Five NBA Players to Watch: Pacific Division Edition

This is the first of a six-part series that I'm working on finding five players from five different teams to watch in each division.

Rather than start with the Eastern Conference I'm working backwards, starting from the Pacific Division, home of the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings.

Crawford Should Run Point For Warriors

The line-up just got shook up for the Warriors. They just traded Al Harrington to the New York Knicks for Jamal Crawford. In my opinion, this should be the line-up the Dubs should be running when he gets there.

PG-Jamal Crawford

SG-Anthony Morrow

SF-Corey Magette

PF-Stephen Jackson

C-Andris Biedrins

Crawford should run the point for the Warriors like he did most of last season for the Knicks, despite having Nate Robinson. Sure, he's really a shooting guard, but here's the thing. Not only did he score 20.6 PPG last season but he also had 5 APG. This season, he's averaged 19.6 PPG and 4.4 APG alongside Chris Duhon, who has 7.2 APG this season. Plus, Crawford's numbers are a whole lot better than what C.J. Watson, DeMarcus Nelson and Marcus Williams are putting up.

Having one more guy on the floor to distribute won't hurt. Stephen Jackson leads the team with 6.5 APG. The line-up may be small still, but they'd have height at the point.

When Monta Ellis comes back, assuming that he's at full strentgh, Morrow or Crawford goes to the bench depending on their play. When he comes back, it should be interesting how their minutes are set-up. They'll be stacked at the guard spot. Ellis, Jackson, Crawford, Morrow, Magette, Marco Belinelli and Kelenna Azubuike can all play shooting guard. I'm not surprised if one of them, Belineli most likely, gets traded. He almost got traded for the Nets' Sean Williams.

It's going to be fun to watch how the Warriors mix it up this year as the team keeps on changing.

2009 NBA All-Star Ballots Open (My Selections)

The 2009 NBA All-Star ballot has just been released and the voting is under way, so I'm picking up what I did last year by picking who I vote for and why. Two teams. Two guards, two forwards and a center each, and a write-in. It's not about the top talents like Chris Paul LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. They're already getting in. It's about getting other all-star talents recognized.

You can vote online everyday until January 19. You can vote on nba.com, or you can do it right here, using the NBA All-Star 2009 widget on the top-right side of my blog. T-Mobile will be helping out the Phoenix community by donating $1 for every ballot you cast in a T-Zone or T-Mobile's wireless web portal. So if you can, do it.

Enough talk, let's get it on.

WEST

FORWARD: ANDREI KIRILENKO Utah Jazz. He's coming off the bench now as one of the best sixth men in the league. He's getting 14 PPG on 55% shooting, 6.8 RPG, 2.9 APG 1.1 SPG and 1.4 BPG. He's an all-around player, efficient on both sides of the ball helping his team to a 6-1 record, which includes winning five straight. If he keeps this up, he'll make his first all-star team.

FORWARD: LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE Portland Trail Blazers. Aldridge, in only his third year, will be a dominant force in the NBA with his ability shoot. His numbers are 18.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 1.4 BPG. He has the ability to have a 20-10 game and he's had a 24 point, 13 rebound outing this year already. In the future when he's working with Greg Oden, the Blazers frontcourt will be a force to be reckoned with.

GUARD: KEVIN MARTIN Sacramento Kings. K-Mart looks like he's back with a vengence. He's come out as more agressive and has made his case on a 4-game homestand after starting 0-4 on the road. He's averaged 28.7 PPG on 53% shooting, 3 RPG, 3.7 APG and 1.6 SPG, leading the Kings on a 3-game win streak at home. Unfortunately, he re-sprained his ankle against the Warriors, but he should be back in a week. Otherwise, with some all-star moves early on in the season he's sure to make his case to get on the team again this season.

GUARD: STEPHEN JACKSON Golden State Warriors. Since Baron Davis left for the Clippers and Monta Ellis was injured and out until January and now Corey Maggette injured, Captain Jack has taken charge of the team with the best numbers of his career so far. He's averaged 23.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 5.6 APG and 1.4 SPG. Even though the team has struggled with a 2-5 record, he's doing everything he can to get his team through some tough times.

CENTER: ANDRIS BIEDRINS Golden State Warriors. Biedrins has been very good early on. Averaging 16.8 PPG on 53% shooting, 14.3 RPG 1 SPG and 1.8 BPG, Biedrins is an unstoppable force on both ends on the floor. He fights for every board, which is why he averages nearly five offensive RPG. There's no other way to put it, he's the best center in the West on the ballot.

EAST

FORWARD: ZACH RANDOLPH New York Knicks. So far, he's stayed out of trouble. Maybe Mike D'Antoni straightened him out. He's averaging 19 PPG, 11.5 RPG and 1.5 SPG as the Knicks' new center at 6'9. He's also helped lead the team to a 4-3 record. As long as he stays out of trouble and puts up some good numbers, I'll vote him. If he's really changed, there's a spot on the team for him.

FORWARD: TAYSHAUN PRINCE Detroit Pistons. In 2005, Ben and Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups were all-stars. Prince was the only one of the starting five who wasn't chosen. I think it's time he became one. He's averaging 18.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.6 APG and 0.9 BPG. He's really coming into his own. Don't worried about him being injury prone, he's an iron man. He's started in all 82 games for four straight seasons. He's played in all 82 games for five straight seasons. Even with Allen Iverson coming in, it's still Prince's time to shine.

