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"[I]f James, Wade and Bosh truly want to make history, they could do the unthinkable and split the Knicks' $33 million three ways. It would cost them salary money, but can you imagine how much they'd make on the back end if they started reeling in NBA titles? In New York?" No, I'm afraid I cannot imagine it. I'll have to see it for myself... ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski makes the case for the top tier of NBA superstars all signing with New York this summer. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

In a flurry of moves at the deadline, the Knickerbockers acquire Tracy McGrady in a three-team trade (for Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill, Larry Hughes, and two draft picks), dump Nate Robinson on Boston (for Eddie House, basically), and end the Darko experiment (trading him to Minnesota for Brian Cardinal, who will likely be waived.)

The upshot here? We get Tracy McGrady for 31 probably meaningless games, and should have lots of money to play with in this summer's LeBron sweepstakes -- enough to sign two marquee free agents next year. All in all, well-played, New York. Here's hoping the post-Ewing decade of losing is at last coming to an end.

"You know it. I know it. Worst of all, Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni know it. The slogan printed on the tickets this season should be 'BIDING OUR TIME' and not whichever metropolitan polemic that the MSG public relations department dreams up. We are a team of second-string transients and, like a young girl with a year to go until she gets her braces off, we will muddle through this next year with bigger dreams of what we can be, and will be, in 2010."

The 2009-2010 NBA Season starts tonight, and, um, the Knicks don't look very good. (I've been playing them this past week in NBA 2K10, and, yeah, they're terrible -- the simulator never lies. But hope springs eternal. And, hey, maybe that new point guard Murphy can right the ship...)

On a Draft Day deal with potential title implications, Shaquille O'Neal joins LeBron James in Cleveland. (Phoenix, giving up on their ill-advised Shaq experiment, pick up Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, and the 46th pick -- so, this is a money move, basically.) To my mind, this is a solid move by the Cavs. Shaq may be in the tail-end of his career, but he's still good enough and strong enough to draw double-teams down low, which is exactly what Cleveland was missing this past post-season. Pick up a pure shooter or two to spread the wings and keep the D on Lebron honest, and the Cavs are looking deadly.

Other than Shaq, the other major move of late was Richard Jefferson to the Spurs for Bruce Bowen and Kurt Thomas, which puts a stop to San Antonio's slide in the West almost immediately, and should make them a contender again if everybody stays healthy. And ex-Knick and now-journeyman Jamal Crawford looks headed to Atlanta from Sacramento, where he'll undoubtedly put a lot of points on the board...but I don't really see him making that team a top-tier contender. At least in the Knick days, his D was atrocious.

Speaking of New York, they tried to move up the draft to No. 5, but now look to be hoping somebody decent falls to 8 tonight. They may also be trying to get Darko Milicic for Quentin Richardson, which sounds iffy on paper. But perhaps Darko has improved since his days as a notable draft day bust. In any case, we'll see how it all shakes out tonight at the Garden.

Update: The Knicks buy a late first round pick -- 29 -- from the Lake Show. "'Certain teams, they may want to preserve cap space for the next year or two and they may need to add players,' Kupchak said. 'A good way to add talent at a fixed price is to have a lot of draft choices and then you can still maintain cap space a year from now.'" And we all know what happens a year from now...

Update 2: Donnie gets Darko, and Arizona PF Jordan Hill at #8. [Full Draft.]

"The games are fluid. There's a good energy on the court. People talk on defense. When Salazar finally gets in, it's obvious he is actually pretty athletic, and he has a lot of hustle. He's not easy to cover. Someone yells, 'Who's got Secretary?'" By way of a college friend, ESPN looks at Pres. Obama's "Power Game," and the ensuing newfound popularity of hoops in DC. (Apparently, in the Big Game, they don't call fouls, but rather chalk them up as "enhanced defensive techniques necessary to Keep Our Lane Safe." [Rimshot] Thanks, I'll be here all week, be sure to tip your waiters.)

Anyway, the last time I lived in DC it was generally pretty easy to find a court on a weekend -- We usually set up shop on either end of Adams-Morgan (or later, after I moved to VA, right down by the King Street metro), and the other folks playing/waiting to play were locals of some variety, not just aspiring politicos. I did occasionally play in one "power game" of sorts back then, which involved a number of folks from a liberal-minded journal of some repute. It was probably the most Type-A athletic endeavor I've ever been involved in, and that's coming from a guy who played high school sports in the South and spent four years among Ivy League rowers. With all due respect, I prefer the random pick-up games, I think.

"All four playoff semifinalists are flawed in some obvious and fundamental way. The Lakers get pushed around. The Cavaliers desperately need one more skilled helper for LeBron James. The Nuggets come to play far too often without their thinking caps. And Orlando violates one of basketball's Ten Commandments: Thou shalt not live by the jump shot." Michael Wilbon assesses the NBA's Final Four. (FWIW, I got the four teams correct, but the series so far quite wrong. Neither Cleveland nor LA is winning in five.)

Also, I've seen pretty much every playoff game over the past few weeks, and the critics are right: the officiating is terrible this year. The whistles are wildly inconsistent, frequently game-changing, and all too often are stopping interesting games dead in the fourth quarter. I'm rooting for King James, and I hope Cleveland pushes Orlando to seven just for the sheer interest of it, but the end of regulation in Game 4 -- when the Cavs got a bailout superstar call for Lebron as he drove out-of-control to the hoop, followed by an exceedingly helpful no-call as Anderson Varajao put the hack on Howard in the final seconds -- seemed as blatant a fix as anything I've ever seen in the NBA. (Thankfully, Orlando pulled the game out in OT regardless.) Right the ship, Commissioner.

Update: "The NBA's failure to develop a new generation of decent referees might be its single biggest misfire of the past 20 years." By way of Twitter, ESPN's Bill "Sportsguy" Simmons just posted a long piece on the NBA's referee problem. "I don't know what the tipping point will be this time around. I just know it's coming."

These are actually a weekend late now, and my knowledge of the league now that I've left New York (and thus haven't been watching Knicks games) is at an all-time ebb. Then again, broadcasting uninformed opinions is pretty what much the Internet was created for, so, without further ado and as per tradition, some quick NBA playoff picks...

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) v. Detroit Pistons (8): As per the last few years, I still don't think King James' supporting cast quite matches up to the moment. (I like Mo Williams, but he's no Scottie Pippen, and "Big Z" -- Zyldrunas Ilgauskas -- is definitely no Dennis Rodman.) That being said, Lebron is pretty much playing to his amazing potential and then some, and it's clear that -- while he may still be Jordan circa '89-90 at the moment -- his dynasty is right around the corner. Conversely, the Pistons look old, tired, and broken. Particularly without Allen Iverson on hand, they would seem to be in the shoes of the mid-00's Kings: a former title contender now obviously in eclipse. Cavaliers in Five.

Boston Celtics (2) v. Chicago Bulls (7): The Game 1 upset was a certifiable coming-out party for all-around player and Rookie of the Year PG Derrick Rose. (The facet of his game that most needs work: post-game interviewing.) But, let's remember: The Bulls won Game 1 because Paul Pierce uncharacteristically missed a clutch free throw. With Kevin Garnett reportedly out for the playoffs, I think Boston is dead in the water this year -- it's just a matter of time (And, to be honest, that's fine with me. They deserve some horrible mojo after swooping up Stephon Marbury as they did.) But they're still a better team than Chicago and, remember, they had trouble with Atlanta early on last year too. Boston in Seven.

(By the way, was anyone else annoyed with the dubious and oft-repeated stat that Chicago hadn't beaten Boston in a playoff game since 1948? Uh, well that may partly be because the Celtics were atrocious from the time Larry Bird's back gave out until Michael Jordan retired. It's not like the Bulls are the Bobcats, Wizards, or some other legitimately underdog franchise.)

Orlando Magic (3) v. Philadelphia 76ers (6): I'm fond of Superman (Dwight Howard), but, for all the hype surrounding Orlando mid-season, blowing an 18-point lead at home against the lowly Sixers is not something a real title contender would do. And, in the one (nationally-televised) Knicks game I have caught recently, the Magic looked terrible. But I'm not a particularly big fan of this Sixers crew either, so I'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt and say Orlando in Seven.

Atlanta Hawks (4) v. Miami Heat (5): To be honest, I don't know the first thing about this iteration of the Hawks: I hadn't seen 'em play until yesterday, and the last news I heard about their franchise was when Josh Childress went to Europe. But they looked pretty dominant yesterday, and they've got a proven clutch performer, Mike Bibby, running the point. So, even though the refs love them some D-Wade, I'll go with Atlanta in Six.

Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Utah Jazz (8): Always a tough call, for, as longtime readers well know, neither Kobe Bryant nor the Mormon church tend to be in my Fave 5. (And Carlos Boozer is his own case of bad mojo.) Still, the Lakers are deep, Kobe is an undeniable talent, and he's got arguably the most underappreciated No. 2 in the league right now in Pau Gasol. I think, barring injury, this could very well be the Lakers' year. In any case -- sorry, Jerry Sloan -- Deron Williams, Andre Kirilenko, & co. won't stop 'em. Los Angeles in Four.

Denver Nuggets (2) v. New Orleans Hornets (7): This is one of those series where all my old intel isn't of much use. Chris Paul and the Hornets looked deadly last post-season -- exactly the type of team you didn't want to run into early on. But I haven't seen them play this year and don't know if they've lost a step or if they've found a way to score when Chris Paul gets triple-teamed. Meanwhile, on paper Chauncey Billups running the Nuggets seems like a huge boon for them -- he's had experience managing hotheads (Kenyon Martin, meet Rasheed Wallace) and can successfully distribute shots among a bunch of players who all need the ball. But is he really enough to stop a George Karl team from choking early on? Given that they're already one up, I'll say Denver in Six.

San Antonio Spurs (3) v. Dallas Mavericks (6): With Ginobli out, the aging, injured Spurs got a spot of luck when they matched up against another fading West Coast giant, the Mavericks. I doubt the Spurs are good and/or healthy enough to get to the Conference Finals this year, but I don't have much confidence in Dallas either. San Antonio in Seven.

Portland Trailblazers (4) v. Houston Rockets (5): I've gotten the impression from various sources that Portland is a much better team than they displayed in Game 1. And they've certainly got an impressive core of young talent in Roy, Aldridge, Oden, etc. (I kinda wish Channing Frye had continued to develop, but oh well.) Still, just by the law of averages, I think Yao et al are due to break out of the first round. (And there's a certain irony that they'd finally get to do it after perennial loser T-Mac sorta checked out on them.) Houston in Seven.

[Hmm. With one exception, I picked the top seed every time again. Way to go out on a limb.]

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) v. Atlanta Hawks (4): LeBron and the Cavs have pretty much been playing a higher-level of basketball than the rest of the East this year, particularly at home. And I think King James is too focused this year to screw things up in the second round. Cleveland in Five.

