Returning Meralco's baptism of fire takes place on opening day of the Philippine Basketball Association's (PBA) 36th season.

The Bolts go head on against no less than the league's most popular ball club in the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the lone opener ushering the 2010-2011 playing calendar on October 3 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The game will see Ryan Gregorio handling a team outside of Purefoods and B-Meg Derby Ace for the first time in a decade and MacMac Cardona suiting up for his first PBA team in the last five years other than Talk ‘N Text.

"The coming season will be going to be a very exciting one," said league chairman Rene Pardo when he appeared in Tuesday's PSA Forum together with outgoing commissioner Sonny Barrios.

"We want the people to have an initial glimpse of the new team coming in, which is Meralco. And the perfect way for it is to pit them against the league's crowd drawer, Barangay Ginebra."

The Bolts-Kings tussle caps an opening day ceremony which Pardo referred to as going to be "very nice, and very high-tech."

The entry of Meralco, which took over the Sta. Lucia franchise, is just one of the reasons why Pardo is confident of achieving another banner year, coming in the heels of the success generated during the recently concluded 35th season.

Reverting back to the old reliable three-conference format, a fresh crop of talents, and the other usual activities of the league in and out of the court had Pardo beaming with pride that it can surpass whatever gains made last season.

Unfortunately, however, Barrios will no longer be around by that time as he's set to be succeeded by Atty. Chito Salud once the PBA Board of Governors held its annual planning session in Hong Kong next week.

"We're all very enthusiastic about the coming season, although I would have become a PBA fan like you by that time," said Barrios as he formally announced his decision to step down in the weekly session.

"But it was a very rewarding and very fulfilling stint for me. And I thank the Board of Governors for giving me that chance to serve as commissioner. In my three years, including my stint as OIC (Officer In-Charge), we've overcome controversies. We have been lucky to form the Philippine team during my term, which was an entirely different experience for me as a commissioner," added Barrios, who, nonetheless, was offered by Pardo to act as adviser to the league he has served for 21 years.

Both Barrios and Pardo proudly revealed the league earned P37 million in gross gate receipts for the Fiesta Cup alone, which Alaska won over San Miguel in six games.

For the entire season, the commissioner said total gross gate receipts from both Manila and provincial games earned P75.3 million, an increase of 6.6 percent from last year which earned P70.7 million.

"Based on those figures alone, we really exceeded our target this season," Barrios added.

And the likelihood of even surpassing the numbers is quite attractive considering that the league decided to adopt again its three conference format.

"We definitely hope that it will be different this season," said Pardo, also B-Meg Derby Ace's representative to the PBA Board. "Holding three conferences may be going over our budget, but then again, what we noticed is that the crowd usually comes in during the playoffs. So that means, you will have three playoffs in one season alone, meaning you'll be able to bring in more crowd and sponsors."

Pardo added the Philippine Cup remains as the first official offering of the league for the season, followed by the import-laden Fiesta Cup, and then another import-spiced conference which the PBA has yet to be named.

"The rules about the last conference are not yet final, we're still discussing it. Although there are suggestions to make it a handicapping conference based on the results of the first two conferences," Pardo said.

The 2010-2011 playing calendar officially begins on Sunday when the PBA holds its annual Rookie Draft at the Market! Market! Place in Taguig.

There will also be the formal launching of the Powerade Tigers team (formerly Coca-Cola) and the Meralco Bolts squad, the 25th anniversary celebration of the Alaska Milk franchise, the NBA Asia Challenge at the Araneta Coliseum, the Gawad Kalinga outreach program and even a fashion show involving PBA players and the Bb. Pilipinas titleholders.

"It's actually going to be a very busy season for the PBA," said Pardo.

 

source: gmanews.tv

Midseason Trades Really That Beneficial?

Every February NBA fans become consumed with potential trades their favorite teams might be able to pull-off. All it takes is just a quick glance at one of the chats here at HOOPSWORLD to understand just how pervasive this phenomenon is. While it's fun to ponder trades, it's seems as though most in-season trades don't translate into appreciably more playoff success.

This season fans and media members alike were raving about the trade the Dallas Mavericks made for Brendan Haywood and Caron Butler. The Mavs' new roster led to a solid regular season surge, but when all was said they didn't even advance in the playoffs as far as they did the previous season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are another team that made a major move acquiring Antawn Jamison from the Washington Wizards. In theory, his skill-set fits in well with Cleveland's pick-and-pop game. However, in practice, Jamison never really got his feet underneath him. One could make an argument the Cavs would have been better served to stay the course since they already had the best record in the league at the time of the trade.

It's interesting to look at the four teams still alive in the NBA Playoffs. Not one of these teams made a major move. In fact, the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns didn't make a single trade prior to the deadline. The Boston Celtics made one minor move for Nate Robinson, a player who has played sparingly for the C's in the postseason.

The Suns are perhaps the most interesting case study. The team was strongly considering trading Amar'e Stoudemire. If they had, there's virtually no doubt the Suns wouldn't be where they are right now. Compare that to the trade they made back in February of 2008 for Shaquille O'Neal. It could be argued that trade was the beginning of the end for a Suns that was so close to building a championship team under Mike D'Antoni.

It's interesting to hear fans in Cleveland discuss how things might have been different if the team had acquired Stoudemire. This is the same kind of short-sighted thinking that landed Jamison on the roster. Without a point guard like Nash, Stoudemire likely would have been lost in Cleveland. He would have been stuck in an offense with far less movement and with unfamiliar teammates.

As noted with regard to the Shaq to Phoenix trade two seasons ago, this idea of a major trade right before the deadline failing to catapult a team to the next level is not a new one. How many trips back to the Finals have the Mavs made since sending Devin Harris to the Nets for Jason Kidd back in 2008? How much better were the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs after acquiring Allen Iverson late in 2007?

The obvious exception was the Pau Gasol trade in January of 2008. This was a mid-season trade that eventually put the Lakers over the top a season later, but that kind of highway robbery is hard to commit on a routine basis.

Some might point to the trades that sent Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to the Celtics, but remember, those trades happened during the offseason. Offseason trades give a team ample practice time to truly integrate new players into their respective systems.