GUARD: JOSE CALDERON Toronto Raptors. The Spanish Sensation up north, Calderon is starring beside Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'Neal. He's averaging 13.5 PPG and 9 APG and has over a 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He was a big part of the Spanish National Team in the Olympics before he was injured, missing the gold medal game. Calderon came out of nowhere last year when T.J. Ford was injured. Now with the starting role he continues to shine.

GUARD: JOE JOHNSON Atlanta Hawks. JJ has led this team to 6-game winning streak to start the season, and he was questioned by Paul Pierce last year on why he made the team last year over Ray Allen initially. He's averaging 24.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 4.9 APG and 1.6 SPG in an effort to make sure the Hawks finish better than an eight seed. He and the Hawks are making sure that the whole NBA knows and Johnson is the perfect canidate for the Hawks.

CENTER: ANDREW BOGUT Milwaukee Bucks. He's probably one of the most balanced centers in the East right now when it comes to stats, but he's done better in the past. Averaging 10.1 PPG, 10 RPG, 1.2 SPG and 1.1 BPG, he's ready to prove that he earned his extension. He's playing with two very good scorers in Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson, but if he gets rolling like he did at the end of last season, the Bucks can start see some wins coming their way.

WRITE-IN: NENE Denver Nuggets. Filling the void Marcus Camby left at center when he was traded, he's bounced back from testicular cancer to play one of the best seasons of his career so far. He's avveraging 15.6 PPG on 67.2% shooting, 8.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG and 2 BPG in a bounce back season when it looked like his career may have been over. Now it's about staying healthy for his team because he's a key piece. Without him, even with Chauncey Billups they can't think about the playoffs. Nené is that important.

LAST THOUGHTS: There's a few newcomers on the ballot. Yi Jianlian, after getting a lot of votes as a write-in last year, is on the ballot this year. Rookies Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo and Greg Oden have made the ballot as well. If you haven't noticed, there're five international players that I've picked. Kirilenko (Russia), Biedrins (Latvia), Calderon (Spain), Bogut (Australia) and Nené (Brazil). It's amazing how many good players there are from overseas. Rudy Fernandez and Ricky Rubio could be next.

I'm done now, so go vote. There's 67 days left to do it, and you can do it every day. Be on the lookout for Part 2 in a couple of weeks.

Martin Dunks Over Azubuike, Wright

Kevin Martin skies over block-minded Kelenna Azubuike and Brandan Wright for the throwdown from Brad Miller's nice pass behind Andris Biendrins.

Kings Win Three Straight After 0-4 Trip

The Kings would tell you, "There's no place like home."

The road trip, it was horrible. We can blame Disney on Ice for denying the Kings their first game as a home opener since 2003 (LeBron James' NBA debut), or at least a shorter road trip. Four straight losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-96, Miami Heat 103-77, Orlando Magic 121-93 and Philadelphia 76ers 125-91. The last game in Philly, they looked like they gave up and just wanted to go home. Who could blame them. They lost a close game to start off the season followed by three straight 20+ point blowouts. The thing that hurt the Kings fans the most was lack of effort on both sides of the floor.

They didn't start the season pretty. Brad Miller was suspended the first five games. Francisco Garcia strained his calf in the pre-season. Kevin Martin and John Salmons were inconsistent. Beno Udrih and Bobby Jackson didn't look like they knew how to run the point. Mikki Moore, the starting power forward, grabbed four rebounds on the entire road trip. If you started from their last win from the pre-season, the Kings would be 0-10 since then. The only bright spot on the entire trip was the exciting play of sophomore center Spencer Hawes and rookie power forward Jason Thompson.

Hawes averaged 12.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2 APG and 2.3 BPG on the road trip starting for Miller. He had six blocks against the T'Wolves. Thompson averaged 14.3 PPG, 7 RPG, 2 APG and 0.8 BPG on the road trip, coming off the bench. He earned the respect he deserved be ranked as one of the top rookies early in the season (#3 by ESPN, #5 by NBA). It was a welcome sight during a road trip that has much more to forget than remember.

The Kings started the same way last year. Ron Artest was suspended for the first seven games and the Kings went 0-3 on their first road trip, which included the New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs. During the start of the season, Salmons and Garcia played better than expected and the Kings came home to win a couple of games. So far, it's started the same way.

The Kings came home to win against the Memphis Grizzlies 100-95. They were up by as many as 19 points before rookie guard O.J. Mayo led the team on a 22-8 run to fall short of a comeback. That door was shut when Martin dove to the foor under a pack off Grizzlies' players, tipping the ball to a wide open Salmons for an easy dunk. The Kings got their revenge against the T'Wolves 121-109. K-Mart had an all-around game with 26 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and a block with a sore ankle. Salmons had 23 points, Miller had 11 points, 10 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks, Hawes had 13 points, 8 rebounds and a block and Udrih had 15 points. Six Kings finished in double figures.

Getting Miller back came with a price. Thompson only had 11 minutes and scored 2 points and grabbed 2 rebounds. He was the odd man out despite his great play. The next game, he'd bounce back.

Going against the Warriors, the Kings were tied for 3rd in Pacific Division and 10th place in the West. Coach Reggie Theus has never been within one game of a .500 record. If they won, they could be tied for 8th place in the West. The Kings' accomplished that goal behind Martin's electric play for three quarters, getting the edge over the Grizzlies in the standings and routing the Warriors 117-98. The bad news is that he re-sprained his ankle, but the MRI was negative and he's listed as day-to-day.

The rest of the team did played very well. Hawes and Thompson combined for 21 points and 18 boards. Rookie point guard Bobby Brown had 13 of the bench's 48 points. Miller had 14 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks and the Kings held the Warriors to 17 points in the 3rd quarter and outrebounded them and outscored them in every quarter.

