OFFICIAL 2010-2011 NBA PLAYOFFS THREAD : VOL. MOST. ANTICIPATED. PLAYOFFS. EVER?

[h3at23]

I know this is a movie thread but showtime's new show shameless is all laughs 

 

 

[h3at23]

I know this is a movie thread but showtime's new show shameless is all laughs 

 

 

[japanair21]

Someone on NBA.com called Blake the Rim Reaper.

 

[japanair21]

Someone on NBA.com called Blake the Rim Reaper.

 

[do be doo]

Originally Posted by DubA169

how do u not know who kevin clev is you numb nuts

SPURS vs LA tonight. Should be a great one.

  

 

[do be doo]

Originally Posted by DubA169

how do u not know who kevin clev is you numb nuts

SPURS vs LA tonight. Should be a great one.

  

 

[blazers21ntnp]

J-Will & Grizzlies reach an agreement; expected to join team on Monday. Guess there wasn't a big market for a 35-year old back-up PG with arthritic feet.

I hope it works out for both him & the Grizzlies.

 

[blazers21ntnp]

J-Will & Grizzlies reach an agreement; expected to join team on Monday. Guess there wasn't a big market for a 35-year old back-up PG with arthritic feet.

I hope it works out for both him & the Grizzlies.

 

[airjordan jb23]

Interesting to see JWill back with Memphis.

 

[airjordan jb23]

Interesting to see JWill back with Memphis.

 

[duba169]

good night of basketball coming up

 

[duba169]

good night of basketball coming up

 

[IATT]

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

Someone on NBA.com called Blake the Rim Reaper.

the poster child or blake superior are the best ones i've heard.. the first being the better of the 2
  

 

[IATT]

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

Someone on NBA.com called Blake the Rim Reaper.

the poster child or blake superior are the best ones i've heard.. the first being the better of the 2
  

 

[Deleted member 38182]

J-Will seems like a real pointless signing.... But I digress.

 

[Deleted member 38182]

J-Will seems like a real pointless signing.... But I digress.

 

[proshares]

http://[h3]

[h3]Walsh's future[/h3]
11:57AM ET

[h5]New York Knicks [/h5]


UPDATE: NO. 2 Though Berger reported below that Walsh's option is expected to be picked up and he could even net a contact extension as well, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is reporting the current scenario is that Walsh's future is in limbo.

Wojnarowski wrote that Isiah Thomas still speaks regularly to Knicks owner Jim Dolan and that "Thomas isn't so sure Dolan wants Walsh to return to run the Knicks."

So there's some conflicting reports out there now on this, and a final resolution may not be rendered until that April 30 date.

-- Ryan Corazza

---

UPDATE: A source told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that MSG chairman, Larry Dolan, has until April 30, not April 1, to make a decision regarding Donnie Walsh's future with the team.

-- Nick Borges

----

Knicks president Donnie Walsh has a team option for 2011-2012, and there's been some speculation this could be his last season -- with names like Allan Houston and Chris Mullin being thrown out as possible replacements.

But Ken Berger of CBS Sports is now bringing word that not only could the option be picked up, Walsh could sign an extension as well.

"Walsh's contract has a team option that must be picked up by April 1," Berger wrote. "While the addition of [Mark] Warkentien as a consultant is viewed by those close to the situation as a prelude to an expanded and more permanent role, sources also say that not only is Walsh's option expected to be picked up, but his contract may be extended as well. Though Walsh has made no noise about wanting the extension, he has expressed to confidants a strong desire to see the Knicks' rebuilding through after overcoming a series of health issues in recent months."

Of course, it remains to be seen if the Knicks will pick up his option as well as offer an extension. But where it once seemed like Walsh's tenure with the Knicks was coming to a close, he may have a few years left in him after all.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Novak trying D-League route[/h3]
11:38AM ET

[h5]Steve Novak | Mavericks [/h5]


Instead of guaranteeing his contract for the rest of the season, the Mavericks waived Steve Novak on Jan. 5.

There's been talk the Mavs could elect to bring him back on a 10-day contact, but according to Scott Schroeder of FanHouse, multiple sources have indicated "Novak has signed a contract with the NBA Development League in hopes of showing NBA teams that he's worth another look."

If Novak doesn't land a 10-day contract this season, it's possible he'll nab a training-camp invite in the fall on a non-guaranteed deal in hopes of making a team's final roster, just as he did this season with the Mavs.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Williams not close to playing[/h3]
10:40AM ET

[h5]Mo Williams | Cavaliers [/h5]


Cavs starting point guard Mo Williams was shut down two weeks ago to let his strained hip flexor heal. Williams spoke to The News-Herald on Wednesday and said he's not close to being activated.

"The last few days, I was able to get out and sweat a little bit," Williams said. "I haven't been able to run like I've wanted to. I haven't been able to get up and down the court and push it like I've wanted to."

Head coach Byron Scott also said that he doesn't know when Williams will return to the active roster.

Williams last game he played in was on Jan. 15 against Denver.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Warren sent to the Jam[/h3]
10:27AM ET

[h5]Willie Warren | Clippers [/h5]


Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times reports the Clippers assigned rookie Willie Warren to the D-League's Bakersfield Jam on Wednesday night.

Warren, who is last on the guard depth chart, has only played in 15 games so far this season. He is averaging 7.3 minutes, 2.1 points and 1.3 assists.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]J-Will accepts Memphis' offer[/h3]
9:58AM ET

[h5]Jason Williams | Magic [/h5]


The Commercial-Appeal reports http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=933Jason Williams contacted the Grizzlies front office on Wednesday and informed them that he will accept their offer and sign a veteran minimum rest-of-season contract. He is expected to join the team by Monday.

The team had been looking for a veteran point guard and Williams was the player they wanted after he was waived by Orlando. He will compete against rookie Greivis Vasquez for minutes behind starter Mike Conley.

----

The Grizzlies want to bring Jason Williams back to Memphis, but the veteran point guard is looking at other options.

According to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal, the Grizzlies had planned to claim Williams off waivers from the Orlando Magic, but they didn't at the request of Williams, as he looks at teams that will be in the playoffs.

Michael Heisley has failed twice to entice Williams to come back to Memphis and the Grizzlies owner is willing to wait until Williams makes a decision.

Williams played for Memphis from 2001-2006. He will make the pro-rated veteran minimum if he signs with the team.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Miller doesn't care if he's traded[/h3]
9:56AM ET

[h5]Andre Miller | Trail Blazers [/h5]


In December of 2009, Andre Miller said he was hoping to remain in Portland because he felt comfortable in the Rose City, but that's no longer the case.

