Portland, Oregon Day 2

It was kind of weird waking up in a new house, someone else's house, not our house and such a nice house. After showering, dressing and then climbing the stairs to the top level for a quick breakfast before leaving we were greetd with an absolutely amazing view, something that was only hinted at last night due to it being pitch black.

Betsy and Rich's hosue had a massive deck with a great view of Mt Hood way off in the distance. It was Fall currently, and with Portland being a town that seems to have been built perfectly into the natural landscape there were trees everywhere. Great fall colours and an amazing view right outside the front door. A squirrel was going nuts on the balcony ledge, moving skittishly from side to side. Squirreltys seem to move like lightning. They are innactive and still, and then all of a sudden BAM! they move suddenly and quickly in the space of a second and then freeze again.

Leslie and her husband Brian had a big day of activits planned for us and they swung by around 8.30am. We needed to leave early as at this time of the year daylight was only a 9 hour or so thing. Up at around 7.30am and down by shortly after 4.30pm.

First port of a call was a coffee stop, luckily nearby there was a hardware store where i suited up with the biggest pair of gumboots available. I wa warned that we'd be in for some mud bashing so they definetely come in handy. I strolled out with them on, always a good look in a suburban car-park - a guy with gumboots up to his knees strolling around casually.

We drove for about 45 minutes east with the columbia river, our destination being the beautiful Multnomah Falls. These falls are the second largest year-round waterfalls in the United States. Just a great area for the first stop which really epitamised Portland. Cool, fresh air, trmendous colours, flowing water. Portland is a palce teeming with life. The Pacific Northwest sure is a special place.

Not only did we saw the falls here we saw salmon spawning in the river. An utterly grose process - the female slamon dig out a whole - drop their eggs, then the strongest waiting male fertilizes the eggs by dropping a cloud of sperm over them,. Good stuff. Brian knows so much about fish. He told us that these fish have a 6 year lifespan (or was it 4? Sorry Brian! I tried really hard to soak up all the info) and after born swim downstream into the ocean. Here they live and are healthy eating fish - with a nice silvery colour. But as they near the end of their lives they swim back up stream to their place of origin. With all of their energies going into the spawning process the salmon lose their colour and change from silver - to yellow then on to a deep deep red - nearly a burgeondy colour as they near the spawning stage and ultimately death. Poor little fishies!

We also stopped off for brunch here, before commencing leg two! next stop were the Salmon spawning farms. Here they manually harvest the eggs - and feed the fish a regulated amount as they grow, before releasing them down stream.

Also here there was what i called Sensai Sturgeon. This massive fish was just so huge. Notice their distinctive weird moustache that they have that kind of makes them look like a wise old karate master?

There was also a feeding pond where we could feed the fish! One young buckaroo was sure excited about the fish feeding - recounting his fish feeding experience like an old fisherman who'd fought the battle of his life against some mythical underwater beast of the high seas.Ya-Harrrr!

This place was a beatuiful area - despite what your morale principles were in relation to 'tampering' with nature. Considering we've already with tampered with nature hopefulyl tampering with nature in a good way goes someway to making up for all the terrible things we do. This place was cool. Great old weatherboard buildings, trains travelling along a high bridge above us - and on the opposite side great views of a snow capped mountain range.

We then stopped  quickly at a loch. The loch. is a place where the water level can be raised and lowered as necessary to allow boats to travel downstream near a dam. It's a large area that is sealed from both sides and is then either filled or emptied like a swimming pool. The water level rises really fast.

Already done a fair bit hey? Well. Not done there by any stretch. From here we headed south towards Mt. Hood and snow action. Leslie and Brian had bought their dogs alogn with them. Despite them being exceptionally well behaved (images spring to mind of Rimmer on the back seat of the old commodore), we were all keen for the dogs to get out and go for a run.

As we headed towards the mountains we passed apple and pear tree farms. A yarn store which I'm sure Leslie will find her way to real soon. At one point we considered turning back. We had to stop right on the road as there was a massive accident ahead. Turned out a car had flipped and was in a ditch on the opposite side of the road. The car on its roof - pretty mangled - and the jaws of life were being used to extract what I hope was a survivor.

But we made it passed there and continued travelling. We let the dogs out and had a look around. The dogs were stoked to be out. As was I. First chance to test out the gumboots! Hahaha. I was keen for a big snowball fight.

We stopped at another spot where we got some cool snaps of the creek.

Along the side of the road we also stoppped as I fluked a cool viewing spot of Mt Hood. Pity we hadn't planned to go skiing. Apparantly its a great resort for skiers and boarders alike. We even drove past a few operating chair lifts which i guess were for beginners.

We left the snow covered area and stopped for coffees at a small store. Here i got a chocolate shake. Obviously because ti wasn't cold enough outside. Hear Sherry tried an eggnog late. Apparantly a real winner.

We couldn't stop for too long as we had one more stop to make. So we drank and drove towards a really cool walking track alongside a small river. Gumboots came in handy again here. The dogs loved it. One dog was really good at staying - almost heeling - right alongside Leslie and Brian. Meanwhile the other dog was tearing up the track out of sight of u - returning every now and again to make sure we were on our way. It was getting dark along the track but this was good fun. Trees were just covered in moss on their trunks and branches due to all the moisture.

We were all pretty tired and in need of some food. We stopped off at a bbq house where you grabbed a trey and it was sort of like a cafeteria. You ask for ribs, steak - move on to the next station - grab a salad - chips etc. and then go and make your own sauce. I ordered a full rack of ribs. I coulnd't quite get the sauce right still enjoyed all but 2 of the ribs. The baked potatoes are always delicious - as are the beans. Ribs, spud and beans are the best combo ever - maybe aside from the mexican skillet.

Phew! Such a long day. We did so much. Massive thanks to Lesie and Brian. They didnt have to do what they did, but obviously they are really nice people who are proud to be called Oregonians!

