I loved the recent hullabaloo about NBA MVP LeBron James (6-8, 260) being dunked on by Xavier’s Jordan Crawford (6-4, 195) at the LBJ Skills Academy in Akron.

Supposedly, after Crawford banged on Bronnie two-handed and sent the high school kids watching into a tizzy, a Nike rep went to two media-types filming the pick-up game and confiscated the tapes. Some are saying that the Nike employee was directed to do so after James came over and talked to him. If true, it really shows a lack of class by LeBron (give the kid his due, King!) but it takes me back to a discussion I have frequently when somebody loses their mind because somebody else got dunked on. That’s basketball, it happens, and it usually happens to the biggest, baddest guys because they’re the ones trying to make a play at the rim to stop it. Give the dunker his due and move on. It’s a great play by him, not a failing on the part of the shot blocker, some poor guy who is guarding someone else and, like a good teammate, is just trying to cover up for some clown on the perimeter (that might be me) who gambled on a steal or got shook with a crossover.

The idea that somebody should get ridiculed for trying to make a heroic defensive stop while some other more image-conscious dweeb runs out of the way to avoid the “embarrassment” of having a phenomenal athlete ram a ball through a hoop 10 feet off the ground is really goofy to me. If you try to block shots, or even if you just play in the paint against good players, you’re going to get dunked on every now and again (or if you’re Shawn Bradley, all the time). That’s just a part of the game when great athletes are playing against each other. It would be like an NFL player being embarrassed for getting blasted going across the middle. It’s an unavoidable part of playing, not some kind of referendum on your manhood.

Getting hammered on really shouldn’t be something that causes shame (unless you take the dreaded crotch rub to the face) and a guy who does it all the time to others should understand that. I hope that if tapes were confiscated it was at the direction of some 5-foot-7 Nike employee who has never played a game in his life — not somebody that should know a lot better.

- Padraic

The gifted, technical-foul machine known as Rasheed Wallace (formerly of the Bullets, Trail Blazers, Hawks and Pistons) is rumored to be weighing offers from three title contenders in Boston, San Antonio and Cleveland. In my opinion, Cleveland and San Antonio both probably need him a little more, but as both a Celtics and Wallace fan I’m hoping he signs with Beantown to help vanquish the Lakers next season.

The Cavaliers really need a big man who can move a little bit to defend the pick and roll (Ilgauskas and O’Neal simply can’t do it) and a PF combo of Wallace and DeJuan Blair would fit nicely with Tim Duncan in San Antonio, but I hope Wallace — a Philly guy — wants to go back to the East Coast and put on the green. I think playing with Kevin Garnett might be enough to convince him to do just that.

The idea of Brian Scalabrine being relegated to bringing actual NBA players water and towels on the bench has me quite excited.

- Padraic

It’s a shame, but the reports out of Houston sound like Yao Ming may never play again.

The big man’s feet have simply broken down after years of playing basketball year-round with no break (NBA to Chinese national team and back, year after year). It almost sounds like, at best, the 7-6 center from China will return to the NBA for the 2010-11 season after sitting out next year in its entirety to recover from his fourth broken foot in the last four seasons.

The good news for Rockets fans is that Cleveland’s Zydrunas Ilgauskas suffered from similar problems earlier in his career and a surgical reconstruction of his arch has allowed him to play basically injury-free for the past few years.

The bad news is that any time you’re talking about a 7-6, 300-plus-pound man who makes a living running (and jumping) up and down a 94-foot floor thousands upon thousands of times a year, sometimes the feet just can’t take it, a la Bill Walton.

That’s too bad for Rockets’ fans and too bad for Yao, who may be done before ever reaching the potential that made him a No. 1 overall pick.

- Padraic

Sam Antonio got a gift in the second round when Pitt’s DeJuan Blair fell to them at No. 37. With that draft pick and a great trade for Richard Jefferson, the Spurs could conceivably start this lineup:

PG — Tony Parker
SG — Manu Ginobili
SF — Richard Jefferson
PF — DeJuan Blair
C — Tim Duncan

That would be pretty good, probably good enough to make them and Denver the two teams in the West with the firepower to play with the Lakers.

