CheChe23's NBA Power Rankings (Jan. 30, 2008)

When I picked the Nuggets to win the NBA championship at the beginning of the season I imagined that I would see Allen Iverson playing like he is. But what I didn't imagine is the number of injuries the team has experienced. If I had to do it over again, I'd put Dallas or San Antonio slightly ahead of Boston and Phoenix as my choice for the next NBA champ. Meanwhile, New Orleans has the best record in the West and is the hottest team in the NBA. It's hard to deny what the Hornets have done lately, which is why I've moved them ahead of Boston to the No. 1 spot. Here are my NBA power rankings for the final week in January.

BIGGEST RISE: Minnesota Timberwolves 29th to 24th.
BIGGEST FALL: New Jersey Nets from 18th to 25th.

(Editor's note: "LW" indicates each team's ranking from CheChe23's previous week. —RTW)

CheChe23's Power Rankings: January 30, 2008
TEAM	RK (LW)	W-L	COMMENT
	1 (2)	32-12	New Orleans has been destroying teams recently -- they've won back-to-back games by 24 points. David West has helped lead the Hornets to 12 wins in their last 13 games (only one loss in January). With the All-Star game in New Orleans, get ready to hear about how great Chris Paul and his Hornets are for the next few weeks.
	2 (4)	31-13	Dallas has won four in a row and faces Boston on Thursday. With Devin Harris set to take a seat for the next few weeks, that Jason Kidd-to-Dallas trade has suddenly become a possibility (see my most recent NBA Rumor Mill).
	3 (2)	35-8	Kevin Garnett might have strained his abs during the Timberwolves game when he was overly exaggerating his celebration or maybe it was when he was showing his neck vain after every Boston basket. Boston is 6-4 in their last 10 and played last night without KG and Ray Allen and won easily (they played Miami). KG will enjoy his two day vacation and should be back to work on Thursday for his TNT match-up with Dirk Nowitzki. Boston is shoulders above any East contender, but I can't rank them as the best in the NBA anymore.
	4 (3)	25-12	How can Phoenix beat the Timberwolves by 20 on Friday and lose to them by 10 on Wednesday? I think that Phoenix freezes when they come to Minnesota (they also lost @ MIN on Dec 8). Steve Nash (leading the NBA with 11.9 assists per game) keeps the Phoenix offense scoring the leagues most points per game (109.5).
	5 (6)	32-13	Detroit remains behind only Boston for both best point differential and average points allowed. The Pistons play the Lakers on Thursday and the Mavericks on Sunday. Richard Hamilton has led the Pistons in scoring in 8/13 games this month.
	6 (8)	27-15	The Jazz have won nine of their last ten including convincing wins against Houston and San Antonio this week. Since trading for Kyle Korver the Jazz are 11-2. A date with New Orleans comes Monday.
	7 (5)	28-15	During the Lakers last six games (four losses) it is slowly being exposed that Andrew Bynum might be the true L.A. MVP. Losses to Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas and Cleveland could be followed by losses to Detroit, Toronto and Washington if the Lakers are unable to compensate for losing their big man during their upcoming nine game road trip.
	8 (7)	28-16	Portland's last quality win was Jan. 9 against Golden State. The clock might be striking midnight for this Cinderella story. Cleveland and Portland is on ESPN tonight which will sure up the bottom of the top 10.
	9 (10)	26-18	San Antonio will only go up in the rankings from here on out. It can't get much worse than three losses in a row topped with a Sonic burn. Thursday's double header on TNT shows KG vs Dirk in the first game and Duncan vs Amare in the second. It doesn't look like being an early season MVP gets you a ticket to the All-Star game. Manu Ginobili is looking like a serious snub (as are Tim Duncan and Tony Parker).
	10 (12)	24-19	Cleveland is 10-2 in 2008. LeBron showed that he's better than clutch in the fourth quarter of his head-to-head showdown with Kobe on Sunday. If LeBron is on the roster, an NBA title is possible.

OUTSIDE THE TOP 10:

11. Orlando Magic (28-18): The Magic avoided losing back-to-back games Sunday thanks to a heroic time expiring three by Hedo Turkoglu. Orlando has winnable games over the next three.
12. Golden State Warriors (27-18): The Warriors are second in the NBA in scoring and still bombing the most threes in the league. Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington average a combined 18.6 attempts from downtown (68% of the team's 27.7 total).
13. Denver Nuggets (26-18): The Nuggets missed Carmelo this week when they drop two in a row to Dallas and New Orleans. As the losses start to pile up you can look and see that Denver's defense has started to slack (they give up 104 points per game).
14. Houston Rockets (25-20): Houston has won five of their last six and was happy to have Tracy McGrady back before having to play without him again last night. McGrady played 30 plus minutes in the last three games before having to sit out Tuesday's game with flu-like symptoms.
15. Toronto Raptors (24-20): Toronto can get revenge with Washington tonight after losing to them last night. The Raptors are one of the best teams in the NBA in controlling the rock. Toronto averages just 11.0 turnovers per game -- a better average than every team but Detroit.
16. Washington Wizards (24-19): Washington has a tough stretch of games ahead. Over the next 12 days the Wizards will play seven potential playoff teams.
17. Atlanta Hawks (18-23): The Hawks have lost six of their last seven, but would still be a playoff if team if they started today. The next three games are against teams ranked lower on my power rankings than Atlanta (LAC, NJ, PHI).
18. Sacramento Kings (19-24): The Kings will start February with New Orleans on the schedule and with Bibby and Artest still on the roster.
19. Chicago Bulls (18-26): Chicago is 7-8 in 2008, yet they are still just one game out of the playoff race.
20. Charlotte Bobcats (18-27): Charlotte needs to win games against legit teams like they did earlier this month against Boston and Orlando before I consider the Bobcats a playoff contender.
21. Philadelphia 76ers (17-28): Philly has just three wins in January, a game against Milwaukee tonight could allow the Sixers to finish the month with their fourth.
22. Indiana Pacers (19-27): Indiana has fallen off the playoff pace and is looking more like a lottery team (and the team I predicted to finish last in the NBA) after losing four straight including a close one to Miami.
23. New York Knicks (14-30): Nate Robinson has played great filling the role as first guard off the bench for New York. Robinson has scored in double figures in 18 of the Knicks 19 games and has averaged 4.7 assists per game in January up from 1.1 per game in December.
24. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-36): After winning three of four last week, all the "worst team in NBA history" talk subsided and the KFAN radio waves blared talk of Al Jefferson being better than KG.
25. New Jersey Nets (18-26): The Nets ended a nine game losing streak Tuesday beating Milwaukee by three. Jason Kidd is all but out the door -- what will the Nets be able to do with whatever they get in return? Sadly or more than anything ironically, the Nets would be in the playoffs if they started today.
26. Milwaukee Bucks (18-28): The Bucks last quality win against a Western Conference opponent came Nov. 24 when they beat Dallas by two points.
27. Memphis Grizzlies (13-32): The Grizzlies last quality win was Dec. 19 vs San Antonio when they won by three points.
28. Los Angeles Clippers (13-28): Veteran leaders Tim Thomas (See: HOT HOT HOT) and Sam Cassell ("I think I'll go to Boston") are doing what they can, but it's just not enough.
29. Seattle Sonics (10-35): Seattle beat San Antonio to snap their losing streak, but it won't be long before they start another.
30. Miami Heat (9-34): Miami ended its 15 game losing streak, but could quickly started another after they lost to Boston by 30 last night they face Orlando tonight.

HOT HOT HOT

1. Al Jefferson - Jefferson's 20 points and 12 rebounds last night against Chicago is something average for Big Al. Jefferson had games of 39 pts and 15 rebs against Phoenix and 40 pts and 19 rebs against New Jersey this past week.
2. Tim Thomas - The Clippers sharpshooter has put in 23 baskets in his past two games. Thomas scored 23 points before fouling out Saturday and back that up with 29 points (zero coming from the three) and he added 13 rebounds and 5 assists.
3. Mark Blount - With Shaq riding the pine, Mark Blount has been a splinter in opponents sides lately. Blount has scored 23, 19 and 20 in his past three games all as a starter.

