Sport-Blog.com

By Ed Jennett


Although the talent in the 2006 NBA Draft was considered to be unusually weak it did not prevent teams from actively trading. Here is a recap of the first round wheeling and dealing:

1. Raptors : Andrea Bargnani SF/PF/C : Toronto fans, say hello to Andea Bargnani. Now get ready to say goodbye to PF Chris Bosh. The Raptors extremely controversial decision to draft Bargnani instead of PF/C LaMarcus Aldridge will be a costly choice as it will lead to Bosh choosing to leave Canada the first chance he gets. Not only are the two Texas natives good friends, Aldridge can play center which would have allowed Bosh to stay at power forward. The drafting of Bargnani forces Bosh to play out of position. It also shows him exactly where he stands with the franchise. Bosh had made it known that he wanted the Raptors to select Aldridge, but GM Brian Colangelo has been a longtime fan of Bargnani. The new Assistant GM of the Raptors, Maurizio Gherardini, was the GM of the Italian league team that Bargnani played for. Bosh will soon be taking his All:Star talents elsewhere. Even if Bargnani develops into an All:Star himself this pick was probably still a huge mistake.

2. Trailblazers : LaMarcus Aldridge PF/C : The Bulls actually made this pick but dealt Aldridge to Portland in a deal that was agreed to before the draft. Portland might not turn into the new Clippers after all. Starting center Joel Pryzbilla is most likely leaving Portland as a free agent and backup center Theo Ratliff was traded to Boston in another deal, so there will be a lot of minutes available for Aldridge.

3. Bobcats : Adam Morrison SF : Destiny might have had a hand in this pick. Morrison was projected by many to be the first overall pick in this draft but slipped to the third spot. He was selected by new Bobcats head honcho Michael Jordan, who slipped to the third spot of the 1984 draft. Morrison was arguably the best and most NBA ready player available. But perhaps just as importantly for the financially struggling Bobcats he was clearly the most marketable player in the entire draft.

4. Bulls : Tyrus Thomas PF : The Bulls are bullies. Even though the player they wanted all along was Thomas, Chicago decided to hold up Portland for Aldridge so they could shake the Blazers down for some throw ins. If Portland had refused the Bulls would have selected Thomas, the Bobcats would have selected Morrison, and the Blazers would have gotten Aldridge anyway. The defense of Thomas and Chicago center Tyson Chandler will now turn the Bulls into bullies on the court as well.

5. Hawks : Shelden Williams PF/C : Atlanta has to be the most popular team in the league. Not in terms of attendance obviously, because no one attends their games, and rightfully so. The Hawks are popular with the other teams in the league because they are so completely clueless. Atlanta confirmed the horrifying rumor that they had promised Williams that they would select him with the fifth overall pick. Williams was projected to go no higher than the ninth overall pick. Every lottery team selecting behind them rejoiced, while the four remaining Hawks fans cried their eyes out. The other lottery clubs are now on the rapidly growing list of franchises that are forever indebted to their bumbling brethren in Atlanta. Phoenix is grateful for receiving SF Boris Diaw, the trade exception that was quickly used to acquire SF James Jones, and two first round draft picks for SG Joe Johnson in a sign:and:trade when everyone knew they would have never matched an offer sheet for him. Portland, New York, and Toronto, are all grateful to Atlanta for being even more of a pathetic and embarrassing mess than they are.

6. Portland : Brandon Roy SG : Portland ended up with the players it wanted, but at a cost. The Blazers wanted Roy who might be the second most NBA ready prospect in the draft after Morrison and plays shooting guard, which is a position they needed to fill. Unfortunately the Blazers essentially made two trades to get him. First Portland traded PG Sebastian Telfair, C Theo Ratliff, and a 2008 second round pick to Boston for the seventh overall pick, PF/C Raef LaFrentz, PG Dan Dickau, and a 2008 second round pick. Portland planned on taking Roy with the seventh pick, but Minnesota took him instead with the sixth pick. The Blazers selected PG/SG Randy Foye with the next pick and then promptly sent cash and Foye to Minnesota for Roy.

7. Minnesota : Randy Foye PG/SG : The Timberwolves got the player that they really wanted and got some money from the financially struggling Blazers. Minnesota now has a player to replace PG Marcus Banks and/or SG Rashad McCants. Banks is a restricted free agent but the team has not decided if it will bring him back next season. McCants recently had microfracture surgery and it is unknown when he will return to the court.

8. Grizzlies : Rudy Gay SG : Once again Memphis GM Jerry West works his magic. West traded SG/SF Shane Battier to Houston for the rights to SF Rudy Gay. Battier is a solid player and a solid citizen, but Gay could develop into an All:Star. The fact that the Rockets two current All:Stars C Yao Ming and SG/SF Tracy McGrady have had health problems makes this trade even more ridiculous for Houston. The deal is officially delayed until the trade moratorium ends in mid:July. Houston fans can then officially begin cursing about this trade.

9. Warriors : Patrick O'Bryant C : Apparently even Golden State can get something right once in a while. The Warriors were in desperate need of a center and then watched the draft unfold to leave them with an absolute no brainer. Not only is O'Bryant a center he was also the best available player.

10. Sonics : Saer Sene C : Why do something that improves your abysmal team when you can save some money? That apparently was the thinking of the Seattle SuperSonics. Sene was projected to be drafted just outside of the lottery. But the cash strapped Sonics figured that since he can be stashed in Europe for at least another season that they could delay having to pay a lottery pick for at least one year.

11. Magic : JJ Redick SG : Back to the picks that make sense on the basketball court. Assuming Redick makes a full recovery from his back injury, he will provide Orlando with another shooter. Redick could also potentially replace SG DeShawn Stevenson in the starting lineup as he could leave the team as a free agent this offseason.

12. Hornets : Hilton Armstrong C : The Hornets came in to the draft looking to acquire two athletic big men. The top two players remaining that fit the description were Armstrong and PF Cedric Simmons. Centers are much harder to find, and therefore more valuable, the Hornets decided to take Armstrong at 12.

13. Bulls : Thabo Sefolosha SG : Chicago was still in need of another center and big, defensive minded shooting guard. With the top centers all off the board, the Bulls decided to move up slightly by trading with the Sixers to make sure they could acquire Sefolosha.

14. Jazz : Ronnie Brewer SG : If the unthinkable happens and Utah does not trade PF Carlos Boozer, the only hole in their starting lineup will be filled by Brewer. No information has been released about how much destruction of property was committed when the Magic drafted Redick.

15. Hornets : Cedric Simmons PF : The Hornets ended up looking like geniuses as the other big man that they wanted was still available at 15.

16. Sixers : Rodney Carney SF : If you already have two legitimate starting small forwards and are about to trade an All:Star point guard, the obvious move is to draft another small forward. This is an obvious move only to Philadelphia. The Sixers will most likely follow up this ingenious pick by getting ripped off when they trade Allen Iverson.

17. Pacers : Shawne Williams SF : Apparently the Pacers want to be like the Sixers and put an entire lineup of small forwards out on the court at the same time. Despite the fact that they plan on bringing back free agent SF Peja Stojakovic and the fact that they several other players on the roster that can play small forward, the Pacer decided to draft another one. Just about any other move would have made more sense.

18. Wizards : Oleksiy Pecherov PF : Maybe it is a Washington thing. The team in the state of Washington takes a center that will be stashed overseas and then the team in Washington D.C. takes a power forward that will be stashed overseas.

19. Kings : Quincy Douby PG/SG : Sacramento was in urgent need of a backup point guard and decided to take Douby, who can also play shooting guard.

20. Knicks : Renaldo Balkman SF : New York was in urgent need of defensive players and selected Balkman with the first of their two first round picks. While this pick is already being questioned, Knicks President/General Manager/Head Coach Isiah Thomas has an excellent draft record, so Balkman could turn out to be a very pleasant surprise.

21. Celtics : Rajon Rondo PG : Rondo provides Boston with a backup point guard and possible trade bait in their pursuit of Allen Iverson.

22. Nets : Marcus Williams PG : Williams was projected to be a lottery pick but fell all the way to the Nets. This actually worked out for him as he will now be the backup to an All:Star and will once again play with one of his college teammates.

23. Nets : Josh Boone PF : New Jersey was also in need of a big man and selected Williams teammate Boone next. Boone should receive a lot of minutes as the Nets have an incredibly thin bench.

24. Grizzlies : Kyle Lowry PG : With backup PG Bobby Jackson about to run out of town as soon as possible Memphis had to select a point guard. While not as impressive as the heist of Rudy Gay, Lowry will be a good addition.

25. Cavaliers : Shannon Brown SG : Cleveland obviously realizes that SG Flip Murray will be leaving as a free agent this offseason. Fellow undersized shooting guard Brown will obviously be his replacement.

26. Lakers : Jordan Farmer PG : The Lakers plan on signing PG Sam Cassell to be their starter next season, but if they strike out with him Farmer has a chance to beat out incumbent starting PG Smush Parker.

27. Blazers : Sergio Rodriguez PG : Unless he is the 100th Blazer traded this offseason Rodriguez will be the third string point guard in Portland.

28. Mavericks : Maurice Ager SG : The Mavericks did not any real needs in this draft so simply took who they felt was the best player available.

29. Knicks : Mardy Collins PG/SG : The Knicks made another pick designed to improve their awful defense with Collins. The big combo guard excels on both ends of the court, but like Balkman, will have to fight for playing time on the veteran filled squad.

30. Blazers : Joel Freeland PF : It was only appropriate that the Blazers had the last pick of the first round since they were the most active team of the night. If Freeland remains with the team he should be the backup power forward to Zach Randolph. If Randolph remains with the team.