Boston Celtics (2) v. Orlando Magic (3): Like the Spurs-Mavs, I don't have a lot of faith in either of these teams at the moment. But, while I had Boston winning this at first, I think I'm going to switch to the Magic. Perhaps the first round will work out the hiccups for Stan Van Gundy's team, and -- without Garnett on Boston -- I'll go with youth and energy over age and guile. Orlando in Seven.

Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Houston Rockets (5): I'm going to be rooting quite hard for Yao Ming and the Rockets here. But, as with the Cavs in the East, the Lakers are just operating at a different level right now. Los Angeles in Six.

Denver Nuggets (2) v. San Antonio Spurs (3): Unless they psychologically implode, and there's always a chance of it with this combustible squad, I have to think Denver has enough weapons to take care of injury-ridden San Antonio. Denver in Five.

EAST FINALS: Cleveland Cavaliers (1) v. Orlando Magic (3): Third verse, same as the second and first. The Cavs are playing better ball that most everyone in the East at the moment, and James will not be denied. Cleveland in Five.

WEST FINALS: Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Denver Nuggets (2): With Phoenix, Dallas, and San Antonio on the way down, Denver now looks to be one of the premier contenders in the West. But, unless Carmelo has the type of break-out, monster playoff performance that many think he's capable of but that we've yet to see, I don't see this being all that close. Los Angeles in Five.

FINALS: Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Cleveland Cavaliers (1): If you read what's come before, you may have noticed that I deemed this the Lakers year a few paragraphs ago. And that's probably true -- they're hungry, they're experienced, and I don't see how Cleveland's going to manage once Phil Jackson uncorks his own version of the Jordan rules on LeBron. But, I've gotten pretty far in life rooting against the Lake Show...so, no reason to stop now. Cleveland in Seven.

So, there you have it -- Cleveland rocks. And, if they're this good now, just wait until James get some legitimate help...I just hope it all happens on the Knickerbockers' watch.

"'I don't know what's going to happen in 2010. I can't plan for it,' D'Antoni says. 'I just know I live with these guys. My focus is on them. I want to wake up in 2010 and have a couple of the players we have now be the guys we want.'" As his first season with the Knicks winds down (which can be roughly summarized as "Waiting for LeBron"), ESPN's "Outside the Lines" posts a long (and snazzily-designed) interview with Coach Mike D'Antoni.

A good spot of news out of MSG the past week: After far too many twists and turns, the ignominious Marbury Era is at now long last over for the New York Knickerbockers. (Of course, the Celtics scooped him right up to replace Sam Cassell for their playoff run. Fine, take him, and good riddance.)

"'Getting an MRI basically saved my life,' Mobley said. 'You have to thank the Knicks for this.'" Well, if nothing else comes out of New York's recent bench-clearing for LeBron, it still ended up being an extremely worthwhile trade. New tests revealed that Cuttino Mobley's heart condition (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) is much more serious than anyone knew, and thus Mobley is retiring from the game. "'The only thing I can tell the younger guys is life goes on, be a good person,' Mobley said. 'It's only 15 minutes of fame that you have and my minutes are up, but I can always still be a good person.'"

Said Knicks GM Donnie Walsh of Mobley's decision: "I was happy he arrived at that [conclusion] himself, because that's necessary for him. None of this is as important as somebody's life."

Following up on his stated intentions to free cap space and pave the way for acquiring LeBron James in 2010, Knicks GM Donnie Walsh pulls the trigger on two big trades, sending Zack Randolph (and trade-filler Mardy Collins) to the Clips for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley (pending a heart issue -- make your own joke here) and Jamal Crawford to the Warriors for Al Harrington, all of which will be off the books during the crucial free agent season in question.

I guess it seems a bit distasteful to embrace so openly the hired-gun philosophy of winning a championship...but, hey, that's the way the game is played. So, with that in mind, kudos to Walsh on a job well done (and good luck moving Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry.) Besides, we Knicks fans have slogged through the past eight years since the cap- and karma-destroying trading of Patrick Ewing. At this point, we can probably eat another two.

While Philadelphians wait one more day (they hope) to end their 25-year losing streak, basketball-inclined sports fans such as myself are now focused on Beantown, where the 2008-09 NBA season tips off tonight on TNT. (And, hey, with zero games played in the season, this newest iteration of new-look Knicks are tied for best record in the league!)

Seriously, tho, while I expect another, ahem, "rebuilding" year in New York despite the best efforts of Walsh and D'Antoni, it'll be good to have the NBA back in town -- and Kenny, EJ, and Charles back in the studio. Particularly now with Mad Men in mothballs again, Inside the NBA is probably my favorite show on television...even if they don't deign to show the Knicks this year.

"One observer from yesterday's workout noted the uneasy atmosphere among the other players. 'You could just feel the hate,' the person said." It's been rumored all summer, particularly since the Knicks acquired Bulls backup Chris Duhon. Now, according to the Daily News, the tortuous Marbury era in Madison Square Garden looks like it may be coming to an end this Friday. "Several persons with knowledge of the situation have indicated that the Knicks are planning to part ways with Marbury by the end of the week...The Knicks will likely place Marbury on waivers and, once he clears, begin negotiating a buyout. Marbury will then be free to sign with another team; the Miami Heat have a desperate need at point guard."

On one hand, getting nothing in return for a player like Marbury seems like a loss for the Knicks. Then again, with his massive contract, Stephon basically has little-to-no trade value -- See also Zach Randolph. And if he's as much of a locker room cancer at this point as this article suggests, we might as well just cut him and start the D'Antoni era fresh. So, so long, Stephon. And if you start actually playing to your long-heralded potential this coming season for Miami, I'm going to be very irate.

Update: "This thing is initiated in the press and then I have to ask questions about it,' Walsh said, sounding somewhat perturbed. 'I haven't approached [Marbury] about a buyout.'" New GM Donnie Walsh says it's not so.

Round 2 of everybody's favorite party game: What do Berkeley and Seattle sports fans have in common this week? Answer: They both absolutely detest the sound of "Thunder." The Oklahoma City Thunder (nee Seattle Supersonics) officially unveil their new name and logo. (I guess the Oklahoma City Whirlwind might still have been considered in poor taste.)

On the Knicks side of the ledger: As Patrick Ewing enters the Hall of Fame -- and his son, Patrick Ewing Jr., comes to Knicks training camp -- is new GM Donnie Walsh really thinking of picking up former Detroit bust Darko Milicic? I know we want to unload Zack Randolph's contract at all costs before 2010, but aren't we a big enough joke around the league without adding the Frederic Weis of #2 picks to our roster?

"'We played with great character in one of the great games in international basketball history, I think,' U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said." Congrats to the US men's Olympic basketball team, who returned to golden form this morning by closing out Spain 118-107. (Now, Coach D'Antoni, get thee to the Knickerbockers. We have work to do!)

The Knicks lose their Gamecock on the bench: Energy player Renaldo Balkman is traded to the Nuggets for peanuts (a 2010 second-rounder, Taurean Green, and Bobby Jones, both of whom will be waived.) "Balkman became expendable with the addition of first-round pick Danilo Gallinari. The Knicks also have an increased role in mind for Wilson Chandler at small forward." (What about Q-Rich?) That's too bad...I always liked Balkman. You can't teach hustle.

"'I'll be a kid in a candy store,' Artest said. 'I'll be a kid in a store with a lot of candy. I'm going to dance with the stars.'" T-Mac, Yao, and the Houston Rockets try to keep pace in a loaded West by trading for talented head case Ron Artest. (They gave up aging vet Bobby Jackson, new pick Donte Greene, a 2009 first-rounder, and cash.) Interesting...that's a pretty solid trade for Houston. It's not Boston's Big 3, but even in a crowded conference Artest should be enough defensive help to finally get 'em out of the first round. And so far he's saying all the right things.

Also, I don't really follow baseball until, I dunno, mid-October, but this even made my radar. The inimitable Manny Ramirez is gone from the BoSox. He's now a Dodger (and, the Grant Hill of the MLB, Ken Griffey is now on the White Sox.) Alrighty then.

"Tim acted in a completely selfish and unforgivable way, and has forever compromised the way people look at sports and officiating. However, NBA referees will continue to officiate with the highest level of integrity and professionalism." Disgraced NBA ref Tim Donaghy is sentenced to 15 months in prison. Meanwhile, the forthcoming "Pedowitz report" on referee fraud is still pending, and Commissioner Stern still insists Donaghy was an unfortunate outlier. "'The U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI have fully investigated it,' Stern said on June 10, 'and Mr. Donaghy is the only one that's guilty of a crime.'" Oookay...but is fixing games to extend series a "criminal" act? That sounds rather lawyerly to me.

"The chance for Chris to be a starter was too much to pass up." The Knicks sign Bulls backup PG Chris Duhon to a 2-year deal, meaning that the "Starbury" Era at MSG looks to be on its way out. "Bradbury said the Knicks have made it clear that Duhon could start, which could mean that Stephon Marbury's days with the Knicks are numbered. Marbury is in the final year of his contract." Update: Marbury talks the talk.

"'In a perfect world I would have liked to see Clay Bennett leave, without the team at all,' said Steven Pyeatt, the co-founder of Save Our Sonics." While the door isn't quite closed yet -- there's one more lawsuit to go -- a late agreement between new owner Clay Bennett and the city seems to suggest that Seattle has sadly lost their NBA franchise to Oklahoma City. "The settlement calls for Bennett and his Professional Basketball Club LLC to pay as much as $75 million to the city in exchange for the immediate termination of the lease. The team's name and colors will be staying in Seattle."

"He'll be a 6-11,3-point shooting, ball handler and passer," D'Antoni said. "We think he has the potential to be above a good player. That's how you build a team. We're starting with him." The Knicks begin the D'Antoni/Walsh era by picking Euroleague star Danilo Gallinari with the sixth pick in the 2008 NBA draft. Like most of the Knicks fan in attendance last night, I'm not particularly sold on the choice -- an offense-minded, potentially soft swingman? Last I checked, we couldn't and didn't play D -- especially since it means we'll be bouncing David Lee. Then again, something had to give, I guess. Let's just hope Gallinari is Italian for "Detlef Schrempf" and not "Darko Milicic."

Looks like the gamble paid off. In an auspicious sign for all the cellar-dwelling teams out there looking to turn it around in one year, the Boston Celtics completely eviscerate the Lakers 131-92 in Game 6, clinching their seventeenth championship (and first for likable superstars KG, Allen, and Pierce.) Congrats to the Celts and to the Boston fans (Well, some of 'em)...and New York, take a gander. The draft is a little over a week away...

