OFFICIAL 2010-2011 NBA PLAYOFFS THREAD : VOL. MOST. ANTICIPATED. PLAYOFFS. EVER?

[hood17]

 

[JD617]

Mayo seems soft as $+%%. Probably got his glasses broken and his cardigan all stretched out

Like I said in the other thread, this is the guy you want to owe money to?

Here’s what may or may not have happened: Allen and his entourage were at a club, Allen spotted someone he had a previous beef with, turned to one of his boys, and said, “%%*+ him up.

 

[JD617]

Mayo seems soft as $+%%. Probably got his glasses broken and his cardigan all stretched out

Like I said in the other thread, this is the guy you want to owe money to?

Here’s what may or may not have happened: Allen and his entourage were at a club, Allen spotted someone he had a previous beef with, turned to one of his boys, and said, “%%*+ him up.

 

[Deleted member 38182]

Originally Posted by MrONegative

If Blake Griffin had played some of last year, who would be winning these Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards?

 @The thought of Demarcus winning that award

Good God


David Kahn brings the lulz

He sounds just like a regular dumb homer NT fan whenever he talks about his team

 

[Deleted member 38182]

Originally Posted by MrONegative

If Blake Griffin had played some of last year, who would be winning these Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards?

 @The thought of Demarcus winning that award

Good God


David Kahn brings the lulz

He sounds just like a regular dumb homer NT fan whenever he talks about his team

 

[japanair21]

On the previous page, the Mavs shorts picture.

That's Dominique Jones, the rookie combo-guard playing the Mavericks. He was recalled when Caron went down. Dojo is his nickname.

He wrote CB4 in honor of Caron.


Caron might've played his last minutes in a Mavericks uni. He's a UFA after this year, and his time in Dallas wasn't too appreciated. Fans around the League wanted Caron to be the "Robin," to Dirk's Batman. It wasn't going to happen IMO. Caron needed the ball in his hands if he was going to average 20+ a night. He was fully capable, as seen when Dirk went down. The way that Mavericks team is constructed though, there wouldn't be a "Robin," unless Dirk became that Robin and we brought in a superstar (ala Melo). The Mavs wanted to have 5-6 threats on offense every night, so a guy averaging more than 15 PPG wasn't going to happen.

I'll be more than happy to see if Caron re-signs here. I kind of doubt it, but I know he has enjoyed his time here in Dallas. The first issue this off-season will be to re-sign Tyson. Then, it'll probably to see if we can re-sign Caron.

Whatever happens, I appreciate what Caron brought to the team in his short stint here. He brought a positive attitude, left all the boohoo's in Washington and came here to play winning basketball. He was doing it for the first few months this season and really looked to be a valuable piece to this Mavericks team. His value is pretty much gone now other than being an expiring contract, but if he doesn't re-sign with Dallas, I wish him the best of luck.


As for the dunk contest... Serge? McGee?

Come on now. BJ and Griffin I'm intrigued by, but that's all.


Someone a few pages back mentioned the Pistons as being the most boring or whatever team? Yeah pretty much.

. Tayshaun is still a decent starting 3. Other than him, Will Bynum would be a good back-up point, and Stuckey would be nice off the bench. Other than that, yuck. Cleveland is almost equally as yucky, but not as much as the Pistons. I watched part of the LAL/DET game last night. Good lord was that hard to watch.

Lastly, congratulations to Kobe for surpassing 'Nique for 10th all time in scoring.

I can't wait for him to pass Shaq.

 

[japanair21]

On the previous page, the Mavs shorts picture.

That's Dominique Jones, the rookie combo-guard playing the Mavericks. He was recalled when Caron went down. Dojo is his nickname.

He wrote CB4 in honor of Caron.


Caron might've played his last minutes in a Mavericks uni. He's a UFA after this year, and his time in Dallas wasn't too appreciated. Fans around the League wanted Caron to be the "Robin," to Dirk's Batman. It wasn't going to happen IMO. Caron needed the ball in his hands if he was going to average 20+ a night. He was fully capable, as seen when Dirk went down. The way that Mavericks team is constructed though, there wouldn't be a "Robin," unless Dirk became that Robin and we brought in a superstar (ala Melo). The Mavs wanted to have 5-6 threats on offense every night, so a guy averaging more than 15 PPG wasn't going to happen.

I'll be more than happy to see if Caron re-signs here. I kind of doubt it, but I know he has enjoyed his time here in Dallas. The first issue this off-season will be to re-sign Tyson. Then, it'll probably to see if we can re-sign Caron.

Whatever happens, I appreciate what Caron brought to the team in his short stint here. He brought a positive attitude, left all the boohoo's in Washington and came here to play winning basketball. He was doing it for the first few months this season and really looked to be a valuable piece to this Mavericks team. His value is pretty much gone now other than being an expiring contract, but if he doesn't re-sign with Dallas, I wish him the best of luck.


As for the dunk contest... Serge? McGee?

Come on now. BJ and Griffin I'm intrigued by, but that's all.


Someone a few pages back mentioned the Pistons as being the most boring or whatever team? Yeah pretty much.

. Tayshaun is still a decent starting 3. Other than him, Will Bynum would be a good back-up point, and Stuckey would be nice off the bench. Other than that, yuck. Cleveland is almost equally as yucky, but not as much as the Pistons. I watched part of the LAL/DET game last night. Good lord was that hard to watch.

Lastly, congratulations to Kobe for surpassing 'Nique for 10th all time in scoring.

I can't wait for him to pass Shaq.

 

[you big dummy]

 

[you big dummy]

 

[scuse7]

Yeah not sure how they could expect him to be Robin when they have so many other options...

 

[scuse7]

Yeah not sure how they could expect him to be Robin when they have so many other options...

 

[hood17]

So it looks like Lebron is gonna get his wish.

Wolves have work to do if they hope to retain big man Love.
Chris Mannix










BOSTON -- There is no style to Kevin Love's rebounding -- no flash, no flair. He doesn't yank down one-handed boards, doesn't elevate and catch them above the rim. He doesn't overpower anyone in the trenches either, not at a listed 6-foot-10 (yeah, right) and with a body that could use the Tony Horton treatment. For the 22-year-old Love, rebounding is a science, a mixture of technique, intelligence and tenacity that he has blended together to transform himself into the best rebounder in the league.

Indeed, keeping Minnesota's Love off the glass has become a virtually impossible task. Big teams, small teams -- no one has had much success. He yanked down 31 rebounds against the Knicks in November on his way to becoming the first NBA player in 28 years to have a 30-point, 30-rebound game. About two weeks later, he grabbed 22 against San Antonio; three nights later, he grabbed another 22 against Golden State. He hasn't had a single-digit rebounding performance since before Thanksgiving, and his average (15.6) is more than two boards per game better than No. 2 on the list, Dwight Howard (13.2). In Monday's 96-93 loss to the Celtics, Love had more first-half rebounds (15) than everyone else combined, and he finished with 24 to go with 12 points. It marked his NBA-best 30th double-double and set a TD Garden record for most rebounds.

"Guys like him," said Shaquille O'Neal, "come around once every 10 years."

Love is the franchise player the Timberwolves have sought since they shipped Kevin Garnett out of town in 2007. He has drawn comparisons to Dennis Rodman and Jayson Williams and, in fact, may be more skilled than both. He is years away from his prime and his developing offense -- his scoring (20.6 points per game) and three-point shooting (42.5 percent) have skyrocketed this season -- suggests the best is yet to come.

The question is, Will those years come with the Wolves?

