Donnie Walsh has turned the Knicks into a laughingstock

I'm sick of all the praise that's being thrown in Donnie Walsh's direction. Yea, we all see what he's doing, he's trying to put the Knicks in a financial position to acquire LeBron James prior to the 2010 NBA season.

The theory is solid: the Knicks are a major-market team and they want to compete for championships, not playoff spots. With the core they had -- Zach Randolph, Jamal Crawford, Wilson Chandler, Nate Robinson, David Lee, Quentin Richardson, and Chris Duhon -- they were a borderline Eastern playoff team, at best. But at least they were playing with offensive continuity and staying tight with some of the league's better teams.

Aren't any Knicks fans tired of excruciating losses? They got absolutely pounded tonight by the Cavs, and trust me, many losses of a similar variety are on the horizon. Walsh waived goodbye to Randolph and Crawford, easily New York's top two players, and welcomed Al Harrington, Tim Thomas, and Cuttino Mobley to the Big Apple.

Like I said earlier, Walsh's organizational theory is solid, but his execution was downright dreadful this past week. Randolph has been one of the most productive players in the NBA to this point in the season, racking up points and rebounds with relative ease. Crawford was the Knicks' most gifted and dangerous scorer, and their bail-out guy -- the one that bailed them out with the shotclock winding down and little-to-nothing going on offensively.

Now, the Knicks don't even have a best player. How does that happen? If you asked five different Knicks' fans who their star was, they'd probably give you five different answers. How bad is it when Chris Duhon might actually be the best player on an NBA team? He should be a solid bench player at best. Duhon, Robinson, Richardson, Chandler, Lee or Harrington could all be New York's top dog on a given night.

That's a terrible situation. As Lawrence Frank said in a recent interview, "In this league, you can't be a committee team. You need to establish an identity, be consistent, and go to your big guns when it matters most."

The Knicks no longer have big guns. They have a compilation of streaky, average players. The newly-acquired duo of Harrington and Thomas is nothing but trouble. Both have struggled to define their roles and positions with their past teams, which often leads to a lack of team chemistry and offensive flow. Harrington and Thomas are cancers; all their ex-teams and teammates know it.

The point is, this team is going to be awful for the rest of this season, and next year. I don't know about you, but I've lost a few close friends and family members in the past few years; who knows? I could be next. I don't feel like waiting around when life is happening right now. The Knicks were playing surprisingly well with Crawford, Randolph and D'Antoni's offensive system. At least I could watch the games without wanting to vomit all over my friend's flatscreen TV.

Tonight, I was gagging again. Sure it was the first night for Harrington and Thomas with new teammates, but don't expect much improvement overall. The Knicks don't have a go-to-guy, don't have an identity, and don't have a chance to make the playoffs anymore.

Walsh also drafted Danilo Gallinari with the sixth pick in this year's NBA Draft. WHAT A DISASTER. And yet, everyone seems to be in love with Walsh. I hate the guy. We could have had D.J. Augustin, Brook Lopez, Jason Thompson, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights, Darrell Arthur, and/or Mario Chalmers. Any of those guys could have helped us right away.

Walsh and D'Antoni have also botched the Stephon Marbury situation. I truly believe that if the Knicks drafted Thompson, played Marbury instead of wasting him, and kept Randolph and Crawford, that they could have finished this year as high as fourth in the Eastern Conference.

The starting lineup should have been Marbury, Crawford, Richardson, Chandler, and Randolph, with Robinson, Duhon, David Lee, and Thompson coming off the bench. What the Knicks were missing early on, even when they were 6-3, was another explosive penetrator (Marbury) and another bench big man with athleticism and ability (Thompson).

If Walsh played his cards right from the beginning, the Knicks could have been competing in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, right away, this season. Outside of the Celtics, Cavs, and Pistons, the East is not at all intimidating.

Whatever, Walsh is an idiot. For those of you who want to wait until 2010 (when we can't even guarantee that we get LeBron), well...I hope you don't get hit by a bus tomorrow.