On an unrelated note: What was Minnesota thinking with the back-to-back point guard picks? Just a thought, but they should trade the overrated Spaniard before anybody realizes that he’s been inflated into something he can’t possibly be (a future amalgamation of Steve Nash and Pistol Pete Maravich, gimme a break).

Do it right, Wolves. Hose the Knicks for Rubio. 

- Padraic

With the NBA Draft set for Thursday I figured we should dust off the first mock draft and see what’s changed.

1. Los Angeles Clippers – Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma: No-brainer. He’s been the top pick the entire time.

2. Memphis Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn: No change. It sounds like doubts about Ricky Rubio and possibly a desire on his part to stay out of Memphis have Thabeet going here. He’s a good fit with Marc Gasol, I think.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder – Tyreke Evans, Memphis: I just don’t think the Thunder can pass up this physical freak of nature. He’s got a wingspan and first-step that are going to make him a penetration threat immediately. The Thunder would love to get a big man, but it just doesn’t seem like there’s one to take. A perimeter trio of Russ Westbrook, Evans and Kevin Durant could create headaches for opponents for years to come.

4. Sacramento Kings – Brandon Jennings, PG, Compton: No change here from initial mock as I just can’t imagine Jennings not going here. The Kings need a point guard and while Rubio is supposedly the best PG prospect, he just doesn’t possess the physical skills of Jennings (probably the quickest, most explosive athlete in the draft). There are concerns about his strength (165 pounds), but I can’t shake the feeling that the kid from SoCal is the pick.

5. Washington Wizards – James Harden, SG, Arizona State: No change here from initial mock. Harden’s an NBA-ready scorer who would complement Gilbert Arenas well if Agent Zero is healthy, but could also be called upon to shoulder a little more of the load if Arenas’ knee continues to hamper him.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain: I think the Wolves take Rubio. They can afford to bring him along fairly slowly with Bassy Telfair and Randy Foye in the backcourt and the bright lights of Minneapolis are about as dim as they get in the NBA, providing some relief from the pressure and glare.

7. Golden State Warriors – Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse: The Warriors need a point and while a starting backcourt of Flynn and Monta Ellis would be small, it would be quicksilver. Coach Don Nelson usually likes the sound of that.

8. New York Knicks – Stephen Curry, G, Davidson: The Knicks need help all over the place and Curry will create some interest.

9. Toronto Raptors – DeJuan Blair, PF, Pittsburgh: No change here from the initial mock. The Raptors have a couple of skilled, lengthy big men in Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani who need an enforcer to make their lives easier. This may be a little high to take Blair, an undersized power forward in terms of height, but his toughness and offensive rebounding would immediately make the Raptors better. The Raptors need a wing with Shawn Marion and Anthony Parker likely gone, but I’m really feeling Blair here.

10. Milwaukee Bucks – Jrue Holiday, G, UCLA: It sounds like Holiday is either hated or loved, and his freshman season with the Bruins did little to say “lottery pick” but he’s a smart, smooth big lead guard. I think the Bucks will take him. 

11. New Jersey Nets – Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona: Seems like he’s got to go by No. 11. 

12. Charlotte Bobcats – Terrence Williams, SG, Louisville: No change here from initial mock. The Bobcats need a two and Williams is the most intriguing guy on the board. A gifted all-around player, he was frequently nagged by questions about why his production didn’t always match his skills. Williams could be the type of player to become a better pro than amateur and it sounds like he impressed Coach Larry Brown at a recent workout.

13. Indiana Pacers –Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina: No change from initial draft. Indiana needs a point guard and Lawson is the best available. He can’t drive left, but when you’re the quickest guy on the floor with superior strength for a PG, you don’t seem to have to.

14. Phoenix Suns – Demar DeRozan, SG, USC: Seems to be falling a bit, but somebody’s going to take him. He’s just too talented to slip more than this.