"'We just wet the bed,' Kobe said. 'A nice big one, too. One of the ones you can't put a towel over. It was terrible.'" A brief note regarding the Lakers' historic collapse at home last night in Game 4: I remain down on Bill Simmons, but he's got an excellent point here: "[L]et's just say MJ's teams never blew a 24-point lead at home in the Finals...The Kobe-MJ thing...done. Over. Jordan never would have let that happen in the Finals. Ever. Under any circumstances. Nobody is ever allowed to bring this up again."

"'My first thought [upon hearing Donaghy's allegation] was: I knew it,' [Scot] Pollard said Tuesday night. 'I'm not going to say there was a conspiracy. I just think something wasn't right. It was unfair. We didn't have a chance to win that game.'" If he's going down, he's taking the League with him: In court filings yesterday, disgraced ref Tim Donaghy insinuates that NBA "company men" refs fixed several playoff games, including the much-disputed Lakers-Kings Game 6 of 2002 (a.k.a. "the Nader game.") Uh oh...

A programming note: Game 1 of the throwback Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals is tonight at 9pm, and ESPN is setting the stage with several "Finals Factors": Kobe | The Celtics D | Paul Pierce | Home Court | The Benches. The smart money seems to be picking LA, and after watching most of these playoffs I'm inclined to agree with them: While Boston has been wildly inconsistent against suspect teams, particularly on the road, LA has been marching inexorably through the stronger, deeper West. Still, I'll stick with my original prediction (and my general rooting interests for the East, for Garnett and Allen, and against Kobe & the Lake Show) and say Celtics in 7, even if said outcome will make egregious Homer Bill Simmons that much more insufferable.

"After this season, we needed a break and I think we just got one tonight." Take that, D'Antoni: With only a 1.7 percent chance to procure the #1 pick, the Chicago Bulls beat the odds last night in the NBA lottery, thus knocking the Knicks down to No. 6. Well, bleah.

Meanwhile, as far as the NBA Finals go, I got three of the Final Four correct (So much for the Suns.) That being said, Lakers-Spurs in the West is sort of a worst-case scenario for me. And while I can't believe it's come to this, I may actually be rooting for Kobe and the Lakers in this series. Ugh, I feel dirty.

Has Donnie Walsh landed his first big fish? Word is NY has outbid Chicago, and the Phoenix Suns' Mike D'Antoni is our new Knicks coach. Um...gratz? Mike D'Antoni seems like a good coach and an amiable guy, but is an offensive-minded, fast-break specialist really what we need right now? It's really hard to envision Eddy Curry, Zack Randolph, and the gang running the floor for D'Antoni like the Suns did. And while we have many problems, and consistent offense surely ranks among them, defense is really where the Knickerbockers have stunk up the joint of late.

Well, it's an interesting pick, if nothing else. Let's see where it goes.

Well, I'm sure you watched it too. But, anyway, to recap: In tonight's big contest, the two race horses started out neck-and-neck, and it looked in the early going that an upset might be in order. But, slowly but surely, the plodding, methodical contender pulled away for a small but convincing victory, and that's all she wrote. I'm referring, of course, to Game 2 of the Suns-Spurs series. Why, was there something else going on?

(By the way, in case you didn't know, I'm not sure of the Obama analogue yet, but the San Antonio Spurs are definitely the Clintons of the NBA. Tim Duncan's the Bill of the bunch, the natural talent (with past championships to his name) who whines and works the refs constantly. Bruce Bowen is Hillary, a less-talented workhorse whom people in the media describe with euphemisms like "tenacious", when he's clearly and obviously just a dirty player. And, like the rest of the Clinton campaign, Parker and Ginobli are basically slashers...but let's not belabor it too much.)

At any rate, so, yes, in a huge shocker Senator Clinton won Pennsylvania by ten this evening, 55%-45%. [Update: Since it seems to have confused some Clinton-leaning folk on other blogs, I meant "huge shocker" ironically. See below.] We'll know the delegate spread tomorrow, but, however it turns out and like Ohio six weeks ago, tonight is just another case of Clinton winning the battle and losing the war: There's no way at all she gets enough delegates to become viable again. Simply put, Sen. Obama's previously insurmountable delegate lead is now, to coin a phrase, even insurmountabler. Do I need to link the same post again?

Nevertheless, if you're looking for someone to blame for Obama's loss tonight, look no further than Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love broke from the rest of the state and went 2-1 for Obama. And, as every sports fan knows, Philly always loses despite themselves. You can't fight the curse.

In any case, I'd been girding myself for a 15-point margin for Sen. Clinton of late, so, in the grand scheme of things, 55-45 was fine with me (particularly given that the contest seems to have cost Clinton what was left of her bankroll.) So, now, on to Indiana and North Carolina in two weeks, where hopefully this primary -- finally -- comes to an end. Eat, drink, and be merry, Clinton folk, for tomorrow, your candidacy of choice dies.

Update: They're still tallying the delegates, but it's looking like Clinton will remain behind by around 150 pledged delegates overall. In the meantime, Al Giordano crunches the exit poll numbers: "Senator Clinton lost ground in every one of those key foundations of her former base vote...Whether or not the commercial media spins it that way - in her campaign’s lexicon - 'doesn’t matter.' And ye shall know the dumbest and slowest - and intentionally dishonest - political reporters, pundits, bloggers (and former presidential candidates and spouses) by those that argue otherwise."

Update 2: It ain't over yet. This (pre-PA) Youtube suggests a potential path to victory for Clinton. (Here's a hint: The Hartford Convention.)

In more basketball news, it becomes official: To noone's surprise (and to the relief of a grateful city), the Isiah Thomas era is over for the New York Knicks. "'He will have no official title, but he will provide meaningful input,' Walsh said during a conference call. 'Isiah remaining a part of the franchise is important for the organization.'" Hmm. I could see a freefloating Isiah still doing considerable damage to the team, particularly if he screws up the lines of authority and/or undermines whomever our new coach turns out to be. But, I have to concede, he has been a pretty solid drafter (Camby, T-Mac, Damon Stoudamire, Lee, Balkman.) So, if Walsh wants to send him out to look at prospects, have at it...just keep him away from the bench and the locker room. Update: Walsh got the message. Apparently Isiah isn't allowed to talk to the players.

Yep, it's playoff time again. As a lowly Knicks fan, I'm not sure I'm qualified to write up my picks this year. The only games I saw this season involved New York, and thus I haven't watched any of these squads play against a real defense. And I haven't seen the Chris Paul Hornets or the Pau Gasol Lakers play at all this season, among other teams. Still, tradition is tradition, so...

Boston Celtics (1) v. Atlanta Hawks (8): I can't say I'm all that pro-Celtics -- In fact, I generally find Boston homers, with a few exceptions, to be some of the more aggravating fans around. Still, I've always had soft spots for KG, Ray Allen, and Sam Cassell. (I could take or leave Paul Pierce: I find him way too passive, tending to disappear in big games for quarters at a time.) And these Celtics are (sorry, Spree) not only the best team Garnett's ever played on, but the best team the East has seen in awhile. They're going to be tested at some point before the Finals, but it won't be lowly Atlanta that push them. KG's usual intensity alone will ensure no early slip-up, and Boston should scatter Bibby and the Hawks fairly readily. Boston in four.

Detroit Pistons (2) v. Philadelphia 76ers (7): A wily and versatile squad stocked with savvy veterans and playoff experience, Detroit is easily the scariest team standing between Boston and the Finals. But, they do have a tendency to coast...one hopes they've learned something from their playoff flameout against LeBron last year. Either way, I don't see Andre Iguodala and the Sixers mounting much of a threat to Motown. Detroit in Five.

Orlando Magic (3) v. Toronto Raptors (6): I haven't looked at the schedule yet, but I get the sense this and the Utah series are going to be the ones relegated to Wednesday nights on NBA TV. Regardless, Dwight Howard v. Chris Bosh should be fun to watch...and I feel pretty confident Howard has the edge. Orlando in Six.

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) v. Washington Wizards (5): These two teams seem to meet every year in the playoffs of late. Unlike 2007, however, the Wizards are healthy, with both Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler ready to play. That being said, and while the Cavs are still basically a bunch of journeyman scrubs, Cleveland has King James, who singlehandedly powered a similarly lousy Cavs squad to the Finals last year. This'll be a hard-fought contest, but my money's on LeBron (particularly given that Cleveland has beaten DC twice in a row -- he's in their heads.) Cleveland in Seven.

Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Denver Nuggets (8): As an inveterate and well-established Kobe hater of long standing, I'm still irritated with Memphis bailing out LA with that grotesquely lopsided Gasol trade. So, I'd like nothing more to see AI and 'Melo rise to the occasion and knock the Lakers out early. But, against a team as good as Los Angeles and a player with as much killer instinct as Kobe, I can't in good conscience back a George Karl-coached team. Los Angeles in Six.

New Orleans Hornets (2) v. Dallas Mavericks (7): As I said above, I have yet to see the Hornets in action, and there's not a lot of playoff experience on this team. And, now that Dallas has Jason Kidd, it's hard to see the Mavs folding as badly as they did last season against Golden State. But I still don't have a lot of confidence in Dallas, and Coach Avery Johnson seems like he's a net negative when the pressure's on -- at key moments, he just seems to wind up guys like Nowitzki further, instead of calming them down and getting them to play better. And, if Paul is as good and quick as everyone says he is, I'm not sure how Kidd is going to guard him. So, New Orleans in Seven.

San Antonio Spurs (3) v. Phoenix Suns (6): This should be fun. One would think I would know not to bet against the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs. Still, every dynasty ends at some time or another, and, particularly given their record over the back half of the season, I just have a feeling the Spurs have entered into that long twilight. (Plus, Big Shot Rob ain't getting any younger, and after last year's incident, the Suns have karma on their side.) Players like Barbosa will have to step up, and Shaq will have to find some of that playoff juvenation to help keep Duncan locked down and allow Stoudamire to thrive. But, I'm thinking Nash & co. weather a few big games from Ginobli/Parker and knock out the reigning champs in the first round. Phoenix in Seven.

Utah Jazz (4) v. Houston Rockets (5): I know Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are apparently the real deal, but I still don't have much faith in this incarnation of the Jazz. That being said, despite their 21-game winning streak without Yao, T-Mac has had, uh, some trouble winning a playoff series. Until he finally breaks that curse, I guess I have to go with those Salt Lake City bluesmen. Utah in Six.

Boston Celtics (1) v. Cleveland Cavaliers (4): King James is amazing, but his retinue (Ben Wallace, Wally World) is still pretty pedestrian. And I just don't see the Celts getting caught as flat-footed by a monster LeBron game as Detroit did last year. Plus, Boston has too many options, even if they don't always know which one to go to in the fourth. But don't fret, LeBron, you'll be a Knickerbocker soon enough. Boston in Five.

Detroit Pistons (2) v. Orlando Magic (3): Unless Detroit has another one of their "senior moments," they should dispatch Orlando rather quickly. And they'll need to, in order to be at all competitive in the Eastern Conference Finals. Detroit in Five.

Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Utah Jazz (4): Having to choose between Kobe and the Jazz is like choosing between the flu and measles. But I'll go with LA, partly due to home court, partly due to Kobe no doubt getting a Jordan-like shield from the refs (who, I'm sure, have been apprised of the value of a Lakers-Celtics throwback final to the NBA.) Los Angeles in Six.

New Orleans Hornets (2) v. Phoenix Suns (6): Again, N'Orleans is an X-factor to me. But, the deeper you go in the playoffs, the more prior experience helps. (As does D, of course, but it's not like the Suns are a defensive powerhouse.) So I'll go with Nash, Shaq et al. Phoenix in Five.

EAST FINALS: Boston Celtics (1) v. Detroit Pistons (2): Now, this'll be a great series. We have yet to see how Boston would handle having their backs to the wall, and given that [a] KG can sometimes get ratcheted up too tight and [b] Coach Doc Rivers is more than a little suspect in the strategy department, an early Detroit win could really scramble this one. But, even if he's older than the hills, Sam Cassell is a legitimate fourth-quarter assassin, and I'm betting he (like Robert Horry and Derek Fisher in years before him) puts Boston over the top in a key game here. Boston in Six.

WEST FINALS: Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Phoenix Suns (6): At long last, the main event: Shaq vs. Kobe for a post-Laker ring. Shaq's only a (very big) cog in the Suns engine now, of course, but I'm sure he'll find it sweet to have Phoenix knock off LA regardless. Phoenix in Seven.

FINALS: Boston Celtics (1) v. Phoenix Suns (6): It won't be the Celtics-Lakers series Commissioner Stern spends his nights praying for, but this should be a solid Finals regardless. The main difference between these two exciting squads is that Boston can totally lock teams down on defense. Defense wins championships, and it will here as well. So, congrats, Celts fans -- And don't forget to thank Kevin McHale for letting Minnesota take a gimongous dive! 2007-08 has been a banner year for Boston...well, except for that whole matter of 18-1...

"When the venerable Donnie Walsh arrived on Wednesday as the Knicks’ fourth president in seven years, he supplanted the least-loved incumbent since LBJ. During the four years and change of the Isiah Thomas era, the team lost more than 60 percent of its games, a ratio that got worse after Thomas added the title of head coach in 2006. Over that span, the Knicks have amassed the largest payroll (peaking at more than $160 million with luxury tax) and the third-worst record in the National Basketball Association. Never has so much been spent for so little in the world of sports. They’ve been called the worst team in the history of pro basketball, but they’re really much worse than that. These Knicks are worse than the fire-sale ’41 Phillies or the expansion ’62 Mets or the ’76 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were perfect in their winlessness. They’re the worst of the worst because of how they’ve lost, in petulance and complacency -- and with management that bulldozed any critic it could not ignore."

But how do you really feel? New York Mag's Jeff Coplon comes not to praise the Isiah-era Knickerbockers but to bury them, once and for all. The piece, entitled "Absolutely, Positively the Worst Team in the History of Professional Sports," is both exhaustive and withering in detail, and well worth a read, if you're of the rubber-necking persuasion.

Also, in basketball news, it looks like I got a B+ this year in bracketology. Thanks mainly to picking Kansas to win it all (a lucky guess, basically), my bracket scored in the 89th percentile overall.

In more Indiana related news, it seems to be official: Word is the Knicks will announce Donnie Walsh as the new team president later today, meaning, at long last, the beginning of the end for the Isiah era. Given the depths of our current situation, I'm still not sold at all on the notion that Walsh can turn things around for the Knickerbockers by next season. But, since the most involving Knick-related activity around of late has been toying with David Lee's hair, I'd think pretty much anything he does would be a step in the right direction.

"'I really didn't want to rehab and come back this season because I don't think that was possible,' Webber said. 'Plus, because the way the team is playing, the chemistry is great with these guys, they're on a roll. I feel like they're going to win, they have a great chance to go very far in the playoffs. I just felt it was time to let the game go and be able to be happy about what I accomplished without trying to keep coming back.'" Undone by knee injuries, longtime NBA forward Chris Webber calls it quits. (He had recently returned to the Golden State Warriors.)

I always liked C-Webb, and wish he'd won a ring with one of the early-00's Sacramento outfits. On the debit side of the ledger, there's his unfortunate timeout and, more importantly, his criminal contempt plea in his perjury trial (concerning loans he received from a booster while at Michigan.) But, still, you have to have some respect for a guy who parlays his NBA millions into an impressive and widely-circulated African-American history collection (probably the coolest basketball-related public project this side of fellow Warrior alum Adonal Foyle's campaign finance reform group.)

The light at the end of the tunnel? Rumor has it that longtime Pacers official Donnie Walsh is set to sign a three-year deal to become Knicks prez, meaning the dreadful Isiah Era is at long last ending here in New York. (Of course, we're still still stuck with terrible Knick owner Jim Dolan, but baby steps, I guess.) To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Walsh or the current state of the Pacers franchise (for which Larry Bird and the Artest melee also share part of the blame), but at this point it's safe to say Walsh will be greeted as a liberator around these parts. Update: Wrong answer, Dolan.

In the NYT, former Knick coach Jeff Van Gundy explains how to shut down the NBA's top players, with the aid of some nifty graphics. (Via Yglesias.)

By way of my sis-in-law Lotta, here's a funky animated gif: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton play the oldest game of all. (The text is early on from Neil Gaiman's Sandman, when Morpheus descends into Hell to retrieve his helmet and is challenged to a contest of wits to reclaim his prize, at the risk of unending torment.)

Strangely enough, just as she sent me this, I'd just grabbed an animated gif of a different game, which -- at least imho -- also has some metaphorical resonance for the primary season. (For those who don't follow basketball, that's virtually an automatic basket by 7'5" Yao Ming getting stuffed out of nowhere by 5'7" Knick Nate Robinson...Notice also (in the Youtube) how Yao tries to play the victim card after ignominious defeat...)

"What I got from talking to him is that he is a real sports fan and he knew about the Blazers. He said that when I come back Brandon, LaMarcus and I will be a force next year. He also asked me about my knee, and he said he wasn't feeling my mohawk." By way of TNR, Sen. Obama picks up the key endorsement of (much-touted) Blazer rookie Greg Oden.

Senators Obama and Clinton aren't the only people sending reinforcements to Ohio. At the trade deadline, Lebron James gets some much-needed help in Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith, and Delonte West, giving up Drew Gooden and the underperforming Larry Hughes to Chicago and Donyell Marshall to Seattle. Elsewhere in the league, Bonzi Wells and Mike James went to N'Orleans, and former Knick Kurt Thomas ended up in San Antonio (which will help take the sting out of the Spurs winning another championship, if that's in the cards, around these parts.)

Speaking of the 16-38 Knicks, they...stood pat. I must say, it's been a tough season to be a Knicks fan. My TiVo conscientiously tapes all of their losses for me, so I caught the second half of Wednesday's 40-point stinker against the lowly Sixers, 124-84. Look away! It is hideous.

As the rumored Kidd-to-Dallas deal looks to enter its death throes (partly due to what might've been an illegal arrangement involving Stackhouse), the Sacramento Kings say goodbye to the final remaining piece of their memorable squad of early-00's contenders (Vlade, Webber, Peja, Bibby, Christie, Turkoglu) by sending Mike Bibby to Atlanta for Shelden Williams and a bunch of expiring contracts. I always kinda hoped that Kings team would won a title...(and I'm with Ralph Nader: preferably one of Kobe's.) Update: A revised Kidd to Dallas deal goes through.

"I don't like what the Republicans have done to our country." Obama supporter, former Republican, and 2014 Alabama gubernatorial candidate Charles Barkley is mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore. "Every time I hear the word 'conservative' it make me sick to my stomach, cause they're really just fake Christians, as I call them. That's all they are...They want to be judge and jury...These Christians are not supposed to judge other people, but they're the most hypocritical judges of people we have in this country. And It bugs the hell out of me. They act like they're Christians and they're not forgiving at all."

Another blockbuster NBA trade: Jason Kidd is set to go to the Mavericks for Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, and a gaggle of expiring contracts. I don't ever want to count out the Spurs, but that should make a 7-game Phoenix-Dallas series in the West very interesting. Update: Wait a tic: Journeyman Devean George puts a damper on the trade.

"'I'm a historian of the game, so I understand that on this team I'm probably a big role player, and I have no problem with that...Kareem was fortunate enough to have those style of players around him toward the end of his career, and I sort of feel like him now,' O'Neal said. 'I'm no idiot. I'm not going to come in here trying to take over and take 30 shots. I'm going to fit in very nicely -- rebound, outlet to Steve, get some easy buckets, play some defense. That's all we need to do." Whether or not the Shaq experiment works out in Phoenix, the Big Fella seems to be saying the right things.

"'It looks like it's going to happen,' said one source close to the situation. 'We should know for sure by [Wednesday]." Is Shaq headed to the Phoenix Suns? Strange...and unexpected. Granted, Shawn Marion has been pushing for a trade, but -- in the manner of all great centers -- Shaq's aging in dog years at the moment, and he's not exactly what you'd call a master of the fast break. I guess Phoenix wants to get a ring before they become one of those classic contenders that never made it, a la the old-school Trailblazers or the Vlade-Bibby-Webber Sacramento Kings. Still, it wouldn't seem to make much sense on paper. Update: It's done -- Shaq's in Phoenix.

In a potentially big NBA trade, the Lakers acquire Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies for Kwame Brown, rookie Javaris Crittenton, and two first-round picks. Pau-for-Kwame, the chronic underachiever? That's a terrible trade for Memphis. Is Jerry West pulling a Kevin McHale here and helping out the old team?

"Isiah's rhetoric has always been persuasive. He's been dealt a bad hand. He had to make extreme moves. Every trade he's made, the Knicks have come out ahead on talent. No one, he implies, could've done any more. But to get a handle on what Isiah's done as a GM, I've evaluated every major move he's made during his tenure, from trades to free-agent signings to draft picks to coaching hires. The record seems to be seriously at odds with Isiah's claims." In a two-part series, ESPN's Chad Ford surveys the colossal wreckage made of the New York Knickerbockers, and suggests the way to start digging out.

"'Embarrassing,' Zach Randolph said...'I don't know what else to say.'" Sadly, the Knickerbocker meltdown continues. In an nationally-televised game on TNT, the Knicks get blown out in Boston, 104-59, "their third-worst loss and their second-worst scoring performance of the shot-clock era." (The only reason it wasn't the worst-ever was because Nate Robinson hit a 37-foot three-pointer at the final buzzer.) "In an incredible display of surrender, with 8:09 left and the Celtics mounting a 50-point lead on Eddie House's jumper, a Knicks fan sitting behind the basket ripped off his blue Knicks jersey, threw it onto the court in a rage and marched up the stairs and out of the building as Celtics fans applauded." I saw that guy (yes, I was watching this fiasco rather than the Cowboys-Packers game), and knew exactly how he felt. Really, how much worse does it need to get? Look at the picture above -- It's only the second quarter, and nobody's listening to Isiah. Fire him already.