Defense and energy were welcome changes. The Grizzlies' Rudy Gay and the T'Wolves' Al Jefferson and Marc Gasol were non-factors. Gay and Jefferson are the most important players on their respective teams. Shutting down Jefferson and Gasol, two very physical players, was great to see from a team not known for banging down low on defense. Their most physical player on the block is Shelden Williams, who was definitely a help in containing them.

Martin has proved to be a willing passer, which has been a knock on him. He's shown that he has the ability to be an all-around player in a few games this year, but he still needs to work on staying in front of his man. Since the Kings have come home, he's averaged 28.7 PPG on 52.6% shooting, 3 RPG, 3.7 APG. The Kings have scored 111 PPG on the homestand.

Now they have to try to take it on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers and back home against the Detroit Pistons the night before. The Kings went 0-9 on the road before getting their first win. They also struggled against division rival teams. The Warriors and Clippers might not be as much as a problem this year because they just beat the Warriors and the Clippers lost six straight before beating the Dallas Mavericks for thier first home win.

With Dallas and the San Antonio Spurs struggling early in the season, if the Kings keep up the momentum they might be able to surprise a few teams along the way like they did last year. All they have to do is take it one game at a time. By tonight, the Kings could be in 7th place if the Portland Trail Blazers if they lose in Orlando.

Trade Possibilities for Al Harrington

Rumor has it, Harrington wants out of Goledn State. Where to?

There's a report by the Mercury News in San Jose that Al Harrington doesn't want to play under Don Nelson. Just as he was made the last tri-captain of the team.

So, Al doesn't want to play for Nellie anymore? Tough for him because he just signed a 2-year extension with the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs really don't need him anymore. By getting rid of him, sophomore Brandan Wright and rookie Anthony Randolph will have the chance to get more playing time, not to mention more floor time for veteran Ronny Turiaf. Oh, and more cap space.

They have a youth movement at power forward with a veteran which makes Harrington expendable. Harrington, though, is a really tough player to shop. Who wants an undersized power forward that averages 5.4 RPG and 0.2 BPG? He also jacked up 408 three pointers and made only 153 (37.5% shooting, not good). He shot more 3 pointers than he did in both of his stints in Indiana comined (172) and more than what he put up in the previous 2 seasons (193). Many teams are looking to get ready for the magical year of 2010 and some for 2009. Harrington's contract would be over by then and perfect for their plans.

So with over $19 million due to him over the next 2 years if he doesn't opt-out next year, where can he go and who and what can the Warriors get in return?

Chicago Bulls: Packaged with Marcus Williams/C.J. Watson for Kirk Hinrich

Derrick Rose will be the point guard of the future for the Bulls. Ben Gordon wants to start. The Warriors need a point guard. Their depth at that position starts at undrafted rookie DeMarcus Nelson followed by Watson and Williams. Despite a horrible season, the recently benched Hinrich is on another level compared to any point guard the Warriors have.

Gordon can fill in for the departed Hinrich. He can score starting and off the bench. So shipping Hinrich would be no problem, except that they have no point guard to back-up Rose, and injured Larry Hughes is not point guard. Williams or Watson could be packaged with Harrington. Watson or Williams will easily get playing time being the only true point behind Rose. Harrington, on the other hand will battle for time behind starting forwards Luol Deng and Tyrus Thomas. His competition: Andres Nocioni and Joakim Noah.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Rodney Carney, Jason Collins

The T'Wolves are spending over $80 million on their players. They'd love to have him, if they knew that he'd opt-out. Harrington doesn't fit in the rebuilding T'Wolves' plans with Al Jefferson, Kevin Love, Ryan Gomes and Corey Brewer set for significant frontcourt minutes.

Carney and Collins would find their way to the Warriors bench. Carney could possibly find some playing time behind Sthephen Jackson and Corey Maggette, but once Monta Ellis comes back in January, he's done. Collins is injured but could provide size at 7' and 255 pounds. When he comes back he can help against certain teams. Both are free agents next year.

New Jersey Nets: Stromile Swift, Maurice Ager & Cash

Swift turns 29 next month and has no future with the Nets because of the youth movement in the frontcourt with Yi Jianlian, Josh Boone and Sean Williams. Swift is thin for a power forward at 220 pounds, much less a center and his stats have gone down since his first stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. If given minutes, he's shown to put up better numbers, but not much better. He's a good shotblocker with 0.9 BPG in only 14 MPG. So if defense is what the Warriors need off the bench, Swift could just come in and get a block. After this season, he'd be off the books.

Harrington could also fill in as a small forward for this team because he's certainly better than Eduardo Najera. It's a pretty good line-up of veterans and young guys with him, Vince Carter, Williams, Boone and Devin Harris. It's probably not enough to get into the playoffs though. Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Toronto, Washington (in that order I'm predicting) have the 1-7 slots locked up and Indiana and Miami will be competing for the last spot. It might be a good place to land for him for a couple of years. He'll be off the books before the Nets move to Brooklyn, leaving plenty of room for LeBron.

New York Knicks: Malik Rose

The Knicks don't need 33-year-old Rose anymore and really they never did. A straight-up Harrington for Rose trade would work out for both teams. Not only do the Warriors shave off almost $ 2 million immediately, they have over $7 million more after the season when his contract is over. He'd do nothing but sit at the end of the bench. Harrington, on the other hand, has a chance to be part of coach Mike D'Antoni's fast tempo.