15. Detroit Pistons: Earl Clark, SF, Louisville: Versatile player who could help in a variety of ways.

16. Chicago Bulls – B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State: No change. Chicago has needed a post-up option for a long time. Mullens isn’t it (yet) but the athletic big man could get there some day. He’s probably worth a shot now while the Bulls can still get a year out of Brad Miller.

17. Philadelphia 76ers – Eric Maynor, PG, Virginia Commonwealth: No change. PG Andre Miller is a free agent so the 76ers need to figure something out. Maynor plays with a chip on his shoulder that should be well-received in Philly.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves – Austin Daye, SF, Gonzaga: No change. The promise of Daye, a tantalizing combination of length (6-11) and skill is too good to pass up. He may be a season or two away from being a real contributor, but he’s got the potential and basketball IQ to make the Wolves pull the trigger. If the Wolves come away with Rubio and Daye with the 6th and 18th picks, they should be doing backflips.

19. Atlanta Hawks – Jeff Teague, PG, Wake Forest: No change. Teague is a deadly penetrator and scorer who would fit well with SG Joe Johnson.

20. Utah Jazz–: Sam Young, SF, Pittsburgh: No change. Young is a mentally and physically tough senior coming out of the best conference in the country. Matt Harpring isn’t getting any younger and Young seems to be cut from a similar cloth. Head coach Jerry Sloan loves that kind of player. He’s the ‘old man’ of the draft class, but he’s a Sloan guy.

21. New Orleans Hornets – Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke: No change. The Hornets desperately need a shooting guard who can take some of the pressure off of Chris Paul in the backcourt. Henderson could go as early as No. 12 to the Bobcats and the Hornets would be ecstatic if he fell to them here. A great athlete, he needs to work on his outside shot if the Hornets are to start he and Paul together.

22. Dallas Mavericks – Darren Collison, PG, UCLA: Jason Kidd is old and slow (look at what most every guard in the NBA did to him last season). Collison is young and fast. That’s all the Mavs need to hear.

23. Sacramento Kings – Tyler Hansbrough, PF, North Carolina: No change. The Kings take a shot on the ACC’s all-time leading scorer. Not considered a true NBA athlete, Hansbrough brings intangibles and attitude that the Kings hope will rub off on some of their young players. 

24. Portland Trail Blazers – Patrick Mills, PG, St. Mary’s: No change. The Blazers are young and loaded at virtually every position. They could use some PG help and look to Mills to provide a change of pace from Steve Blake.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder –  James Johnson, SF, Wake Forest: Sounds like he’s dropping. Thunder would be very happy if he was here.

26. Chicago Bulls –  Derrick Brown, PF, Xavier: Brown’s a good athlete with plenty of length who can handle himself in lots of different situations on the floor.

27. Memphis Grizzlies – DaJuan Summers, SF, Georgetown: A big SF with a good head for the game, he’s the type of guy coaches love.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves – Chase Budinger, SF, Arizona: Budinger is a great athlete and shooter with questions about his toughness and basketball IQ. Could be a great pick, could be a bust depending on his work ethic. Who knows, he could quit to play volleyball for Team USA some day.

29. Los Angeles Lakers – Wayne Ellington, SG, North Carolina: No change. Say goodbye to the NBA, Sasha Vujacic.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers – Taj Gibson, PF, USC: No change. Not what anyone would call an overachiever in college, Gibson would add some needed offensive skill and defensive athleticism to Cleveland’s front line.

- Padraic

So, I was looking over NBA Draft stuff and I scoffed at some of the predicitions … making me decide to do my own mock draft. I figured nobody reads this blog anyway, so I could just post it here.

- padraic

1. Los Angeles Clippers – Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma: Obviously the No. 1 choice (by as wide a margin as Tim Duncan’s draft year, probably). The Oklahoma City-product is in the LeBron James and Dwight Howard class of physical specimens. He combines size and strength with agility, footwork and leaping ability unlike any PF since Chris Webber. Rumors are that his listed height of 6-10 may be a bit of a stretch and suffering a concussion that held him out of a couple of games from being hit with an open hand make me a little skittish, but he’s a lock. Will be an all-star for sure, just may not ever be the cold-blooded type that coaches want.