JERRY MANUEL blew the Mets' season (though, he wasn't alone)

That's right, folks...Jerry's the ultimate culprit. I'm sure, reading that, that some of you are steaming right now -- but hear me out. Over the course of the past few weeks, if you want to blame the bullpen or David Wright/Jose Reyes, that's fine; I understand. But when it got to 2-2 top of the eighth inning today, the game was in Jerry Manuel's hands.

If the game was a precious little kitten, Jerry would have let it die. He failed to take care of that thing. Season on the line, and he turns to...

SCOTT SCHOENEWEIS!!??

HELLO! JERRY! Wake the **** up! Seriously, stop looking at Schoeneweis' ERA and going, "Hmm, that looks pretty good, maybe I should trust him more than anyone else."

Jerry Manuel sucks. Scott Schoeneweis is an absolute joke. We're talking about a "major league" pitcher with an 87-89 mph, flat fastball that he throws every single pitch. He just had Brian Stokes in the game -- the Mets' best reliever (though, I guess that's not saying much) -- who throws 95-97 with a fairly sharp slider.

You don't think the Marlins' hitters were salivating when they saw the switch from Stokes to Schoeneweis? Sure, I know what Jerry was thinking: Mike Jacobs was due up so he wanted to bring in the lefty to face the lefty...but Jerry, have you ever heard of a pinch hitter? It's this thing where the manager replaces his hitter for strategic reasons and brings in a batter who more appropriately fits the situation.

His name was Wes Helms, one of the most experienced and trustworthy bench players in baseball. Helms has absolutely killed lefties throughout his career. OK, let's give Jerry the benefit of the doubt and assume that he expected Fredi Gonzalez to make that substitution. That means Jerry preferred the Schoeneweis/Helms match-up to the Stokes/Jacobs match-up...

WHY??? I don't want Schoeneweis in there against anyone! Not even the opposing pitcher! I guess Jacobs is the more dangerous hitter at this stage of he and Helms' careers, but Helms can still crush lefties...especially despicably awful lefties like Schoeneweis.

The fact that Manuel would turn to Schoeneweis with the season hanging in the balance tells me that Jerry knows very little about baseball. It's a sad thing to realize: that you are a more intelligent baseball mind than your favorite team's manager.

I was at Shea today, and as soon as I looked up and saw that Schoeneweis was in the game, I told everyone I was with that our season was over. I meant it. Completely.

The funny thing is, I'm 100% positive that I was far from the only Mets fan thinking that. Don't we all know that Schoeneweis is a piece of garbage???

Jerry doesn't. I'm going to throw up when he gets his contract extension. The hits just keep on comin'...

OK let's get away from the most clueless manager in the game now. Moving on to...

RYAN CHURCH. Is this guy kidding me?? I've never seen a "professional hitter" strike out on three consecutive pitches so often in my entire life. He doesn't even put together quality at bats; it's a combination of a lack of adjustments and a heart as big as an olive. Ryan Church is a gutless loser disguised as a ballplayer. An absolute disgrace to clutch hitters everywhere. I wouldn't mind if he was bagging groceries at Stop and Shop next year. Get him out of my face.

David Wright and Jose Reyes failed to be superstars. It's that simple. People around the league rave about these two constantly, but they consistently failed when the Mets and their fans needed them most. Reyes folded up the tent for the second straight year, and showed that he has no courage and is a very limited hitter. He feasts on poor pitching...that's about it.

Wright, our "golden boy" (in the realm of the Chase Utley's and Grady Sizemore's of the world) is just not a big-money player. He's a guy who piles up stats but when you need him most, he tucks his tail under his legs and whimpers in the corner of the room. He's a full-blown choke artist who I wouldn't mind trading in a second. New York doesn't need a second Alex Rodriguez, and it certainly appears as if we already have one. You suck, David Wright. You are a total embarrassment to yourself and us as fans.