It hasn't been a smooth two and a half years for Love in Minnesota. He has clashed often with second-year coach Kurt Rambis -- mostly over playing time -- and although Love says the relationship has improved and that the two "are far more on the same page than we were," there are still rocky moments. With two minutes to go in the third quarter against Boston, Rambis sent rookie Wesley Johnson in for Love. An exasperated Love, who felt he had a good matchup with rookie Luke Harangody, argued with Rambis on the sideline until Rambis waved him toward the bench.

The losing has worn on Love, who desperately wants to win. And while Rambis points to the progress Minnesota has made this season and GM David Kahn talks about making the playoffs next season, the Wolves still have a long way to go. The core of the NBA's youngest team includes the unpredictable Michael Beasley and the unproven Johnson. They have lost all confidence in the No. 6 pick in the 2009 draft, Jonny Flynn, and plan to replace him with Euroleague superstar Ricky Rubio next season.

Love sees all of this, has absorbed it, processed it. Which is why he is complimentary of the Timberwolves' progress -- "I can see a light at the end of the tunnel," he said. "I couldn't see it last year" -- but he stops short of saying he plans to be in Minnesota for the long term. Love is eligible to sign a contract extension this summer but admits he does think about free agency, about having some control over his future.

"We'll see what happens with what David Kahn and the front office want to do," Love said. "If it's right, it's right. If it's not, it's not. I could end up somewhere else. I just want to play for a team that wants to win at this point. At this point, I just want to win now."

Wherever Love goes, he won't come cheap. The five-year, $60 million extensions signed by Joakim Noah and Al Horford last year will likely be Love's starting point in negotiations. And his deal could be bigger. When asked what kind of contract Love could be in line for this summer, one league executive's answer was succinct: Max.

Then there is this: Love told SI.com that during last summer's World Championship in Turkey he had conversations with USA Basketball teammates Russell Westbrook (who played with Love at UCLA) and Derrick Rose about the possibility of someday teaming up in the NBA. Oklahoma City's Westbrook and Chicago's Rose are also permitted to sign extensions this summer.

"We all talk about playing together," Love said. "It's fun to talk about. When the time comes, we'll assess the situation and figure it out."

Minnesota will have to assess the situation, too. Quickly. The Timberwolves have one more year until Love can become a restricted free agent, one more year to shore up the roster. If they don't, it won't be long before the team Love will be controlling the boards against is them.

 

[hood17]

So it looks like Lebron is gonna get his wish.

Wolves have work to do if they hope to retain big man Love.
Chris Mannix










BOSTON -- There is no style to Kevin Love's rebounding -- no flash, no flair. He doesn't yank down one-handed boards, doesn't elevate and catch them above the rim. He doesn't overpower anyone in the trenches either, not at a listed 6-foot-10 (yeah, right) and with a body that could use the Tony Horton treatment. For the 22-year-old Love, rebounding is a science, a mixture of technique, intelligence and tenacity that he has blended together to transform himself into the best rebounder in the league.

Indeed, keeping Minnesota's Love off the glass has become a virtually impossible task. Big teams, small teams -- no one has had much success. He yanked down 31 rebounds against the Knicks in November on his way to becoming the first NBA player in 28 years to have a 30-point, 30-rebound game. About two weeks later, he grabbed 22 against San Antonio; three nights later, he grabbed another 22 against Golden State. He hasn't had a single-digit rebounding performance since before Thanksgiving, and his average (15.6) is more than two boards per game better than No. 2 on the list, Dwight Howard (13.2). In Monday's 96-93 loss to the Celtics, Love had more first-half rebounds (15) than everyone else combined, and he finished with 24 to go with 12 points. It marked his NBA-best 30th double-double and set a TD Garden record for most rebounds.

"Guys like him," said Shaquille O'Neal, "come around once every 10 years."

Love is the franchise player the Timberwolves have sought since they shipped Kevin Garnett out of town in 2007. He has drawn comparisons to Dennis Rodman and Jayson Williams and, in fact, may be more skilled than both. He is years away from his prime and his developing offense -- his scoring (20.6 points per game) and three-point shooting (42.5 percent) have skyrocketed this season -- suggests the best is yet to come.

The question is, Will those years come with the Wolves?

It hasn't been a smooth two and a half years for Love in Minnesota. He has clashed often with second-year coach Kurt Rambis -- mostly over playing time -- and although Love says the relationship has improved and that the two "are far more on the same page than we were," there are still rocky moments. With two minutes to go in the third quarter against Boston, Rambis sent rookie Wesley Johnson in for Love. An exasperated Love, who felt he had a good matchup with rookie Luke Harangody, argued with Rambis on the sideline until Rambis waved him toward the bench.

The losing has worn on Love, who desperately wants to win. And while Rambis points to the progress Minnesota has made this season and GM David Kahn talks about making the playoffs next season, the Wolves still have a long way to go. The core of the NBA's youngest team includes the unpredictable Michael Beasley and the unproven Johnson. They have lost all confidence in the No. 6 pick in the 2009 draft, Jonny Flynn, and plan to replace him with Euroleague superstar Ricky Rubio next season.

Love sees all of this, has absorbed it, processed it. Which is why he is complimentary of the Timberwolves' progress -- "I can see a light at the end of the tunnel," he said. "I couldn't see it last year" -- but he stops short of saying he plans to be in Minnesota for the long term. Love is eligible to sign a contract extension this summer but admits he does think about free agency, about having some control over his future.

"We'll see what happens with what David Kahn and the front office want to do," Love said. "If it's right, it's right. If it's not, it's not. I could end up somewhere else. I just want to play for a team that wants to win at this point. At this point, I just want to win now."

Wherever Love goes, he won't come cheap. The five-year, $60 million extensions signed by Joakim Noah and Al Horford last year will likely be Love's starting point in negotiations. And his deal could be bigger. When asked what kind of contract Love could be in line for this summer, one league executive's answer was succinct: Max.

Then there is this: Love told SI.com that during last summer's World Championship in Turkey he had conversations with USA Basketball teammates Russell Westbrook (who played with Love at UCLA) and Derrick Rose about the possibility of someday teaming up in the NBA. Oklahoma City's Westbrook and Chicago's Rose are also permitted to sign extensions this summer.

"We all talk about playing together," Love said. "It's fun to talk about. When the time comes, we'll assess the situation and figure it out."

Minnesota will have to assess the situation, too. Quickly. The Timberwolves have one more year until Love can become a restricted free agent, one more year to shore up the roster. If they don't, it won't be long before the team Love will be controlling the boards against is them.

 

[CP1708]

I would cry if Love went to OKC. 

I could totally see him working out there, but there is no way in hell that Rose and Westbrook would work on a team.  No way.  Bron and Wade they are not.  I can't see that at all.  So Love is going to have to pick one or the other, and one has Kevin Durant, the other has Noah and Boozer in his way.  So.......


Or, Rambis could make up for McHale helpin out the Celts by sendin us Love for Joe Smith or somethin.  And then Westbrook can join him in LA.  Along with OJ. 

Mitch has a plan, and I support it. 

 

[CP1708]

I would cry if Love went to OKC. 

I could totally see him working out there, but there is no way in hell that Rose and Westbrook would work on a team.  No way.  Bron and Wade they are not.  I can't see that at all.  So Love is going to have to pick one or the other, and one has Kevin Durant, the other has Noah and Boozer in his way.  So.......


Or, Rambis could make up for McHale helpin out the Celts by sendin us Love for Joe Smith or somethin.  And then Westbrook can join him in LA.  Along with OJ. 

Mitch has a plan, and I support it. 