Others might point to the trade that sent Chauncey Billups to Denver in the 2008-09 season that pushed the Nuggets from the first round to the Western Conference Finals. Thing is, that trade happened in the first week of the season. If you look at Denver's record, they actually played mediocre basketball for the first few weeks with Billups on the roster. By acquiring Billups so early in the season, though, Denver had more than enough practice time to get him acclimated to his teammates and work out the kinks in the system.

Fact is, most mid-season blockbusters don't pan out. Still, this won't stop fans from shouting from the highest mountain top next February that every team in the league should make a move. It also won't stop GMs from trying to win the press conference. Change always seems better initially because the inevitable flaws haven't had a chance to be exposed yet.

We miss the point in the media, too. Next February readers will be inundated with pieces "grading" the trades. Chances are most writers and talking heads gave both the Mavericks and the Cavaliers high marks for the trades they made three months ago. Wonder if they would receive those same grades today? That's like assigning a student a grade at the beginning of a semester before they've had a chance to demonstrate how much they know as a result of their performance on various assessments.

Even so, expect this same process where fans, media members and even GMs get mesmerized by the potential of shiny new toys on other rosters to play out again next February. In the end, though, the true contenders will likely be making the necessary changes, if there are any to be made, this summer.

Team Conquers The Individual

While seemingly the entire basketball viewing audience -- including ABC's broadcast team -- was focused on LeBron James on Thursday night, they missed a great performance by the Boston Celtics. Hearing Celtics head coach Doc Rivers talk about teamwork in a timeout huddle was nothing new. However, watching Boston actually execute as a team was a joy to watch.

On offense Boston moved the ball in such a way that basketball purists across the country were left with giddy smiles plastered to their faces. The ball moved from strong-side to weak, from inside to out. It was truly a team effort. There's no doubt Rajon Rondo made the offense go. Within his unorthodox style he has now found a near perfect balance between attacking in transition and running the team's half-court offense.

Contrast that to what we saw from the Cleveland Cavaliers. I noted in this very space back in January that the way Cleveland ran its offense was a recipe for a good regular season but not a championship. This was never more evident than in the team's series with the Celtics. Whenever things started to go south, the Cavaliers simply stood around the perimeter and waited for James to try and make something happen. It was disjointed and not aesthetically pleasing to watch.

It's easy to place the blame on head coach Mike Brown for this, and he very well might be the guy most deserving of it. Sometimes players are so physically talented that they actually unconsciously force the team into developing some habits that aren't conducive to championship-level success. That's where having a tried and true offensive system is so important. It didn't appear that was the case this season for Cleveland.

While offense is what makes headlines, the Celtics' defense is what won the series. Boston's help defense is among the best in the league. They know when and how to tilt the floor, and this was made even easier as a result of Cleveland's predictable and repetitive offensive approach.

LeBron was the sexy story in this series, especially after the Cavs began imploding. Talk of his free agency draws eyeballs and spurs conversation. Truth is, though, the Celtics are the real story. This is a team once again playing championship level basketball.

Celtics The Toughest Potential Opponent For Lakers?

The Los Angeles Lakers are the best team in the NBA. I've said it all season, much to the chagrin of fans in Cleveland. As it turns out, we already know the Lakers will go further than the Cavs. While the Phoenix Suns are much improved, the smart money says the Lakers will represent the West in The Finals. That's where things will start to get interesting.

As we've known now for years, the NBA Playoffs are all about match-ups. While people in Orlando won't want to read this, the Magic don't match-up well with the Lakers. If the two teams were to meet in The Finals again this season Orlando would likely be more competitive, but the Lakers will still have the advantage. L.A.'s ability to play three seven-footers at their natural positions will wear on a Magic team that prefers to play smaller lineups.

The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, would be a very intriguing opponent for the Lakers. Not only do the Celtics have a little bit of a mental edge after beating the Lakers in The Finals back in 2008, but they also counter the Lakers very nicely in terms of personnel at key positions.

The Celtics' interior defense and rebounding with Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett has the opportunity to bully the Lakers' frontline. Pau Gasol is a finesse player and that was exposed back in 2008 against Boston. The Lakers would obviously be hoping that Andrew Bynum would step up and be the physical presence the team needs, but that's certainly not something he's done on a consistent basis throughout the course of his career.

It's amazing how much better this Celtics team looks now as compared to how they looked just three short months ago. This group looks eerily familiar to the one that won a championship two seasons ago.

Simply put, that's bad news for the Lakers.

A couple of months ago it would have seemed crazy to even give credence to the notion that Boston might be able to beat the Lakers in The Finals. But after watching Boston undress the Cavaliers, a team that beat the Lakers in both regular season meetings, Boston would seem to be the largest potential obstacle standing between the Lakers and another NBA title.

Tony Parker Demonstrates How To Squash Media Speculation

It's always funny to hear players get frustrated by the near constant free agent speculation. It finally happened this season with LeBron James. After a year of discussing his future, saying he was looking forward to free agency and wearing New York Yankees caps at press conferences in New York City, James finally had enough and said he no longer wanted to talk about free agency.

a repost from: hoops world

Midseason Trades Really That Beneficial?

Every February NBA fans become consumed with potential trades their favorite teams might be able to pull-off. All it takes is just a quick glance at one of the chats here at HOOPSWORLD to understand just how pervasive this phenomenon is. While it's fun to ponder trades, it's seems as though most in-season trades don't translate into appreciably more playoff success.

This season fans and media members alike were raving about the trade the Dallas Mavericks made for Brendan Haywood and Caron Butler. The Mavs' new roster led to a solid regular season surge, but when all was said they didn't even advance in the playoffs as far as they did the previous season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are another team that made a major move acquiring Antawn Jamison from the Washington Wizards. In theory, his skill-set fits in well with Cleveland's pick-and-pop game. However, in practice, Jamison never really got his feet underneath him. One could make an argument the Cavs would have been better served to stay the course since they already had the best record in the league at the time of the trade.

