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.

Lakers Maintain Homecourt Advantage

At this point, the Los Angeles Lakers are likely the favorite to win the NBA Championship -- and rightfully so. Boasting a 2-0 series lead over a tough-minded, well-coached Jazz team, the Lakers are now 6-0 in the playoffs. They cruised past the Nuggets in round 1, a team that was arguably the most talented No. 8 seed in league history.

But I don't think the Lakers are unbeatable. They play beautiful team basketball -- thanks in large part to "The Zenmaster" Phil Jackson -- and they feature the greatest basketball player in the universe, Kobe Bryant; but Los Angeles leaves much to be desired on the defensive end. Kobe and Derek Fisher are phenomenal defenders, but I question the defensive toughness of the Lakers' front line, particularly Pau Gasol.

Everyone has been raving about Gasol since he joined the Lakers, and some of the praise is deserving. Gasol is probably one of the top 30 players in the NBA, and he's uniquely skilled for his size. However, I'm not sure about his nerves. His mid-range jumper has been off in the postseason, and he's dropped a number of passes that would have led to easy buckets. The vast majority of his scores have been uncontested lay-ups or dunks.

Defensively, Gasol is skinny and soft. Utah's front line of Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur isn't explosive enough to make Gasol pay in the post, but David West, Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett could all give Pau a ton of trouble in the future -- depending of course, on who advances.

Utah's virtually unstoppable on its home court, so I'd be shocked if the Jazz don't win at least one of the next two. That said, I'm sticking with my initial prediction: Lakers in five.

For the Jazz to make me look like an idiot, Deron Williams has to stop worrying about his teammates, and start shouldering the early scoring load. Williams, who recently made my NBA Top 10 list for the first time, needs to take more shots in the first half. His offensive arsenal is incredibly impressive, and if he needs to go shot-for-shot with Kobe at times, then so be it.

Those of you who stuck with Game 2 until the end, got to see what D-Will is capable of -- 5-of-5 from the three-point line, three of which came in the final four minutes. All of the threes came off the dribble, making the task a bit more difficult.

All things considered, I do think the Lakers are the best team in the NBA. However, the margin between them and the Spurs and Hornets is extremely slim. Hopefully we get to see the Lakers and Hornets in the Western Conference finals -- that'd be a hell of a series.

What the Hell is Wrong with Ray Allen?

This is not a misprint: Ray Allen had zero points in tonight's ugly Game 1 victory over the Cavs. Zip. Not a one.

Quite frankly, he's been painfully awful in the playoffs thus far. He cannot hit a shot. He couldn't shoot a ball into the ocean against Atlanta, and now he comes out 0-of-4 against Cleveland. Sure, four attempts seems like an unusually low number, but Allen is struggling so much with his confidence that he passed up four or five looks he would have normally capitalized upon.

So what's the problem?

Some of it is mechanics. He appears to be getting an unorthodox sideways rotation on his jumper, which flattens out his trajectory and makes the iron unkind. Allen also appears to be tossing up knuckleballs -- shots with absolutely no rotation -- sporadically.

But above all, Ray Allen is just choking. Let's see, no Final Four appearances at UConn; never been to the NBA Finals; failed as a No. 1 option in both Seattle and Milwaukee. I'm not saying his lack of championships are all his doing, just that there's reason to believe that his nerves have gotten to him in the past, and that those same nerves are killing his flow once again.

Man up, Ray Ray. Find a way to make some shots. If you're "the best pure shooter in the NBA" -- a fashionable distinction linked to Allen by NBA analysts and fans across the country -- then you shouldn't be in this long of a slump; especially not when your teammates need you more than ever.

Head coach Doc Rivers needs to run some sets that will open up Allen for chip-shots and lay-ups, so he can establish a rhythm and then carry it out to the perimeter. As the postseason rages on, It'll be interesting to see if the pressure continues to get to Ray Ray.

Doc Rivers Needs to Find a New Line of Work

I love and respect the way the Atlanta Hawks are playing ball right now, but the Celtics should have closed out the series in Game 6. In general, there is no way this should be heading into a seventh game. Sure, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have underperformed, but I still place the vast majority of the blame on head coach Doc Rivers.

Let's get specific. With less than 25 seconds remaining in Game 6, the Celtics trailed by two. Rivers called a timeout and drew up one of his "fantastic" set plays. It should have been quite simple -- spread the floor, isolate Kevin Garnett on the left block, and let him get an easy bucket against rookie Al Horford. Instead, what does Doc do?

He calls a set that attempted to open up Allen for a potential game-winning three. An inexcusably terrible head coaching decision. You have arguably the premier one-on-one post player in the NBA, matched up against a rookie (or an inferior Zaza Pachulia) and you wanna jack up a three to win it?

It was a desperate call, and when you have the premier team in the Eastern Conference, there is no need to panic. Possibly the worst part? Allen missed about eight shots in a row before that one. I don't think the "he's due" strategy is appropriate in Game 6 of a playoff series. Maybe in the regular season, but not at this time of the year.

They should have attempted a two to tie, it should have been Garnett, and the conclusion of the game would have been up in the air from that point. The funny thing is, Doc called for the exact play I suggested earlier -- spread the floor, isolate Garnett on the left block -- on the next possession when the Celtics were down by four. Perfect time for a cliche:

"Too little, too late," Doc.

If the Celtics somehow lose Game 7 at home, Rivers is done. I wouldn't want him coaching my D-League team.