 

[Deleted member 38182]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Or, Rambis could make up for McHale helpin out the Celts by sendin us Love for Joe Smith or somethin.  And then Westbrook can join him in LA.  Along with OJ. 

Mitch has a plan, and I support it. 

 

[Deleted member 38182]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Or, Rambis could make up for McHale helpin out the Celts by sendin us Love for Joe Smith or somethin.  And then Westbrook can join him in LA.  Along with OJ. 

Mitch has a plan, and I support it. 

 

[proshares]

Steve Nash is trying to get the Phoenix Suns, who are four games below .500, turned around.
Sometimes bad things happen to good people.

Take the Phoenix Suns, for instance. Ask anyone in the NBA to make a list of the league's good guys, and Grant Hill, Steve Nash and Alvin Gentry are assuredly going to be someplace near the top. Top to bottom, in fact, Phoenix's locker room may be the most pleasant in basketball.

Their play, alas, has not been. After winning 54 games and roaring to the conference finals a year ago -- losing only after an epic midrange shooting performance by the Lakers, as the esteemed M. Haubs noted at the time -- the Suns suddenly find themselves lost in the wilderness. Heading into tonight's conference finals rematch with L.A., the Suns are just 14-18, and today's Playoff Odds give them only a 10.2 percent chance of returning to the postseason.

What the heck happened? Bad management, basically.

After owner Robert Sarver's nickel-and-diming led to Steve Kerr's exit as general manager, he tried to do the job himself over the summer and violated the Hippocratic rule of franchise stewardship: First, do no harm. Multiyear deals to role players like Channing Frye, Hakim Warrick and Josh Childress squandered the team's cap space without appreciably improving its on-court prospects. An extension to Jared Dudley further tied up money, and while Dudley is fairly young and not a bad player, the Suns didn't seem to consider that you can play only one small forward at a time.

More puzzling was the team's decisions to let Amare Stoudemire and Louis Amundson walk. In a vacuum, not wanting to give Stoudemire five years was defensible given the long-term health question marks with his knees and eye. But making that choice and then giving Frye and Childress five-year deals made no sense at all; signing middling midcareer players to such long-term deals, historically, has been at least as risky as signing a superstar with injury questions, with the history of midlevel exception signings (as both Childress' and Frye's were) being particularly awful.

The noninterest in Amundson, meanwhile, was just baffling. A perfect complement for Frye given his willingness to do the interior dirty work, his departure was one of the reasons trading for Marcin Gortat became so imperative. Instead the Suns paid substantially more money for Warrick, an occasionally spectacular finisher who plays virtually no defense.

More damage was done after Sarver finally stopped playing armchair GM and hired former agent Lon Babby to fill the role. The puzzling trade of Leandro Barbosa for Hedo Turkoglu robbed the Suns of a bench energizer and added a piece who didn't fit -- Turkoglu could neither play the 4, as they hoped, nor play effectively off the ball while Nash and Goran Dragic handled it.

More recently, the trade of Turkoglu, Earl Clark and Jason Richardson to Orlando for Gortat, Vince Carter and Mickael Pietrus represents a new direction -- but it was also the final step in the destruction of the old Suns.

For six straight seasons with Nash at the helm, the Suns ranked first in the NBA in offensive efficiency, including a couple of the best offensive seasons of all time. No longer: Phoenix is a mere third in offensive efficiency, even though Nash is having one of his best individual seasons.

Losing Stoudemire, obviously, is the biggest reason -- his New York team's 108.5 mark nearly matches the Suns' 108.6. But there's also an insidious, less-discussed fact: The 3-point threat just isn't there anymore, for the most part. Throughout the Nash era, Phoenix's success has been predicated on surrounding Nash with lethal 3-point shooters, making it virtually impossible to help on the pick-and-roll and affording Nash plenty of room to carve up opposing defenses.

But now where are those feared bombers? Even before the trade, the Suns were just eighth in 3-point percentage and fourth in makes per game -- after setting a league record at the current distance of 23 feet, 9 inches, with 41.2 percent shooting in 2009-10.

And after the trade? Richardson's 41.9 percent shooting is gone, and so is Turkoglu's 42.3 percent (shooting 3s was the one thing he did well as a Sun). Replacing them are Carter, a 35.1 percent marksman, and Pietrus, at 37.8 percent. That's decent, but hardly the stuff of opposing coaches' nightmares.

The other offseason imports have similar weaknesses. Warrick and Childress have combined for zero 3-pointers this year. Holdover Grant Hill has made six. Compared to the league average, the floor-spacing weapons that Phoenix used to assault opponents with at nearly all 10 rotation spots now basically consist of Nash and Frye. Not a single current Sun is shooting above 40 percent on 3s -- a startling decline given that the team shot 41.2 percent on 3s last year.

Meanwhile, Phoenix's defense has been horrific: The Suns rank last in the NBA in both defensive efficiency and rebound rate, with the frontcourt defections the biggest reason. While Stoudemire was widely criticized for not playing better defense, he was at least passable in this department, and Amundson was quite good. Meanwhile, the new acquisitions -- Warrick, Turkoglu and Childress -- have been uniformly awful in this respect.

The Orlando trade should at least make them better at this end. Pietrus is a good, if inconsistent, defender, and Carter is a better defensive player than Richardson. Additionally, Gortat teams with Robin Lopez to give the Suns two real, live NBA centers for the first time since Arizona achieved statehood.

Nonetheless, it feels like something deeper than just a slump here. The Suns' basic identity was lost as a result of the trades. They're no longer a 3-point shooting team, and they still probably won't defend that well, so we're left to wonder what, exactly, they are at this point.

What they are, I suspect, is a team on the verge of rebuilding, even if nobody in Phoenix is using that word yet. Which takes us to the big-picture question that is already driving Suns fans crazy, even if the management won't concede it as an issue: Under what conditions would they consider blowing this thing up?

Obviously it makes sense to play this thing out a bit further -- they just nuked the roster with the Orlando trade and they'll want to see if the revamped roster can play enough defense to support a good-but-no-longer-great offensive attack.

Nonetheless, we're not real optimistic here at Hollinger HQ, especially since it will probably take 44 wins or so just to get the eighth seed in the West -- requiring a 30-20 finish from the orange. It may take this unit a while to peak, too, as they still seem confused about which rotations will work best at spots 2 through 5. (My suggestion: Start Frye and Gortat up front, bring Lopez and Warrick off the bench behind them, use Dudley, Hill and Carter at the wings, fill in any gaps with Pietrus, and break the glass on Childress only in case of fire.)

But if they're lottery bound, it's hard to see how they get any better after this season. Phoenix is an older team that's painted itself into a corner with lengthy midlevel deals to second-tier talents. Phoenix won't have much cap room next summer even if it goes ahead with a likely buyout of Carter for $4 million, and even if it doesn't invite back Hill.

Which takes us to the elephant in the room: Steve Nash. If the Suns do decide to rebuild, then obviously it makes sense to trade Nash while they still could command a huge ransom for his services. Although Nash is 36 years old, he remains among the most efficient offensive operators in basketball -- indeed, in all of basketball history.

As such, one presumes he would command heavenly sums from contending-but-still-a-player-short teams like Orlando (again), Dallas, or perhaps even Portland. The Knicks, given the presence of Stoudemire and Mike D'Antoni, also present an intriguing possibility. So do the Hawks, if they could muster the gumption to take a risk or two, and the Rockets, who might score 300 points a game with Nash and Kevin Martin in the same backcourt.