It's interesting to look at the four teams still alive in the NBA Playoffs. Not one of these teams made a major move. In fact, the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns didn't make a single trade prior to the deadline. The Boston Celtics made one minor move for Nate Robinson, a player who has played sparingly for the C's in the postseason.

The Suns are perhaps the most interesting case study. The team was strongly considering trading Amar'e Stoudemire. If they had, there's virtually no doubt the Suns wouldn't be where they are right now. Compare that to the trade they made back in February of 2008 for Shaquille O'Neal. It could be argued that trade was the beginning of the end for a Suns that was so close to building a championship team under Mike D'Antoni.

It's interesting to hear fans in Cleveland discuss how things might have been different if the team had acquired Stoudemire. This is the same kind of short-sighted thinking that landed Jamison on the roster. Without a point guard like Nash, Stoudemire likely would have been lost in Cleveland. He would have been stuck in an offense with far less movement and with unfamiliar teammates.

As noted with regard to the Shaq to Phoenix trade two seasons ago, this idea of a major trade right before the deadline failing to catapult a team to the next level is not a new one. How many trips back to the Finals have the Mavs made since sending Devin Harris to the Nets for Jason Kidd back in 2008? How much better were the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs after acquiring Allen Iverson late in 2007?

The obvious exception was the Pau Gasol trade in January of 2008. This was a mid-season trade that eventually put the Lakers over the top a season later, but that kind of highway robbery is hard to commit on a routine basis.

Some might point to the trades that sent Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to the Celtics, but remember, those trades happened during the offseason. Offseason trades give a team ample practice time to truly integrate new players into their respective systems.

Others might point to the trade that sent Chauncey Billups to Denver in the 2008-09 season that pushed the Nuggets from the first round to the Western Conference Finals. Thing is, that trade happened in the first week of the season. If you look at Denver's record, they actually played mediocre basketball for the first few weeks with Billups on the roster. By acquiring Billups so early in the season, though, Denver had more than enough practice time to get him acclimated to his teammates and work out the kinks in the system.

Fact is, most mid-season blockbusters don't pan out. Still, this won't stop fans from shouting from the highest mountain top next February that every team in the league should make a move. It also won't stop GMs from trying to win the press conference. Change always seems better initially because the inevitable flaws haven't had a chance to be exposed yet.

We miss the point in the media, too. Next February readers will be inundated with pieces "grading" the trades. Chances are most writers and talking heads gave both the Mavericks and the Cavaliers high marks for the trades they made three months ago. Wonder if they would receive those same grades today? That's like assigning a student a grade at the beginning of a semester before they've had a chance to demonstrate how much they know as a result of their performance on various assessments.

Even so, expect this same process where fans, media members and even GMs get mesmerized by the potential of shiny new toys on other rosters to play out again next February. In the end, though, the true contenders will likely be making the necessary changes, if there are any to be made, this summer.

Team Conquers The Individual

While seemingly the entire basketball viewing audience -- including ABC's broadcast team -- was focused on LeBron James on Thursday night, they missed a great performance by the Boston Celtics. Hearing Celtics head coach Doc Rivers talk about teamwork in a timeout huddle was nothing new. However, watching Boston actually execute as a team was a joy to watch.

On offense Boston moved the ball in such a way that basketball purists across the country were left with giddy smiles plastered to their faces. The ball moved from strong-side to weak, from inside to out. It was truly a team effort. There's no doubt Rajon Rondo made the offense go. Within his unorthodox style he has now found a near perfect balance between attacking in transition and running the team's half-court offense.

Contrast that to what we saw from the Cleveland Cavaliers. I noted in this very space back in January that the way Cleveland ran its offense was a recipe for a good regular season but not a championship. This was never more evident than in the team's series with the Celtics. Whenever things started to go south, the Cavaliers simply stood around the perimeter and waited for James to try and make something happen. It was disjointed and not aesthetically pleasing to watch.

It's easy to place the blame on head coach Mike Brown for this, and he very well might be the guy most deserving of it. Sometimes players are so physically talented that they actually unconsciously force the team into developing some habits that aren't conducive to championship-level success. That's where having a tried and true offensive system is so important. It didn't appear that was the case this season for Cleveland.

While offense is what makes headlines, the Celtics' defense is what won the series. Boston's help defense is among the best in the league. They know when and how to tilt the floor, and this was made even easier as a result of Cleveland's predictable and repetitive offensive approach.

LeBron was the sexy story in this series, especially after the Cavs began imploding. Talk of his free agency draws eyeballs and spurs conversation. Truth is, though, the Celtics are the real story. This is a team once again playing championship level basketball.

Celtics The Toughest Potential Opponent For Lakers?

The Los Angeles Lakers are the best team in the NBA. I've said it all season, much to the chagrin of fans in Cleveland. As it turns out, we already know the Lakers will go further than the Cavs. While the Phoenix Suns are much improved, the smart money says the Lakers will represent the West in The Finals. That's where things will start to get interesting.

As we've known now for years, the NBA Playoffs are all about match-ups. While people in Orlando won't want to read this, the Magic don't match-up well with the Lakers. If the two teams were to meet in The Finals again this season Orlando would likely be more competitive, but the Lakers will still have the advantage. L.A.'s ability to play three seven-footers at their natural positions will wear on a Magic team that prefers to play smaller lineups.

The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, would be a very intriguing opponent for the Lakers. Not only do the Celtics have a little bit of a mental edge after beating the Lakers in The Finals back in 2008, but they also counter the Lakers very nicely in terms of personnel at key positions.

The Celtics' interior defense and rebounding with Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett has the opportunity to bully the Lakers' frontline. Pau Gasol is a finesse player and that was exposed back in 2008 against Boston. The Lakers would obviously be hoping that Andrew Bynum would step up and be the physical presence the team needs, but that's certainly not something he's done on a consistent basis throughout the course of his career.

It's amazing how much better this Celtics team looks now as compared to how they looked just three short months ago. This group looks eerily familiar to the one that won a championship two seasons ago.

Simply put, that's bad news for the Lakers.

A couple of months ago it would have seemed crazy to even give credence to the notion that Boston might be able to beat the Lakers in The Finals. But after watching Boston undress the Cavaliers, a team that beat the Lakers in both regular season meetings, Boston would seem to be the largest potential obstacle standing between the Lakers and another NBA title.