Portland, Oregon Day 1

I'm writing this bout 2 weeks after we first arrived so it's all going to be a bit sketchy. but I'll see how I go.

Janet dropped us off at the Santa Barbaa airport just after 3.30pm for our flight which would see us stop off briefly in Sacramento, before heading onward to Portland.

At frst we didnt even know if we were on the flight as our boarding opasses had no seat allocation. After speaking up it was all cool and they were allocated as we went through the boarding gate. I asked if Sherry and I could sit together. I think the process was pretty unformal, because we didnt get off the plane at Sacramento and people came up and said 'You are in my seat'. So we had to move to our originally allocated seats. We then had to move again! So 2 moves on the ground at Sacramento. If only the check-in lady had formerly changed our seats in Santa Barbara.

Arriving in Portland we were greeted by a Gary Payton look-a-like at the car rental place. He was pretty happy with our demeanour so upgraded us to a decent all-wheel drive car. We then headed off towards Leslie's in law's house which was located near Lake Oswego - a suburb about 15 minutes from downtown Portland.

My first impressions of Portland were - cold, dark, hilly and lots of bridges. I expected Portland to be a massive city but it was actually kind of small. I couldn't see much at night time but Portland seemed to be built on the bank of a river with little flat land between the water and the hills at the back of the city.

We arrived at Betsy and Rich's house, a lovely home up a street where the houses have no fences, it all seemed like Ivanhoe/Upper Beaconsfield living but only just out of town. A very nice house. Leslie was there to greet us and gave us the grand tour.

NBA High Five

1. Milwaukee

Maybe all teams can take a page out of the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks notebook. Simply get rid of your best player, make up some ellaborate excuse about an injury or something, and then watch the wins roll in quicker than a Miss Kitty slot machine.

Michael Redd, the Bucks franchise guy since trading mentor Ray Allen to the Seattle Supersonics, has not played since leaving the third quarter of the Bucks home opener against the Pistons. Reports say that Redd has suffered a strained left patella tendon and he will be re-evaluated in a few days.
He'd be hoping that the news is good so he can get back on the court and be a part of the success that his teammates are enjoying.

Expected to be one of the worst teams in the leauge, Milwaukee are on top of the Central division. Sure, they have had a pretty favourable opening schedule that doesnt really start to look tough until very late in November, but they are beating teams.Last night's win against Denver was their best.

Andrew Bogut, the 7 foot Austrlian, posted his best numbers of the season (23 points, 10 rebounds), but it was Brandon Jennings who had everybody talking. His skill set had already been recognised by many experts, as he took over the scoring load when Michael Redd sat out, but last night against the Nuggets he elevated his game to another level.

Perhaps the highest praise is from that of his peers. Chauncey Billups said of Jennings "Give him credit, he stepped up and made some big, big shots. He was great all night. That, to me, is sometimes more than the result. That you have the ultimate confidence than you can hit those shots. That was impressive."

The Bucks will be hoping that they can keep him around and build up their franchise. Over the last few seasons they have parted ways with Mo Williams, Charlie Villenuva, Ramon Sessions and Richard Jefferson.

2. Richard Jefferson finding his way without Duncan and Parker

It was always going to take some time for Richard Jefferson to grow accustomed to playng as a starter in an offense that, for the most part, already was working. With Tony and Tim on the court the ball will typically be given to Tony to drive and create off pick and roll situations , or given to Duncan on the block. That leaves little opportunity for Jefferson to find his spots on offense.
With Parker and Duncan out due to injury, Jefferson was forced to take on more of the scoring responsibilities, and perhaps the absentism of the two all-stars is just what was needed for Jefferson. Without Parker on the floor Jefferson has scored 19 points (against Portland), 24 (against Toronto), and in last night's win against the Mavericks 29.

Jefferson finally looked conftorbale in his new Spurs uni., but this was without Duncan and Parker on the floor. Will that confidence stick around when Duncan and Parker return? I still have questions, as to how Jefferson will find his slashing opportunities in that offense. Coach Popovich may need to work out ways to incorporate Jefferson's abilities rather than hoping he will slip into the rotation and find his place. Jefferson is not a role player, he is Grade A- scorer and when you hadd such an important piece, the offense needs to change slightly to allow that player to fully utilise what he can add to a team.
3. Will Bynum's Dunk fest

I've always liked the Pistons young bench. Rodney Stuckey impressed me right away. Jason Maxiell can change a game with his activity and then you have Will Bynum. This guy can flat out deliver for his team. Last night against the Bobcats he scored 16 points (5-6) in 21 minutes of action.

While small, Bynum has a V8 motor. The guy can flat out get up the court and get up in the air to heights that 6'0" people just should not be able to achieve without the aid of a step ladder.

Check out these two nasty dunks by possibily the best small dunking machine next to Nate Robinson.

Click here. Courtesy of Detroit for Life and need4sheed.com

4. Passing is a beautiful thing

Basketball is a tremendous sport. It's a game where scoring is something that occurs every minute of every game, not maybe once in a game, but 40-50 times a game. There are so many ways to score points in a basketball game. Players can shoot free-throws, take shots from long range that are rewarded with 3 points instead of 2, shoot measured 2 point jump shots, and then there are the creative shots that often draw wow's from the crowd and are seen as the games' most impressive feature. The rim-rattling dunks, the twisting body contorted lay-ins, the turnaround jump shot out of the post.

The NBA is a scoring league and rule changes in recent years have been made to allow the game's strength to floourish (hand-checking rules). But one aspect of the game that is sometimes more exciting, and definitely beautiful, is the pass.

Passing is an under-utlised compoonent of many teams. One of the first things a player learns as a junior is that it is quicker to pass the ball down the floor than it is to dribble down the floor. Too often though, teams forget about what a dynamic weapon the pass can be, turning the game into a one-on-many contest.