While such a move would risk angering the Suns' fan base, basketball-wise the temptation is obvious. Phoenix needs to get both younger and more cap-friendly in a hurry, and Nash could be the chip that allows it to accomplish both. Trading him for an expiring contract and/or existing cap exceptions, and sticking the winner of the Nash bidding with Childress, would open up nearly $18 million more in cap room (under the current rules). Given the desirability of the Suns as a market -- the climate, the system, the player-friendly history -- they can out-compete most teams in the free-agent market, so cap space is worth more to this organization than most.

The Suns would probably also want young players and/or draft picks in such a deal, which could necessitate a third team's involvement: Most clubs I listed above have slim pickings in this regard. Nonetheless, there should be a wide variety of fair deals that could get done, and there would certainly be heavy interest in Nash's services.

The exact terms are a discussion for February. But I bring up the notion now, because it's what's at stake for the Suns over the next two months. No less than the future direction of their franchise will be decided by whether they can recover in the coming weeks.

I'm not betting on it, which is why I'm betting on a full-scale demolition project in Phoenix at the trade deadline. It didn't have to be this way, given how promising things looked for this organization last spring. But unfortunately for the swell guys on the Suns, that's how it is.

Who wouldn't want to see Nash playing alongside Kevin Durant in OKC?

After a trip to the conference finals last season, the prospects in Phoenix Suns land have changed from scorching-hot to bitter-cold in seemingly no time.

Currently sporting a 14-18 record, the Suns are losers of nine of their past 12 games, with the latest defeat coming at the hands of the Sacramento Kings -- the team with the worst record in the NBA. To make matters worse, Phoenix is slated to play a winning team in five of its next seven games, beginning with the Lakers at home Wednesday night.

In a desperate move to shake things up and fortify the defense, the Suns executed a blockbuster December trade with the similarly underachieving Orlando Magic, netting Mickael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat and Vince Carter in exchange for Hedo Turkoglu, Earl Clark and Jason Richardson. The deal was supposed to revive the Suns' playoff hopes. But Phoenix has gone 1-4 with its new pieces.

Then there's Steve Nash, who's standing on the bow of a sinking ship. The former MVP continues to play brilliantly at the point guard position, averaging 17.2 points and 10.6 assists while ranking sixth leaguewide in player efficiency rating (24.1). This despite being a month from celebrating his 37th birthday and playing innocent bystander through the organization's painful overhaul.

So what to do with Nash? Here are the variety of options the Suns face.

Trading Nash, the beloved face of the franchise, would be an embarrassing admission that the franchise struck out replacing Amare Stoudemire during the summer and whiffed again on its latest trade with Orlando. Furthermore, a Nash deal would be a crushing blow to the fan base, so keeping him in purple and orange would make a lot of sense for an organization trying to save face.

That said, the NBA is a business. Sure, Nash keeps fans in the seats, but how long will that last on a 30-win team? As it stands, there's little chance that the Suns will rally for a playoff spot -- John Hollinger's playoff odds say there's about a 90 percent chance the team will be left out of the dance. The sobering reality is that we may watch Nash spend what could be his precious final years in an NBA uniform toiling around on a lottery team. It's a sad final act for a uniquely talented playmaker of this generation.

The Suns are going nowhere fast, and holding on to Nash could cause the situation to turn ugly even faster. The front office runs the risk of a nightmarish trade-me-now scenario should Phoenix continue to nosedive in the standings.

But there's another option: admit that Nash and his contract make no sense on a middling team and explore the trade market. But where should the Suns look? Here are three suitors who could provide a good fit in such a scenario.

[h3]New York Knicks[/h3]
From a basketball standpoint, the Knicks seem like a perfect fit. Donnie Walsh could get the ol' band back together and reunite Nash with Stoudemire and former coach Mike D'Antoni. But several obstacles stand in New York's way. For one, the Knicks don't have the crucial asset that a rebuilding team would covet in a deal: a bundle of future draft picks. To free up cap space to bring in headline talents this past summer, the Knicks had to surrender their future picks in a deadline deal with the Houston Rockets. Furthermore, a trade for Nash also likely would take them out of the bidding for Carmelo Anthony's services. To get the star point guard, the Knicks would have to relinquish Eddy Curry's contract and add more to the payroll through next season, making it tougher to sign Anthony as a free agent if they can't swing a deal at the trade deadline. The Knicks would have to procure a third team in the trade to give the Suns a worthy package.

[h3]Houston Rockets[/h3]
One league source pointed to Houston as the team the Suns should keep on speed dial in the event that Nash wants out, since they have a bundle of assets that could hit the reset button for a rebuilding team. The Rockets can flaunt Yao Ming's expiring deal (with half the salary picked up by insurance), a 2011 first-rounder, the league's reigning Most Improved Player Aaron Brooks and another expiring deal in Jared Jeffries or Shane Battier. If the Suns' front office wants to save money, unload some contracts and build for the future, the Rockets need to be on their list of suitors. Replacing Brooks with Nash would instantly turn Houston into one of the NBA's most efficient and high-octane offenses. With Kevin Martin, Battier and Brad Miller, the Rockets already have a three-point arsenal to rival that of any other team in the league. And don't let the record fool you: Houston's point differential suggests that even though the standings say it's 16-18, it's more like an 18-16 squad.

[h3]Oklahoma City Thunder[/h3]
The league is chock full of build-around point guards, which has cut down the pool of potential suitors to only a few candidates. But Oklahoma City's situation is unique, because what makes Russell Westbrook an elite point guard is his elite scoring ability. And one league source believes that's exactly why the Thunder would be the scariest team in the Nash sweepstakes. "They would be unbelievable with Nash," the source said. "What they really need is a center, but if Nash walks onto the court, he makes them better than any piece that Oklahoma City could add. It would take Westbrook to a whole new place as a player, since he can create at the 2." The Thunder are flush with assets, including the Clippers' 2012 first-rounder (top-10-protected), Morris Peterson and Nenad Krstic's expiring contracts as well as a promising young player in James Harden.

As part of the rookie orientation program, the NBA should teach the baseball story of Wally Pipp and Lou Gehrig. You remember Pipp, the guy most famous for being replaced for one game by Gehrig, who then went on to set an incredible record of 2,130 consecutive games played. It's a great lesson: Every day is a chance to improve your career. No matter what has happened in the past, an opportunity to play is an opportunity to restart.

You know who's been studying Pipp? I'll give you a hint: He had never scored in double figures this season before busting out with three consecutive games of 17, 11 and 13 points (on 15-for-28 shooting) to go with 14 boards during that span. His team won two of those games in its fight to be a top-four seed in the West. And just before those games, he had been one of the league's lowest-performing players.

Who is he? None other than Utah's Gordon Hayward, who finally looks like the player we saw in college.

[h4]ROOKIE 50 RANKINGS[/h4]

We're keeping track of every NBA rook. Here are the latest Top 50 rankings.
[table][tr][th=""]Rank[/th][th=""]Player[/th][th=""]Stock[/th][/tr][tr][td]1[/td][td]Blake Griffin[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]2[/td][td]John Wall[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]3[/td][td]Landry Fields[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]4[/td][td]Gary Neal[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]5[/td][td]DeMarcus Cousins[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]6[/td][td]Derrick Favors[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]7[/td][td]Gary Forbes[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]8[/td][td]Ed Davis[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]9[/td][td]Wesley Johnson[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]10[/td][td]Al-Farouq Aminu[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][/table]
• Click here for the complete rankings »

It's only three games, sure, but when they are so different from what we had seen from him, it bears looking deeper into what transpired. Hayward played with tremendous hustle at Butler, but early on in his NBA career, all I saw was a casualness that suggested he thought he was a can't-miss prospect. Now, after a disastrous first seven-plus weeks, it appears Hayward began to understand that anything less than an all-out effort was going to doom him to comparisons to Adam Morrison.