By Ed Jennett


In what was either an example of a sick sense of humor or an ironic act of buffoonery, New York Knicks owner James Dolan fired Head Coach Larry Brown 40 days after the dismissal was first reported throughout the media. Although Dolan thinks otherwise, the Knicks still owe Brown $40 million dollars for the four years that were remaining on his contract. Brown has been replaced as Head Coach by Knicks President/General Manager Isiah Thomas.

The official firing came after Brown finally received what he had requested shortly after the season ended, a meeting with Dolan. Brown wanted to speak with Dolan after his last meeting with Thomas turned sour. Brown and Thomas met shortly after a joint press conference at the end of the season in which they said that Brown would return to coach the team and that the two would work together to rebuild the Knicks. Brown frustrated Thomas at the meeting by insisting on massive roster changes. Thomas responded that Brown should focus on coaching. Afterwards Brown requested a meeting with Dolan. The Knicks maintain that he wanted to meet with Dolan alone while the Brown camp maintains he wanted to meet with Dolan and Thomas. That meeting did not take place until the day Dolan fired Brown.

Dolan had never even responded to the request of Brown until that point. That complete lack of communication quickly spread throughout the organization. Despite the two having been friends before Brown was hired, Thomas never asked Brown about his health after Brown underwent another bladder procedure shortly after the season ended. No one from the organization ever asked Brown about it. No one from the organization ever told Brown or his agent that the reports he was going to be fired were false. Obviously that was not an oversight on the part of the Knicks.

Despite the fact that it was obvious that Brown was going to be fired, the Knicks apparently decided to get as much out of him as possible before showing him the door. Brown, knowing that he was going to be fired, had to run the Knicks pre-draft workouts. The Knicks logic behind this was obvious. Thomas has an excellent draft record so he would be best utilized observing the prospects instead of dividing his time by having to also conduct the workouts. Brown and Thomas only briefly spoke about the prospects at the workouts. Their fractured relationship was about to get even worse.

The Knicks ordered Brown to attend the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando. Brown attended and watched from the sidelines. Thomas attended and watched from the stands. They never spoke to each other during the entire camp. Before leaving for Orlando, Thomas had placed three phone calls to Brown. The first was returned by his secretary. The second was returned by his agent. The third was never returned. Thomas obviously felt that Brown should come speak to him since he had attempted to contact Brown three times. Brown obviously felt that speaking with Thomas was pointless since he knew he was going to be fired.

Brown refusing to return phone calls is just one of the reasons that the Knicks do not want to pay the remaining $40 million on his contract. Among other things the team is also citing his unauthorized roadside interviews without a Knicks public relations official present. The Knicks are upset that Brown left the predraft camp in Orlando one day early without prior authorization, despite the fact that head coaches usually do this. Brown constantly criticizing his own players despite being told to stop by management is also cited.

The Knicks contend that Brown demanded that six players be waived once this past season had ended. Although that list included free agent bust center Jerome James, the list also included all-star point guards Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis, the Knicks two best players. When Dolan met with beat reporters about the dismissal of Brown, he pointed out the combined contracts of the players that Brown wanted to waive totaled $180 million. Dolan took this as a clear sign that Brown made the demand in order to force his own dismissal. According to Dolan, Brown was an advocate of the Knicks trades for Francis and PG/SG/SF Jalen Rose. The contracts of the two players totaled $80 million. Dolan explained that three weeks later Brown told Thomas that the two players were not good.

The most shocking allegation of the Knicks is that Brown called other teams attempting to make trades and undermine Thomas. It was widely reported throughout the media that Brown had been in contact with executives throughout the league regarding trades. At the time it appeared he was using his connections throughout the league to try to help his team. The Knicks contend otherwise however. According to the team, they were informed by at least two other clubs that the trade offers Thomas had made to them were not as good as the offers made by Brown.

If the Knicks can actually prove their last accusation, then they might have a legitimate complaint against Brown. Whether their complaints are legitimate or not may be irrelevant however. As per the terms of the contract that Brown signed last offseason, this dispute will be arbitrated by NBA Commissioner David Stern. If Stern were to allow the Knicks to get out of paying Brown the remainder of his contract or even paying less than the total amount remaining, he would open the door for every single team in the league to try to avoid having to pay the salary of an employee that was being fired. It is highly unlikely that Stern would allow that to happen.

Dolan maintains that he did not make the decision to fire Brown until he finally met with him. It is his belief that Brown decided sometime during the period that the rumor of his dismissal was floating around that he would not return to coach the team next season.

Despite the fact that most Knicks fans would like to see Dolan go, the man replacing Brown is the one most likely to leave next. During the meeting with the beat writers, and with Thomas sitting to his right, Dolan said that if the Knicks do not make significant progress this season that Thomas would be removed from all three of his positions. However Dolan did not give a timetable for when he would sell the team if it continued to flounder under his ownership.

As a sports fan, I don't want to have to think about umpires or referees. Sure, they are an important component of most professional sporting events, but they should remain in the background. More often than not, if fans start noticing the officials, it's because something controversial has happened. Just take a look at the most recent NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat. The referees became the biggest story down the stretch, and that should never be the case.

There have been many other games where questionable calls by the refs end up overshadowing the actual gameplay of the athletes and teams. For example, everyone remembers the NFL playoff game from several years ago when the New England Patriots came back from a 4th quarter deficit to defeat the Oakland Raiders. That game featured the infamous "tuck rule" call by the officials that negated a Tom Brady fumble and gave the Patriots new life. The Patriots went on to win the first of three Super Bowls in the last five years. More recently, Super Bowl XL featured a couple of close calls as well.

And in baseball, who can forget the strikeout that wasn't, when the home plate umpire ruled Anaheim Angels catcher Josh Paul dropped the would-be third-strike, allowing A.J. Pierzynski and the rest of the Chicago White Sox to rally for the win in the American League Championship Series. The White Sox, of course went on to the World Series where they swept the Houston Astros in four games.

I know that it's not fair to bring up only questionable examples of officiating without pointing out all the times that the refs and umpires get difficult calls right. But the point of this article is to remind fans that even game officials have different skill levels. Now, most people who defend referees and umpires are quick to say that these officials are making judgment calls, so they're sure to be wrong once in a great while. However, there's more to officiating than just making the calls, and that's why skill levels of officials can vary as much as the skill levels of the athletes they're monitoring.

Knowing the rules of the game is only one part of being a good referee or umpire. In addition, officials have to have quick reaction times, they have to be decisive, they have to be able to anticipate where the play is going without committing themselves so much that they miss the call if things work out differently than expected, and they have to be able to move themselves into the best position to view the action and make the calls. Many of these skills are developed over the course of years and years of game time experience and offseason preparation.

But just like professional athletes, experience alone is not always enough to improve an official's skill level. Just as professional sports leagues are full of 10-year veterans who still haven't cracked their team's starting lineup, there are no doubt officials out there who probably should be relegated to a backup role.

I'm sure that being an official is a thankless job for the most part. These men and women are inevitably caught in the middle of every controversial situation. They get booed by the home fans and the visiting fans alike, and they hardly ever get credit for making the right calls. After all, most fans think, it's their job to make the right calls, isn't it?

Although I do have sympathy for the no-win situations that officials are usually in, I think that all the major sports leagues have to step up and do something to ensure that the quality of officiating rises at the same rate as the quality of talent in the respective leagues. I'm sure there are evaluation systems in place in each of the leagues, and I hope that they are regularly revised to keep pace with changes in the game. Furthermore, I hope that there are internal disciplinary measures for dealing with officials who quite obviously blow big calls during games. After all, if officials don't have any incentive to get better, why would they try?

I do not, like some fans, think that umpires and referees should be held publicly accountable for their calls and actions. This would lead to many more problems with the system than there already are. Instead, it should be up to the governing body of each league to see to it that all members of the officiating crews are qualified to do the job.

When officials don't do their jobs the right way, the very integrity of the sports league itself can come into question. After an exceptionally poor display of officiating during the NBA Finals, Dallas fans and disinterested third parties alike grumbled about the possibility -- or probability, depending on your point of view -- that the finals were fixed. That is obviously not the type of reputation that a sports league wants to develop or be associated with. And the best way to stay out of that whole mess is to let the players decide the outcome of the games, not the refs or umps.

That's really the bottom line here. Sports fans want to see good games that don't hinge on the calls that officials make, and the only way to get to that point is to make sure the most-skilled officials are on the field of play at all times.

By Ed Jennett


This is a very unusual year for the NBA Draft. Normally there is a player that is considered to be a clear cut number one overall pick. That is not the case this year as the first five players in this mock draft could all possibly be taken at number one. It is also unusual for a draft to be blasted for being embarrassingly weak. That opinion was formed about this one last offseason and proved to be correct. Although they are not going to find any super stars, if teams are smart they can still improve themselves. A handy guide has been provided here for them:


1. Raptors: Adam Morrison SF: Morrison is the player most likely to be drafted first overall. But he might not necessarily remain with the Raptors. There are rumors that Toronto will trade this pick and SF/PF/C Charlie Villanueva to the Indiana Pacers for PF/C Jermaine O’Neal and pick number. The trade makes little sense for either team though. The Raptors are rebuilding and cannot afford to give up two high quality youngsters for the injury prone O’Neal. Indiana plans to re-sign sharp shooting small forward Peja Stojakovic, so they have no need for Morrison. Toronto will most likely trade down to take PF/C LaMarcus Aldridge (who is friends with Raptors All-Star PF Chris Bosh) or SF/PF/C Andrea Bragnani (who played for the Italian League team of new Raptors Vice President and Assistant General Manager Maurizio Gherardini this past season).