Tony Parker Demonstrates How To Squash Media Speculation

It's always funny to hear players get frustrated by the near constant free agent speculation. It finally happened this season with LeBron James. After a year of discussing his future, saying he was looking forward to free agency and wearing New York Yankees caps at press conferences in New York City, James finally had enough and said he no longer wanted to talk about free agency.

10. James White
9. Shaquille O'Neal
8. Josh Smith
7.Amar'e Stoudemire
6.Andre Iguodala
5. LeBron James
4. Jason Maxiell
3. Jason Richardson
2. Dwight Howard
1. Vince Carter


Catch the best dunks here:

DAILY NBA STAT LEADERS
For Games Played on Wed, Apr. 21

POINTS:
1. J. Terry DAL 27 pts
1. S. Jackson CHA 27 pts
3. T. Duncan SA 25 pts
4. D. Nowitzki DAL 24 pts
5. M. Ginobili SA 23 pts

REBOUNDS:
1. T. Duncan SA 17 rebs
2. D. Nowitzki DAL 10 rebs
3. D. Howard ORL 9 rebs
3. A. McDyess SA 9 rebs
5. B. Haywood DAL 8 rebs

ASSISTS:
1. T. Parker SA 8 asts
1. J. Kidd DAL 8 asts
3. J. Nelson ORL 5 asts
4. B. Diaw CHA 4 asts
(4 others tied for 4th)

STEALS:
1. J. Nelson ORL 3 stls
2. D. Howard ORL 2 stls
2. G. Hill SA 2 stls
2. C. Butler DAL 2 stls
(5 others tied for 2nd)

BLOCKS:
1. G. Wallace CHA 4 blks
2. D. Howard ORL 2 blks
2. C. Butler DAL 2 blks
2. B. Haywood DAL 2 blks
(6 others tied for 5th)

Read more: http://www.insidehoops.com/leaders.shtml#ixzz0lxcJsuyU

Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978(1978-08-23)) is an American shooting guard who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career and made instant headlines when he decided to go directly into the NBA upon graduation. He was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant and then-teammate Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. After O'Neal's departure following the 2003–04 season, Bryant became the cornerstone of the Lakers franchise. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. In 2006, Bryant scored a career high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second highest number of points scored in a single game in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point performance.

* Born: 23 August 1978
* Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Best Known As: Superstar guard of the Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 and became part of a celebrated one-two punch with center Shaquille O'Neal. The pair led the Lakers to NBA championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Bryant was an NBA prodigy, jumping straight from high school to the pros. (He was drafted in 1996 by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Lakers for center Vlade Divac.) Bryant's charisma and flashy talent led some to compare him with former NBA superstar Michael Jordan. In July 2003 Bryant was charged with sexual assault after an encounter with a 19-year-old resort employee in Colorado; Bryant insisted that his relationship with the woman was consensual. The case was eventually dismissed and Bryant settled a civil suit with the woman out of court. Bryant continued to play with the Lakers, and on 22 January 2006 scored 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors. It was the second highest-scoring individual performance in NBA history, trailing only the 100 points scored by Wilt Chamberlain on 2 March 1962.

DENVER (AP)—With Utah running out of big bodies, Deron Williams(notes) carried an even bigger load in leading the Jazz to a 114-111 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in Game 2 of their Western Conference playoffs.

Williams had 33 points and 14 assists and Carlos Boozer(notes) added 20 points and 14 rebounds as the injury-riddled Jazz tied the series at a win each with the series shifting to Salt Lake City for Game 3 on Friday night.

Chauncey Billups’(notes) 3-point attempt from the top of the key in the closing seconds hit off the back iron and the Nuggets walked dejectedly off the court.

Williams and Kyle Korver(notes) made two free throws each in the final 11 seconds to hold off the Nuggets, who had overcome a 14-point third-quarter deficit to take a 102-98 lead with 4 1/2 minutes left.

credits from:yahoo.com

2009-2010 Conference Regular Season Standings Eastern Conference
Eastern	W	L	PCT	GB	CONF	DIV	HOME	ROAD	L 10	STREAK
Cleveland1e	61	21	0.744	0.0	38-14	12-4	35-6	26-15	4-6	L 4
Orlando2se	59	23	0.720	2.0	39-13	10-6	34-7	25-16	9-1	W 6
Atlanta3x	53	29	0.646	8.0	32-20	8-8	34-7	19-22	7-3	W 4
Boston4a	50	32	0.610	11.0	33-19	13-3	24-17	26-15	3-7	L 2
Miami5x	47	35	0.573	14.0	32-20	9-7	24-17	23-18	9-1	W 3
Milwaukee6x	46	36	0.561	15.0	31-21	10-6	28-13	18-23	6-4	W 1
Charlotte7x	44	38	0.537	17.0	27-25	10-6	31-10	13-28	6-4	L 1
Chicago8x	41	41	0.500	20.0	28-24	10-6	24-17	17-24	7-3	W 3
Torontoo	40	42	0.488	21.0	29-23	11-5	25-16	15-26	5-5	W 2
Indianao	32	50	0.390	29.0	23-29	6-10	23-18	9-32	6-4	L 2
New Yorko	29	53	0.354	32.0	20-32	6-10	18-23	11-30	3-7	L 1
Detroito	27	55	0.329	34.0	18-34	2-14	17-24	10-31	4-6	W 1
Philadelphiao	27	55	0.329	34.0	14-38	7-9	12-29	15-26	2-8	L 2
Washingtono	26	56	0.317	35.0	18-34	3-13	15-26	11-30	5-5	W 1
New Jerseyo	12	70	0.146	49.0	8-44	3-13	8-33	4-37	3-7	L 3
Western Conference
Western	W	L	PCT	GB	CONF	DIV	HOME	ROAD	L 10	STREAK
L.A. Lakers1w	57	25	0.695	0.0	35-17	13-3	34-7	23-18	4-6	L 1
Dallas2sw	55	27	0.671	2.0	33-19	10-6	28-13	27-14	8-2	W 5
Phoenix3x	54	28	0.659	3.0	35-17	12-4	32-9	22-19	8-2	W 3
Denver4nw	53	29	0.646	4.0	34-18	12-4	34-7	19-22	6-4	L 1
Utah5x	53	29	0.646	4.0	31-21	8-8	32-9	21-20	6-4	L 1
Portland6x	50	32	0.610	7.0	33-19	8-8	26-15	24-17	7-3	L 1
San Antonio7x	50	32	0.610	7.0	31-21	9-7	29-12	21-20	6-4	L 1
Oklahoma City8x	50	32	0.610	7.0	28-24	9-7	27-14	23-18	6-4	W 1
Houstono	42	40	0.512	15.0	28-24	9-7	23-18	19-22	6-4	L 1
Memphiso	40	42	0.488	17.0	22-30	5-11	23-18	17-24	2-8	L 3
New Orleanso	37	45	0.451	20.0	26-26	7-9	24-17	13-28	3-7	W 2
L.A. Clipperso	29	53	0.354	28.0	15-37	5-11	21-20	8-33	2-8	W 1
Golden Stateo	26	56	0.317	31.0	15-37	5-11	18-23	8-33	6-4	W 1
Sacramentoo	25	57	0.305	32.0	16-36	5-11	18-23	7-34	1-9	L 3
Minnesotao	15	67	0.183	42.0	8-44	3-13	10-31	5-36	1-9	L 7