"'Isiah has to start me,' Marbury fumed, according to the source. 'I've got so much (stuff) on Isiah and he knows it. He thinks he can (get) me. But I'll (get) him first. You have no idea what I know.'" (Some choice suggestions on what Starbury knows in the comment thread here: I like "It was Isiah's call to cancel Arrested Development" and "Isiah does not care about black people.") Yep, the once-promising 2007-2008 Knickerbockers imploded early this year, with our overpaid, underachieving, untradeable "star" point guard Stephon Marbury leaving the team in a huff over coming off the bench -- at the start of a tough four game road trip -- and now threatening to expose Isiah Thomas's dirty laundry (as if we didn't get enough of that with this past summer's sexual harrassment case.) How will the saga of the Traveling Marbury pan out? Will Stephon be handled with care or sent to the end of the line? Either way, I expect the Knicks to stay moribund so long as this PG, this GM, and this owner are running the show at the Garden. (NY Daily News and Deadspin links sent to me via Ben of The Oak, who also birddogged a great find last week with these graphical representations of hip-hop.) Update: The prodigal Knick returns to a loss in LA, but something's still rotten at MSG.

"'Whether it's fair or not fair, the fact of the matter is that my colleague from New York, Senator Clinton, there are 50 percent of the American public that say they're not going to vote for her. I'm not saying anything that people don't know already. I don't necessarily like it, but those are the facts,' Dodd said." Edwards, Obama, and Dodd (finally) release the hounds at last night's Democratic debate in Philadelphia. Said Edwards: "I mean, another perspective on why the Republicans keep talking about Senator Clinton is, Senator, they may actually want to run against you, and that's the reason they keep bringing you up." (Update: Edwards' Youtube team pounces on the politics of parsing.)To be honest, I DVR'ed the debate and haven't watched it yet, partly because I'm rather dispirited about the whole process (among other things) these days, and partly because the NBA's opening-night double-header was on TNT...which means, if nothing else, there should be something on TV most nights from now until June. (The Knicks start Friday.)

I've been derelict in posting here the past week, but obviously there've been some pretty dismal stories in the news of late, from the fiery swath of destruction visited upon California to the horrifying house fire that claimed seven South Carolinians. To those who've lost friends or family (or homes) in the recent conflagrations, my heart goes out to you. (And one bright spot amid the tales of woe, congrats to the 2007 BoSox for their second World Series sweep this decade. The Curse is now assuredly laid to rest.)

"I've seen the Garden in some of its best moments, and I truly believe that this team is on the verge of experiencing that again." Allen Houston returns to the New York Knicks, two years after retiring with a bad knee. Well, ok. Houston was always pretty one-dimensional as a player -- he's a shooter, and not much else (I'd rather have Sprewell back, to be honest.) But when he's on, he's on, and the (2-0!) Knicks will need someone to spread the floor from outside in any case, with both Curry and Randolph clogging up the paint. Houston's no silver bullet for this squad, and he might not make the roster anyway, but let's hope it works out. "'If he's the Allan Houston we know, we haven't seen him in a while, but if he's that good a player, we want good players,' said Thomas." Update: Scratch that...aborted at the launchpad. "With the season opening less than two weeks away, I think it is best for the team to move on without me." Sigh...not what you'd call a feel-good story.

"'What I did here, I did for every working woman in America,' said Browne Sanders, who came out of the courtroom beaming. 'And that includes everyone who gets up and goes to work in the morning.." The NBA's nightmare off-season continues with (just as during the regular season) a loss for the Knicks: A jury finds MSG, owner James Dolan, and Knicks coach Isiah Thomas guilty of sexual harassment and liable for $11.6 million in damages. The occasional Post headline screaming at me from the local deli notwithstanding, I haven't been following all the twists and turns of this ugly case, other than that I heard Stephon Marbury somehow got caught up in it too for having consensual sex with a Garden employee. Regardless, this is a total embarrassment for the NBA and for New York basketball, and one hopes Commissioner Stern will crack down hard on Dolan & co. if MSG doesn't clean house, and soon.

Speaking of the death penalty, it's a good thing David Stern wasn't prosecuting this case...Crooked NBA ref Tim Donaghy pleads guilty to two felony charges, and now faces a maximum of 25 years in prison. "Donaghy provided recommendations, called 'picks,' to co-conspirators about what team they should bet on, said U.S. District Court Judge Carol Bagley Amon. If he was correct, they paid him. The picks included information about games that Donaghy officiated, the government said." But did he actually fix those games? That's still an open question...

Lone Timberwolf Kevin Garnett to end up in Boston? (Marc Stein explains the math.) An Allen-Garnett-Pierce starting trifecta for the Celtics might just make Boston the team to beat in the East...for about a season and half. But, I guess the thinking is they weren't going anywhere anyway, so why not roll the dice on an all-or-nothing championship bid, while the Atlantic remains definitively dismal? Still, it reminds me of the ultimately failed Barkley-Olajuwon-Drexler experiment in Houston. Update: Sportsguy loves the deal, and also cites the Houston precedent. Update 2: It is accomplished -- KG is now the Beast of the East. (Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph better up their D...)

So, as you may have heard this past week, and as you may long have expected if you're a fellow pro basketball fan, it turns out several NBA games might well have been fixed by a crooked, desperate ref with mob connections, one Tim Donaghy. I run hot and cold on ESPN Sportsguy Bill Simmons, but his take on this growing scandal thus far is pretty solid: "When news of the scandal broke on Friday...every diehard NBA fan had the same reaction. They weren't thinking, 'I can't believe it!' or 'Oh my God, how could this happen?' They were thinking, 'Which one was it?'" (Yeah, I did that.) Also, consider this: "Tim Donaghy didn't just violate the integrity of the league and rig some games. There's a good chance he altered the course of the 2007 championship." Sigh...this is not good. Update: Commissioner Stern weighs in.

Also concerning the NBA (and along the lines of this post last year), friend and colleague Ben of The Oak sent along this noteworthy article on which basketball players are contributing to what 2008 candidates. Supporting fan of the game Barack Obama: NY Knick Stephon Marbury, Shane Battier, Billy King, and Baron Davis. For Edwards (in the past): Charles Barkley, Mike D'Antoni, and Travis Best. For Clinton: many NBA owners, including Paul Allen and the Maloofs. For Mitt Romney: Celtic exec Danny Ainge. For the Dems in general: The Commish, David Stern.

As expected, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant went 1 and 2 respectively at last night's 2007 NBA Draft. Bigger news on the local scene, however, was the Knicks acquiring Portland's talented, troubled PF Zach Randolph in exchange for sophomore SF Channing Frye (a good player, but he slumped considerably last year) and veteran "superstar" PG Steve Francis (a wildly overpaid underachiever with an awful, bloated contract -- I can't believe Portland took him, frankly.) All in all, I'm pretty happy with this trade. Randolph's clearly a bit of a loon, and a cluttered Randolph-Curry frontcourt makes about as much sense as the Marbury-Francis backcourt -- it's a fantasy team line-up with no sense for team chemistry. How are Marbury, Crawford, or Robinson going to drive into the paint with both Curry and Randolph drawing double-teams in the low post, and no real shooters to spread the floor? Still, losing Francis was addition by subtraction, and, while's Randolph's contract is also pretty hefty ($61 million over 4 years) at the very least, Randolph is still young. (The move was definitely better than the Celtics' obvious panic-trade for Ray Allen. I love Jesus Shuttlesworth, but shooting guards over 30 -- particularly those who just had two ankle surgeries -- age in dog years, and he, like Pierce, has a tendency to disappear sometimes.)

So, the San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers last night 83-82 to take their fourth NBA title since 1999 (and their third in five years.) Ho-hum. Not to take anything away from the Spurs: San Antonio was clearly the better team in this series and Cleveland, even with LeBron starting to coming into his own, was hopelessly outmatched. But, while I'm loath to agree with ESPN's Sportsguy too often, he's right this time -- these Finals were a total dud. Bring on next season already.

Spurred by Kobe Bryant's recent on-again, off-again trade demands (predicted by Ray Allen several years early), Knicks GM and coach Isaiah Thomas starts dreaming of a major shake-up in the Knickerbocker lineup. Oof, I really hope Bryant doesn't end up in New York (not that it's very likely anyway.) Despite his immense talent, he is easily my least favorite player in the league, and I'd have a hard time rooting for my Knicks with him jacking up shots all the time for the orange-and-blue.

"Before Rickey Green, a former NBA all-star, played with Mr. Obama in a 2004 Senate campaign fund-raiser, 'I didn't think he could play at all, to be honest with you,' Mr. Green said. But 'he's above average,' for a pickup player, Mr. Green said. 'He's got a nice little left-hand shot and some knowledge of the game.'" Baracksketball? A NYT piece from last week examines Barack Obama's fondness for the court. "Mr. Obama is left-handed, and his signature move is to fake right and veer left, surprising players used to guarding right-handed competitors." Hey, that's my move!

At any rate, my own appreciation for basketball-playing progressive presidential candidates is well-documented. In fact, this reminded me of a similar discussion about Al Gore on Meet the Press in 1999: "'What left Gore's hands and arrived at the basket was quite often, well, a brick, clanging off the rim or ricocheting off the backboard with regularity.' Jim Hudson, a high school teammate, adds, 'He tended to like the limelight. If he passed it to him to try and get something going, to get a better shot inside, Al would simply go ahead and shoot. When the ball got to him, that's as far as it got.'" Global warming or no, would you really want a chucker in the White House in 2008?

"That is asinine. It's no way to run a sport." Salon's King Kaufman (among others) has some harsh words for David Stern and the NBA concerning the recent 1-game suspensions meted out against Phoenix as a result of Robert Horry's body-check of Steve Nash. I'm inclined to agree. Why is San Antonio being rewarded for Horry's cheap shot? And, let's not forget, the same thing happened to the Knicks ten years ago when PJ Brown started a fight with Charlie Ward in the 1997 playoffs, and it was idiotic back then too. Will the league never learn?

Well, my two Finals contenders are still alive...still, the 2007 NBA post-season is proving once again that I know very little about basketball. I can't say I predicted the ugly Miami implosion, the Mavericks' brutal collapse or yet another first-round falloff for T-Mac and the Rockets. (Then again, not many did. I also wrongly had Toronto over NJ too, but, as I said, that was more due to wanting to see VC get his karmic just-desserts than any basketball sense. Ah well.) At any rate, here's hoping Phoenix and Golden State can keep moving forward in the West. Sorry to the Utah fans out there, but a Jazz-Spurs Western Conference Final really sounds too boring to contemplate, and either of them up against almost-assured Eastern winner Detroit doesn't sound all that relishable to me either (even if it would be nice, a la 'Zo and Payton last year, to see C-Webb get a ring.)