So Hayward began attacking the rim, going after loose balls, making hustle plays everywhere and even earning some terrific dunks. He made some shots, too, which always helps, but my guess is he did so because he was feeling better about his overall game. It's a pretty common occurrence: players finding their shooting stroke only after improving other parts of their game.

Hayward always has been a guy who plays with more toughness than you'd think just from looking at him, and that part of his game has returned. It's a good thing, because guess how he was rewarded for those three excellent games? He played just six minutes in Utah's next game against Detroit. But at least he's shown some life as a player and reminded the Jazz brass of why they drafted him in the first place. As long as he maintains that edge, he'll keep earning chances.

For the rest of this season, Hayward has to try to play the part of Lou Gehrig, replacing a starter permanently every chance he gets. Next season, he could be Wally Pipp, fighting off a new draft pick who's trying to replace him in the rotation. Such is life in the ever-competitive NBA.

Hayward's improved play has moved him up in our overall rankings, but he's still not in the top 10. Let's check in on those 10 guys and see their latest successes and failures.
[h3]Top 10 rookies[/h3]

Griffin​

1. Blake Griffin, Clippers
It's difficult to overstate just how consistently impressive Griffin's play has been the past few weeks. Try these stats on for size: He's scored 20 or more points in 10 straight games dating back to Dec. 12. He's grabbed at least 10 rebounds in 20 straight games with at least 11 boards in 19 of those games. Those are beastly numbers indeed, not for a rookie but for any player.

But we're not done. Griffin dished out at least two assists in every game in December and had a block or a steal (or both) in all but two games last month.

Bottom line? He's impacting the game in every way except 3-point shooting. And don't be surprised if he learns how to help the Clippers in that area in the not-too-distant future.

Wall​

2. John Wall, Wizards
Wall finally returned from injury last week and looked rusty -- he committed 15 turnovers combined on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Most of those turnovers were caused by a general casualness in his passing attempts along with defenders playing him for the pass.

Wall will learn, and perhaps already has, that he always has to be locked in and ready to be a scoring threat. That will force defenders to play him honestly and cut his scoring angles off, which will then allow him to make the pass he's looking for. And if he stays sharp and defenses continue to focus on his passing too much, he could easily burst out a 30-point game in the coming week.

Fields​

3. Landry Fields, Knicks
I always look to see how a player performs after two bad games. Does he find a way to stop the poor game streak? Or does he let the streak snowball?

Fields had his worst shooting game of the season against Miami on Dec. 28, going 1-for-6 from the floor (0-for-4 from 3). He followed that up with an 0-for-3 effort against Orlando on Thursday, which was his first scoreless game all season.

So did he feel sorry for himself and wallow in self-pity against Indiana two nights later? No. He scored 10 points, hit 2 of 4 3-pointers and blocked 2 shots, as the Knicks got their first win in 2011. Minimizing poor game streaks is a great way to build trust from your coaches.

Neal​

4. Gary Neal, Spurs
What if I told you that a rookie scored 22, 22 and 21 points recently while helping his team beat Phoenix, Denver and Dallas (on the road)? Would you ever guess that Neal was that rookie? Neither would I. But it happened.

Neal has really grown comfortable in his role as designated 3-point bombardier -- against the Nuggets and Mavs, he made 10 of his 15 3-point attempts. However, it's the game against the Suns that intrigued me, as he made just 1 of 6 attempts from downtown yet still scored 22 points.

Against a team that tries hard not to send guys to the free throw line, Neal made 7 of 8 free throws while also making 6 of 8 2-point attempts. That's called finding a way to be effective, and it's why he'll end up being a very important player in the playoffs in the spring. He's more than just a deep shooter.

Cousins​

5. DeMarcus Cousins, Kings
Nene, Marc Gasol and Marcin Gortat. Cousins turned those three centers into toast during the holiday weekend, scoring 69 points on 46 shots. And he did it in every way possible. Smash-and-grab buckets in the paint. Sweet post moves. Soft midrange jumpers. He also collected 32 boards (including 16 against Memphis) in those contests.

It's possible that for the first time this season, Cousins' teammates realized he's their best talent, and it could mean more late-game touches for the big rookie. In fact, in the Kings' comeback win over Phoenix, Cousins poured in 13 points in the fourth quarter while Tyreke Evans watched from the bench.

One thing is certain: Cousins has put together far more good games than bad ones during the past five weeks and is looking like the player we all knew he could be.

Favors​

6. Derrick Favors, Nets
If you just looked at box scores, it would be difficult to understand why teams (like Denver) value Favors so highly. But if you watched him on tape, you'd see uber-athletic finishes above the rim, left-handed extension layups, left-hand hooks in traffic, power tip dunks and the foundation for an excellent jump shot.

And if you looked closer, you'd see a young Amare Stoudemire. Watch how quickly and deftly he weaves through traffic after catching a pass while rolling through the key. Guys that big tend not to be that quick and nimble.

Favors has shown enough to compel his coach to play him 30-plus minutes for a month straight just to see what the Nets actually have in him.

Forbes​

7. Gary Forbes, Nuggets
Why did George Karl play Forbes important minutes against the Kings despite having Melo back and after seeing Forbes make just two of his previous 14 shots the past two games? The answer is simple: Forbes gives Denver another wing player (besides Arron Afflalo) who can thrive on defense. His energy often makes a difference for Denver's second unit, and his length helps him excel on closeouts, something the Nuggets need help with.

Karl's decision paid off, as Forbes made 4 of 8 shots in that game and scored 11 points total while playing his normally solid defense.

Davis​

8. Ed Davis, Raptors
Fields may be the steal of the draft, but Davis might end up being the steal of the lottery. His 17-point, 12-rebound, 3-block, 3-steal performance in Dallas on Dec. 28 is one of the gems of this class thus far. I don't care that Dirk Nowitzki didn't play; Toronto was missing lots of regulars, too.

Which brings me to this: Davis has to be playing a lot for this team because he's showing that he might be a strong scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker. Although he might not end up being strong in any of those categories, the idea that he could be strong in any or all three areas is an exciting development for Raptors fans, especially considering Toronto nabbed him late in the lottery. And remember, he's months behind his fellow rookies in terms of his development because of his leg injury.

Johnson​

9. Wesley Johnson, Timberwolves
It's not fair to judge Johnson for his style of play and overall production relative to his draft position. He didn't draft himself at the No. 4 spot. His job is to play to the best of his abilities. And if he never grows beyond what he is now, he's still going to be a solid player.

What is he now? Well, we know he'll be a shooter. After a rough three games in October, he nailed 37.5 percent of his shots from 3 in November, then topped that to the tune of 44.8 percent from downtown in December. He's quick to pull the trigger but rarely when guarded, especially early in the shot clock. So his shot selection is already solid. And he's been a steady starter and contributor for an improved team.

Aminu​

10. Al-Farouq Aminu, Clippers
There's a scramble each week for the last spot in our top 10. This week Aminu gets the nod thanks to improved rebounding in his past two games of 2010. He grabbed eight boards in each of those games, with four coming off the offensive glass. Although neither number is eye-popping, this marked the first time he grabbed eight boards in two straight games. (He had eight boards two other times this season.)

Then he started 2011 with five boards in 19 minutes. Again, nothing spectacular. But this is how the trickle becomes a steady flow. Consistent production from that part of his game can mean more playing time and is a sign that Aminu is figuring out his unique package of physical talents as an NBA forward.