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The Memphis Grizzlies recalled rookie center Hasheem Thabeet from the Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League on Monday after less than two weeks in the minors.

The 7-foot-3 Thabeet was sent to the D-league on Feb. 25. He averaged 13.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.17 blocks in six games with Dakota.

"I was on the bench for a long time," Thabeet said of his lack of playing time before being sent to Dakota. "I got to go out there and play big minutes (with the Wizards), try to work on the stuff the coaches wanted me to do -- rebound the ball, block shots, and be able to score when you get the ball. To stay active overall. I was successful doing that."

Thabeet, the second overall pick last year out of Connecticut, had averaged 2.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 50 games for the Grizzlies.

The 23-year-old is the highest drafted player to play in the NBA's minor league. The purpose was to give him minutes, provide competition and build his confidence. He did not play in three of Memphis' five games before being sent to Dakota, and had not played more than 10 minutes since seeing 14 minutes of action on Feb. 5 against Houston.

"They gave me a reason why I was going up there," Thabeet said, "so it wasn't as tough as a lot of people were expecting. They explained to me why I was going there, and I was OK with it."

With the Wizards, he started four of six games and had a career-high 19 points Feb. 28 at Fort Wayne and a personal-best 18 rebounds March 5 at Tulsa. The Wizards were 5-1 during his stay.

"He went down and played well," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "He was a huge factor for them. The one game he fouled out, they lost in the end. They're not 5-1, if he's not blocking shots and rebounding the way he was, and even scoring."

The Wizards' schedule contributed to Thabeet's return. Dakota doesn't play again until Sunday.

"That would have been a week for him to do nothing," Hollins said. "It didn't serve any purpose with him not being able to play."

CLEVELAND (AP) -- LeBron James insists he's "good." The Cleveland Cavaliers don't want their superstar to play again until he's great.

James sat out his second consecutive game on Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs to rest a tender right ankle he twisted on Friday against Detroit. He missed Saturday's game in Milwaukee and the Cavs, who don't play again until Friday, are being extra cautious.

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said in addition to having a bum ankle, James has some soreness in his back. However, it's nothing he couldn't play through, Brown said, and if this were the playoffs, James would be on the floor.

James did not take part in the morning's shootaround, opting to lift weights while his teammates went through preparations for the Spurs. As he left the building with a custom-designed Snuggie draped over his left shoulder, James was asked how he felt.

"I'm good," he said.

Earlier, Brown said it would be a game-time decision whether James would play, but it seemed both sides had agreed long before tip-off.

"This is an opportune time for him to get some rest," Brown said. "My gut feeling is that this is the right time for this to happen. He wants to play. He doesn't like sitting."

James was not available to reporters before the Cavs hosted the Spurs.

Cleveland is 0-7 in the past three seasons when James doesn't play.

"We miss a lot when he's not in there," Brown said. "He makes me look like I know how to coach a little bit better."

Brown said Cleveland's postseason seeding is not a factor in any decisions he makes about James, who is averaging 39 minutes per game. The Cavs have a five-game lead over Orlando for the best record in the Eastern Conference, and they hold a three-game advantage over the Los Angeles Lakers for the league's best mark, which would guarantee Cleveland home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

"If I was concerned about that, then I would've said, 'Tape that bad boy up against Milwaukee,"' Brown said. "He could play if it was a playoff game. With all the bumps and bruises he does have and the minutes he's logged ... I know he wouldn't say this, but his body has to be feeling the effects from playing all those minutes."

The Cavs can't survive long without James, but Brown is confident a few games won't hurt.

"This group is capable of winning games without him," he said.

Cleveland is still without center Shaquille O'Neal (thumb) but the Cavs got back guard Daniel Gibson, who missed four games after the birth of his first child.

Source: nba.com

It's that time of year.

Upon the completion of Friday's games, we reached the 3/4 pole of the season. Most teams have just 19 or 20 games remaining, and a glance at the standings sees only two or three teams with a realistic shot of climbing out from lottery position and making the playoffs.

The other 11 or 12 teams can start making plans for a trip to New Jersey on May 18... except for the Knicks, of course, because they don't have their lottery pick, and the Nets, for whom it's only a five-minute drive to Secaucus.

This past week's results are evidence that those teams are starting to pack it in. The bottom ten teams in last Monday's rankings went 6-30 last week, and none of them won more than a single game.

Meanwhile, it's clear that that the best teams in the league are starting to turn it on down the stretch. Last week's top 10 went 30-9 last week. Take away the struggling Lakers, and the other nine teams went 29-6, with none losing more than a single game.

Of course, when all of the good teams are playing well, it becomes difficult to make much headway in the rankings. The Magic, Mavs and Celtics combined to go 12-0 over the last seven days, but they each moved up just one spot.

