at the time. His numbers have slid since then, however, posting a 5.57 ERA in 2007 and a 4.54 in an injury-riddled 2008. 2009 remains to be seen, but his contract is up after this season, so he won't be a problem for long.


Too Early to Tell
Kirk Hinrich ($9.5 million a year through 2012): Kirk Hinrich seemed like he would be a solid contributor on the Bulls for years. He may have reached his ceiling, but the Bulls were willing to pay him a 4 year deal based on that ceiling. Unfortunately he had an awful awful year last season (along with the rest of the Bulls). With the acquisition of Rose, it now looks like even if he gets back to his former 16ppg and 6apg lines, there may not be a place for him in the lineup. It remains to be seen if he can play next to Rose.

Alfonso Soriano ($17 million a year through 2014): Obviously he has the potential to be great. Even without the steals that he used to put up in New York, his bat can still sing and carry the Cubs offense for long stretches. If he can stay healthy, this contract may not be that terrible. That being said, he claims that he is 33, but the truth is he is probably more like 35 or 36. That would make him 39 and 40 in the final years of his contract. Very few players production gets better or even stays the same at that age, excluding Barry Bonds of course.

Luol Deng ($11.5 million a year through 2014): It's way too soon to tell with Luol. I was reluctant to put him on this list at first, but if he cannot find his place in this offense, it may turn out being a bad contract. At this point it seems his best may be a second option, which is definitely not worth the $71 million he got. He is also coming off an injury and learning his place in a new offense. Only time will tell.

Cristobal Huet (4 years, $22.5 Mil): Huet's contract didn't look bad at all with Khabibulin struggling last year. Khabibulin's deal would have come close to topping this list a year ago actually. The Hawks signed Nikolai to a four year, $27 million deal when he was 32. Huet was also 32 when the Hawks inked him for $4.5 million less. However, with Khabibulin playing well, the Hawks have two goaltenders taking up two of their four biggest contracts. It's great to have a dependable backup, and it was nice of him to push Khabibulin to be decent, but that's a lot of money for a backup. Obviously the deal could end up being okay if Huet emerges as a starter when Bulin leaves, or the Hawks can use him as trade bait to get another defender or veteran scorer for the playoffs. Remember the Hawks still have promising youngster Corey Crawford waiting for his turn. (Thanks to StevieY19 for contributing on this one)

Just Plain Awful
Andres Nocioni ($7 million a year through 2012): This guy is terrible. Somehow his +/- is high, but that statistic is very misleading. He is not worth this money, but could be at least somewhat useful if used as a SMALL FORWARD (stop playing him at pf and c Vinny, we get killed on the glass!) in short bursts to bring energy off the bench. He can't guard anyone on defense and he is a black hole on offense. The one great thing about Nocioni is that someone somewhere will probably think he is a good piece to add to their team. But will Pax pull the trigger if he gets the chance? Probably not.

Kosuke Fukudome ($12 million a year through 2011): This one is painful for me. I bought a Kosuke jersey tee 2 days after they signed him last winter. He was unstoppable in April and May and even though I felt like a douche wearing a trendy Fukudome shirt, at least he was playing well. We all know what happened next. The bottom completely fell out. His performance from May onwards was horrendous. He is very good defensively and extremely patient at the plate, which makes him useful as a late inning defensive replacement and a pinch hitter; the highest-paid defensive replacement/pinch hitter in the National League. There is a slim chance he can adjust to major league pitching. Very slim.

Today's Links

• Northwestern stuns Michigan State in East Lansing. Kevin Coble had 31 points, helping end MSU's 28 game home winning streak.
• The winner of the million bucks at the Blackhawks game is revealed; says there was a lot of cursing when he won. Is it still "cursing" if done in a positive way?
• Harden won't play for Canada in the World Baseball Classic. USA! USA! Seriously, did anyone think there is a chance the Cubs would let him play?
• Blackhawks get shut out at home. That makes it back to back losses at the United Center. All-star break time.
• An argument against playoffs in CFB. Ownage of the idea a couple paragraphs down in this post.
• Now here is something worth exploring: Julius Peppers to the Bears?
• A ridiculous dunk. Just watch it.

NBA Mid-Way Point Power Rankings

With most NBA teams reaching the 41-game point, we are hitting the half-way mark of the NBA Season. And what better way to celebrate surviving this long than an NBA Power Rankings post. With some help from Dr. Internet himself I present to you these rankings in a Bill Simmons-esqe tiered division format:

The as Bad as the Economy Division

30. Washington Wizards- This team is going no where, even bringing Arenas back won't save them. It’s a sad day when the most interesting thing I can say about them is that rookie Javale McGee is the first NBA player whose Mom played in the WNBA.

29. Sacramento Kings-This is a team that has yet to win a game vs the Eastern Conference. 0-15. A lot of work to be done here and all they are doing is filling Rookie Jason Thompson's car with popcorn.