NOT NOT NOT

1. Kevin Garnett - Garnett sat out his first games as a Celtic this past week. After KG only scored 10 points (despite 16 boards) against his former squad, I wasn't happy with his sportsmanship at the end of the game. As a supporter of KG for 12 seasons, it twisted the knife to see him thumb the Celtics jersey. His rebounds are down for a third straight month -- now at the lowest average since his third year in the league.
2. Ricky Davis - Ricky Davis has been struggling to find his shooting touch lately. Since Jan. 19, Davis has shot 8/34 (23.5%) from the floor.
3. John Salmons - Salmons is trying to get in where he can fit in. When he's playing, he's playing well, but with the abundance of talent in Sacramento, Salmons has seen a decrease in action. Salmons has averaged 6.4 ppg over the last seven after averaging more than 15 ppg on the season.

PGA Preview: FBR Open (1/29/08)

This weekend the PGA Tour is in Arizona for the FBR Open (Friedman Billings Ramsey is an investment bank). It is held at the TPC (Tournament Players Club) in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Not only is the course filled with plenty of history, but on a single day the gallery can be filled with more than 150,000 fans. The 16th hole is the most well known of the 18 (although the 18th would argue) because of the way the stands surround the hole giving it that stadium feel and it is often filled with rowdy college students from Arizona State University (ASU is located near the venue, so get ready to hear boos and see beers). Phil Mickelson, an Arizona State alum, will be the out-right fan favorite at the FBR this weekend.

Aaron Baddeley won this event last year, but I'm not counting on him to do it again. The last back-to-back winner here was the legendary Johnny Miller in 1974 and 1975. I'm expecting a great tournament thanks to a field filled with such quality players. And with the Super Bowl in Phoenix, there could be record crowds to witness. Here are my player opinions for the Tiger-less FBR Open.

Players to Consider:

1. Rory Sabbatini -- Rory is doing some serious walking to start the season. With his club doing the talking, Sabbatini's started 2008 with a 17th place at the Mercedes-Benz, second at the Sony Open and finished third last weekend at the Buick Invitational. With almost $1 million already earned on the season, I'm banking on the Sabbatini stock.

2. Vijay Singh -- One thing you can count on is that Vijay Singh will make the cut -- he's 3/3 this year and was 24/26 last year. Singh won this event when it was called the Phoenix Open in both '95 and '03 and overcame an opening round 71 to finish 7th last year.

3. Mark Calcavecchia -- Calcavecchia should use the FBR Open as a way to get on track. Calc has placed in the 100's during his last two events and he finished T41 at this event last year, but I'll still consider this veteran. Mark has won the FBR Open three times ('89, '92 and '01), which puts him on my radar for this weekend.

4. Ryuji Imada -- Imada finished second last weekend at the Buick thanks to the confidence he gained from his T16 at the Bob Hope Classic. If he can ride his second place confidence into the FBR, look for another strong finish and perhaps his first career PGA tour victory.

5. Justin Leonard -- With a January that includes a T8 at the Mercedes, seconds place at the Bob Hope and a fifth place finish last weekend, I finally put Justin Leonard on my list for of players to consider. Leonard was playing some of the worst golf of his career at this time last year, but has started this year playing some of the best of his career. Maybe he's back to his British Open winning form.

Players to Avoid:

1. Mike Weir -- Weirs vanishing act last weekend caused me to waste a start and fall behind in my fantasy league. M.W.'s WD also made me question his commitment to success. After an early season 1200 points gain from his fourth place finish at the Mercedes-Benz, Weir hasn't exactly proved that wasn't a fluke.

2. Sean O'Hair -- I'm avoiding O'Hair this weekend, but I'm also keeping an eye on him. O'Hair started slow in 2007 and did most of his FedExCup point gaining during July and August. Avoid him for now because O'Hair missed the cut in five out his first six tournaments last year before getting going.

3. K.J. Choi -- Still hung-over on the victory buzz he had from the Sony Open, Choi missed the cut at the Buick last weekend. I'm avoiding Choi for the reason that I'm afraid his lack of focus will carry over to the FBR Open (and his MC at this event last year doesn't help).

4. Will MacKenzie -- Three straight tournaments, three straight missed cuts. MacKenize has yet to earn a penny on the tour this season and I'm not buying him until he's able to put together four straight solid rounds of golf.

5. Woody Austin -- Austin has digressed since his T18 at the Mercedes-Benz. He followed his top 25 finish with a T70 at the Bob Hope and a missed cut last weekend, making Austin avoidable in Scottsdale.

NBA Power Rankings: MarketWatch Edition (Jan. 23, 2008)

Boston remains at the top of the rankings and is the NBA's clear-cut best team. Blah, blah, blah, Kevin Garnett, blah, blah, blah. The script for these power rankings seems to be the same every week. Within the time I publish my next rankings, almost every team will reach the halfway point of the season. So, in an attempt to mix it up a bit, I have decided to take the PROTRADE approach to this week's power rankings. Since I normally never suggest a buy or a sell in my rankings, I'm going to devote the comments this week to reviewing each team's PROTRADE stock.

BIGGEST RISE: Washington Wizards from 12th to 15th.
BIGGEST FALL: Sacramento Kings from 20th to 17th.

(Editor's note: "LW" indicates each team's ranking from CheChe23's previous week. —RTW)

CheChe23's Power Rankings: January 23, 2008
TEAM	RK (LW)	PT$	COMMENT
	1 (1)	$250.13	Boston could earn $272.00 with 67 wins and an NBA title. Garnett's stock has risen since IPO day, but I've never owned it. KG's market price of $318.84 is $40 more than he'll make with his pace if he plays 99 games -- Pierce's $219 might be a better look as far as the Celtics stars go. Eddie House has the best potential for a profit, but trying to buy a Celtics player is slim pickings.
	2 (4)	$108.41	New Orleans has surprised a lot of people, including the PROTRADE price makers. The team stock IPO'd in the mid-$80's (meaning a low 40-win season, no playoffs), but with 28 wins thus far -- the stock is currently worth $56 alone. With the playoffs on the horizon, the Hornet player stocks might make for better buys. If you want to make a safe, long-term investment you could buy Chris Paul at $232.50. Paul is paced for a $30 gain before post-season play.
	3 (5)	$190.57	Phoenix is optimistically priced at above $190 which would mean they would have to make it to the NBA Finals in order to turn a profit. If the Suns do make their way to the championship round, all of the Suns studs (Nash, Marion, Amare) would make for decent long-term buys. If Grant Hill can return to form and continue a pace that puts his price into above $200, his current price of $140 a share could make for a good buy.
	4 (2)	$180.16	The Mavericks team stock is priced right at $180 -- which explains why it hasn't moved since the end of October. Devin Harris started the season nursing an injury, but his stock price of $134.00 is looking like an intriguing buy. If Harris plays in eight playoff games his stock is paced to make $30. If Harris can boost his points per game from 14.3 to 17.3 and his assists per game from 5.4 to 6.4 not only would Avery Johnson be thrilled, but his stock would make for a $50 gain.
	5 (6)	$120.13	Every trader who owned some Andrew Bynum stock when it was just above $100 was planning on cashing in late April for a $100 gain. When he went down, I couldn't get to my computer fast enough. The Lakers team stock might be the best buy. Los Angeles reaches its price with a 50-win season and three first round wins. If they get out of the round one they would make $15 a share, make it to the conference finals and they would earn $40 per share. Derek Fisher makes the best player buy. Fisher is paced to make $130 in 82 games and is currently selling for under $110.
	6 (5)	$165.85	Detroit was a great team stock when they Pistons were ranked No. 1 and they were priced at $155. Their recent losing streak makes the $165 per share a major hold. The Pistons players turned out to be good buys at playoff time last season and it appears to be no different this year. Antonio McDyess and Jason Maxiell will need more playing time to make a big gain, but if you are able to save spot in your port for the long haul these guys will make a great investment. You can be sure that Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace and Richard Hamilton will return gains, but they might be minimal. Although, Billups might earn more than a minimal gain. If the Pistons make their way past Boston and get to the NBA finals, Billups stock could increase to over $254 therefore turning a $184 buy now into a $70 profit per share.
	7 (7)	$100.00	Portland has earned half of their $100.00 price tag with 25 wins. The big IF is whether or not they can continue the playoff pace through the second half of the season. If the Blazers win 48 games and miss the post season they will earn $96, 48 wins and the playoff appearance (with a four game exit) they'll earn $106. Martell Webster has earned $51 of his $85 price tag making him the Blazers best buy.
	8 (8)	$126.34	Raise your hand if you have day-traded the Jazz stock? Maybe like 10 hands. Utah could easily win 50 games and make it out of round one -- earning $140, but it's not like anyone is buying and selling the Jazz stock like hotcakes. Looking at the pace chart, the Jazz team stock hasn't moved from $126 since the end of November and has moved up $9 since IPO day. Deron Williams could make for another version of Billups, there is potential for a $60-$70 gain. Ronnie Brewer is $40 (or 25 games) away from earning his price.
	9 (10)	$198.55	Is it time for the San Antonio team stock to start dropping? Probably not. I wouldn't be buying, but there's no need to start shorting. Same goes for the entire Spurs roster of player stocks.
	10 (7)	$99.83	The Warriors will get 46 wins and will make the playoffs, making the Golden State stock an easy money maker. Baron Davis and Monta Ellis have the greatest earning potential for the Warrior player stocks. If Matt Barnes can turn things up a bit during the second half of the year he could make for a good buy.