I'd like to take this opportunity to send my love to Johan Santana and Carlos Beltran, the only true superstars on our team. Two players who perform throughout the year, but continue their excellence when the bright lights are shining. Love you guys, keep it up next year.

Kudos also to Endy Chavez, who got buried by Jerry "The Joke" Manuel for no good reason, and yet continued to do his job and do it well. Another spectacular catch for Endy at the ballpark today.

In the end, we can point fingers everywhere. The injuries to Billy Wagner, John Maine, Moises Alou, Fernando Tatis, and Damion Easley (collectively) were devastating. But no excuses. This team just crumbles in the clutch.

Good riddance. Let's go Jets.

Lakers Choke; Pierce, Posey Step Up

Paul Pierce has been around a long time -- but only now has he gained my respect and admiration.

Pierce requested the opportunity to guard the greatest basketball player in the universe, Kobe Bryant, during the second half of tonight's game 4 of the NBA Finals. This was likely the most important game of the season, and quite possibly, the biggest game of Pierce's life.

And what did he do with the opportunity? He didn't meet expectations -- he convincingly exceeded them. Pierce put the clamps on Kobe (although the 4th was the most prolific scoring quarter for Bryant) and forced him into one difficult attempt after another. Kobe was frustrated by the looks he was getting, pissed that none of his shots were dropping, and visibly agitated that no one else on his team could step up and make a big play under the bright lights.

Give most of the credit to Pierce, and surprisingly, some to Doc Rivers for making sure that a help defender was always available to Pierce if necessary.

Not only did Pierce prove that he's one of the league's premier perimeter defenders when determined and dedicated, but he also stepped up on the offensive end. "The Truth" made a slew of tough lay-ups in the third quarter, and a couple of contested fadeaways in the fourth. Unlike the Pierce of old -- the Pierce that choked back to back years against the New Jersey Nets earlier this decade -- he made his clutch free throws this time around.

Pierce played with guts, heart, grit, and fire. That's exactly what it takes to get the best player in the world off of his game. Much love to you, Paul. I promise I'll stop calling you a choker in front of all of my friends. Unless you choke three games in a row and you let your team blow this series; in that case, all bets will be off.

And how about James Posey? The man has no conscience in the clutch. All he knows is catch, shoot, and knock it down from the corner -- and that's exactly what he did tonight. It goes to show you how previous NBA title runs (his came with the Heat) can ease a guy's nerves when it matters most. Ice water in the veins. Much credit to you as well, James.

Also have to shout out my boy Eddie House (former Net that I wanted to keep, but of course, we let him go). House, who has seen his playing time decrease significantly since the regular season, showed that no matter what the circumstances, he's always prepared to jack up critical shots. This time around, he knocked them down -- including a pull-up two-pointer that gave the Celtics their first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter.

On the other end of the court, the Lakers were an absolute disaster in the second half. It goes to show you that no matter how great a coach's credentials are (and Phil Jackson's are incredible), sometimes there's nothing they can do to stop their team from driving off the road and crashing into a big ass tree. That's what the Lakers did tonight: crash and burn.

The biggest culprit? I'm certainly not surprised, and I hope you aren't either -- it was Pau Gasol. Gasol's countless weaknesses have been totally exposed this postseason. Tonight he literally dropped 5 easy passes that would have led to uncontested lay-ups or dunks. He also missed a lay-up, dunk, tip in, and one crucial free throw.

But above all, he failed to help out Sasha Vujacic on the most important defensive possession of the game. With less than 20 seconds remaining, Ray Allen was isolated in a one-on-one with Sasha at the top of the key. Ray Ray let the shot clock run down to 6, at which point he drove right and blew past Sasha without breaking a sweat. With between one and two seconds left on the shot clock, Allen had a clear lane for a lay-up. He continued his explosion to the hoop and finished with a right-handed lay-up, as Gasol slowly and weakly pretended to help from the weak side.