2. Bulls: Tyrus Thomas PF: Thomas would team with C Tyson Chandler to give the Bulls one of the best defensive combos in the league.

3. Bobcats: Rudy Gay SF: There will be a great deal of pressure on Gay, who will become the first draft pick of the Michael Jordan era in Charlotte. Preseason hype had Gay being the first overall pick in the draft this year. Ironically he will now be selected by the man who should have gone first overall in 1984.

4. Trailblazers: Andrea Barganani SF/PF/C: Portland is an absolute mess, so the multi-positional Barganani should be a no-brainer. Starting C Joel Pryzbilla may leave this summer as a free agent, while starting PF Zach Randolph and starting SF Darius Miles are on the trading block.

5. Hawks: LaMarcus Aldridge PF/C: There are several rumors swirling around the Hawks and this pick. One insane rumor has the Hawks having promised PF/C Shelden Williams that they will take him with this pick. Another, far more logical rumor, has Atlanta trading down to select Williams. The intelligent decision would be to fill their huge hole at center with Aldridge, who will by far be the best big man still available.

6. Timberwolves: Brandon Roy SG: Roy has become much more than just the clear cut best player available at this position. Minnesota recently lost their lottery pick from a year ago, SG Rashad McCants, to microfracture surgery. Shooting guard has now become the most pressing need of the club.

7. Celtics: Marcus Williams PG: Although they have talented young Delonte West starting at point guard, the Celtics are in need of a true floor general. West is a combo guard, and would be best suited coming off the bench backing up All-Star SG Paul Pierce and the new starting point guard for the Celtics, Marcus Williams.

8. Rockets: Randy Foye PG: Due to their awful trade of PG Mike James for PG Rafer Alston last offseason, the Rockets are in desperate need of a legitimate starting point guard. Foye will either cause the immature and unprofessional Alston to be sent to the bench or sent to another team.

9. Warriors: Patrick O’Bryant C: As the roster stands right now, either overpaid C Adonal Foyle or disappointing rookie PF Ike Diogu will be the starting center for Golden State next season. The Warriors should select O’Bryant so quickly that NBA Commisioner David Stern will not even have the chance to turn around to try to leave the lecturn.

10. Supersonics: Shelden Williams PF/C: Due to starting PF Chris Wilcox being a free agent, and backup PF Danny Fortson being on the trading block, the Sonics have to take a power forward. If he is not already selected by misguided Hawks this should be were Williams is taken.

11. Magic: Ronnie Brewer SG: Current starting shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson plans to opt out of his contract and become a free agent. The Magic would be wise to have a replacement ready in case his asking price is too much.

12. Hornets: Cedric Simmons PF/C: Whether they will be playing in New Orleans or in Oklahoma City, the Hornets are in urgent need of big men. Simmons can play either spot and will be the best big available.

13. 76ers: Rodney Carney SG/SF: Philadelphia may completely blow up their disappointing team this offseason. The two Sixers most likely not to get hit by the wrecking ball are SG Andre Iguodala and SF Kyle Korver. Carney would provide the team with a third perimeter keeper in a possible post-Iverson world.

14. Jazz: J.J. Redick SG: This is the draft pick that had to happen. Utah is in desperate need of a shooting guard. Swingman Matt Harpring may leave the team as a free agent this summer. Look very closely at Harpring and Redick. The Jazz will not pass on Redick.

15. Hornets: Hilton Armstrong PF/C: One will not be enough for the Hornets. Armstrong should still be available when the Hornets pick again and he is another multi-positional big man that they cannot afford to pass up.

16. Bulls: Saer Sene C: Having filled their need of a legitimate starting power forward earlier in the draft by selecting Thomas, the Bulls can now address their other need of a backup center with the selection of Sene. Like Chandler and Thomas, the athletic Sene focuses on defense, rebounding and shot blocking. The young Bulls will be a nightmare for their opponents next season.

17. Pacers: Maurcie Ager SG/SF: Where there is smoke there is fire is definitely true in the case of the Indiana Pacers. Trade rumors have been swirling around the club, and more specifically O’Neal and SG/SF Stephen Jackson, since late in the season. If the Pacers can find a taker for the volatile Jackson they will already have another swingman in the pipe line with Ager.


18. Wizards: Jordan Farmer PG: The Wizards only consistent backup guard last season was PG/SG Antonio Daniels. Farmer will ease the pressure on Daniels and All-Star PG Gilbert Arenas. He will also be insurance in case the rumors that Arenas will leave the team if it continues to regress as it did this pass season prove to be true.

19. Kings: Sergio Rodriguez PG: Sacramento has been in need of a backup point guard ever since injury prone Bobby Jackson was shipped to Memphis. Ironically the flashy Rodriguez is often compared to former Kings starting point guard Jason Williams, and would end up being the backup to the man Williams was traded for, Kings starting PG Mike Bibby.

20. Knicks: Shawne Williams SF: Despite the unquestionable success that Knicks President/General Manager/Head Coach Isiah Thomas has had in drafting players Williams will most likely be booed out of the building. It will not have anything to with the versatile Williams, who can play every position except center. Williams will be another solid pick by Thomas, but this will be a great opportunity for Knicks fans attending the draft in New York to show the embarrassing franchise how they feel.

21. Suns: Mardy Collins PG/SG: Although he is not considered to be a great athlete, Collins will be a great fit in Phoenix. The Suns have spent the last two seasons looking to improve the backup point guard to Steve Nash. Collins will not only help in that area he can also backup starting shooting guard Raja Bell.

22. Nets: Oleksiy Pecherov PF: The Nets have four excellent starters but an absolutely awful bench. New Jersey can start working on correcting that flaw with Pecherov, who may also be able to eventually play some center if he can gain weight.

23. Nets: Kyle Lowry PG: New Jersey also needs a backup point guard and can chose between a few with their other draft pick. Lowry is the best of the remaining bunch and will run the team well enough to let starting PG Jason Kidd catch his breath and decide whether his next alley oop pass will be to SG Vince Carter or SF Richard Jefferson.

24. Grizzlies: Rajon Rondo PG: Jackson is a free agent this summer and has already bashed Grizzlies Head Coach Mike Fratello. He obviously has no interest in returning and would not be welcome back in Memphis anyway. If starter Damon Stoudamire has not fully recovered from his midseason knee injury, Rondo could see a lot of minutes early on.

25. Cavaliers: Quincy Douby PG/SG : Cleveland is not expected to keep free agent shooting guard Flip Murray as he should be able to find a starting job on another team. Douby is a combo guard who will help fill the void along with fellow PG/SG Damon Jones. If Celveland can somehow acquire a legitimate starting point guard, incumbent starting PG Eric Snow will come off the bench and Douby would probably head to the inactive list.

26. Lakers: Marcus Vinicius SF: With a pick this late the Lakers cannot worry about their positional needs (point guard) and have to take the best player available. Vinicius is a good ball-handler, so if he can improve his defense he might eventually find a role in the Triangle Offense of Head Coach Phil Jackson as a point forward.

27. Suns: PJ Tucker SG/SF: The Suns are more in need of big men, but athletic PJ Tucker will be a nice fit for them. Tucker may not have the size that most teams want in a small forward or the skill set that they want in a shooting guard, but he is tough, a good defender, and can run the floor. Tucker will even more valuable if Phoenix does not re-sign free agent backup SF/PF Tim Thomas or trades All-Star starting SF/PF Shawn Marion. has also improved at creating shots for himself off the dribble.

28. Mavericks: Denham Brown SG/SF: Brown is a do everything well, but nothing spectacular, type of player that will do great with Dallas. Brown is similar to current Mav PG/SG/SF Marquis Daniels, although he will not be able to play the point or be as good a defender.

29. Knicks: Josh Boone PF/C: New York is looking for big men to play defense, rebound, and block shots. The hard-working Boone certainly fits that description. Despite playing at UCONN he may also be booed out of the building by Knick fans who want to take advantage of any chance they get to boo the debacle that their franchise has become. Expect well-deserved boos even if the team can use its expiring contracts to pull off a good trade or two.

30. Portland: Alexander Johnson PF: Johnson will have the good fortune of being the last player to get drafted in the first round, thus earning a guaranteed contract. He will also have the misfortune of having to go to Portland, which has taken over the Clippers old role as the laughingstock of the Western Conference.

Unless you're a sports fan who has been living under a rock for the last six years or so, you probably already know that Mark Cuban is a rather unconventional team owner. I say this because I am not even an NBA fan and never go out of my way to read basketball-related sports articles, but I even I know a lot about what Cuban has done for the Dallas Mavericks franchise.

Cuban is one of those personalities that people either love or hate. I don't know any basketball fans that don't have an opinion about him. That's because unlike other sports team owners who generally remain in the background throughout the entire season. Indeed, we usually only get a glimpse of other team owners at selected games or during the playoffs. At those times, the owners are dressed in fine suits and seated in their private luxury sweets way above the court or field.

But watch any Dallas Mavericks game at any time during the pre-, regular, or postseason, and you're likely to see Mark Cuban right in the middle of things. He doesn't sit up in  luxury skybox, but instead opts to plant himself right behind the players' bench. He doesn't dress in expensive suits, either. His wardrobe of choice seems to be t-shirts (or the occasional player jersey) and jeans. And, Cuban isn't one of those reserved owners who clap politely for each nice play turned in by the athletes. Instead, he is likely to throw his arms in the air and cheer wildly, as if he were just another avid Mavericks fan.