OUTSIDE THE TOP 10:

11. Denver Nuggets ($131.27): The Nuggets roster has two great shorts: Chucky Atkins and Nene Hilario. In the past seven days, the Linas Kleiza stock has moved from $87 to $90 to $96 and is currently sitting at $93. Now that Carmelo Anthony is out for a few games with an ankle injury, Kleiza could quickly earn enough to make his stock a great purchase.
12. Cleveland Cavaliers ($151.65): LeBron's Cavaliers are the third highest priced Eastern Conference stock and the third best EC team in my rankings as well. Daniel Gibson started the season great and was purchased accordingly and has now earned %58 of his priced. Zydrunas Ilgauskas could make for a decent buy if the Cavs are able to make another run to the Finals, but his fast start may make his percent earned number (52%) look better than it really is.
13. Orlando Magic ($125.45): Orlando has played six more games than Atlanta -- which gives you some indication that not every team has played nearly the same number of games and therefore the percent earned statistic can only take you so far. The best players for the Magic might still need to get IPO'd; Non-IPO'd players Maurice Evans, Keyon Dooling and Carlos Arroyo have earned more than IPO'd Magic players Adonal Foyle and J.J. Redick combined.
14. Toronto Raptors ($99.25): Toronto's money maker was Jose Calderon when his stock as priced in the $120 range, but he could still make money because he's already above 60% earned. The fact that T. J. Ford is still at $123 means the community must think he'll return to full force (even though he's only paced to make $100 if he comes back tomorrow and plays the full season at his average pace). Jamario Moon and Carlos Delfino have both earned 58% of their price.
15. Washington Wizards ($88.65): Washington was pretty much considered an after-thought when Gilbert Arenas decided to have surgery. Since that time, the Wizards have shown who they are as a team. Brendan Haywood would have made for a fantastic buy if you got him on January 6 when he was $100. At $107 per share right now, the Wizards big man has Washington's highest percent earned at 58%.
16. Houston Rockets (20-19): Rafer Alston has played above and beyond expectations as the Rockets starting point guard. With Mike James and Steve Francis chilling on the bench, Alston has earned 55% of his stock price. At $95, Alston will end up earning $25 a share if he continues at his current pace.
17. Sacramento Kings ($61.07): In last night's blow out win, John Salmons didn't start for the first time since December 7 and left after two minutes of action with a sprained left ankle. He's currently the highest percent earned of his price player on the market, but with the recent ankle tweak and the return of Bibby and Artest to the lineup -- Salmons is a hold. I like Francisco Garcia's stock and Brad Miller should earn around $150.
18. New Jersey Nets ($95.61): New Jersey has two big shorts: Nenad Krstic and Jamaal Magloire. Marcus Williams might end up earning $50, which would make him a hold. Sean Williams has earned 56% of his price and is on pace to make $20 per share.
19. Atlanta Hawks ($90.85): The Hawks need to win 40 games and make the playoffs in order to make any money on their team stock. Marvin Williams has earned 55% of his price, Al Horford has earned 47%.
20. Chicago Bulls ($103.06): Is Chicago's team stock a short? Is it a hold? Well, the answer to that changes weekly, but right now I'd say they are a hold. The Bulls still have a small glimmer of hope for making the playoffs which makes earning $100 possible.
21. Philadelphia 76ers ($56.92): Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith have both earned over $25 on the NBA floor, but probably won't see the PROTRADE floor. Samuel Dalembert has played great recently and is quickly becoming a good buy having earned $84 worth of statistics and selling for $149.
22. Charlotte Bobcats ($87.23): Charlotte's dynamic duo of Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace make for dynamic profit potential. Both players earn a decent chunk of change nightly and have earned a solid chunk of their price already.
23. New York Knicks ($73.67): The Knicks are playing better, but there aren't many good buys on this roster. Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson should see a spike in their production with Marbury out. Renaldo Balkman looks like a good performance short.
24. Indiana Pacers ($70.14): The Pacers will need Mike Dunleavy (61% earned) and Danny Granger (58% earned) to step up in the place of Jermaine O'Neal -- who might be done for the season.
25. Milwaukee Bucks ($77.59): Bobby Simmons might be worthy of an IPO soon. Yi Jianlian has earned over 60% of his price, but his recent play hasn't matched how well he did at the start of the season. Mo Williams has earned 55% of his price and since IPO day has only gone up 1.29%.
26. Memphis Grizzlies ($70.79): Memphis is home of one of my favorite buys on the market, Rudy Gay (See BUY BUY BUY). Juan Carlos Navarro has earned a quick $52 and is selling for $91 making him a good look.
27. Los Angeles Clippers ($54.82): If you got in on Chris Kaman at $105 per share you are doing pretty well. Kaman is on pace to earn $214, but I still can't imagine he can continue the same pace for the remaining 45 games -- which is why I dumped his stock when it reached $180.
28. Seattle Sonics ($70.79): You might want to think twice before jumping on the Kevin Durant stock. Durant is playing well enough to earn $140, but not $153. Of the 10 Sonics who are on the market, the best buy is Nick Collison.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves ($48.12): Minnesota's team stock has a great chance of becoming a 50% short. Rashad McCants and Ryan Gomes have become great buys as their roles have increased.
30. Miami Heat ($70.56): Miami doesn't have any buys, only shorts. Shaq and Smush Parker have the the biggest shorting potential.

BUY BUY BUY

1. Rudy Gay - Gay has played excellent recently and is coming into his own in the NBA. At $146, his price might seem high, but Rudy is playing at a pace that pushes his stock price towards $200.
2. Rafer Alston - Alston leads all guards in percent earned with 60.92%. At $95.44, his price tag has a lot of room to go up. And with Mike James and Steve Francis taking a back seat to Alston, he only hopes to improve on his first half numbers.
3. Jamal Crawford - Jamal Crawford's stock price skyrocketed to over $140 when Stephon Marbury was first rumored to be out of the lineup (early November). It slowly dipped down to under $125 for nearly three months before the price rose to $143 on Saturday in light of Marbury's season ending injury. Currently at $135, the Crawford stock still might be a pretty good buy. He's paced to make $161 and if he's able to up his averages to 23, 4 and 5 -- Crawford could earn $180.

SELL SELL SELL

1. T.J. Ford - It surprised me to see Ford's stock stuck at $120 even though there is no sign of Ford coming back in the near future. And even if he does it will be hard to say they need him back with how well Jose Calderon is playing. If Ford returns just after the All-Star break, he'd be lucky to top $100.
2. Randy Foye - Randy Foye has yet to earn $1, but is still priced at $72.75. With his return still up in the air, there is no way his price should be so high.
3. Jermaine O'Neal - O'Neal has not been himself this season statistically and his recent injury could cost him the rest of the year. At $130, O'Neal's stock needs to make an additional $70 in order to reach its price.

