Paul Millsap of the Utah Jazz has taken over as power forward. Carlos Boozer? Long forgotten. Third year pro out of Louisiana Tech, Millsap has been inserted into the starting lineup for injured Boozer has has prospered. Millsap has recorded 12 straight double doubles and is averaging almost 14 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, and shooting 54% from the Field. Very impressive. Despite these good number, excellent hustle plays and energy Millsap brings the Jazz still need Boozer and his low post scoring – however they do not miss his defense. Millsap has proven he is a good NBA player. It will be interesting to see at the end of the season as Millsap is a free agent if the Jazz are able to keep him. In the meantime he continuous to prosper.

The Lakers get the most favorable calls I have ever seen. Just watching how the refs changed the game in game 5 vs the Jazz was ridiculous. Kobe and company get so many questionable calls it is unbelievable. Harpring and Millsap for the Jazz get every touch called as a foul (not saying they don’t foul, just saying they get called more than they probably should). Every time Kobe blinks he gets a foul called. Last night Odom’s dunk, Vujacic kicking the ball and getting a foul, Walton over Harpring in the corner, Gasol’s travel (when 2 had previously been called on the Jazz). It was quite shocking the questionable calls that were made. The Lakers are good, but they are getting help from the refs.

The top ten best or should we say worst floppers in the NBA. Make sure to check out the King of Flop. Flopping is not an art form, it looks ridiculous and is a disease taking over the NBA. This isn’t European Soccer. Quit Flopping!

(This list does not mean these players are bad. For example, I love Matt Harpring and the way he plays. No one is tougher. But, he flops and fakes sometimes. That’s all I’m saying)

10. Vlade Divac (even though he retired I put him on the list because I still have nightmares about his flops)

9. Vince Carter

8. Matt Harpring

7. Raja Bell

6. Derek Fisher

5. Shane Battier

4. Bruce Bowen

3. Anderson Verajao

2. Manu Ginobili

And the King of Flop is…

1. Kobe Bryant

If you have any thoughts let me know and I will continue to adjust this list. This is tough to determine because practically everyone in the NBA flops.

Players also getting votes are: Richard Hamilton, Dwayne Wade, Fabricio Oberto, Tracy McGrady, Andrei Kirilenko, Luis Scola,

The second round of the NBA playoffs (and the 1st round for Boston) have shown the top 4 NBA teams are all beatable. The Spurs and Lakers looked awesome in the first round. But they have struggled in the 2nd round. The Jazz and Hornets are both tied with the two top West teams and 2 games a piece. For the East Boston and Detroit were head and shoulders above the other teams during the regular season but the playoffs have shown maybe things are closer than we previously thought.

I think this is the case of the opponents, Jazz, Hornets, Cavs, and Magic are all really good teams. These series are all tight and besides one defensive lapse by the Magic would all be tied up series.

So far the only 1 blockbuster NBA trade has paid off – Pau Gasol to the Lakers. Even though this trade was more like a freebie it has clearly been the best trade of the year. Gasol has had a huge impact on the dominant looking Lakers. The shaggy caveman is playing awesome. Kyle Korver to the Jazz is probably the second most valuable trade so far.

Jason Kidd has not turned the Mavericks around as anticipated and Shaq to the Suns is turning out to not be so great of a plan after all. The Suns brought him to Phoenix to help beat the Spurs. He is slowing down Tim Duncan so maybe his is doing what they wanted but I think they gave up too much in Shawn Marion to make that trade worth it.

Even though these trades are definitely not busts in my mind since the West is so competitive but it does put major question marks as to the direction for next season for the teams that pulled the trigger.

The Rockets are done. The Jazz have defeated them twice, in Houston . Its going back to Utah for 2 games and they aren’t going to make it back to Houston . Their only ammo left is excuses. Yao is gone, Rafer Alston is gone, Kirilenko flopped… blah, blah, blah.

I will give them the first excuse. Yao Ming is arguably their best player. He is sorely missed. This series would be very different with him in the middle; however, Utah would still win. He might mean a couple of wins in the series, but without him the Rockets will be done in 4 games.

Excuse number 2. The way the Rockets have talked about Rafer Alston the past few days you would think he is on the NBA 50 greatest players list. He will make an impact but that will mean nothing to the outcome of the game.

Kirilenko did over exaggerate, okay even flop, but that wasn’t even close to the worse flop in the game. Not only was it not even a level 4 flop on the 5 point flop scale (5 being extreme fake), but Jackson took that shot a couple seconds after the call. Play was stopping. And besides that play did not cost the game for the Rockets. Not even close.

Keep the excuses coming Rockets because that’s all you got left.

The West is crazy. Never before have the playoff teams been so close together. The top 9 teams in the West all could have over 50 wins this season. I believe the record is 6 teams with 50 wins. It is really amazing how tough the West is. In reality any of the top 8 teams could be ranked 1st or 8th.
Today the New Orleans Hornets were the first Western Conference team to secure a playoff spot – and with only 5 games left to play. Unheard of. That is crazy. Already 7 Eastern Conference teams have secured a spot. Each day the positions and potential match ups change. It will really come down to the last day of the season until everything is set in stone. And then starts the real madness. Never before has a playoff been so close where a any team has a legitimate chance of winning the Western Conference. Crazy.
I feel bad for the 9th team who will be left out. Right now it is between Dallas, Denver and Golden State. Chances are it will be Golden State sitting at home which is ridiculous considering they would be the 4th best team in the East. How can a 31-44 Indiana team still be alive for a playoff spot in one conference and a 46-30 Golden State struggling to make the playoff in another conference?
The NBA should take the top 16 teams and line them up for the playoffs. Regardless of the conference. That would be fairest.

The Rockets win streak is now the second longest in NBA history. 22 games in a row is quite a feat, especially thinking of all the dominant teams the never won that many in a row. Shane Battier said they are the worst team be get this long of a win streak, and I agree. You would expect the top team to do this but not a team that was out of the playoffs. Now, the Rockets sit in first place. Without Yao Ming. Playing together as a team. Pretty awesome.

FINAL FOUR TEAMS 1998-2007

(Year, Winner, Runner-up, Other Two Final Four Teams)

2007 Florida, Ohio St., UCLA, Georgetown

2006 Florida, UCLA, LSU,George Mason

2005 North Carolina, Illinois, Louisville, Michigan St.

2004 Connecticut, Georgia Tech, Duke, Oklahoma St.

2003 Syracuse, Kansas,Texas, Marquette

2002 Maryland, Indiana, Kansas, Oklahoma

2001 Duke, Arizona, Michigan St., Maryland

2000 Michigan St., Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin

1999 Connecticut, Duke, Michigan St., Ohio St.

1998 Kentucky, Utah, North Carolina, Stanford