From this basic sketch, it probably sounds like Cuban is a pretty decent guy. How many of us regular sports fans have ever dreamed of owning our own franchise someday? I'd venture to say that a lot of us have, and a lot of us would probably act in much the same way Cuban does. I know if I ever came into hundreds of millions of dollars, I'd want to buy an NFL team. And, like Cuban, I wouldn't watch games from a skybox, but I'd be right there on the sidelines taking in all the action.

So why is it that some people harbor such dislike for Cuban?

Well, one reason could be the fact that he is so outspoken. Cuban often says exactly what's on his mind without pausing to consider the consequences of such actions. I can understand this. It probably stems from his enthusiasm for the game. His initial reactions are that of a fan, not that of a team owner, which gets him into a lot of trouble. In Dallas' most recent playoff run, for example, Cuban was fined heavily by NBA Commissioner David Stern for criticizing league referees. In one recent article I read, it was estimated that Cuban has been fined more than $1 million since becoming owner of the team. Those who dislike Cuban say that his "antics" are a distraction to the Mavericks players and could affect the team more than anyone realizes.

I can certainly understand why people would have that opinion. I was able to catch a few quarters of the NBA Finals, and in the games I saw, the Miami Heat players definitely appeared to be more calm and collected than the Dallas players. The Heat players were an extension of their coach, the usually unflappable Pat Riley, while the Dallas players seemed to be an extension of Cuban's outspoken, emotional personality. It was an interesting study in contrasts, especially for a casual viewer like myself.

Nevertheless, I wouldn't go so far as to pin Dallas' collapse in the Finals on Mark Cuban's criticism of the referees. In fact, most sports analysts agree that Cuban had a point about the officiating seeming to go in favor of the Miami Heat. I believe that he was just trying to make sure that his team had a fair chance to win.

The bottom line here is that Cuban generates interest in basketball, and therefore the NBA needs Cuban, and needs more owners like Cuban. As I mentioned above, I am not much of a basketball fan at all. But if I had to choose a game to attend and a team to root for, I would make the Dallas Mavericks my first choice!

Last season when the Chicago White Sox tore through the regular season on their way to clinching the American League Central Division title, they did so by playing what manager Ozzie Guillen called "small ball." That is, the team executed the fundamentals -- running the bases well, laying down bunts when called for, sacrificing, and executing the hit-and-run -- consistently. This allowed the Sox to win many close one- or two-run ballgames.

Then when it came to the playoffs, the starting pitchers took over and dominated nearly every game. In fact, the White Sox had a string of four consecutive complete games in the League Championship Series against the Anaheim Angels to advance to the World Series, where their pitching was pretty much still untouchable.

This season, the White Sox show no sign of letting up. They are currently 49-25 through today's game, which is tied with divisional foe the Detroit Tigers for the best record in the Major Leagues. The Sox have won nine in a row and have been one of the hottest teams in all of baseball this past month.

One key ingredient to the Sox success this season has been the continuing dominance of pitcher Jose Contreras. Contreras was often overshadowed by Jon Garland and Mark Buerhle in 2005 because those guys were so strong right out of the gate while Contreras didn't really come on until the end of the year. But it was Contreras who proved to be the rock, the steadying influence in the starting rotation down the stretch run when the Sox were in danger of losing their grip on a double-digit lead in the division. It was also Contreras who emerged in the playoffs as the star of the rotation, earning the Game 1 start for the Sox in the World Series.

And just like the White Sox, Contreras is showing no signs of letting up in 2006. He is 8-0 on the season, making him the only undefeated starting pitcher in the Majors. What's even more amazing is that his undefeated streak actually dates back all the way to last season and covers 16 straight decisions in all. In fact, Contreras hasn't lost a game since August 15, 2005 against the Minnesota Twins. During that span, Contreras has started 21 games, which means that he has had 5 no-decisions along the way.

The 16 consecutive victories was enough to break the White Sox team record. The record was formerly shared by LaMarr Hoyt, who won 15 straight in 1983-84, and Wilson Alvarez, who got his 15 straight victories in 1993-94. Contreras' string of victories is also the longest in the Major Leagues since Johan Santana notched 17 straight victories in 2004-05. During Santana's streak, he managed to go 13-0 after the All-Star break in 2004 and earn the American League Cy Young Award that season.

As things stand now, it might be difficult for Contreras to be the front-runner in the Cy Young race because his other statistics aren't that great -- comparatively speaking, of course. For instance, Contreras doesn't lead the league in any statistical category. Tom Glavine has 11 victories for the surprising New York Mets, which compares favorably to Contreras' 8. Brandon Webb of the Arizona Diamondbacks has worked 116.1 innings through 16 starts for an average of 7.25 innings per outing, while Contreras has gone 91.1 innings through 13 starts for an average of 7.0 innings per outing. Contreras has an ERA of 3.15, which is 11th-best in the Majors, and his strikeout numbers are nowhere near the league leaders. Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that Contreras hasn't pitched a complete game all season long. In other words, even though Contreras keeps on winning games, he's not doing so in a dominating fashion.

Nevertheless, the White Sox will take those wins no matter how they come. They are locked in a fierce battle with the Tigers for the AL Central and need every victory they can get, whether it comes in a dominating fashion or not.

The bottom line is that the Sox need Contreras, who already spent some time on the disabled list early in the year, to remain strong and healthy for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs. Contreras has become the defining pitcher of the Sox rotation and he has to keep things rolling along for the club.

By Ed Jennett

Shaquille O’Neal is a very astute judge of talent. When O’Neal demanded that the Los Angeles Lakers trade him two offseasons ago one of the teams on the list was the Miami Heat. There was one provision however. O’Neal did not want Miami SG Dwyane Wade traded in the deal. Eventually both of his wishes were granted. Shaq was traded to Miami and Wade was still there to be his new teammate. O’Neal did not want Wade traded because he felt the young shooting guard showed promise to develop into a superstar.

Shaquille O’Neal is also a man of his word. When O’Neal arrived in Miami he promised the city a championship. As O’Neal obviously foresaw, the promise he made and the promise of Wade were intertwined.

Wade was named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals after averaging 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. His scoring average was the third highest ever for a player making his first appearance in the Finals. After starting the series off slowly in the first two games, Wade dominated the last four games to lead to their come from behind victory.

Game 1: While Wade was the star of the series, Dallas PG Jason Terry was the star of Game 1. Terry led the Mavericks with 32 points, making 13-of-18 shots, including 4-of-7 three point shots. In the first half he saved the team from getting run out of its own building by scoring 20 of his points to help erase an 11-point deficit. In a foreshadowing of their futures in the Finals, his teammates All-Star PF Dirk Nowitzki and SF Josh Howard struggled all night and finished with 16 points and 10 points respectively.

Wade led Miami with 28 points, but only made 11-of-25 field goals.

Dallas 90, Miami 80. Dallas leads the series 1-0.

Game 2: The second game of the series featured a second poor performance from Wade. Although he led Miami in scoring for the second straight game, Wade only scored 23 points on 6-of-19 shooting. O’Neal had an even more difficult time with the stifling defense of the Mavericks and finished the game with just five points. O’Neal was so frustrated with his performance that he did not speak with reporters after the game, which resulted in him receiving a $10,000 fine and the Heat receiving a $25,000 fine.

Wade scored nearly half of his points from the foul line, where he was 11-of-14. He struggled mightily in the first half, which was one of the many reasons Miami trailed 50-34 at halftime.

Mavericks forwards Nowitzki and Howard bounced back nicely in Game 2 from their poor performances in Game 1. Nowitzki finished the game with 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting and also grabbed 16 rebounds. Howard scored 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting and collected three rebounds. Dallas SG/SF Jerry Stackhouse came off the bench to score 19 points. He ended the first half by scoring 10 points in the final 79 seconds. He made three 3-point field goals, including one in front of Wade that became a four-point play. The strong performance had to feel like a measure of revenge for Stackhouse, who was cut in Game 1 following a hard foul by O’Neal.

Dallas 99, Miami 85. Dallas leads the series 2-0.

Game 3: The Finals moved to Miami and finally became a series. Wade erupted for a playoff career-high 42 points and O’Neal had a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds.

The momentum of the series began to switch in Game 2. Dallas had a lousy fourth quarter but still managed to hang on and win the game. They would not be nearly as lucky in Game 3. The Mavericks were only able to score one basket in the last five minutes of the game.

One player who was able to score a basket was Miami backup PG Gary Payton. GP broke a 95-95 tie when he scored a bucket 9.3 seconds remaining. It was the only shot that he took the entire game.

Miami 98, Dallas 96. Dallas leads the series 2-1.

Game 4: The Miami Heat followed up their first victory of the series with the most impressive game of the series. Miami manhandled and dominated the Dallas Mavericks and in the process humiliated Howard and Nowitzki. Howard finished the game with 3 points on 1-of-8 shooting while Nowitzki finished the game with 16 points on 2-of-14 shooting. Nowitzki did not make a single shot in the second half of the game. He was also abused by the Miami crowd whenever he went to the foul line. The fans mocked him with placards and chants of Da-vid Hass-el-hoff.

Two superstars who did have success in the game and were not mocked was the Dynamic Duo of Superman and The Flash a.k.a O’Neal and Wade, who led the way with another pair of outstanding performances. O’Neal had a second straight double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Wade scored a game-high 36 points in the victory. Miami used the tough defense that the team was famous for when Head Coach Pat Riley was coaching the team in the late 90s and the Mavericks had no answer for it. Dallas progressively played worse throughout the game and ended up shooting under 32 percent as a team, making just 25-of-79 shots.