PGA Preview: The Buick Invitational (1/22/08)

The golf season can officially start: Tiger Woods is playing. With the PGA bully active for the first time this season, everyone else will be playing for second. Woods has been able to win this event three consecutive years and four out of the past five times at Torrey Pines -- just give him the trophy now.

The Buick Invitational is played in La Jolla, California and marks the first event in which the top two players in the world are participating. Or does it? Woods will be defending his title, but will Phil Mickelson tee up?

Mickelson canceled a news conference this morning and one of his reps issued a statement that said Mickelson was told by his doctor yesterday to stay in bed through the day today. Mickelson has battled a respiratory illness since October, but is hoping to be well enough by tomorrow, when he is scheduled to play in the Buick's required Pro-Am. Mickelson's 17 consecutive Buick Invitational start streak is in jeopardy because players are required to participate in the Pro-Am or they are not allowed to play in the event, although exceptions could be made. In 2001, Mickelson was excused from the Pro-Am due to a bad case of food poisoning that caused him to lose 10 pounds before his first round. Mickelson was able to overcome illness and shot a 64 in the tournaments second round on his way to winning.

What does this all mean? Phil's faking. No, I doubt that, but some columnists and PGA players have criticized Mickelson in the past for missing pre-tournament qualifiers. I imagine that Phil is doing his best to get out of playing in the Pro-Am and I imagine that the sponsors will want him to play. And I imagine he will.

The field is lacking a few of the big names like Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and Adam Scott. But when Tiger Woods is playing, there are sure to be large galleries. Rory Sabbatini, Woody Austin, Jim Furyk, Geoff Ogilvy, Justin Leonard, Anthony Kim and Mike Weir are all good enough to consider, but just missed my list for this weekend. Here are my Tuesday morning thoughts for the upcoming Buick Invitational.


Players to Consider:

1. Tiger Woods -- There is really no reason to bet against Tiger, ever. The only thing this three-time defending champion has to try to accomplish this weekend is setting the course record. Woods shot a four round total of 266 in 1999 which was good enough to tie for the record, anything worse than 23 under par will be a disappointment for Woods.

2. K. J. Choi -- Choi has already added to his trophy case this season with a win at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Choi didn't participate in this event last year, but isn't scared to have to de-thrown Tiger in order to capture consecutive wins. Choi has an early lead in the FedExCup standings -- a lead that he will have to compete against Tiger for all year.

3. Hunter Mahan -- Hunter has been a sniper so far in 2008, he leads the tour in Driving Accuracy percentage and is second in Greens in Regulation percentage. Granted the stats are from the 72 holes he played at the Mercedes-Benz earlier this month where he finished T5, but its a good sign that he's ready to continue dominating at this level. The 27-year-old from Orange, California finished T56 here last year, but it wasn't until later in the year when he broke out onto the scene. Mahan had one stretch from June 7 to August 23 that included one victory, four top 10's and all nine events he finished T22 or better.

4. Brandt Snedeker -- A top 10 finish at the Mercedes-Benz Championship looked to be a promising start for last season's rookie of the year. But his hiccup (missed the cut, finished T69) at the Sony Open won't give him the greatest confidence heading into this weekend's Buick Invitational. Snedeker didn't let his T60 at the Bob Hope last year stop him from going on to finishing 3rd here in La Jolla. Other than his victory at the Wyndham Championship in August, the Buick was Snedeker's best finish during the '07 season.

5. Aaron Baddeley -- A missed cut at the Sony Open may prompt you to avoid Baddeley for this weekend, but I advise otherwise. After starting the year T12 at the Mercedes-Benz, I liked the chances of Baddeley making his name on the tour this year. But a blunder at the Sony Open (MC, finished 100) gave me reason to be concerned about Badds. Hopefully the hottest Australian golfer since Greg Norman can show what he's capable of doing at the Buick.


Players to Avoid:

1. Phil Mickelson -- Regardless of his status for Thursday, I'm avoiding Lefty. Mickelson is the drama queen of the PGA tour. Not only does his game require a lot of finger nails (for plenty of biting), but his off the course drama is starting to remind me of the NFL's between games storylines. In a 100% individual sport that requires a lot of concentration, Mickelson hasn't exactly put himself in a state of peace. Although Mickelson has been able to win despite adversity, there are better, less risky options to choose this weekend.

2. Chris DiMarco -- A second round 67 wasn't good enough to put DiMarco under the cut line last weekend and in his first event of 2008, DiMarco finished T97. DiMarco is getting out on the course earlier this year than last year; he didn't make his first appearance until the first week in February. DiMarco is a slow starter, so don't expect him to post good rounds yet. His first top 10 finish came in the first week of August in '07.

3. Camilo Villegas -- The Buick will be Villegas' first event of the new season. In 2007, he started the year with the Buick and a first round of 67. But his second round 75 forced him to miss out on playing during the weekend. Villegas will need a good start in '08 to help him carry over the three straight top 10 finishes that he so gracefully ended '07 with.

4. Steve Marino -- I know how well Marino has started (T4 at the Sony Open, T29 at the Bob Hope), but I'm feeling a blow-up round coming. Marino seems to follow great scores with mediocre ones. In 2007, Marino finished 8th at the Mayakoba Classic and T20 at the Honda Classic, but then had a string of events where he finished: 131, 62, T69 and 100. Use caution, he followed his T10 and T34 with a 140th, his T10 with an 82, his T15 with a T76.

5. Charley Hoffman -- The pumpkin-pie-haircutted golfer has started great so far this season finishing T20 at the Mercedes and capturing a top 10 finish (T8) at the Bob Hope last weekend. Last year at the Buick, Hoffman played four solid rounds of golf on his way to a T3. I'm avoiding the hot San Diego native Hoffman on account that I feel like he's due for his over-par slide. After winning at the Bob Hope in 2007, Hoffman finished 10 out of his next 14 events above par.

NBA Rumor Mill (1/18/08)

With all the trade talk surrounding Sacramento's Mike Bibby and Ron Artest, it is likely that some team will land the two aging stars before the February 21 trade deadline. Sacramento is trying to go young in order to build towards the future.

Kevin Martin has a contract that pays him $1.8 million. It is assumed that the Maloof brothers will have to fork over some dough in order to keep a young budding talent. With Bibby hauling in $13.5 million per (set to go up next year) and Artest pocketing $7.4 million per, let alone Brad Miller's $10 million, giving Mikki Moore $5.3, Shareef Abdur-Rahim getting paid $5.8 and Kenny Thomas' $7.8 -- the Kings have to make some moves in order to free up some cash.

This probably means the team that takes on Mike Bibby or Ron Artest will have to take on some more, unwanted money along with them. Thomas or SAR will likely attach themselves to the trade.

For Sacramento, having John Salmons playing offensively like Ron Artest does defensively means that if the Kings give up Artest they will need to return a lock-down defender or hope that Salmons can step up his 'D'. Spencer Hawes, Miller and Moore are holding down the center spot which eliminates the need for a big man. Martin is the shooting guard along with Francisco Garcia while Beno Udrih has been playing above expectations at the one.

Cleveland might not be able to take on the money necessary to land Bibby and Artest, but they might be able to land one.

New York has said they are interested in Ron Artest but Isiah Thomas has also announced he will not take on more contract money. If that is the case, it would take New York out of the running for landing the combination of the two. Miami has all but expended every dollar they have, taking on the $20+ million to acquire the combo is unlikely.

Cleveland has been a team eyeing Mike Bibby for the past year. With this season's trade deadline fast approaching, it could be time for Bibby to be shipped.

Sacramento is looking for expiring contracts so Cleveland will have to send Ira Newble (and cash compensation, naturally) with Larry Hughes in order to compensate for taking on Bibby's money. Newble would take the place as Salmons back-up and his $3.4 million is off the books next year. Although trading Bibby's $13.5 for Hughes $12.0 (plus an additional year compared to Bibby) might not be worth all the trouble -- especially since Bibby is a better player than Hughes and Sacramento doesn't really need another shooting guard.