Basketball truly shines when a team plays team basketball. When you see a team sharing the ball, making the extra pass to find an open shooter, or a cutting player through the paint basketball truly shines as a beautiful game.

My favourite teams to watch are the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns. Jump onto youtube, nba.com, espn.com and watch highlights of the Utah vs Boston game and you will see some of the best basketball since a Bob Cousy led Celtics team in the 1950's. When you see passing like that where the ball just moves, almost like a tem-playing hot potato you see an easy score result and a rousing cheer from the fans. Passing the ball gives a team easier shots.

Steve Nash, the best passing point guard in a pick and roll situation, just creates easy shots for team mates purely because of his passing ability. HIs ability to find a cutter under the basket is also uncanny. Larry Bird was a phenomenal passer too. He made so many plays where you just had to wonder how he knew that a player would be open (a pass over his head to a player under the basket springs to mind).

Then you have the passers who thrive on the break - Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd. These players excel at giving the ball to the right player at the right time, while being able to deceive the defense as to where the pass is headed. One of my favourite passes of all time was made by Isiah Thomas who threw an alley-oop bounce pass over an opponents head.
My only concern with the NBA is that rules are changed so much that the leauge will eventually become just a scoring league, and I hope rules stay in place that give the defense a chance to fairly stop a player who drives to the rim.

Long live the pass.
5. A Good read

The following is excerpted from "When the Game was Ours," by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson with Jackie MacMullan. This article was published on ESPN.
It began as a friendly game of pool.
Magic Johnson awaited his turn while Michael Jordan, a premium Cuban stogie dangling from his mouth, lined up his shot in the game room of the Ambassador Hotel in Barcelona, Spain, a cordoned-off area on the second floor designated as a sanctuary for the members of the U.S. Olympic basketball team.

It was a welcome and needed hideaway. This traveling troupe of basketball legends, whom coach Chuck Daly likened to a band of rock stars, caused a near-stampede simply by arriving. Spectators grappled with one another for a glimpse of Michael and Magic and Larry as they exited the team bus and checked into the hotel. As fans clamored to photograph this historic sports moment, the unruly crowd surged forward. Bird, skittish in large gatherings since he was a child, held his breath. The mob made him anxious.
An arm's length away, Magic surveyed the maze of faces and also held his breath. He found their energy to be exciting, exhilarating.
"Isn't this amazing?" he said to Bird.
"Are you kidding me? I want to get the hell out of here," Bird answered.
The "Dream Team" needed buffers, for their privacy and their safety. During their 16 days in Barcelona, the Ambassador's game room served as an exclusive club where the players could shoot pool, play cards, enjoy a beer, and invent occasions to compete with one another.
By day the room was littered with books, toys, movies, and video games, a haven for the players' families. Earvin Johnson III, barely eight weeks old, sat wide-eyed in his bouncy seat, intently following the movements of the older children. Conner Bird, a toddler who kept his mother and father awake half the nights during the Olympic Games, loved to jump on the leather couches and throw balls from the pool table down the hotel's elegant marble steps.
On the night of August 7, little Conner and baby E.J. were already asleep. Their daddies were wide awake, embroiled in an emotional debate over a simple question posed by Bird: which NBA team was the greatest of all time?
"Obviously one of our Laker teams," answered Magic, leaning on his pool stick. "We won five championships. More than all of you."
"No, it's the great Celtics teams with my man Bill Russell," said center Patrick Ewing, who played for the New York Knicks but was raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "He won 11 rings."
"You're forgetting the '86 Celtics, with the best front line in the history of basketball, including this guy right here," added NBC commentator Ahmad Rashad, pointing to Bird.
"That Celtics front line was brutal," agreed Charles Barkley.
Jordan, refusing to allow the chatter to disrupt his concentration, knocked his ball into the corner pocket and puffed on his cigar. He was 29 years old and had just won his second straight championship and his sixth consecutive scoring title. His counterparts in the room were decorated NBA veterans, yet their body of work was nearly complete. The maestro of the Bulls was only just beginning to add new strokes to his championship canvas.
"You haven't even seen the best NBA team of all time yet," Jordan announced. "I'm just getting started. I'm going to win more championships than all of you guys. Tell you what. Let's have this conversation after I'm done playing."
"You aren't winning five championships," Magic protested.
"Michael, I'm going to steal at least one of them from you," Barkley shot back.
The flurry of protests continued, with five of the greatest players in NBA history sparring over their owplace in basketball history. Magic was indignant at the suggestion that the best team could be anyone other than his 1987 Lakers, the team he had determined was the finest of his title years.
"Put me with Kareem, James Worthy, Coop, and Byron Scott, and we'd dominate your Bulls team," Magic claimed.
Barkley was about to chime in again, but Bird, taking a slug of his beer, shot his hand up.
"Quiet," Bird said. "Charles, you ain't won nothing. You're out of this discussion. Ahmad, same thing. You're gone. Patrick, you don't have any championships either, so you need to shut up and sit down right here and learn some things."
Barkley, subdued by the unfortunate reality of his basketball résumé, wandered off. Ewing, who had once considered Bird a bitter adversary but would develop an unusual kinship with him during their Olympic experience, dutifully sat on the bench next to his new friend. Rashad lingered also, fascinated by the banter between these elite basketball stars, each of whom at some juncture of his career could have argued that he was the best player in the game.
Jordan insisted that his Chicago teams belonged in the conversation about the all-time greats; Bird reminded Jordan that he used to torture Scottie Pippen regularly before his back betrayed him.
"I feel sorry for you," Magic told Jordan. "You will never have what Larry and I had. We went two weeks without sleep knowing, if we made one mistake, the other guy was going to take it and use it to beat us. Who do you measure yourself against?"
The conversation lurched on with no resolution until the topic switched to the inevitable follow-up: who was the best 1-on-1 player of all time?
"Gentlemen," said Jordan, "give it up. You've got no chance on this one. Larry, you don't have the speed to stay with me. Magic, I can guard you, but you could never guard me. Neither one of you guys can play defense the way I can. And neither one of you can score like me."
"I don't know about that," Magic retorted. "I could have scored more if I wanted to. It would have been a good one."
Jordan's face darkened. He had been uncommonly conciliatory in Barcelona, stepping aside as Bird and Magic shared the title of captain and revered elder statesman. Jordan deferred to Magic, allowed him to become the face of the Dream Team, even though Jordan was the reigning back-to-back league MVP. He did so because he understood that Magic's career was at an end and this was his final basketball indulgence.
"I didn't want to burst his bubble," Jordan said.
But now Jordan expected Magic to acknowledge the obvious: that Michael Jordan was the best player in the world. He turned to Magic, plucked the cigar out of his mouth, and approached his fellow future Hall of Famer with his voice rising.
"You better give it up," Jordan told Magic. "I'll come into your gym and drop 60 on you. I've already done it to the Celtics. Ask your friend Larry. You and Bird were great players. You did some amazing things. But it's over. This is my game now."
"Michael, don't you forget," Magic said. "Larry and I turned this league around. We are the NBA."
"Well, I've taken it to a new level," Jordan replied. "And it's not your league anymore."
"You're not there yet," Magic insisted.
Bird watched silently as the debate between Magic and Michael escalated. He detected a swagger in Jordan that he hadn't seen before. Bird recognized that strain of confidence, bordering on arrogance. It was exactly how he had felt when he was on top of the basketball world.
"There were plenty of years when I knew in my heart I was the best guy in the room," Bird said. "That night I knew in my heart it wasn't me anymore. And it wasn't Magic either."
Rashad, a friend to both Michael and Magic, tried to soften the increasingly heated rhetoric. He was unsuccessful. Jordan wanted concessions from Johnson that Magic stubbornly refused to provide, and His Airness remained relentless in pursuing them.
"I just think it's too bad we couldn't all have been young together," Magic said. "We could have all been the face of the NBA at the same time."
"Your time has passed," Jordan said. "C'mon, old man, give it up."
"I'm not sure about that," Magic persisted.
"Magic," Bird finally interjected, "stop. We had our moment. There was a period when nobody was better than you and me. But not anymore. Michael is the best now.

