Raja gets the ‘bow, and now he gets a game off to recover. He deserved the suspension.

Kobe deserved the clothesline.

Sorry Lakers fans (and I count myself as one of them), I’m being objective. Kobe can now officially add Raja Bell to his Rogues Gallery. In fact,  The Ocho’s nickname among his peers is probably “He Hate Me”. Raja Bell, Shaq, Ray Allen… Why else did Kobe get up with a sheepish grin on his face, besides the fact that he knew that Bell’s road rage would likely cost his team his services in a must-win Game 6? Because Kobe knew that he had gotten away with some marginal shots of his own.

I saw the two elbows. The first elbow looked incidental, Bell’s flop notwithstanding. The second one was clearly a cheap shot that reminded me of a Bill Laimbeer “Ooops - was that your head I hit with this elbow?” classic.

Even better was David Stern's comment when delivering the suspension, "It was a unmanly act." Did I miss the cross-dressing somewhere? I can tell that His Majesty has played a lot of ball...

The trouble of course is that too many refs are unable to use odd numbers. Refs almost never catch the 1^st or 3^rd punches, they catch the 2^nd and 4^th . Bell has been in the league long enough to know better. Do not shed too many tears for Raja, the man clearly "Jerry!" contestant-level stupidity. His Artest-ian moment of thoughtlessness has his already undermanned team in a deeper hole.

Idea: What the NBA could do in playoffs is allow a replay ref to look at those shots that escape the first view, and assess a technical at the half or dead balls for any flagrant fouls. That way, the sneaky guys get their just desserts. The refs clearly allowed too much to go on for too long, while calling cheap fouls on Kwame Brown.

Having said all that, I had the Suns in 6, clearly that will not happen. (I'm going to go out on a long thin limb and take the Suns in 7.) And Kobe is the reason. In the last regular season game with Phoenix, "Kobi" (note the “I”) was determined to show up Raja at every turn, and while he hung 43 on him, the Suns won rather handily. Clearly KobE got the message. A considerably more team-oriented Bryant gives the Lakers the opportunity to use their superior size advantage. Brown and Lamar Odom are looking like Karl Malone and Wes Unseld against the midgets that comprise what passes for the front line of the Suns. 

Heck, even the shy Luke Walton and soft Brian Grant have been spotted taking the ball to the rack for the first time since college. Kobe deserves credit for finally “getting it”.

But he doesn’t deserve the MVP.

My vote was for LeBron James based on his all-around brilliance in raising the level of his game - and his team’s - despite the loss of Larry Hughes for 60% of the season, and the Z-Man for the last month. 31 points, 6 boards and 6 assists – only The Big O and Jerry West have played in this rare air. He’#### big shots when needed all season. He got my vote over my runner up Steve Nash. Yes, Kobe got 3^rd on my ballot. As incredible as his season and scoring has been, Nash played without an effective traditional big man (although Shawn Marion has been a stud, with career numbers). Amare out all year, Kurt Thomas sideline for 30+ games, and Brian Grant basically done. Yet the Suns got a Number Two seed. It impressed me more than the Lakers performance overall.

Speaking of LeBron and the Cavs, shame on the NBA for not showing more of the Wizards and Cavs nationally. This is a great series, even better than I had thought and I had the Wiz taking this in 7. No back down here from me. Look for the Other Guys to decide this series. Antwan Jamison and Caron Butler will provide a bit more than Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden. This series features two evenly matched teams on the rise. No tired cynical veterans, just energy and the Next Generation led by James and the Wizards' Gilbert Arenas. I'm enjoying every moment.