In order for New York to land Artest they will have to send one of their younger emerging stars. David Lee makes for a great swap with Artest, but since Lee's contract is for $900k -- the Knicks would have to send a mid-level contract. A Lee and Malik Rose for Artest trade works money wise. A Lee and Quentin Richardson for Artest trade works. A Lee and Jared Jeffries for Artest trade works.

But why would Sacramento every want to make any of those trades?

Bringing on David lee will give the kings young, inexpensive talent for the next two years. No player on Sacramento plays like Lee. Getting rid of Artest doesn't help the team get better tomorrow or on paper. But the trade is for the long term financial future of the team. The Lee, Rose trade is the most likely scenario because Rose has the least amount of years remaining on his contract (2).

To be honest, I don't know where and I don't know how Bibby and Artest will get traded. But if I have to say so myself, I could make the best case for the combo to be traded to the Twins Cities.

Potential Trade:
Minnesota Gets: Mike Bibby, Ron Artest
Sacramento Gets: Gerald Green, Marko Jaric, Theo Ratliff and Sebastian Telfair

If the Kings would want to take on Marko Jaric's $6.0 million and Theo Ratliff's $11.6 (one year left), the Wolves could also send Gerald Green and Sebastian Telfair's expiring contracts as well. The Kings would trade for three players who together would take nearly $15 million off the books next season for more than $20 million in contracts. The Kings would get point guard help from Jaric and Telfair this season and Gerald Green would provide a third string to Martin. Ratliff is only good for his expiring contract, his money can be transferred to Salmons or Garcia or Hawes in the future.

The Wolves would floor a starting lineup of Mike Bibby, Rashad McCants, Ron Artest, Craig Smith and Al Jefferson. They would be able to bring Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes and Corey Brewer off the bench. Minnesota probably would end up going .500 for the rest of the year with that roster healthy, so they'd end up with a 6th-8th pick. If they could land a center in the draft, the Wolves would compete in the West (and win the title, jk -- homersota.)

As far as I know, the Timberwolves have never made a good trade, so I don't see that trade happening. If Bibby is moved to the Cavs for little or nothing, Cleveland will benefit greatly. If Artest is moved to the Knicks for little or nothing, New York will benefit greatly. But if Minnesota did land this trade, they would benefit the most.

CheChe23's NBA Power Rankings (Jan. 16, 2008)

I really wanted to move the Celtics down after they lost three of four games this past week. But because the Pistons also lost badly to the Knicks, the Suns are feeling Hill's absence, Los Angeles lost Bynum for two months and the Spurs continue to struggle, Boston stays in the top spot. Dallas had its seven-game win streak come to an end on Monday, so I had to leave them ranked behind Boston. KG's crew has started to slow down and show signs of weakness -- they might be taking a page out of the Spurs book. Good coaches will preach patience during the winter months. I am not worried about a couple of losses, but if it becomes a trend it might be time for the West to reclaim the No. 1 spot. Here are my rankings for Week 12 of the 25-week NBA season.

BIGGEST RISE: Washington Wizards from 16th to 12th.
BIGGEST FALL: Memphis Grizzlies from 21st to 26th.

(Editor's note: "LW" indicates each team's ranking from CheChe23's previous week. —RTW)

CheChe23's Power Rankings: January 16, 2008
TEAM	RK (LW)	W-L	COMMENT
	1 (1)	30-6	The Celtics' Big Three experienced its first losing streak together. Boston remains ranked first overall despite back-to-back losses to the Bobcats. Tonight's Celtics-Blazers game should be a good one.
	2 (5)	26-12	Dallas would have been riding an eight-game win streak into this week's rankings had Jason Terry connected on a last-second shot Monday against the Kings. If I had to pick one NBA team to win the championship right now, I'd take Dallas.
	3 (2)	29-10	Detroit beat San Antonio, but fell victim to the road back-to-back. The Pistons held on to beat the Bobcats Saturday, but lost an embarrassing game 65-89 to the Knicks on Sunday. The Pistons will be fine as long as Chauncey Billups has them on his back and Rip Hamilton is pouring in the points.
	4 (6)	25-12	Chris Paul has led the Hornets to 10 wins in their last 12 games. We won't really know if New Orleans is legit or not until after this week, when they face Portland, San Antonio and Denver.
	5 (3)	26-12	Grant Hill has missed four games and will likely miss a dozen more. The Suns have a relatively easy schedule the rest of this month so it shouldn't matter too much. I'm still not convinced that leading the NBA in scoring equals success when the same team gives up the second most points per game.
	6 (4)	26-11	The Lakers have won 11 of their last 12 only losing to Boston, but they moved down this week. Without an All-Star center holding down a key part of the triangle offense, I can't help but to see the impending doom for Los Angeles. The Lakers need to forget about Andrew Bynum being out quick because they are about to face the NBA's best teams without him. The next seven games for L.A.: PHO, DEN, SA, DAL, CLE, NY, DET.
	7 (9)	23-14	Brandon Roy has a serious chance of following up his Rookie of the Year season with a Most Valuable trophy. Roy will put everything on the line tonight against another front-runner for MVP, Kevin Garnett. The Blazers better not wear themselves too thin against Boston -- it's the first of a five game road streak.
	8 (10)	22-17	The Jazz are on a four-game win streak which includes confidence building wins over Phoenix and Orlando. Deron Williams continues to play at an All-Star level. Williams had 33 points (which included 16/20 free throws), 10 assists and 5 rebounds in the most recent Jazz victory.
	9 (7)	22-16	The Warriors have four games this week that should be easy victories: IND, CHI, MIL, MIN. Golden State won't face a legit opponent until Jan. 30 when they travel to New Orleans.
	10 (8)	25-11	San Antonio is 10th, but probably doesn't deserve such a low ranking. They couldn't beat Detroit last Tuesday and they seem to have a chemistry issue. Or it might be a leader issue. In the Spurs/76ers game Monday, Tim Duncan twice told Manu Ginobili to pass the ball. But Ginobili didn't pass, instead he hit four 3-pointers to lead the Spurs to the win. Drama in San Antonio!

OUTSIDE THE TOP 10:

11. Denver Nuggets (22-15): Denver didn't catch a break this week hearing the news about their power forward Nene. The Nuggets need to start playing better on the defensive end (giving up 104.1 ppg) if they want to be seen as one of the leagues elite teams.
12. Washington Wizards (20-17): Taking down Boston two games in a row is something that alone could be set on the season's mantle. Washington is playing great without Arenas which makes me believe he'll be waiting for the post-season before he laces them up again. His blog is saying otherwise.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (19-18): Cleveland in 6-1 in 2008 and was lifted past Memphis last night by LeBron's 51 points, 25 of which came in the 4th quarter and overtime and his nine assists. James is leading the NBA in fourth quarter ppg with nearly 10 points coming in the games final 12 minutes. James leads the NBA in scoring with 29.1 ppg and is averaging career bests in assists per game (7.5) and rebounds per game (7.7).
14. Orlando Magic (24-16): The Magic won last night, but have just two wins in their last seven. Since 14-3 start, Orlando has gone 10-13.
15. Toronto Raptors (20-18): Right now Toronto appears to be the sixth best team in the East and if the playoffs started today they'd be the fifth seed behind Cleveland. Without T.J. Ford, Jose Calderon has stepped up (see HOT HOT HOT).
16. Atlanta Hawks (17-17): Atlanta got the best of Denver last night and evened their record to .500. If the Hawks hope to make a run in the post season they will have to improve on their point per game differential -- which is the NBA's closest to even (ATL scores 95.1 ppg and gives up 95.6 ppg).
17. Houston Rockets (20-19): Houston has now lost two in a row after winning four in a row. Last night's loss to the Sixers was pathetic. The Rockets were up 83-67 in the third quarter and managed to lose (outscored 37-22 in the 4th). Houston is now 7-4 since Tracy McGrady went out with a knee injury -- he is expected to play Saturday against the Spurs.
18. New Jersey Nets (18-19): After making a little progress to start the new year, New Jersey embarks on its six game road trip following back-to-back losses.
19. Indiana Pacers (17-22): Indiana has lost nine of their past 11 -- the most recent five game road trip resulted in four of the losses. Tinsley returning to the starting five should bring structure back into the Pacers offense.
20. Sacramento Kings (15-21): The Kings love what they have in Kevin Martin which is why you'll probably see them ship off Mike Bibby and Ron Artest. The Kings don't need anything substantial in return, so some team could be grabbing a pair of aging All-Stars dieing for a title (Cleveland perhaps?).
21. Philadelphia 76ers (15-24): The Sixers beat Houston last night to end a seven game losing streak. Philadelphia is just playing spoiler the rest of this season, which explains why rumors are that they're trying to deal Andre Miller (re-build = go young = trade Miller).
22. Chicago Bulls (14-22): Joakim Noah might be the scapegoat (his first game back, last night, first career double double), but it's not going to help this team. The Bulls needs a shake up which is why Luol Deng's name has been brought up in conversations that he has normally been left out of.
23. Milwaukee Bucks (15-23): The Bucks have lost three in a row after winning three in a row.
24. New York Knicks (11-26): The Knicks just won back-to-back games for the first time since the end of November.
25. Charlotte Bobcats (12-21): What a great stretch of games for Charlotte, Gerald Wallce has been HOT (cross your fingers he doesn't tweak an ankle).
26. Memphis Grizzlies (10-28): A five game losing streak isn't going to move a team up in the rankings.
27. Seattle Sonics (9-28): A seven game losing streak isn't going to move a team up in the rankings.
28. Los Angeles Clippers (10-23): Los Angeles snuck out their first win of the new year against Phoenix last night. Talk of Sam Cassell moving to a title contender (Dallas) via trade has rejuvenated his game. Last night Cassell had 32 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds in 31 minutes.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-32): This team is as cold as the weather (and their win total is matching the thermometer).
30. Miami Heat (8-28): The Heat get Shaq back tonight, but it will do them no good.