Why wasn't Gasol cheating toward the rim as soon as he saw Allen isolated with Vujacic? In the absence of Andrew Bynum, Gasol has played nothing but center. As the center, it's Gasol's job to clog the lane and protect the rim when his teammates are in need of a bail out. So where was Gasol here? He was cheating over to the left concerned about the Celtics' three-point shooters in the corner.

If he knew anything about basketball, if he had any basketball instincts whatsoever, Gasol would have seen that Allen was completely intent on taking the ball to the rim and getting an easy bucket and/or going to the foul line for two. He wasn't giving the ball up, no way. Besides, by the time he left Vujacic in the dust, there was less than 3 seconds on the shot clock -- odds were against a pass to the corner, catch, and shoot in that period of time. It would have taken a completely clear passing lane to the corner, a perfect pass and a quick release.

Could it have happened? Maybe.

BUT YOU CAN'T LET A GUY WALK RIGHT DOWN THE LANE AND GET AN EASY LAY-UP WITH THE GAME ON THE LINE!!!

Step over and block the damn shot. At least foul the shit out of Allen.

But no, typical Gasol. Gutless, spineless, mindless basketball. A lazy attempt to save a season.

Other problems for the Lakers: Jordan Farmar, Lamar Odom, Vladimir Radmanovic, and Phil Jackson.

Farmar missed a wide open, potentially game-changing three off a beautiful reverse dish from Kobe. A shot he was taking with confidence, and making throughout the regular season. Here? Clank. Obvious choke job.

Odom dominated the first half and allowed himself to be invisible during the Celtics' frantic second half comeback. There is no reason for him to be totally uninvolved in the offense after going 7-for-7 in the first half. Sure, some of the blame can go to his teammates and Jackson, but how about demanding the ball a little? How about bringing some energy and making plays like he did from the opening tip all the way up to the buzzer sounding at the end of quarter 2?

Nah, not Odom. What does he do? Disappear. Not too surprising.

Radmanovic perpetuated the Celtics run by jacking up a contested three-pointer from the corner, three seconds into a Laker possession. Boston was making its run, and the "space cadet" gave them a boost and fueled their transition offense by producing a long rebound off a long shot.

Jackson had the wrong guys out there for the fourth. I thought Derek Fisher was having one of his cleaner games of the playoffs -- he made a number of big plays. But there was the inexperienced Farmar for the first 9 minutes of the fourth, only when Phil got desperate (with 3 minutes remaining) did he throw Fisher back out into the fray. Too little, too late Mr. Zenmaster.

Also, Trevor Ariza was phenomenal in the first half -- rebounding, defending, hustling, knocking down threes, dunking -- but Vujacic was out there instead, undersized in his match-up with Allen and cold with his own jumper. Go figure.

Hey, what do I know? Phil has 9 championship rings and I have...hmm...I don't know, do fantasy sports count?

Regardless, sometimes I think I know about the Lakers' personnel than Jackson.

Don't we all feel that way about the coaches/managers of our favorite teams sometimes?

Either way, this was an excruciating loss for Los Angeles. I just can't see the Celtics allowing the Lakers to win three in a row. Not the way they play defense -- they clamp down when they need to.

So what does that mean? Well, if I had to guess, I'd say it's safe to assume the Lakers are finished.

NBA Finals Prediction

It's been a long, entertaining season in the NBA, and it's finally time for the Big Finish. Commissioner David Stern must be ecstatic about the return of the Lakers/Celtics rivalry, and I'm sure he's expecting a viewing audience improvement over the conference finals. That said, let's get into the match-up itself: Kobe Bryant and his Lakers against the "Big Three" and the rest of the Celtics.

Throughout the year, I've felt the Lakers were going to win it all. Kobe was playing at (arguably) the highest level of his career, and head coach Phil Jackson had Los Angeles playing a beautiful style of team basketball. However, the Lakers haven't been as pretty to watch in the postseason. Sure they battled through the deeper Western Conference to get to the finals, but most of the credit has to go to Kobe. His supporting cast has failed to maintain its regular season efficiency.