• Last Week: Center-less Cavs reclaim No. 1 spot

Hero Team of the Week: Orlando (4-0) - The Magic capped off a strong week with a soul-cleansing win over the Lakers.
Zero Team of the Week: Washington (0-3) - The Wizards lost two games to the Bucks by a combined 41 points, and then collapsed at the end of Sunday's game in Boston.

High jumps of the week: Miami (+5), Sacramento (+3), Denver (+2), Milwaukee (+2)
Free falls of the week: New Orleans (-4), Chicago (-3), Seven teams (-2)

East vs. West: The West is 202-160 (0.558) in inter-conference games and was 8-8 this week.

Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)
Off: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
Def: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
The league averages through Sunday are 95.2 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes and 104.3 points scored per 100 possessions.

NBA.com's Power Rankings are just one man's opinion and are released every Monday during the season. If you've got an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, send him an e-mail. You can also follow him on twitter.

	TEAM (LAST WEEK)	REC.	BREAKDOWN
1	Cleveland (1)	49-15	Pace: 93.4 (25), Off: 109.1 (3), Def: 101.0 (7) The Cavs' defense has improved (99.2 rating over the last seven games), but without LeBron James, they had nothing offensively in Milwaukee on Saturday. James may sit again Monday against the Spurs, but Cleveland still has a three-game edge over the Lakers.
2	Orlando (3)	44-20	Pace: 94.9 (16), Off: 107.7 (7), Def: 99.7 (3) After Sunday's win, the Magic are just two games behind L.A. in the standings, which matters because Orlando is looking just as dangerous as they were a year ago. The key of late has been the backcourt, which has helped crank up the offense.
3	Dallas (4)	43-21	Pace: 94.5 (20), Off: 106.7 (10), Def: 103.2 (12) The Mavs' 11-game winning streak is a little strange. Neither their offense nor defense has been consistent. They scored just 89 points in Charlotte and gave up 116 in Chicago last week. With the Wolves, Nets and Knicks up this week, the streak shall go on.
4	L.A. Lakers (2)	46-18	Pace: 96.0 (9), Off: 105.8 (11), Def: 99.6 (2) The Lakers have lost three straight for the first time since they acquired Pau Gasol. After his coach called him "weak and sickly" earlier in the week, Gasol responded with 20 points and 11 boards in Orlando on Sunday, but his teammates shot 33 percent.
5	Denver (7)	42-21	Pace: 97.9 (5), Off: 109.1 (2), Def: 104.3 (16) Kenyon Martin is having his left knee checked out Monday, and the West playoff picture hangs in the balance. It has been pointed out before, but it bears repeating: The Nuggets' defense has been much worse (109.7) in the eight games that Martin has missed.
6	Utah (5)	40-22	Pace: 95.4 (14), Off: 107.0 (8), Def: 102.3 (10) With Andrei Kirilenko in and out of the lineup, the Jazz allowed their opponents to shoot 50 percent over a stretch of six games, before holding down the listless Clippers on Saturday. Their road-heavy March continues with a four-game trip this week.
7	Oklahoma City (6)	38-24	Pace: 95.5 (13), Off: 104.0 (16), Def: 100.2 (4) The Thunder got away with a pair sub-par defensive games against the Kings this week, but they got spanked by the Nuggets in between. Two of OKC's worst offensive games have come against Denver, who they would meet if the playoffs started today.
8	Phoenix (9)	40-25	Pace: 98.0 (4), Off: 111.7 (1), Def: 107.7 (25) The Suns got a huge win over the Nuggets on Monday, but Steve Nash admitted that he's dealing with pain and fatigue. Fortunately, Phoenix has five days off before they host the Lakers on Friday and should also get Leandro Barbosa back from a 21-game absence.
9	Boston (10)	40-21	Pace: 93.8 (22), Off: 104.6 (13), Def: 99.3 (1) The Celtics have won four straight and their defense has been suffocating over the last three, but they didn't turn on the offensive switch on Sunday until the last six minutes of the game. Now, can they keep the switch on? They've got the Cavs again this Sunday.
10	Atlanta (8)	40-22	Pace: 93.1 (27), Off: 108.7 (4), Def: 104.0 (13) The Hawks are making their way through of a stretch where they play nothing but bad and mediocre teams. Joe Johnson shot just 11-for-37 over the last two games, while the Hawks allowed their opponents to get to the line 85 times over the last three.
	TEAM (LAST WEEK)	REC.	BREAKDOWN
11	San Antonio (12)	36-24	Pace: 93.8 (23), Off: 106.9 (9), Def: 102.4 (11) The Spurs' defense is showing some signs of life, but they'll be without Tony Parker (broken hand) for the rest of the regular season. And they've got six games left against the Cavs, Lakers and Magic, plus visits to Atlanta, Boston, Dallas and Denver.
12	Portland (11)	37-28	Pace: 90.2 (30), Off: 107.7 (6), Def: 104.1 (14) Maybe Brandon Roy hasn't got his rhythm back after all. He has shot just 18-for-55 (33 percent) in the last four games. The good news is that the Blazers' next six games are against bad defensive teams. Overall, their remaining schedule is relatively light.
13	Milwaukee (15)	33-29	Pace: 94.9 (15), Off: 101.6 (23), Def: 100.7 (6) The league leaders in raw plus-minus since Feb. 1 do not play for the Cavs, Lakers or Magic. They play for the Bucks. Andrew Bogut and the recently-acquired John Salmons are both plus-145 since the start of last month. The Bucks are 13-4 in that stretch.
14	Miami (19)	32-31	Pace: 92.6 (28), Off: 103.9 (17), Def: 101.8 (8) The roller coaster continues with the Heat winning three straight, including impressive Ws over the Lakers and Hawks. Dwyane Wade averaged 33.3 points and 12.0 assists in the three games. Meetings with the Bobcats and Bulls this week are huge.
15	Toronto (13)	32-29	Pace: 95.7 (11), Off: 108.4 (5), Def: 109.4 (30) The Raptors were able to beat the Knicks without Chris Bosh, but they couldn't beat the Sixers with him. Not surprisingly, defense was the problem. They've allowed their last six opponents to shoot a combined 51 percent and they visit the Lakers on Tuesday.