28. LA Clippers-This team is the NBA version of Samuel L. Jackson's character from Unbreakable. The Clippers had just wrapped up a 12 game losing streak, but the good news is that Eric Gordon has been averaging 21+ points since Baron Davis went to the DL.


The Kwame Brown Memorial Division- All potential

27. Oklahoma City Thunder-Since the Thunder fired PJ Carlesimo, the team has played some more inspired ball. Kevin Durant has shot close to 49% on FGs and about 26 ppg since the change. Also, Russell Westbrook has been coming on strong as well averaging 15-5-5 in that same time span.

26. Memphis Grizzlies- A team with a payroll half the size of the New York Knicks, and their highest paid guy is Antoine Walker. Right now they have two guys who can put up 20+ points against you on any night.( Mayo and Gay) But do they really have anything else???

25. Minnesota T-Wolves- Kevin Mchale fired the old coach and put himself at them helm of this team in the midst of a 13-game losing streak. Since then they are 9-3 with Randy Foye averaging 20 points on 50% FG shooting during the month of January.

The NHL Division(They are interesting occasionally, but really they suck)

24. Golden State Warriors- The Good news: Monta Ellis just came out and said he wants to be a Warrior for life. The Bad news: at 6 years and and $66 million he may be the only one. Meanwhile, Jamal Crawford is averaging 26 ppg and 6 apg in the month January.

23. Indiana Pacers- This team really missed Mike Dunleavy Jr. Without his veteran play and scoring ability, Indiana has the most loses(9) in games decided by 3 points or less. Now that he is back he has brought his ability to do this back into the equation.

22. Charlotte Bobcats- A team that should be horrific but has been helped by the coaching of Larry Brown and the addition of Raja Bell and Boris Diaw. While they are scoring the fewest ppg as a team,(91.2) they are basically in the top 5 in ppg allowed(93.9)

21. Toronto Raptors- What a difference a year makes. This team was once thought to be on the verge of being an Eastern Conference powerhouse, but now with 2010 looming are we going to start hearing Chris Bosh's name in the trading block rumor mill?

Playoffs. Playoffs?!?! But, Hey we're in the East!

20. Chicago Bulls- This team has not had a 3 game win streak since April of 2007. That's a year and a half of basketball without a 3 game win streak. Good News: Coach Vinny Del Negro thinks Derek Rose is a lock for ROY. Bad News: Vinny Del Negro had a thought.....

19.New York Knicks- Despite playing inspired basketball 66% of the time (compared to 2% of the time under Isaiah "it was my daughter" Thomas), there really wont be much here to talk about until July of 2010. The most interesting things about this team will come out in the NY tabloids. My guess for whats next, Eddy Curry and Zeke wake up together in bed of the penthouse of the 4 seasons hotel amongst several paparazzi there to capture their undying love for each other. And then Curry for good measure soils a towel and makes Zeke rub it all over his face.

18. Milwaukee Bucks- Is Michael Redd ready to step up and earn the contract he signed and lead this team? My guess is no, and he will be nothing more than a glorified shooter in this league, much like Allan Houston. Team going nowhere until the offense runs through somebody other than Redd. Oh and can we please stop saying how Bogut is finally starting to earn his worth as a #1 overall pick. When 12 ppg and 8 rpg for a career is "earning your worth" as a #1 overall pick then I will start getting myself in shape and playing college ball as I still have 4 years of NCAA eligibility left.

17. NJ Nets- For a team that traded 2 of its 3 best players in the past year, the Nets are outperforming expectations. But imagine if this team wasn't an abysmal 9-14 at home! And by the way Brook Lopez could steal Rookie of the Year, just ask anyone who isn't Vinny Del Negro.

16. Philadelphia 76ers- This team is better without Elton Brand on the court, pure and simple. When he was out there, players such as Thaddeus Young and Louis Williams actually regressed in their development as they were too focused on how to make Brand the focal point of the offense. The success of this team in the long run will depend on Brand actually being able to defer the spotlight to other players and play more of the 76ers run-n-gun game.

The Any Chance we Can Pull an Arizona Cardinals? Division

15. Miami Heat- For a team whose record is supremely average they are among the Top 5 in a couple very important categories. Top 5 overall player(Wade), Top 5 rookie( Beasley) and Top 5 in Most Tradable contract(Marion). With other assets like Haslem, Chalmers and one of the more underrated Coaches in Eric Spoelstra this team could be making some noise in the not to distant future.

14. Dallas Mavericks- During his MVP season in 06-07 Dirk Nowitzki was putting up 25 points, 9 boards with getting a block and hitting one 3-pointer every game. This year: 26ppg, 9rpg, 1bpg and 1 3pg. Wow, imagine if he had Devin Harris' 26 ppg and 6.5 apg on his squad?

13. Detroit Pistons- They have so many talented scorers in their backcourt but only so many shots to go around. With the emergence of Rodney Stuckey(19-5-5 in the month of January) who is going to start being a role player???