Stackhouse paid O’Neal back for the Game 1 punishment he received midway through the third quarter. Miami starting PG Jason Williams passed the ball to O’Neal on a fast break so the big man could dunk the ball. Stackhouse managed to catch up with O’Neal and hit him with a forearm in the side of the head. O’Neal fell into the courtside area but was not injured. Stackhouse was suspended by the NBA for Game 5. O’Neal added to the misery of Stackhouse after the game by saying that he gets tackled harder by his daughters when he comes home.

Miami 98, Dallas 74. The series is tied 2-2.

Game 5: Wade carried the Heat on his back and scored a new career playoff high of 43 points in Game 5. Although he started off slowly, Wade finished the game making 11-of-28 shots and 21-of-25 free throws. Remarkably he went to the free throw line the same amount of times as the entire Mavericks team. He also set a Finals record for most free throws made.

The Mavericks bounced back from the drubbing they received in Game 4 and could have won the game. But Dallas was undone by several missed three throws and one huge tactical error. Nowitzki fouled Wade with the clock winding down in overtime. Wade made the first foul shot to tie the game at 100 apiece. Dallas Head Coach Avery Johnson signaled that he wanted a timeout, which was the Mavericks last one, after the second free throw. Howard immediately called for it, which left his team unable to advance the ball to half court after Wade made the second free throw. Wade made it to give Miami a 101-100 lead. Dallas was unable to get the ball up the court fast enough to make a basket.

Howard says that he was just confirming with Johnson that he wanted a timeout called after the second free throw attempt. The referees maintain that Howard twice called for an immediate timeout. After the game Nowitzki threw the game ball into the stands, it hit a fan in the head. Nowitzki also kicked an exercise bike while heading to the locker room. Dallas owner Mark Cuban continued his ongoing habit of embarrassing himself, his team, and the entire city of Dallas, by screaming at the officials and NBA Commissioner David Stern while he was leaving the courtside area after the game. He did all of this while wearing a jersey of the appropriately suspended Stackhouse. Nowitzki and Cuban were both fined for their actions after the game.

Miami 101, Dallas 100. Miami leads the series 3-2.

Game 6: Fifteen strong. This was the motto of Riley representing the 15 players on the Heat roster. It turned out to be prophetic as their Game 6 win was definitely a team effort. Wade scored a game-high 36 points. O’Neal scored nine points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Starting power forward Udonis Hasel scored 17 points and collected 10 rebounds. Starting small forward Antoine Walker scored 14 points and collected 11 rebounds.

Stackhouse returned from suspension for Game 6 but was stymied by foul trouble. The Heat became just the third team to win the NBA Championship after falling behind 0-2 in the Finals. The 1969 Boston Celtics and the 1977 Portland Trailblazers had been the only teams to accomplish the feat previously.

Miami 95, Dallas 92. Miami wins the series 4-2.

Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners is used to slow starts. After all, the Japanese superstar went just 19-for-108 in the month of April for a batting average of .287. While that would be considered pretty good for most players, that doesn't even come close to what Ichiro is used to hitting.

Yet no one who watches the Mariners on a consistent basis could ever doubt that Ichiro would eventually come around. That's because we're talking about a man who has an incredible .335 career batting average through his first five-plus seasons in the Majors. So it wasn't any surprise when Ichiro finally started getting in the groove in May. During that month, he was 46-for-124 for an average of .371. He also had four triples in May, stole nine bases without being thrown out, and drove in seven runners.

What might be surprising to some fans, however, is the fact that Ichiro has been able to sustain his hot streak for so long. Anyone who has ever stood in the batter's box facing down a major league pitcher will tell you that hitting a baseball is one of the most difficult tasks in all of sports. That's why a .300 batting average, which is really just a 30 percent success rate, is considered excellent, and why a .400 batting average, or 40 percent success rate, is considered the Holy Grail of hitting.

So it's worth noting that Ichiro is currently in the midst of a 20-game hitting streak, which is the longest such streak in the Majors so far this season. Previously this season, Ichiro also had an 18-game hitting streak. That just goes to show you that Ichiro is really on his game right now.

Overall on the season, Ichiro is batting .365, which, incredibly, isn't even tops in the American League. Catcher Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins leads the league with his .377 average. However, Ichiro has 114 hits while Mauer only has 89, which is quite a big difference. In addition, Ichiro has scored 58 runs for the Mariners while Mauer has crossed the plate just 37 times for the Twins.

In past years, Ichiro's personal achievements haven't meant much for the bigger picture of the Seattle Mariners' season. The team has been so bad that they haven't been in contention for a playoff spot in years. But this season is different. Even though the Mariners are a game below .500 with a record of 36-37, they sit just 3.5 games behind the Oakland A's in the American League West. With more than half a season left to play, the Mariners could very well make a playoff push this year. That means the team needs Ichiro to continue putting hits on the board, getting on base, and making things happen early in the ballgame.

The Mariners as a team are on a hot streak right now. They've won five games in a row, and seven of their last 10. This means that Ichiro can benefit from the team as much as the team can benefit from Ichiro. When the rest of the batters in the lineup are hitting the ball and being productive, it helps Ichiro's chances of getting good pitches to look at. He'll get more plate appearances each game, pitcher's will have to throw to him, and he'll have more opportunities to extend his hitting streak.

Of course, I'm writing all of this strictly from a fan's perspective. Most major league baseball players will tell you that they don't pay attention to personal records and streaks, and I have to believe that this is the case with Ichiro as well. But as a longtime fan, it's nice to see Ichiro's efforts finally paying off for him both personally and in terms of being on a team that has a chance of making it to the postseason.

So now whenever I tune into a Mariners game, I'll have several things to cheer about. First, I'll be rooting for Ichiro to get a hit each and every time he comes up to the plate in the hopes that he can keep pushing his hitting streak farther and farther along. And now I'll also be pulling for the entire Mariners team to keep winning games and to overtake the A's for the division lead.

By Ed Jennett

It could have been three strikes and you are out for Carolina. But the Hurricanes finally got their act together in their third and final chance to win the Stanley Cup. Carolina had taken a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 series lead over the Oilers after winning Game 4 in Edmonton. But the Oilers were determined to pull off a fourth straight series upset and won the next two games to set up Game 7 in Carolina.

The Hurricanes won the game, the series, and the Cup. But just as they had throughout the series, the Oilers made it interesting. Here is a recap of the games:

Game 1: Everything started out so well for the Edmonton Oilers. Then everything fell apart. Edmonton outplayed Carolina for the first 40 minutes of the game. The Oilers entered the third period up 3-1. Carolina had been down 3-0 before captain Rod Brind'Amour scored to cut the deficit to two late in the second period. Hurricanes forward Ray Whitney then tied the score quickly by scoring twice in the first five minutes of the third period. Forward Justin Williams gave Carolina the lead five minutes later on a shorthanded breakaway goal. The Oilers tied the score at four when forward Ales Hemsky netted a goal three and a half minutes later. Brind'Amour prevented overtime by scoring the game winning goal with 32 seconds remaining.

The thrilling comeback of the Hurricanes tied the record for overcoming a deficit in the Stanley Cup Finals. But it was not the only huge story of this game. Oilers All-Star defensemen Chris Pronger became the first player to successfully score on a penalty shot in Stanley Cup Finals history. Edmonton goaltender Dwayne Roloson was lost for the remainder of the series due to a knee injury sustained late in the third period. Ty Conklin took over between the pipes for Edmonton in relief of Roloson.

Game 2: Momentum is an incredible force in professional sports. Carolina certainly had it after their come from behind Game 1 victory over Edmonton, and that momentum definitely carried over in to Game 2. The Hurricanes dominated the Oilers in all aspects of the game en route to a 5-0 Game 2 victory and a 2-0 lead in the series. Edmonton was not just outplayed at even strength by the Hurricanes. Carolina also scored three times on their power play. The Hurricanes stopped all six of the power plays of the Oilers as well.

The Oilers turned their goaltending duties over to Jussi Markkanen. He gave up five goals on just 26 shots, but that was not indicative of his play. Edmonton allowed Carolina to have many odd man rushes, and some of the goals were the result of the Hurricanes simply getting better bounces than the Oilers. That is clearly proof that the belief that the better team gets the bounces is true. At least on this night it was anyway.

Game 3: Symmetry was the name of the game in Game 3. The series shifted to Edmonton and the Oilers skated to a 2-1 win to cut their deficit to in the series to 2-1. Although the winning goal has been considered controversial, it too tied in with the symmetric theme of the game.

Forward Ryan Smyth and the puck entered the crease at the same time. The puck bounced around and ended up behind Ward and in the net. Carolina believed that the goal should not have counted because Smyth was in the crease. Edmonton believed that Smyth was pushed into the crease by Hurricanes defenseman Aaron Ward. The play was reviewed and it was determined that Smyth showed no intent to interfere with Carolina goaltender Cam Ward.

Despite what any one thinks about the validity of the Smyth goal, it was definitely justice. The Oilers had clearly scored another goal earlier in the game that was waved off. It was clear to everyone in the building except for one of the referees, who had lost site of the puck and blew his whistle right before Edmonton scored.

Game 4: Apparently having veterans on the team that have already won the Stanley Cup is a great idea. Carolina flipped the script on Edmonton with a 2-1 victory in Game 4. The Hurricanes goals were scored by veteran forwards Mark Recchi and Cory Stillman. Recchi won a Cup while he was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991. Stillman won a Cup while he was a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.

The Oilers struck first to take a 1-0 lead in the first period. That lead did not last long as Edmonton forward Raffi Torres took a tripping penalty on the ensuing faceoff. It was a tied game 12 seconds later after the power play goal of Stillman. Recchi scored the game winner with just over four minutes remaining in the second period.