 

[proshares]

Steve Nash is trying to get the Phoenix Suns, who are four games below .500, turned around.
Sometimes bad things happen to good people.

Take the Phoenix Suns, for instance. Ask anyone in the NBA to make a list of the league's good guys, and Grant Hill, Steve Nash and Alvin Gentry are assuredly going to be someplace near the top. Top to bottom, in fact, Phoenix's locker room may be the most pleasant in basketball.

Their play, alas, has not been. After winning 54 games and roaring to the conference finals a year ago -- losing only after an epic midrange shooting performance by the Lakers, as the esteemed M. Haubs noted at the time -- the Suns suddenly find themselves lost in the wilderness. Heading into tonight's conference finals rematch with L.A., the Suns are just 14-18, and today's Playoff Odds give them only a 10.2 percent chance of returning to the postseason.

What the heck happened? Bad management, basically.

After owner Robert Sarver's nickel-and-diming led to Steve Kerr's exit as general manager, he tried to do the job himself over the summer and violated the Hippocratic rule of franchise stewardship: First, do no harm. Multiyear deals to role players like Channing Frye, Hakim Warrick and Josh Childress squandered the team's cap space without appreciably improving its on-court prospects. An extension to Jared Dudley further tied up money, and while Dudley is fairly young and not a bad player, the Suns didn't seem to consider that you can play only one small forward at a time.

More puzzling was the team's decisions to let Amare Stoudemire and Louis Amundson walk. In a vacuum, not wanting to give Stoudemire five years was defensible given the long-term health question marks with his knees and eye. But making that choice and then giving Frye and Childress five-year deals made no sense at all; signing middling midcareer players to such long-term deals, historically, has been at least as risky as signing a superstar with injury questions, with the history of midlevel exception signings (as both Childress' and Frye's were) being particularly awful.

The noninterest in Amundson, meanwhile, was just baffling. A perfect complement for Frye given his willingness to do the interior dirty work, his departure was one of the reasons trading for Marcin Gortat became so imperative. Instead the Suns paid substantially more money for Warrick, an occasionally spectacular finisher who plays virtually no defense.

More damage was done after Sarver finally stopped playing armchair GM and hired former agent Lon Babby to fill the role. The puzzling trade of Leandro Barbosa for Hedo Turkoglu robbed the Suns of a bench energizer and added a piece who didn't fit -- Turkoglu could neither play the 4, as they hoped, nor play effectively off the ball while Nash and Goran Dragic handled it.

More recently, the trade of Turkoglu, Earl Clark and Jason Richardson to Orlando for Gortat, Vince Carter and Mickael Pietrus represents a new direction -- but it was also the final step in the destruction of the old Suns.

For six straight seasons with Nash at the helm, the Suns ranked first in the NBA in offensive efficiency, including a couple of the best offensive seasons of all time. No longer: Phoenix is a mere third in offensive efficiency, even though Nash is having one of his best individual seasons.

Losing Stoudemire, obviously, is the biggest reason -- his New York team's 108.5 mark nearly matches the Suns' 108.6. But there's also an insidious, less-discussed fact: The 3-point threat just isn't there anymore, for the most part. Throughout the Nash era, Phoenix's success has been predicated on surrounding Nash with lethal 3-point shooters, making it virtually impossible to help on the pick-and-roll and affording Nash plenty of room to carve up opposing defenses.

But now where are those feared bombers? Even before the trade, the Suns were just eighth in 3-point percentage and fourth in makes per game -- after setting a league record at the current distance of 23 feet, 9 inches, with 41.2 percent shooting in 2009-10.

And after the trade? Richardson's 41.9 percent shooting is gone, and so is Turkoglu's 42.3 percent (shooting 3s was the one thing he did well as a Sun). Replacing them are Carter, a 35.1 percent marksman, and Pietrus, at 37.8 percent. That's decent, but hardly the stuff of opposing coaches' nightmares.

The other offseason imports have similar weaknesses. Warrick and Childress have combined for zero 3-pointers this year. Holdover Grant Hill has made six. Compared to the league average, the floor-spacing weapons that Phoenix used to assault opponents with at nearly all 10 rotation spots now basically consist of Nash and Frye. Not a single current Sun is shooting above 40 percent on 3s -- a startling decline given that the team shot 41.2 percent on 3s last year.

Meanwhile, Phoenix's defense has been horrific: The Suns rank last in the NBA in both defensive efficiency and rebound rate, with the frontcourt defections the biggest reason. While Stoudemire was widely criticized for not playing better defense, he was at least passable in this department, and Amundson was quite good. Meanwhile, the new acquisitions -- Warrick, Turkoglu and Childress -- have been uniformly awful in this respect.

The Orlando trade should at least make them better at this end. Pietrus is a good, if inconsistent, defender, and Carter is a better defensive player than Richardson. Additionally, Gortat teams with Robin Lopez to give the Suns two real, live NBA centers for the first time since Arizona achieved statehood.

Nonetheless, it feels like something deeper than just a slump here. The Suns' basic identity was lost as a result of the trades. They're no longer a 3-point shooting team, and they still probably won't defend that well, so we're left to wonder what, exactly, they are at this point.

What they are, I suspect, is a team on the verge of rebuilding, even if nobody in Phoenix is using that word yet. Which takes us to the big-picture question that is already driving Suns fans crazy, even if the management won't concede it as an issue: Under what conditions would they consider blowing this thing up?

Obviously it makes sense to play this thing out a bit further -- they just nuked the roster with the Orlando trade and they'll want to see if the revamped roster can play enough defense to support a good-but-no-longer-great offensive attack.

Nonetheless, we're not real optimistic here at Hollinger HQ, especially since it will probably take 44 wins or so just to get the eighth seed in the West -- requiring a 30-20 finish from the orange. It may take this unit a while to peak, too, as they still seem confused about which rotations will work best at spots 2 through 5. (My suggestion: Start Frye and Gortat up front, bring Lopez and Warrick off the bench behind them, use Dudley, Hill and Carter at the wings, fill in any gaps with Pietrus, and break the glass on Childress only in case of fire.)

But if they're lottery bound, it's hard to see how they get any better after this season. Phoenix is an older team that's painted itself into a corner with lengthy midlevel deals to second-tier talents. Phoenix won't have much cap room next summer even if it goes ahead with a likely buyout of Carter for $4 million, and even if it doesn't invite back Hill.

Which takes us to the elephant in the room: Steve Nash. If the Suns do decide to rebuild, then obviously it makes sense to trade Nash while they still could command a huge ransom for his services. Although Nash is 36 years old, he remains among the most efficient offensive operators in basketball -- indeed, in all of basketball history.

As such, one presumes he would command heavenly sums from contending-but-still-a-player-short teams like Orlando (again), Dallas, or perhaps even Portland. The Knicks, given the presence of Stoudemire and Mike D'Antoni, also present an intriguing possibility. So do the Hawks, if they could muster the gumption to take a risk or two, and the Rockets, who might score 300 points a game with Nash and Kevin Martin in the same backcourt.

While such a move would risk angering the Suns' fan base, basketball-wise the temptation is obvious. Phoenix needs to get both younger and more cap-friendly in a hurry, and Nash could be the chip that allows it to accomplish both. Trading him for an expiring contract and/or existing cap exceptions, and sticking the winner of the Nash bidding with Childress, would open up nearly $18 million more in cap room (under the current rules). Given the desirability of the Suns as a market -- the climate, the system, the player-friendly history -- they can out-compete most teams in the free-agent market, so cap space is worth more to this organization than most.