Harrington already knows how to play uptempo. Add him to a frontcourt of David Lee and Zach Randolph, he could possibly take Quentin Richardson's spot at small forward. Depending on chemistry, Harrington could help the Knicks.

Sacramento Kings: Mikki Moore, Quincy Douby/Shelden Williams & Cash

The Kings needed a power forward ever since Chris Webber left. The best one they had after him was recently retired Shareef Abdur-Rahim when he played well in 2006. Harrington doesn't do much, but it gives them a bigger body and better overall talent in the paint compared to the 225 pound Moore. On the other hand, Moore's taller, outrebounded Harrington last season and shot better as well (57.7% FG). He has a $2 million buyout option. Douby or Williams would be thrown in to make the trade go through but could bring something to the team if needed.

Douby can play well in an uptempo pace like the Warriors did. After working out with the likes of Baron Davis and Paul Pierce in Las Vegas, he had a great summer league and training camp until an ankle injury marred his pre-season. He can fit well into Nellie's small ball system as an undersized shooting guard. Williams is a wide body back at his playing weight of 250 pounds. Despite his size, he's also accustomed to an uptempo game playing for Coach K at Duke and could give the Warriors size. All players can become free agents.

If Harrington wants to be traded, he could end up anywhere. Anywhere except Indiana that is. He doesn't need a thrid stint with them. But Harrington will be in for a ride wherever he goes.

Trade Possibilities for Jamaal Tinsley

The Indiana Pacers traded for T.J. Ford, sending Tinsley a clear message that he was unwelcome in Indiana. Even with back-up point guard Travis Diener out indfinitely with a foot injury, Tinsley is still chillin' at home in ATL. Progress was being made to send him to Denver but it was denied he was traded there. If the Pacers want to get Tinsley out, they need a point guard in return in case if injury-prone Ford ever gets hurt again. Tinsley isn't the easiest person to shop with his off-court problems. If any team wants him though, the Hawks, Warriors, Hornets, Thunder and Magic could all use Tinsley and give the Pacers who they want.

Atlanta Hawks: Mike Bibby for Tinsley and Rasho Nesterovic

31-year-old Bibby is on the tail end of his career. Two years ago, he was one of the premier point guards in the NBA averaging 21.1 PPG and 5.4 APG for the Kings. After being traded to the Hawks last season, he averaged 14.1 PPG and 6.5 APG and career playoff lows of 10.3 PPG and 3.1 APG.

Atlanta trading for Tinsley would be a better move for them than keeping Bibby. It also saves Tinsley the expense of moving out. Although Bibby outscores him by by 2 PPG, Tinsley is a better defender and distributor. Tinsley also turns 31 this year but is playing better than Bibby. Acie Law might not be ready to take over yet. Flip Murray signed with the Hawks and sparked a run for the playoffs for Indiana and barely missed it, but Tinsley will have a better impact. It also give them a quality point guard for 3 years. Nesterovic is just a trading piece to make the trade go through.

Indiana getting Bibby would give them cap space for next year to give Danny Granger an extension. Plus, you have Bibby backing up T.J. Ford. Bibby can play well with other point guards on the same floor. When Ford is on the floor, Bibby can play shooting guard, just like he did with Bobby Jackson and most recently, Beno Udrih. Good trade for both teams.

Golden State Warriors: Al Harrington and C.J. Watson for Tinsley and Shawne Williams

Golden State could really use a point guard right now with the injury to Monta Ellis. In the lead for the starting spot is C.J. Watson. Those competing for a spot are Marcus Williams, DeMarcus Nelson and recently signed Dan Dickau. Tinsley would be an instant upgrade over all of them. I have a feeling that the Warriors don't want Troy Murphy or Mike Dunleavy back.

Al Harrington's already been through Indiana twice. He averaged 13.6 PPG and 5.4 RPG last year. Getting him would give them a line-up of Murphy, Harrington, Granger, Dunleavy and Ford. Not that bad of a line-up. Harrington has an option to play for one more year and will most likely take it, but they'll be in contention this year. Watson and Travis Diener will contend to back-up Ford.

Tinsley would definitely help the Warriors' point guard troubles, with Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, Ronny Turiaf and Andris Biedrins. The trade would give Turiaf, Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph a chance to start for the Warriors. Williams would be tossed to the side. The loss of Baron Davis is huge, but Tinsley, if he acts right, could keep their hopes alive once Ellis comes back.

New Orleans Hornets: Mike James for Tinsley

If the Hornets have any glaring weaknesses right now, it's their depth at point gurad. They have the game's best point in Chris Paul, but no one to back him up. Jannero Pargo left for Russia and they're summer league star Bobby Brown signed with the Kings. Those minutes could take a toll on Paul at the end of the season, but Tinsley could play well as a back-up and give him time to relax. He only gets 11 minutes rest on average. Tinsley's a better player than James and they could really use his help.

Mike James was put in a position where he can't start, and he hasn't played well as a back-up to Chris Paul and played OK behind Rafer Alston before he was traded from the Houston Rockets. He's 33, but it's shown in the past that James performs better when given minutes. If Ford gets hurt again, James' performs better when he starts. He also has one year left on his contract, so it's a good trade for both parties.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Earl Watson for Tinsley

Russell Westbrook is the Thunder's point guard of the furture, but they can't really look at the playoffs until four years from now. Tinsley could speed up the process, playing next to ROY Durant and Oklahoma favorite Desmond Mason. He's one of the better defensive point guards in the league and can pass that on to Westbrook.