Our world has revolved around the sun once more, and just like that, it's time for the NBA playoffs again. As befitting tradition, here's the pretty much always patently useless GitM breakdown:

Detroit Pistons (1) v. Orlando Magic (8): I had Detroit winning it all last year, and I still think when they firing on all cylinders the Pistons are far and away the best team in the East, particularly now with CWebb joining Antonio McDyess as another quality back-up in the paint. They may not have stars along the lines of Shaq and D-Wade (which, sadly, means less love at the free-throw line), but they've got post-up people, they've got outside range, they've got tenacious defenders and they've got savvy veterans. Orlando, meanwhile, has Dwight Howard (young and untested), Grant Hill (aka, sadly, Mr. Glass), and Darko Milicic (who couldn't even break into the Piston's rotation back in the day.) Not much of a match-up here. Detroit has had a tendency to coast until fourth quarters this year, so I'll give Orlando a game. But that's it. Pistons in Five.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2) v. Washington Wizards (7): Alas, the Wizards -- a fun team to watch with a talented and likable superstar in Gilbert Arenas -- are Dead Men Walking. With both Arenas and Caron Butler injured at the moment, Washington just doesn't have the firepower to hang with the Court of King James. As such, this series, which might've been a good test to see if LeBron can shake off his regular-season doldrums, will instead be a walk. If the Cavs are too, um, cavalier, DC might take a game. But I seriously doubt it. Cleveland in Four.

Toronto Raptors (3) v. New Jersey Nets (6): Now, this one's a little tougher. My gut tells me that New Jersey has the veteran experience to win this round against the young, up-and-down, better-ranked Raptors. But, however much I like Jason Kidd, I just can't bring myself to pick Vince "I phone it in" Carter over Toronto, the team he screwed over back in the day. So here's hoping Chris Bosh throws a coming-out party. Toronto in Seven

Miami Heat (4) v. Chicago Bulls (5): Until last night, I might've picked the Bulls to take this, just because Scott Skiles is a take-no-prisoners-coach and the returning champions have looked suspect this entire season, particularly now that Dwyane Wade has a busted shoulder. If former Piston Ben Wallace could keep an aging Shaq even slightly in check, one would think the young, hungry Bulls -- Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich -- might light up this series. But then I saw a flat Chicago team lose the second seed in a must-win game last night against New Jersey, and my opinion changed. In short, the Bulls are basically just a jump-shooting team with no real inside game to speak of. Jump-shooting teams can get hot and win a game or two, but they don't win championships, or even first rounds. (Funny enough, the Bulls could really use Eddy Curry these days, whom they gave to the Knicks for, in essence, several quality draft picks -- But Chicago might still get the last laugh if they pick up Greg Oden or Kevin Durant this summer with our pick. Stay tuned.) Miami in Six.

Dallas Mavericks (1) v. Golden State Warriors (8): With all due respect to Sam Cassell, who's a seriously clutch guy I've always rooted for (well, except in the Knicks-Rockets series back in '94), I'm glad Golden State ended up taking the eight-seed last night over the LA Clippers. With a big, talented backcourt in Baron Davis and Jason Richardson, and with former Mav coach Don Nelson manning the sidelines, the Warriors have a slight chance to make the first round in the West really interesting. Emphasis on slight. From Avery Johnson to Jerry Stackhouse, Dallas is one of my least favorite teams in the league (although, as a digression, I do kinda like Mark Cuban -- he's a good blogger, he's smart and passionate about the game, and, notwithstanding throwing money into the political process and behind social causes, which I'd like to think I'd do more of, he's doing what I'd be doing if I were uber-mega-rich.) That being said, Dallas has too many guns, and is too peeved from last year's loss in the Finals. Dallas in Six.



Phoenix Suns (2) v. Los Angeles Lakers (7): A rematch of last year's 7-game series (where, it should be recalled, Kobe stopped taking shots in the second half of Game 7 as some strange form of protest.) That is, except this year Phoenix, with Amare Stoudamire and former Knick Kurt Thomas back at full health, is better, and Los Angeles, with Lamar Odom ailing, is worse. My inordinate dislike of Kobe is a matter of record around these parts, so I'll waste no more time presuming to be impartial here. Suffice to say, Phoenix in Five.

San Antonio Spurs (3) v. Denver Nuggets (6): What with the ignominious circumstances surrounding his trade to Denver Allan Iverson has had a rotten year. And, I'd like nothing more than to see he, Melo, Nene, Marcus Camby, and K-Mart take the boring San Antonio Spurs to school this year. (Although, give 'em credit, it was interesting to see Tim Duncan's inveterate whining finally send Joey Crawford over the border to Crazytown -- What, you mean NBA refs carry grudges against certain players? Who knew?) But, it's not going to happen, particularly with coach George Karl -- playoff choker par excellence -- still at the helm of the Nugs. I'll be rooting for Denver, but San Antonio in Five



Utah Jazz (4) v. Houston Rockets (5): Riding Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, and a recently flailing Andrei Kirilenko, the Utah Jazz have overperformed all year. Struggling with injuries at various times to both Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, the Rockets have underperformed. In this series, I expect Houston to even the score. Van Gundy's a great coach, T-Mac is hungry, Yao is due, Houston in Six.

Detroit Pistons (1) v. Miami Heat (4): With Wade hurt and Shaq still dominant but aging in dog years (as all centers ultimately do), I'd be surprised if Miami has the wherewithal to beat the Pistons two years in a row. One hates to bet against the returning champions, but they've been too erratic all year, I think, to get past Detroit, who should be looking to rectify for last season. And, without Riley on the bench, Detroit in Six.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2) v. Toronto Raptors (3): Ideally, Chris Bosh would give LeBron James a run for his money here in the second round, and solidify his burgeoning superstar status for the 2007-08 season. But, even with a slightly suspect supporting cast (Eric Snow?), I expect LeBron will begin to taste the NBA Finals right around now, and show us an upside that's been AWOL for months. Cleveland in Five.

Dallas Mavericks (1) v. Houston Rockets (5): Dallas has been the best team in the league all year, and Nowitzki is a player who not only can get red-hot, but knows how to get his calls when he doesn't. I'd love to see Houston take this series, but I gotta say Dallas in Six.

Phoenix Suns (2) v. San Antonio Spurs (3): This will be the first really marquee match-up of the playoffs, and I'd argue the Suns are still rising. Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker will no doubt make it interesting, but Phoenix ultimately puts too many points on the board. Phoenix in Seven.

EAST FINALS: Detroit Pistons (1) v. Cleveland Cavaliers (2): It makes historic sense -- LeBron has to get past the Bad Boys of Detroit, just as Jordan did back in 1991, to get to the NBA Finals. It won't happen this year, though:The Pistons are too deep and too experienced. Detroit in Six.

WEST FINALS: Dallas Mavericks (1) v. Phoenix Suns (2): The two teams that gave us arguably the best game of the season will also end up choosing between themselves the 2007 champion. Dallas is probably a safer pick, since they've got a better half-court game than the run-and-gun Suns. But, I'm going Phoenix...I like 'em more as a team, and when they're in the groove they can't be stopped.

FINALS: Detroit Pistons (1) v. Phoenix Suns (2): Detroit is a better defensive team, and defense wins championships. But, with Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamire, and Shawn Marion, I'd guess Phoenix has more game-breaking X-factors than do Detroit, and, as noted before, the Pistons have looked sluggish to me this year. So, here's guessing Nash gets a ring to help quell the naysayers about his two-time MVP status. Phoenix in Seven.

Looks good on paper, but that's why the play the games. Let's play ball.

Well, it was another lousy season...as has been the case since, oh, about 2000 now. In the end, this year's 33-49 Knicks only garnered ten more wins than last year's dismal Larry Brown experiment. And, worse, they never lived up to the glimmers of promise at the midterm, going 4-15 after Dolan's woeful decision to extend Isaiah's contract for two years. True, much of that freefall can be attributed to injuries -- Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, and David Lee all went down for a stretch there. And, I will concede, this team does play hard for Isaiah, as they never did for Larry Brown. But, even before the IR filled up, the Knicks were terrible on the defensive end. I can't tell you how many games I watched this year where New York would be down by double digits in the first half thanks to lackadaisical D, make a gritty run in the fourth, and lose by a bucket. (And, for all of Eddy Curry's improvement this year, the big fella still hasn't learned to box out.) As opposed to last year's obvious failure, I guess you could say these Knicks were comfortably mediocre. But, frankly, that's not good enough. If we're ever going to be a playoff contender again, we need to play both ends of the floor. And I'm not sure I see that happening with these players...or this coach.

But, this being sports, hope springs eternal. So...any of y'all other teams want to give up a solid defender for Steve Francis's contract? Anyone? Anyone? We'll throw in Jerome James while we're at it...

Congrats to Florida on their 84-75 victory over Ohio State last night, and their second NCAA championship in as many years. Not much of a surprise, really. Greg Oden had a better game than usual last night, but frankly, Ohio State has looked sorta suspect all tourney. At any rate, see you in the Big Leagues, Oden.

At the halfway point and in their first-game after the All-Star Break, the Knicks knocked out their 24th win of the season against Orlando last night, 100-94, thus eclipsing last year's woeful 23-59 full-season record under Larry Brown. I haven't been posting about them much, but thanks to the magic of TiVo I've watched a lot of games this year, and there are definitely causes for hope among the Knicks nation, even if there's not much chance of a serious playoff run, or even a playoff spot, this year. No, I haven't climbed aboard the Isaiah bandwagon, and I think we'd be better if he was gone from the Garden next year. But, in the emergence of Eddy Curry as a semi-consistent offensive force in the post, and the solid play of the second-years -- most notably rookie/sophomore game MVP David Lee, who leads the league in shooting percentage and is a prime candidate for six-man of the year, the Knicks have a foundation to build on for the first time in a good long while. Let's just hope Isaiah doesn't make any more panic trades that lock us in with overpriced underperformers -- see Steve Francis, Jerome James, Jalen Rose, Penny Hardaway, Antonio McDyess, Vin Baker, Glenn Rice, Luc Longley, Shandon Anderson, Howard Eisley, all since Patrick left in 2000 -- for the next 4-6 years.

As you probably heard, a recent Knicks-Nuggets game turned into a melee, with ten ejections, seven suspensions (including, most notably, Denver's Carmelo Anthony for 15 games -- the Knicks only lost their scrubs, with the possible exception of instigator Nate Robinson for ten), and another cloud of controversy surrounding coach Isaiah Thomas. (Please, fire him already.) To be honest, I have yet to see a quality video of the fracas, but it sounds like yet another embarrassment for my lowly Knickerbockers, who've been in freefall for years now, ever since Ewing and Van Gundy left town. In happier news for the other team involved, the Denver Nuggets trade for Allan Iverson, giving up Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and two first-rounders in the process. Great trade for Denver -- they're an injury prone team, but with the Answer, 'Melo, K-Mart, Camby, and Nene, they have to be considered a serious finals contender, even with notorious choker George Karl at the helm.