16	Memphis (17)	32-31	Pace: 95.6 (12), Off: 104.8 (12), Def: 107.0 (23) The Grizzlies have now lost eight straight at home and won six straight on the road. It's a strange run, but it's mostly about the competition. The eight home opponents have a current winning percentage of .582, while the six road opponents are at .386.
17	Chicago (14)	31-31	Pace: 95.9 (10), Off: 100.2 (27), Def: 102.1 (9) The Bulls' defense misses Joakim Noah. They've allowed their opponents to shoot 50 percent and score 116.8 points per 100 possessions as they've dropped four straight. Now they've got a tough two-week stretch coming up, starting Tuesday with the Jazz.
18	Charlotte (18)	30-31	Pace: 93.1 (26), Off: 100.8 (25), Def: 100.5 (5) If only the Bobcats played the Lakers more often. They're in ninth place, but tied in the loss column with both Miami and Chicago. With 21 games left, they've got two each against the two teams in front of them, starting with Monday's home game against the Heat.
19	Houston (20)	31-31	Pace: 96.1 (8), Off: 103.8 (18), Def: 104.2 (15) If you've got your eyes on the playoffs, you just can't lose to the Kings and the Pistons in the span of five days. You especially can't shoot 39 percent against Sacramento's 24th ranked defense or let the Pistons' 26th ranked offense shoot 47 percent.
20	New Orleans (16)	31-32	Pace: 94.6 (18), Off: 104.4 (14), Def: 105.9 (18) Chris Paul is closer to getting back on the court, but with four straight losses, the Hornets' chances at a third straight trip to the postseason are gone. They're 6-11 since losing Paul, with the defense struggling to get stops (112.4 rating over the last seven).
	TEAM (LAST WEEK)	REC.	BREAKDOWN
21	Philadelphia (22)	23-39	Pace: 94.2 (21), Off: 103.1 (20), Def: 106.4 (21) The Sixers' five-game losing streak came to an unexpected end in Toronto on Sunday, as Thaddeus Young broke out with 32 points. One thing Philly can look to accomplish over the next five weeks is getting Young, who's had a disappointing season, back on track.
22	L.A. Clippers (23)	25-38	Pace: 94.8 (17), Off: 100.9 (24), Def: 105.9 (19) This week in Clipperland: A nice win over the Jazz, followed by three losses by an average of 22 points. Of course, that win was at home. After Saturday's loss, the Clippers are 1-45 in Utah (including the postseason) since 1990.
23	Washington (21)	21-39	Pace: 94.6 (19), Off: 101.8 (22), Def: 106.3 (20) With wins over the Magic, Nuggets and Bulls in the last month or so, the Wizards have done a pretty good job of playing spoiler. But Sunday's attempt to put another nail in the Celtics' coffin fell apart in the final minutes. They've got the Hawks and Magic this week.
24	Sacramento (27)	21-42	Pace: 96.9 (6), Off: 102.9 (21), Def: 107.6 (24) There has been much talk of Stephen Curry making a late run at the Rookie of the Year award, but it's not like Tyreke Evans is slowing down. Still the frontrunner, Evans is averaging 20.1 points and 6.7 assists, while shooting 48 percent since Feb. 1.
25	Detroit (26)	22-41	Pace: 91.3 (29), Off: 100.7 (26), Def: 106.7 (22) The Pistons will take every precaution with Rodney Stuckey, who passed out on the bench during Friday's loss to the Cavs. Starting in Stuckey's place, Will Bynum recorded the second double-double of his career in Sunday's overtime win over the Rockets.
26	Indiana (24)	20-43	Pace: 100.1 (2), Off: 99.4 (28), Def: 104.5 (17) The Pacers were somewhat competitive in Phoenix on Saturday, but it was essentially an empty trip out west. They haven't failed to get 10 road wins since the 1988-89 season, but they're stuck on seven with seven more to play, five against winning teams.
27	Golden State (25)	17-45	Pace: 102.5 (1), Off: 103.7 (19), Def: 108.0 (29) Stephen Curry had his third 30-and-10 game in Atlanta on Friday, but shot just 8-for-23 in his hometown of Charlotte the next night. The Warriors will finish their five-game trip in New Orleans on Monday, looking to get their first road win in more than two months.
28	Minnesota (29)	14-49	Pace: 98.2 (3), Off: 98.6 (29), Def: 107.8 (27) With Al Jefferson serving a two-game suspension, Kurt Rambis chose to start Ryan Hollins, rather than Kevin Love. Hollins is a -11.4 per 36 minutes this season, while Love is a -2.7. Love picked up his 28th and 29th double-doubles anyway.
29	New Jersey (30)	7-55	Pace: 93.8 (24), Off: 96.4 (30), Def: 107.8 (26) It couldn't last forever. The Nets' 14-week run at the bottom comes to an end thanks to a 20-point win over the Knicks, which seems appropriate. New Jersey is 31-11 against New York since 2001 and has lost the season series only once in the last 10 seasons.
30	New York (28)	21-41	Pace: 96.2 (7), Off: 104.0 (15), Def: 107.9 (28) If you're going to lose to the Nets, you might as well set a record. The Knicks' 18 attempts from 3-point range on Saturday were the most in game without a make in NBA history. They were 3-for-34 from downtown in their two losses over the weekend.

source: nba.com

Will Kobe Bryant (left) or Dirk Nowitzki join the short list of two-time MVP winners this season?

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

One MVP is great, but multiple winners are a rare bird

A week ago in this space, The Race looked at the impact on MVP candidates when a team has one superstar vs. two or more.

This week, the committee is reviewing NBA history for MVP winners who have two or more such trophies.

Maybe this is the NBA's version of baseball's "first-ballot Hall of Famers" cutoff to differentiate its elite of the elite at Cooperstown. The Race will just lay out some numbers and let you form your own opinions about past MVP winners -- and the three guys on this week's list who have a chance to move up from one-timer status.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, of course, is the all-time MVP leader with six honors over his remarkable career. Bill Russell and Michael Jordan collected five each and Wilt Chamberlain was honored with four (though he curiously missed in 1961-62 after averaging his Herculean 50.4 ppg). That means four players have accounted for 20 of the 54 MVP awards since the modern version was created in 1955-56.