Specifically, Pau Gasol hasn't been the No. 2 option that the rest of the media expected him to be, but I can say "I told you so." Don't get me wrong, Gasol is a nice player and I was actually very impressed with his defense against Tim Duncan last series, but Pau's not a true No. 2 scorer. He hasn't even been attempting his short-range, face-up jumper from the foul line, and his back-to-the-basket moves have been soft and ineffective. Virtually all of his buckets have resulted from Kobe dishes.

On the perimeter, Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar haven't had their usual consistency from beyond the arc. Fellow bench player Ronny Turiaf has failed to leave his mark on the postseason, as well.

On the other side of the court, the Celtics also know a few things about disappointing playoff performances -- enter Ray Allen. On the whole, Allen has been absolutely horrific in the postseason; however, and fortunately for Boston, he began to pick it up in the final few games of the Pistons series. The Celtics will need an effective Allen in this series, because if the Lakers' shooters manage to settle in, we know they can score in bunches.

In reference to defensive talent and awareness, the Celtics have a huge advantage. Without a shadow of a doubt, Kevin Garnett is the best defensive player on either team -- he's perhaps even the best defensive player in the entire NBA. Paul Pierce and James Posey have defended the perimeter well, and Rajon Rondo picks up his share of steals.

Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it), Pierce, Posey, Allen and Rondo haven't had to deal with Kobe yet. Yes, as a unit, Boston was able to contain LeBron James in the Cavs series, but Kobe is a whole 'nother level. LeBron may be stronger and more explosive, but the threat of Kobe's outside shot is much greater than that of LeBron's.

Unless he's double-teamed from the opening tip to the final buzzer of the final game of the series, there is absolutely no way to stop Kobe Bryant. He can only beat himself.

I've had the past few days to ponder this series, and my gut keeps telling me the Celtics are gonna find a way to win. Maybe it's the homecourt advantage.

But every time I'm almost convinced to give the nod to Boston, I'm reminded of Kobe's repeated fourth quarter dominance. It's really very simple...if the Lakers can just keep it close for the first three quarters of these games, they have a distinct advantage in the fourth against the Celtics. Kobe gives them the advantage over everyone.

The final verdict? Lakers in six. You know I can't bet against my boy. If it does go to seven games, the Lakers will be in severe trouble in Boston, but I'm sticking to my guns -- there will be no game 7.

Are the Mets returning to their 2006 form?

Having won four of their last five, and playing with greater passion and intensity than they have all season, it's a fair question to ask. The Mets are putting together late-inning rallies and come from behind victories, two of the trademarks of the more successful 2006 team. But will this trend continue?

Well, as a Mets fan, you know I want to say yes. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. The Mets are still battling a slew of injuries, and their bullpen -- with the exception of the virtually unhittable Billy Wagner -- is beyond shaky.

As far as the injuries go, I find it hard to believe that right fielder Ryan Church will return to the lineup carrying the hot bat he held prior to his head injury. It's taken him quite awhile to shake off the side effects, and it wouldn't be realistic to expect him to pick up where he left off. Sure, maybe in three to four weeks he'll get his swing back; but who knows, maybe he won't. Maybe he'll be lost at the plate for the rest of the season.

I'm just saying, prepare yourselves Mets fans. Disaster strikes us often.

Then there's Moises Alou, who is injured for the 341st time in the past three seasons (including his final season in San Francisco.) Personally, I love the guy. He's 89 years old and he still makes .320 look like an afterthought -- watching him, it seems like everyone in the league should be hitting .300. It's that easy for Alou, he's a natural.

That said, even when he does return, he'll likely be injured again sometime within the following three weeks. I know, that's pessimistic, but try and tell me that's not a reasonable assumption.

If you ask me, Church and Alou are the Mets' third and fourth best hitters. Church has performed a bit over his head, but I'll give him the 4-spot, behind David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Alou (in that order). Yea, Jose Reyes has the better reputation, but Church is the more polished, professional hitter.