HOT HOT HOT

1. Chris Paul - Paul moved to No. 1 on Funston's Big Board this week. If the guy with two first names can control his turnovers he's an MVP candidate. Paul is averaging 10.3 assist per game (third best in the NBA) and leading the lead in steals per game (2.8).
2. Gerald Wallace - Wallace dropped a season high 40 points Monday to help the Bobs to a win. His January averages are worth a look: 25.3 ppg, 9.1 rbg, 4.8 apg, 2.0 spg and 1.8 bpg.
3. Jose Calderon - Since Ford went out down Calderon has averaged nearly 10 assists per game and shooting nearly 50% from the floor. The Raptors are lucky they can replace injured starters with bench players who could start on a lot of teams in the NBA (NY would be lucky to get Bryan Colangelo).

NOT NOT NOT

1. Carlos Boozer - Boozer's fallen off the MVP-pace he was averaging through December. His averages are down from 22.8, 11.8 and 3.4 in December to 17.3, 7.2 and 1.8 this month. His shooting percentage is also down from 54% to 47%, but Boozer's NOT really NOT -- he is still averaging career numbers this sesson.
2. Peja Stojakovic - Peja was 0/5 from the floor Monday and had just two points. As a "shooter," going 0/5 (and 3/11 from the arc of his past three games) is unacceptable. Stojakovic might be in the role of role player, it just seems like Peja has a game like this every once and a while, which is also unacceptable.
3. Jason Maxiell - After looking like he was starting to get his offensive scoring chances (six out of eight games in double digits), before last night's eight points Maxiell had scoring games of 4,4,6 and 3.

PGA Preview: The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (1/15/08)

The Tour's third event is The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Bob Hope got his name attached to the tournament in 1965 when he became the event's Chairman of the Board. Hope was known to be Hollywood's finest golfer and played with nearly every president. He was not only an entertainer, comedian, broadcaster and host of the Academy Awards 18 times between 1930 and 1977, but he also played in a few PGA Tour events. This tournament is known for its celebrity pro-am and the unique five 18-hole rounds of golf. That's right, the PGA is playing on Wednesday this week.

Carson Daly, Browns Quarterback Derek Anderson, Yogi Berra, Michael Bolton, Alice Cooper, Kenny G, Jimmy Fallon, former sportscaster Keith Jackson, Cheech, Meat Loaf, George Lopez, Happy Gilmore's Daniel Lafferty (Kevin Nealon) and many more celebrities are teeing it up with the professionals this weekend. Whenever I see celebrities playing in an event I immediately dismiss the tournament as having any real value. Golf's best agree that this event is skip-able as most of the "top guys" are sitting at home. But the field has quality and with $900,000 going to first place, I don't think the PGA players are going to worry about the celebs.

Chris DiMarco, Fred Couples, Mark O'Meara, John Rollins, Lucas Glover, Anthony Kim and Stewart Cink are all playing their first events of 2008. There a over a dozen other golfers who could easily win this weekend including the last three champions Charley Hoffman, Chad Campbell and Justin Leonard. Hope this helps, here for my five to consider and five to avoid.


Players to Consider:

1. Mike Weir -- Weir seems like the only safe pick this weekend. With none of the big name golfers playing, Weir must take advantage of a weak field to continue his campaign for a place amongst those big names. Weir has made 40 of his last 47 cuts and his past four events (carrying over from last '07) he's placed T10, first and fourth.

2. Will MacKenzie -- For someone who made the cut in two out of three events last season, MacKenzie is ready to get rid of the sour taste left from missing the cut of the Sony Open. I like the way MacKenzie played last year and I think he'll find success early (6 top 25's and 3 top 10's in 2007). MacKenzie should continue last season's success at "The Hope" this weekend.

3. Woody Austin -- Austin started this year with a T18 at the Mercedes-Benz and will use a weaker field to get back on his 2007 track. Last year Austin was able to capture his first PGA Tour victory since 2004 (he also finished second twice). Woody's experience and consistency will help him stay in it from Wednesday to Sunday.

4. Kevin Na -- Finishing fourth at the Sony Open was probably a disappointment for Na -- he finished the final round with a 72 (even after an eagle on the 18th). Last year Na didn't exactly finish strong at "The Hope" (fifth round 80), but I have a feeling 2008 will be a different story for this 25 year-old from Seoul. Not to mention that he's got a personality (and a personality that isn't based on wearing flashy colors or flipped-up visors, he's actually got charisma).

5. Chad Campbell -- The 2006 Bob Hope winner had what I would consider an off-season in 2007. With just two top 10 finishes (down from back-to-back seasons with five top 10's) and finishing a disappointing 106th in the FedExCup standings, Campbell started 2008 with a T12 and a T10. Look for Campbell to remain focused and use his '06 win along with a quick start to '08 as confidence.


Players to Avoid:

1. Kenny Perry -- This past winner (1995) won't be walking off with the trophy this weekend. Despite shooting numbers I only dream of putting up (70,71), Perry wasn't good enough and missed the cut at the Sony Open. A reason to avoid Perry at the Bob Hope Classic could be is athleticism. In a five round tournament, endurance could be a key to victory and Perry isn't exactly Tiger Woods (who, ironically, was the first person's name I could find to came up in a google search of "person in good shape").

2. Mark Calcavecchia -- After starting the season T10 at the Mercedes-Benz, Calcavecchia busted himself going higher and higher through the weekend (68, 71, 73, 75) and finished a lousy T68 at the Sony Open. Calcavecchia could get off to a hot start and go on to finish in the top 10 (finished T8 in 2007) or he could falter after his typical four round pace (finished T44 in 2006 after fifth round 73).

3. Bubba Watson -- Watson's final round 75 at the Sony Open ruined the 67 he posted on Saturday forcing Bubba to finish T50. Watson has to turn around on a short week and try to forget about his Sunday blemish. Bubba didn't make it to Sunday at this event last year and I don't see him getting there this year.

4. Anthony Kim -- Early in the PGA season I tend to avoid young players I consider hit or miss. Kim has a lot of potential and is widely considered an up and comer (or a "hit), but I'll avoid him since this weekend marks his first event of 2008 (his rust could make him a "miss").