"I don't really care, really," Miller told FanHouse on Wednesday. "You know what I'm saying? I would like to stay put, but it's a business and anything can happen."

Miller does think there is a good chance that he'll be moved by the Feb. 24 deadline. He is hoping that if he is traded it won't be to a bad team.

"Yeah. Yeah. There's a chance," Miller said. "A lot of guys can get moved. Where? I don't know. At this point, hopefully it's not a team that's rebuilding. I wouldn't want to go back to like a Philly situation."

Miller could also be traded around the draft, if a deal isn't done in the next three weeks. His 2011-12 salary -- $7.8 million -- is not guaranteed if he's waived by June 29 and some team looking for cap relief for next season could have interest in the point guard at that time.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Fernandez happy in Portland[/h3]
9:40AM ET

[h5]Rudy Fernandez | Trail Blazers [/h5]


UPDATE: Fernandez confirmed to FanHouse that he doesn't want to leave Portland and that he's hoping to sign an extension with the club in the summer.

"Yeah, absolutely," said Fernandez.

Fernandez will be able to sign an extension between July 1 to Oct. 31, if the new collective bargaining agreement stays the same in that area as the current deal between the owners and players.

----

Rudy Fernandez and his agent begged Blazers general manager Rich Cho for a trade or a release during last summer and prior to training camp, but Cho refused. Now Fernandez is saying that he's happy in Portland and thinks he may want to stay long-term.

"I'm feeling real good here in Portland and I don't want to think about any trade," Fernandez told SPORT.es via a translation from HoopsHype. "If everything continues like this maybe I would want to be here for a lot of years. I've feel that I'm blessed and now I'm more mature. The way the summer went... that made me open my eyes and realize that I'm playing in the best league in the world and I want to cherish the moment, enjoy the NBA. And I now that the NBA is a roller coaster, but I feel it's the best year after coming here."

Fernandez had been unhappy with his role and minutes, which is the main reason he wanted out of Portland. This season his minutes are actually down from 23.2 last season to 21.8. However, he has been able to handle the ball more with Brandon Roy out of the lineup and that has changed his attitude.

"Now I enjoy playing, coach is giving me freedom," Fernandez added. "It's true that this situation is in part because of the injuries but the truth is I'm comfortable on the court and that makes me happy on and off the court. Now I have more friends in Portland, the family and people come to see me more often and I'm very focused on my job."

Cho was reluctant to trade him earlier this season, but may reconsider if a team comes in with a quality offer for the Spaniard or Roy can comeback from his knee injuries, which could limit Fernandez's role again.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Cuban willing to rent a player[/h3]
9:21AM ET

[h5]Dallas Mavericks [/h5]


Dallas Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban may not have any interest in pursuing minority interest in the Mets, but he is willing to make some deals to improve his basketball team.

"It's not a ... secret list," Cuban told The Dallas Morning News. "We speculate like anybody else about depending on the performance of this team, they might make a change. Every team goes through that. You're in love with your team on Nov. 1 and on Feb. 23, you may not be as in love with your team or players and you make a change. We're going to be opportunistic and we're not afraid to pull the trigger. There's a lot of teams that get nervous about making trades, but not us."

Cuban would not name any players. However, there have been reports that Dallas has interest in Carmelo Anthony and would be willing to trade -- "rent" -- for him, even if he doesn't agree to an extension by Feb. 24.

"Yeah, in a heartbeat. Because then it's up to me to try to convince them to stay," Cuban told the New York Post. "If everybody wants to give off a great player, we're always going to try to be opportunistic. But those calls typically aren't made. Those happen once every five years or so."

The Knicks, Nets, Rockets and Mavericks have shown the most interest in Anthony.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Griz trying to deal Thabeet[/h3]
9:02AM ET

[h5]Hasheem Thabeet | Grizzlies [/h5]


During a Q and A, Grizzlies beat writer Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal was asked if there are any moves, besides the signing of Jason Williams, on the horizon. According to Tillery, the Grizzlies are trying to trade one player.

Tillery writes: "The Griz continue to comb the league for a deal involving Hasheem Thabeet. They aren't getting any offers compelling enough to give away the 7-3 project center. Right now, it's J-will or bust. The Griz aren't planning to to sign any players to a 10-day contract."

There are several reports that O.J. Mayo is on the market, but that has been refuted by the team.

Thabeet, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2009 draft, is only averaging 8.7 minutes, 1.3 points and 1.7 rebounds this season.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Miller's return delayed[/h3]
8:50AM ET

[h5]Brad Miller | Rockets [/h5]


Rockets center Brad Miller has not played since Jan. 10 due to a sore right knee and there is still no date for him to be activated. Miller has upped his rehab program and likes the progress he is making.

"There is no residual swelling like last week," Miller told the Houston Chronicle. "I'm trying to push it, see what we can do."

Miller had hoped to miss only a week, but has been out for 14 games.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Camby weeks away from returning[/h3]
8:40AM ET

[h5]Marcus Camby | Trail Blazers [/h5]


Marcus Camby's recovery from arthroscopic surgery he had Jan. 20 on his left knee is going well and he is doing several drills to get healthy including some running and exercises in the pool.

"I'm just trying to bend my knee and get it back into the swing of things. I think it is going well. I have pretty good strength. I feel confident. It is getting better," Camby told The Oregonian.

According to the newspaper, head coach Nate McMillan said Camby is "weeks" away from returning to the active roster.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Ariza could be out indefinitely[/h3]
8:30AM ET

[h5]Trevor Ariza | Hornets [/h5]


Hornets small forward Trevor Ariza severely sprained his right ankle on Wednesday against Oklahoma City and could be sidelined indefinitely. He will be examined by the club's doctor on Thursday to determine the severity of the injury.

According to the newspaper, he wore a protective boot and walked with crutches after the game.

"It's very disappointing," Ariza told The Times-Picayune. "I never had injury with my ankle before."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Williams' wrist still at issue[/h3]
8:17AM ET

[h5]Deron Williams | Jazz [/h5]


UPDATE No. 2: It was confirmed by the specialist on Wednesday that Williams has no structural damage to the wrist and just has a strained tendon.

Williams shot around a bit on Wednesday and was still feeling pain in the wrist.

"I can't shoot the basketball past 12 feet," Williams told the Deseret News. "It hurts a lot when I do that."

Williams is unlikely to play Friday against Denver.