Game 5: Hurricanes fans showed up ready for a coronation and celebration. Their team apparently did not show up ready for anything. Edmonton forward Fernando Pisani score 16 seconds into the game to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead. While Eric Staal tied the game five and a half minutes later, Edmonton had already established that the game was not going to be a party. It was going to be a battle.

That battle went into over time with the game tied at 3 apiece. The man that started the game quickly ended the game quickly as well. Pisani scored the game winner on a shorthanded goal three and a half minutes into overtime. It was the first shorthanded overtime goal in the history of the Stanley Cup Finals. The second tally of Pisani was also the first shorthanded overtime goal that kept a team from being eliminated.

Game 6: The Carolina Hurricanes were still stunned by the heroics of Pisani in Gave 5. That could be the only explanation for their atrocious performance in Game 6. Carolina did not show up to play at the start of Game 5. But the Hurricanes never showed up at all for Game 6.

The lopsided result was the Edmonton Oilers dominating the game to earn a 4-0 victory and tie the series at 3 games apiece. It also put the Oilers in position to be the first team to rally from being down 3-1 in the Finals and win the Cup since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs.

Game 7: Momentum was not on the side of the now slumping Hurricanes. But history definitely was. In the history of the Stanley Cup Finals, the home team had won 11 of 13 Game 7s. Also on the side of Carolina were the intense Hurricane fans, who were standing and cheering throughout the game and giving their team support and a boost of energy.

The Hurricanes led 2-0 heading into the final 20 minutes. But Pisani quickly got the Oilers back into the game scoring a little over a minute into the third. Carolina Forward Justin Williams finally finished off Edmonton with an empty net goal with one minute and one second left in the third period.

The victory marked the first ever Stanley Cup Champioship for the franchise, which was formerly the Hartford Whalers. Hurricanes goaltender won the Conn Smythe Award and the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs on the strength of his 15 wins, 2.14 goals against average, and .920 save percentage.

A year ago, Mike Alessi was contesting his first-ever full season of AMA motocross in the Lites class. At that point he was a rookie and made the kinds of mistakes you expect inexperienced riders to make. Alessi posted inconsistent finishes throughout the first half of the series before turning things around in the second half and putting himself in contention for the title. It seemed that all of the brash predictions made by his inner circle were actually going to come true.

But then, the now infamous on-track incident with eventual champion Ivan Tedesco led to his disqualification in the final round. The incident also led to Alessi being disqualified from Rookie of the Year consideration, a move which reportedly cost the young KTM pilot a six-figure bonus. Furthermore, Alessi was branded something of a black sheep in the sport and earned the ire of many fans.

This season, Alessi is a year older and, apparently, wiser as well. He came into the year with a goal of winning the outdoor motocross championship and he is now one-third of the way to that goal. With the first four rounds of the 12-round series in the books, Alessi holds a slight seven-point lead over Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Ryan Villopoto, 153 to 146.

Alessi opened the series with three straight moto wins. He took the first two in Round One at Hangtown, and also secured a victory in the first moto in Round Two at High Point Raceway. But then he faltered in moto two, with an eighth-place finish, leaving him at third overall for the day. Meanwhile, Villopoto had to do all he could just to keep up with Alessi in the points chase. This is Villopoto's first full motocross season for Pro Circuit, and he is already showing that he is a serious threat for the title with two overall victories in the first four rounds. In fact, if it hadn't been for a zero-point effort (37th place) in moto one at Southwick, Villopoto would likely be ahead of Alessi in the point standings by now. It will be interesting to see if Alessi can fend off Villopoto for the rest of the season, or if the Kawasaki rider can rise to the top by the time the checkered flag falls at the final round.

Behind Alessi and Villopoto, Andrew Short, Josh Grant, and Brett Metcalfe are all within striking distance of the leaders. Short, the likeable Factory Honda rider, has one moto win and one overall victory to his name thus far. He currently sits in third place with 135 points. Grant of the Sobe Honda team also has 135 points, but is relegated to fourth place because he has yet to score a moto win this season. It hasn't been all bad news for Grant, though. He has been on the podium four times with third-place moto finishes at Hangtown, High Point, and Budds Creek. Metcalfe has been somewhat of a surprise contender this year. Though he has always had the speed to run out front, he has suffered from numerous injuries and bike problems that have prevented him from riding to his fullest potential. Things seem to be falling into place for the Australian transplant this year, however, as he has two overall second-place finishes so far. He is in fifth place with 133 points.

Another surprise this season has been the fact that Grant Langston, the 2003 series champion is, for all intents and purposes, already out of the running for this year's championship. Langston has been battling injuries and bike problems, and has scored 0 points in 5 out of the 8 motos on the season. One bright spot for him has to be the second moto at Southwick where he notched his first victory of the season. If nothing else, it showed everyone that when he's on, he can still take it to the rest of the class.

There are still eight rounds left in the AMA Motocross Lites series, and at least five different guys are in contention for their very first professional MX title. Let's hope we have some good, clean racing from here on out as we see which of these riders is left standing at the end.  

By Ed Jennett


Michael Jordan is back. But unlike the first time there will be no jersey number switch. Unlike the second time there will be no grand expectations for him to lead his mediocre teammates into contention. The third return will be quite different from the first two.

Jordan will not be an active player, as he was when he originally came out of retirement with the Chicago Bulls, and as he was after eventually leaving the front office of the Washington Wizards and suiting up for them. This time he will strictly be management. Jordan has become a part-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats in a transaction that made His Airness the largest individual owner of the Bobcats behind majority partner Robert Johnson. Although Johnson insists that he will always remain the majority owner of the club, Jordan will become the new managing member of basketball operations for the team.

Johnson purchased the expansion Charlotte franchise for $300 million in 2002. Jordan has spent the last three years trying to purchase a team so he could have complete control of the club and was declining the overtures of Johnson, who wanted him to get involved with the Bobcats. He obviously reconsidered that stance in part due to the lack of success he was having in finding an owner willing to sell a franchise to him. This was definitely not the sole reason however. Another major factor is that Jordan will be partially getting what he wants, which is control over the basketball operations of a team. The third major factor is that the club is located in North Carolina. Jordan is a native North Carolinian. Although Jordan was born in Brooklyn, he moved to North Carolina with his family as a child. Jordan then attended the University of North Carolina for three years before the shooting guard entered the NBA Draft and was selected by the Bulls with the third overall pick behind fellow Hall-of-Famer center Hakeem (then Akeem) Olajuwon and Hall-of-Fame bust center Sam Bowie.

Jordan and Johnson have been friends for nearly 17 years after meeting at a Bulls game. Johnson initially offered Jordan any position that he wanted with the Bobcats the same day that Jordan was fired by the Wizards. That initial offer was definitely taken under strong consideration as Jordan thought about it for nearly four months before declining. He then began attempting to purchase a majority interest in the Milwaukee Bucks from U.S. Senator Herb Kohl. Eventually Kohl decided not to sell and Jordan remained outside of the league.

His initial ouster was a result of having been fired by the Wizards after his final retirement as a player. Jordan was under the impression that he would return to his previous position as president of basketball operations of the team, but majority owner Abe Pollin obviously had different ideas. Pollin was clearly unhappy with the performance of the team under Jordan. The Wizards wasted the first overall pick of the 2001 NBA Draft on high school power forward/center Kwame Brown, who was a bust in Washington before being dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in a sign-and-trade finally performing like a high quality NBA player. Despite Jordan returning to the court for the final two years of his Wizards tenure, Washington missed the playoffs all three years that he was associated with the club. Instead of the partial ownership of the club that he had to surrender in order to return to the court being returned to him and being shown to the door of his office, Jordan was shown the door out of the franchise. Despite the on the court failings of the Wizards, just being associated with Jordan made the club a financial success. Jordan obviously felt used by the team. He was also disillusioned by the fact that he never had as much control of the franchise as he had wanted. Pollin had to give his final approval for any move that Jordan made.

Jordan was viewed as a savior heading in to his previous two returns, and the third will be similar to the others in that regard. He will definitely have his work cut out for him though. Charlotte ranked 28th out of 30 in attendance after their first season in the old and outdated Charlotte Coliseum. This past season the Bobcats moved into a new $265 million arena. They only sold out seven of their 41 home games, despite the new arena receiving rave reviews. Attendance only increased to 22nd in the league however, with an average of only 16,366 fans. The Bobcats season ticket sales are believed to be approximately 5,000, which is third worst in the league. Because of the Bobcats difficulty in selling season tickets, Johnson has announced that the team would lower season ticket prices for next year. It is believed that the immense popularity of Jordan, especially in North Carolina, will cause a tremendous increase in ticket sales.

The franchise has also had difficulties on the court. In their first season the Bobcats finished with an 18-64 record. This past season the team improved to 26-56. Charlotte also finished the season with a four game winning streak even though the club was dealing with numerous injuries at the time.

Jordan joining the Bobcats comes two weeks after Johnson began making other major moves with the franchise. First Johnson fired team president and chief executive officer Ed Tapscott. Johnson then fired the marketing and operations officers of the club. Although he gave no reason for the dismissals at the time, it was believed that Johnson made the moves because he was not satisfied with the business-side of the club. In addition to the low season-ticket base, Johnson was losing money.

One key person who was not fired is Bernie Bickerstaff, who will remain as the General Manager and Head Coach of the team. While Bickerstaff is clearly still in a very high position of power and authority, Johnson has also made it very clear that the ultimate power and authority within the organization in terms of basketball will reside with the managing member of basketball operations, Jordan. Johnson has already stressed that Jordan is an owner and that General Managers and Head Coaches report to owners. It has also been stressed by Johnson that the 41-year old Jordan would not return to the court and play for the Bobcats.