"Let's pass the torch and be on our way."

Excerpted from "When the Game Was Ours" by Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson with Jackie MacMullan. Copyright © 2009 by Magic Johnson Enterprises and Larry Bird. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

TOP PERFORMERS

Carmelo Anthony - 32 pts (9-25), 14/14 FT, 10 rebs, +2 rating
Chris Bosh (Tor) - 28 pts (9-21), 10/10 FT , 11 rebs, +8 rating
Charlie Villenuva (Det) - 30 pts (13-17), 2/4 3's, 4 rebs, +28 rating 
Danny Granger (Ind) - 31 pts (12-24), 16 rebs, 3 asts, +19 rating
LeBron James (Cle) - 36 pts (13-23), 2/3 3's, 8 rebs, 4 asts, +7 rating

The MAYNE MAYNE is...

Brandon Jennings (Mil) - 32 pts (11-19), 2/2 3's , 4 rebs, 9 asts, +8 rating

The highest score for a rookie this season, Brandon Jennings has shown what a few years in Europe can do, leading the Bucks to First Place in the Central Division.

NBA High Five

1. Use of the Replay

The NBA got a few things right this summer. After trialing the use of replays in 2008-09 with a limited application and learning that it was successful they have this year expanded its use. Its giood to see that they are slowly embracing what technology can add to the game, rather viewing it as a platform for media criticism.

Last year the use of replay's was introduced to allow the correct ruling on 3 point shots as well as quarter ending shots where it was unclear as to whether the shot left the hand of a player before time expiered. There was not a single situation where the use of the replay last year in anyway hampered the game experience.

 Now they have taken the next step and its use so that the replay can be used at any time in the final 2 minutes of a game. This will ensure that the correct decision is made. And that is all anyone wants.

Last night in Chicago the referees requied video assistance to determine whether Brad Miller's last second shot counted. The Bulls had 3 tenths of a second left on the clock, made the field goal and the referees then undertook the correct review process. A number of angles were studied to ensure the correct decision was made, and though it did take some time - finally it was decided that the ball was still in Miler's hand as time expired.

2. Arenas no match for D-Wade

Last night Arenas, a questionable starter, once again squared off against the Miami Heat, who behind Wade's 40 point effort had handed Washington a home court loss. Same teams, different venue, same result. Although this time Wade shot 41.

In a game that was frustrating to watch at times, Arenas just made mistake after mistake on his way to a team record 12 turnovers. While his aggression was great, he does not seem to be able to make the correct play on offense, something that Dwayne Wade does again and again and again.

DeShawn Stevenson was constantly open for a 3-point shot but instead Arenas would take on the entire Heat defense in a futile attempt to match Wade's brilliance.

Wade had 29 in the second half, he and his team coming out of the locker room with more urgency. Wade said at halftime "Los this game...and it will linger for the rest of the season".

While the Heat played controlled aggressive basketball, the Wizards imploded. Already without Mike Miller and Antawn Jamison, they lost promising combo guard Randy Foye to an ankle injury. The Wizards offense just died in the 3rd, as they surrended an 11 point lead, constantly turning the ball over as the Heat opened up the game with a 16-3 run

3. Kings on Target.without K-mart

The Kings have won their 3rd straight game and are sitting at 4-4.

Is coach Paul Westphaul a genius? The former coach of the Phoenix Suns must have said something right to his team when their leading scorer, and arguably best player, suffered a 6-8 week injury.