Watson is a very underrated point guard with 10.7 PPG and 6.8 APG with the Seattle Supersonics last season. He would be a very valuable back-up if anything happened to Ford. He's one of the more underrated distributors in the game and could help Indiana make it into the playoffs. Watson, who turns 30 next year, has three years left on his contract, but he is a valuable player to any team.

Orlando Magic: Jameer Nelson for Tinsley

If the Magic want to become championship contenders, they wait for Nelson. If they want to become contenders now, they get Tinsley. Tinsley is also a better defender and distributor than Nelson and could be the difference maker. He'd be a talent boost on a team that doesn't have to worry about anyone moving for a while, except for the fact that Hedo Turkoglu wants to opt-out next year for a pay raise.

Nelson only missed 13 games, but out of the 69 he did play he missed 7 starts. He started in all 77 games he played the year before. His numbers have gone down every season, probably because the emergence of Dwight Howard. Nelson would still be a reliable back-up to T.J. Ford. He's only 26 and averages 10.9 PPG and 5.6 APG.

Any one of these teams could use Tinsley and he could make them better. It's all about if they want to take the risk that comes with him. His stats are at an all-star caliber, and if he gets his act together, he'll be one of the league's best.

Heat, Blazers, T'Wolves Could Sign Livingston

After a what could be a career-ending injury,

can Shaun Livingston work his way back into the NBA?

Former Los Angeles Clippers' point guard Shaun Livingston has narrowed his choice to 3 teams according to Yahoo! Sports. The Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Adrian Wojnarowski, who wrote the exclusive article, spoke to two league sources that said that the Blazers are the "favorites" to sign him after he worked out in Portland. Livngston also had private workouts at Tim Grover’s Attack Athletics facility in Chicago, where Minnesota executives Jim Stack, Fred Hoiberg and coach Randy Wittman observed him.

Livingston suffered what might be a career-ending knee injury in the 2006-07 season, and he hasn't played a game since. Since then, the Clippers renounced his rights and he's been looking for a team.

The 6'7 Livingston has attracted the attention of at least one other team, the Golden State Warriors. They scheduled a workout for Livingston weeks before thier intended starting point guard, Monta Ellis, severely sprained his ankle. Right now, it looks like that the Warriors are not in the running.

The Heat were interested in Livingston earlier in the summer after losing Jason Williams to the Clippers, leaving them with rookie Mario Chalmers, Chris Quinn and Marcus Banks. They're superstar shooting guard, Dwyane Wade, doesn't like to play point guard. It's a good thing too because he's averaged 3.89 turnovers per game his career. Depending on how Livingston plays if he signs with the team, he could be a major upgrade from all three point guards, playing with Wade, #2 overall pick Michael Beasley and Shawn Marion.

The Heat, however, are concerned about his knee and might sign Matt Walsh, according to the Miami Herald.

The Blazers were another team that were possibly looking for a point guard, with rumors saying that they were looking for Chicago Bulls' point guard Kirk Hinrich and the Memphis Grizzlies' Mike Conley. Now the Blazers are considered as the frontrunners for Livingston and it is believed that they want to look at his medical records, according to The Oregonian. The Blazers would be a great spot for Livingston to land if healthy. He could run the floor with the young team of all-star Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge and Travis Outlaw. Livingston is only 23 years old.

They already have a full roster after signing Luke Jackson, but Sergio Rodreguiez is a possibility to cut from the team because he only makes $874 K this season with one year left. He only averaged 2.5 PPG and 1.7 APG.

Last but not least, the Timberwolves. They're a team stacked with guards like Mike Miller, Rashad McCants, Randy Foye and Sebastian Telfair, not to mention young talent in Al Jefferson, Corey Brewer and Kevin Love. The article said the the T'Wolves are "sold on the workout and want to sign him." They have one spot left on their roster and he'll most likely back-up Telfair.

So this week, Livingston could sign with one of these three teams, where his comeback officially begins.

Kings-Blazers in OT Grab Vegas Spotlight Day 5

Kings (2-0) v. Blazers(1-1)

The Kings and the Blazers battled it out in OT, and in the end, Jason Thompson drive to the basket to make the game-winning 3 point play to win the game 75-74, the second game winner in summer league in 5 days of play. Thompson came off the bench for 17 points, 9 rebounds and a block, while Quincy Douby added 24 points and 6 steals. Shelden Williams posted 9 points, 11 boards and 2 blocks and Spencer Hawes had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Jerryd Bayless had 26 points (13-16 FTs) including the tough jumper that sent the game to OT. Bayless also had 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal. Petteri Koponen continued to shine with 18 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists and while Josh Davis had 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. Nicolas Batum had 6 points, 4 rebounds and a block.

I couldn't watch the game, but it was exciting to watch the boxscore update to the end.

Warriors (3-0) v. Bobcats (1-2)

Even with Anthony Randolph taking the day off, the Warriors are the hottest team in Vegas after winning 99-93 and getting a 3-0 record. Marco Belinelli went off for 30 points with 2 rebounds and a steal. C.J. Watson had 23 points, with the help of sinking 13 free throws, while Brandan Wright had 11 points 5 boards and 2 steals for the day. Georgia Tech's Anthony Morrow had 11 points and 3 rebounds off the bench and Louis Amundson had 6 points, 4 rebounds and the team's only 2 blocks.

D.J. Augustin knows how to score it up, but hasn't shown the ability to distribute as a point guard. He scored 30 points and a steal but had no assists and 5 TOs. The bench play wasn't bad for the Bobcats. In fact, they did more work than the other 4 starters alongside Augustin as Kyle Hines finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds and a steal, Marcus Slaughter had 10 points and 3 rebounds in less than 12 minutes and James Mays put up 12 points, 4 rebounds. Orien Greene had 9 points, 2 boards and 2 steals.