2. Memphis Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn: Popular wisdom and some strangely quixotic scouting on Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio have many saying that the Grizzlies will take the 18-year-old wunderkind here. I don’t believe the hype. Rubio’s a 6-3 marginal athlete with no outside shot, long arms and wonderful court vision. He’s the type of player that would have been drafted in the second round 10 years ago and is going to struggle against the uber-athleticism of NBA guards. Thabeet fits well with the floor-bound, workmanlike game of Marc Gasol on both ends of the floor. He’s got to be the pick.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder – Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona: The Sonics (I’ll never let that go) are devastated when Thabeet goes to Memphis, as his defensive presence would have immediately made them a better team. With the 7-3 center off the board they’ll think about Arizona PF Jordan Hill, who they hope can develop into a consistent rebounding and shot-blocking threat.

4. Sacramento Kings – Brandon Jennings, PG, Compton: The Kings need somebody to come in and put a charge back into Arco Arena. Sac-town has seen a cocky, slightly troubled PG come through town once before in Jason Williams, and Jennings, who played one year in Italy after graduating from high school, fits the same bill. Cat-quick and creative, Jennings would immediately make the Kings more fun to watch (which is always nice when you know you aren’t going to be winning a ton of games) and could fit well with Kevin Martin, Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes.

5. Washington Wizards – James Harden, SG, Arizona State: Harden’s an NBA-ready scorer who would complement Gilbert Arenas well if Agent Zero is healthy, but could also be called upon to shoulder a little more of the load if Arenas’ knee continues to hamper him.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Tyreke Evans, SG, Memphis: I think the Wolves would look at Rubio here, but I imagine the Spaniard’s handlers don’t particularly want him playing in Minneapolis. Considering he’s got an $8 million buyout on his European contract, the Wolves go safe and draft Tyreke Evans to add a desperately needed penetrator/creator.

7. Golden State Warriors – Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain: Rubio would be a nice fit with Monta Ellis in Don Nelson’s up-tempo style. The Warriors would be a little undersized and lacking in outside shooting, but they’d be fast and fun to watch – just what Nelly likes.

8. New York Knicks – DeMar DeRozan, SG, Southern Cal: The Knicks need help all over the place, but DeRozan seems like he might be the best available player to plug into Mike D’Antoni’s system. He’s got a chance to be a 20 points per game guy for a long time – especially playing for D’Antoni.

9. Toronto Raptors – DeJuan Blair, PF, Pittsburgh: The Raptors have a couple of skilled, lengthy big men in Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani who need an enforcer to make their lives easier. This may be a little high to take Blair, an undersized power forward in terms of height, but his toughness and offensive rebounding would immediately make the Raptors better.

10. Milwaukee Bucks – Stephen Curry, PG, Davidson: A nice fit for Curry, an undersized shooting wiz who is going to need to be on a team where he’s the third scoring option. The Bucks fit the bill, with SG Michael Redd and SF Richard Jefferson doing the heavy lifting on offense and hopefully creating some good looks for Curry.

11. New Jersey Nets – Earl Clark, PF, Louisville: It’s hard to say just what the Nets will do here, but Clark is the kind of long athlete with good hands that somebody is going to snatch up. He could fit well with Devin Harris and Brook Lopez in a rebuilding effort in Jersey.

12. Charlotte Bobcats – Terrence Williams, SG, Louisville: The Bobcats need a two and Williams is the most intriguing guy on the board. A gifted all-around player, he was frequently nagged by questions about why his production didn’t always match his skills. Williams could be the type of player to become a better pro than amateur.

13. Indiana Pacers –Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina: Indiana needs a point guard and Lawson is the best available. He can’t drive left, but when you’re the quickest guy on the floor with superior strength for a PG, you don’t seem to have to.

14. Phoenix Suns – Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse: Steve Nash will not play forever and there isn’t a replacement on the Suns roster. Flynn’s a little small, but he makes up for it with elite athleticism, savvy and competitiveness. Could be a steal.

