Or could the fallen Great Wall be a blessing in disguise? Devastating news out of Houston tonight (Saturday, May 9th) as Yao Ming will be out for the remainder of the playoffs with a hairline fracture in his left foot. This is obviously painful for not only Yao but Rocket nation as well. The fans and the players really thought Houston could compete with the Lakers and even possibly beat them. Now it looks like a rather bleak proposition, but I wouldn’t rule Houston out just yet. Of course Houston is a better team with Yao playing 30+ minutes a game, that’s not the issue. Transition Game? Houston is a consistently half court team with a good, well rounded offense geared towards working it inside-out. Now that Yao is absent the offense... [Read more]

The unsung guys, their contributions mighty, but often can go unnoticed if you rely solely on the boxscore for your insight. Kendrick Perkins (Celtics)- Guy is just what you need in a center in today’s NBA where the guards and athletic forwards determine tempo and much of the offense. Perkins is wide and sets good picks, while also using his wide frame and mean streak to be a post presence on both ends of the court. He also has displayed from time to time the ability to get you 20 points in an evening.  Very good rebounder. Ever wonder why the Celtics interior defense is so stingy? It’s not all because of Garnett. Chuck Hayes, undrafted but not unknown (Image:Newscom) Chuck Hayes (Rockets)- Henry Abbott of TrueHoop had a nice... [Read more]

The following list is of the top players (in no particular order) I believe are the most under appreciated and most overlooked by ordinary casual NBA observers, and, even some of the die-hards too. Kevin Martin (Kings)- For three straight seasons the 6′7, 185lb Western Carolina alum has averaged better than 20ppg. For most of the past two seasons K-Mart has been the man in Sac-Town, but he’s become somewhat of a secret because the Kings’ dreadfulness as of late. Kevin’s shooting form is so unorthodox it almost makes Shawn Marion’s stroke look worthy of duplication. But what makes Kevin so lethal is his quick first step, his ability to get to the line frequently, and his myriad of creative shots he makes from mid... [Read more]

Cavs 4…  Pistons 0 Only a handful of Detroit players acted like they gave two cents. One of them who did not was Rasheed Wallace. His 6.5 ppg and 11-30 fg do not tell the whole story though, he often did not even debate foul calls, something he has always been known for doing. Tayshaun Prince, visibly slowed by a bad back, was even less inspiring, averaging a stunning 3.8 ppg and 3.5 reb/gm. Tayshaun did not shoot a single free throw the entire series. I’m still wondering why he played 32.2 min/gm. I’d reckon Aaron Afflalo and Walter Herrmann could have at least doubled Prince’s averages in the same amount of minutes.  Not that it would have made a lick of difference, but really, as a Piston fan, it was tough to see... [Read more]

My 10 observations, er… questions about the NBA playoffs after the first three days of action. 1. Will the Pistons play at least one game where they act like they care? 2. Is Tyrus Thomas becoming a player right before our eyes or is he becoming a player right before our eyes? 3. Is New Orleans-Denver that much of a mismatch? 4. Is it just me or did Andre Iguodala make one helluva difficult shot in game 1 with Hedo all up in his grill? Iggy gettin jiggy wit it (Image:Newscom) 5. Wait, did Orlando just leave 53 year old Donyell Marshall all alone again? 6. Does it bother you to see Kevin Garnett continually say potty mouth type things on the sideline after each big Celtic play…? 7. Or make goofy faces? 8.  Or that the cameraman... [Read more]