Whether it be the lack of expectation without Martin in the lineup, better floor spacing, players rising to a challenge it doesn't matter. The Kings are finding out about themselves every night they step on the floor.

Last night it was Jason Thompson who stepped up and gave Tyreke Evans some assistance, leading the way with 21 points and 14 rebounds, 7 of them offensive.

Tyreke Evans was once again outstanding backing up from his strong performanc on Sunday ago against Golden State with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.

It's the first time the Kings have been at .500 or better since the 4th December 2006.

4. Superman vs Superman 2

Tonight's game is the first time since the Eastern Confernce Finals that Cleveland have to beat the team that knocked them out unceremonicously last June.

Shaquille O'neal was acquired in the off-season especially for games like this, the question is though: Does Shaquille even stand a chance against the Superman 2.0?

Shaquille won't be able to compete statstically against Howard, all Shaquille can hope to do is try to get his on offense as per normal, and hopefully do a decent enough job on Howard at the defensive end. While Shaq may (just) be able to compete with Dwight strengthwise, he certainly cannot compete with him in terms of quickness.

As a matter of fact Dwight is more likely to see more of Andeson Varejo, who is Cleveland's best interior defender and most likely to challenge Howard's activity on the boards.

Howard will need to go all out on the offensive end as Orlando are severly undermanned. Vince was back last night in a win over Charlotte, and he'll have his work cut out for him. it will be interesting to see whether Lebron tries to stop Vince on defense or if that job will go to Anthony Parker.

Where Shaq may be most effeective in his minutes is that it will give King James more confidence in driving the lane. Dwight has always posed problems for James, as he is the one player who can match James in power and explosiveness. James should be able to attack James with The Diesel sliding in to provide a nice hand-off option on the inside.

Despite the absentee's for Orlando, and Cleveland's so-so start, this is a must watch game for any fan and is the biggest Eastern Conference game since opening nights Boston vs Cleveland matchup.

5. TOP PERFORMERS

Kevin Durant (Okl) - 37 pts (9-23), 18-18 FT, 5 rebs, 3 stls, -7 rating
Tyreke Evans (Sac) - 20 pts (5-16), 10-10 FT, 8 rebs, 8 asts, +5 rating
Joakim Noah (Chi) - 12 pts (6-12), 21 rebs, -1 rating
Erick Dampier (Dal) - 14 pts (6-6), 20 rebs, 3 blks, + 20 rating

The MAYNE MAYNE is....

Dwayne Wade 41 points (14-29), 12/13 FT, 5 rebs, 5 asts, 3 stls, +15 rating

The Flash has led the Miami Heat to their equal best start since the 1999-00 season.

NBA High Five

1. Golden State score 146 in win against Minnesota

In a season where the Warriors have made headlines for all the wrong reasons, finally a feel good story has emerged from this franchise.

With rumours surounding Stephen Jackson's future on the team, he and his team mates piled on the points against the T-Wolves. It's not that the Timberwolves are that bad offensively, the Warriors just had one of those games contest since 1994when they scored 146, also against the Timberwolves.

The scoring load was well spread, with over half of the points (77) scored off their bench. Kelenna Azubuike had 31, Anthony Randolph posted 23, and Anthony Morrow chipped in with 20.

2. The Suns' Road Trip

The Suns are off to a great start and interest has once again returned to the Valley of the Sun after their 2008-09 playoff absence. After starting well on the west-coast (3-0) the Suns were expected to return to earth with a thud when they ventured East for 5 games in 7 days.

Date Opposing Team Result W/L Record Hi Points Hi Rebounds Hi Assists
Tue, Nov 3 @ Miami W 104-96 4-0 S. Nash 30, G. Hill 12, S. Nash 8

Wed, Nov 4 @ Orlando L 100-122 4-1 A. Stoudemire 25, A. Stoudemire 14, G. Dragic 6

Fri, Nov 6 @ Boston W 110-103 5-1 J. Richardson 34, J. Richardson 10, S. Nash 12

Sun, Nov 8 @ Wizards W 102-90 6-1 J. Richardson 22, G. Hill 13, S. Nash 17

Mon, Nov 9 @ Sixers W 119-115 7-1 J. Richardson 29, G. Hill 8, S. Nash 20

I think the Suns success can mostly be attributed to their 2nd year cast of Dudley, Dragic and Amundsen who have helped turn the Suns weakness, in years past, into their strength.

J-Rich also played out of his head on the road trip going 16-22 (73%) from the three point in wins against Boston, Washington and Philadelphia.

While question marks are still floating about as to whether the Suns can contest in the West, the best tonic for that will be wins against the Hornets and Lakers on Wednesday and Thursday. Tune in to ESPN and TNT and watch the Suns offense in high gear. Believe it or not, they actually have a great chance to win against the Lakers on Thursday as LA are without their top two inside threats.

3. Text Message Voting intruduced for All-Star Ballot

Good to see the NBA have finally caught up with the rest of us. Texting is like living and breathing for most of us these days. (I watched a show last night where a 10 year old had wracked up a $2400 bill for his parents by sending 8000 text messages in a month). At least the NBA have been smart and limited voting to once per day.

Anything that makes it easier for the Asian Contentent to vote for Yao Ming (despite him being out for the year) is a tick in my book.

On the subject of the All-Star Game (groan... complaining already??!?) I think the All-Star Voting is a bit of a weak process, not so much with fans voting for the starters. After all, it is a game for the fans so we want to see our favourites. Asides from maybe a geographical weighting system to balance out the vote I think the NBA has the right idea, but a more serious re-think as to how reserves are selected is needed.