-- Nick Borges

----

UPDATE: Due to his strained tendon in his right wrist, Williams will miss a fourth straight game Wednesday, according to Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune.

He's also set to see a specialist on Wednesday.

Considering the Jazz are in the midst of a rough patch -- they've lost seven of nine -- not having their staring point guard isn't the easiest way for them to get back on track.

Earl Watson will likely continue to get the start in Williams' absence.

-- Ryan Corazza

----

Deron Williams missed Friday's game against Minnesota due to his hyper-extended right wrist.

"I feel like I can't hold the ball. If I could play, I could play," Williams told the Deseret News. "I'm not one of them people that sits out for little injuries. My goal every year is to play 82 games, so I'm (ticked) off I can't play."

The team is hoping he can return to the lineup on Sunday.

"We hope we get him back as soon as we can," Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan said. "Losing doesn't taste very good."

Earl Watson started at point guard on Friday and he'll continue that role until Williams comes back.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Howard's 13th T will stand[/h3]
7:41AM ET

[h5]Dwight Howard | Magic [/h5]


The NBA reviewed the tape from Monday's game when Dwight Howard picked up his 13th technical foul and it was determined that it will stand. Howard is now three technical fouls away from receiving a mandatory suspension.

"I don't have any idea what happened," Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy told the Orlando Sentinel. "There was obviously nothing demonstrative. The only two people who have any idea what was going on were Dwight and Tony Brothers. No one else even knew there was anything going on, because Dwight didn't throw his hands up or do anything to embarrass Tony or anything else.

"I was just something, I guess, that Dwight said. If you're the league, what are you going to do in a situation like that? They're going to take the referee's word for what was said. So, you can't blame them for that, I guess."

Howard has been called for 17 technical fouls so far this season and four have been rescinded.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Thunder bring back Aldrich[/h3]
6:12AM ET

[h5]Cole Aldrich | Thunder [/h5]


The Oklahoma City Thunder recalled center Cole Aldrich on Wednesday from Tulsa.

"He had a good month," head coach Scott Brooks told The Oklahoman. "We wanted to make sure he had a lot of opportunities to play a lot of minutes and he did well. We'll see what the next step is. I'm glad he's back and we're able to take a look at him up-close."

Aldrich has averaged 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots this season for the D-League team.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Stojakovic could debut Monday[/h3]
5:20AM ET

[h5]Peja Stojakovic | Mavericks [/h5]


UPDATE No. 2: Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle thinks Peja Stojakovic could makes his debut for the Mavericks on Monday against Cleveland.

"If everything goes well, the hope is he'll play next week," Carlisle told The Dallas Morning News. "But that"s if all goes well."

Stojakovic is expected to start at small forward when he is finally activated.

"His workouts have to continue to go the right direction in terms of conditioning and rehab on the knee," Carlisle said.

-- Nick Borges

----

UPDATE: Carlisle indicated to the media Thursday morning that Peja will be out of the lineup Thursday and Saturday, according to the Dallas Morning News.

He's dealing with a left knee injury and is working back into game shape, so it's looking like an appearance next week -- the Mavs play at home against the Wizards (Monday), at New York (Wednesday), at Boston (Friday) and at Charlotte (Saturday) -- is more likely to be in play for his debut.

----

Coach Rick Carlisle indicated Monday it's looking like Peja Stojakovic, now a Maverick, won't play Tuesday against the Clippers and may not be able to go Thursday, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.

"He's going to be an asset for us,'' Carlisle said, according to the paper. "I don't want to be unfair to him by making this appear to be something where he's going to walk in here playing X number of minutes and be a starter and be making every shot. We got to make sure he's ready from a health and conditioning standpoint. And that may take some time. And whatever amount of time it takes, we're going to take it.''

If Peja isn't ready Thursday, the Mavs next play Saturday at home against Atlanta, so he could debut then.

Once he starts seeing playing time, it's likely he'll be used in a reserve wing role, as there's room there with Caron Butler out for the season due to injury.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Gooden out 4-6 weeks[/h3]
4:27AM ET

[h5]Drew Gooden | Bucks [/h5]


The Milwaukee Bucks decided on Wednesday to shut down power forward Drew Gooden for the next four to six weeks due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Gooden has battled the painful foot issue all season and so far he has missed 22 games.

"It's just part of our season so far," head coach Scott Skiles told the Journal Sentinel. "You don't ever want anybody to be out, but at least we know now how long he's going to be out."

Jon Brockman, Larry Sanders and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute will continue to take Gooden's minutes until he returns.

-- Nick Borges

[/h3]

 

[proshares]

http://[h3]

[h3]Walsh's future[/h3]
11:57AM ET

[h5]New York Knicks [/h5]


UPDATE: NO. 2 Though Berger reported below that Walsh's option is expected to be picked up and he could even net a contact extension as well, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is reporting the current scenario is that Walsh's future is in limbo.

Wojnarowski wrote that Isiah Thomas still speaks regularly to Knicks owner Jim Dolan and that "Thomas isn't so sure Dolan wants Walsh to return to run the Knicks."

So there's some conflicting reports out there now on this, and a final resolution may not be rendered until that April 30 date.

-- Ryan Corazza

---

UPDATE: A source told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that MSG chairman, Larry Dolan, has until April 30, not April 1, to make a decision regarding Donnie Walsh's future with the team.

-- Nick Borges

----

Knicks president Donnie Walsh has a team option for 2011-2012, and there's been some speculation this could be his last season -- with names like Allan Houston and Chris Mullin being thrown out as possible replacements.

But Ken Berger of CBS Sports is now bringing word that not only could the option be picked up, Walsh could sign an extension as well.

"Walsh's contract has a team option that must be picked up by April 1," Berger wrote. "While the addition of [Mark] Warkentien as a consultant is viewed by those close to the situation as a prelude to an expanded and more permanent role, sources also say that not only is Walsh's option expected to be picked up, but his contract may be extended as well. Though Walsh has made no noise about wanting the extension, he has expressed to confidants a strong desire to see the Knicks' rebuilding through after overcoming a series of health issues in recent months."

Of course, it remains to be seen if the Knicks will pick up his option as well as offer an extension. But where it once seemed like Walsh's tenure with the Knicks was coming to a close, he may have a few years left in him after all.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Novak trying D-League route[/h3]
11:38AM ET

[h5]Steve Novak | Mavericks [/h5]


Instead of guaranteeing his contract for the rest of the season, the Mavericks waived Steve Novak on Jan. 5.