Three more players -- Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone -- each won three MVP awards. And four guys -- fittingly, three of the greatest power forwards in league history -- won two each: Bob Pettit, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan and playmaker Steve Nash. So that ups the "hogging" stats to 37 trophies spread around to just 11 players.

That leaves 17 one-and-done MVP winners, which is a far greater honor than that characterization makes it sound. The list of names still is a Who's Who and, literally, a timeline fit for Springfield, Mass.: Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Wes Unseld, Willis Reed, Dave Cowens, Bob McAdoo, Bill Walton, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

An interesting sub-plot to The Race this season, then, is whether any of the three guys on this week's list -- James, Bryant and Nowitzki -- can boost himself into an even more special club by claiming his second Maurice Podoloff trophy. That would make it 38 out of 55 by just a dozen players. Stay tuned and keep counting.

1. Lebron James, Cavaliers (48-14)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
62	39.0	29.8	7.1	8.6	1.7	1.0	.504	.345	.776

Last Week's Rank - 1
Nets fans got about as close to having LeBron James on their side as they're going to get, given the pity James expressed for them after the Cavaliers' easy victory at Izod Center Wednesday. The free agent-to-be New Jersey supposedly is wooing even got booed a couple of times for not being flashy enough on breakaway dunks, which suggests that his 26-point, 14-assist, seven-rebound performances won't be coming in a New Jersey jersey anytime soon.

2. Dwight Howard, Magic (42-20)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
62	35.1	18.7	13.1	1.6	1.0	2.8	.603	---	.613

Last Week's Rank - 3
The committee likes continuous improvement at this rarefied level, and that's what Howard has been showing lately. First the Orlando strongman boosted his accuracy at the foul line. This week he made a big adjustment at the other end: After totaling 21 points and eight rebounds in 49 foul-plagued minutes in the Magic's previous two games, Howard didn't commit a single personal foul and racked up 28 points and 12 boards in a laugher over Golden State.

3. Kevin Durant, Thunder (36-24)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
60	39.6	29.6	7.5	2.8	1.4	0.9	.478	.381	.884

Last Week's Rank - 2
Uh oh, another streak bites the dust. A few days after Durant's string of 25-point games ended at 29, his streak of scoring 20 or more was snapped at 34 in a rout by Denver Wednesday. He also had a sub-par four boards and zero assists on an all-around off night for the Thunder.

4. Kobe Bryant, Lakers (46-16)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
57	38.8	27.6	5.2	4.8	1.7	0.4	.460	.319	.822

Last Week's Rank - 4
Bryant has been money at the line, sinking 29 of 33 freebies over his last three games. But his 39 points on 15-of-28 shooting in Miami -- and an airballed 3-pointer late in overtime -- wasn't enough to prevent the Lakers from losing their fifth in six tries in south Florida or slipping to 9-9 on the road since Dec. 26.

5. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavs (41-21)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
61	38.0	25.2	7.7	2.6	0.9	1.0	.479	.360	.908

Last Week's Rank - 6
You want to talk free throws (look, we know it's not sexy but they count, right?), we need to talk Nowitzki. This season, the Mavericks' sharpshooter -- who flicks his shots as easily as most of us shoot Nerf balls -- has made 96.4 percent of his foul shots in the fourth quarter and in overtimes. That's just one of the keys to the Mavericks' nine-game winning streak.

6. Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets (40-21)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
48	37.8	28.6	6.3	3.4	1.3	0.4	.457	.341	.829

Last Week's Rank - 5
Anthony had been running on "E" lately, in terms of his overall energy, but he roused from a personal mini-slump with 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the Nuggets' rout of OKC. Denver's small forward scored 23 in the first half, more than the Thunder's MVP candidate Kevin Durant (19) in the whole game. It was Anthony's 24th game of 30 points or more this season, up from 13 last year, but his first in seven games.

7. Deron Williams, Jazz (39-22)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
55	37.2	18.6	4.1	10.1	1.2	0.2	.474	.378	.785

Last Week's Rank - 9
First Williams racked up 35 points, with 13 assists, in the Jazz's 23-point victory against Houston. Then, after getting 13 and 13 in a loss to the Clippers, he had 27 points, nine assists, two steals and two turnovers in Utah's 116-108 triumph at Phoenix. Not bad for a guy who has been playing with a sore right wrist since January.

8. Chauncey Billups, Nuggets (40-21)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
52	33.7	20.1	3.0	6.0	1.2	0.1	.438	.431	.904

Last Week's Rank - 7
When Billups scored 21 at Phoenix Monday, it was the fifth time in seven games that he had led Denver in scoring -- no small achievement when you're playing alongside another MVP candidate (Anthony). The veteran point guard is averaging 23.2 points over his past 25 games.

9. Chris Bosh, Raptors (31-28)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
53	36.4	24.5	11.4	2.3	0.6	1.1	.525	.372	.790

Last Week's Rank - 8
One of those absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder weeks for Bosh, who skipped the Raptors' last trip with a sprained ankle. He did practice Wednesday but was listed as day-to-day for Toronto's game against the Knicks Friday. A 2-4 week by his teammates while he's out at least is the sort of thing that can help draw MVP support.

10. Dwyane Wade, Heat (31-31)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
58	35.9	26.2	4.6	6.6	1.8	1.0	.467	.293	.756

Last Week's Rank - --
A Steve Nash-like night by Wade -- and an un-Steve Nash-like night by Nash -- gets the Miami guard onto this last rung of The Race in place of Phoenix's playmaker. Wade didn't get locked into a scoring duel with Bryant in the Heat's 114-111 overtime victory over the Lakers; instead, he dished a season-best 14 assists. Heck, he didn't even take a shot in the extra five minutes, but he helped get Miami up to .500 (31-31) in its quest for the final East playoff spot. Nash? He had 14 points, 15 assists but (ugh!) seven turnovers in the loss to Utah Thursday.