The All Star game is meant to showcase the NBA's best individual talent, not the best teams - we have the playoffs for the that. I'm sick of commentators and experts giving props to selections of players just because they are on a winning team. Let's see the players who have the real razzle-dazzle and are fighting the good fight for their loosing squads. At least let the largest audience have a chance to see these players in a nationally televised game, giving the player a chance to attract new fans to a franchise that may be struggling due to poor marketing.

4. Kaman and Johnson named players of the week

I've been pumping Chris Kaman's tyres up all season after watching him early on and liking what I was seeing, and he has received a nice little accolade in the form of the Western Conference Player of the Week.
Think of who he was up against - Steve Nash racked up 49 assists in 3 games, Chris Paul has been a one man show for the Hornets (but team losses disqualify him from the official conversation), and Kobe has begun trying to catch MJ's number of 40+ point scoring games. Thats big props for Kaman, and deservedly so.
Helping the Clippers to a 3-0 week his averages looked like:

24.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Most impressive however is Karman's shooting touch which had him shooting at 57.4% last week.

The Eastern Conference Player of the Week was Joe Johnson, who helped the Atlanta Hawks to 3-1 record for the week with wins against high calibre teams Denver and Portland. Last week he averaged

20 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

Despite the Hawks good start and Johnson's award (what about D-Wade? ), he is still somewhat of a disappointment to me. I saw him in Phoenix five years ago playing much as he does now. While his offense was fantastic for a youngster and fitted the Suns' needs in terms of both a back-up PG and slasher, his game has not evolved as many thought it would, or should in a team where he is arguably the bonafied star.
It's a contract year for Johnson and each year the team has improved in both regular season record and in the playoffs. This year with Jamal Crawford coming off the bench the Hawks have their eyes on no less than the number 4 spot in the East.

5. Thank god for the NBA's 'Off Day'...Where did it go?

When i look ahead at the week's schedule I sometimes glad that Monday's are typically the quiet NBA day in terms of matchups. Last night I wanted to know if the Suns could top the Sixers, if the Raptors could knock of a struggling Spurs team (I didn't even know that Parker and Duncan weren't playing until i watched the opening line-ups), and then you had Utah trying to hold on against New York in a game where Jerry Sloan was wondering if DIrk Nowitzki was secretly mooonlighting as a member of the Knicks

And all this on a Monday!

After an entertaining first two weeks it only gets better as we kick off Week Number 3. Up-coming highlights for the week:

Tuesday - Houston @ Dallas
Tuesday - Denver @ Chicago
Tuesday - Washington @ Miami

Wednesday - New Orleans @ Phoenix
Wednesday - Cleveland @ Orlando
Wednesday - Dallas @ San Antonio

Thursday - Cleveland @ Miami
Thursday - Phoenix @ Lakers

Friday - Atlanta @ Boston
Friday - Portland @ New Orleans
Friday - Lakers @ Denver

TOP PERFORMERS

Chris Bosh (TOR) - 32 pts (8-16), 10 rebs, -5 rating
Chris Paul (N.O) - 24 pts (10-14), 2/3 3's, 5 rebs, 10 asts, +25 rating
Steve Nash (PHX) - 21 pts (6-9), 20 assists,  +19 rating

The MAYNE MAYNE is

Manu Ginobli - 36 pts (8-15), 6/8 3's, 4 rebs, 8 asts, 4 blks, +21 rating

Manu Ginobl is not done yet and with Parker and Duncan out of the line-up it was the perfect opportunity for Ginobliiiiii!! to get his groove back.

NBA High Five

1. UNUSUAL RANKINGS

While I wouldn't usually include a 'power rankings' section as this is covered on ESPN by Marc Stein. But i felt the need to write my own power rankings as I believev they more accurately represent who will against whom based on their position n the rankings and their overall srength as a team. Marc Stein's rankings seem to simply reflect their position in the overall standings. In other words if you click on 'standings' and then 'league' the end result will pretty much be his power rankings. My rankings here reflect current form and overall team power where a team above other teams should beat them 2 times out of 3.

Boston - Struggling in spurts to put points on the board, but have the best 8 man rotation and the '85 Bears on defense.

LA Lakers - Have looked sloppy and oout of sorts on defense at times but have pout the wins on the board while integrating Artest. Bench play is a concern.

Orlando - An equally solid start and all this without Rashard, Vinsanity and now Anderson.

Cleveland - Despite their recent loss against Chicago there is no need to panic. Coach Mike Brown has still to figure out how to best utilise his talent.

Denver - Two straight road losses to the Heat and Hawks have soured their start.

Phoenix - Continue to suprise. Bench play much improved this year giving them defensive toughness.

Dallas - Look shaky without Dirk on the floor. Marion is hit or miss but this team is right up there.

Miami - The Flash is enjoying having a toughened up Michael Beasley as his running mate.

Atlanta - Jamal Crawford, an underrated acquisition this summer, has helped the Hawks to a road win in Portland and a solid win against Denver at home.

Houston - This team just flat out competes. They lack a closer. Ariza is trying, and is performing, but still has a bit to learn if he wants to elevate his game.

Portland - Some tough losses but looked tough against the Spurs on Friday.

Chicago - Have beaten The Spurs and the Cavaliers and look even better than last year's playoff team. Noah and Hinrich are tough underrated players. Deng is back and rookie Taj Gibson has been sensational. All this with Derick Rose on one foot.

San Antonio - Alarm bells ringing in the Alamo City. Look lacking on defense, and with Manu and Jefferson (their two primary slashing options) struggling, the Spurs need to turn things around quickly in a favourable home-stand schedule.

Washington - No Antawn Jamison, but this already appears to be turning into the Gilbert Arenas show. If I were the Wizards I'd put him on the block.

Toronto - Impressive wins against Cleveland and New Orleans. This team has 9 new players and are dangerous. Bagnani, Bosh and Turkoglu a nice triple threat on offense.

New Orleans - Look very thin on both ends of the floor. CP3 is doing his best to carry this franchise but needs help on the wings.