Oh and by the way, as my friend and astute fellow Mets supporter Adam "Fish" Goldsmith would like to point out -- what the hell is up with Reyes' never-ending streak of errors? Yea, the announcers on SNY (Gary Cohen and Ron Darling, in particular) like to rationalize by saying: "Reyes is a young player." All right, enough already. He's been in the league long enough now...he's a big boy. His bat is coming around of late, so all-around confidence shouldn't be an issue for Jose right now. Thanks for the helpful input, Mr. Goldsmith.

Also down with injury are Luis Castillo, Marlon Anderson and Angel Pagan. Of course, of the three, Castillo is the most important piece. Luis struggled early on, but he had been scorching of late and he's one of the Mets' top on-base percentage guys. He's getting old, but he remains a steady, reliable defensive player.

Anderson may be over the hill at this point, but he was the team's premier pinch hitter last year -- a well-deserved distinction. I don't know if he'll ever find his groove again, though. His hand and bat speeds have slowed significantly.

Pagan is no superstar, but he had a nice start to the season. He's a valuable utility outfielder whose presence would rid us of the not-quite-ready Nick Evans, and also keep Endy Chavez a little fresher.

On the pitching staff, there's the never ending Pedro Martinez/El Duque saga. Pedro will make his 9 millionth return from injury this week, and quite simply, who the hell knows with him. "They" say he looks good in rehab, but "they" always do. Usually he comes back, gets hit around, and gets hurt again. He's not like Alou who comes back and looks like a stud. I'd say enough is enough already, but I still think Pedro is better than Mike Pelfrey.

In regards to El Duque, I'd love to have him back at full strength. He was the Mets' top starting pitcher in the second half of the 2006 season, and he was better than solid in his outings last year. I just don't know if he'll ever be full strength again. However, he probably doesn't have to be at full strength to be at least as good as Claudio Vargas. Don't get me wrong, I respect what Vargas has done of late, he's just not a long-term 2008 solution.

I'll tell you what I really want to see. I want to see Aaron Heilman in the rotation...this year.

Yes. I know. Not happening.

Just hear me out. The guy has the third best stuff out of the Mets 15 rotating pitching options. After Wagner and Johan Santana, of course. Hitters are mustering up an extremely weak .190 average against Heilman with no runners on. Get him the ball at the beginning of the game, and let him dig his own holes if that's going to be the case. At this point, it's overtly clear that the guy can't handle inherited runners. But when he's the master of his own fate, he's not half bad. 92-95 mph riding fastball, plus changeup and a sneaky little slider.

My dream rotation? Santana, John Maine, Oliver Perez, El Duque and Heilman in that order.

But I know, I know -- it's not gonna happen. If I have to settle, I'll settle for El Duque and Pedro over Vargas and Pelfrey. I'm sorry, Pelfrey's just not ready -- the Dodgers got themselves out today, the kid didn't do anything special. He sucked for about six starts in a row before this one.

As for the rest of the bullpen, Duaner Sanchez just isn't the same pitcher that he was prior to his devastating injury, Matt Wise is a bum, Carlos Muniz is nothing better than a mop-up guy, and Joe Smith is more hittable than he probably should be. I love the way Scott Schoeneweis has performed, but is he really a lights out kinda guy? I think we know the truth. But he's a gamer, and he throws strikes -- I like the guy.

Pedro Feliciano remains nasty on lefties, but I wish we could trust him a little more for complete innings. With Heilman and Sanchez back there, everything is up to chance.

Where am I going with all this? I'm just saying, don't get your hopes up Mets fans. Do I think we are still a serious contender for a division title? Absolutely. Without question. Just don't forget about the countless number of "ifs" we have.

Predictions for the NBA's Final Four

(Note to readers: I forgot to post this when I wrote it.)

I've been away for awhile, so I have the benefit of making predictions with the Lakers and Celtics both up 3-2; go ahead, give me s--t about it. The predictions themselves aren't what's important here, the importance lies in the reasoning.