There's been talk the Mavs could elect to bring him back on a 10-day contact, but according to Scott Schroeder of FanHouse, multiple sources have indicated "Novak has signed a contract with the NBA Development League in hopes of showing NBA teams that he's worth another look."

If Novak doesn't land a 10-day contract this season, it's possible he'll nab a training-camp invite in the fall on a non-guaranteed deal in hopes of making a team's final roster, just as he did this season with the Mavs.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Williams not close to playing[/h3]
10:40AM ET

[h5]Mo Williams | Cavaliers [/h5]


Cavs starting point guard Mo Williams was shut down two weeks ago to let his strained hip flexor heal. Williams spoke to The News-Herald on Wednesday and said he's not close to being activated.

"The last few days, I was able to get out and sweat a little bit," Williams said. "I haven't been able to run like I've wanted to. I haven't been able to get up and down the court and push it like I've wanted to."

Head coach Byron Scott also said that he doesn't know when Williams will return to the active roster.

Williams last game he played in was on Jan. 15 against Denver.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Warren sent to the Jam[/h3]
10:27AM ET

[h5]Willie Warren | Clippers [/h5]


Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times reports the Clippers assigned rookie Willie Warren to the D-League's Bakersfield Jam on Wednesday night.

Warren, who is last on the guard depth chart, has only played in 15 games so far this season. He is averaging 7.3 minutes, 2.1 points and 1.3 assists.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]J-Will accepts Memphis' offer[/h3]
9:58AM ET

[h5]Jason Williams | Magic [/h5]


The Commercial-Appeal reports http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=933Jason Williams contacted the Grizzlies front office on Wednesday and informed them that he will accept their offer and sign a veteran minimum rest-of-season contract. He is expected to join the team by Monday.

The team had been looking for a veteran point guard and Williams was the player they wanted after he was waived by Orlando. He will compete against rookie Greivis Vasquez for minutes behind starter Mike Conley.

----

The Grizzlies want to bring Jason Williams back to Memphis, but the veteran point guard is looking at other options.

According to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal, the Grizzlies had planned to claim Williams off waivers from the Orlando Magic, but they didn't at the request of Williams, as he looks at teams that will be in the playoffs.

Michael Heisley has failed twice to entice Williams to come back to Memphis and the Grizzlies owner is willing to wait until Williams makes a decision.

Williams played for Memphis from 2001-2006. He will make the pro-rated veteran minimum if he signs with the team.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Miller doesn't care if he's traded[/h3]
9:56AM ET

[h5]Andre Miller | Trail Blazers [/h5]


In December of 2009, Andre Miller said he was hoping to remain in Portland because he felt comfortable in the Rose City, but that's no longer the case.

"I don't really care, really," Miller told FanHouse on Wednesday. "You know what I'm saying? I would like to stay put, but it's a business and anything can happen."

Miller does think there is a good chance that he'll be moved by the Feb. 24 deadline. He is hoping that if he is traded it won't be to a bad team.

"Yeah. Yeah. There's a chance," Miller said. "A lot of guys can get moved. Where? I don't know. At this point, hopefully it's not a team that's rebuilding. I wouldn't want to go back to like a Philly situation."

Miller could also be traded around the draft, if a deal isn't done in the next three weeks. His 2011-12 salary -- $7.8 million -- is not guaranteed if he's waived by June 29 and some team looking for cap relief for next season could have interest in the point guard at that time.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Fernandez happy in Portland[/h3]
9:40AM ET

[h5]Rudy Fernandez | Trail Blazers [/h5]


UPDATE: Fernandez confirmed to FanHouse that he doesn't want to leave Portland and that he's hoping to sign an extension with the club in the summer.

"Yeah, absolutely," said Fernandez.

Fernandez will be able to sign an extension between July 1 to Oct. 31, if the new collective bargaining agreement stays the same in that area as the current deal between the owners and players.

----

Rudy Fernandez and his agent begged Blazers general manager Rich Cho for a trade or a release during last summer and prior to training camp, but Cho refused. Now Fernandez is saying that he's happy in Portland and thinks he may want to stay long-term.

"I'm feeling real good here in Portland and I don't want to think about any trade," Fernandez told SPORT.es via a translation from HoopsHype. "If everything continues like this maybe I would want to be here for a lot of years. I've feel that I'm blessed and now I'm more mature. The way the summer went... that made me open my eyes and realize that I'm playing in the best league in the world and I want to cherish the moment, enjoy the NBA. And I now that the NBA is a roller coaster, but I feel it's the best year after coming here."

Fernandez had been unhappy with his role and minutes, which is the main reason he wanted out of Portland. This season his minutes are actually down from 23.2 last season to 21.8. However, he has been able to handle the ball more with Brandon Roy out of the lineup and that has changed his attitude.

"Now I enjoy playing, coach is giving me freedom," Fernandez added. "It's true that this situation is in part because of the injuries but the truth is I'm comfortable on the court and that makes me happy on and off the court. Now I have more friends in Portland, the family and people come to see me more often and I'm very focused on my job."

Cho was reluctant to trade him earlier this season, but may reconsider if a team comes in with a quality offer for the Spaniard or Roy can comeback from his knee injuries, which could limit Fernandez's role again.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Cuban willing to rent a player[/h3]
9:21AM ET

[h5]Dallas Mavericks [/h5]


Dallas Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban may not have any interest in pursuing minority interest in the Mets, but he is willing to make some deals to improve his basketball team.

"It's not a ... secret list," Cuban told The Dallas Morning News. "We speculate like anybody else about depending on the performance of this team, they might make a change. Every team goes through that. You're in love with your team on Nov. 1 and on Feb. 23, you may not be as in love with your team or players and you make a change. We're going to be opportunistic and we're not afraid to pull the trigger. There's a lot of teams that get nervous about making trades, but not us."

Cuban would not name any players. However, there have been reports that Dallas has interest in Carmelo Anthony and would be willing to trade -- "rent" -- for him, even if he doesn't agree to an extension by Feb. 24.

"Yeah, in a heartbeat. Because then it's up to me to try to convince them to stay," Cuban told the New York Post. "If everybody wants to give off a great player, we're always going to try to be opportunistic. But those calls typically aren't made. Those happen once every five years or so."

The Knicks, Nets, Rockets and Mavericks have shown the most interest in Anthony.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Griz trying to deal Thabeet[/h3]
9:02AM ET

[h5]Hasheem Thabeet | Grizzlies [/h5]


During a Q and A, Grizzlies beat writer Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal was asked if there are any moves, besides the signing of Jason Williams, on the horizon. According to Tillery, the Grizzlies are trying to trade one player.

