You know that basketball must be God's favorite sport, because he was so bored with the NBA season that he made sure the off season would get better daily ratings than the ultra boring finals which the league served us.

As much as I want to go on and on about how the New Yorks Knicks could possibly manage to get Kboe Bryant playing the Garden next season, I am certain that even Mitch Kupchack is that pathetic of a GM...but we can always hope!

Finally ESPN's Bill Simmons said what I've been saying all along, only better.

Why should Portland draft Greg Oden when they already have Zach Randolph, a 25 & 15 guy even in the Western Conference and Lamrcus Aldridge, the other lottery pick from last season when they managed to snare the ROY( and with his last name we didn't see that one coming?

I've said from the outset that the Trailblazers needed to add some scoring from the perimeter in order to free up even more space for Randolph, but Simmons goes one better by suggesting Portland swap picks with Seattle and sign free agent to be Rashard Lewis in a sign and trade that allows them to dump Darius Miles as well. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070620

That would be a brilliant move on the part of the Blazers,

but like most others I don't believe that Blazers GM Pritchard will have the balls to not draft Oden so it's really all a moot point.

Although I would love to see Kobe in a Knicks uniform we all know that's not going to happen.

I would still be just as Giddy to see himin the Eastern Conference where he would almost automatically make to at least the second round of the playoffs for a change and possibly entertain the thought of going for 100 points in a game. Can you imagine Kobe getting like three cracks apiece at either the Knicks, Bobcats, Bucks, Raptors, Hawks and Celtics in one season?!

I keep hearing people talking about Kobe tarnishing his image and being a diva for the way he is trying to force the hand of Laker owner Jerry Buss.

Bull hockey!

Both Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan forced management to make trades that were not neccessarily in the best interest of their current franchises and after 11 total championships how do you think that worked out for the two of them?

Barkley did it in Philly and immediately went straight to the NBA Finals, Vince did it a few seaosn back in Toronto and everyone understood.

Kobe does not want to be the new KG and I don't blame him.

He is the game's best player and we are watching him in his prime NBA years playing alonside the likes of Smush Parker and Andrew Bynum as co-starters.

You know, enough of trying to explain Kobe to Kobe haters.

I've always said that I use the bashing of Kobe Bryant as the measuring stick for people who really do not a full comprhension of hoops.

Go Kobe! Let us all hope you end up in Chi-Town!

I don't care who else has to go, Paul Pierce coupled with KG and any other seven NBA players are in the Eastern Conference Finals next season if not the NBA Finals.

The only team that could stop them would be the Heat if they manage to sign Rashard Lewis and Shaq went on a diet for once in his life, or the Bulls if they land Bryant.

Greg Ostertag, Eric Montross,  Bryant "Big Country" Reeves, Spence_ Hawe_

2008 Rokie of the Year....Al Horford...is anyone in Atlanta listening? Probably not. Probably never.

Phoenix must do something because that team is obviously waiting for the Spurs to get old and unfortunately for the Suns, Steve Nash already has about six or seven years on Tony Parker.

So the most obvious move is to trade Shawn Marion, but to whom?

 I say trade him to Seattle for Ray Allen.

Then I can watch Kobe torch both Raja Bell and Ray Allen in the regular season and the playoffs. Of course while trading for Allen sounds good on paper, Ray Allen is like Chris Webber, both players who gurantee that you team will not make the finals on karma alone.

Ron Artest is due to punch someone in the face anyday now...maybe a nun, but at least that will land him in a Knicks Jersey.

Unfortunately that would mean the Knicks are probably going to send David Lee and Stephon Marbury to Sacremento and take on Artest,  Mike Bibby (aka poor man;'s Marbury) and Shareef Abdur Rahim (aka poor man's ummm, poor man's ummm...okay just poor man)

The Bobcats would be extremely lucky if Yakim Noah fell to #8.