5. Fred Couples -- Couples starts his season at the Bob Hope Classic -- or does he? If you are smart, you would avoid Couples all season. I don't know what he has scheduled for this year, but in 2007 Couples only appeared in The FBR Open and The Masters while withdrawing from the Bob Hope and the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Freddy turned pro 28 years ago and has made over $20 million since, he's not worried about winning or even playing for that matter.

NBA Rumor Mill (1/11/08)

My idea for this week's Rumor Mill came to me when I was thinking about the voting process in the All-Star game. With Kevin Garnett as the leading vote-getter, my attention turned to the second leading vote-getter in the Eastern Conference: LeBron James.

I'm of the group that feels that players who play in major markets tend to get favoritism in the voting process. Kobe leads the Western Conference in voting -- that's not to say he isn't the best player in the West, but I can't help to feel Kobe is the benefit of being in the Los Angeles market. Garnett may be different, he is having the best year of anyone in the NBA and his new team has been the storyline of the NBA this season. But what about smaller market teams, like say, the Cleveland Cavaliers? Do players who play for smaller markets suffer when it comes to "fan" drivin results? What if Kobe played for Milwaukee or if KG was a member of the Jazz? Would the results of the voting be the same?

All of the "what if" questions I thought up while writing this weeks power rankings post got me thinking about the second leading vote-getter in the East. LeBron James could easily win a title and make millions (if not billions) playing for the Cavs. His reputation and his personality will allow him to be a media darling for years to come. If he can stay healthy there are plenty of records and accomplishments that he is going to achieve. With that said what if LeBron James didn't play in the small town market of Cleveland, Ohio. If LeBron James played for a major market team such as the Celtics -- would he be the player with the most votes right now?

Potential Trade:
New York Gets: LeBron James, Larry Hughes and Eric Snow
Cleveland Gets: Zach Randolph, Jamal Crawford, Jared Jeffries, David Lee and Nate Robinson

Before you immediately dismiss the possibility of Cleveland moving James, consider their current team and the chances that they will make it back to the NBA finals. And before you say Cleveland would never give up its two best players for a bunch of the Knicks shlubs -- Hughes is not Cleveland's second best player (Z is) and Randolph, Crawford, Jeffries, Lee and Robinson actually make a pretty decent starting line-up, almost better than the current one the Cavs floor each night.

Let me break it down. In order to trade LeBron James you need to get something unreal in return. A trade for James requires the Cavs to get in return a solid big man, scoring and rebounding to make up for LBJ, a solid point guard along with that each player needs to be young and have a good future ahead of them.

Now, the Knicks might be one of the worst teams in the NBA, but their players are actually talented. Isiah Thomas has spent the most money out of any team in the NBA so New York should have some expendable potential talent.

Also, in order to trade LeBron James, Cleveland is going to need to return a lot of talent and therefore a lot of salary cap money. For a LeBron trade to go down the Cavs would have to send along money in order to compensate for the talent being transferred -- this is where Larry Hughes comes in. Hughes has been a big disappointment for everyone associated with the Cavaliers organization. Since coming over from Washington, Hughes has failed to live up expectations and this would be a good way for Cleveland to cut ties with him.

So how is this trade fair? Well it might not be. No trade for LeBron might ever be considered "fair". But like I've said before, it's not like the Timberwolves really wanted to trade Garnett, but these things happen.

Nate Robinson and David Lee are two very talented up and coming players. They should not be seen as throw-ins to this trade by any means. These guys alone are worth more than Larry Hughes and Eric Snow combined. Jared Jeffries is starting to come into his own in the NBA and would make a solid forward to come in off the bench in place of Lee or who they currently have now, Drew Gooden. Zach Randolph would fill in the missing piece that the Cavaliers really need and would be a very nice compliment to Zydrunas Ilgauskas. In order to make up for LeBron's scoring output, Jamal Crawford would take the lost shots.

The Knicks would obviously take a pretty big hit losing basically five NBA-starters in one trade, but having James would again make them relevant in the East. Eddy Curry's role would increase significantly while Randolph Morris and Jerome James would need to step up their roles as well. The Knicks line-up would be Morris, Curry, James, Hughes and Marbury with Fred Jones, Wilson Chandler and Renaldo Balkman coming off the bench first. The Cavs would remain in the Eastern Conference playoff race with Ilgauskas, Randolph, Gooden, Crawford and Daniel Gibson with Nate Robinson, David Lee, Shannon Brown, Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic making the Cavs bench very deep.

This trade might not put the Knicks into the playoffs this year, but it will at least give them a strong, bright, LeBron James-led future. Just think of the rivalry between Boston (KG) and New York (LeBron) for the next couple years. And then think of the New York vs Los Angeles (Kobe) rivalry that we would have the luxury of witnessing. But if anything, maybe LeBron would be able to compete with KG for top vote-getter in the All-Star game if James found himself playing in one of the largest market in the world.

CheChe23's NBA Power Rankings (Jan. 9, 2008)

There are only 11 days left to vote for the 2008 NBA All-Star rosters. The latest tallies were announced last Thursday, and it should come as no surprise that Kevin Garnett leads all players in votes. If the voting ended today, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade and Jason Kidd would fill in the starting line-up for the Eastern Conference around KG. Kobe Bryant leads all Western Conference players in total votes and would start at point guard for the West. It appears that Houston's duo, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, will be starting together for their fourth straight year. Tim Duncan and Carmelo Anthony have received enough votes to be confident that they'll be the other Western Conference All-Star starters around Kobe, Yao and T-Mac. Sixty players from each conference appear on the NBA All-Star ballot; I'm using my comments this week to review the All-Star candidates from each team.

BIGGEST RISE: New Jersey Nets from 19th to 13th.
BIGGEST FALL: Atlanta Hawks from 13th to 18th.

(Editor's note: "LW" indicates each team's ranking from CheChe23's previous week. —RTW)

CheChe23's Power Rankings: January 9, 2008
TEAM	RK (LW)	W-L	COMMENT
	1 (2)	29-3	Boston is back on top after squaring the season series with Detroit thanks to the assistance of Boston's All-Star nominees Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. While KG is the leading vote-getter, Pierce might get left out and Allen's All-Star hopes are slowly diminishing after he's had to spend some time on the bench. I can't imagine that making the All-Star team is what is important to these guys.
	2 (1)	26-8	Detroit almost represented the entire All-Star starting line-up a few years back, but this season they might only send Billups. Despite having one of the best teams in basketball -- Detroit's players don't seem to attract the voters. Even though the entire starting roster is good enough to be nominated (Detroit's starters are all on the ballot: Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Antonio McDyess, Tayshaun Price and Rasheed Wallace), it is likely Billups and Wallace will be All-Stars this season.
	3 (3)	24-10	Phoenix has six players on the ballot. Steve Nash, Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire are all good enough to be All-Star starters, but will settle for coming in the game as reserves. Raja Bell is probably happy with his nomination while Grant Hill and Leandro Barbosa hope their consistent play will be good enough to sneak them in.
	4 (4)	22-11	Andrew Bynum isn't even on the list of Western Conference center nominations -- he has played well enough to start, but will settle for getting in as a reserve. Luke Walton is a forward nominee along with Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant leads the Western Conference in votes.
	5 (5)	23-11	Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki should both be All-Stars, but the other Dallas candidates don't have a chance. Jerry Stackhouse (but not Devin Harris?), Jason Terry and Erik Dampier are on the ballot and make the Mavericks a good team, but they haven't been good enough to be considered All-Stars.
	6 (9)	23-11	New Orleans has Peja Stojakovic, David West, Tyson Chandler and Chris Paul as candidates for the All-Star starting line-up. It's unlikely that Chandler will get in due to the amount of talent there is at center in the West (Kaman, Camby, Ming, Stoudamire), but David West has played well enough to get the nod as a reserve forward. Chris Paul should be an All-Star, but we can assume that Bryant, Iverson, McGrady and Nash will be in at guard -- so will there be space for Brandon Roy, Deron Williams, Baron Davis, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Chris Paul? You have to think Paul is in regardless -- the game is being played in New Orleans.
	7 (11)	20-15	Golden State beat San Antonio on Monday night in a thrilling overtime game moving them up to seventh this week and above the Spurs. Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson are both MVP candidates, but it will probably be Davis who ends up as the All-Star. Monta Ellis, Al Harrington and Andris Biedrins are on the ballot but haven't played well enough this season to be considered reserve candidates.
	8 (6)	23-10	The Spurs forward Tim Duncan will be an All-Star starter and forward Manu Ginobili should make the All-Star team as a reserve. Tony Parker, Michael Finley and Ginobili have the unfortunate circumstance of being among the deep and talented guard pool of the West. It's going to be hard to leave Manu off the All-Star list with what he did during the start of the season. Bruce Bowen was probably nominated for his skills on the defensive end, but in the All-Star game defense is the opposite of what fans really want.
	9 (8)	21-13	Portland fans can vote for LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy and Jarrett Jack as starters. The Blazers are the youngest team in the NBA and have many future All-Stars. Aldridge could easily be a reserve at center if he didn't play in the West and Roy's season is deserving of starter status. Each Blazer would be very satisfied with a ASG roster spot, but Portland's rising talent might have to wait for an All-Star game at a later date.
	10 (12)	18-17	Utah's Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams will make the Western Conference All-Star bench very scary. Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur show up on the ballot, but both won't make this year's All-Star roster.