Tillery writes: "The Griz continue to comb the league for a deal involving Hasheem Thabeet. They aren't getting any offers compelling enough to give away the 7-3 project center. Right now, it's J-will or bust. The Griz aren't planning to to sign any players to a 10-day contract."

There are several reports that O.J. Mayo is on the market, but that has been refuted by the team.

Thabeet, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2009 draft, is only averaging 8.7 minutes, 1.3 points and 1.7 rebounds this season.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Miller's return delayed[/h3]
8:50AM ET

[h5]Brad Miller | Rockets [/h5]


Rockets center Brad Miller has not played since Jan. 10 due to a sore right knee and there is still no date for him to be activated. Miller has upped his rehab program and likes the progress he is making.

"There is no residual swelling like last week," Miller told the Houston Chronicle. "I'm trying to push it, see what we can do."

Miller had hoped to miss only a week, but has been out for 14 games.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Camby weeks away from returning[/h3]
8:40AM ET

[h5]Marcus Camby | Trail Blazers [/h5]


Marcus Camby's recovery from arthroscopic surgery he had Jan. 20 on his left knee is going well and he is doing several drills to get healthy including some running and exercises in the pool.

"I'm just trying to bend my knee and get it back into the swing of things. I think it is going well. I have pretty good strength. I feel confident. It is getting better," Camby told The Oregonian.

According to the newspaper, head coach Nate McMillan said Camby is "weeks" away from returning to the active roster.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Ariza could be out indefinitely[/h3]
8:30AM ET

[h5]Trevor Ariza | Hornets [/h5]


Hornets small forward Trevor Ariza severely sprained his right ankle on Wednesday against Oklahoma City and could be sidelined indefinitely. He will be examined by the club's doctor on Thursday to determine the severity of the injury.

According to the newspaper, he wore a protective boot and walked with crutches after the game.

"It's very disappointing," Ariza told The Times-Picayune. "I never had injury with my ankle before."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Williams' wrist still at issue[/h3]
8:17AM ET

[h5]Deron Williams | Jazz [/h5]


UPDATE No. 2: It was confirmed by the specialist on Wednesday that Williams has no structural damage to the wrist and just has a strained tendon.

Williams shot around a bit on Wednesday and was still feeling pain in the wrist.

"I can't shoot the basketball past 12 feet," Williams told the Deseret News. "It hurts a lot when I do that."

Williams is unlikely to play Friday against Denver.

-- Nick Borges

----

UPDATE: Due to his strained tendon in his right wrist, Williams will miss a fourth straight game Wednesday, according to Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune.

He's also set to see a specialist on Wednesday.

Considering the Jazz are in the midst of a rough patch -- they've lost seven of nine -- not having their staring point guard isn't the easiest way for them to get back on track.

Earl Watson will likely continue to get the start in Williams' absence.

-- Ryan Corazza

----

Deron Williams missed Friday's game against Minnesota due to his hyper-extended right wrist.

"I feel like I can't hold the ball. If I could play, I could play," Williams told the Deseret News. "I'm not one of them people that sits out for little injuries. My goal every year is to play 82 games, so I'm (ticked) off I can't play."

The team is hoping he can return to the lineup on Sunday.

"We hope we get him back as soon as we can," Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan said. "Losing doesn't taste very good."

Earl Watson started at point guard on Friday and he'll continue that role until Williams comes back.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Howard's 13th T will stand[/h3]
7:41AM ET

[h5]Dwight Howard | Magic [/h5]


The NBA reviewed the tape from Monday's game when Dwight Howard picked up his 13th technical foul and it was determined that it will stand. Howard is now three technical fouls away from receiving a mandatory suspension.

"I don't have any idea what happened," Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy told the Orlando Sentinel. "There was obviously nothing demonstrative. The only two people who have any idea what was going on were Dwight and Tony Brothers. No one else even knew there was anything going on, because Dwight didn't throw his hands up or do anything to embarrass Tony or anything else.

"I was just something, I guess, that Dwight said. If you're the league, what are you going to do in a situation like that? They're going to take the referee's word for what was said. So, you can't blame them for that, I guess."

Howard has been called for 17 technical fouls so far this season and four have been rescinded.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Thunder bring back Aldrich[/h3]
6:12AM ET

[h5]Cole Aldrich | Thunder [/h5]


The Oklahoma City Thunder recalled center Cole Aldrich on Wednesday from Tulsa.

"He had a good month," head coach Scott Brooks told The Oklahoman. "We wanted to make sure he had a lot of opportunities to play a lot of minutes and he did well. We'll see what the next step is. I'm glad he's back and we're able to take a look at him up-close."

Aldrich has averaged 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots this season for the D-League team.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Stojakovic could debut Monday[/h3]
5:20AM ET

[h5]Peja Stojakovic | Mavericks [/h5]


UPDATE No. 2: Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle thinks Peja Stojakovic could makes his debut for the Mavericks on Monday against Cleveland.

"If everything goes well, the hope is he'll play next week," Carlisle told The Dallas Morning News. "But that"s if all goes well."

Stojakovic is expected to start at small forward when he is finally activated.

"His workouts have to continue to go the right direction in terms of conditioning and rehab on the knee," Carlisle said.

-- Nick Borges

----

UPDATE: Carlisle indicated to the media Thursday morning that Peja will be out of the lineup Thursday and Saturday, according to the Dallas Morning News.

He's dealing with a left knee injury and is working back into game shape, so it's looking like an appearance next week -- the Mavs play at home against the Wizards (Monday), at New York (Wednesday), at Boston (Friday) and at Charlotte (Saturday) -- is more likely to be in play for his debut.

----

Coach Rick Carlisle indicated Monday it's looking like Peja Stojakovic, now a Maverick, won't play Tuesday against the Clippers and may not be able to go Thursday, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.

"He's going to be an asset for us,'' Carlisle said, according to the paper. "I don't want to be unfair to him by making this appear to be something where he's going to walk in here playing X number of minutes and be a starter and be making every shot. We got to make sure he's ready from a health and conditioning standpoint. And that may take some time. And whatever amount of time it takes, we're going to take it.''

If Peja isn't ready Thursday, the Mavs next play Saturday at home against Atlanta, so he could debut then.

Once he starts seeing playing time, it's likely he'll be used in a reserve wing role, as there's room there with Caron Butler out for the season due to injury.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Gooden out 4-6 weeks[/h3]
4:27AM ET

[h5]Drew Gooden | Bucks [/h5]


The Milwaukee Bucks decided on Wednesday to shut down power forward Drew Gooden for the next four to six weeks due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Gooden has battled the painful foot issue all season and so far he has missed 22 games.