When I was in junior high school, my family had Chicago Blackhawks season tickets. At that time, the Blackhawks were actually a pretty decent team. They challenged for the division title nearly every season, and were practically a shoe-in for the playoffs. So needless to say, I followed hockey closely back then.

One of my favorite players at the time was center Jeremy Roenick. He was the Blackhawks' first round draft pick in 1988 (8th overall), a talent-laden year that also saw future stars Mike Modano, Trevor Linden, Teemu Selanne, Martin Gelinas, and Rod Brind'Amour selected as well.

Roenick came up in time to play 20 regular season and 10 playoff games that year. Right off the bat, fans could see that Roenick was something special. He was only 18 years old at the time, and played with all the exuberance and zeal of youth. He had 18 points (9 goals and 9 assists) in the regular season, along with 4 points (1 goal and 3 assists) in the playoffs. As a Blackhawk fan, I was extremely excited to see Roenick developing so quickly. I couldn't wait for the next season to see what the young man would do next.

I'm happy to say that Roenick didn't disappoint. He appeared in 78 regular season games for the Hawks, and tallied 66 points in that span. He also played in 20 postseason games, notching an incredible 11 goals and 7 assists for Chicago. It was clear that Roenick had never heard of the "sophomore slump" and that the Blackhawks actually had a legitimate superstar in the making on their team.

Roenick's point totals with the Blackhawks would continue to increase. He scored 94 points in the 1990-91 season, then broke the coveted 100-point barrier for three consecutive seasons, from 1991-92 through 1993-94, scoring 103, 107, and 107 points in those years. He also topped 50 goals in both 1991-92 and 1992-93. These seasons in Chicago would be Roenick's most prolific as a scorer. In fact, he has yet to top either the 50-goal mark or the 100-point plateau since then.

The good times ended after the 1996 season when Blackhawks' ownership decided to trade Roenick rather than pay him the lucrative contract that he (and many fans) felt he deserved. Roenick was subsequently traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for Alexei Zhamnov. Zhamnov never quite lived up to expectations (averaging only 53 points per season in 8 years with the Hawks), while Roenick did a little better with the Coyotes and then the Philadelphia Flyers. However, Roenick never did quite recapture the scoring touch he exhibited during his glory years with the Blackhawks. The most he ever scored after leaving Chicago was 78 points in the 1999-2000 season with the Flyers.

I remember the Roenick trade like it was yesterday. It was the first time in my life that, as a sports fan, I was actually affected by a team's personnel moves. I liked Roenick so much that I couldn't imagine watching Blackhawks' games without the familiar #27 out on the ice. I had seen other stars traded away from Chicago teams, but I never felt personally connected to those trades. For some reason, the Roenick trade was different. There was such bad blood and animosity between the two sides that I couldn't help but feel affected.

So you can imagine my surprise when I read a story in the Chicago Tribune yesterday that quoted Roenick as saying he is interested in returning to the Blackhawks to play out the final seasons of his career. He will become a free agent in July, and he has asked his representatives to contact the Hawks. The team is still owned by Bill Wirtz, the man who traded Roenick away in the first place, so I don't know how likely it is that Roenick will actually be able to come back to Chicago.

I think it would be a good move for the Hawks to sign Roenick. I know he's 36 years old now, and that his point production has declined dramatically. But I think a lot of fans haven't quite gotten over the first trade, and would love to see JR back in a Hawks uniform. I don't know how feasible it is from a business standpoint, but I can't help but feel that Wirtz owes us one. Signing Roenick would be adequate payback.

From  a fan's perspective, there's nothing better than watching all season long and having your favorite baseball team be in the pennant chase when things start to wind down in September. If things go well, there will be several teams in the hunt for division championships and the two wild card spots, which makes every single game near the end of the season take on added importance and significance. The magic numbers come out, and the baseball section on each website or in each newspaper carries a playoff scenario drawn up to show fans what needs to happen in order for certain teams to make it to the postseason. Teams that are in the pennant chase and individual superstars are expected to come through in the clutch and "earn their money."

Conversely, when watching games at the beginning of the season, I've noticed that there isn't nearly the amount of intensity and pressure for winning ballgames. In fact, when teams lose games, sports analysts, players, and managers alike usually just blow it off, saying things like, "The pennant isn't won in April (or May, or June)." It's not until after the All-Star game, the traditional halfway point of the Major League Baseball season, that teams start to make their move.

This is nonchalance about early-season games is something that I've never understood. Yes, I get the fact that teams need to play 162 games, so what they do in, say, the sixth game of the season might not seem as immediate or earth-shattering as what they do in the one hundred sixtieth game. But that doesn't change the fact that all the wins and losses from every month of the season factor into the playoff chase. I think baseball is the only professional sport I regularly watch that doesn't subscribe to the "every game counts" mantra.

Fortunately, the Chicago White Sox seem to know that what they accomplish in June can make all the difference as to whether or not their September games have playoff implications. The defending World Series champions have been facing an unexpected fight from the surprising Detroit Tigers all season long for first place in the AL Central Division. The season is just 61 games old, meaning that there are still 101 left to play, and the White Sox are currently trailing the Tigers by one game in the pennant chase.

The fact that the White Sox would have the best record in the majors if not for the upstart Tigers has served to show the Sox that they can't rest on their laurels even in this early going. It's important not to let Detroit jump out to an insurmountable lead here in June, but instead to keep the Tigers close enough so that the pennant chase does come down to the last few games of September.

So that's why these days the White Sox are playing every single game as though it already is September. Witness the team's most recent contest against the Cleveland Indians. After battling back to tie the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the White Sox were able to hold on and force the game to extra innings. Then, in the top of the eleventh, Cleveland got the upper hand when catcher Victor Martinez hit a home run off Chicago reliever Matt Thornton, giving the Indians a 3-2 lead.

But the White Sox showed the resilience that defined their pennant run last season, and came right back in their half of the inning. It started out when catcher A.J. Pierzynski led off the inning with a base hit. Then he moved over to second on Scott Podsednik's sacrifice bunt. With one out, Pierzynski came around with the tying run on Rob Mackowiak's base hit. Mackowiak was able to move to second base when the throw went to the plate.

Next up was Pablo Ozuna. He singled to shallow right, and it appeared that the White Sox were going to win the game. But Cleveland right fielder Casey Blake made an incredible throw to nail Mackowiak at home. That seemed to take the wind out of the fans' sails for the time being. At least Ozuna was able to move to second base when the ball went home. Then, Japanese import Tadahito Iguchi stepped up to the plate. After going down two strikes, Iguchi lined a pitch down towards first base and just past the outstretched glove of a diving Ben Broussard. Ozuna came around to score, and even though Blake made another throw to the plate, that one wasn't even close. The White Sox then poured out of the dugout to celebrate on the field as though they had won the biggest game of the year.

And perhaps they had. That's the point I'm trying to make here. If one game in September can make all the difference between a team making it to the playoffs or going home as soon as they finish the 162nd game of the year, then why shouldn't a game in early June matter just as much? If the White Sox end up winning their division by a single game, might not this recent victory against the Indians be just as significant to their title as a September win against the lowly Kansas City Royals?

The fact of the matter is that all the games count, and all of them contribute to the playoff picture. At least the White Sox seem to have grasped that concept.

By Ed Jennett


Twenty two years, twenty two years, and after the twenty third year he found out the job wasn't his? Larry Brown is probably not a Kanye West fan, but once the inevitable happens and Brown is forced out of his dream job as Head Coach of the New York Knicks he should take the large check he receives from Knicks owner Jim Dolan to pay West to write a song for him.

It has been nearly a month since reports surfaced that Dolan wanted to buy out Brown and replace him on the bench with team President/General Manager Isiah Thomas. Neither Dolan nor Thomas has publicly confirmed or denied the reports. What is even more astounding is that neither has been willing to speak about the matter with Brown. The soon to be former Head Coach of the Knickerbockers requested to meet with Dolan two days after Brown and Thomas held a joint end-of-season press conference. Not only has there not been a meeting, Dolan has never responded to the request.

Brown made the request after a meeting with Thomas did not go as he had hoped. Thomas informed Brown that it would be nearly impossible to make all of the changes that Brown wanted because Brown wished to have nearly the entire roster turned over this off-season. When Brown became annoyed Thomas told him that he should do a better job coaching the players that are currently on the roster. Brown then requested a meeting with Dolan. While it would appear that he was attempting to go over the head of Thomas, the Brown camp maintains that he wanted Thomas present at the meeting. Brown had previously felt that all three were on the same page that the team needed a large overhaul in order to be the type of team that Brown wanted and could be successful.

Fans of the Knicks thought that nothing could be worse than watching the underachievers stumble through the season to a 23-59 record. Dolan apparently decided to keep them out of the loop as well. This owner-led off-season debacle has actually been more disappointing and disgusting than watching his team allegedly perform on the court this past season.

The situation is rapidly getting more and more ridiculous. After not having anyone from the Knicks management speaks to him, Brown had to run the workouts for the draft prospects. Although Thomas was in attendance for the workouts and did speak with Brown, they did not discuss his job status or his health. Brown had recently undergone successful surgery for his ongoing bladder problems. Thomas and Brown did not speak with the media at the workouts. Brown did speak with reporters on the side of the road however. On two separate and silly occasions, Brown pulled over to the side of the road and spoke with the local media. The second time he nearly got into an accident with Thomas, who was driving by as Brown was about to drive away from the second impromptu interview session. Fortunately Brown braked and Thomas slightly veered.