OUTSIDE THE TOP 10:

11. Denver Nuggets (21-13): Nene as a candidate for All-Star starter is what makes the ballot a joke. Carmelo Anthony will probably start and Iverson is hoping for a last second voting push to get him into the starting lineup. Marcus Camby has played great this season and he will more than likely fill one of the center reserve spots for the West.
12. Orlando Magic (22-13): Orlando's Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard are the Magic players on the ballot this season. Despite having a career year, Turkoglu will probably be overlooked. Nelson and Lewis helped the Magic get out to a hot start in early November, but their recent struggles will hinder their All-Star chances.
13. New Jersey Nets (17-17): Jason Kidd recorded his third straight triple-double last night, but the Nets couldn't get their sixth straight win -- the last player to record double digits in three separate statistical categories three games in a row was Grant Hill in 1997.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers (18-17): Zydrunas Ilgauskas has played well enough through the first two months of the season that he might find himself on the bench as an All-Star reserve. Ilgauskas could capture an invitation to the ASG because of the down year that Ben Wallace, Shaquille O'Neal and Emeka Okafor are having. LeBron will obviously be on center stage for the game, but what everyone really wants to know is if he'll be dunking in this year's dunk contest. Don't expect to see the other Cav candidates Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes on the East's All-Star bench. Gooden and Hughes haven't played at an All-Star level even though they are on the 120 player ballot.
15. Toronto Raptors (17-17): Chris Bosh has made it clear that he's campaigning for starting forward, "'Aint that right Bubba?". Even though his commercial is pretty comical -- I don't see Bosh overtaking KG or LBJ as an All-Star starter this season. Toronto's other nominees include Andrea Bargnani, Anthony Parker, Jason Kapono and T.J. Ford -- none of them expect to make this year's All Star team. What is funny is that Jose Calderon is the only other Raptor that has a real shot at making the reserve roster and he's the only guy left off the ballot (again, proving the ballot and the voting is all a big joke).
16. Washington Wizards (17-16): The Wizards are 14-11 without Gilbert Arenas which tells me they have found a system that works without their All-Star guard. Caron Butler will likely be the lone representative for the Wizards in the ASG. Antawn Jamison is on the ballot, but Brendan Haywood might get more consideration for his consistent play.
17. Houston Rockets (18-17): T-Mac and Yao would be All-Star starters if the game was played this weekend. Shane Battier and even Luis Scola appear on the ballot, but neither should expect to see themselves on the list of names of All-Star reserves.
18. Atlanta Hawks (15-16): Atlanta hasn't played well as of late and their All-Star nominations could be to blame. Zaza Pachulia accompanies Josh Smith and Joe Johnson as Hawk nominees.
19. Indiana Pacers (16-19): If Jamaal Tinsley did not have to sit recently due to injury, his name would still be talked about as a possible All-Star. Along with Tinsley, Mike Dunleavy, Danny Granger and Jermaine O'Neal are all on the ballot. Dunleavy might not get the respect his recent play deserves and will likely be an All-Star snub, while O'Neal and Granger haven't done enough to really warrant a selection.
20. Philadelphia 76ers (14-21): Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala will be the 76ers only All-Star -- if they get one. The 76ers have Andre Miller and Samuel Dalembert as nominees (and Kyle Korver).
21. Memphis Grizzlies (10-24): Memphis has Rudy Guy, Mike Miller and Pau Gasol on the ballot, none of which are worthy of a All-Star invite.
22. Sacramento Kings (12-20): I had to check to see if I was reading the right nomination when I came across Mike Bibby's name. Sacramento also has Kevin Martin, Ron Artest and Brad Miller as nominees, but the real players in Sac-town are Francisco Garcia and John Salmons.
23. Seattle Sonics (9-25): Kevin Durant, Nick Collison, Wally Szczerbiak and Luke Ridnour are the Sonics players listed as possible players to start in New Orleans on Sunday, February 17. Durant will be playing basketball on All-Star weekend, but it will only be in the Rookie vs Sophomore game.
24. Chicago Bulls (13-20): Of the Bulls five nominated: Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Andres Nocioni and Ben Wallace -- none will make the All-Star team.
25. Milwaukee Bucks (14-20): Andrew Bogut, Michael Redd, Mo Williams and Charlie Villanueva make up the Bucks nominees -- Redd has a chance because of his scoring output, but the other guys don't.
26. New York Knicks (9-24): New York beat Chicago last night, but that doesn't mean much. Jamal Crawford, Stephon Marbury, Zach Randolph, David Lee and Eddy Curry are the Knick's All-Star nominees.
27. Charlotte Bobcats (12-21): Charlotte could send Jason Richardson or Gerald Wallace to New Orleans, but Raymond Felton and Emeka Okafor will likely miss out on this year's All-Star game.
28. Los Angeles Clippers (10-21): Corey Maggette, Cuttino Mobley and Chris Kaman are this year's nominees for Los Angeles. Kaman's play during the first part of the season has put his name in the same breath as Duncan, Stouademire and Camby -- he should be the lone representative from the Clippers.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-29): Al Jefferson averages numbers worthy of a roster spot on the Western Conference All-Star team, but because the Wolves are so bad he might not get an invitation.
30. Miami Heat (8-27): Miami is the worst team in the NBA after losing to Minnesota on Tuesday. Dwyane Wade will start for the East, but the rest of his team's nominations (Udonis Haslem, Shaquille O'Neal) will be watching from home.

HOT HOT HOT

1. Brad Miller - The 7-footer from Purdue has been playing on a different level recently. Miller's game came together on Saturday when he had 22 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists.
2. Josh Boone - Boone has started the last 10 games and the Nets are 7-3. Over Boone's stretch as a starter, he has had games of 17 points and 9 rebounds and 12 points and 12 rebounds. The Nets are using the 23rd overall pick in 2003 as the back-bone of their recent hot streak (without mentioning Kidd).
3. Nate Robinson - Robinson scored in double digits in eight straight before scoring seven points last night (but he had 10 assists). Over the last nine games Robinson 20/45 from three (44%) and has seen his time on the floor go from 18 minutes per game in November to 29 minutes per game -- the exact amount he played last night.

NOT NOT NOT

1. Joe Johnson - The Hawks have been struggling as of late and the shooting percentage is to blame. Johnson was recently on the HOT list, but because he launches the sixth most shots per game in the NBA (18.7) and his percentage is the lowest of the players who attempt the most shots -- it will be up to Joe-John to help get Atlanta back on track.
2. Rajon Rondo - Rondo was 1/7 and had just three points in the Celtics win over the Pistons on Saturday. Rondo has been a team player, but his recent play has been shabby. He has only topped double digits scoring one time in the past six games and hasn't had 10+ assists since November 23.
3. Shaquille O'Neal - Superman is apparently returning soon, but he might be too late. Shaq has missed his last six games and the Heat are 0-6. If O'Neal is smart he won't rush back and expend his energy this season.