"It's just part of our season so far," head coach Scott Skiles told the Journal Sentinel. "You don't ever want anybody to be out, but at least we know now how long he's going to be out."

Jon Brockman, Larry Sanders and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute will continue to take Gooden's minutes until he returns.

-- Nick Borges

[/h3]

 

[CP1708]

Aye Rudy, you being "happy" in Portland now wouldn't have anything to do with you sucking and knowing that nobody else would sign your @#$ to good money, so now you want that extension before the CBA, would it? 

Would it? 

Well played Rudy, well played.  Get that money you don't deserve. 

Wes said he heard a pop last night.  He gutted out the game, but there's a chance there is a significant injury there, hope that isn't the case, he has played well this year. 

Lamarcus has played well this year as well.  Exceeded what I thought of him BY FAR. 


Rose MVP talk grows just a little bit louder by the day.  Slowly but surely. 

 

[CP1708]

Aye Rudy, you being "happy" in Portland now wouldn't have anything to do with you sucking and knowing that nobody else would sign your @#$ to good money, so now you want that extension before the CBA, would it? 

Would it? 

Well played Rudy, well played.  Get that money you don't deserve. 

Wes said he heard a pop last night.  He gutted out the game, but there's a chance there is a significant injury there, hope that isn't the case, he has played well this year. 

Lamarcus has played well this year as well.  Exceeded what I thought of him BY FAR. 


Rose MVP talk grows just a little bit louder by the day.  Slowly but surely. 

 

[T0INE]

Originally Posted by h3at23

I know this is a movie thread but showtime's new show shameless is all laughs 

 

Agreed.

So when does the All Star reserve list leak?

I remember it leaking hours before the TNT special last year.

 

[T0INE]

Originally Posted by h3at23

I know this is a movie thread but showtime's new show shameless is all laughs 

 

Agreed.

So when does the All Star reserve list leak?

I remember it leaking hours before the TNT special last year.

 

[proshares]

Eventually, the Cavaliers will win a game, right?

Cleveland's losing skid hit 22 with Wednesday night's home loss to the Pacers, one of the more heartbreaking defeats on the list, because the Cavs were in the game until the end rather than being down 25 at the end of three quarters. But it's another loss nonetheless, and the Cadavers are now one defeat away from a league-record-tying 23rd consecutive defeat.

That game, in Memphis on Friday, seems a likely defeat -- based on today's Power Rankings, the Cavaliers are 18-point underdogs. Yes, 18. To a team that would miss the playoffs if the season ended today. It's that bad.

A loss would tie the record for most consecutive losses in one season, which the Cavs would have a shot at breaking the next night against Portland. That actually appears to be a reasonable chance at a win -- Portland is 9-16 on the road and may not have guard Wesley Matthews after a gruesome ankle twist Wednesday night. If you're curious, the Power Rankings only favor the Blazers by eight.

That would give Cleveland the longest losing streak in a season, but the record over two seasons is 24 games. Should they lose to Portland and Memphis, the Cavs will go for the all-time infamy mark Monday in a no-hoper of a road game at Dallas. I'm not expecting the streak to go too far beyond that, simply because a number of winnable games beckon post-Dallas -- including a home game Feb. 13 against a Washington team that has yet to win on the road. In fact, the Cavs don't play a road game for nearly a month after Sunday.

Nonetheless, the damage has already been done. Wednesday night's loss makes it extremely likely the Cavs will at least share a piece of the losing-streak record book, and there's a good chance they'll own it by themselves with a streak of 25 games or more.

How bad are the Cavs? Let us count the ways:

•  They may very well finish with both the league's worst offense and the league's worst defense. Cleveland ranks last in Offensive Efficiency, and is one-tenth of a point away from being last in Defensive Efficiency.

•  They don't have a single player in the league's top 50 in PER. Their top-rated player, point guard Ramon Sessions, is 70th. Every team except Cleveland has at least one player with a PER above 17.

•  They've lost 25 consecutive road games, taking aim at another record for futility. The good news? The all-time mark is 43, so they can't break it until next November (or whenever the league resumes).

•  They're so bad that Toronto has lost 13 straight games and nobody is paying them any mind.

Even so, it takes some bad luck to lose this many games in a row. There was the New Jersey game, in which Ryan Hollins tried to karate-chop Brook Lopez in the back to give a foul; the refs didn't notice and Lopez scored the winning basket. There was the no-call against Minnesota as Antawn Jamison's potential game winner bounced off the rim and out. And there were a few games like Wednesday night's against Indiana, when the Cavs had a chance to take the lead in the final 30 seconds before a wild Anthony Parker runner and a pass off J.J. Hickson's face sent them to defeat.

On the other hand, were it not for an overtime win over New York on Dec. 18, the Cavs would be riding a 33-game losing streak already. Yes, 33.

It's hard to believe now, but this team started the season 7-9. They won three of their first four road games -- they haven't won one since -- and beat Boston on the second day of the season in a game that, in retrospect, was the biggest upset in several years.

Since then, however, they're 1-32. While the Cavs were close in a few of those games, in most they were hammered. Of those 32 losses, 22 were by double digits. They lost by 55 to the Lakers, most famously, but have also lost by 27, 28, 28, 29 (twice), 30 and 34.

OK, Hollinger, we get it. They aren't good. But let's tackle the big question: Is this the worst team ever?

Amazingly, they're almost certainly not. For starters, there's the win-loss record. Cleveland already has eight wins under its belt, and the futility record is 9-73. To match it, the Cavs would have to close the season on a 55-game losing streak. While they're bad, I can't imagine any team being quite that bad. According to our Playoff Odds tool, this team's most likely landing spot is 14-68. That's awful, but 12 NBA teams have fared worse -- most recently the 12-win Nets of a year ago.

But let's dig deeper. With the help of Elias Sports Bureau and our own ace researcher Alok Pattani, we constructed the Hollinger Power Rankings of some of the other contenders for worst-team-ever status. In building this ranking I removed the "last 25 percent" consideration I use to construct the in-season Power Rankings, as we're less concerned with whether a team is "hot" and just trying to evaluate the overall awfulness of its season.

On that measure, Cleveland still has work to do. In fact, they're not even the worst Cleveland team. The gold standard for suckitude remains the 1992-93 Dallas Mavericks, who somehow managed to win 11 games despite being the only team in history to give up over 1,000 points more than it scored. (Dallas was outscored by 1,246 points that year, or a whopping 15.2 per game).