Up next for the Knicks traveling circus was a trip to Orlando for the pre-daft camp. Apparently angry about the near auto accident, Brown and Thomas never spoke to each other. In fact the two seemed to go out of their way to avoid one another. Brown showed up early for all of the sessions, while Thomas showed late for all of the sessions. Brown sat in the front row, while Thomas sat up high in the bleachers.

Hilariously both decided to briefly speak with the media, but only to be polite and acknowledge them. The only thing of value to come from those quick chats was the response of Thomas was when he was reminded that he said Brown would be back as the Head Coach next season and was then asked if he still felt that way. Thomas responded by shrugging with his hands outstretched and his palms upward. Without saying a word, Thomas said it all. Despite being on his best behavior while he was at the pre-draft camp, Brown still managed to anger Knick management by leaving camp early. While it is customary for Head Coaches to do this, Brown never told the Knicks that he was planning on doing so.

The most bizarre aspect of this surreal scenario is that Dolan has actually managed to make Brown a sympathetic figure. Brown is one of the best coaches in the league and should have been given another chance to help turn the team around next season. But if the Knicks had decided to fire him after this past season has ended they would have been completely justified.

Aside from the six-game winning streak in January, Brown did a terrible job all season. He then managed to make things worse by being completely unprofessional and badmouthing the same players that he was misusing. Despite being told to stop by Dolan, Brown continued. This led to a feud with the Knicks best player, All-Star PG Stephon Marbury. Towards the end of the season Brown quickly soured on the other All-Star on the team, PG/SG Steve Francis, who was added to the club at the trade deadline after Brown allegedly made the suggestion to Thomas.

Apparently karma really will get you every time. Brown, the Knicks, and his previous last employer the Detroit Pistons are proof of that. Brown disgraced himself by seeking other jobs while still coaching Detroit. The Knicks disgraced themselves by waiting for Brown to force the Pistons to fire him so he could come to New York. Bill Davidson, the owner of the Pistons, badmouthed Brown after firing him last summer and received his payback when the Pistons were eliminated by the Miami Heat while the Detroit players were badmouthing their new Head Coach Flip Saunders.

It is being speculated that there is more to the disgraceful actions of Dolan than the Knicks owner simply being clueless. The belief is that the inevitable ouster is being dragged out in a deliberate and diabolical attempt to humiliate Brown. Dolan apparently feels that if he keeps torturing Brown that it will be possible to get Brown to agree to a buyout figure of $25 million instead of the full $40 million that is left on the four remaining years of his five year contract.

There is also a lot of speculation that Dolan is dragging out the dismissal of Brown because it has brought attention to the Knicks. The club is still receiving a great deal of publicity despite not making the playoffs. All publicity is good publicity is clearly a misnomer. It definitely is not good in this situation. Not only are the Knicks reminding everyone what a horrible season they had, they are also showing how clueless and classless they are.

Brown was rumored to be a potential candidate for the job opening that was created in Sacramento when the Kings fired Head Coach Rick Adelman. Joe and Gavin Maloof, who own the Kings, declared that they were looking for a defensive-minded coach. Brown is a defensive specialist and he would obviously be out of work soon, so he was rumored to be a potential candidate for the Head Coaching jobs of the Kings. The Maloof brothers quickly hired Memphis Grizzlies assistant, and former Golden State Warriors Head Coach, Eric Musselman for the position though.

According to the rumor mill, Golden State is another possible future destination for Next Town Brown. Warriors owner Chris Cohan is a neighbor of Brown in the Hamptons and the two are also friends. While the Warriors deny there is any truth to the rumors, Golden State Head Coach Mike Montgomery and General Manager Chris Mullin both did lousy jobs with the underachieving squad this year. Despite their end of season surge last year, the club once again disappointed by failing to make the playoffs. Mullin played for Brown in Indiana and is another native New Yorker, so he most likely would be retained in some capacity if Brown was hired by the Warriors.

There have also been rumors that Brown would take over as Head Coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. But Bernie Bickerstaff is expected to remain in his dual role as General Manager/Head Coach.

Wherever Brown ends up next he, as always, will be very well compensated. Now I ain't saying he a gold digger, but he ain't coaching for no broke ownaz.

By Ed Jennett


The long waits are finally over. Neil Smith is a GM in the NHL again. Ted Nolan has returned to coaching in the NHL. There is no longer any doubt that Mike Milbury will be reassigned with the New York Islanders. The Carolina Hurricanes and their fans no longer have to worry that Peter Laviolette will return to Long Island.

It seems fitting that all of these issues would be resolved at the same time, and resolved now. Laviolette is on the verge of leading the Hurricanes to their first Stanley Cup. Peter Karmanos, owner of the Hurricanes, said before Game 2 that he would be willing to match any offer that his Head Coach receives from another club. This was obviously a wise decision as the team dominated the Edmonton Oilers in a 5-0 win to take a 2-0 lead in the best of seven series.

Laviolette will be a free agent when his contract expires and it had been rumored that Charles Wang, owner of the Islanders, was not hiring a new GM because he wanted the former Isles bench boss to return in a dual role as either GM/Head Coach or President/Head Coach (Laviolette would have had a GM working under him and easing his work load in this scenario). Rumors that the Islanders had hired Smith and Nolan began circulating the same day that Karmanos made his declaration. Most likely the Isles found out that Laviolette was not leaving Carolina and quickly moved on to their backup plan. The Islanders announced a news conference for the following day while Game 2 was being played.

That backup plan brings Smith and Nolan back into the NHL (and back to the state of New York) in their preferred capacities. After being fired by the New York Rangers shortly before the end of the 1999-2000 regular season, Smith has done various broadcast work over the past several years, most recently with OLN and previously with ESPN. Nolan has not worked with the NHL at all. This past season he coached the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

While Smith is associated with the Rangers and Nolan is associated with the Buffalo Sabres, both do have interesting ties to the Islanders and Milbury. Smith was drafted by the Islanders as a player in the 1974 draft with the 204th overall pick. Smith also began his front-office career with the Islanders and has worn the Stanley Cup Ring that he won in 1982 in public. After he was fired by the Rangers, Smith was frequently mentioned in the media as a potential replacement if Milbury was ever fired.

Most experts had been surprised at how long Smith was out of the league. During the 11 years that Smith was their GM, the Rangers won three division titles, two Presidents Trophies, and one Stanley Cup Championship. Although he had not been hired, Smith was a candidate in several GM searches.

Although Nolan was never drafted by the Islanders, and while he never worked in their front office, he does still have a tie to the team. Nolan was interviewed by Milbury for the Head Coaching job in 2001 and was considered the front-runner before Laviolette emerged and was hired. Many experts believe that Nolan was having a difficult time getting hired due to the way his tenure ended with the Sabres ended in 1997. Nolan clashed with the Sabres super star goaltender Dominik Hasek. He then feuded with GM John Muckler. After Muckler was fired, he was replaced by Darcy Regier, who ironically had been the assistant GM to Milbury with the Islanders. Regier offered a one-year contract to Nolan. The offer was insulting since Nolan had just won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year. Nolan turned down the offer and had been out of the league ever since. While most experts believed that he was not hired by any teams because of the controversy that he became involved in, Nolan felt that his lack of employment in the NHL was for a very different reason. He has often said in the past that he had not been hired again as a Head Coach (and had not even been interviewed by some of the teams that had vacancies) because of bigotry towards his heritage as an Ojibwa Indian.

These are debatable issues, but Nolan was close to becoming the coach of the Islanders in 2001. He also would have been hired as the Head Coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning a few years ago, but he declined the job because his children did not want to move to Florida.
Obviously none of these issues stood in the way of Nolan working for the Islanders. Last week Islanders legend C Bryan Trottier returned to the team as Director of Player Development. Trottier also has Indian heritage. Trottier is not the only Hall of Fame center returning to the club. Pat LaFontaine, who played for Nolan in Buffalo, has also rejoined the Islanders as Senior Advisor to the Owner.

By Ed Jennett


Led by their super star players, the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat have made it to the NBA Finals for the first time in their history. Power forward Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks has been the best player in the playoffs so far. In the first round he led his club to victory over fellow All-Star PF Pau Gasol and the Memphis Grizzlies. Nowitzki then led Dallas past inter-state rival San Antonio in the second round. In that series he spent a great deal of time matched up against Tim Duncan, who is widely considered to be the best power forward in the league. The Western Conference Finals pitted Nowitzki and the Mavs against former Maverick PG Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. Nowitzki and Nash have both become better players since their separation but have remained close friends. Nowitzki was at his best in this round, easily overpowering the smaller Suns, despite the best efforts of the two-time Regular Season MVP Nash.

Nowitzki has been so impressive that he could soon be awarded an MVP trophy as well, though his will be for postseason heroics. Unfortunately for Nowitzki if he does so it will most likely be in a losing effort. Although he is a legitimate NBA Finals MVP candidate heading into the series, Nowitzki will have to face the two MVP candidates of the Heat, C Shaquille O’Neal and SG Dwyane Wade.

Another problem for Dallas is that the only person with championship experience on the Mavericks is Head Coach Avery Johnson. Johnson, who won the NBA Coach of the Year Award this season, won one championship as a player for the Spurs. The only people with championship experience on the Heat are O’Neal and Head Coach Pat Riley. O’Neal won three championships with Lakers. Riley won two championships as a player and four championships as a coach, all with the Lakers. While only two members of the Heat have won rings before, their cumulative experience will have a huge impact on the series.

Wade is the first of the star players from the draft class of 2003 with a chance to play for the championship. Although Darko Millicic was drafted ahead of Wade and won a championship with the Pistons, Millicic barely played for Detroit and has on