The Suns would probably also want young players and/or draft picks in such a deal, which could necessitate a third team's involvement: Most clubs I listed above have slim pickings in this regard. Nonetheless, there should be a wide variety of fair deals that could get done, and there would certainly be heavy interest in Nash's services.

The exact terms are a discussion for February. But I bring up the notion now, because it's what's at stake for the Suns over the next two months. No less than the future direction of their franchise will be decided by whether they can recover in the coming weeks.

I'm not betting on it, which is why I'm betting on a full-scale demolition project in Phoenix at the trade deadline. It didn't have to be this way, given how promising things looked for this organization last spring. But unfortunately for the swell guys on the Suns, that's how it is.

Who wouldn't want to see Nash playing alongside Kevin Durant in OKC?

After a trip to the conference finals last season, the prospects in Phoenix Suns land have changed from scorching-hot to bitter-cold in seemingly no time.

Currently sporting a 14-18 record, the Suns are losers of nine of their past 12 games, with the latest defeat coming at the hands of the Sacramento Kings -- the team with the worst record in the NBA. To make matters worse, Phoenix is slated to play a winning team in five of its next seven games, beginning with the Lakers at home Wednesday night.

In a desperate move to shake things up and fortify the defense, the Suns executed a blockbuster December trade with the similarly underachieving Orlando Magic, netting Mickael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat and Vince Carter in exchange for Hedo Turkoglu, Earl Clark and Jason Richardson. The deal was supposed to revive the Suns' playoff hopes. But Phoenix has gone 1-4 with its new pieces.

Then there's Steve Nash, who's standing on the bow of a sinking ship. The former MVP continues to play brilliantly at the point guard position, averaging 17.2 points and 10.6 assists while ranking sixth leaguewide in player efficiency rating (24.1). This despite being a month from celebrating his 37th birthday and playing innocent bystander through the organization's painful overhaul.

So what to do with Nash? Here are the variety of options the Suns face.

Trading Nash, the beloved face of the franchise, would be an embarrassing admission that the franchise struck out replacing Amare Stoudemire during the summer and whiffed again on its latest trade with Orlando. Furthermore, a Nash deal would be a crushing blow to the fan base, so keeping him in purple and orange would make a lot of sense for an organization trying to save face.

That said, the NBA is a business. Sure, Nash keeps fans in the seats, but how long will that last on a 30-win team? As it stands, there's little chance that the Suns will rally for a playoff spot -- John Hollinger's playoff odds say there's about a 90 percent chance the team will be left out of the dance. The sobering reality is that we may watch Nash spend what could be his precious final years in an NBA uniform toiling around on a lottery team. It's a sad final act for a uniquely talented playmaker of this generation.

The Suns are going nowhere fast, and holding on to Nash could cause the situation to turn ugly even faster. The front office runs the risk of a nightmarish trade-me-now scenario should Phoenix continue to nosedive in the standings.

But there's another option: admit that Nash and his contract make no sense on a middling team and explore the trade market. But where should the Suns look? Here are three suitors who could provide a good fit in such a scenario.

[h3]New York Knicks[/h3]
From a basketball standpoint, the Knicks seem like a perfect fit. Donnie Walsh could get the ol' band back together and reunite Nash with Stoudemire and former coach Mike D'Antoni. But several obstacles stand in New York's way. For one, the Knicks don't have the crucial asset that a rebuilding team would covet in a deal: a bundle of future draft picks. To free up cap space to bring in headline talents this past summer, the Knicks had to surrender their future picks in a deadline deal with the Houston Rockets. Furthermore, a trade for Nash also likely would take them out of the bidding for Carmelo Anthony's services. To get the star point guard, the Knicks would have to relinquish Eddy Curry's contract and add more to the payroll through next season, making it tougher to sign Anthony as a free agent if they can't swing a deal at the trade deadline. The Knicks would have to procure a third team in the trade to give the Suns a worthy package.

[h3]Houston Rockets[/h3]
One league source pointed to Houston as the team the Suns should keep on speed dial in the event that Nash wants out, since they have a bundle of assets that could hit the reset button for a rebuilding team. The Rockets can flaunt Yao Ming's expiring deal (with half the salary picked up by insurance), a 2011 first-rounder, the league's reigning Most Improved Player Aaron Brooks and another expiring deal in Jared Jeffries or Shane Battier. If the Suns' front office wants to save money, unload some contracts and build for the future, the Rockets need to be on their list of suitors. Replacing Brooks with Nash would instantly turn Houston into one of the NBA's most efficient and high-octane offenses. With Kevin Martin, Battier and Brad Miller, the Rockets already have a three-point arsenal to rival that of any other team in the league. And don't let the record fool you: Houston's point differential suggests that even though the standings say it's 16-18, it's more like an 18-16 squad.

[h3]Oklahoma City Thunder[/h3]
The league is chock full of build-around point guards, which has cut down the pool of potential suitors to only a few candidates. But Oklahoma City's situation is unique, because what makes Russell Westbrook an elite point guard is his elite scoring ability. And one league source believes that's exactly why the Thunder would be the scariest team in the Nash sweepstakes. "They would be unbelievable with Nash," the source said. "What they really need is a center, but if Nash walks onto the court, he makes them better than any piece that Oklahoma City could add. It would take Westbrook to a whole new place as a player, since he can create at the 2." The Thunder are flush with assets, including the Clippers' 2012 first-rounder (top-10-protected), Morris Peterson and Nenad Krstic's expiring contracts as well as a promising young player in James Harden.

As part of the rookie orientation program, the NBA should teach the baseball story of Wally Pipp and Lou Gehrig. You remember Pipp, the guy most famous for being replaced for one game by Gehrig, who then went on to set an incredible record of 2,130 consecutive games played. It's a great lesson: Every day is a chance to improve your career. No matter what has happened in the past, an opportunity to play is an opportunity to restart.

You know who's been studying Pipp? I'll give you a hint: He had never scored in double figures this season before busting out with three consecutive games of 17, 11 and 13 points (on 15-for-28 shooting) to go with 14 boards during that span. His team won two of those games in its fight to be a top-four seed in the West. And just before those games, he had been one of the league's lowest-performing players.

Who is he? None other than Utah's Gordon Hayward, who finally looks like the player we saw in college.

[h4]ROOKIE 50 RANKINGS[/h4]

We're keeping track of every NBA rook. Here are the latest Top 50 rankings.
[table][tr][th=""]Rank[/th][th=""]Player[/th][th=""]Stock[/th][/tr][tr][td]1[/td][td]Blake Griffin[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]2[/td][td]John Wall[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]3[/td][td]Landry Fields[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]4[/td][td]Gary Neal[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]5[/td][td]DeMarcus Cousins[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]6[/td][td]Derrick Favors[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]7[/td][td]Gary Forbes[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]8[/td][td]Ed Davis[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]9[/td][td]Wesley Johnson[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][tr][td]10[/td][td]Al-Farouq Aminu[/td][td]

[/td][/tr][/table]
• Click here for the complete rankings »

It's only three games, sure, but when they are so different from what we had seen from him, it bears looking deeper into what transpired. Hayward played with tremendous hustle at Butler, but early on in his NBA career, all I saw was a casualness that suggested he thought he was a can't-miss prospect. Now, after a disastrous first seven-plus weeks, it appears Hayward began to understand that anything less than an all-out effort was going to doom him to comparisons to Adam Morrison.

So Hayward began attacking the rim, going after loose balls, making hustle plays everywhere and even earning some terrific dunks. He made some shots, too, which always helps, but my guess is he did so because he was feeling better about his overall game. It's a pretty common occurrence: players finding their shooting stroke only after improving other parts of their game.