Just behind that Mavs team, however, are the 1970-71 Cavaliers, an expansion team that won 15 games. This year's edition of the Cavs, believe it or not, only ranks ninth on that chart. To rank among history's truly awful teams, they've still got work to do.

[h4]Lowest NBA "power ratings" in a season[/h4][table][tr][th=""]Year[/th][th=""]Team[/th][th=""]Rate[/th][/tr][tr][td]1992-93[/td][td]Dallas Mavericks[/td][td]85.08[/td][/tr][tr][td]1970-71[/td][td]Cleveland Cavaliers[/td][td]87.99[/td][/tr][tr][td]1997-98[/td][td]Denver Nuggets[/td][td]88.32[/td][/tr][tr][td]1972-73[/td][td]Philadelphia 76ers[/td][td]88.71[/td][/tr][tr][td]1982-84[/td][td]Houston Rockets[/td][td]88.78[/td][/tr][tr][td]1988-89[/td][td]Miami Heat[/td][td]88.79[/td][/tr][tr][td]1999-00[/td][td]Los Angeles Clippers[/td][td]88.93[/td][/tr][tr][td]1986-87[/td][td]Los Angeles Clippers[/td][td]89.06[/td][/tr][tr][td]1949-50[/td][td]Denver Nuggets[/td][td]88.98[/td][/tr][tr][td]2010-11[/td][td]Cleveland Cavaliers[/td][td]89.36[/td][/tr][tr][td]1990-91[/td][td]Denver Nuggets[/td][td]89.45[/td][/tr][/table]

Those are the leaders for a full year. But what about at this point in the season? Have other teams been worse at the 50-game mark? (Cleveland's 50th game will be against Memphis on Saturday).

Yes, in fact. Substantially worse. In fact, by this measure the Cavs have a lot more reason for optimism. Their 50-game start is unlikely to crack the bottom 10, although a poor performance in Memphis on Saturday could still push them down into that group.

Moreover, check out how low some of these ratings are. What it means is that a lot of these teams recovered over the final 32 games, something that's also likely to happen with Cleveland once it gets Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson back in the lineup. Last year's Nets provide a good parallel: At the 50-game mark they were the fifth-worst team in history, but by the season's end they were out of the top 10 entirely.

[h4]Lowest NBA "power ratings" through 50 games[/h4][table][tr][th=""]Year[/th][th=""]Team[/th][th=""]Rate[/th][/tr][tr][td]1992-93[/td][td]Dallas Mavericks[/td][td]82.79[/td][/tr][tr][td]1970-71[/td][td]Cleveland Cavaliers[/td][td]84.19[/td][/tr][tr][td]1972-73[/td][td]Philadelphia 76ers[/td][td]87.08[/td][/tr][tr][td]1988-89[/td][td]Miami Heat[/td][td]88.04[/td][/tr][tr][td]2009-10[/td][td]New Jersey Nets[/td][td]88.57[/td][/tr][tr][td]1990-91[/td][td]Denver Nuggets[/td][td]88.64[/td][/tr][tr][td]1996-97[/td][td]Vancouver Grizzlies[/td][td]88.69[/td][/tr][tr][td]1974-75[/td][td]New Orleans Jazz[/td][td]88.97[/td][/tr][tr][td]1989-90[/td][td]Miami Heat[/td][td]89.24[/td][/tr][tr][td]2010-11[/td][td]Cleveland Cavaliers[/td][td]89.36[/td][/tr][/table]

There's a reason for that, and it's known as "regression to the mean." Put simply, it's unlikely that any team can play this awfully (or, at the opposite end of the spectrum, this well) for an extended period of time. Early in the season, common sense forces us to acknowledge this phenomenon -- it's why we don't expect a guy hitting .400 at the end of April to finish at .400, why we don't expect a team that starts 10-0 to go 82-0. But it extends over a much wider range than many people realize; even at 50 games, teams performing at historic extremes are unlikely to keep it up.

So take that minor bit of solace, Cleveland -- you're probably not quite as horrendously awful as you've looked, and historically, several teams have been more odious. Unfortunately, none of them lost 25 games in a row. If the Cavs reach that mark -- and they probably will -- then in that respect, at least, nobody's done it worse.

 

[proshares]

Eventually, the Cavaliers will win a game, right?

Cleveland's losing skid hit 22 with Wednesday night's home loss to the Pacers, one of the more heartbreaking defeats on the list, because the Cavs were in the game until the end rather than being down 25 at the end of three quarters. But it's another loss nonetheless, and the Cadavers are now one defeat away from a league-record-tying 23rd consecutive defeat.

That game, in Memphis on Friday, seems a likely defeat -- based on today's Power Rankings, the Cavaliers are 18-point underdogs. Yes, 18. To a team that would miss the playoffs if the season ended today. It's that bad.

A loss would tie the record for most consecutive losses in one season, which the Cavs would have a shot at breaking the next night against Portland. That actually appears to be a reasonable chance at a win -- Portland is 9-16 on the road and may not have guard Wesley Matthews after a gruesome ankle twist Wednesday night. If you're curious, the Power Rankings only favor the Blazers by eight.

That would give Cleveland the longest losing streak in a season, but the record over two seasons is 24 games. Should they lose to Portland and Memphis, the Cavs will go for the all-time infamy mark Monday in a no-hoper of a road game at Dallas. I'm not expecting the streak to go too far beyond that, simply because a number of winnable games beckon post-Dallas -- including a home game Feb. 13 against a Washington team that has yet to win on the road. In fact, the Cavs don't play a road game for nearly a month after Sunday.

Nonetheless, the damage has already been done. Wednesday night's loss makes it extremely likely the Cavs will at least share a piece of the losing-streak record book, and there's a good chance they'll own it by themselves with a streak of 25 games or more.

How bad are the Cavs? Let us count the ways:

•  They may very well finish with both the league's worst offense and the league's worst defense. Cleveland ranks last in Offensive Efficiency, and is one-tenth of a point away from being last in Defensive Efficiency.

•  They don't have a single player in the league's top 50 in PER. Their top-rated player, point guard Ramon Sessions, is 70th. Every team except Cleveland has at least one player with a PER above 17.

•  They've lost 25 consecutive road games, taking aim at another record for futility. The good news? The all-time mark is 43, so they can't break it until next November (or whenever the league resumes).

•  They're so bad that Toronto has lost 13 straight games and nobody is paying them any mind.