Up 19 with 9 minutes to go against a Memphis team playing without Pau Gasol, the Knicks needed all of three overtimes last night to eke out a win 118-117. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2006-2007 New York Knickerbockers. Ah well, at least we're over .500 for the first time since January 2005 (the Wilkins era), and we definitely would've lost this game last year. David Lee, Q-Rich, and even Eddy Curry looked good; Francis, Frye, and Crawford less so. Update: Sigh...Back to reality. That didn't last long.

With Larry sated and Rose wilted, I suppose the Knicks are as ready as they can be for the 2006-2007 NBA season, which starts tonight on TNT (although the Knicks don't play until Wednesday.) Hopefully, it won't get too ugly for New York too early. (Also, before embarking on basketball's future, a moment to honor its past: R.I.P. Red Auerbach 1917-2006.)

"Experts Warn: NBA Season May Begin Sometime In Next Three To Six Weeks." Yes, it's true. In fact, our first look at Isaiah's up-tempo tweaks to the Knicks will occur tonight, in a pre-season game against the aging New Jersey Nets. (Yes, I'll probably watch it, even though the Knickerbockers will no doubt once again be terrible all season. In fact, with that in mind, this may just be the year I finally break down and order the League Pass.)

"On the court, Marbury has generally been the anti-Michael Jordan -- stuck with a reputation as a pouting, troublemaking nonwinner. Off the court, he wants to be the anti-Jordan, too." Slate's Daniel Gross takes a walk in Stephon Marbury's new $15 shoes.

Defensive-minded swingman Jared Jeffries is now a New York Knick, after the Wizards declined to match Isaiah's $30 million offer and picked up DeShawn Stevenson instead. Not exactly what you'd call a silver bullet (6.1 points, 4.8 boards), and we almost definitely overpaid...still, it'll be nice to have at least one player on the floor who plays D and doesn't require the ball all the time.

"The word conservative means discriminatory practically. It's a form of political discrimination. What do the Republicans run on? Against gay marriage and for a war that makes no sense. A war that was based on faulty intelligence. That's all they ever talk about. That and immigration. Another discriminatory argument for political gain." Basketball legend Charles Barkley sets the story straight about his political affiliation: "I was a Republican - until they lost their minds." (Via Now This.)

"He has one year, one season to do that. At this time next year Isiah will be with us if we can all sit here and say that this team has made significant progress towards its goal of eventually becoming an NBA champion. If we can't say that, Isiah will not be here." More post-Larry fallout: The Knicks' freakshow owner, James Dolan, badmouths Brown and lays down the law with Isiah for next year.

At long last, it's official: After a nightmare 23-59 season and several weeks of "dead man walking," Hall of Famer Larry Brown has finally been fired from the Knicks. (In fact, the team isn't even planning to pay out his contract, although Brown may be able to pay the bills in Charlotte in short order.) Worse still, in his place the team's woefully inept owner, James Dolan, has -- Oh No! -- put the even more woefully inept GM, Isaiah Thomas, in charge of the bench. Ok, Larry clearly wasn't meshing with the ghastly hydra-headed line-up of shoot-first, one-dimensional, no-d-playing guards Thomas has constructed...still, I have to think we were probably a better team with him at the Garden. And with Isaiah in charge now, hoo boy. It's gonna get ugly at MSG next year.

"'We are engaged in a battle with people who hate our team and our way of playing basketball,' Thomas said in an interview Tuesday. 'We cannot afford to second-guess ourselves. You are either with the New York Knicks or you are against them.'" It is as we feared. As The Onion reports, Isaiah Thomas has no exit strategy for the New York Knickerbockers.

What can Brown do for you? If you're the Knicks, not much more, it appears. As the playoffs continue apace, owner Jim Dolan appears to be on the verge of firing Larry Brown (and thus eating his $40 million contract.) True, Larry hasn't worked out at all...but don't get too excited, fellow Knicks fans: Dolan is apparently thinking of replacing Brown with the fearsome vortex of egregious decision-making that is GM Isaiah Thomas.

"Rasheed Wallace is the GOB of the Pistons...When watching the Pistons, I keep expecting him to unleash an earth shattering 'COME ON!!' after a bad call, then, after the ensuing technical, go to the bench and tell Flip Saunders 'I've made a huge mistake.'" By way of a friend in the program, Rob Deer's Mustache compares the Detroit Pistons to the Arrested Development Bluths.

If it's late April, it must be time for the NBA playoffs. And, while the Knicks' sheer terribleness made it especially hard for me to evaluate the rest of the league this year (since all the halfway-decent teams generally just ran right over 'em), a tradition is a tradition. [2000|2001|2002|2003|2004|2005] So, without further ado:

Detroit Pistons (1) v. Milwaukee Bucks (8): Ok, they didn't crack 70 wins -- Still, with four All-Stars on hand (Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince), championship experience, the best team mentality in pro basketball right now, and an unsatisfied hunger after the Game 7 Finals loss last year, this Pistons squad has the look of a Team of Destiny. I actually watched Milwaukee completely dismantle the Knickerbockers from near-courtside at the Garden last Friday (Thanks, Gill and Ethan), and they definitely have some weapons -- Michael Redd from behind the arc, TJ Ford in the open floor. Still, they're overmatched against Detroit. Pistons in 4.

Miami Heat (2) v. Chicago Bulls (7): Scott Skiles seems to be a great coach, and Chicago is an exciting young team. Plus, they're bound to get even better next year, since (grumble, grumble) they're getting a Top-5 pick from the Knicks. But the Heat is home to two superheroes in Superman and Flash (who get along better these days than do Supes and Batman [via DYFL]), and Alonzo Mourning (albeit hurt) is no slouch either. Provided the Glove doesn't revert to his terrible-LA days, and 'Toine or White Chocolate don't shoot 'em out of it, the Heat should get through the first round with little trouble. Heat in Five.

New Jersey Nets (3) v. Indiana Pacers (6): I still haven't forgiven Vince Carter for his folding on Toronto a few years back -- Still with he and Richard Jefferson on the wings and the inimitable Jason Kidd manning the point, New Jersey look to be a frightening playoff team, and I doubt they'll have much trouble moving past Indiana, a squad who, post-Reggie and post-Artest, seems as if their time has passed. (That being said, I haven't seen all that much of the Peja Pacers.) Nets in Six.

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) v. Washington Wizards (5): Will the District's ballers manage to topple King James,or will LeBron make the Wiz look like the Washington Generals? Gilbert Arenas' big-game tendencies notwithstanding, I tend to favor the Cavs here. LeBron has already shown he can pretty much do it all, at least during the regular season. And while he alone probably isn't enough (yet) to get this somewhat second-rate squad past the second round, I expect he should be able to carry Cleveland past the lowly Wiz. Cavs in 7.

San Antonio Spurs (1) v. Sacramento Kings (8): Like Indiana, their partner in the Peja-Artest trade, the Kings feel like a team whose time has come and gone. Sure, Mike Bibby is a playoff performer, but the Kings just don't have enough weapons to get past the returning champions, even with Duncan and Ginobli slightly gimpy these days. Spurs in Five.



Phoenix Suns (2) v. Los Angeles Lakers (7): The fast-break-happy Phoenix Suns are easily the most watchable team in the NBA, but let's face it -- I'm really just looking forward to rooting against Kobe. Is there a pro athlete less likable this side of Barry Bonds? Particularly given that Phoenix tends not to play D (and are missing their strongest defender with Kurt Thomas out), Kobe will undoubtedly find a way --remorseless gunning, perhaps? -- to score his points. Still, I expect even the Amare-less Suns can carry the day against this iteration of the Lake Show. (Yes, LA beat Phoenix by 20 last week, but Steve Nash sat out that game.) Suns in Six.

Denver Nuggets (3) v. Los Angeles Clippers (6): Here's where the West gets screwy. Not only are the Clippers -- the Clips! -- actually in the NBA playoffs, but they also have home court over the higher-seeded Denver Nuggets. This one's really a toss-up. On one hand, Denver has proven playoff performers in K-Mart and Marcus Camby and the NBA's best clutch shooter in Carmelo Anthony. On the other, the Clippers have Sam Cassell at the point, who -- like Robert Horry and Nick Van Exel -- is one of those take-no-prisoners fourth-quarter guys who can pretty much singlehandedly will a team to victory. And all that being said, it may ultimately come down to who's a bigger playoff choke artist -- Nuggets coach George Karl or the entire Clipper franchise. My money's on Karl. Clippers in Seven.



Dallas Mavericks (4) v. Memphis Grizzlies (5): The other strange seeding in the West -- by records alone Dallas should be the #2 seed -- the Mavs probably won't be challenged very much by Memphis, although Nowitzki versus Gasol should be a fun matchup. Dallas still doesn't buckle down on D, but they should have enough O to tame the Grizzlies. San Antonio, however, is another story... Dallas in Five.

Detroit Pistons (1) v. Cleveland Cavaliers (4): The bottom five teams in the Eastern bracket can't really hold a candle to New Jersey, Miami, and especially Detroit, and it'll show in this series. I expect a variation on Detroit's old Jordan Rules will more than suffice in keeping Lebron in check. Pistons in Four.

Miami Heat (2) v. New Jersey Nets (3): This should be a fascinating series. Still, if Shaq is close to playoff form, I think Miami should pull through...While Flash should be able to run with Jefferson and Carter, the Nets don't really have anyone who can match up with the big fella in the paint. Heat in Seven.

San Antonio Spurs (1) v. Dallas Mavericks (2): The Western Finals may seem like they're coming early this year...still, we've been here before. If it's San Antonio's defense versus the Mav's offense, advantage San Antonio. Spurs in Six.

Phoenix Suns (2) v. Los Angeles Clippers (6): Sorry, Clips fans. You got to the second round for the first time since 1976. But, even with Sam Cassell, that's all you get. Suns in Six.

EAST FINALS: Detroit Pistons (1) v. Miami Heat (2): As with the second round, if Shaq's feeling it and the Heat start clicking, Detroit could be in serious trouble. But all-in-all, I'd say the Pistons are too deep, too experienced, and too hungry. Pistons in Seven.


WEST FINALS: San Antonio Spurs (1) v. Phoenix Suns (2): If Amare and Kurt were healthy, this could be a contentious series...but I just can't really see Phoenix knocking off San Antonio without better interior defense. Spurs in Six.