Sixers (1-2) v. Lakers (1-2)

Thanks to triple 16s, the Sixers got their first summer league win, 81-73. Rookie Marreese Speights led the team with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. Jason Smith also finished with 16 points, along with 4 rebounds and 2 blocks, while Thaddeus Young had 16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Junior Harrington came off the bench for 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals while Jamont Gordon finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Coby Karl led the Lakers with 18 points, 2 assists and a steal, and got some help from Joe Crawford with 16 points 3 rebounds and a steal. Bryant Dunston had 10 points, 8 rebounds (4 off.) and 2 blocks while Cedric Bozeman finished with 4 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

Bucks (1-1) v. Pistons (2-1)

The Bucks ran away with a win, outscoring the Pistons 23-9 in the 4th quarter, winning 73-59. Ramon Sessions continues to lead his team with 21 points, 6 points and 4 rebounds. Unknown Olumide Oyedeji finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds (4 off.) and a steal while second round pick Luc Mbah a Moute had 7 points, 6 boards, 2 assists and a steal. "Average" Joe Alexander had a better than his average game with 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a block. He hasn't lived up to the expectations around him, but he still has a few more games.

Arron Affalo continues to take charge with the Pistons with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and Will Bynum filled in with 9 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. Deron Washington had 7 points and 4 rebounds off the bench while Walter Sharpe had 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Rodney Stuckey did not play.

Hornets (2-1) v. Spurs (2-1)

Bobby Brown continues to impress playing for the Hornets, leading them to a 76-68 win over the Spurs. Brown had 15 points and 8 assists, while sophomore Julian Wright added 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Hilton Armstrong had 11 points, 4 rebounds and a block and Brandon Bowman had 12 points, 3 rebounds, a steal and a block. Derrick Byars had 8 points, 2 rebounds and a steal off the bench.

The Spurs' James Gist came out with a double double off the bench with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals in the loss. Ian Mahinmi has no signs of slowing his play, finishing with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and a block, and Anthony Tolliver finished with 14 points and 2 rebounds that night. George Hill couldn't score but 3 points, but grabbed 7 rebounds and 4 assists.

Brown, Affalo, Belinelli Highlight Vegas Day 3

Hornets (1-1) v. Bobcats (1-1)

The Hornets' Bobby Brown continues to impress in the summer league. He had 20 points, including the go-ahead with 30 seconds left to edge the Bobcats 77-75. Brown also had 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal. Julian Wright had an all-around game with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks, while Hilton Armstrong posted 14 points and 5 rebounds. He also had an dunked on an alley-oop to tie the game at 75.

Bobcats' point guard D.J. Augustin has shown the ability to score, but hasn't distributed much his first 2 games. He finished with 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 turnovers. Jamereo Davidson played well again putting up 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and a block and Orien Greene had 10 points off the bench.

Pistons (2-0) v. Cippers (1-2)

Arron Affalo starred in the Pistons 75-66 win against the Clippers, hitting 8-10 field goals and all nine free throws for 25 points to go with 4 rebounds. Will Bynum came off the bench for 10 points and center Cheikh Samb had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks. Rodney Stuckey, who was a major role in their first win, posted 8 points, 4 rebounds and a steal. Amir Johnson had 9 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Although they were outrebounded 33-31, 6 Pistions grabbed 4+ rebounds.

The Clippers lost Eric Gordon to a hamstring strain for the rest of summer league and did not play against the Pistons. With him out of the way, DeAndre Jordan took control with 15 points, 10 rebounds and a block. Al Thornton had 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal and Mike Taylor had 13 points, 6 rebounds, a block and 7 turnovers. Fatigue could be a factor working against the Clippers because they played back-to-back-to-back days, playing for 3 straight days.

Warriors (2-0) v. Mavericks (0-2)

This time Marco Belinelli was the star, leading his team with 25 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal en route to a 95-86 win over the Mavs. Anthony Randolph, who scored 30 points in his debut, only had 11 points to go along with 5 boards, 2 assists, a block and a steal. Brandan Wright had 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal while C.J. Watson picked up 14 points, 3 rebounds and 4 steals.

James Singleton starred for the Mavs' in their losing effort, putting up 17 points and 8 rebounds. Teammate Charles Rhodes had 12 points on 4-5 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a block off the bench and highflyer Gerald Green had 15 points, 3 rebounds and a steal.

Lakers (1-1) v. Grizzlies (2-1)

Coby Karl, out of all people, outdueled O.J. Mayo to give the Lakers a 85-76 win. Karl had a game high 16 points to go with 4 boards, 3 assists, a steal and a block. Sharrod Ford had 11 points and 4 rebounds and a block while Cedric Bozeman had 12 points and 4 rebounds. Nik Caner-Medley had 7 points and a game high 8 rebounds, along with a technical foul. Every Laker on the team who played scored.

Ebi Ere had the best game of any of the Grizzlies with 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench. Mayo had 15 points and 2 rebounds but struggled with 6 turnovers while Mike Conley had 11 points and 3 rebounds. Javaris Crittenton had 9 points 4 rebounds and 3 assists and Steve Burtt Jr. scored 8 points in 8 minutes. Every Grizzlies' player on the team who played also scored.

Some players, including Danillo Gallinari, Robin Lopez and Nicolas Batum will make their debut on day 4, stay tuned.