Even so, it takes some bad luck to lose this many games in a row. There was the New Jersey game, in which Ryan Hollins tried to karate-chop Brook Lopez in the back to give a foul; the refs didn't notice and Lopez scored the winning basket. There was the no-call against Minnesota as Antawn Jamison's potential game winner bounced off the rim and out. And there were a few games like Wednesday night's against Indiana, when the Cavs had a chance to take the lead in the final 30 seconds before a wild Anthony Parker runner and a pass off J.J. Hickson's face sent them to defeat.

On the other hand, were it not for an overtime win over New York on Dec. 18, the Cavs would be riding a 33-game losing streak already. Yes, 33.

It's hard to believe now, but this team started the season 7-9. They won three of their first four road games -- they haven't won one since -- and beat Boston on the second day of the season in a game that, in retrospect, was the biggest upset in several years.

Since then, however, they're 1-32. While the Cavs were close in a few of those games, in most they were hammered. Of those 32 losses, 22 were by double digits. They lost by 55 to the Lakers, most famously, but have also lost by 27, 28, 28, 29 (twice), 30 and 34.

OK, Hollinger, we get it. They aren't good. But let's tackle the big question: Is this the worst team ever?

Amazingly, they're almost certainly not. For starters, there's the win-loss record. Cleveland already has eight wins under its belt, and the futility record is 9-73. To match it, the Cavs would have to close the season on a 55-game losing streak. While they're bad, I can't imagine any team being quite that bad. According to our Playoff Odds tool, this team's most likely landing spot is 14-68. That's awful, but 12 NBA teams have fared worse -- most recently the 12-win Nets of a year ago.

But let's dig deeper. With the help of Elias Sports Bureau and our own ace researcher Alok Pattani, we constructed the Hollinger Power Rankings of some of the other contenders for worst-team-ever status. In building this ranking I removed the "last 25 percent" consideration I use to construct the in-season Power Rankings, as we're less concerned with whether a team is "hot" and just trying to evaluate the overall awfulness of its season.

On that measure, Cleveland still has work to do. In fact, they're not even the worst Cleveland team. The gold standard for suckitude remains the 1992-93 Dallas Mavericks, who somehow managed to win 11 games despite being the only team in history to give up over 1,000 points more than it scored. (Dallas was outscored by 1,246 points that year, or a whopping 15.2 per game).

Just behind that Mavs team, however, are the 1970-71 Cavaliers, an expansion team that won 15 games. This year's edition of the Cavs, believe it or not, only ranks ninth on that chart. To rank among history's truly awful teams, they've still got work to do.

[h4]Lowest NBA "power ratings" in a season[/h4][table][tr][th=""]Year[/th][th=""]Team[/th][th=""]Rate[/th][/tr][tr][td]1992-93[/td][td]Dallas Mavericks[/td][td]85.08[/td][/tr][tr][td]1970-71[/td][td]Cleveland Cavaliers[/td][td]87.99[/td][/tr][tr][td]1997-98[/td][td]Denver Nuggets[/td][td]88.32[/td][/tr][tr][td]1972-73[/td][td]Philadelphia 76ers[/td][td]88.71[/td][/tr][tr][td]1982-84[/td][td]Houston Rockets[/td][td]88.78[/td][/tr][tr][td]1988-89[/td][td]Miami Heat[/td][td]88.79[/td][/tr][tr][td]1999-00[/td][td]Los Angeles Clippers[/td][td]88.93[/td][/tr][tr][td]1986-87[/td][td]Los Angeles Clippers[/td][td]89.06[/td][/tr][tr][td]1949-50[/td][td]Denver Nuggets[/td][td]88.98[/td][/tr][tr][td]2010-11[/td][td]Cleveland Cavaliers[/td][td]89.36[/td][/tr][tr][td]1990-91[/td][td]Denver Nuggets[/td][td]89.45[/td][/tr][/table]

Those are the leaders for a full year. But what about at this point in the season? Have other teams been worse at the 50-game mark? (Cleveland's 50th game will be against Memphis on Saturday).

Yes, in fact. Substantially worse. In fact, by this measure the Cavs have a lot more reason for optimism. Their 50-game start is unlikely to crack the bottom 10, although a poor performance in Memphis on Saturday could still push them down into that group.

Moreover, check out how low some of these ratings are. What it means is that a lot of these teams recovered over the final 32 games, something that's also likely to happen with Cleveland once it gets Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson back in the lineup. Last year's Nets provide a good parallel: At the 50-game mark they were the fifth-worst team in history, but by the season's end they were out of the top 10 entirely.

[h4]Lowest NBA "power ratings" through 50 games[/h4][table][tr][th=""]Year[/th][th=""]Team[/th][th=""]Rate[/th][/tr][tr][td]1992-93[/td][td]Dallas Mavericks[/td][td]82.79[/td][/tr][tr][td]1970-71[/td][td]Cleveland Cavaliers[/td][td]84.19[/td][/tr][tr][td]1972-73[/td][td]Philadelphia 76ers[/td][td]87.08[/td][/tr][tr][td]1988-89[/td][td]Miami Heat[/td][td]88.04[/td][/tr][tr][td]2009-10[/td][td]New Jersey Nets[/td][td]88.57[/td][/tr][tr][td]1990-91[/td][td]Denver Nuggets[/td][td]88.64[/td][/tr][tr][td]1996-97[/td][td]Vancouver Grizzlies[/td][td]88.69[/td][/tr][tr][td]1974-75[/td][td]New Orleans Jazz[/td][td]88.97[/td][/tr][tr][td]1989-90[/td][td]Miami Heat[/td][td]89.24[/td][/tr][tr][td]2010-11[/td][td]Cleveland Cavaliers[/td][td]89.36[/td][/tr][/table]

There's a reason for that, and it's known as "regression to the mean." Put simply, it's unlikely that any team can play this awfully (or, at the opposite end of the spectrum, this well) for an extended period of time. Early in the season, common sense forces us to acknowledge this phenomenon -- it's why we don't expect a guy hitting .400 at the end of April to finish at .400, why we don't expect a team that starts 10-0 to go 82-0. But it extends over a much wider range than many people realize; even at 50 games, teams performing at historic extremes are unlikely to keep it up.

So take that minor bit of solace, Cleveland -- you're probably not quite as horrendously awful as you've looked, and historically, several teams have been more odious. Unfortunately, none of them lost 25 games in a row. If the Cavs reach that mark -- and they probably will -- then in that respect, at least, nobody's done it worse.

 

[jpzx]

Blake Griffin is an All-Star reserve...