12. Utah Jazz-Carlos Boozer who? In his absence Paul Millsap has averaged 18 ppg and 12 rpg. I don't know if the Jazz just keep falling into talented PFs or that Jerry Sloan can just flat out coach 'em. Either way we can all be sure that Boozer will be wearing a different jersey next season.

11. Portland Trailblazers- With a 15-4 home record the Blazers are actually living up to the all that preseason hype. As of today they sit at the 6th seed in the West, could they win a playoff series? Maybe not, but all that young talent is going to get some very valuable playoff experience.

10. Atlanta Hawks- This team has talent at every position and now its time for them to step up. Joe Johnson looks tired and may not be able to carry the weight of a team on his shoulders for an entire season. Keep your eyes open for a resurgence from Mike Bibby.

9. Phoenix Suns- On paper this team is as good as any of the top dogs in the NBA. But are they all on the same page? Nash is clearly not the same player he was just 2 years ago when he averaged 19 ppg and 12 asp, as of today he is at 14 and 9. The good news: the Suns were 13-10 before the Jason Richardson trade and 10-5 since.

The Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone Division

8. Houston Rockets- What exactly has Ron Artest meant to this team? How bout absolutely nothing. Early in the season we saw lots of promise for a big three here but with T-Mac injured again(surprise surprise), that talk has quickly dissolved. Luckily for Houston they still have Yao(until he gets hurt), which seems to mean a solid 45-55 wins every season. But tell me this folks, do you honestly see this team getting out of the first round? Because I don't.

7. Denver Nuggets- Chauncey Billups has made all the difference in his return to Denver(27-13 since his arrival). Has it been Chauncey taking this team to the next level or was it more addition by subtraction by getting rid of Iverson. Clearly the AI/Melo experiment was a failure. We will find out more about this team in the next month when they will have to do it without their best player in Melo. Right now they are knocking on the door, can they knock it down?

6. San Antonio Spurs- Solid Team. Again. Expect anything different with the same roster since 1962? Well at least it feels that way. Ill have more to say about this team when I care to watch a game they play, which doesn't seem anytime soon because i estimate Ive already spent 150 hours watching this boring ass team that never changes. Mark em down for 50-60 wins easily. I hope they get eliminated from the playoffs early so I' not forced to watch them in the finals yet again.

5. New Orleans- - This team is evidence of how a great distributing point guard can simply make a career. Does anybody on this planet think that Tyson Chandler would be anything without Chris Paul? Take CP3 off this team and they are putrid. The fact that this team wouldn't win more than 20 games without Paul means, in my mind, that CP3 should be 1 or 2 in MVP voting every year that he is in the league. Besides him, LeBron and Wade are the two players just as important to his team. How much would I have to pay you to watch the Hornets minus Paul vs Cavs minus James. $100? $500???

Contenders

4. Boston Celtics-- Despite a rough stretch 2 weeks ago this team has seemed to galvanize itself and hit its stride. I've said it before and ill say it again, this year, the key to this team is Rajon Rondo. If he continues to play at a high level this team is virtually unstoppable. I would even go as far as to say he is more important to this team other than the Big Ticket, Kevin Garnett. Oh and please, can we stop talking about how Doc Rivers is a good coach? Talk about somebody who was dealt a royal flush and just didn't fold his cards. The guy couldn't cut it in Orlando, and he had one of the worst seasons in history before KG, Ray, and Rondo got there. Danny Ainge deserves all the credit for maintain his relationship with Mchale and KG is practically the coach on the court. By the way, does anybody curse more than Kevin Garnett on the court?

3. Orlando Magic- This team is making real strides. Jameer Nelson is the leader for most improved player right now. Dwight Howard is a beast as usual. Rashard Lewis, perhaps the most underrated and unassuming star in the league, is playing at an extremely high level. Here is the problem though. No depth. JJ Reddick is getting playing time! Extremely weak bench. Will need huge growth from rookie Courtney lee in the second half to maintain their excellence. Look for this team to make an under the radar deadline deal to improve the bench. This could be their time.

2. LA Lakers-Kobe Kobe Kobe. As much as I hate Kobe as a fan, I have to give him props for carrying this team on his shoulders. Finger injury could pose a problem but I don't anticipate it being as big as a factor as some other people. One issue with this team is that they are extremely soft defensively and have no physicality. You would think a team that was this close to an NBA Championship would be playing with some fire and intensity, but they are going on talent alone. If this team goes into an offensive slump in the playoffs that could spell surprising doom for them early in the playoffs. Right now they are the favorite in the west but it remains to be seen if they have the toughness it takes to go all the way.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers-Right now, they are the clear cut favorites in the East. The road to the NBA Championship will go through Lebron James. However I do think it is more important to this team to get the #1 seed in the East than any other team because of their home dominance. Against elite teams such as Boston and LA, they have hit bumps on the road. Although their road record is really respectable as well, this team is simply unbeatable at home. If they get the #1 seed in the playoffs, watch out.