Hayward always has been a guy who plays with more toughness than you'd think just from looking at him, and that part of his game has returned. It's a good thing, because guess how he was rewarded for those three excellent games? He played just six minutes in Utah's next game against Detroit. But at least he's shown some life as a player and reminded the Jazz brass of why they drafted him in the first place. As long as he maintains that edge, he'll keep earning chances.

For the rest of this season, Hayward has to try to play the part of Lou Gehrig, replacing a starter permanently every chance he gets. Next season, he could be Wally Pipp, fighting off a new draft pick who's trying to replace him in the rotation. Such is life in the ever-competitive NBA.

Hayward's improved play has moved him up in our overall rankings, but he's still not in the top 10. Let's check in on those 10 guys and see their latest successes and failures.
[h3]Top 10 rookies[/h3]

Griffin​

1. Blake Griffin, Clippers
It's difficult to overstate just how consistently impressive Griffin's play has been the past few weeks. Try these stats on for size: He's scored 20 or more points in 10 straight games dating back to Dec. 12. He's grabbed at least 10 rebounds in 20 straight games with at least 11 boards in 19 of those games. Those are beastly numbers indeed, not for a rookie but for any player.

But we're not done. Griffin dished out at least two assists in every game in December and had a block or a steal (or both) in all but two games last month.

Bottom line? He's impacting the game in every way except 3-point shooting. And don't be surprised if he learns how to help the Clippers in that area in the not-too-distant future.

Wall​

2. John Wall, Wizards
Wall finally returned from injury last week and looked rusty -- he committed 15 turnovers combined on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Most of those turnovers were caused by a general casualness in his passing attempts along with defenders playing him for the pass.

Wall will learn, and perhaps already has, that he always has to be locked in and ready to be a scoring threat. That will force defenders to play him honestly and cut his scoring angles off, which will then allow him to make the pass he's looking for. And if he stays sharp and defenses continue to focus on his passing too much, he could easily burst out a 30-point game in the coming week.

Fields​

3. Landry Fields, Knicks
I always look to see how a player performs after two bad games. Does he find a way to stop the poor game streak? Or does he let the streak snowball?

Fields had his worst shooting game of the season against Miami on Dec. 28, going 1-for-6 from the floor (0-for-4 from 3). He followed that up with an 0-for-3 effort against Orlando on Thursday, which was his first scoreless game all season.

So did he feel sorry for himself and wallow in self-pity against Indiana two nights later? No. He scored 10 points, hit 2 of 4 3-pointers and blocked 2 shots, as the Knicks got their first win in 2011. Minimizing poor game streaks is a great way to build trust from your coaches.

Neal​

4. Gary Neal, Spurs
What if I told you that a rookie scored 22, 22 and 21 points recently while helping his team beat Phoenix, Denver and Dallas (on the road)? Would you ever guess that Neal was that rookie? Neither would I. But it happened.

Neal has really grown comfortable in his role as designated 3-point bombardier -- against the Nuggets and Mavs, he made 10 of his 15 3-point attempts. However, it's the game against the Suns that intrigued me, as he made just 1 of 6 attempts from downtown yet still scored 22 points.

Against a team that tries hard not to send guys to the free throw line, Neal made 7 of 8 free throws while also making 6 of 8 2-point attempts. That's called finding a way to be effective, and it's why he'll end up being a very important player in the playoffs in the spring. He's more than just a deep shooter.

Cousins​

5. DeMarcus Cousins, Kings
Nene, Marc Gasol and Marcin Gortat. Cousins turned those three centers into toast during the holiday weekend, scoring 69 points on 46 shots. And he did it in every way possible. Smash-and-grab buckets in the paint. Sweet post moves. Soft midrange jumpers. He also collected 32 boards (including 16 against Memphis) in those contests.

It's possible that for the first time this season, Cousins' teammates realized he's their best talent, and it could mean more late-game touches for the big rookie. In fact, in the Kings' comeback win over Phoenix, Cousins poured in 13 points in the fourth quarter while Tyreke Evans watched from the bench.

One thing is certain: Cousins has put together far more good games than bad ones during the past five weeks and is looking like the player we all knew he could be.

Favors​

6. Derrick Favors, Nets
If you just looked at box scores, it would be difficult to understand why teams (like Denver) value Favors so highly. But if you watched him on tape, you'd see uber-athletic finishes above the rim, left-handed extension layups, left-hand hooks in traffic, power tip dunks and the foundation for an excellent jump shot.

And if you looked closer, you'd see a young Amare Stoudemire. Watch how quickly and deftly he weaves through traffic after catching a pass while rolling through the key. Guys that big tend not to be that quick and nimble.

Favors has shown enough to compel his coach to play him 30-plus minutes for a month straight just to see what the Nets actually have in him.

Forbes​

7. Gary Forbes, Nuggets
Why did George Karl play Forbes important minutes against the Kings despite having Melo back and after seeing Forbes make just two of his previous 14 shots the past two games? The answer is simple: Forbes gives Denver another wing player (besides Arron Afflalo) who can thrive on defense. His energy often makes a difference for Denver's second unit, and his length helps him excel on closeouts, something the Nuggets need help with.

Karl's decision paid off, as Forbes made 4 of 8 shots in that game and scored 11 points total while playing his normally solid defense.

Davis​

8. Ed Davis, Raptors
Fields may be the steal of the draft, but Davis might end up being the steal of the lottery. His 17-point, 12-rebound, 3-block, 3-steal performance in Dallas on Dec. 28 is one of the gems of this class thus far. I don't care that Dirk Nowitzki didn't play; Toronto was missing lots of regulars, too.

Which brings me to this: Davis has to be playing a lot for this team because he's showing that he might be a strong scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker. Although he might not end up being strong in any of those categories, the idea that he could be strong in any or all three areas is an exciting development for Raptors fans, especially considering Toronto nabbed him late in the lottery. And remember, he's months behind his fellow rookies in terms of his development because of his leg injury.

Johnson​

9. Wesley Johnson, Timberwolves
It's not fair to judge Johnson for his style of play and overall production relative to his draft position. He didn't draft himself at the No. 4 spot. His job is to play to the best of his abilities. And if he never grows beyond what he is now, he's still going to be a solid player.

What is he now? Well, we know he'll be a shooter. After a rough three games in October, he nailed 37.5 percent of his shots from 3 in November, then topped that to the tune of 44.8 percent from downtown in December. He's quick to pull the trigger but rarely when guarded, especially early in the shot clock. So his shot selection is already solid. And he's been a steady starter and contributor for an improved team.

Aminu​

10. Al-Farouq Aminu, Clippers
There's a scramble each week for the last spot in our top 10. This week Aminu gets the nod thanks to improved rebounding in his past two games of 2010. He grabbed eight boards in each of those games, with four coming off the offensive glass. Although neither number is eye-popping, this marked the first time he grabbed eight boards in two straight games. (He had eight boards two other times this season.)

Then he started 2011 with five boards in 19 minutes. Again, nothing spectacular. But this is how the trickle becomes a steady flow. Consistent production from that part of his game can mean more playing time and is a sign that Aminu is figuring out his unique package of physical talents as an NBA forward.

 

[henz0]

Was that smush parker in the crowd at the nets game?

 

[henz0]

Was that smush parker in the crowd at the nets game?

 

[pmatic]

Popovich may commit a murder by the end of the night.

 

[pmatic]

Popovich may commit a murder by the end of the night.

 

[bdis1986]

^ I might if I have to listen to the Boston announcers all night

 

[bdis1986]

^ I might if I have to listen to the Boston announcers all night