Summer League Recap: Day 1

The big game, Warriors v. Sixers. Warriors' rookie Anthony Randolph went off for 30 points and 8 rebounds in his summer league debut against the Sixers, winning 96-89. Sixers' sophomore forward Thaddeus Young had 27 points and 6 rebounds while rookie teammate Marreese Speights finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds (7 offensive).

Blowout of the night goes to the Clippers ousting the Mavericks 86-69. Clippers' sophomore Al Thornton had 20 points to go with 7 rebounds, while their rookie, Eric Gordon had 21 points on 5-13 shooting. I guess hitting 10-11 free throws would help and 5 of his 7 rebounds were offensive. James Singleton, former Clipper playing for the Mavs, had team highs of 13 points and 7 rebounds. Undrafted Charles Rhodes went for 10 points and 6 rebounds while Gerald Green added 12 points.

O.J. Mayo and Darrell Arthur made their Grizzlies debut in an 88-75 victory over the Hornets. The real star of the game, however, was their teammate P.J. Tucker with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals. Arthur had 18 points on 9-12 shooting and 2 steals, while O.J. Mayo had 15 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 8 turnovers. Let's not forget Mike Conley with 14 points and 6 assists. Hornets' center Hilton Armstrong had 13 points and 9 rebounds while Julian Wright 12 points, 5 boards and 11 turnovers. Bobby Brown out of Oregon also did well with 11 points and 5 assists.

Finally, Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons over the Lakers 84-73. Stuckey, who starred in the playoffs, had 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, while Cheikh Samb had a near double double with 9 points and 9 rebounds. The Lakers' Coby Karl had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists while Sharrod Ford out of Clemson had 10 points and 5 rebounds.

Pretty good day for day 1 in Vegas. More debuts to happen today.

Look Ahead for the Western Conference

Ever since the Pau Gasol trade, the West has been loading up with talent. Shaq goes to PHX, Damon Stoudemire to the Spurs, and before all the trades, Kyle Korver to Utah. It's going to be a fight to the finish for any position in the West. There are 10 teams that are contenders for a playoff spot, but 2 teams are going to be pushed out.

1. New Orleans Hornets have been an incredible team this especially when you consider that they're in the Southwest division. What makes it even more incredible is that it's in a conference loaded with a bunch talent. Chris Paul has been incredible, maximizing the frontline in Tyson Chandler, David West and Peja Stojakovic. Need to go inside? TC or D-West. Can't get a lay-up driving inside? Kick it out to Peja for three. No wonder he averages 10.9 APG. Paul's also had an MVP caliber season to go along with the Hornets' amazing season so far. If they keep up the pace that they're on, they're definitely title contenders for this year.


2. Phoenix Suns (37-16) Even though they still have one of the best records in the NBA, a lot of people think that the Suns are worse than before. Maybe that's why they made the move to get Shaq in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. The trade gave them the much needed size that they needed since they lost Kurt Thomas, but it's still in question if Shaq can hang with the run-n-gun style of the Suns. Word is that they're not done trading yet. The Suns have missed opportunities to get to the Finals for the past 3 years and time is running out for them. Still, 2 time MVP Steve Nash still has the drive to lead the new look Suns to a championship.


3. Los Angeles Lakers (35-17) Six months ago, many people thought Kobe Bryant was on his way out of L.A. With the rise of Andrew Bynum they've been labled as contenders. Then they go get Pau Gasol and get rid of Kwame Brown. Now they're labled as the best in the west. Bynum's got a few weeks to go until he gets back on the court since injuring his knee, and Kobe just injured his pinky finger and said no to surgery. If Kobe can't perform the way he usualy does while he's injured, as tough as the West is, a bad run can drop the Lakers to a 7 or 8 seed, or even drop out of the race. If Kobe doesn't perform as well, Gasol and Lamar Odom will have to step up their game to stay in the race for at least homecourt advantage. But we've all seen Kobe.


4. Utah Jazz (34-19) The Jazz are back on track to repeating where they finished last year. Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer have proven to be one of the toughest duos to match up against in the league, averaging 40.8 PPG. Williams has become an excellent playmaker with 9.7 APG while Boozer has been a 20-10 machine. AK-47's been a stat stuffer, Ronnie Brewer's stepped up his game and with the addition of Kyle Korver, the Jazz get a much needed shooter that could help them still be contenders.
   
5. San Antonio Spurs (34-17) The NBA Champions are still in the mix. Tim Duncan has led the Spurs to 4 championships in 9 years but it looked like they were taking a tumble after losing point guard Tony Parker. Many thought that age would finally catch up to the oldest team in the NBA. When Jacque Vaughn didn't look like enough, they turned to newly signed Damon Stoudmire, where they gained control during their annual rodeo trip. Now they look to do what the Spurs haven't done before, win back-to-back championships.
   
6. Dallas Mavericks (35-18) The Mavs have had what has been the best 2 year run in the franchise's history, but at the same time the most disappointing run. They went up 2-0 to the 2005 Finals only to lose 4 straight. They clinched the first seed in the West last year and Dirk Nowitzki got the MVP, only to get booted out the first round by the Golden State Warriors. Now they look to even up with the top teams by trying to acquire Jason Kidd, only to be blocked by Deavean George. They're still working on the trade but if the Mavs don't get the trade through, it could cause problems with the team's chemistry and emotionally hurt them in the second half of the season. It can hurt the players involved with that trade the most.