Utah - A depleted bench, but no excuse for Utah who have lost more games at home then they have won, most recently to the Sacramento Kings who are without their leading scorer.

Phildelphia - Luis Williams is proving an adequate starter, but the team lacks outside shooting. Brand is yet to return to his LA Clippers form.

LA Clippers - After a shaky start are putting it together. Chris Kaman could back up Andrew Bynum in the All-star game if he continues his impressive start. Blake Griffin still 6 weeks away.

Oklohoma City - Have shown they can compete with the best, but now need to show they can beat them.

Charlotte - Raja Bell is back. His defense and outside shooting were sorely missed.

Detroit - The Pistons are in transitition. Ben Gordon has had a nice start.

Memphis - If they can avoid the Iverson distractions and play ball this team will rise up the rankings. Gasol, Mayo, Gay - a nice young nucleus. Pity Gay's contract was not extended.

Milwaukee - The only positive for the season is the play of rookie Brandon Jennings. This team is just way too thin.

Indiana - Hanborough had 13 points in his first game. A poor start to the season thus fear.

Minnesota - Have scared the Celtics and the Suns. Gomes, Jefferson and Flynn are a good nucleus for new head coach Kurt Rhambis

Sacramento - Kevin Martin is down, but a win against the Jazz on the road was huge. A good chance for rookie Tyreke Evans to show his wears.

Golden State - Too many raw players and no continuity with a disgruntled Captain Jack riding the pine.

New York - Waiting, and praying, for  LeBron next season.

New Jersey - No Devin Harris, this team will have a lot going for it next year. Brooke Lopez is one of the best young centres in the league. They'll have a high draft pick and plenty of money to throw at 2 top free agents.

2. Joakim Noah

The post Jordan-era has taken longer to rebound from than initially expected, but finally there is reason to smile in Chicago.

The top draftees for the Bulls since the post Jordan era have been - Elton Brand, Kirk Hinrich, Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas and Derick Rose. While approximately half of their "post Jordan-era draftees' have been busts (Brand signed with the Clippers and helped them come within a game of the Western Conference Finals in 2006), the Bulls franchise can finally see light at the end of the tunnel.

While 2008 draftee Derrick Rose looks to be the 'franchise guy' and will undoubtedly be the cornerstone of the franchise for the next ten years, it is Joakim Noah, taken 9th overall in the 2007 draft who can also be equally attributed to the new Bulls identity.

On Saturday night against the Bobcats he squared off against former Chicago draftee Tyson Chandler. While Chandler posted his best numbers of the season (13 points, 7 rebounds) it was Noah who had everyone talking. Not only pulling down 16 rebounds and swatting 4 shots, he scored a career high 21 points on 10-12 from the field, and more importanty, earned the Bulls the W. However, statistics are not Noah's greatest asset to the Chicago Bulls. It is his hustle and activity that are really his forte. (How do you statistically measure hustle? - Offensive rebounds, steals and blocks only tell part of the story)

For a third year pro he is showing some great signs for the Bulls on both ends of the floor. He's their backbone defensively and on the board and now is showing early signs of an inside game. But Noah understands his role on the team at the moment.

'I know I'm not going to score 21 points every night," Noah said. "I think that I want to see consistently is my rebounding and my defensive effort. I feel like offensively, I'm just going to try to clean up the glass."

So far this season, he has been more than effective in this role.

3. Tyreke Evans busts out 

The Sacramento Kings are pretty high on Tyreke Evans. Lately, Evans has proved why, picking up the scoring slack left by Kevin Martin who is out another 6-7 weeks with a wrist injury. Evans, taken 4th in the 2009 draft, has led all scorers in two consecutive wins for the Kings.

vs Golden St. 23 pts (8/15), 1/1 3pt, 6/7 FT, 6 rebs,  +23 rating
@ Utah Jazz 32 pts (7-15), 2/3 3pt, 16/19 FT, 3 rebs, 7 asts +11 rating

Taken ahead of the likes of Ricky Rubio, Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansborough, Jonny Flynn, Stephen Curry and Brandon Jennings, Tyreke has picked up the scoring load and has impressed just like the afformentioned names in a draft where Blake Griffin was, supposedly, the only draftee of any real worth.

What is impressive about Evans game is his ability to attack the basket and draw contact, one of my most valued attributes in any player. Against a Utah Jazz team, coached by Jerry Sloan and played at Salt Lake City where you'd expect the whistles to favour the Jazz, Evans attempted 19 free throws. Not bad at all considering he would have been defended by either Ronnie Brewer (a solid defensive player) and Deron Williams.

Looking at the statistics of both Martin and Evans, they appear to both be a similar kind of player. They can get to the line equally well and can shoot the long ball. The task for Sacramento is to how to handle their two very similar assets. Although Tyreke is probably a better combo guard than Martin, suggesting that the two could play on the floor at the same time this may not be the best direction for the team. Obviously they want to keep their young talent, but I'd like to see the Kings role the dice in the next few years and acquire something more complimentary to either Martin or Evans. Both players would have a more than decent trade value.

4. Shake your Ron-Ron

It must be so easy to play with Kobe Bryant, the mature version anyway. Ron is having the tmie of his life getting better acquainted with his running mates as each passing minute gets logged. Not only has he become the Lakers best 'defnesive lockdown' guy, but he is now finding his way on offense.

Over the past five games Artest has averaged 14.2 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, his best performance coming on Friday against Memphis where he posted 19 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and three treys on 7-of-14 shooting.

Even more valuable is that he is proving is worth as a versatile forward who can do enough of the dirty work to make up for the losses of both Bynum and Gasol under the cup.

The Lakers were in dyer need of some "toughness" if they hoped to repeat in a season where the elite only got better.
Where he rates in terms of off-season acquistions is open for debate.