The unquestionable affirmation of the phrase "home-court advantage" is the No. 1 story in this year's playoffs. Simply put, the road teams just can't find a way to win. Lately everyone seems to be questioning the officiating, saying that the home teams have been the beneficiaries of blatant favoritism, and I don't know, maybe that's true. Conspiracy theorists would point to Game 5 of the Jazz/Lakers series in L.A. and Game 6 of the Hornets/Spurs series in San Antonio as prime examples.

Regardless of the reason for the trend, the fact remains that it would be foolish to bet against the home teams for the remainder of the conference semi-finals. So of course, Im taking the Lakers and Celtics. But that's not saying much, so I think I'll play Devil's advocate and tell you what it would take for the Jazz and Cavs to climb out of their deep, dark 3-2 holes.

First, the Jazz:

Having lost only four games at home all season, few are doubting that the Jazz can take Game 6 in Utah. Yes, the Lakers were one of the teams who managed to steal a victory, but Kobe was much healthier then, and it wasn't a time of desperation for the Jazz. Carlos Boozer has played horribly on the road thus far in the postseason, but he's been just fine at home. If he plays up to his ability or above, Utah should hold serve.

Keep an eye on shot selection, though -- particularly in regards to Mehmet Okur, Matt Harpring and Kyle Korver. Those three have tended to force tough shots at crucial junctures throughout the postseason. "Heat checks" are understandable, but if there's no rhythm, or the shot simply isn't there, they need to give up the rock.

(Never finished)

The Stock Market Game: NBA Playoffs Style

It's only the second round of the playoffs, but I've learned plenty about the nerves and talents of the postseason participants. I'm not talking about long-term projections here -- I'm referring to sheer playoff performance -- so there's no reason that an older player can't be near the top of this list. If you'd like to check the stock progress of one of your favorite players, now's your chance:

(Note: Rankings are not in any particular order under each heading.)


Rising Off the Charts

Chris Paul-PG, New Orleans Hornets
Joe Johnson-G, Atlanta Hawks

Power Stocks, Holding Strong

Kobe Bryant-SG, Los Angeles Lakers
Tony Parker-PG, San Antonio Spurs
Kevin Garnett-PF, Boston Celtics
Dwight Howard-PF/C, Orlando Magic

Earning Positive Returns

Sasha Vujacic-PG/SG, Los Angeles Lakers
J.R. Smith-SG, Denver Nuggets
Paul Millsap-PF, Utah Jazz
Peja Stojakovic-SF, New Orleans Hornets
Dirk Nowitzki-PF, Dallas Mavericks
James Posey-SF, Boston Celtics
Josh Smith-SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks
Zydrunas Ilgauskas-C, Cleveland Cavs
Daniel Gibson-PG/SG, Cleveland Cavs
Hedo Turkoglu-SG/SF, Orlando Magic
Jameer Nelson-PG, Orlando Magic
Andre Miller-PG, Philadelphia 76ers
Samuel Dalembert-C, Philadelphia 76ers

Currently Holding, But Shaky

Pau Gasol-PF/C, Los Angeles Lakers
Deron Williams-PG, Utah Jazz
Rashard Lewis-SF, Orlando Magic

Declining Steadily

Carlos Boozer-PF, Utah Jazz
Tracy McGrady-SG/SF, Houston Rockets
Steve Nash-PG, Phoenix Suns
Josh Howard-SF, Dallas Mavericks
Paul Pierce-SG/SF, Boston Celtics
Rajon Rondo-PG, Boston Celtics
Mike Bibby-PG, Atlanta Hawks
Caron Butler-SF, Washington Wizards

Plummeting Miserably

Marcus Camby-C, Denver Nuggets
Carmelo Anthony-SF, Denver Nuggets
Shaquille O'Neal-C, Phoenix Suns
Jason Kidd-PG, Dallas Mavericks
Ray Allen-SG, Boston Celtics
LeBron James-SF, Cleveland Cavs
Andrea Bargnani-F/C, Toronto Raptors


Disagree with anything? Anyone missing? Please feel free to comment.