15. Detroit Pistons: James Johnson, SF, Wake Forest. Versatile player who I thought would be playing in the NBA when I first saw him as a senior out of Cheyenne, Wyo. Big (6-8, 245) and skilled, he’s the type of player who makes good things happen. Johnson needs to work on his understanding of the game a bit, but he’s an NBA talent who will help any team in multiple areas.

16. Chicago Bulls – B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State: Chicago has needed a post-up option for a long time. Mullens isn’t it (yet) but the athletic big man could get there some day. He’s probably worth a shot now while the Bulls can still get a year out of Brad Miller.

17. Philadelphia 76ers – Eric Maynor, PG, Virginia Commonwealth: PG Andre Miller is a free agent so the 76ers need to figure something out. Maynor plays with a chip on his shoulder that should be well-received in Philly.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves – Austin Daye, SF, Gonzaga: Some feel the Wolves will go with a backcourt player here, but the promise of Daye, a tantalizing combination of length (6-11) and skill is too good to pass up. He may be a couple of seasons away from being a real contributor, but he’s got the potential and basketball IQ to make the Wolves pull the trigger.

19. Atlanta Hawks – Jeff Teague, PG, Wake Forest: Teague is a deadly penetrator and scorer who would fit well with SG Joe Johnson.

20. Utah Jazz–: Sam Young, SF, Pittsburgh: Young is a mentally and physically tough senior coming out of the best conference in the country. Matt Harpring isn’t getting any younger and Young seems to be cut from a similar cloth. Head coach Jerry Sloan loves that kind of player.

21. New Orleans Hornets – Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke: The Hornets desperately need a shooting guard who can take some of the pressure off of Chris Paul in the backcourt. Henderson could go as early as No. 12 to the Bobcats and the Hornets would be ecstatic if he fell to them here.

22. Dallas Mavericks – Jrue Holiday, G, UCLA: The Mavs take a shot on one of the players considered to be one of the best freshmen in the country last season. Holiday struggled at UCLA a bit, but his talent is undeniable. Dallas hopes he can learn from Jason Kidd and develop into a long-term solution as a playmaker in the backcourt.

23. Sacramento Kings – Tyler Hansbrough, PF, North Carolina: The Kings take a shot on the ACC’s all-time leading scorer. Not considered a true NBA athlete, Hansbrough brings intangibles and attitude that the Kings hope will rub off on some of their young players. 

24. Portland Trail Blazers – Patrick Mills, PG, St. Mary’s: The Blazers are young and loaded at virtually every position. They could use some PG help and look to Mills to provide a change of pace from Steve Blake.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder – Gani Lawal, PF, Georgia Tech: The Thunder could use the energy of Lawal. A reportedly high-character energy player who rebounds and blocks shots, Lawal probably won’t ever be a premier scorer, but on a team that has Kevin Durant, he doesn’t need to be.

26. Chicago Bulls – Chase Budinger, SF, Arizona: The Bulls probably don’t need another scoring threat on the perimeter, but Budinger’s talent is hard to ignore here. The explosive volleyball player isn’t the toughest player around, but he’s smart and can score the ball.

27. Memphis Grizzlies – Marcus Thornton, SG, Louisiana State: Grizzlies take best available. Sure, he plays the same position as O.J. Mayo, but when you’re as bad as Memphis you take what you can.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves – DaJuan Summers, SF, Georgetown: Summers is a versatile, smart player who could fill a variety of roles for the Wolves.

29. Los Angeles Lakers – Wayne Ellington, SG, North Carolina: Say goodbye to the NBA, Sasha Vujacic.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers – Taj Gibson, PF, USC: Not what anyone would call an overachiever in college, Gibson would add some needed offensive skill to Cleveland’s front line.

After reading Russo’s assertion that a No. 2 seeded Denver Nuggets team has done the “impossible” by making it into the Western Conference finals, I’m almost at a loss for words. Impossible, Russo? Really?

Another thought while watching this NBA playoffs has been how is it that the NBA has gone unscathed by the scourge of performance-enhancing drugs (insert marijuana joke here)?