In my other bad call, I had the Bulls going down in 6 to the Heat. While the Heat is in position to close this out, it’s pretty clear to me that the only reason why the Bulls trail is…well, they believe that the Heat are better. They aren’t. I’m not another team in the East is as fast in the backcourt as Chicago with Kurt Hinrich and Ben Gordon, but it is clear that the Heat have been exposed as an old, slow bunch. In the words of analyst Mark Jackson, Gary Payton has gone from The Glove to The Isotoner. Pretty, but not very functional. Being 37 will do that. Jason Williams and Antoine Walker have never been known for defense, and Shaq is only a spot defender, as 340 lbs and an indifference to conditioning have taken its toll. Yet as long as Alonzo Mourning is reasonably healthy, you have a true back line of defense for the quicker Bulls to deal with. Miami needs to close this team out before the Bulls realize that they are the harder working and more deserving team. And is this the coming out jam for Andres Nocioni or what?

Final Notes: I had the Spurs in 6 against the Kings, but I think this goes 7, which should excite their West rivals. Anything that wears down Tim Duncan and Crew is a good thing. Ron-Ron Artest has delivered and Bonzi Wells has been incredible. Remember that the Kings had no problems playing the Spurs WITHOUT Artest in Game 2.

Congrats to the Pistons and Mavs for taking care of business. Rip Hamilton dropped 40 in the clincher. I'm totally feeling it. As for the Nets and Pacers, the Nets should have dumped this team in five games. It should give us pause. However, we may be witnessing the coming out party of a young force in Nenad Kristic. This team needs an enforcer at the 4, but can you handle a three-headed monster of Kidd, Vinsanity, and Jefferson with a low post option? Good luck. I think the Heat won’t get past this crew.

Random Thought: I was really hoping to see the Nets and Wizards play against each other in their throwback gear. Sue me. It looks good.

The 2005-06 NBA season started with a marquee coach taking over a young team in transition (I know, it's rebuilding, rebuilding is such a dirty word you know?), featuring a star player with whom our marquee coach had previously clashed. Smart money had a blowup occurring by January, but with the coach getting the team to the postseason.

That Phil Jackson, something else isn't he…oh, you thought I was talking about Larry Brown? Yeah, so did I.

Peeps, I have to get this off my chest before we move on to teams actually doing something this season:

Larry Brown is overrated.

Yes, I said it.

Overrated. Repeat after me, New York Yankee-style:

O-verrr-Rated!

Clap clap clap clap!

I know the conventional wisdom had Larry (also known as Coach Right Way) as one of the all-time greats, especially after the Pistons spanked the Lakers in the 2004 finals. I was one of them. With the benefit of hindsight, we know a few things - that the Pistons were much better than we all thought, and that the Shaq-Kobe feud had torched team chemistry beyond all repair, with Karl Malone’s injury being the final straw.

But after two straight trips to the Finals, LB was known as the guy who wanted his team to play The Right Way. What we all should have asked was why didn’t anyone ask is Greg Popovich, Rick Adelman, or Phil Jackson if they coached The Right Way – especially after Pop outcoached Larry last year in the Finals? Is it possible that the “Right Way” talk went to his head?

Well, the results are in. It’s ugly, and I mean Chris Kaman ugly. The Knicks were a 33 win team last year, and they’d have to run the table to get to 27 this year (I'm thinking 23 wins tops).

Worse, they have no freakin’ excuse.

Isiah Thomas may have his weaknesses – ok – a LOT of weaknesses as a GM, but he’s brought in solid young talent with Channing Frye, Eddie Curry, and James Robinson to go with Trevor Ariza and David Lee.  Stephon Marbury has more issues than the New York Times, but only The Big O has averaged 20+ pp and 8 assists as Stephon has done. Throw in Quinton Richardson and Jamal Crawford and .500 should have been a lock.

Instead we get the unholy mess that is the Knicks, and now Brown recently whined that the players are “tuning him out”. Brother Larry, human beings have an annoying tendency to do that when they constantly get barraged with noise. Note to Coach RightWay, when you constantly run down your players in the press, it becomes noise. Isn’t it telling that Brown has gotten little public support from anyone? Even given Marbury’s obvious problems playing team ball?

Does Kevin Garnett really want to come into this zoo?

Out here on the Left Coast, Phil Jackson gets mixed reviews, but you don’t hear him and Kobe killing each other. Granted, the Lakers have fewer youngsters than the Knicks, but Smush Parker (who wasn't even in the league last year) and Kwame Brown have made solid strides this season – especially Kwame in the last month since Chris Mihm was injured.