FINALS: Detroit Pistons (1) v. San Antonio Spurs (1): Wow, two #1 seeds -- looks like I'm going out on a limb again. At any rate, this match-up has been in the cards ever since last season's seven-game Finals, in which the home team won every game. And given that this year Detroit has home-court advantage and Duncan's playing through serious pain...well, you do the math. Detroit in Six.

And, in related news, the Knicks end their thoroughly depressing 23-59 season with a meaningless win over the playoff-bound New Jersey Nets. (Of course, the nightmare won't fully be over until Chicago uses our possible #1 pick, which it scored in the Curry trade after Isaiah Thomas, not the best GM out there, neglected to lottery-protect it.) And now, the post-mortem begins: Larry Brown sounds like he'll be back for now, which means many of the more recalcitrant Knicks this year (I'm looking at you, "Starbury") are likely as good as gone. Still, one small bit of consolation for Garden fans this season, courtesy of swingman Jalen Rose: "I put together our roster on 'NBA Live,' and we're pretty good."

"Across nearly 50 years, the coaches of the best Knicks teams -- Joe Lapchick, Red Holzman, Hubie Brown, Pat Riley, Jeff Van Gundy -- sucked every ounce of talent and effort from their troops. They didn't always win it all, but they emptied the tank in the attempt. When they lost, they lost without disgrace. Even when the Knicks were truly bad, the scent of those years didn't rival the unbearable stench of this one." With the Knickerbocker freefall continuing apace, ESPN's Ken Shouler lays the blame squarely on Larry Brown. Well, when you're 19-54, there's a lot of blame to go around.

"Inside the sprawling yellow brick home with the massive wooden jungle gym in the backyard resides the best basketball player in the world without a job, an athlete who could help some team win an NBA championship three months from now if it could just get a reading on whether he's willing and/or able to set aside his shame and lace 'em up for the first time since the Minnesota Timberwolves played their final game last season." ESPN's Chris Sheridan tries to ascertain what's up with Latrell Sprewell these days. I'd take Sprewell back in a New York minute over the ungainly gaggle of underachieving shoot-first guards Isiah's assembled for the Knicks. If nothing else, Spree left it out on the floor most every night.

Yes, sports fans, it can get worse. The woeful 19-47 Knicks lose rookie Channing Frye for the rest of the season to a ligament sprain in his left knee. Since New York was already way out of contention for the playoffs, playing the rookies (Frye, slam-dunk winner Nate Robinson, David Lee) would've been the only positive aspect of the remaining games. Sigh...now, it'll just be Steve Francis and Stephon Marbury endlessly jawing at Larry Brown.

(Like I needed to another reason to think less of A-Rod.) By way of my friend Mark, here's an interesting list of campaign contributions made by sports figures since 1978. Some of the bigger Democratic donors include Hank Aaron, Andre Agassi, Michael Jordan, Robert Kraft, Alonzo Mourning, Bud Selig, Dean Smith, and David Stern. As for athletes buttressing the GOP, they include several football (Troy Aikman, Bobby Bowden, Mike Ditka, Peyton Manning, Roger Staubach) and racing (Mario Andretti, Brian and Bill France, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Richard Petty) stars, along with Jerome Bettis, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, Lute Olson, Rafael Palmeiro, A-Rod, and Marge Schott.

"A player who has the ability to make it to the NBA can come from anywhere...In very much the same way, politics should give all of our gifted and talented citizens an equal chance to compete to serve in political life." Wow, you learn something new every day. Before entering the NBA, Golden State Warriors center Adonal Foyle began an organization called Democracy Matters, dedicated to getting college students more involved in the fight for campaign finance reform. You can read Foyle's speech about the connection between the NBA and the issue here. (By way of his adopted brother at Crooked Timber.)

Kevin Bacon Game alert: The TNT midnight movie after Thursday's NBA marquee match-up of Dallas versus San Antonio -- it's on in the background right now -- is Next of Kin (1989), a rednecks-versus-the-mob Patrick Swayze vehicle that's surprisingly chock-full of stars. Husband to Helen Hunt and brother to Cletus-ish psycho Liam Neeson, Swayze's a cop out to discover who killed his other brother, Bill Paxton. And whodunnit? Mob thugs Adam Baldwin and Ben Stiller in the opening moments, both of whom report to mafiosi Andreas Katsulas (R.I.P.) and Del Close. Swayze notwithstanding, I wonder if this is on any of their resumes these days.

"And so the Knicks press on into a future roughly as promising as the fate of Iraq. In the near-term, it's hard to foresee anything but a slide further into anarchy. And no one -- not Brown, not Thomas, and not Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, who marched into the team's locker room on Tuesday night and demanded that they start winning (now, there's a strategy!) -- seems to have a plausible exit strategy." Slate's Michael Crowley laments the demise of the New York Knickerbockers under GM Isiah Thomas. Update: Dolan: "Stay the course." Sound familiar?

As expected, the Knicks have pushed the panic button, acquiring Steve Francis for Trevor Ariza and Penny Hardaway's contract. Well, we're not giving up much other than cap flexibility (I like Ariza -- he's a hustle player -- but he also makes bad decisions, and hasn't been gelling under Larry Brown.) Still, how is a backcourt of Marbury and Francis (backed up by Jalen Rose, Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson) going to work? They're like five iterations of the same offensively talented, defensively deficient player (5.5 if you count Quentin Richardson), and every one of them needs the ball in their hands to be productive. At any rate, there's a good bet that the Knicks haven't finished yet, with Crawford for Theo Ratliff or Darius Miles a distinct possibility. "Crawford even polled the team's beat writers after Wednesday morning's shootaround to ask them where they believed he would be headed."

Little Man Nate? Not hardly. All of 5'9" going on 5'7", Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks won the Slam Dunk competition last night, with an impressive repertoire that included dunking over 1986 champion Spud Webb. (Yes, Sports Fans, I just managed to use the words "Knicks" and "won" in the same sentence.) Update: "Both Dolan and Bush are sons of powerful men, more products of name than actual qualifications. Both were pretty much appointed to their present jobs in the first place, Dolan by Dad, President Bush by Justice Scalia. Dolan has the Madison Square Garden network, Bush has Fox News." Veteran sports columnist Mike Lupica compares the Dubya and (Knicks owner) Dolan regimes.

Steve Francis? Kenyon Martin? Lamar Odom? Reggie Evans and Danny Fortson? With the season a wash, the Knicks seem hell-bent on making at least one more panic trade. I get the sense this will all end very badly.

Oof. Having lost 9 games in a row and 15 of the last 16, the 14-36 Knickerbockers are now the worst team in franchise history after 50 games. Was it really only a month ago, after that six-game winning streak, that I was trying to climb aboard the Larry Brown bandwagon? I think I may have broken it.

The Knicks make a panic trade in procuring Jalen Rose and a draft pick (Denver's) for the expiring contract of Antonio Davis. Hmmm. Rose is a talented player on the offensive end, but he brings little to the table that we don't already have in Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford. And that contract...ugh. Somebody should tell Isiah the first rule in getting out of a hole: Stop digging.

See what you've wrought, Kobe? Local prospect Epiphanny Prince puts up 113 points in a high school game. (Final score: 137-32.) "'It's an amazing thing when an individual does that,' NBA star LeBron James said when told about Prince's performance. 'I don't know who she is, but maybe we'll see her in the WNBA. For that matter, the NBA.'" Doesn't sound like the other team was all that competitive...But, heck, I'm sure we could find a spot for her on this current Knicks squad.

Peja for Artest? That's one more nail in the coffin of the Kings team of old, and, to my mind, probably a bad move on Sacramento's part. I always had Latrell Sprewell's back when he came to the Knicks after the Carlesimo episode, but Ron Artest -- unlike Spree -- seems like both a legitimate head case and a locker room cancer. As for Peja, he should have no problem filling the Reggie Miller role in Indiana's offense, but that still probably won't put the Pacers in contention with Detroit. At any rate, hopefully this going through will break the gridlock on trades, and we'll start to see some movement around the league. Update: It begins, with Wally World for Ricky Davis. Advantage: T-Wolves.

I must admit, between the relentless, team-killing ego and that highly suspect night in Colorado, Kobe Bryant is far and away my least favorite player in the league. But, 81 is 81. Even given that Kobe never passes up a single shot and clearly makes his teammates worse, that's a pretty impressive night of work against any NBA team, even the lowly Raptors. (And, oh yes, congrats to the Steelers and Seahawks on lopsided victories...see y'all in Detroit.)

Hey, don't look now, but the New York Knickbockers, the worst team in the league in late 2005, are "starting to percolate" as Walt Frazier would put it, and are now undefeated five games into 2006, including impressive wins against Phoenix, Dallas, and Cleveland on the road. And, given that at 12-21 we're only two games out of the eight-spot in the woeful East, we may actually have a season on our hands. Is it too late to get on board the Larry Brown bandwagon? Update: Make it six.

The current number of Van Gundy's in the NBA has dropped to one, as Stan Van Gundy abruptly leaves the Miami Heat "for family reasons." That's really too bad...I've always rooted for the Van Gundy boys since Jeff's Knicks stint (which ended almost four years ago to the day.) At any rate, Pat Riley will take the helm once again in Miami.

As the Knicks front office roll the dice yet again with SF Qyntel Woods (who will replace the recently waived Matt Barnes and likely back up Quentin Richardson), ESPN's Frank Hughes surveys the 7-foot dud that has been the Jerome James Era in New York (so far).

Say what you will about the Larry Brown era in New York...at least we won't go 0-82.

A closely-fought game at the Garden Formerly Known as Fleet for 48 minutes, followed by the worst overtime loss in Knicks history...oof, it's going to be a long season. Tighten the screws, Larry...we need some defensive boards in the worst way.

While Larry Brown's New-Look Knicks might not be ready until January, the NBA 2005-06 season nevertheless begins tonight with a TNT western conference doubleheader: Spurs-Nuggets and Mavs-Suns. Well, dress code or no, I love this game...and particularly if the Knicks can end their post-Ewing slump this year.

"If you look at NBA players. White, black, brown, yellow, whatever color or nationality, regardless of how they dress, and think thug. You are an idiot." As seen at Caught in Between, Mavs owner Mark Cuban eloquently dissects the reasons for the NBA dress code (with additional comments) over at Blog Maverick: "'Unfortunately we have gotten to the point where some, but not all, owners, or which ever executive is in charge of the team, have lost the ability to communicate with their players. In a nutshell, they dont talk to their players... I explained that a couple corporate customers of the league...were uncomfortable with the appearance of some players. That unfortunately, in those cities, they didnt feel comfortable having a discussion like this and that their ownership didnt feel comfortable asking those players to work with the teams for the best of the league. Since the teams couldnt deal with it, they had asked the league to step in and deal with it."

Houston, we still have the same old problem. And thus, longtime Knickerbocker guard Allan Houston retired from basketball today, as a result of his lingering injuries (and as a condition of his not being Allan Houstoned this past summer.) Good luck to ya...and thanks for the memories.