If track, football and baseball athletes are all using them, what would be the reasoning behind a basketball player playing approximately 100 games a season for not using them? PED’s main function is boosting muscles’ recovery time (from what I’m told, I’ve never dealt with this phenomenon of exhausting muscles to a point where they need to “recover”), so why wouldn’t they? You’re telling me LeBron James doesn’t look like somebody slipped a few vials of HGH into his Wheaties at 16? If we’ve learned anything over the past 10-20 years, it’s that plenty of people are willing to dope to compete at world-class levels and reap world-class rewards.

And nowhere in the sports world are the financial rewards greater than those in the NBA.

Just wondering.

- Padraic

You can argue whether the NBA has it right with its draft lottery. But you must admit, it will be a little fun to watch what ball will come out at 6:30 p.m. MDT today.

Nobody can honestly say who will win it this year. The team with the best chance, the Sacramento Kings, only has a 25 percent chance of landing the first pick. The NBA adds that extra round of intrigue. While most people are in agreement that Blake Griffin is the best player in the draft, we get that added bonus of wondering who will get that first pick.

And it can be anyone.

It’s hard to imagine, but the Phoenix Suns have a chance to net the top overall pick, and they won 46 games last season. It could be like last year in which a good Chicago Bulls team was able to nab Derrick Rose with the top pick.

The only downfall to this kind of draft: The worst team - like the New York Knicks last year or the Celtics a couple of years back - can end up picking fifth or worse in the draft. But you can avoid that fate by winning some games.

What do you think of the draft?

- Russo

The NBA Playoffs warmed up a bit on Wednesday with the ejections of Derek Fisher and Ron Artest in the Lakers-Rockets Game 2, and Orlando’s Rafer Alston getting slap happy on the back of Eddie House’s head in the Celtics-Magic game.

It seems to me that Alston is certainly getting suspended (it may not have been a vicious blow, but you can’t condone players slapping each other, no matter how funny it may have looked.) On the other hand, Fisher’s was a vicious blow (and obviously premeditated), but it wasn’t to the head … does he get suspended for Game 3?

Artest actually showed pretty good restraint considering Kobe Bryant got a little wild with an elbow of his own and Artest (somehow) got called for the foul. Artest looked like he just wanted to let Kobe know that it wouldn’t be a good idea to swing that elbow at his neck or face again, then made the motion after Joey Crawford broke them up. It looked to me that when Artest made the elbowing motion to show Crawford what Bryant had done, Crawford believed Artest was making the banned-in-the-NFL “throat slash” gesture toward Bryant. Ron Ron got tossed immediately, which seemed harsh to me, but when you’ve got Artest’s rep, you’re on a short leash. If you’re a 5-foot-9, 57-year-old NBA ref dealing with an escalating physical confrontation involving the 6-foot-7, 250-pound Ron “I Run Into the Stands” Artest, most anything probably looks to be a death threat.

Should Bryant get suspended for the elbow? I hate Kobe, but I say no. Fisher? Probably.

Alston and Artest were both born and raised in Queens, like my grandmother. Let’s just say it doesn’t surprise me to see a couple of guys from that same borough getting a little feisty.

- Padraic

In our office, scores and stats fly though the air with regularity, especially this time of year, when even the NFL can find a way to take 15 hours of our time.

But one statistic made three of us pause last night: 121-63.

Yes, some of you may recognize that as the 58-point pasting of the New Orleans Hornets last night by the No. 2 seed Denver Nuggets. It just so happens that the score ties the playoff record for the worst blowout, matching the same deficit from a Minnesota Lakers game in the 1950s.

Reading up on the game, It is astonishing how bad the Hornets were. Chris Paul had only four points, and did not even play in the fourth quarter. Perhaps the most eye-popping part of this is that the loss came with New Orleans already in a 2-1 series deficit and the game was in New Orleans. That’s about as bad as the Detroit fans chanting MVP for LeBron James this week, and the Pistons’ owner sending requests to Cavs season-ticket holders to come watch their team win in Detroit. Wow.

- Russo