Kwame Brown? The same Kwame who was sent home by the Wizards last year – even when they lost his replacement to injury in the playoffs? Lamar Odom is finally playing three good games in a row. The Lakers look like they’ll win 44-45 games – in a tougher conference - and will almost certainly make the playoffs.

Kobe is getting along publicly with Phil, AFTER Phil hammers him in a book. (I grant you that if Coach allows you to put up 35 shots a game, you shouldn't have a problem getting along with anyone.) Yet even the most ardent Kobe-basher has to concede that Kobe has made more of a committment to team ball, even while scoring a pace unseen since Jordan in 1987.

Meanwhile, Coach RightWay and Starbury have gone to the mattresses. No surprise, Larry Brown hasn't met a point guard he ever got along with. No surprise, since Larry was trashing Marbury at the Olympics. This is the same guy who couldn't appreciate Mark Jackson (only Number Two on the all-time assist list) until he traded him away, and then had to trade back to get him. Which coach would you rather have?

Given LB’s history, the Knicks will almost certainly rebound. Somehow, Thomas will move Marbury or Francis (although if a superstar doesn’t come back in the deal, they shouldn’t do it), and Brown will feel safer. The young players will mature, and Larry will be the hero.

But not to this writer.

Honestly, I’m hoping Step and Right Way stay together. Life has been boring since Kobe and Shaq have made up (kindasorta). A good blood feud is necessary in sports. And the potential of Stephon going Sprewell on Little Larry is just too good to pass up.

Meanwhile, a maturing Laker team is peaking going into the post-season.

Score a big one for the Zen Master.

Yo RedMan (not the rapper), er, Mr. Claus. Can I call you Brother Santa?

Relax, this isn't about me. I'm thinking of my fellow men and women, so here goes. Get that pen and pad ready. I was thinking that my friends in the the FOX Blog World could help me on this if they want.

Anyhow, here is my list:

David Stern - A FUBU jogging suit, just so he could abide by a better dress code when he sits courtside.

Larry Brown - The patience of Job while he works his magic on the Knicks. And a true point guard who can put up with Larry Brown.

Kobe Bryant - Ben-#### for his shooting arm.

Phil Jackson - A true number two scorer to pair with Kobe. 

Marvin Lewis - An AFC Title Game matchup against the Colts.

Terrell Owens - A clue and some self-esteem. Yeah Santa, I said self-esteem. There is a real difference between loving yourself and being in love with yourself. If that's too tall an order, how about a series called, "The Surreal Life: Terrell and Donovan"?

Brett Favre - A coach who isn't awed by The Legend Of Brett Favre. You know a coach who will see one of those "What in the @#&*#$@ was he thinking!" throws that Brett is good for three times a game, and ask him, "WHAT IN THE @^(*@#  ARE YOU THINKING!"

Jose Canseco - A chance to play in the World Baseball Classic. Not sure which planet he'll represent yet.

Ron Artest - See Terrell Owens. Oh and Santa, go extras on the Common Sense please?

Barry Bonds - Public drug tests. And a 100% pass rate.

The NHL - Can I get back to you on that one Santa?

The Chicago Bears - A playoff game in a foot of snow. I love snow Santa...

The Philadelphia Eagles Front Office - A visit from Jacob Marley. Hey, T.O. may have been a Wack-O, but you fight with every vet over money except for McNabb. It's caught up to you. Finally.

George Steinbrenner - Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens - The Boston Red Sox

Julio Franco - A chance to drive in Rickey Henderson after a single and steal of second. 

Serena Williams - A year of good health. And another S.I. Swimsuit spread, please?

And a final wish, a serious one Santa,

To Tony Dungy and Family - Peace of mind from The Man, and all of the consolation that we can muster. I'm just one of many many sports fans and others who recognize your class exceeds your considerable coaching talent. Santa, make sure that Tony knows that, ok?

Yours truly,

The Doc