Orlando acquired Matt Barnes, Brandon Bass, Ryan Anderson and Vince Carter. Cleveland acquired "The Diesel", Anthony Parker and Jamerio Moon. San Antonio acquired Antonio McDyess and Richard Jefferson, while Boston acquired Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels and Sheldon Williams

Boston have arguably made the best additions seemingly to have the strongest 9 man rotation in basketball (when Glen Davis returns), while Orlando have added a flat outscorer and rebounding depth, but what can't be measured is the Los Angeles Lakers newly acquired "Kevin Garnett factor".

How well Artest can help change the identity and attitude of his team will determine the length of their playoff run. While Artest is playing nice guy now, and just trying to fit in with Kobe and the rest of his ring wearing mates, Ron will unseemingly need to provide more of an imprint on this team than he could ever know. Ron needs to get some of that fire back, and rub it over the rest of the Laker roster if they hope to even make it out of the Western Conference.

5. Ben Wallace rejuvinated back in Mo-town.

Ben Wallace must be clicking his big size 16 sneakers together with a mantra of 'There's no place like home....There's no place like home'.

Big Ben would be the first to admit that his time spent in Cleveland and Chicago were less than impressive statistically. He signed for big money in the summer of 2005 and was the first of Detroit 04 title team to jump ship, apparantly due to disgruntlemunt with head coach Flip Saunders.

In Chicago Wallace could never re-capture the form that saw him be the backbone of the Pistons defense, an undeniable presence on defense and on the boards. Traded to Chicago as part of the Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes deal Wallace failed to impress alongside King James in Cleveland. He only saw limited minutes and was behind Anderson Varejo in the rotation.

After being sent to Phoenix for Shaq and being released he has returned to the Palace of Auburn Hills and now looks like the Walace of old. Initially signed to merely mentor the young big's of the Pistons, Wallace has seen major minutes and is producing in a big way.

"I knew Ben was going to be an asset this season because he'd be able to teach our bigs," Pistons coach John Kuester said. "I never imagined he could have this kind of impact on the court. This is the old Ben Wallace again, and he's making Kwame Brown, Jason Maxiell and Chris Wilcox better just by showing them what it is possible to do."

Against the Sixers he creamed the likes of Dalembert, Brand and Speights collecting 16 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Sure a one off game here or there could be expected but in 4 of his last 5 games Wallace has collected 9 or more rebounds.and asides from the game against Orlando, where he saw limited minutes, Wallace has averaged a whopping 5.5 offensive rebounds.

It's great to see Ben Wallace being an influential factor on the court once more. It always seemed as though his play dropped off prematurely, and despite dodgy knees and a reduced vertical leap is contributing in a big way for the undermanned Pistons and is once again adding to his legacy.

TOP PERFORMERS (Weekend)

Kevin Durant (Okl vs Orl) - 28 pts (11-17), 4 rebs, 5 asts, 3 stls, +35 rating
Deron Williams (Uta vs Sa) - 29 pts (11-20), 3/5 3ptrs, 3 rebs, 15 asts, +/- 0 rating
Kobe Bryant (LaL vs Mem) - 41 pts (19-30), 4 rebs, +16 rating
Chris Paul (NoH vs Tor) - 21 pts (8-13), 7 rebs, 18 asts, 2 stls,  -10 rating
Josh Smith (Atl vs Den) - 22 pts (8-10), 9 rebs, 7 asts, 6 blks, +25 rating

The Mayne Mayne is...

LeBron James (vs NYK) - 33 pts (12-17), 2/4 3ptrs, 8 rebs, 9 asts, 3 stls +8 rating.

How good it is to be in Madison Square Garden where the only real question coming into the game for the troubled Cavaliers was how big a performance King James would put on for his possible future home. LeBron did not disappoint.

Sunday Special - The Keys to a Modern NBA Championship

Over the next few Sundays I'm going to break down and discuss the common trends of championship squads over the last quarter of a century.

Listed below are the NBA Finalists over the past 25 years. Do you spot any trends? How could teams such as Chicago, the Lakers, Boston and San Antonio repeatedly either win a championship or contest for a championship? What made them better than the one off appearers such as Dallas, Portland, Seattle and the Philidelphia's of this world?

2008-09 - LA Lakers def Orlando
2007-08 - Boston def LA Lakers
2006-07 - San Antonio def Cleveland
2005-06 - Miami def Dallas
2004-05 - San Antoino def Detroit
2003-04 - Detroit def LA Lakers
2002-03 - San Antoino def New Jersey
2001-02 - LA Lakers def New jersey
2000-01 - LA Lakers def Indiana
1999-00 - LA Lakers def Philidelphia
1998-99 - San Antonio def New York
1997-98 - Chicago def Utah
1996-97 - Chicago def Utah
1995-96 - Chicago def Seattle
1994-95 - Houston def Orlando
1993-94 - Houston def New York
1992-93 - Chicago def Phoenix
1991-92 - Chicago def Portland
1990-91 - Chicago def LA Lakers
1989-90 - Deroit def Portland
1988-89 - Detroit def LA Lakers
1987-88 - LA Lakers def Detroit
1986-87 - LA Lakers def Boston
1985-86 - Boston def Houston
1984-85 - LA Lakers def Boston

FYI - I got all of these correct, excluding the final one, without checking any websites. Originally I said LA Lakers def Phily - I'm sure it's one Larry would have wanted to forget anyway)

Some of the names to play on these teams include Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, James Worthy, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Dwayne Wade, Joe Dumars, Clyde Drexler, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Patrick Ewing, Dwight Howard, Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson, Manu Ginobli, Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki and Antoine Walker. (just seeing if you read the entire list)

While all of these players are in elite, not all of them won an NBA Championship (or not as yet have won an NBA Championship). Over the coming weekend's I'm going to break down some common factors in each of these winning teams and then study how they all work together, but not without each other.