7. Golden State Warriors (32-20) The Warriors barely made it in last year. This year, they've been in the playoff picture since they hit the .500 mark after starting 1-6. The Yard's own Baron Davis has helped lead this team to where they are dishing out 8.1 APG, Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson are lighting it up from 3 point land, Monta Ellis' stepping up his game. One bad run for this team can cost them the playoffs, but since getting back Captain Jack, that doesn't seem likely. Hopefully Chris Webber will help give the Warriors the size they were looking for.
   
8. Denver Nuggets (32-30) They're right in the mix for leading the Northwest division, fighting with Utah and Portland. As competitive as the West is, they could get knocked out. With a strong line-up Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin, they're too strong not to make the playoffs. Melo has made it public that he would like to add to the team by trading for the Kings' forward Ron Artest, which will be a major boost in defensive. Seemingly the organization is willing to part with Eduardo Najera, not the up and coming Linas Kleiza. The Kings aren't interested in acquiring just Eduardo Najera with a draft pick or recent cancer survivor Nene. Either the Artest for Kleiza-Najera, Artest for Kleiza-draft pick or Artest for Nene goes through, or they'll go with what they have, which is still pretty good.
   
9. Houston Rockets (32-20) The Rockets were struggling in the first half of the season with Tracy McGrady injuring himself early, Yao Ming had to help carry the Rockets. During a good run that they had earlier, some were starting to think that the Rockets were better without T-Mac. This was during the time that he wanted to be traded from the team. Luther Head stepped in and had some good games to fill in for T-Mac. But now that McGrady is back, they've won 10 of 11 games to be tied for 7th place and they look better than ever. With Head injured, the team is still doing great and is looking to get even better keeping everyone healthy.
   
10. Portland Trailblazers (28-24) The Blazers were the feel good story of the NBA. Once the hottest team in the league, they won 13 straight games after losing 9 out of 10. Brandon Roy emerged as their leader, LaMarcus Aldridge became a threat, the whole team just performed well with their unbelievable chemistry on and off the court. Since their miracle run, the youngest team in the league cooled back down, losing 4 straght games, going to 4 games over .500 and 4 games out of the playoffs. They're not counted out of the playoffs and definitely not counted out as title contenders in the future, espcially with Greg Oden coming in.
    
11. Sacramento Kings (23-28) Looks like it's time to call it a season, because Mike Bibby just got traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Lorenzen Wright and Shelden Williams (all but Williams have expiring contracts). It seemed like a bad season from the start for them. Bibby was hurt for over 35 games, Ron Artest was suspended the first 7 games and injured later, and leading scorer Kevin Martin (23.9 PPG) was injured, it all seemed hopeless. Throw in John Salmons and Beno Udrih's breakout year, 3 Francisco Garcia game winning 3 pointers, and throw in beating divisional leaders 7 times, and they have hope for next year. Looking to finish over .500 for the year under new coach Reggie Theus and having over $1 million in cap space for a big free agent, they look to start fresh. And Artest wanting a trade, he's backed off of it.
    
12. Los Angeles Clippers (17-33) After surprisingly starting out a red hot 4-0, they went on to win only 13 more games. Everyone knew that it was going to be a horrible season without Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston. That gave Chris Kaman the opportunity to become a great center in the NBA. With Brand and Livingston due back, the Clippers look to get back on track for next year, hopefully getting back on track to becoming playoff contenders, shaping back into the form they were 2 years ago. Hopefully, both players will play the same way did before their injuries.
    
13. Memphis Grizzlies (14-38) There's not much to say about the Grizzlies now. After letting Pau Gasol and a 2010 2nd round draft pick go to the Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, brother Marc Gasol and 1st round picks in 2008 and 2010, Memphis is looking to rebuild for the future. Mike Miller may be on his way out too and they bought out Damon Stoudemire. Rudy Gay and Mike Conley are the 2 essential pieces for their future. Gay could be a potential superstar with the way he's performing. He's one of the league's best dunkers and has a great jump shot. To think he's still developing. Who know's, Darko Milicic might be a defensive key with the way he's blocking shots.
    
14. Seattle Supersonics (13-38) The Sonics are right around where they're expected to be. Kevin Durant has been one of the leading canidates for Rookie of the Year. The line-up has shaken up a little bit. Luke Ridnour lost his starting point guard job to Earl Watson, Damien Wilkins earned the small forward spot then lost it to rookie Jeff Green and Robert Swift was marred by injuries again after expecting to start this season (I know, he told me). Add this bad season with a franchise record 14-game losing streak with the controversy of moving out of Seattle, it's a year to forget, except for the fact they got the number one rookie in the draft. It's a rebuilding year, and they look to develop all the young players that they have, and players like Swift and Delonte West might not come back next year.


15. Minnesota Timberwolves (10-41) It was a dead on predicition that Minnesota would be one of the top lottery teams this year. Seven players have expiring contracts, including point guard Sesbastian Telfair, one of their best players. Obviously after trading Kevin Garnett away, this team was in rebuilding mode. Signing star power forward Al Jefferson to an extension gave the team a centerpiece to work with for the next few years. Rashad McCants has put up good numbers. They brought in some experience too by trading for Antoine Walker, while getting rid of Mark Blount and his big contract. In 10 wins so far they've beaten the Suns twice. Before going on their current 5 game losing streak, the team showed signs of development by getting two 2-game winning streaks, winning 5 out of 7 games. They've got a lot of work ahead of them, but under Jefferson, this team has a future to look ahead too.

It's going to be a wild finish for the Western Conference. Many teams have performed well throughout the season but only 8 can make it to the playoffs. There might even be an upset.